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.
626
Thu. 09/02 - What Is Grimace & Why Are Hyperlin...
Why are hyperlinks blue? You ever think about that before? Plus, a look at the tech behind the wheelchairs and prostheses used by Paralympians. And what the heck is Grimace, the big purple McDonald’s mascot? A manager at a Canadian McDonald’s...
17 min
627
Wed. 09/01 - Flying EVs, Bedroom Pop, & Murder ...
Would you take a flying rideshare taxi? NASA is betting on it. Plus, murder hornets are back and badder than ever. And the growing genre of “bedroom pop,” which isn’t what it maybe sounds like. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at Links: (The...
18 min
628
Tue. 08/31 - Could We Delete Our Memories One Day?
The climate crisis is causing some animals to shrink, and that’s definitely not a good thing. Experts weigh in on the possibility of humans ever being able to edit or delete their own memories. And Netflix cheat codes to help you shake off the...
16 min
629
Mon. 08/30 - Electric Cars Almost Became the No...
Electric cars were being made as far back at the late 19th century, with entire fleets of electric cabs roaming the streets of several major cities. So what happened? Why didn’t they become the go-to vehicle from the beginning? Plus, the history of...
15 min
630
Fri. 08/27 - The History of the ICEE, The Coole...
The history of and science behind the ICEE. Plus, Glenfiddich is now powering their delivering trucks with spent whisky. And some tips on cleaning your earbuds because, c’mon, how long has it been since you’ve actually done that? Sponsors: ...
15 min
631
Thu. 08/26 - What If All Food Was Square?
The 7,200 year old skeleton of a teenage girl is shaking up what we thought we knew about ancient human migration. The creative solution an Oregon hospital has come up with to support its overworked staff, and what we can do to help lessen their load....
15 min
632
Wed. 08/25 - Comirnaty? How Pfizer's Vaccine Go...
The Paralympic Games kicked off in Tokyo last night. Here’s what you need to know and a brief history of the games. Plus, how did the Pfizer vaccine end up with the brand name Comirnaty, and what were some of the other contenders? Sponsor: Upstart,...
17 min
633
Tue. 08/24 - Pixels Aren't Square. Or Visible.
What exactly is a pixel? Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith discusses its math and history and his new book. Plus, farmer’s markets, once a cornerstone of in-person weekend outings, have gone digital. And Liquid Death Mountain Water is selling...
16 min
634
Mon. 08/23 - Critics Hate Them! Netflix's UNBEL...
Netflix is leaning into the clickbait game that soured online journalism ten years ago. Could this strategy affect the film industry overall, and has it been played before? Plus, how community members in Marseille took over a McDonald’s and turned...
17 min
635
Fri. 08/20 - The Necrobiome: Dead and Loving It
What is the necrobiome and why do some think it’s crucial for restoring our ecosystems? More and more zoo animals across the US are getting their own special animal vaccine, but why doesn’t your pet cat need one? And Disney’s animatronics are...
17 min
636
Thu. 08/19 - The #1 Site on Facebook is a Green...
Facebook has released a report of their most widely viewed content, but the #1 most viewed link on the platform shows how the report isn’t exactly proving the point they’re trying to make. Plus, are realtors engineering weird listing photos so...
17 min
637
Wed. 08/18 - A "Wright Bros. Moment" In Nuclear...
A lab in California has achieved a historic breakthrough in nuclear fusion. Three new species from the post-dinosaur mammalian revolution have been identified, including one that’s been named after a Hobbit character. And recent studies shedding...
14 min
638
Tue. 08/17 - The Thriving Imported Mango Market...
Inside the world of the quasi-secret WhatsApp mango economy. It turns out Saturn is kind of jiggly inside. And the beginning of a season, marked by the end of an era for department stores. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Links: (Eater) ...
17 min
639
Mon. 08/16 - Eerily Accurate 1990s Predictions ...
How one of the earliest bloggers predicted the dark side of the internet, and then went completely off the grid. Plus, the first tribally-affiliated medical school, on tribal land, in the US. is bridging gaps. And Yik Yak is back. Sponsor: Indeed,...
17 min
640
Fri. 08/13 - Woolly Mammoth Adventures & Goodre...
The groundbreaking study that has basically given us a daily diary of the entire life of a 17,000 year old woolly mammoth. Why coffee prices are spiking. And a ransom scam targeting authors that says a lot about the state of the world. Links: (NY...
17 min
641
Thu. 08/12 - The Nickelodeon Design Aesthetic
How does a kid’s network establish their brand identity? Apparently, riff on a high brow architectural style and add heaping amounts of radioactive green slime. On the 30th anniversary of the first Nicktoons, a look back at Nickelodeon’s iconic...
16 min
642
Wed. 08/11 - Robin, Batman's Sidekick, Has Come...
Robin has officially come out of the closet. No statement yet from Batman, but I do have the other details, and a brief history of LGBTQ+ superheroes. Plus, SpaceX is planning to put billboards in space. And plastic pollution is confusing the hermit...
16 min
643
Tue. 08/10 - A New Carnivorous Flower CAPTCHAs ...
Why are CAPTCHA’s so frustrating and, in a way, so grim and disconcerting? Plus, botanists have identified the first carnivorous plant in twenty years, but don’t go calling it Audrey III just yet. And, a new development in the McFlurry Cold War....
15 min
644
Mon. 08/09 - That “Code Red” Climate Report, Ex...
Some context and takeaways from the big UN climate report released this morning. NASA has opened applications for their Mars simulation mission. And why are some people in Japan sending bags of rice with their baby’s face on them to relatives?...
16 min
645
Fri. 08/06 - A Gardener's High? Can Playing In ...
What are forest schools? And the science behind why gardening can make you feel happy and peaceful. Plus, the Perseid meteor shower is happening in just a few days. And the co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been immortalized as a Barbie...
15 min
646
Thu. 08/05 - Vaccine APP-rehension
As the tides trend toward requiring vaccinations for entry in more places, what is the landscape of apps and methods to verify vaccination status? Plus, meatball-scented candles from IKEA and two very different commercial space flight updates....
15 min
647
Wed. 08/04 - Why Is Snow on the Alps Turning Red?
The six countries most likely to survive all-out societal collapse from climate change. Why is snow on the Alps turning red? And a website that will transport you back to sleepy nights in front of the TV in the early 2000s. Sponsor: Upstart, Links:...
13 min
648
Tue. 08/03 - What Edgar Allan Poe's Forgotten S...
Edgar Allan Poe wasn’t just the sad author of spooky tales we all know and love, but also a passionate science journalist, and the writings he left behind can tell us a lot about our current relationship to misinformation and science communication....
18 min
649
Mon. 08/02 - Why Skateboarding Is An Olympic Sp...
What makes an Olympic sport an Olympic sport? And what does it take to get cut from the lineup? Namely, why is baseball getting cut once again in 2024, but breakdancing will make its Olympic debut? A breakdown of how it works. Plus, Boeing is trying...
18 min
650
Fri. 07/30 - Millions of Views & Not a Dollar T...
I read a BuzzFeed article about virality and go on a rant about the creator economy. PornHub has a new campaign to help bolster museum tourism. And we may have found a fingerprint from Michelangelo… on a statue’s butt. Sponsor: Green Chef, go to ...
15 min