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.
551
Tue. 12/21 - Why the Webb Telescope Launch Is F...
The James Webb Space Telescope is launching on Friday. Here’s what to expect, and why astronomers are so stressed out about it. Plus, Scotland may soon be issuing a three centuries overdue pardon to victims of its many witchcraft trials. And when...
17 min
552
Mon. 12/20 - Athletes' Supercharged Blood & Pro...
How an athlete’s blood could boost cognitive function, potentially in non-athletic people. Plus, the origin and meanings of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” And, Christmas in July takes on a whole new meaning with cruises designed...
15 min
553
Fri. 12/17 - The Mystery of the Secret Library ...
How a librarian discovered a secret library within her library. Plus, some tips for unplugging more deeply when you’re on vacation. And the group of actual birds knocking Adele and Ed Sheeran off the top of the Australian music charts. Sponsors: ...
16 min
554
Thu. 12/16 - DOOM BLOOM: Spotted Lanternfly-Tai...
It turns out those pesky spotted lanternflies have changed the local honey in Pennsylvania, and it’s… kind of good? Plus, the FDA has approved eye drops that fix age-related vision problems. And one company is trying to prevent new staff turnover...
14 min
555
Wed. 12/15 - Are Floating Neighborhoods the Fut...
A NASA spacecraft has just touched the sun for the first time in human history. Plus, are floating neighborhoods the future for coastal towns? And a look back at the origin of online reviews, and a question about their future. Sponsors: GiveWell,...
17 min
556
Tue. 12/14 - Sad Keanu & A Sleeping Bag to Save...
When did we first start sending holiday cards and will the tradition ever end? Plus, the health risks for humans in space and a high-tech sleeping bag that could prevent astronauts’ vision from deteriorating. And, Keanu Reeves explains what was...
16 min
557
Mon. 12/13 - Science-Backed Nap Hacks From Salv...
Need a creative boost? Try this napping hack from Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí––research from this month says it actually works. The woman who successfully traded a bobby pin for a house. And Swedish towns are trying to reclaim their names...
15 min
558
Fri. 12/10 - The Science (& Ethics) of Netflix’...
Insights from the real-life NASA scientist behind Netflix’s new killer-comet movie, Don’t Look Up. Plus, reindeers are the only mammals whose eyes change color with the seasons. And their noses kind of do too––the science behind that, and the...
16 min
559
Thu. 12/09 - Birds Aren't Real (And Neither Is ...
Finally we get some truth from bird truthers. Everything you need to know about the Birds Aren’t Real movement. Plus, New Zealand is banning tobacco completely for the upcoming generations. And Instagram is bringing back the chronological feed! Kind...
16 min
560
Wed. 12/08 - Cleaning Hacks From Victorians
Cleaning advice from nineteenth century housekeepers. An upcoming feminist retelling of 1984. How to watch the Geminid meteor shower next week. And MST3K is officially coming back next year. Sponsors: GiveWell, Have your donation matched up to $250...
15 min
561
Tue. 12/07 - Scientists Want SpaceX's Starship ...
How SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket could herald a new generation of space exploration. Plus, all sound recordings from the mid-1800s to 1923 are going to be released to the US Public Domain on January 1st. And Heinz and Terry’s have partnered to...
13 min
562
Mon. 12/06 - Why Is It So Hard To Hear Movie Di...
Do you feel like the dialogue in movies has gotten harder to understand? It’s not just you. Sound professionals dish on all the reasons why it’s gotten worse in recent years. Plus, a giant steel structure coming soon to Tasmania has already...
17 min
563
Fri. 12/04 - Krampus, the Unabomber, & Tickle M...
Why the FBI thought the inventor of Tickle Me Elmo might have been the Unabomber. A new potential method for freeze-drying vaccines. And it’s Krampusnacht this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about the sinister anti-Santa. Sponsors: ...
19 min
564
Thu. 12/02 - How a College Student Invented Ore...
How a twenty-one-year-old student-teacher and his roommates created Oregon Trail fifty years ago, and never made a cent from their creation. Plus, a letter Catherine the Great wrote in favor of vaccinations just sold for $1.3 million. And, for one...
15 min
565
Wed. 12/01 - Duolingo's Bizarre Sentences
Why does Duolingo use such weird and sometimes deeply relatable phrases to teach its users new languages? Plus, the real science behind the much-hyped “first living robots that can now reproduce.” And the origins of the twelve days of Christmas....
16 min
566
Tue. 11/30 - How Mark Twain Invented the Bra Clasp
How Mark Twain invented the bra clasp. Kinda. Plus, beavers doing the work of million dollar machines to restore land and prevent wildfires––in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost. And a new twist has emerged in the McDonald’s...
16 min
567
Mon. 11/29 - Canada's Emergency Maple Syrup Res...
Are influencers’ aesthetic choices for their kids threatening their brain development? Probably not, but the science behind it is kind of interesting. Plus, pub-goers in England got stranded for three days with an Oasis tribute band. And there’s a...
14 min
568
Wed. 11/24 - Made-Up Words For Very Real Feelings
How does the CIA go about recruiting young people who are increasingly skeptical of government institutions and also not exactly covert about their lives on social media? Plus, a dictionary of fake words for very real feelings. And are we cautiously...
16 min
569
Tue. 11/23 - Why Do We Say "Sh*t Hit the Fan"?
Why we rely on idioms for communication and how some of the more nonsensical ones entered our lexicon. Plus, a company working on a sort of 10,000 g slingshot to launch satellites into space with zero emissions just pulled off their first successful...
16 min
570
Mon. 11/22 - Oxygen From Moon Rocks Could Susta...
Could lunar explorers of the future be sucking air out of moon rocks? Could all of us? Plus, a device made from household objects could expand the world’s access to vaccines. And the psychological case for decorating for the holidays as early as you...
17 min
571
Fri. 11/19 - The Fake 2000s Yo-Yo Career of 'Wh...
A brief history of takeout and delivery. Plus, a What We Do In The Shadows actor’s previous career as an award-winning yo-yo-er. And the abomination that is RanchNog. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get...
16 min
572
Thu. 11/18 - AMC Will Soon Deliver Popcorn to Y...
Will we soon have a new Planet Nine? The first human trial for an Alzheimer’s nasal vaccine is about to be under way. And Papa John’s has changed their name. Technically. And AMC Theaters has said, “movies, who? Never heard of her. We’re a...
15 min
573
Wed. 11/17 - The 1930s "Streaming" Music Servic...
The progenitors to on-demand streaming music, including the multiphone in the 1950s American west and the Théâtrophone in 1880s Paris. Plus, new findings about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. And the woman whose own immune...
14 min
574
Tue. 11/16 - Pastel Pavement to Appeal to Women...
The US finally has a national recycling strategy as of yesterday. Plus, what is the ultimate song to listen to at any time of the day or night? Scientists figured it out. The gendered history of car and road design. And the giant Reese’s cup...
17 min
575
Mon. 11/15 - Welcome To The Human Library
Zillow is out of the iBuying game. What does that mean for its competitors and for the future of real estate? Plus, a look into the Human Library. And astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to take shelter in their return ships...
18 min