Cool Weird Awesome – Brady Carlson

How To Fight Fires With Drones (Cool Weird Awesome 274)

3 04, 2020

How To Fight Fires With Drones (Cool Weird Awesome 274)

By Brady Carlson|2020-04-03T09:23:37-04:00April 3rd, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: drones, fire, firefighting, yelling|

Firefighters in Chongqing, China, may soon put out fires with help from a team of six large drones that can get in the air and quickly extinguish blazes. Plus: a guy in Tacoma, Washington is spreading positivity by yelling things at people for money.

Lego Bricks Could Last Longer Than A Millennium (Cool Weird Awesome 272)

1 04, 2020

Lego Bricks Could Last Longer Than A Millennium (Cool Weird Awesome 272)

By Brady Carlson|2020-04-01T10:09:50-04:00April 1st, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Lego, plastic, walnuts, world records|

Researchers have been studying LEGO longevity! Don't put them in the ocean, because they could last hundreds or even thousands of years - instead, maybe build something really cool to share with future generations. Plus: there's a new world record in the category of most walnuts cracked by an elbow in under a minute. Yes, that's a category.

Radio Saved The Eiffel Tower (Cool Weird Awesome 271)

31 03, 2020

Radio Saved The Eiffel Tower (Cool Weird Awesome 271)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-31T09:07:41-04:00March 31st, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: cars, Eiffel Tower, history, Paris, radio|

The Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand in Paris for 20 years... but experiments in "wireless telegraphy" helped convince the powers that be to keep the tower in place. Plus: this gallery of the weirdest-looking cars to ever roll off the assembly line is maybe not the aesthetic equal of the Eiffel Tower, but it sure is fun.

Have Fun Storming The Augmented Reality Castle (Cool Weird Awesome 270)

30 03, 2020

Have Fun Storming The Augmented Reality Castle (Cool Weird Awesome 270)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-30T09:11:26-04:00March 30th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: augmented reality, Brooklyn NY, castles, New York City|

There’s a website that shows seven sites on which European castles once stood - only partial structures now, but the site has filled the towers and other structures back in. Plus: the blare of a neighborhood car alarm gives Brooklyn musician Andrea Long Chu some inspiration.

The Story Behind The Weirdest Baseball Card Of All Time (Cool Weird Awesome 269)

27 03, 2020

The Story Behind The Weirdest Baseball Card Of All Time (Cool Weird Awesome 269)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-27T09:22:53-04:00March 27th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: baseball, baseball cards, hair, Sports|

Baseball's opening weekend has been postponed, so for now let's enjoy the tale of how pitcher Keith Comstock managed to turn his baseball card into one where he appears to be hit in a very sensitive place. Plus: salon owner Heidi Oley had to close her shop for the time being, so she’s practicing her skills on her boyfriend and posting daily hairdos on Instagram.

The Motorcycling Sisters Who Rode For The RIght To Vote (Cool Weird Awesome 268)

26 03, 2020

The Motorcycling Sisters Who Rode For The RIght To Vote (Cool Weird Awesome 268)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-26T13:54:23-04:00March 26th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Branson MO, history, motorcycles, suffrage movement, toilet paper, women's history, world records|

It's the birthday of Augusta Van Buren, who joined her sister Adeline for a cross-country motorcycle trip in 1916 to win support for the suffragist movement. And what a trip it was. Plus: if you're one of the many people stocking up on bathroom tissue these days, note that the largest roll ever made is in Missouri - but it's not for sale.

The Mars Lander Can Give Itself A Helping Hand (Cool Weird Awesome 267)

25 03, 2020

The Mars Lander Can Give Itself A Helping Hand (Cool Weird Awesome 267)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-25T14:38:11-04:00March 25th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: beer, coronavirus, Mars, NASA, outer space|

NASA has fixed a problem with its Mars lander, essentially by telling the lander to use a robotic arm to help itself - or, depending on the headlines you read, to whack itself. Plus: a Wisconsin man finds a clever way to share a beer with his neighbor in the era of social distancing.

Can This Device “Hear” Disease? (Cool Weird Awesome 266)

24 03, 2020

Can This Device “Hear” Disease? (Cool Weird Awesome 266)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-24T09:44:11-04:00March 24th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: medicine, sound, Sports, technology|

A team Purdue University developed a device that uses sound waves that can help determine if and when a disease has started to invade our body cells. That SOUNDS like a good idea (see what we did there?) Plus: a sports commentator in the UK is keeping his skills in shape during the sports hiatus by doing play-by-play on non-sports activities.

Our Show About The History Of “OK” Is Just Okay (Cool Weird Awesome 265)

23 03, 2020

Our Show About The History Of “OK” Is Just Okay (Cool Weird Awesome 265)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-23T08:33:26-04:00March 23rd, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: astronauts, etymology, Martin Van Buren, sandwiches, words|

On this day in 1839 we first saw the word we use so often to describe our most middling feelings. That’s right, it’s the birthday of OK. Plus: it's also the anniversary of the time an astronaut smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard a space mission.

How Do Time Zones Work At Earth’s Poles? (Cool Weird Awesome 264)

21 03, 2020

How Do Time Zones Work At Earth’s Poles? (Cool Weird Awesome 264)

By Brady Carlson|2020-03-21T23:08:53-04:00March 21st, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: buffaloes, Jamestown ND, roadside attractions, time|

Time is an odd thing no matter where you are, but it's especially weird at the North and South Poles, since all the world's time zones sort of converge there and a day as we know it lasts an entire year. Plus: it may be time to pay a visit to the World's Largest Buffalo Monument!