ATXplained

Madeline Fening heard the break whistle at Austin city pools and just had to know why it was so dramatic. The post Why Do Lifeguards At Austin’s City Pools Blow Their Whistles At Break Time Like That? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The aging population is growing fast in Austin. So Becky Rhodes said we should meet a couple trying to keep seniors active in the community. The post Who Is This Woman Who Helps Older Austinites Stay Socially Connected? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Catherine Samuel was curious about where the guano goes and who cleans it up, so she asked about it for our ATXplained project. The post Who Cleans Up The Bat Guano Under The Congress Avenue Bridge? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Billboards are all over I-35 — but not MoPac and a few other freeways in Austin. Why not? The post Why Are There No Billboards On MoPac? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Everyone’s an architecture critic. But why does the crown on “The Independent” look the way it does? The post Why Does The Top Of Austin’s Tallest Building Look ‘Unfinished’? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In our latest, “Hi, Who Are You?” story, we hear the story of a man and his bird — and the family that wanted to meet them. The post Who Is That Guy With The ‘Giant Bird’ In South Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We get a lot of questions for ATXplained that don’t really have answers. So KUT’s Andrew Weber put some of those to longtime KUT/X host John Aielli. The post Answering the Unanswerable With KUTX’s John Aielli — Episode 1 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

For the next episode in our Hi, Who Are You? series, KUT’s Nadia Hamdan introduces us to Burrell W. Lankford. The post Who Is The Man In Southwest Austin Who Fostered Over 100 Babies With His Wife? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

June is when many places celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month. So why doesn’t Austin? The post Why Is Austin’s ‘Official’ Pride Festival In August — And Not June, Like Most Everyone Else’s? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The second in our Hi, Who Are You? series. A low-speed chase. Revving engines. Inflatable flamingoes. The post Who Is The Motorcycle Rider Who Does Wheelies Around Town In Pool Floaties? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In the first episode of our spin-off series, Hi, Who Are You?, we meet Sylvester Myers. This piece was produced by KUT’s Nathan Bernier. The post Who’s That Krispy Kreme Employee Who’s So Positive All The Time? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Their signs looked oddly similar. The names were pretty darn close, too. Is the origin of Dan’s and Fran’s an urban legend? The post What’s The Real Story Behind Dan’s Hamburgers And Fran’s Hamburgers? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

About 145 people moved to Austin each day last year. Where did they move from? The post People Keep Moving To Austin. But Where Are They Coming From? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It started almost 80 years ago, with a restaurant and some too-thick bread. The post How Did Texas Become The Only State With Its Own Toast? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Go behind the scenes at KLRU’s Austin City Limits TV show to find out how they pick their artists — how little they get paid. MORE HERE. The post How Do Musicians Make The Cut For The Austin City Limits TV Series? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Are there people in your life that you see all the time, but have never stopped to meet? The post Who Is The Crossing Guard Who Waves To Everyone Near Mendez Middle School? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The spiced ham product was the centerpiece of this longtime festival. For a time, the event was insanely popular — so what why did it go away? The post What Ever Happened To Austin’s ‘Spamarama’? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

OK, now we have the definitive story of Austin’s official nickname (we think). The post So, About The Origin Of ‘The Live Music Capital Of The World’… We Were Wrong. Here’s The Real Story. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The families who once lived on Rainey Street all left. One man is still there. The post The Last Man On Rainey Street appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Who were Miranda, Esther, Lisa and Rufus? The post Who Were The Streets In This North Austin Neighborhood Named After? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Does it really take longer to get home in the afternoon than to get to work in the morning? The post Why Is MoPac Traffic So Much Worse In The Afternoon Than In The Morning? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Maybe being an Austinite is more than a checklist. SUBSCRIBE on iTunes or RSS The post When Can You Call Yourself A Real Austinite? Y’all Had Some Ideas. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Sometimes you can find people riding horses on the streets of Austin. We went for a ride with one of them. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes RSS The post Who Are Those People Who Ride Horses Around Downtown Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Mose Buchele takes a walk with our question-asker to learn the science behind this fall’s colorful trees. The post Why Is Austin’s Foliage So Amazing This Fall? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

What are the experiences that bind Austinites together? Send us your answer at ATXplained.org or call/text to 737-443-9466 or email us at [email protected] The post TELL US: When Can You Call Yourself A “Real” Austinite? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Basements are common in other parts of the country. So why not here? Is it the rock? The flooding? Nope. The post Why Are There So Few Homes With Basements Around Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

For decades, Aqua Fest was an annual celebration in Austin. Then, it stopped. One ATXplained listener wanted to know why. The post What Ever Happened To Austin’s Long-Running Aqua Fest? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Join us on Friday, September 21 at 7 p.m. at the Texas Union Theater on the UT campus. Details and tickets (they’re free) are right here. The post We’re Doing A Live Show! Come Be A Part Of It! appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

An Austin creek is home to a wild population of platyfish, known worldwide as colorful, affordable pet-store species. But they jumped the tank as early as 2004. The post How Did These Tropical Fish Wind Up Thriving In Austin’s Waller Creek? 🐠 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

You can canoe, kayak, paddleboard — but don’t get in the water. Why not? MORE HERE The post Why Are You Not Allowed To Swim In Lady Bird Lake? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s a question that’s vexed people for years. But were there ever any bees? The post Is It Bee Cave Or Bee Caves? And Where Are The Bees? 🐝 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

At the end of Colorado Street on the north bank of Lady Bird Lake stands a six-story brick tower. So what’s it there for? The post What’s The History Behind That Bell Tower On Cesar Chavez? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Water tower? Government conspiracy? KUT’s Joseph Leahy investigates. The post What’s That Weird-Looking Tower Up On 51st Street? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

RM? FM? Do they even go to farms or ranches? You can read more here. The post What’s The Difference Between Ranch-To-Market And Farm-To-Market Roads? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Out by the Austin airport, there’s a tiny cemetery in a huge construction site. Who’s buried there? What will become of it? See more here. The post What’s The Story With This Tiny Cemetery In The Highway Median? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

You can’t not notice the trees that line the paths on Austin’s many hike and bike trails. But have you ever noticed a fair amount of them are numbered? The post What’s The Story Behind The Different Tags On Trees Around Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It seems like they’re everywhere: Self-storage facilities. Why are there so many being built in Austin? The post Why Do So Many Self-Storage Places Keep Popping Up In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The operators of the MoPac tolls lanes say the “goal” is 45 mph — so what happens if it doesn’t meet that goal? The post Can You Get A Refund If The MoPac Toll Lanes Aren’t Moving At 45 MPH? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It looks like Austin…but the streets are all spelled wrong. Why? The post Why Is The Map On The Floor Of The Austin Airport Full Of Misspellings? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

You might have heard that twang beckoning you across the street. Meet the real-life person behind the walk signal. The post Who’s That Distinctly Texan Voice Behind The Crosswalk Signals Around Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

What really happens inside this government facility in Central Austin? The post Raiders of the Lost Archive: Is This Building Off Shoal Creek A Top-Secret Warehouse? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Colter Sonneville had a hunch that it might be legal to walk down the street with an open beer in most of Austin’s residential neighborhoods. It started when he noticed some big signs around Chicon and East Cesar Chavez streets. The post Is It Really Legal To Walk Down The Street With A Beer In Austin Neighborhoods? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We got almost 200 recommendations when we asked for your favorite books about Austin and/or Texas. Here are but a few of the ones you sent in. The post Dan Is Moving To Austin. He Asked Us For Book Recommendations. You Had Plenty. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

State and city efforts to preserve views of the Texas Capitol have led to some oddly-shaped buildings in downtown Austin. The post What Are Capitol View Corridors? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The story behind that annoying weekly test of the Emergency Alert System. The post How Do Emergency Alert Systems Work In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Interstate Highway 35 is many things to many people. It is a vital thoroughfare for commerce and shipping. It is also an economic and social barrier through much of Austin. And nearly from its construction, it has been a source of frustration for drivers stuck in its traffic. I-35 has inspired a number of questions […] The post Why Was I-35 Designed As A Double-Decker Through Central Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

People have strong opinions about the custom. Some say it’s a heartwarming expression of holiday spirit; others consider it a flagrant violation of Texas’ anti-littering laws. But one thing no one really knows is how the tradition got started. See more here. The post Who Started Decorating The Loop 360 Christmas Trees? 🎄 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There’s a new building in Austin that’s drawing a lot of attention. And there are a couple of doors — yes, doors — in that building that are getting some funny looks. Several people asked about them for our ATXplained project. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy investigated. The post What’s Up With The ‘Doors To Nowhere’ At Austin’s New Central Library? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

This is a story about feelings. And how you translate those feelings into something real. Read more. The post Why Does This Big Metal Flower In Patterson Park Open And Close? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The city bought this property 8 years ago, but since then, it’s just been vacant. The post What’s The Deal With The Abandoned Home Depot On St. John’s? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.