Need A Little Pain Relief? Nostalgia Can Help (Cool Weird Awesome 740)
According to a new study, remembering old times can actually be good for your health - in particular, it may help regulate our response to pain.
The HMS Challenger Expedition Showed The World What Ocean Life Was Really Like (Cool Weird Awesome 739)
The HMS Challenger spent years studying the world's oceans and the creatures that call them home. Today in 1875, the mission made one of its most astonishing discoveries.
This Vole Protects Itself From Predators By Cutting The Grass (Cool Weird Awesome 735)
The Brandt’s vole has an interesting way to protect itself from predators overhead: a research project found that the little rodent cuts the grass so it can keep a lookout.
Caroline Herschel Discovered Comets And Became A Star (Cool Weird Awesome 733)
Today in 1750, the birthday of an astronomer who definitely made her mark on the sky: Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet.
Kugel Balls Are Huge And Heavy But We Can Move Them (Cool Weird Awesome 686)
Around this time in 2003, the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond introduced a new attraction: a 29 ton globe that people can push around. Here's a look at the mechanics behind Kugel Balls.
A Robot Seacraft Is Exploring The Ocean For A Few Years (Cool Weird Awesome 659)
It's called the Intrepid Benthic Rover II, and its five year (or more) mission is to explore the deep ocean, most of the time by itself. Plus: in a new book artist Marina Luz paints the covers of books where people are trying to describe a book when they can’t remember the title.
Could Jokes About Uranus Prevent A Mission To Uranus? (Cool Weird Awesome 641)
Humans make a lot of jokes about the seventh planet from the sun. But do scientists who study Uranus think the jokes are funny? The website Futurism found out. Plus: today is the first day of Magic Week, and there's a magic shop in Burnsville, Minnesota that's the oldest in the US.
The Biggest Ball Of Twine In Minnesota Is Real, And It’s Spectacular (Cool Weird Awesome 598)
Darwin, Minnesota is where you find a 17,400 pound ball of twine that one guy made over the course of 30 years. Here's the twine ball's story. Plus: to no one's surprise, researchers find that cats prefer to get food for free instead of having to work for it.
When Countries Stayed Out Of The Olympics, They Held Their Own Olympic-Style Games (Cool Weird Awesome 589)
The Olympic Games are supposed to bring the countries of the world together, but that isn't always what happens. Several times the Games have been canceled, and at other times, boycotts have led some countries to hold their own alternative competitions. Plus: we mark the birthday of the great Black scientist and inventor Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.
Why Are Clocks More Accurate The Hotter They Are? (Cool Weird Awesome 540)
Time is a funny thing, and measuring time can get pretty wild too. The proof is a study out of the UK that finds clocks that use more energy, and give off more heat, are also more accurate. Plus: a book of photos by Rumi Ando showcases Tokyo, but with its signs, cables, doors and windows removed.