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.
651
Tue. 05/11 - The Real Voice Behind Alexa
A new book digs into the origins of Amazon’s Alexa and allegedly reveals the woman who provided the voice for their original virtual assistant. A teenage wannabe influencer from France is set to be Italy’s next queen. Didn’t think Italy had...
17 min
652
Mon. 05/10 - Got Wood? America's Mounting Lumbe...
America is off candy. All we want is chicken wings and lumber. At least according to the market. A productivity hack that lets you celebrate your accomplishments instead of wallowing in frustration about your unfinished tasks. And space coins. I...
16 min
653
Fri. 05/07 - No Shrooms on Mars, Just Misinform...
No, there is not evidence of mushrooms on Mars, and the story of how that misinformation spread yesterday goes even deeper than you may think. Part of the rocket China launched at the end of last month is hurtling uncontrollably back to Earth and no...
17 min
654
Wed. 05/05 - Professional Mermaids Are Taking Over
Company tries running Facebook ads that transparently point out how Facebook ads work. Facebook blocks the ads. Shocking! Mermaid diving––like free diving but while wearing a mermaid tail––is quickly becoming a real sport. Dunbar’s number...
17 min
655
Tue. 05/04 - The Closest to a Real Lightsaber W...
The physics of jumping to hyperspace, Disney teases their retractable lightsaber, and more Star Wars Day updates. Plus, in real space news: China launched the first module of the Chinese Space Station into orbit last week. Sponsors: Our Opinions Are...
16 min
656
Mon. 05/03 - Can We Expand Human Life Spans?
Average human life expectancy doubled in the last century. Has it reached its cap or can we double it again? Some considerations. And NASA conducted a tabletop simulation of an asteroid impact last week, with… less than ideal results. But don’t...
18 min
657
Fri. 04/30 - Human Memes Are Taking Back What T...
People who accidentally became memes are using NFTs to regain a sense of ownership over their likenesses––and make some pretty nice chunks of change. Scotland could become the first “rewilding nation.” And another shortage report. This time:...
15 min
658
Thu. 04/29 - An AI Won a Crossword Tournament &...
How an AI, after failing for a decade, finally won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. The Olympics are going virtual, but not how you’re probably thinking. And remembering Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins. Links: (Slate) (The Guardian) ...
16 min
659
Wed. 04/28 - How To Fix Our Crappy Toilets & Se...
It’s time for a toilet revolution. No, I’m not just talking about bidets. Our wastewater systems are dangerously out of date, but sustainable innovations could be just around the u-bend. Plus, the future of contact lenses is bright––or not, if...
17 min
660
Tue. 04/27 - This Famous Actor's Mom Helped Sav...
Why the story of aerospace engineer Judith Love Cohen, who helped rescue the Apollo 13 astronauts, is making the rounds again and why we should remember her name. A new ice cube tray-shaped retinal patch that could help restore vision. And the...
16 min
661
Mon. 04/26 - The Battle of the Joshes
Dozens of people named Josh gathered in Nebraska over the weekend for a battle to crown the ultimate Josh. Who won and why the heck did this happen? I’ve got the details. The precursor to laugh tracks: professional applauders in 19th century France....
15 min
662
Fri. 04/23 - A McShake Up: The Battle Over McDo...
What do you call a collection of black holes? That’s not the tee-up for a punchline. Scientists are legitimately trying to decide what word to use. Plus, how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was based on Blackfoot principles that he got wrong. And how...
16 min
663
Thu. 04/22 - Your Grandma's Meme Stocks of the ...
NASA has generated oxygen on Mars. The story of the women retirees who hacked the stock market decades before GameStop and Wall Street Bets. And on the eve of his 404th death day, a look at what Shakespeare can teach us about living through pandemics....
18 min
664
Wed. 04/21 - Translating Whales' Conversations ...
A few newly-announced NASA funded projects, including one to build a radio telescope in a crater on the moon. A Welsh farmer shares his secrets to ultimate contentment. And can machine learning help us understand what whales are saying to one another?...
16 min
665
Tue. 04/20 - The New Roaring 20s? An Economist ...
Will this decade be another “Roaring 20s?” A social epidemiologist and a Nobel Prize-winning economist weigh in. How many T-Rexes roamed the land throughout their time on Earth? A team of paleontologists did the math. And scientists have created...
17 min
666
Mon. 04/19 - Super League, Explained (w/ Brian ...
You may have heard about a bit of a shake-up in the world of soccer today with a dozen of the world’s biggest teams forming what they’re calling the Super League. To help explain what the heck is going on, we’re joined today by Tech Meme Ride...
35 min
667
Fri. 04/16 - Human-Monkey Chimera Embryos Are a...
Scientists have created human-monkey hybrid embryos––yes, you heard that right. Archaeologists have found an entire lost city in Egypt. We have even more pterosaur news this week! And a very delicious false alarm in Krakow. Sponsors: Indeed, Get...
16 min
668
Thu. 04/15 - What Do Spiderwebs Sound Like?
The CDC says we should wait two weeks after our final COVID-19 vaccination to be considered fully vaccinated, but why? What do spiderwebs sound like? These scientists turned them into music. Google Earth’s latest feature shows us how destructive...
16 min
669
Wed. 04/14 - A Pterosaur With Opposable Thumbs?
We’ve all been talking about Zoom Fatigue for the past year, but a new study has the facts on the phenomenon. Have you tried booking a rental car and noticed they’re all sold out or only going for exorbitant prices? Here’s why. And, a double...
15 min
670
Tue. 04/13 - A Methane-Eating Bacteria Inside o...
Researchers have found a methane-eating bacteria living in a common species of Australian tree. The UK is considering a legal “right to disconnect” for remote workers. Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have uncovered evidence of the oldest...
15 min
671
Mon. 04/12 - Is An Art Movement Happening On Ti...
Genetically-modified mosquitoes are set to be released in Florida, but will locals thwart the project? A new technology that can 3D print bones directly inside of patients’ bodies. Is TikTok our latest great art movement? No really, stay with me on...
17 min
672
Fri. 04/09 - The Sound of Our Future Depends On...
The story of the woman whose decades of research helped make the mRNA COVID vaccines possible. Plus, electric cars don’t make much noise, which means we have the opportunity now to design what the future will sound like. And the co-founder of Elon...
17 min
673
Thu. 04/08 - Who Invented the High Five?
Where did the high five come from? Who came up with it? And why has it persisted for so long? Plus, what if we could turn the entire Earth into a telescope? One astronomer has drawn up the plans. And, how bad is blue light for you, really? Sponsor: ...
16 min
674
Wed. 04/07 - The 1970s Clubhouse Precursor
When social media happened over the phone. Have physicists found a new force of nature? And the long-lost Lord of the Rings made-for-TV-movie produced by Soviet Russia. Sponsor: Mint Mobile, Get a new wireless plan for just $15 a month Links: ...
15 min
675
Tue. 04/06 - A New Bacteria Discovered on the I...
A new bacteria was discovered on the International Space Station and it could mean interesting things for our future on Mars. The latest shortage in the US has left restaurant owners scrambling to catch up. And are seasonal allergies sexist? Of course...
17 min