The Pitch Drop Experiment Is A Single Research Project That’s Been Running Since The 1930s (Cool Weird Awesome 1102)

This month in 1930 an experiment to document a very, very slow process began. It holds the world record for longest-running lab experiment: the Pitch Drop Experiment at the University of Queensland.

By |2023-10-05T09:22:04-04:00October 5, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

What Ants Can Teach Us About Mass Transportation (Cool Weird Awesome 1089)

A UCLA study finds that humans might be able to find some transportation inspiration from another creature that moves around in large numbers: the ant.

By |2023-09-18T09:39:24-04:00September 18, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

When Phineas Gage’s Skull Met An Iron Bar, Things Got Weird (Cool Weird Awesome 1086)

Today in 1848, a workplace accident caused an iron bar to go through the skull and brain of railroad worker Phineas Gage. Somehow, he lived, and ended up changing science forever.

By |2023-09-13T08:54:43-04:00September 13, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Hisako Koyama Tracked Sunspots For Almost Half A Century (Cool Weird Awesome 859)

International Astronomy Day is coming up this weekend, so we’re talking about Hisako Koyama, an astronomer who hand-drew tens of thousands of daily observations of the sun and its spots.

By |2022-10-05T05:59:15-04:00October 5, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

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.

By |2024-03-24T09:41:11-04:00March 24, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

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.

By |2024-03-23T08:43:43-04:00March 23, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

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.

By |2024-03-18T08:03:24-04:00March 18, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

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.

By |2022-03-16T09:06:51-04:00March 16, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

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. 

By |2024-01-03T09:30:14-05:00January 3, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

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.

By |2021-11-18T07:04:22-05:00November 18, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |
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