Today in 2019, New Scientist published a study that trained rats to maneuver little cars around to find Froot Loops. Plus: now underway at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, it's Spooky Fest.

⁠Scientists have trained rats to drive tiny cars to collect food⁠ (New Scientist)

⁠Spooky Fest⁠ (Dietrich Theater)

⁠Drive on over to our Patreon page and help support the show⁠

Today in 1911, the birthday of William A. Mitchell, a food inventor whose name might not ring a bell but whose creations - including Pop Rocks, Cool Whip and Tang - are unforgettable. Plus: today in 1905, a story in the Clinton Mirror newspaper with an odd headline: “Man Was Mailed.”

The Scientist Behind Some of Our Favorite Junk Foods (Smithsonian)

"Man Was Mailed." (Clinton Mirror via Google News Archive) 

Help feed this podcast as a backer on Patreon

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from June 2021, the story of Superflag, a 505 foot long, 255 foot tall American flag that was once flown over Hoover Dam (because they don't make flagpoles that large). Plus: a study finds people can learn and effectively use click-based echolocation in the real world after practicing for 10 weeks.

Was the World’s Largest U.S. Flag Displayed at Hoover Dam? (Snopes)

Echolocation: People trained to hear like bats in a study that could help those with vision loss (Science Focus)

Our Patreon backers are pretty super, join them today!

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of how the flag of Alaska, was designed by a 13 year old. Plus: pastry lovers in Maine mark an important moment in the history of fried dough.

Benny Benson: An Alaska Kid Who Made History (Alaska Historical Society)

The Hole Truth: Celebrating a Huge Day in Doughnut History (The Fiscal Times)

Make history as one of our Patreon backers!

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from January 2022, the story of Bob Heft, who, as a high school student in Ohio, designed the first flag representing 50 states. Plus: there was once an effort to make a biopic about Edgar Allan Poe starring none other than Sylvester Stallone.

A Boy Scout designed the 50-star American flag (Scouting Magazine)

Robert G. Heft (Ohio History Central)

Stallone Shows Why He Was Wrong for Edgar Allan Poe, But Vows to Finish Script (Movieweb)

We salute our Patreon backers for making this show possible

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from June 2023, the story of the American flag that led to the writing of what is now our national anthem. Plus: the community of Pocatello, Idaho raised a new flag in 2017 after old flag was named the ugliest in the country.

The Star-Spangled Banner (National Museum of American History)

East Idaho City Ditches ‘Worst Flag In North America’ (Boise State Public Radio)

Fly the flag for this show as a backer on Patreon

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from January 2023, the story of Betsy Ross, whose backstory is pretty interesting even if it didn't go quite how the legends tell it. Plus: a village in Austria with an expletive for its name makes a big change.

Betsy Ross likely didn’t sew the first U.S. flag (National Geographic)

Betsy Ross (Museum of the American Revolution)

Austrian village of ‘Fucking’ decides to change its name (Deutsch Welle)

There’s a new experiment underway that’s going to see whether music playlists and some stress-sensing technology can help people who are trying to stay sober. Plus: why Marshall, Texas named its annual community festival after fire ants.

Studying music and technology to reduce stress, alcohol relapse (Washington State University)

FireAnt Festival 

Keep our playlist growing as a backer on Patreon

One hundred years ago today, the birthday of the man that has long been celebrated as the worst movie director of all time, so bad that some people actually love his movies: Ed Wood. Plus: starting Saturday at the Sunday River resort in Maine, it’s the North American Wife Carrying Championship.

Ed Wood, Jr. Centennial: An American Cinematheque Retrospective (American Cinematheque)

North American Wife Carrying Championship  

Support Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives

This Sunday on Okinawa in Japan, it’s an event on a grand scale: the Naha Great Tug of War, with thousands of people pulling a 200 meter long rope. Plus: researchers at the University of New South Wales have developed a more eco-friendly lithium-ion battery that uses acids from foods and wine.

Naha Tug of War 

Booze to battery: Wine powers new energy storage tech, can boost EV range, performance (Interesting Engineering) 

Pull our show into the future as a backer on Patreon