One of the most famous shipwrecks has finally been discovered at the bottom of a sea in Antarctica. Plus, why the letter “Z” has become a Russian pro-war symbol. And, post-punk Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Links: At the Bottom of an Icy Sea, One of History's Great Wrecks Is Found (NY Times) Endurance: 'Finest wooden s...
Mar 09, 2022•16 min
Giving all new meaning to “taking a leaf out of their book,” medieval literature scholars have adopted ecological models to quantify lost works of fiction. Plus, what if you could create diamonds out of thin air? And, had a rough day? Let some kindergarteners give you a pep talk. Sponsors: Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: How Much Medieval Literatur...
Mar 08, 2022•18 min
After two years, why have some of us never gotten COVID? Plus, the surprisingly artistic and wonderful Squirrel Census. And a volcanic rock in Japan rumored to contain a thousand-year-old demonic spirit has just been found split in two. Nbd. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Links: Death toll surpasses 6 million for pandemic now in 3rd year (AP) W...
Mar 07, 2022•20 min
Is it possible for ocean cleanup programs to do more harm than good? And how might offices, cities, and the nature of work itself change if––as looks increasingly likely––many office jobs never return to fully on-site work. Plus, the latest Wordle-style game recommendation. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Links: Why marine biologists think ocean cleanups are a bad idea (Vox) Ocean Cleanup struggle...
Mar 04, 2022•17 min
A look at how the design of Gotham City has changed throughout each incarnation of Batman, reflecting the soul and vengeance of the caped crusader. Plus, the technicolor array of blood throughout the animal kingdom. And, your chance to take your name to the moon. Not in an investing sense. Like, literally. NASA will put your name on Artemis-I. Sponsors: Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Links: The Long a...
Mar 03, 2022•19 min
175 nations have agreed to craft a legally binding treaty to reel in the world’s out-of-control plastic problem. Plus, remember that rocket booster no one is taking responsibility for? It’s still hitting the moon on Friday. Here’s what it might be able to tell us. And, a Beetlejuice sequel might finally be happening––unless Batman thwarts him again . Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Links: Ice Crea...
Mar 02, 2022•18 min
Is the tyrannosaurus rex going to be broken up into three species? Plus, we’ve talked a lot about meat alternatives, but now it’s time for: dairy milk alternatives. No, not oat or almond. Actual dairy milk but without the use of animals. And, finally a study that says going for a walk is bad for you. Sponsors: Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Links: Scientists propose Tyrannosaurus had three species, no...
Mar 01, 2022•18 min
That thing you’re looking at right now, it’s already fifteen seconds in the past. Plus, new findings from Apple and Harvard’s giant period-tracking study. And, before emerging as a wartime president, Volodymyr Zelensky had a prolific career as a comedian. Here’s a rundown of some of the wildest clips that have been resurfacing––and a note on holding their humor together with the gravity of the moment. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennika...
Feb 28, 2022•22 min
The meme accounts behind some of the spread of misinformation already this week, as well as some guidance for seeking out and sharing accurate information. Plus, seals that are being recruited by scientists to spy on whales. And the latest vaccine seeking authorization. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Scammy Instagram 'war pages' are capitalizing on Ukraine conflict (Input) How to avoid sharing bad infor...
Feb 25, 2022•21 min
The too-little-known story of the creation of the whooping cough vaccine. Plus, the remarkable initiatives in Taiwan that are helping keep the country clean with a little help from Beethoven. A new Netflix docuseries that uses AI to recreate Andy Warhol’s voice reading his diaries. And a note on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: The Unsung Heroes Who Ended a Deadly Plague (...
Feb 24, 2022•20 min
Why does Google still have the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button? And what do the ways Google Search has changed mean for us as a society? Plus, a proposed global library of underwater audio with a perfect name, and what fish are usually “talking” about when they communicate acoustically. And finally, Kraft Heinz is throwing their hat in the plant-based alternatives ring, but how do plant-based alternatives actually stack up to real meat? Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews S...
Feb 23, 2022•23 min
The mysteries of people with super color vision. Plus, a Hot Jupiter that rains gems. And Hank the Tank, the furry 500 pound dumpster diving home invader taking California by storm. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: The Rare Gift of Seeing Extra Colors (Wall Street Journal) 'I'm really just high on life and beauty': the woman who can see 100 million colours (The Guardian) A “hot Jupiter’s” dark side is rev...
Feb 22, 2022•18 min
Hundreds of birds dropped from the sky in northern Mexico. Why it happened and two brothers in India who heal birds who have suffered a similar fate. Plus: wrestler. Poet. Mattress King? The semi-true extracurriculars of Abraham Lincoln. And some recommendations for Brad Neely Appreciation Day. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Why did birds fall from sky in Mexico? Probably a predator, experts say (The Gu...
Feb 21, 2022•22 min
How a medieval hatred of indexes mirrors debates today about how search engines are changing our brains. Plus, a round-up of the unceasing Wordle news and spin-offs. A thousand Porsches are on fire in the middle of the Atlantic. And how about a caffeinated doughnut with your space-themed Coca-Cola? Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: How Scholars Once Feared That the Book Index Would Destroy Rea...
Feb 18, 2022•25 min
The history and the science of luge, bobsledding, and skeleton. Plus, a new study has found that the US’s corn-based ethanol is worse for the climate than regular gasoline. And a bit of a pop culture round-up, including some new releases to look forward to this Record Store Day. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Links: How in the World Did Luge Happen? (Atlas Obscura) The high-speed physics of h...
Feb 17, 2022•22 min
A new startup that is working on making steaks and chicken breasts out of thin air. Plus, the first woman has seemingly been cured of HIV. And Disney is developing a new round of residential communities around the US. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: This Startup Is Trying to Make Juicy Steaks Out of Thin Air (Wired) Something in the Air (Protein) These Days (The Spoon) Can lab-based meat be ...
Feb 16, 2022•20 min
Uncovering the story behind two anonymous people whose photographs serve as instructions on the high five Wikipedia entry. Plus, people apparently find AI-generated faces more trustworthy than real human ones. And the Idaho Potato Commission just dropped their first fragrance. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Links: The adorable love story behind Wikipedia's 'high five' photos (Input) Depths of...
Feb 15, 2022•20 min
Speed skiing, synchronized skating, ski ballet, and other rejected sports from the Olympics. Plus, remember that SpaceX rocket stage headed for the moon? Turns out it’s a different piece of rocket junk, not from SpaceX at all. And the tropical disease that may be on the verge of eradication in humans. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: Speed skiing: too fast for the Olympics (Financial Times) 1...
Feb 14, 2022•19 min
MoviePass is back and it wants to track your eyeballs. Plus, who would win in a real-world animal showdown: a ram or a Bengal tiger? NASA has released the first images of a star taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. And the Comanche language version of Wordle that Facebook doesn’t want you to see. Sponsors: ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN.com/kottke for an extra 3 months FREE on a one-year package Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: MoviePass 2.0 Wants to Track Your Eyeballs to...
Feb 11, 2022•19 min
A possible third planet has been spotted orbiting Proxima Centauri. Plus, a new record has been set by a nuclear fusion lab in the UK. And, just in time for the holiday, a brief history of Valentine’s Meat Juice. Sponsors: ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN.com/kottke for an extra 3 months FREE on a one-year package Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: A third world may be orbiting around our closest neighboring star (The Verge) A Third Possible Planet for Proxima Centauri, The Closes...
Feb 10, 2022•18 min
The mysterious century-old sponges somehow surviving on a dead underwater mountain near the North Pole. Plus, doctors in Canada can now prescribe patients annual passes to National Parks. And SpaceX is set to lose 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites it launched last week due to a geomagnetic storm. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN.com/kottke for an extra 3 months FREE on a one-year package Links: Scientists Discover Centuries-Old Arctic Creatures...
Feb 09, 2022•18 min
Is a national digital currency coming to the US? And what would that look like? Plus, coders have teamed up with scholars of British literature to decode Charles Dickens’s secret notes. And the very clever wine bricks from the Prohibition Era that helped keep the wine industry afloat. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN.com/kottke for an extra 3 months FREE on a one-year package Links: The US is debating whether to adopt a digital dollar (NPR) A U...
Feb 08, 2022•18 min
Micromorts, the unit of measurement that predicts your risk of death. How effective are they and how could we make it more effective, especially with regards to the pandemic? Plus, why Washington state is building highway overpasses for cougars. And two rappers who have been added to the Super Bowl halftime show lineup and will be making history with their performances. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN.com/kottke for an extra 3 months FREE on ...
Feb 07, 2022•19 min
The Olympic Games have officially begun––how to reconcile excitement for the sports and the spectacle with the reality of the situation. Plus, controversy is brewing over the remains of Captain Cook’s ship the HMS Endeavour. And choose your fighter: 3D-printed vegan meatballs or Build-A-Bear’s sultry “After Dark” line of stuffed animals for adults. Sponsors: Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first pur...
Feb 04, 2022•20 min
When did we start counting? Are numbers just a modern human concept? Plus, we have more details about the impending end of the International Space Station as focus turns ever-more to the moon and Mars. And a new search engine that only gives you one result and it’s always a book that was published before 1927. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Links: How did Neanderthals and o...
Feb 03, 2022•21 min
How does your brain know when you’ve had enough to drink each time you take a sip of water? Plus, a Groundhog Day tragedy, how North America came to celebrate this wacky holiday, and what it’s future might look like in lieu of the climate emergency. And finally, the Pope’s personal playlist. Sponsors: Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: Thirsty? Here's how your brain answers that q...
Feb 02, 2022•19 min
The New York City subway cars taking on a second job on the ocean floor. Plus, a successful drone created using Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial screw design. And crows in Sweden are being trained to pick up litter. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Links: Sinking 1,000 NYC subway cars in the Atlantic to create a reef didn't (Fast Company) Growing Pains for a Deep-Sea Home Built of ...
Feb 01, 2022•16 min
The lost history of moon trees. Not quite as exciting as it sounds, but still really cool. Plus, the lineup of new emojis that just dropped on iOS 15.4––as well as a new study showing how emoji use can be an early detector of remote work burnout. And Moderna’s HIV vaccine has entered human trials. Sponsors: Jenni Kayne, Use code KRH at jennikayne.com for 15% off your first order Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: We Almost Forgot About the Moon Trees (...
Jan 31, 2022•19 min
Catalonia is set to pardon a thousand people who were condemned for witchcraft four hundred years ago. Plus, a mysterious object discovered in our galaxy has astronomers a bit stumped. And why don’t avatars in the metaverse have legs? Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Catalonia to pardon up to 1,000 people accused of witchcraft (The Guardian) Hundreds of Women Executed for 'Witchcraft' Were Just Pardoned (...
Jan 28, 2022•18 min
What’s up with the drastically different predictions for this weekend’s Nor’easter, and how is snowfall measured anyways? Plus, the sus-prisingly long history of the term “sus.” And, sometimes pre-ordering a book does not mean you’ll get it right on the publication date. Like when the shipping container it was being transported in sinks to the bottom of the ocean, for example. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Li...
Jan 27, 2022•17 min
