A City In Japan Is Trying To Make Electricity From Snow (Cool Weird Awesome 925)

When the snow and ice comes, it makes me think of getting out the snowblower. But a snowy city in Japan thinks, we could power our lights with this.

By |2024-01-11T06:05:40-05:00January 11, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

A Quick Look At Superfast Bullet Trains (Cool Weird Awesome 866)

This month in 1964 that the country first began using its world-famous bullet trains, so we've got a few, well, fast facts about them.

By |2024-04-08T13:16:06-04:00October 14, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

In Sweden In 1712, February Had 30 Days (Cool Weird Awesome 721)

Most years February is 28 days long. Every fourth year it has 29. But one time, in one country, for one year, there was a February 30th.

By |2024-02-06T08:52:30-05:00February 28, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Milicent Patrick Gave The Black Lagoon Its Creature (Cool Weird Awesome 480)

The woman who designed the Creature, Milicent Patrick, was almost forgotten, but film lovers and fans have been working to make sure her story is told.

By |2024-02-12T09:43:04-05:00February 12, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

To Protect Themselves From Lions, Cattle In Botswana Have Eyes On Their Backsides (Cool Weird Awesome 359)

"Ambush predators" like lions go after livestock while those animals aren't looking. So scientists at the University of New South Wales tested a theory in Botswana: what if we painted eyes on the back ends of cattle so the lions thought they were watching? Plus: National Roller Coaster Day is coming up, make your plans to visit Japan's famous pedal-powered SkyCycle. 

By |2020-08-14T08:30:54-04:00August 14, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , |

Couple Songs Are A Thing, According To Science (Cool Weird Awesome 289)

You know how some couples have their own song? There’s actually psychological research into what are known officially as “couple-defining songs," and there are legitimate benefits to the relationship to choosing a tune to share. Plus: next time you're in Japan, drop by Neko Neko Shokupan and share one of their famous cat-shaped breads with someone special.

By |2021-05-12T09:00:38-04:00May 1, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

What Time Was Like Before Time Zones (Cool Weird Awesome 173)

November 18, 1883 is when railroads across the United States adopted a uniform system of time, more or less getting all of us in sync with each other. But what was time like before then? Plus: Japan has had cat cafes, hedgehog cafes and bunny cafes. Now there's a minipig cafe!

By |2021-05-04T10:28:39-04:00November 18, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

The Train Station With No Entrances Or Exits (Cool Weird Awesome 115)

There's an unusual train station in southwest Japan to which you can take a train, but you can’t enter the platform from outside; nor can you leave.

By |2019-09-01T21:34:07-04:00August 28, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |
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