Brady Carlson Podcasts

Today in 1872, the Chicago Tribune reported on the launch of a new fire station that would change the profession of firefighting forever by inventing the fire pole. Plus: around this time in 2002, the Supreme Court in Finland ruled that cab drivers would have to pay royalties for musicians (!) In response to White Chicagoans mocking the first Black…

There was a really interesting piece on J-STOR recently that washes away the widespread idea that the Middle Ages in Europe was just unbelievably filthy. Why is it that we think the Middle Ages WAS so dirty? Plus: for Computer Science Education Week, a look at a deliberately difficult coding language called Malbolge. Scrub-a-Dub in a Medieval Tub (…

Today in 1974, the first time a person used a computer to order a pizza. It wasn't an online order, but it was still a big moment in the history of tech (and the history of pizza). Plus: today in 2020, the UK news outlet The Independent reported on a man in Italy who had a very strange week. Watch: Talking computer orders a pizza in 1974 (CBS News)…

Today in 2010, the US Postal Service released a new stamp featuring the Statue of Liberty - well, sort of. And that “sort of” ended up being a big and expensive deal. Plus: a new device called The Super Smart Fridge could help grocery shoppers remember whether they still have some ketchup at home or whether they need more. GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE M…

Today in 1858 the US issued a patent for the mason jar. And yes, the story of the mason jar starts with someone named Mason. Plus: congratulations to this year’s newly-announced winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. A Brief History of the Mason Jar (Smithsonian) WINNERS ANNOUNCED! (Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards) Our Patreon backer…

At the airport in Las Vegas, there's a terminal you can't use to fly in and catch a Golden Knights game or drop by a casino. It's used only by one of the most out-of-sight airlines in the world, a secret airline known as "Janet." Plus: as humans consider missions further out into space, Jihee Kim designs a robot dog named Laika that could help keep…

The Tension-Activated Repair Patch could help people with back injuries, and it works a little bit like how we patch flat tires on the road. Plus: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is typically the start of a unique tradition in Albuquerque, New Mexico: making a snow person out of tumbleweeds! New ‘patch’ uses natural body motion to fix disc herniatio…

Today in 1940 the birthday of Bruce Lee, movie and TV star, martial arts trainer to the stars, poet, philospher and... cha cha champion. Plus: today in 1942, the birthday of Jimi Hendrix, rock icon and board game enthusiast. THE TRUTH ABOUT BRUCE LEE'S DANCING SKILLS (Grunge) Graham Nash recalls playing Risk with Jimi Hendrix on acid (SiriusXM) Dan…

Domino's Japan once tried to send its pizzas out by reindeer, but they had to backtrack after a week because, well, you can probably figure out why. Plus: Minnesota asks for suggestions on a new state flag and boy oh boy did they get suggestions. Domino's Tried a Reindeer Delivery Program... You Can Guess How That Went (NBC News) Whole lotta loons:…

Happy Thanksgiving! Back in the early days of this American holiday, kids would dress up in costumes and go door to door, asking for treats. It was known as the Ragamuffin Parade. Plus: back in 2010, the website Passive-Aggressive Notes posted a class assignment by 7 year old Lola, who declared "turkeys think of Thanksgiving as a war." Thanksgiving…

New research finds groups of chimpanzees spy on each other, carrying out recon missions to either avoid other groups or to try to encroach on their territory when it's safe to do so. Plus: a visit to the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon. Chimpanzees use hilltops to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups (University of Cambridge) Take a trip a…

Today is World Hello Day, so we explain how and when English speakers started using the word "hello" to say hello. Plus: scientists at the University of California-Davis have figured out how sunflowers turn their colorful heads toward the sun as it moves through the day. World Hello Day: History of a Greeting (Saturday Evening Post) How Sunflowers …

It was this month in 1936 that a guy in Knoxville, Tennessee started promoting his newly-invented giant trash receptacle, named the dumpster. Plus: there's apparently a new effort in northern China to keep nighttime drivers awake and alert with a series of colorful laser patterns shining over the road. Dempster Dumpster (Fire) (Visit Knoxville) Con…

The tech industry is always on the lookout for the next big thing in batteries. Scientists on the East Coast may have found it in crab shells. Plus: this is typically the weekend in the city of Taketa, Japan for the Chikuraku Festival. Don't Toss Out The Crab Shells (WBOC) 20,000 Bamboo Lanterns Illuminate the Chikuraku Festival (Spoon + Tamago) Th…

Today in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union. Oklahoma's panhandle has a complicated history that includes a time when it was known as “No Man’s Land.” Plus: this Saturday in Luther, Oklahoma, it’s the Luther Pecan Festival. The Secret History of the Oklahoma Panhandle (Conde Nast Traveler) Luther Pecan Festival Join us on Patreon and …

Ten years ago today, one of the sweetest moments in recent history: the day a five year old got to celebrate the end of his cancer treatments by becoming a superhero and saving the day in front of tens of thousands. Plus: a set of antique glass photo negatives from the late 19th century was on its way to the dumpster... but now it's going to colleg…

It's National Pickle Day. Maybe you put these briny cucumbers on sandwiches, or burgers, or just snack on them as they are. Or, if you’re a Texan, you might order a few up when you go to the movies. Plus: around this time in 2014, Italian artist Sven Sachsalber decided to test one of the most classic metaphors in the English language by looking for…

Today in 1988, a strange moment in Green Bay, Wisconsin: a Packers game got interrupted by a turkey named Henrietta. Plus: today in Las Vegas, the Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association presents its Housekeeping/Environmental Services Olympics. 'Fowl' play: Woman reveals truth about Lambeau Field turkey prank (WBAY) IEHA Housek…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from July 2019, the BBC brings in the band known for playing space rock to improvise on-air for its coverage of the Apollo 11 mission. Plus: we'll remember the time Pizza Hut produced a TV ad in which all the dialogue was in Klingon. My …

This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from May 2020, we look at a time in 1110 when records indicate that the moon vanished for months, or maybe even a year or longer. Scientists finally think they know what happened. Plus: a Japanese newspaper has a secret message about soc…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from September 2019, we mark the first time a spacecraft tried to land on the moon but crashed instead. Plus: Mount Airy, NC, where Andy Griffith grew up, is hosting the 30th annual Mayberry Days this week. ⁠India’s Chandrayaan-2 Marks 6…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from March 2020, we look at a research project that shows Earth days used to be about a half-hour shorter than they are now, mostly because of the moon. Plus: in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the National Shag Dance Championships are get…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from November 2019, we look at the Apollo 12 mission, the second time humans went to the moon and the first time we launched an artificial earthquake there. Plus: one of the two moonwalkers painted a picture that included their command m…

Today in 1924, the birthday of Alberto Manzi, who taught millions of Italian adults to read and write through a TV show. Plus: starting today in North Carolina, it’s the Cape Fear Kite Festival. Interdisciplinary Collaboration Shows It’s Never Too Late (Dartmouth) Alberto Manzi, a pioneer of distance education (L'Italo Americano) Cape Fear Kite Fes…

Today in 1865, the birthday of Warren Harding, 29th president of the United States. His presidency was full of scandals thanks to his so-called friends - if only those friends had been as good to Harding as his dogs had been. Plus: this month in November, the Diagram Prize for the oddest book title of the year was dog themed and that's all we can s…

This week in 1926, a will left behind by a very unusual lawyer in Toronto led to a ten year baby-having contest nicknamed the “Stork Derby.” Plus: there’s a new world record for loudest purr, thanks to Bella the cat in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. The Toronto 'Stork Derby' Baby Race (Snopes) Babies Got Bank (This American Life) Elder Tabby …

Chances are high you might see some carved pumpkins this Halloween, but if you want to trace the holiday back to its roots, you might want to include some root vegetables. Plus: when a college in Ohio bans a student from carving pumpkins in his dorm, he maliciously complies. Before We Carved Pumpkins for Halloween, People Carved Turnips (Mental Flo…

A grade school custodian in New Hampshire has been showing up to the late shift in a creepy clown costume. So, first of all, why, and also, what is it about clowns that many people find so creepy? Plus: a crow in Latvia helps a hedgehog find its way through traffic. Concord School Custodian Investigated For Dressing As A Horror Clown (Concord Patch…

Today in 1811, the birthday of Isaac Singer. He’s best known as the inventor of the modern sewing machine, but had it been up to him, Singer would have been known for stage acting. Plus: tomorrow in Los Angeles, the Carrera de los Muertos, a Day of the Dead-themed 5K race. Isaac Singer (Biography) Carrera de los Muertos Back us on Patreon and toget…

When we say "music can bring us together," we usually mean it bridges divides and builds communities. But a new study finds that, biologically speaking, music really can bring people together. Plus: today in Washington, DC, it’s the induction ceremony for the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Classical music synchronises the audience's heartbeats an…

Today we’re looking at a robot that’s moving up in the world, because this robot, known as the Ascento Pro, can climb stairs. Plus: to keep a growing bear population from moving too close to rural communities, Japan is turning to a robot it calls Super Monster Wolf! Ascento Pro, A Self-Balancing Two-Wheeled Autonomous Robot That Can Easily Climb St…

Today in 1962, the recording of the landmark James Brown album “Live at the Apollo,” one that came together after the recording team dealt with one pretty big obstacle. Plus: the social media account Midwest Modern is sharing photos of some fascinating and underappreciated designs in this part of the country. James Brown Live at the Apollo – a clas…

Today in 1920, the birthday of Ted Fujita, a pioneer in meteorology who was so revered by colleagues he became known as “Mr. Tornado.” Plus: a group of Japanese companies is trying to encourage youngsters to drink their milk by printing manga around milk bottles. Pioneering research by late UChicago scholar Ted Fujita saved thousands of lives (Univ…

Today in 1982, the World Series St. Louis Cardinals made baseball history with the first major league team-wide dogpile. We explain how players who are celebrating a big moment can sometimes inadvertently hurt each other. Plus: today in 1973, the opening of the Sydney Opera House, where a chicken in an opera once landed on top of a cellist. UVA Bas…

It's a big and little development in medicine and technology all at once: a robotic system that can autonomously move a medical needle safely through living tissue. Plus: starting tomorrow in Grand Marais, Minnesota, it's the Moose Madness Family Festival. Medical robot steers needle through living lung (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) …

Today in 1867, the United States formally purchased the land now known as Alaska. The day before had been a Friday, but because of the transfer, that day became a Friday too. Plus: today in 2019, a hard-hitting news story out of Biddeford, Maine about a student ID photo and a hot dog costume. When the Day After Friday is Friday (Now I Know) Seward'…

Today in 1978, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand released their enormous hit duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." a duet that pretty much happened by accident. Plus: today in 1989, a massive earthquake strikes just before a World Series game in the Bay Area, and a baseball legend reportedly responds in an unusual way. The Number Ones: Barbra Streisan…

Today in 1869, one of the most famous hoaxes of the 19th century began, when workers in Cardiff, New York supposedly uncovered the remains of a 10 foot tall man known as the Cardiff Giant. Plus: today in 1962 Manute Bol was born. At 7 foot 7 inches, he was the tallest player in NBA history, and yet, when he first came to the US from Sudan, his pass…

A lot of people believe Friday the 13th is bad luck, and that comes from a lot of legends and traditions. But a guy in 19th Century New York decided to rep this maligned number by flouting superstition and holding regular meals for what he called the Thirteen Club. Plus: the Chicago Botanic Garden is welcoming visitors for the Night of 1,000 Jack-o…

Today in 2020, the Nobel Foundation tried to call a Stanford professor to tell him he'd won the Economics Prize... except that he was asleep with his phone in Sleep Mode! Fortunately they found a good workaround. Plus: this weekend in Goffstown, New Hampshire, it’s the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off And Regatta. Doorbell camera captures moment Nobel Prize…

Flip a standard coin and you’ve got a 50 percent chance of heads and a 50 percent chance of tails, right? Well, there’s new research out that says… maybe not quite. Plus: for National Coming Out Day, the story of a teen who came out to her family with a cake and a pun-filled letter. Coin toss not so random after all, says groundbreaking study (Boin…

This month in 1870, a magazine called The Galaxy published a puzzling article that essentially asks, what's the big deal about Yosemite? Plus: the channel Jamie’s Lego Jams just used LEGO to build an air-powered pipe organ. Is Yosemite Worth It? This 150-Year-Old Negative Review Laughingly Misses the Mark (Outside via MyYosemitePark.com) LEGO Pan P…

Today we’re learning about new research on learning in jellyfish that suggests that you can learn even if you don’t have a brain! Plus: we have a new record holder for the world’s longest mullet! Brainless jellyfish show they can learn from past experience (Interesting Engineering) I Have The World's Longest Mullet! (Guinness World Records via YouT…

This month in 1993, the start of a project that is going to take a while: the Zeitpyramide, a 120 block art installation that’s being built at the rate of one block every decade. Plus: starting tomorrow in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, it’s the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese Fest. Zeitpyramide Wisconsin Mac & Cheese Fest Back us on Patreon and, over time, we'll b…

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. Plus: this weekend in Easton, Pennsylvania, the Easton Garlic Fest. Pitch Drop experiment (University of Queensland) Easton Garlic Fest No rush, but co…

Today in 1936, the premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 1. That was 71 years after the symphony was written, which is what happens when a symphony is thought to be lost. Plus: atarting tomorrow at the Conner Prairie outdoor history museum in Indiana, it's the Headless Horseman Festival. José Serebrier writes about the strange history of Dvořák…

This month in 1995, the conclusion of a very odd saga involving one Patrick Combs, who deposited a promotional check from a piece of junk mail and actually got the money! Plus: it's the Day of German Unity. Under a German law, if a family had a seventh kid, the country's president would automatically serve as godparent! Playing With Money / How a $…

Today was the birthday in 1890 of Groucho Marx, perhaps the best known of the comic geniuses known as the Marx Brothers. And yet, if it hadn’t been for a runaway mule, they might never have ended up doing comedy. Plus: today in 2006, musician Katie Melua and her band set a world record for deepest underwater concert by playing over 300 meters below…

It's National Coffee Day, and while most coffee fans prefer to brew and drink the stuff, there are other options. For example, have you ever tried coffee jelly? Plus: Binasco, Italy is home to MUMAC, which in Italian is an acronym for the Museum of Coffee Making Machines. Boston's Forgotten Coffee Jelly Lives On in Japanese Desserts (VICE) Coffee M…

Around this time in 2011, an event that was definitely not a “blink and you’ll miss it” affair: a staring contest that took over 40 minutes. Plus: a research team in Japan has developed an artificial intelligence system "capable of interpreting various emotional states in chickens." Victory for 'Eyesore' in 40-minute staring competition (ABC Austra…