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
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
627
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
628
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
629
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
630
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
631
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
632
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
633
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
634
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
635
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
636
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
637
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
638
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
639
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
640
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
641
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
642
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
643
Fri. 03/04 - How Hybrid Work Could Change Citie...
Is it possible for ocean cleanup programs to do more harm than good? And how might offices, cities, and the nature of work itself change if––as looks increasingly likely––many office jobs never return to fully on-site work. Plus, the latest...
15 min
644
Thu. 03/03 - Designing Gotham: Batman's Univers...
A look at how the design of Gotham City has changed throughout each incarnation of Batman, reflecting the soul and vengeance of the caped crusader. Plus, the technicolor array of blood throughout the animal kingdom. And, your chance to take your name...
17 min
645
Wed. 03/02 - Death to Plastic
175 nations have agreed to craft a legally binding treaty to reel in the world’s out-of-control plastic problem. Plus, remember that rocket booster no one is taking responsibility for? It’s still hitting the moon on Friday. Here’s what it might...
16 min
646
Tue. 03/01 - Dino Drama: Should Tyrannosaurus B...
Is the tyrannosaurus rex going to be broken up into three species? Plus, we’ve talked a lot about meat alternatives, but now it’s time for: dairy milk alternatives. No, not oat or almond. Actual dairy milk but without the use of animals. And,...
15 min
647
Mon. 02/28 - Pres. Zelensky's Uncanny Comedy Ca...
That thing you’re looking at right now, it’s already fifteen seconds in the past. Plus, new findings from Apple and Harvard’s giant period-tracking study. And, before emerging as a wartime president, Volodymyr Zelensky had a prolific career as a...
19 min
648
Fri. 02/25 - The Meme Accounts Behind Misinform...
The meme accounts behind some of the spread of misinformation already this week, as well as some guidance for seeking out and sharing accurate information. Plus, seals that are being recruited by scientists to spy on whales. And the latest vaccine...
19 min
649
Thu. 02/24 - The Little-Known Women Who Saved M...
The too-little-known story of the creation of the whooping cough vaccine. Plus, the remarkable initiatives in Taiwan that are helping keep the country clean with a little help from Beethoven. A new Netflix docuseries that uses AI to recreate Andy...
18 min
650
Wed. 02/23 - I'm Feeling Lucky
Why does Google still have the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button? And what do the ways Google Search has changed mean for us as a society? Plus, a proposed global library of underwater audio with a perfect name, and what fish are usually “talking”...
20 min