Williamina Fleming, The Onetime Maid Who Became A Legendary Astronomer
Today in 1857, the birthday of Williamina Fleming, a big name in the world of astronomy but one who had a pretty low-profile start.
Stop Signs Used To Be Yellow
There may be no more important part of road safety than the bright red stop sign, though in the early days, they weren’t red.
The Real-Life Kid Who Inspired Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day”
Today in 1940, Life Magazine published a series of photos of a little boy in Liberty County, Georgia - photos that, two decades later, would inspire one of the most famous picture books ever published.
The Strange Story Of Ireland’s Worst Driver Ever
It's United Nations Global Road Safety Week, so here's the story of a driver in Ireland who seemed to be breaking every traffic law on the books... until the authorities figured out there was something more to their story.
“Pomp And Circumstance,” A Graduation Tradition, Was Not Written For Graduations
Commencement season is here, which means a lot of people hearing a composition known as “Pomp and Circumstance.” Though that piece of music was not written with graduation in mind.
Oatman, Arizona, The Gold Rush Town That’s Now Home To Wild Donkeys
It’s World Donkey Day, so we're visiting an Arizona ghost town that's visited by a nearby colony of wild donkeys.
We Could Run Our Smart Speakers By Writing Into The Air
A voice activated speaker needs a voice. Except that researchers at the University of Maryland are developing a way to activate the voice activated speaker without a voice.
The Only Guy Who Ever Broke Into The Bank Of England’s Vault Of Gold
Thanks to loads of security measures, no one has ever robbed the Bank of England. But if you ask whether anyone’s broken into the bank's famous gold vaults, the answer is a little more complicated.
Chimps Apparently Like To Get Together For Drinks
Many people like to get together from time to time for adult beverages. Chimpanzees apparently also gather to imbibe and share alcohol.
It’s Map Week on Cool Weird Awesome
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography.