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.
826
Wed. 06/02 - John Steinbeck's Unpublished Werew...
John Steinbeck’s secret unpublished werewolf novel that his estate doesn’t want you to read. Lithuania built a portal to Poland and more may soon follow. And set your alarms for the “ring of fire” solar eclipse next week. Links: (NY Times) ...
15 min
827
Tue. 06/01 - Bacteria Saves Michelangelo Works ...
Five hundred years later the Medicis continue to ruin Michelangelo’s artworks, but fortunately some bacteria are on the scene to restore his works to their former glory. The new naming scheme for COVID-19 variants. And the story of Allandale,...
15 min
828
Fri. 05/28 - Rural Oregon Tries to Become Great...
Seven counties in the US state of Oregon have now voted to leave their state behind and merge with neighboring Idaho. Could this actually work? A new English dictionary of Ancient Greek fully and explicitly makes up for the modesty of its previous...
17 min
829
Thu. 05/27 - Naked Mole Rats: The Key to Slowin...
Potentially good news for longterm COVID-19 immunity. Pizza farms, not just a figment of my imagination, apparently they’re a real and wonderful thing. And the story of a naked mole rat named Joe who just won’t die, and what he could mean for...
16 min
830
Wed. 05/26 - You Signed Up For a Vaccine Waitli...
Dr. B was the most well-known nationwide vaccine finder in the US. But did anyone actually end up getting their vaccine through the service? Plus, the artist raising awareness about the gender gap on the moon, Disneyland’s $100 sandwich and the...
17 min
831
Tue. 05/25 - Do Ovens Dream of Frozen Pizza?
The flavorful history of frozen pizza. We check in on how the pandemic continues to affect our dreams. And meet the dude actually taking advantage of Krispy Kreme’s free donut a day offer for vaccinated people. Links: (Tedium) (NY Times) (CBC) ...
17 min
832
Mon. 05/24 - Big Wind Energy & Tech-Savvy Lesso...
The latest floating wind farm technology and the part of the US that could make the biggest difference when it comes to offshore wind energy. What we can learn from the Amish about how we use technology. Links: (NY Mag) (The Verge) (Psyche) (Ars...
17 min
833
Fri. 05/21 - The Cicadas Are Turning Into Disme...
The Brood X cicadas have reemerged and are losing their butts due to a zombie-inducing fungus. Bald eagles are reemerging from the brink of extinction, causing a new trend in puppy fashion: incredibly punk spiky vests. And one of the best fictional...
17 min
834
Thu. 05/20 - How The Sun Could Spoil NASA's Tri...
Why the sun is about to get quite temperamental and how that could spell danger for NASA’s upcoming lunar mission. In other sun news, the case for turning airports into giant solar farms. And a website that will help make your Twitter timeline a bit...
15 min
835
Wed. 05/19 - Is Carbon Neutral Gasoline Coming?
A promising method for producing carbon-neutral gasoline from, basically, thin air. The strange story of the very first ransomware attack. And the surprisingly long history of bizarre ice cream flavors. Sponsor: Skillshare, Get a free trial of...
15 min
836
Tue. 05/18 - Why Mammals Don't Have Neon or Iri...
What’s next now that China has officially landed their first rover on Mars? How come us mammals don’t have bright, fluorescent plumage like birds or cool neon stripes like bugs? A panel of scientists weighs in. And the little-known detail that...
18 min
837
Mon. 05/17 - The Historical Mix-Up That Led to ...
The microscopic error with major implications that seems to have delayed public health officials in acknowledging the aerosol transmission of COVID-19. Why Shrek continues to endure as a touchstone of internet culture and how it changed the game for...
19 min
838
Fri. 05/14 - Using Nostalgia to Combat Boring S...
What a new lawsuit against TikTok says about the rights of actors who lend their likeness to AI and similar projects. How nostalgia could help you make connections when you return to the office. And what is even the point of wasps? Sponsors: America...
17 min
839
Thu. 05/13 - I'll Have What She's Having: The D...
How Netflix’s new top ten lists actually work, some other features they’re testing out, and what their findings mean for the future of algorithmic recommendations. Plus, how drones are helping change what we thought we knew about great white...
15 min
840
Wed. 05/12 - How Epidemiologists Are Approachin...
A look at how epidemiologists are approaching their personal returns to everyday life. How Denmark has quadrupled their cardiac arrest survival rate and whether the same system could be adopted in other nations. And a program that will make your...
16 min
841
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
842
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
843
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
844
Thu. 05/06 - Is This Podcast Cheugy?
Are you cheugy? Am I cheugy? What the heck is cheugy? The more we post photos of ourselves online, the easier it is for AIs to recognize us. But what if there were a way for them to forget our faces? And a useful site that will tell you exactly how...
15 min
845
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
846
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
847
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
848
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
849
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
850
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