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.
901
Tue. 12/29 - How Humans Began to Read and Write
How is it that humans figured out how to read? New cosmological findings that may finally solve the Hubble tension. And, more monoliths continue to pop up, a look at two of the more interesting ones from this past week. Sponsors: Skillshare, get a...
13 min
902
Mon. 12/28 - What If 2020 Was Just One Big MMORPG?
How your brain takes out the trash while you sleep. The English man who crossed the Alps on a space hopper. And a subreddit where over half a million people pretend our world is just one big MMORPG. Sponsors: BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee ...
14 min
903
Wed. 12/23 - Leave Out Porridge for Belligerent...
How Star Wars toys have changed over the years and why it may not be a good thing for kids. What if there were tons of alien civilizations elsewhere in the Milky Way but they’re all long since dead? And the Danish tradition of leaving porridge out...
15 min
904
Tue. 12/22 - The Holy Pooper & the Curse of the...
Down the rabbit hole of targeted marketing through the lens of some strange, butt-flap onesie pajamas for adults. Don’t trust the sea foam in Australia. And some Catalonian Christmas traditions that are pretty crappy. Sponsors: BitTrust IRA, Waive...
16 min
905
Mon. 12/21 - How Will Movie Theaters Stay Afloa...
What will movie theaters look like in a post-pandemic world? And what do companies need to do to weather the storm? New research that suggests our early human ancestors could have hibernated. And the pyrotechnic German punch that Atlas Obscura...
15 min
906
Fri. 12/18 - The Business of X-Mas Trees & How ...
Some ways that COVID could change science forever––both good and bad. The business of Christmas trees and why we’re still seeing the effects of the Great Recession in tree prices today. And a site that plays ambient noise from the forests of the...
16 min
907
Thu. 12/17 – Snowflake Toast & The Sound of a P...
Physicists have measured sound diffusion in a perfect fluid for the first time ever and created a surprisingly popular SoundCloud track. A bunch of new works are entering the public domain in just a few weeks. And the Kellogg brothers are best...
14 min
908
Wed. 12/16 - What Pfizer Can Learn From Dippin’...
Genetically-engineered pigs have gotten the all clear. Digging into the field of galactic archaeology. And how Dippin’ Dots can help us better understand the leading COVID-19 vaccines, and may play a role of their own. Sponsors: HelloFresh, Use...
15 min
909
Tue. 12/15 – The Origins of the Emoticon
What are tone indicators? Where do they come from, how are they used, and a look at both the pre-internet history of tone indicators as well as the origin of the emoticon. And, a question for the ages, what was the deal with the leg lamp in A...
15 min
910
Mon. 12/14 - How To Remember More of What You Read
Some practical tips to help you remember more of what you read. After 51 years, one of the Zodiac Killer’s ciphers has been solved. And Brussels sprouts kind of became cool in the last few years, and it’s not just because bars started serving them...
15 min
911
Fri. 12/11 - How Our Homes Were Shaped By Epide...
The household features that were shaped by previous epidemics. An ethics committee has approved the French military to start making bionic soldiers. And hot Dr Pepper. Sponsors: NordVPN, Get 68% off plus FOUR additional free months at or use coupon...
17 min
912
Thu. 12/10 - Deepfake Santa & The Great Conjunc...
The Great Conjunction is upon us. Learn when and how to see Saturn and Jupiter closer than they’ve visibly been in 800 years. The Austin, Texas pop-up bringing canceled Taco Bell menu items back to life. Advice from a Japanese wellness expert on...
15 min
913
Wed. 12/9 - Space Booze: It's... For Science
Why did a French company send a whole case of wine into space last year? And, if NASA technically bans alcohol, how come so many astronauts drink it and why are so many companies designing microgravity alcoholic beverage options? All is not merry and...
15 min
914
Tue. 12/8 - Can We Pre-Design Vaccines For Futu...
The COVID vaccines headed for distribution were developed on the fastest timeline in the history of vaccines. But could we do it even quicker next time? Or even make the vaccine before an outbreak? Speaking of vaccines, William Shakespeare officially...
14 min
915
Mon. 12/7 - What It's Like Finding Buried Treas...
The finder of Forrest Fenn’s treasure chest has been revealed. Also, what does one do with actual buried treasure in the twenty-first century? A special delivery for the astronauts on board the International Space Station. How you can help save...
12 min
916
Fri. 12/4 - When You Find Out You're a Meme
The latest in deep sea luxury tourism. The story of a guy who just found out this week that he’s been a meme for years. The fascinating geometry of Pringles. And an actually kinda sweet story about the polio vaccine. Sponsors: CastleGrade, Enter...
15 min
917
Thu. 12/3 - Proximity Chats: A Solution to Bad ...
A few reasons why Zoom parties suck so much, some science-backed proposals to make them better, and a few platforms that are trying to do it. A website that will play that radio for you from anywhere in the world and any time going all the way back to...
15 min
918
Wed. 12/2 – Competitive Tetris Champions & Chri...
The Classic Tetris World Championship final is this Sunday, streaming live online, and if you were also surprised there is a Classic Tetris World Championship, then have I got a documentary recommendation for you. Archaeologists have discovered tens...
14 min
919
Tue. 12/01 - China's Chang'e 5 Lands on the Moon
Scientists have used AI to make a massive breakthrough in protein folding that could cause huge ripples in drug treatments and understanding the human body. China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the moon and is bringing back souvenirs. Leave some...
16 min
920
Mon. 11/30 - The Utah Monolith Has VANISHED
An update on the mysterious monolith in Utah. The plant-based seafood companies vying to become the fishy equivalent of Beyond Meat. And some tips for socializing outside during the cold winter months. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first...
13 min
921
Wed. 11/25 - Did Devo & Green Day Predict 2020?
The Thanksgiving Day prank at NASA that ensured Thanksgiving Day pranks never happened again. How artificial intelligence could finally end the spread of tuberculosis. The new EP from a new wave band that is definitely not just Green Day in masks. And...
15 min
922
Tue. 11/24 - An Unexplained Monolith in the Uta...
The saga of the infamous pig couch on Craigslist. A strange metal monolith has appeared without explanation in a deserted red rock cove in Utah. What does Yellowstone National Park have to do with the COVID-19 test kits? And a new device that will let...
15 min
923
Mon. 11/23 - Oxford's Vaccine & "Word" of the Year
Mars may still be volcanically active, which could mean positive things for the potential of life on the planet. More good vaccine news, this time from Oxford and AstraZeneca. And speaking of Oxford, the dictionary took a weird turn for their Word of...
14 min
924
Feed Drop - Jacked: Rise of the New Jack
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, Wondery (Dr. Death, Dirty John, The Shrink Next Door) and Universal Music Group present Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Sound. The story begins with a keyboard player in the heart of Harlem: Teddy Riley. Teddy’s entire world...
5 min
925
Fri. 11/20 - Did Ben Franklin Want to Replace t...
Did Ben Franklin really think the turkey should replace the eagle as America’s national bird? Analyzing the microbiome of Leonardo DaVinci’s drawings. And scientists who have figured out a way to rewind cellular aging in humans. Sponsors: Fitbod,...
14 min