This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from August 2020, a farmer in western New York finds something in his fields that he definitely hadn’t planted: a giant old safe. Plus: the British Antarctic Survey studies satellite images and spotted 11 new colonies of Emperor penguins. What’s inside this myster…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from February 2020, dogs' amazing sniffing ability may be very useful for orchards as they try to head off a disease called citrus greening. Plus: police in New South Wales, Australia stop a man for using his cellphone while riding a horse. Dog sleuths sniff out c…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from June 2020, scientists at Washington State University are testing out a robotic system that might give us another way to pollinate as we try to help bees get their buzz back. Plus: researchers in Japan are testing out a pollination system using soap bubbles, l…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from April 2019, a robotics firm in New Zealand is testing a robot that’s supposed to move through the rows of the apple orchard, spot ripe fruit, yank it from the tree with lasers and bring it back to the farmer. Plus: a strongman/YouTuber ordered literally every…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from July 2020, in 1988, a whole bunch of people in Nebraska got together to lift a nine-ton barn, move it 110 feet uphill, and rotate it clockwise. Plus: Harrison McIntyre build a mechanical contraption to launch M&Ms at his face. Nebraska family looks back on ba…

It's National Learn About Butterflies Day, so here’s the story of a guy who turned his backyard into a habitat for a rare type of butterfly, and it worked out pretty well. Plus: today is also National Save a Spider Day, and the community of Avoca, Iowa has saved a spider of a sort. How one man repopulated a rare butterfly species in his backyard (V…

This month in 1962, one of the last appearances of a ship that would reappear from time to time off the western coast of North America, decades after it was abandoned. Plus: today in 1967, the state of Utah officially designated its state cooking pot. Baychimo: The Adventures of the Ghost Ship of the Arctic (Manitoba Museum via Archive.org) STATE C…

This month in 1863, the founding of a town that made history: Mitchelville was the first town in the United States to be governed by formerly enslaved people. Plus: it’s National Girl Scout Day, and a scout troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma gets the credit for the first ever sale of Girl Scout cookies in 1917. This Island in South Carolina Has the First …

Women’s History Month is here, and in 1920 a group of women made history in Jackson, Wyoming, as one of the first-ever all-female town councils in the United States. Plus: for National Worship of Tools Day, a visit to the world's largest chainsaw. Petticoat Rulers: 1920 All Women Jackson Town Council Inspires Women Today (Wyoming Public Media) Big …

It's National Landline Telephone Day. In the landline era, if you were out in the world and needed to call someone, you usually had to find a phone booth to do it - and at one time, college students tried to cram themselves into those booths by the dozens. Plus: the story of a stray cat who decided to start dropping flowers off at a lady's front do…

Today in 1998, a little-noticed line in a funding bill for the National Sea Grant Program led the United States to declare that there were not five but six Great Lakes. Plus: starting tomorrow in south Georgia, it’s the Valdosta-Lowndes Azalea Festival. When Lake Champlain Became A Great Lake… For 18 Days (All That’s Interesting) Valdosta-Lowndes A…

Today in 1945, George Nissen received the patent for a “tumbling device” which we now call the trampoline. And while most of the time that device has been used for tumbling, during World War II the trampoline became a key part of training fighter pilots. Plus: this month in 1929, the start of a high-flying advertising campaign known as the Baby Rut…

Today in 1884 was probably the birthdate of a pioneer in aerial photography, Edith Keating. Plus: today is the first day of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. In 1920s New York, This Woman Typist Became a Pioneering Aerial Photographer (Smithsonian) Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival Fly high with this podcast on Patreon…

In New Orleans, king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition, though it's one that started with an earlier holiday. Plus: this month in Janesville, Wisconsin, the Lincoln-Tallman Museum hosts the Gowns & Guns Exhibit. The Tradition Behind The Mardi Gras King Cake (Southern Living) Gowns & Guns Exhibit (Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau) Don’t giv…

Today in 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill that made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States, more than a century after it was written. Another fun fact about the anthem: there's an official Spanish-language version. Plus: today in 1920, the birthday of James Doohan. His Star Trek character, Mr. Scott, has a p…

Earlier this week we had a story out of the community of Boring, Oregon, which is named for a guy named William Boring. In other words, it’s anything but boring in Boring, and today we have the story to prove it. Plus: it’s the last day of February everywhere except for a cemetery in Ashmore, Illinois, where a tombstone seems to say February has 31…

Today in 1944, the end of a contest in which baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies decided to take on a nickname, briefly becoming known as "blue jays." Plus: today in 1980, a 70s icon wins the one and only Grammy for Best Disco Recording. How the Phillies also briefly became 'Blue Jays' (MLB.com) “I Will Survive” wins the first—and last—Grammy ever awa…

Today in 1932, the birthday of Johnny Cash, a singer/songwriter who who seemed like he’d seen and done it all. And in some ways, that was true: for example, Johnny Cash is one of the few music stars who ever got in a fight with an ostrich. Plus: today in 1953, the birthday of singer Michael Bolton, who reportedly once auditioned to be the lead sing…

Today in 1970, Ernie from Sesame Street first sang his signature song, “Rubber Duckie.” So it's a great time to talk about how so many people became awfully fond of rubber ducks. Plus: the town of Boring, Oregon didn't get its name because it's a boring place! Rubber ducks (Quartz) No, the town of Boring wasn't named such because it was a dull plac…

Today in 1978, pro basketball player Clifford Ray got to lend his extra long to help a dolphin named Mr. Spock caught in an odd situation. Plus: hot sauce maker Sauce Shed is partnering with Atari for a line of hot sauces inspired by (or at least sharing graphic design with) games from the old 2600 console. Ray’s Flipper Saved a Dolphin (New York T…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from October 2020, the story of Fordite, a substance that looks just like the stuff of colorful jewelry, but it’s actually a byproduct of the automaking process. Plus: Make.com posts plans for how to make a special mold of your own face, and then u…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from October 2020, scientists at Purdue University find a way to help keep us cool even without air conditioning, and it starts with a fresh coat of paint. Plus: the community of Asbestos, Quebec, chooses a new, less carcinogenic-sounding name. New…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from September 2019, paintings made with Day Glo paint, some made by well-known and influential artists, are losing their glow over time. Scientists are trying to keep the glo for as long as possible. Plus: a research team in Massachusetts figures …

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from September 2022, a school near Atlanta finds a partial solution to scorching hot asphalt playgrounds, and it’s as simple as getting a fresh coat of paint. Plus: for National Bunny Day, a visit to southern California's Bunny Museum. Thanks to an…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from February 2022, the story of Mummy Brown, a pigment made by combining white pitch and myrrh with the ground-up bits of actual mummies. Plus: seventeen years after the opening of King Tut's tomb, a musician played a trumpet found there for a rad…

Today in 1964, Elvis Presley donated a historic ship to help a Memphis hospital raise money. That ship had once been a favorite hangout for President Franklin Roosevelt. Plus: today in 2018, authorities in Australia found a very odd situation involving a man, a pipe organ, and "remnants of a cheeseburger." USS Potomac History Former Brisbane Freema…

A team at the University of Guelph has developed a substance that can generate electricity and could help in a multitude of medical situations. What is it? High-tech slime. Plus: tarting Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest. Walking could soon generate electricity with new slime that powers up when stepped on…

Today in 1809, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President has been called the Great Emancipator, Honest Abe, The Railsplitter… and if you go far enough into his backstory, you could call him "Bartender In Chief." Plus: this Saturday in Clear Lake, Iowa, it’s the Color The Wind Kite Festival. Bartender-In-Chief: Abraham Lincoln Owned A Tave…

Today in 1833, the birthday of Melville Fuller. He would eventually become Chief Justice of the United States, but not before the country asked whether a member of the US Supreme Court could be fair and objective if he has a mustache (!) Plus: this Saturday in Devils Lake, North Dakota, it’s ShiverFest. Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller and the …

This week in 1945, a fascinating fact for anyone who didn’t have to live it firsthand: wartime airplane mechanic Margaret Horton accidentally ended up airborne on the tail of a plane. Plus: today is National Umbrella Day, so you could head to Portland, Maine and the Umbrella Cover Museum. Riding a Spitfire: the story of Margaret Horton (Royal Air F…

Football fans will be watching this weekend for some of those spectacular passes that can change the course of a game. Amazingly, there was a time when the forward pass was against the rules of the sport. Plus: tomorrow in Morristown, New Jersey, it’s Mac & Cheese Mayhem. How the Forward Pass Saved Football (History.com) Mac & Cheese Mayhem Don’t p…

There’s new research that shows just how powerful music can be: it found that classical music can have a positive physical effect on a baby before it’s born. Plus: a guy lost his watch, but four years later another guy found it and got it back to him. Music can touch the heart, even inside the womb (EurekAlert) Fratello Exclusive: Rolex Submariner …

Today in 1969 was the premiere of Turn-On, a show that the ABC network more or less turned off during its first episode. Plus: today in 1974, a really big game for a teenage basketball player in Sweden. Turn-On’s Turning Point (Tedium) Facts, Oddments for the Book (Los Angeles Times) Keep our show running far into the future as a backer on Patreon…

Today in 2004, an important historic designation for a historic district in Wichita Falls, Texas. One of the buildings that makes that district so historic is the Newby-McMahon Building, also known as the "world’s littlest skyscraper." Plus: the story of an 18-foot tall statue of a hand holding a Cheeto. Legend of the World’s Littlest Skyscraper (T…

Today in 1932, the start of a road trip you don’t see too often: a nine year old and his horse set off through Australia by themselves for more than 600 miles. Plus: around this time in 2020, an artist in Berlin decided to do a high-tech trick of sorts on Google Maps. The nine-year-old who rode a pony 1000km to Sydney (Sydney Morning Herald) Man Us…

The birth of André-Jacques Garnerin, a man who helped bring about the modern parachute. And his vision came to him at a very unusual time. Plus: tomorrow in Scottsdale, Arizona, it’s the Parada del Sol Parade & Trail’s End Festival. 1797 - The modern world's first parachute jump (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) Scottsdale Parada del Sol Jum…

This week in 1819 was probably the first European sighting of Antarctica. It’s different from all the other continents in so many ways - including how, from a certain point of view, a big chunk of Antarctica is “ruled” by a guy who’s never even been there. Plus: today in Tomah, Wisconsin, it’s the annual Freeze Fest. How a Pennsylvania man started …

First responders in Kent, England have a powerful new tool: a remote-controlled robot for fighting fires. This is a slowly growing trend in firefighting, sending devices into a fire scene so there are fewer human firefighters at risk. Plus: starting tomorrow in Richmond, Indiana, it’s the Meltdown Winter Ice Festival. Britain’s firefighting robot t…

We’re learning more about how bees do what they do, and it’s thanks to a new study from Penn State that used bee-friendly QR codes. Plus: today in 1957, TIME Magazine reported on a newspaper in Ontario that put typos in the copy on purpose. Scientists Strapped QR Codes Onto Thousands of Bees to Learn How Far They Actually Fly (Gizmodo) Miscellany, …

This week in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state in the Union. Michigan is famous for having an upper peninsula and a lower peninsula, but it also has a Lost Peninsula. Plus: a soupmaker is now offering the flavor of chicken noodle soup in the form of a cough drop. The story of Michigan's Lost Peninsula (Michigan Radio) ‘Progresso Soup Drops’, The…

Today in 1999, a moment in the golf world that you don’t see everyday: a bunch of people moving a boulder for golf star Tiger Woods in the middle of a tournament. Plus: a movie star's new marriage comes apart in just days because of breakfast foods? Throwback Thursday: That time Tiger Woods had his gallery perform manual labor and move a boulder (G…

Today in 2011, Rebecca Sharrock of Brisbane, Australia got a medical diagnosis: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. It's a rare condition in which people can vividly remember virtually everything they've ever experienced. Plus: this Saturday in Florida, the Dade City Kumquat Festival. The woman who can’t forget (BBC) Dade City’s Kumquat Festiv…

Today in 1925, a telegram sets off one of the most remarkable crossings of its time: the famous Serum Run to Nome, Alaska. Plus: this Saturday in New York, the Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll. The 1925 Serum Run To Nome (AlaskaWeb) Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll Why not travel over to our Patreon page and back the show…

For Squirrel Appreciation Day, we visit a town in northeastern Kansas where black squirrels are number one. It's the law. Plus: Cedar Creek, Texas, is home to Ms. Pearl, a 14 foot tall squirrel statue. From circus attraction to protected mascot to art project: How black squirrels took over a small Kansas town (Roadtrippers) Ms. Pearl (Atlas Obscura…

There are lots of ceremonies and events in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, and there are lots of monuments you can visit too. Though some of Dr. King’s biggest fans might steer you away from some of those monuments. In the city where the Kings met, ‘The Embrace’ memorializes their love and struggle (Boston Globe) A Stunning New …

AirFarm is an inflatable container farm that could help people grow crops where there’s not a lot of water. The idea - pun intended- blew up at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Plus: today in 1931, the birthday of James Earl Jones. He did a little bit of everything in his long and distinguished career, though one of his most famous roles…

This week in 1964, the US Atomic Energy Commission presented a report to Congress on an eye-opening idea: clearing land for a highway in southeast California with nuclear bombs. Plus: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan release their annual list of the weirdest reasons people have called 911 there. America Almost Made a New Route 66 W…

This month in 1920, the start of a slightly strange criminal case in which the jury didn’t just weigh the evidence… they drank it. Plus: a contractor in Illinois gets a very late Christmas present during a renovation project at his parents' house. Prohibition: The jury tasted the evidence and found defendant not guilty (Delmarva Now) 46-year-old Ch…

Today in 2020, Wausau, Wisconsin's long-running and notorious ban on snowball fights was finally off the books! Though there was actually more to the story than the uproar suggested. Plus: The Public Domain Review looks back through the history of snowball fights in art, going all the way to the year 1400! Snowball fights are legal in Wausau after …

Today in 1997, the commissioners of Kleberg County, Texas voted to do away with the word “hello,” and replace it with a more positive alternative. Plus: today in 1931, an unforgettable night for some of the country's leading architects. Say Goodbye to ‘Hello’ and Hello to ‘Heaven-o’ (Los Angeles Times) Famous Architects Dress as Their Famous New Yo…