How Curious

How Curious explores a momentous scientific breakthrough which took place in Oklahoma in the early 1920s and which continues to have worldwide consequences today

This episode features an Oklahoma-based musical mega-impresario, some of country music’s biggest stars, and a tour of the former USSR.

Exploring the fascinating history and lore of pigeons, plus the incredible variety of breeds

While there used to be several hundred lesbian bars across the US just a few decades back, only 24 remain. New York and Oklahoma tie for the lead with three lesbian bars each, but those two states are very different places, so why do they have this in common?

In the late 1920s, a young Oklahoman composer named Albert E. Brumley created a song that would go on to become one most popular pieces of gospel music of all time.

The small town of Shattuck lies close to Oklahoma’s border with Texas, and at its center stands the Shattuck Windmill Museum. We learn about the vital role that windmills played across the high plains region, as well as about the role this Museum plays in Shattuck life.

The Morgan Horse is the earliest surviving breed of American horse. But it's from Vermont. So why is it so important to Oklahoma?

For years, CB radio users heard a male voice incessantly repeating these words: "I got my nightgown on, I got my pretty red panties on, and I’m ready to go to bed". Who was behind the message and why?

Kendall’s Restaurant in downtown Noble, OK, is famous for chicken-fried steaks, cinnamon rolls, and GHOSTS. Rachel Hopkin explores some strange goings-on under its roof.

Outlaws like Bill Doolin, Bert Casey and Richard “Little Dick” West have gone down in Oklahoma history as accomplished outlaws. But who is the worst outlaw that became famous in Oklahoma?

Why is there a Putnam City school district in Oklahoma but no Putnam City?

KGOU listener John Potts noticed every auto dealership in the state is closed on Sunday, so he asked How Curious for an explanation. It turns out that Oklahoma is one of several states that forbids motor vehicle sales on Sundays.

On a special stretch of road near Springer, Oklahoma, it feels like gravity doesn’t quite work-- when you shift a car into neutral gear, you feel like the car is rolling backwards up the hill. KGOU listener Vicki Weiss asked How Curious: Does this spot really defy gravity?

KGOU listener Gabe Denton remembers seeing horny toads all the time when he was growing up in Choctaw, but he hasn’t seen one in decades. Denton asked How Curious: What happened?

Listener Daniel Humphrey heard Oklahoma City’s drag performances used to be famous nationwide and that celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson visited the city to see shows. So he asked How Curious: Was Oklahoma home to one of the country’s most renowned drag scenes?

KGOU listener Adam Cotton heard the famous “talking” horse’s final resting place is in the Sooner State. He asked How Curious: Is that true?

George Bogaski is trying to walk the entire perimeter of Oklahoma, about 1,450 miles. Bogaski estimates he’s hiked about 25 percent of the total distance, and he has a tradition of smoking a cigar at each of the state’s corners. He’s lit up at all of the others--but could not find the state’s southwest corner. He asked How Curious: Where is the corner? Is there a marker?

Western author Louis L’Amour is said to have lived in Choctaw, Oklahoma during the 1930s and 1940s. One listener wanted to know if the rumor is true, and, if so, where exactly was his home?

The Green Book was a guide for African Americans traveling during segregation. It listed businesses that did not discriminate on the basis of race. KGOU listener Luciana Simmons asked How Curious: Where were Oklahoma’s Green Book entries? Do they still exist?