When Czechoslovakia Split, The Two New Countries Also Split The National Anthem (Cool Weird Awesome 449)

On this day in 1993, two new countries were born out of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia spent months negotiating all of the old country's assets, even which side got which verses of the national anthem. Plus: many of us have tried to learn new skills during our extra time at home. Anna Chojnicka was one of them, and the skill she chose was to make art out of bananas.

By |2024-01-01T10:12:32-05:00January 1, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , |

16 Of My Favorite Songs From 2020

Looking back at this odd year, there was a lot of great music floating around. Here are a few favorites.

When The Macy’s Parade Rickrolled Thanksgiving (Cool Weird Awesome 428)

It really happened! On Thanksgiving 2008, a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade came to a halt, there was a record scratch, and none other than Rick Astley came out to perform "Never Gonna Give You Up." Plus: a pianist in Thailand is never going to give up his very unusual audience.

By |2023-11-23T17:04:40-05:00November 26, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

W.C. Handy Laid The Foundation For Modern Music (Cool Weird Awesome 420)

The man known as the Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, was born on this day in 1873, and it's not exaggerating to say rock and popular music wouldn't have played out the same way without him. Plus: if you have the blues because your cat keeps waking you up in the night, you may want to check out this new cat-friendly bedframe.

By |2023-11-16T10:59:58-05:00November 16, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

NASA Likes To Say Good Morning To Its Astronauts With Music (Cool Weird Awesome 419)

If you're an astronaut, way up there in space, chances are you started the day with a song. Why? It's a NASA tradition. Plus: an artist in California has turned "Star Trek" into a widescreen format, so it fits on modern TVs.

By |2020-11-13T08:29:35-05:00November 13, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

The Oomphalapompatronium Is An Instrument That Lives Up To Its Unusual Name (Cool Weird Awesome 366)

What's In A Name Week continues with a look at the Oomphalapompatronium, a creation of Boston-area musician, composer and inventor Len Solomon. And it definitely fits the name. Speaking of words that fit with what they describe, did you know about the word "aptronym"?

Scientists Are Putting Little Cameras On Beetles (Cool Weird Awesome 350)

Researchers at the University of Washington call it a "GoPro for beetles" - a ultralight, wireless, steerable camera that can ride on the back of a bug. And it's pretty effective at letting us see what these bugs see. Plus: a new online chart tracks the vocal range of famous pop singers, by measuring the highest and lowest notes they ever sung on a recording.

By |2020-08-03T08:29:29-04:00August 3, 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: , , , , , |

The Doctor Who Took Out His Own Appendix (Cool Weird Awesome 288)

It would be understandable if you felt a little cut off from the rest of the world these days. Hopefully it won't be as challenging as it was for Dr. Leonid Rogozov, who on this day in 1961 had to remove his own appendix while stationed in Antarctica. Plus: today in 1970, Pink Floyd played a concert for public TV in San Francisco. Silence in the studio!

By |2020-04-30T08:28:53-04:00April 30, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Meet The Fake Beatles (Cool Weird Awesome 286)

This month marks 50 years since the world learned The Beatles were calling it a day. So we're telling the story of the American Beetles - a knockoff band that [...]

By |2020-04-28T07:35:05-04:00April 28, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |
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