Cool Stuff Daily
Cool Stuff Daily covers the most interesting and coolest stories in the world of 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 Zach Morris.
1026
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
1027
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
1028
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
1029
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 Our wastewater systems are dangerously out of date, but sustainable innovations could be just around the u-bend.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
1030
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
1031
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
1032
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
1033
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
1034
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
1035
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
1036
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
1037
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
1038
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
1039
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
1040
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
1041
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
1042
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
1043
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
1044
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
1045
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
1046
Mon. 04/05 - Vaccine Side Effects: Myths & Tips
Busting some myths and sharing some doctor-backed advice on COVID vaccine side effects. The history of cigarette cards and how they played an important role in World War II. And how narwhal tusks act as a kind of history book, but the most recent...
17 min
1047
Fri. 04/02 - When Ships Were Stuck at the Suez ...
It turns out we got lucky with how quickly the Ever Given was freed. The last time the Suez Canal was blocked, it dragged on for eight years and led to the creation of a micro-nation at sea with a separate postal service and even their own Olympic...
16 min
1048
Thu. 04/01 - Slamilton: A Basketball Musical
Could humans evolve to be venomous? The man currently walking from Washington D.C. to New York City and tweeting all the way. The Hamilton/Space Jam mashup you never knew you needed. A brief roundup of corporate April Fools’ Day pranks we definitely...
16 min
1049
Wed. 03/31 - Why All The Galaxy Carpets In 90s ...
Why did every movie theater in the 90s install that galaxy-themed carpet? A mafia fugitive who got caught by authorities after starting a cooking channel on YouTube. And the theory that the remains of proto-planet Theia may still be residing deep...
15 min
1050
Tue. 03/30 - Zombie Brain Cells Keep Going Afte...
The medieval version of the millennial avocado craze––if avocados were only eaten when rotten and commonly referred to with a sexual nickname, anyways. Turns out that after we die, certain “zombie cells” go into overdrive. And the super...
16 min