8 06, 2023

A Startup In Switzerland Is Putting Solar Panels In Between Railroad Tracks (Cool Weird Awesome 1022)

By |2023-06-08T09:05:53-04:00June 8, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Today we’re looking at a new kind of solar project from Swiss company Sun-Ways, which is putting energy-generating panels in a new spot: in between train tracks.

23 05, 2023

French President Paul Deschanel Once Fell Out Of A Moving Train (Cool Weird Awesome 1010)

By |2023-05-23T11:57:58-04:00May 23, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Sometime on this night in 1920 the president of France fell out of a moving train. And the story got weirder from there. 

10 05, 2023

NASA Has Its Own Railroad (Cool Weird Awesome 1006)

By |2023-09-22T08:58:52-04:00May 10, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |

National Train Day is coming up this weekend, so we'll take a look at a railroad that doesn't get a lot of attention, the one NASA has used to move parts and supplies to and from Kennedy Space Center. Plus: today in 1806, the birthday of James Shields, the only person who's served as US Senator from three different states.

11 01, 2023

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

By |2023-01-11T08:55:16-05:00January 11, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

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.

15 12, 2022

The Birth Of The Blinking Cursor (Cool Weird Awesome 905)

By |2022-12-15T08:39:15-05:00December 15, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Today in 1930, the inventor of the computer cursor was born. It’s one of those creations that’s so small and common that it’s easy to forget what a big deal it really is.

14 10, 2022

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

By |2022-10-14T06:37:46-04:00October 14, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

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.

15 02, 2022

In One Game, Jason McElwain Became A High School Basketball Legend (Cool Weird Awesome 717)

By |2022-02-15T06:45:28-05:00February 15, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Today in 2006, a high school basketball team put its manager into the game. Jason McElwain not only played, he stole the show.

18 10, 2021

Félicette, The First Cat In Space (Cool Weird Awesome 636)

By |2021-10-18T06:42:55-04:00October 18, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Today in 1963, a black and white cat from the streets of France became the first cat to go into space. She didn't choose to go, of course, but she's a pioneer just the same - and until a few years ago, a greatly underappreciated one. Plus: today in 1922, a girl in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train?!? 

15 04, 2021

McDonald’s Once Ran A “McTrain” Car In Germany (Cool Weird Awesome 520)

By |2021-04-15T09:09:46-04:00April 15, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

On any given day McDonald's serves huge numbers of people, either in restaurants or via drive-thru windows. But once, in the 1990s, the company also tried to operate restaurant cars on a long-distance German train line. Plus: since April 15 is traditionally tax day, so did you know that ancient Rome once taxed bachelors?

15 10, 2019

When Entertainment Is Literally A Train Wreck (Cool Weird Awesome 149)

By |2019-10-15T08:59:31-04:00October 15, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Every era has its forms of entertainment. In the old days, promoters would stage actual train wrecks, using trains that were on their way to the scrap heap. Others would stage massive recreations of disasters and tragedies from the news and history. And thousands of people would pay to see them!

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