A Writer In 1870 Couldn’t Figure Out What All The Fuss Over Yosemite Was About (Cool Weird Awesome 1105)
This month in 1870, a magazine called The Galaxy published a puzzling article that essentially asks, what's the big deal about Yosemite?
When The Supreme Court Kind Of Ruled That An Airplane Wasn’t A Motor Vehicle (Cool Weird Awesome 966)
Today in 1931, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that seems to say that a guy who stole an airplane was not guilty of breaking the law against stealing motor vehicles. Though it’s actually a little more complicated than that.
The Time Millions Of Legos Fell Into The Ocean And Washed Up On Beaches (Cool Weird Awesome 948)
Today in 1997, a container ship ran into a massive wave off the coast of Cornwall, in southwest England. Close to 4.8 million Legos went overboard, and ever since that day, they've been washing up on beaches all over.
How The Beatles Stitched Two Takes Of “Strawberry Fields Forever” Into A Rock Classic (Cool Weird Awesome 677)
Today in 1966, the Beatles were trying to make one great take of their new song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and with help from producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick, they ended up making that one great take out of two half takes.
Meet The High-Tech Stoplight Of The Future (Cool Weird Awesome 579)
We've had stoplights to direct us and our vehicles through intersections for around a century now. A design studio in Moscow has a concept for a high-tech refresh of stoplight technology. Plus: LEGO builder Douglas Hughes pays tribute to the late, legendary game show host Alex Trebek with a LEGO kinetic sculpture of Jeopardy!
Reckless Drivers
The kids have used their LEGOs to create the Reckless Driver family.
How The Cheese Curl Was Invented (Partly By Accident) (Cool Weird Awesome 474)
It was today in 1932 that the makers of the cheese curl (or one of them, there are several origin stories) applied for a patent for their creation. Only their creation was supposed to be something entirely different. Plus: LEGO City is a bustling place, and some fans are hoping it will add bike lanes for LEGO riders.
A Strike (Or A “Sensitivity Session”) Aboard A Space Station (Cool Weird Awesome 445)
On this day in 1973, something happened aboard the Skylab space station. Depending on who you talk to, it was somewhere between a "sensitivity session" between astronauts and ground crew, and a full-on space mutiny. Plus: Japanese Lego artist Jumpei Mitsui just created an all-brick version of Hokusai's famous print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."
The Hubble Telescope’s First Space Photo Was Kind Of Blurry (Cool Weird Awesome 302)
It was on this day in 1990 that the Hubble Space Telescope took its first photo from space. Unfortunately the telescope had a problem with one of its mirrors that required astronauts to go up and fix. Plus: for World Bee Day, the story of an Irish bee enthusiast who built a hive out of LEGO.
Lego Bricks Could Last Longer Than A Millennium (Cool Weird Awesome 272)
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.