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 of. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews GiveWell, Have your donation matched up to $250 by entering Kottke Ride Home at check out at GiveWell.org Links: Birds Aren’t Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory. (NY T...
Dec 09, 2021•18 min
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 by entering Kottke Ride Home at check out at GiveWell.org Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Milk for Floors, Bread for Walls: 19th-Century Cleaning Tips for the Modern Era (NY Times) Spring Cleaning the Old-Fashioned Way (Eng...
Dec 08, 2021•17 min
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 create a chocolate orange mayonnaise. Yeah. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews GiveWell, Have your donation matched up to $250 by entering Kottke Ride Home at check out at GiveWell.org Links: Planetary scientists are starting ...
Dec 07, 2021•15 min
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 started recording us to provide evidence of our shame to future civilizations. And honeybees that survived for weeks under volcanic ash after the eruption in the Canary Islands. Sponsors: GiveWell, Have your donation matched up to $250 by entering Kottke Ride...
Dec 06, 2021•19 min
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: Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at Lendtable.com to get an extra $50 added to your Lendtable balance Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Links: Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect (MEL) S...
Dec 03, 2021•21 min
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 night only, you can stay in the original Home Alone house. Sponsors: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at Lendtable.com to get an extra $50 added to your Lendtable balance Links: ‘Oregon Trail’ at 50: How...
Dec 02, 2021•17 min
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. Like, the actual days. Not the song about turtle doves. Sponsors: Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at Lendtable.com to get an extra $50 added to your Lendtable balance Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Links: Why are Duolingo sentences so ...
Dec 01, 2021•19 min
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 milkshake machine lawsuit saga. Sponsors: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at Lendtable.com to get an extra $50 added to your Lendtable balance Links: Mark Twain disliked suspenders so much that he invented...
Nov 30, 2021•18 min
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 maple syrup shortage, but don’t worry, Canada was ready for it with their emergency maple syrup reserves. Sponsors: Lendtable, Use code KOTTKE at Lendtable.com to get an extra $50 added to your Lendtable balance Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off ...
Nov 29, 2021•17 min
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 eyeing an end in sight for the supply chain issues? Kind of. Links: The CIA Is Trying to Recruit Gen Z—and Doesn't Care If They're All Over Social Media (Washingtonian) The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (Tumblr) The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (Kot...
Nov 24, 2021•19 min
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 test launch. And some reflections on reconnecting with the Earth in this era of the climate emergency, without appropriating indigenous cultures. Links: The Linguistic Case for Sh*t Hitting the Fan (JSTOR Daily) History of Swear Words (Netflix) Thank...
Nov 23, 2021•18 min
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 want. Links: The Moon's top layer alone has enough oxygen to sustain 8 billion people for 100,000 years (The Conversation) This Cheap Device Could Expand the World’s Access to Vaccines (Scientific American) India's Limit on Syringe Exports Hobbles Gl...
Nov 22, 2021•19 min
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 shopify.com/kottke Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Links: How Apps Commandeered the Age-Old Idea of Takeout (Wired) Hidden Valley Ranch Releases RanchNog Kit (Food and Wine) Mark Proksch of 'What We Do in the Shadows' Pranked Midwest TV Stations as Yo-Yo Expert in...
Nov 19, 2021•18 min
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 popcorn company now.” Sponsors: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Planet 9: Old data could uncover the Solar System's newest world, 38 years late (Inverse) A 1980s Space Telesco...
Nov 18, 2021•17 min
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 system seems to have effectively cured her of HIV. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Links: Early On-Demand Music Streaming Required Lots of Nickels (Atlas Obscura) Le s...
Nov 17, 2021•16 min
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 “pie” that sold out in mere minutes. Sponsors: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: The US finally adopts a national recycling strategy (The Verge) EPA finalizes first national r...
Nov 16, 2021•19 min
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 this morning due to on-coming space junk. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com Links: Why Zillow Couldn’t Make Algorithmic House Pricing Work (Wired) Is that viral Ti...
Nov 15, 2021•20 min
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 Isle of Wight. And it’s not just shipping delays to be concerned with this holiday season, now we have a shortage of Santas. Sponsors: inkl, Get a 25% discount at inkl.com/ride Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: How SARS-CoV-2 in...
Nov 12, 2021•16 min
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 Indeed.com/goodnews inkl, Get a 25% discount at inkl.com/ride Links: The Untold Story of Sushi in America (NY Times) Who could dogs become without humans in their lives? (Aeon) Heinz grew “Martian” tomatoes that are good enough for ketchup (Quartz) In...
Nov 10, 2021•21 min
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 inkl.com/ride Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why Public Bathrooms Disappeared From US Cities (Bloomberg) Which Cities Have The Most and Fewest Public Toilets? (QS Supplies) How Pinterest utterly ruined photo search on the internet (Input) Saturday Afternoon Ikea Trip Simula...
Nov 09, 2021•19 min
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 favorite cake recipe. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews inkl, Get a 25% discount at inkl.com/ride Links: Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90% (AP) Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts disease's worst risk...
Nov 08, 2021•17 min
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 own killer breakfast cereal. Sponsor: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE for 15% off your first order at www.tentree.com Links: The Race Is On to Develop a Vaccine Against Every Coronavirus (Wired) Scientists in Africa are taking it upon themselves to create a...
Nov 05, 2021•18 min
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 examples of carbon capture yet. Sponsor: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE for 15% off your first order at www.tentree.com Links: The United Nations Could Finally Create New Rules for Space (Wired) UK Wants UN To Create New Space Rules That Could Prevent Mili...
Nov 04, 2021•18 min
An abridged history of the McRib sandwich. Astronauts have leveled up their taco game by growing chile peppers in space. And Tropicana just introduced their own line of toothpaste. Sponsor: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE for 15% off your first order at www.tentree.com Links: What You Didn't Know About The McDonald's McRib (Mashed) History of McDonald's McRib: Military Experiments, the Flintstones & More (Thrillist) The Cult of the McRib (Maxim) The History of the McRib (Retroist) Was the McRib inv...
Nov 03, 2021•18 min
Some tips for “rewilding your attention.” Plus, how to help NASA train future rovers to better navigate Mars. And what’s going on with those NFT billboards in Times Square… and also, the McRib is now an NFT? Sponsor: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE for 15% off your first order at www.tentree.com Links: 9 Ways to 'Rewild Your Attention' (Forge) Rewilding your attention. To find truly interesting ideas, step… (UX Collective) Rewild Your Attention (Tom Critchlow, Twitter) Rewilding Your Attention (CJ Elle...
Nov 02, 2021•20 min
A meditation on streaming entertainment, algorithms, and David Foster Wallace’s prescient writing on the illusion of choice. Plus, a possible functional cure for HIV has just been approved to enter human trials. And, the Wampanoag woman who grew heirloom corn on its original land for the first time in over three centuries. Sponsor: Tentree, Use code KOTTKE for 15% off your first order at www.tentree.com Links: How David Foster Wallace Anticipated Netflix’s Digital Gatekeeping (Literary Hub) Ever...
Nov 01, 2021•20 min
Digging up the origins of some of the most popular Halloween memes––from “Spooky Scary Skeletons” to the dancing pumpkin man, and also touching on the Disney Channel’s 1980s answer to MTV. Plus, how times of disease have historically led to an uptick in vampire fear and folklore. And, on a more optimistic note, hopefully meaning we’ll have one less thing to fear in the future, phase one vaccine trials for the most aggressive type of breast cancer have just begun. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/...
Oct 29, 2021•21 min
Could we one day create sperm and egg cells from any human cell, even across the sexes? Plus, how BJ Novak from The Office’s face ended up on products all around the world without him knowing. And the latest drops from two of the internet’s leading mischief-making companies, including Andy Warhol forgeries and a vegan cannibal steakhouse. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: How Silicon Valley hatched a plan to turn blood into human eggs (MIT Technology Review) B.J. Novak’s Face Is on P...
Oct 28, 2021•19 min
It turns out that melting permafrost could unleash Cold War-era radioactive waste and millions of years old antibiotic resistant bacteria. Cool cool cool. Plus, a look back at when picnicking in cemeteries was a common past time––and not just for goths. And the annual drop of totally weird and probably disgusting candy cane flavors from Archie McPhee. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: We're now at risk of radioactive waste exposure thanks to melting permafrost (Mic) Permafrost thaw c...
Oct 27, 2021•17 min
Could a new generation of AI simulations help solve the mounting supply chain disruptions? Plus, the history and future of haunted houses. And Jeff Bezos is basically trying to start a WeWork in space. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: How AI could solve supply chain shortages and save Christmas (MIT Technology Review) Cardboard shortages deal another blow to strained supply chains (Ars Technica) A Brief History of the Haunted House (Smithsonian Mag) Blue Origin: Jeff Bezos unveils p...
Oct 26, 2021•16 min
