Cool Stuff Ride Home
Covering the most interesting and coolest stories that you may have missed around the world in about 15 minutes a day. Cool Stuff Ride Home looks at science, progress, life-hacks, memes, exciting art, and hope. This is the antidote to depressing headlines. Smart stuff in podcast form. Cool news, as a service.
Hosted by Reggie Risseeuw and Marques Pfaff.
426
Fri. 04/08 - Short Kings & Barbie Girls
We turn back the clocks to 1997 for a history of the song “Barbie Girl” and a look at its influence on music. Plus, the Neolithic origins of Short King Spring. And mark your calendars for the Great North American Solar Eclipse. Sponsors: Indeed,...
20 min
427
Thu. 04/07 - Scaly Dino Fossil From the Day the...
An impressively well-preserved dinosaur leg fossil has been found that could be the first-ever fossil evidence of the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Plus, Amtrak is stirring up some beef with their...
16 min
428
Wed. 04/06 - The Darwin Book Thief
Some libraries cancel late fees, others get Interpol involved for missing manuscripts. Either way, missing books can become fascinating treasures when they’re finally returned. Plus, Hubble has spotted a rare planet in the earliest phase of...
16 min
429
Tue. 04/05 - So You Wanna Be A Fossil
How to have the best odds of becoming a fossil after you die. Plus, the creators of the viral Marcel the Shell videos secretly made a feature-length film that’s coming out this summer. And a few other recommendations you can stream right now....
16 min
430
Mon. 04/04 - The Artwork Made By Six Million Pe...
Six million people and counting are creating a piece of artwork together right now in a reminder that sometimes we can have nice things on the internet. Plus, birds are laying their eggs almost a whole month earlier than they used to. And some sounds...
18 min
431
Fri. 04/01 - Star Wars Kid: A New Hope
The human genome has finally been completely sequenced––twenty-two years after the initial “essentially” complete version was published. Plus, in another early 2000s follow-up, the “Star Wars Kid” breaks his silence two decades later....
17 min
432
Thu. 03/31 - We Don't Talk About Pluto
New findings indicate that Pluto’s ice volcanoes are even weirder than we previously thought. Plus, a killer parasite is wiping out an entire species of ant in Texas… but actually it’s kind of a net positive. And US citizens will soon be able to...
18 min
433
Wed. 03/30 - Prayers on the Blockchain & the Ol...
Could alpaca antibodies one day provide treatment for COVID-19? Plus, the Hubble telescope has spotted the oldest star ever seen by humans, by a long shot. The European Union is cracking down on fast fashion. And the scammers trying to turn prayers in...
16 min
434
Tue. 03/29 - Koons' Moons
Artist Jeff Koons’ next sculpture installation? On the moon. Plus, it’s not just you. Seasonal allergies really are worse this year, and the climate emergency is to blame. And, the Northern Lights might be visible Wednesday night in parts of the...
15 min
435
Mon. 03/28 - The Hoax Behind Pringles' Mascot's...
The Scottish dolphin who lives among and seems to “talk” with porpoises. Plus, how a Wikipedia hoax became official branding for Pringles. And sheep are pivoting to solar. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future The Jordan...
16 min
436
Fri. 03/25 - Digital Rest Stop Ahead
Digital resting points are an increasingly popular way to recharge and slow down in the midst of endless scrolling. Plus, are we facing a “sensory extinction?” And, meet the giant eerie glowing orb that might be installed in London. Sponsors: ...
17 min
437
Thu. 03/24 - You're Not Actually Laughing, lol
The origin and fascinating evolution of “lol.” Plus, it turns out the speed of sound on Mars is different and weirder than anticipated. And some of the researchers behind the discovery of Captain Shackleton’s lost ship are developing a sort of...
17 min
438
Wed. 03/23 - Lettuce Medicine, Ranch Diamonds, ...
How genetically-modified lettuce grown in space could protect astronauts’ bones on long voyages. Plus, meet Doug, the false potato stripped of Guinness World Record glory in the eleventh hour. And, a two-carat diamond made out of ranch dressing, the...
16 min
439
Tue. 03/22 - Competitive Water Drinkers On YouT...
Turns out humans have been cooking and enjoying carbs for much longer than we initially thought, and the experiments some archaeologists have been conducting to lend credence to their hypotheses are very cool. Plus, welcome to the weird and wonderful...
17 min
440
Mon. 03/21 - Squid Tech to Prevent Human Sunburns
How to appear effortlessly charming to new people you meet. Plus, using squid technology to protect humans from the sun. And a new generation of search apps that search everything you touch on your devices. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at ...
15 min
441
Fri. 03/18 - What Do We Lose By Keeping The Lig...
Should we be making a greater effort to reduce light pollution? Plus, scientists are trying to use murder hornets’ own sexual behavior to eradicate them. And an app that will help you safely find and eat roadkill. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn...
15 min
442
Thu. 03/17 - Why Are Movies So Long These Days?
Why have movies gotten so long recently? Plus, the startups working to develop lab-created chocolate. And a nightmarish creature from Texas to rival all the hype around those giant Joro spiders. Sponsors: Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at to get an...
15 min
443
Wed. 03/16 - Permanent Daylight Saving Time?
How Prohibition was far more global and far more progressive than it’s often portrayed. And, is the United States about to stay in Daylight Saving Time forever? Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at to get an...
17 min
444
Tue. 03/15 - Solar Storms & Subvariants, But It...
Subvariants, spikes, and sewers. A few indicators remind us that we’re not quite out of the woods yet when it comes to COVID. Plus, a new method that shows how any person can be trained to harness the creativity inside of themselves. And what it...
15 min
445
Mon. 03/14 - Why COVID Causes Loss of Smell and...
How many digits of pi is the right amount to use? Plus, what actually causes people to lose their sense of smell when they get COVID? And how can you work to recover yours if you lost it? And, Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson is going to space....
17 min
446
Fri. 03/11 - Abe Lincoln: Telegraph Influencer
Abraham Lincoln was a telegraph power-user, and the one thousand telegrams he sent during his presidency might have helped the US win the Civil War. Plus, an app that can diagnose rare diseases just by scanning a child’s face. And, ten thousand...
16 min
447
Thu. 03/10 - We Need To Talk About The Spiders
The giant yellow spiders set to invade the eastern seaboard of North America are… not as scary as the internet is making them seem. Plus, the Smithsonian is returning a number of artworks to Nigeria. And President Biden is considering a digital...
18 min
448
Wed. 03/09 - Why Has "Z" Become a Pro-War Symbol?
One of the most famous shipwrecks has finally been discovered at the bottom of a sea in Antarctica. Plus, why the letter “Z” has become a Russian pro-war symbol. And, post-punk Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at ...
14 min
449
Tue. 03/08 - Diamonds Are the Air's Best Friend
Giving all new meaning to “taking a leaf out of their book,” medieval literature scholars have adopted ecological models to quantify lost works of fiction. Plus, what if you could create diamonds out of thin air? And, had a rough day? Let some...
15 min
450
Mon. 03/07 - Why Have Some Of Us Never Gotten C...
After two years, why have some of us never gotten COVID? Plus, the surprisingly artistic and wonderful Squirrel Census. And a volcanic rock in Japan rumored to contain a thousand-year-old demonic spirit has just been found split in two. Nbd. Sponsors:...
18 min