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.
926
Thu. 11/19 - Paleomixology & the Baskin-Robbins...
Advice for enjoying the holidays even if you’re spending them alone this year. AI researchers have made a sarcasm detector. And a look at the burgeoning field of paleomixology. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at ...
16 min
927
11/18 - Real Talk on Thanksgiving Celebrations ...
Some real talk about celebrating Thanksgiving this year. How artificial intelligence is being used to recreate smells from history. And Bunny the Talking Dog, the latest viral star on Tiktok. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fundrise, Get...
18 min
928
Tue. 11/17 - The Little-Known History of Transg...
A look at trans figures in history in honor of Transgender Awareness Week. New stretchable sensor gloves that could change the game for robots, physical therapy, and VR. Liquid Death, the over-the-top canned water company, has released their second...
17 min
929
Mon. 11/16 - The Moderna Vaccine: What You Need...
A second potential COVID-19 vaccine is showing incredible efficacy and bringing us a modest dash of hope. The future of sustainable air conditioning. The French media outlet that accidentally published obituaries for nearly a hundred public figures...
15 min
930
Fri. 11/13 - How Did Friday the 13th Become Unl...
Why do we associate Friday the 13th with being unlucky? The weird and creative solutions some offices are coming up with for virtual holiday parties this year. And don’t miss the next, and first official, SpaceX astronaut flight launch tomorrow....
16 min
931
Thu. 11/12 - How Many Holes Does a Straw Have?
A simple question with a very, very complicated answer: how many holes does a straw have? Why the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be significant beyond COVID-19. And yet another botched art restoration in Spain. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, Links: ...
17 min
932
Wed. 11/11 - Why People Are Mad About Mary Woll...
A deep dive into why a statue of an eighteenth century feminist writer has caused such a stir in England. A new YouTube show to watch, made by Hungarian scientists, called The Genius Dog Challenge. And Collins Dictionary’s word of the year. Sponsor:...
14 min
933
Tue. 11/10 - Make Better Habits By Being Bad At...
Australian scientists have discovered two new mammals. The trick to sticking to new habits that requires letting yourself be bad at things. A new perfume that smells like books. And a calming, hand-drawn web-based game to help you chill out. Sponsor: ...
13 min
934
Mon. 11/09 - What To Know About the Pfizer Vaccine
Pfizer has good news about a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what you need to know. Meet the man who went viral over the weekend for interrupting a French newscaster. And high fashion scratch-and-sniff t-shirts; plus a brief history of the...
18 min
935
Fri. 11/06 - The Most Extreme, Hellish Planet Y...
Scientists have discovered more information about an absolutely hellish, inhospitable planet. And it’s not the one you think. Colorado passed a first-ever of its kind ballot measure to reintroduce a species of animal to its state. An intriguing if...
14 min
936
Thu. 11/05 - Why Nebraska Splits Its Electoral ...
Remember, remember the fifth of November. Here are some thoughts on the complicated legacy of the Gunpowder Plot. Why Nebraska’s electoral votes are so weird, and the man responsible for keeping them weird. And, inspired by the Korean practice of...
14 min
937
Wed. 11/04 - Brian Eno & the Atomization of Soc...
Brian Eno’s thoughts on social media and the role of the artist in these trying times, as well as a related new finding that smartphones may actually be helping to pop people’s filter bubbles when it comes to news consumption. A new archaeological...
14 min
938
Tue. 11/3 - The Atheist Ban
It’s Election Day in the US. I’ve got some good and some weird tips for staying calm amidst the election storm. An AI that can tell if you have COVID-19 just by listening to your cough. And a deep dive on one type of U.S. citizen who can’t run...
16 min
939
Mon. 11/02 - Debunking & Distracting From Elect...
Heading into the U.S. general election tomorrow, a refresher on why polls can be unreliable and how to read them responsibly. An opportunity to own the vintage spyware gadgets of your dreams. It’s 2020: platypuses glow in the dark now. And a new...
15 min
940
Fri. 10/30 - Is the Pandemic Causing Prohibitio...
Why you’re seeing more young Black students working the polls this year. How the pandemic might parallel Prohibition's effect on the American brewing industry. NASA followed up a viral tweet with a literal link to their Soundcloud, and it’s...
14 min
941
Thu. 10/29 - Haunted Bathrooms & Lab-Grown Brains
Can lab-grown brains become conscious? And should we let them? Burger King’s latest creepy stunt to try to rile up McDonald’s. And why do we say trick-or-treat, and what is Mischief Night anyways? Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, ...
14 min
942
Wed. 10/28 - 2020's Best Game Is a Cursed Real ...
A look back at one hundred years ago when women ruled a notorious wild west town. Some thoughts on the effects of technology on our ability to remember our thoughts in the long-term. And the internet is calling it the best game of 2020, but it’s...
17 min
943
Tue. 10/27 - Kazakhstan Is Very Nice, But Venus...
Throwing cold water on that whole signs-of-life-on-Venus news. A new travel guide to haunted hotels, based on bad Tripadvisor reviews. A study looking into why we don’t click or comment on certain posts online. And Kazakhstan changes their stance on...
15 min
944
Mon. 10/26 - Water on the Moon & Oreo’s Arctic ...
NASA’s big announcement has been revealed: there is way more water on the moon than we thought. An update on the murder hornet situation. Oreo has built a vault in Norway to preserve a stash of Oreos in case that Election Day asteroid, which is...
14 min
945
Fri. 10/23 - The Bat Who Went To Space
Do Venus Flytraps have a short-term memory? A new interactive database of every lifeform that’s ever gone into space from Earth. The Seattle bar that made a pandemic-safe pinball machine. And Burger King is getting in on the zero-waste game with...
13 min
946
Thu. 10/22 - The Rare Tree Needed for a COVID-1...
What does root beer have to do with a potential COVID-19 vaccine? A deep dive on that connection. A peek into the world of people who grow giant vegetables. And the Iowa woman who had her cat successfully cloned. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free...
16 min
947
Wed. 10/21 - Co-Working On A Ferris Wheel
Today is International Pronoun Day so here are some historical facts about pronouns. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown organ in the human body. And forget about WeWork, a Japanese amusement park has offered up their ferris wheel as a...
14 min
948
Tue. 10/20 - Tardigrade Sunscreen & Cursed Twin...
Tardigrade sunscreen. Coming soon? How to enjoy a socially-distanced holiday season. Some promising methods for upcycling plastic into more valuable materials. And the curious case of the extremely moldy Twinkie. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free...
16 min
949
Mon. 10/19 - The Moon Is Getting a Nokia Cellul...
The fourteen-year-old Texan who may have just made an important discovery for potential COVID-19 treatments. An update on the safety and new norms surrounding air travel. Nokia is building a mobile network on the moon. And the website that’s...
15 min
950
Fri. 10/16 - Will Plastic Bubbles Save Live Mus...
More and more humans these days have an extra artery. The 2020 Tony Award nominations and the very strange case of Mr. Aaron Tveit. A calculator that will tell you how much time you’re wasting in your day not listening to podcasts. And The Flaming...
13 min