Today in 2000, Dr. Anna Bågenholm's body temperature fell to the lowest level ever survived by a human being. Here's the story of how she faced extreme hypothermia and came back to life. Plus: tomorrow in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, it’s the Kielbasi Festival/Heritage Day. 

Frozen Woman: A 'Walking Miracle' (CBS News)

Between life and death – the power of therapeutic hypothermia (The Guardian)

Kielbasi Festival/Heritage Day 2022

Our Patreon backers keep us going every day

We don't know for sure it's hers, but researchers have found traces of a perfume that was likely popular during Cleopatra's time - and they think they may be able to brew some of it up. Plus: a patent for a safety harness that generates electricity from a worker who falls off a building!

What Did Cleopatra Smell Like? (Hyperallergic)

Electricity from falling workers (Weird Universe)

Join our show as a backer on Patreon and we'll make episodes that'll last for thousands of years

Today in 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier. Then again, Cochran moved at high speed her whole career. Plus: today in 1838, the birthday of Alexander Miles, a Black inventor who made elevators what they are today. 

JACQUELINE COCHRAN (National Air and Space Museum)

Alexander Miles (National Inventors Hall of Fame)

Who keeps this show flying? Our Patreon backers

50 years ago today, a man named Donald Gorske ate a McDonald’s Big Mac. It was the first of over 30,000, and yes, he holds the world record for most Big Macs eaten by a single person. Plus: scientists at the University of Florida just got edible plants to grow in rock and dust taken from the moon about half a century ago.

This American Hero Ate 30,000 Big Macs and Survived (VICE)

Plants grow in lunar soil brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts (Washington Post)

Our Patreon backers make every episode of our show tasty

A company called Envision has designed a set of glasses that uses artificial intelligence to help blind people with a wide range of activities. They can decode text, detect color and describe outdoor scenes to the wearer, among many other functions. Plus: a cafe in Tokyo is geared toward the key demographic of writers trying to finish their manuscripts on deadline! 

AI-powered smart glasses for the blind can read and recognize faces (Designboom)

Unique Tokyo Café Only Serves Struggling Writers Working on Tight Deadlines (Oddity Central)

Join us on Patreon for just a dollar a month!

The Canadian Tulip Festival is getting underway in Ottawa. Here's the history of the annual event, which (pun intended) has its roots in the history of World War II. Plus: if you can't make it to Ottawa, maybe you could drop by the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. 

Princess Margriet to make public appearance at Tulip Festival this weekend (CBC)

2022 Tulip Time Festival (Holland.org)

Our Patreon backers make every episode of our show colorful

This month in 1921, an American submarine known as R-14 ran out of usable fuel in the Pacific Ocean, and lost radio contact with the Navy. To get home, the crew turned the sub into a sailboat, making bunk beds and blankets into sails. Plus: a tattoo artist helps a friend get six-pack abs even when diet and exercise didn't get the job done. 

A Submarine Made it Home with a Sail Made of Blankets (War History Online)

HARD TO STOMACH I hate working out so I got my mate to tattoo me the perfect six pack instead – now I’m ready for the summer (The Sun)

Our Patreon backers are the wind beneath our wings

Today in 2018, Australian James Harrison gave blood for the last time. He had donated about once a week for some 60 years, and because his blood included a rare antibody, his donations helped save millions of lives. Plus: the website Typatone gives users a new way to make a little music online from their writing.

James Harrison's story (Australian Red Cross)

Make music while you write  (Nag on the Lake)

Our donors on Patreon keep this show going. If you like the show, join them today! 

Today in 1893, the highest court in the land made a controversial ruling that would profoundly affect Americans to this day: the US Supreme Court ruled that the tomato was a vegetable. Plus: today in 1999, Vermont not only named apple pie its official state pie, it outlined the officially correct way to serve the state pie. 

The Supreme Court and the Great Tomato Controversy (IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law SCOTUS Now)

The obscure Supreme Court case that decided tomatoes are vegetables (Washington Post)

Vermont State Pie (Netstate)

Our Patreon backers are as sweet as pie

A new study finds colorful painted murals around, or in place of, traditional striped crosswalks may cause drivers to yield more around pedestrians and keep them safe. Plus: a team from two Australian universities studies concrete infused with old bits of tires to see if that might give us a more eco-friendly road surface. 

Study Finds That Colorful Road Art Prevents Traffic Accidents by 50% (My Modern Met)

Concrete made with old tires proves itself in real-world setting (New Atlas)

Our Patreon backers help us get where we need to go