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.
676
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
677
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
678
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
679
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
680
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
681
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
682
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
683
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
684
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
685
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
686
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
687
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
688
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
689
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
690
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
691
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
692
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
693
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
694
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
695
Fri. 11/12 - The Year Without A Santa Claus? "L...
White-tailed deer in America have been found to be transmitting SARS-CoV-2 among each other in higher than expected rates. Plus, next week will be the century’s longest partial lunar eclipse. A new, huge species of dinosaur was discovered on the...
14 min
696
Wed. 11/10 - Could Dogs Survive Without Us?
The curious story of how sushi became popular in America. Plus, what would happen to dogs if all their humans disappeared? And in their latest stunt, Heinz says they’ve grown ketchup in Martian conditions. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at...
19 min
697
Tue. 11/09 - Why Does America Have So Few Publi...
A deep dive down the drain pipe to discuss why America has so few public restrooms. Plus, how Pinterest ruined Google Search, and a few options for fixing it. Sponsors: inkl, Get a 25% discount at Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Links: ...
17 min
698
Mon. 11/08 - The Messy Legacy of Emily Dickinso...
Another even more promising antiviral pill for COVID-19 has been announced, this time from Pfizer. Plus, why adults aren’t as good at learning new things as kids are, but is it such a bad thing? And the messy legacy of both Emily Dickinson and her...
15 min
699
Fri. 11/05 - A Universal Vaccine For EVERY Coro...
How would a universal coronavirus vaccine work and how close are we to having one? Plus, how cosplaying as a superhero can actually make you a better person, at least temporarily. And one of the most notorious serial killers in horror is getting his...
15 min
700
Thu. 11/04 - Steel Igloos In Iceland Turn CO2 I...
New international space laws may soon be on the horizon. Plus, the brewing battles between artists using AI to reconstruct lost artworks and the estates of the original artists. And some steel igloos in Iceland that protect one of the most promising...
16 min