PEZ Was Sold In Metal Tins Before Its Famous Dispensers Were Invented (Cool Weird Awesome 669)
Today in 1952, PEZ received a US patent for its famous dispensers, which, like the candies they contain, were first intended to help people quit smoking.
How A Giant Pack Of Life Savers Ended Up In A Northern New York Town (Cool Weird Awesome 653)
Today in 1987, the community of Gouverneur, in northern New York, placed on its town green a giant roll of Pep-O-Mint Life Savers. It was a tribute to a local man, Edward John Noble, who ended up making Life Savers one of the best known candies in the world. Plus: a cat in Tokyo drops by a Buddhist temple garden, walks into the gravel patterns and takes a big old nap.
The U.S. Senate Has A Candy Desk (Cool Weird Awesome 412)
It's National Candy Day, and the day after Election Day, so let's visit the back row of the U.S. Senate chamber, where, for over half a century, senators have kept a desk drawer filled with candy to share with colleagues. Plus: in Japan, candy is also fine art, thanks to the practice of amezaiku, or sculpting molten sugar syrup.
Happy Goosey Night, And Mischief Night, And Cabbage Night (Cool Weird Awesome 409)
In some areas, Halloween festivities actually start the night before October 31, on a night that goes by a few very unusual names. Plus: how about an unusual lollipop that's far off the beaten trick-or-treating path?
Why Van Halen Said No To Brown M&Ms (Cool Weird Awesome 397)
It's hard to believe we're saying goodbye to guitar great Eddie Van Halen. His band won millions of fans on record and offstage, and won a reputation for offstage excess. But one of their most infamous stories - that they banned brown M&Ms from backstage - wasn't quite what it seemed. Plus: a Gloria Estefan hit gets a heavy metal treatment on YouTube.
Alice Coachman Raised The Bar For Team USA (Cool Weird Awesome 354)
We don’t have the Olympic Games right now, but we can still mark a big Olympic moment that happened on this day in 1948: the day Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win Olympic gold. Plus: a chocolate company and an engineer say they've redesigned the chocolate chip. Is it more efficient? I don't know, but I'll be happy to test it out.
That Time More Than 300 Nebraskans Moved A Barn By Hand (Cool Weird Awesome 348)
On this day in 1988, the Ostry family of Bruno, [...]
Someday Teeth May Heal Themselves (But We’ll Still Have To Brush) (Cool Weird Awesome 260)
A team at King’s College London has found evidence that, with help from a prescription treatment, teeth may be able to repair themselves! Plus: parades are off this St. Patrick's Day, but we've still got Irish Potato Candies. (Don't worry, they only look like potatoes.)
Crime May Not Actually Pay: Some Things For February 19, 2020
Oh man, this day.
Color-Changing Chocolate Sounds Like A Willy Wonka Invention Brought To Real Life (Cool Weird Awesome 205)
Researchers in Switzerland say they’ve found a way to change the color of chocolate, and without adding any colors or dyes to it. Instead, they use a special imprint to give it a glowing, rainbow-y patina. Plus: the annual PeepsFest is getting underway, and they're going to do a ball drop for New Year's with a giant Peep!