The surprising history of how kale became so popular so quickly back in 2014, and how both Pizza Hut and Chick-fil-A were partially responsible––but not because they actually included kale on their menus. It’s a tale of lawsuits, publicity campaigns, bloated markets, and one very big kalespiracy. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. ...
Aug 30, 2022•19 min
The Artemis I launch was scrubbed early this morning Here’s why the highly-anticipated launch didn’t get off the ground. Plus, rabies vaccines are raining down across the nation. And a new classic author version of Street Fighter. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Links: Launch Attempt...
Aug 29, 2022•16 min
Google ran a study using its own pre-roll ads to try to pre bunk people before they fall for conspiracy theories. Plus, scientists have found the first-ever evidence of carbon dioxide in a planet’s atmosphere beyond our solar system. And the curious case of the one song that used to crash any laptop it played on. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at s...
Aug 26, 2022•18 min
Invented traditions. Reimagined visions of the past. History is never free from our present-day biases, but the way we talk about the past often says more about us than the past itself. From the Disneyification of the Middle Ages to the aristocratic invention of Santa Claus in 1800s New York City, let’s talk about how pervading myths reveal the values of those who created them and continue to affect us today. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 c...
Aug 25, 2022•20 min
The world of nimcels––what are they and where do they fit in online? Plus, the genetic similarities between unrelated doppelgängers. And gummy bears made out of wind turbines. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: What is a Niche Internet Micro Celebrity? (Washington Post) Your Doppelgänger Is Out There and You Probably Share DN...
Aug 24, 2022•20 min
Omicron-specific COVID boosters are coming to the US soon. How much of a difference will they make to immunity? Well, it’s complicated. Plus, NASA says Artemis I is go for launch. Here’s everything to know about the big event on Monday. And MoviePass is officially coming back from the dead next month. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodn...
Aug 23, 2022•18 min
A dive into the viscous depths of the unshakeable ketchup bottle and its 57 different origin stories. Plus, NASA released the sound of an actual black hole. And expected and unexpected chicken wing news. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: When Every Ketchup But One Went Extinct (Atlas Obscura) How 500 Years Of Weird Condiment...
Aug 22, 2022•20 min
Competitive lifesaving and the USA Mullet Championships. Just a couple of niche competitions to kick off your weekend with. Plus, a possible new method for removing those pernicious “forever chemicals” from rain water. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: What Does It Mean to Win at Saving Lives? (Sports Illustrated) The internet is losing its mind ...
Aug 19, 2022•18 min
Could a century-old vaccine help protect against future epidemics? Plus, it turns out our oldest ancestor is not a half a billion year old sea creature with a mouth but no butt. And next month, the first Native American woman will be going to space. Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: Why a Century-Old Vaccine Offers New Hope Against Pathogens (NY T...
Aug 18, 2022•18 min
American Airlines has signed up for a supersonic boost. Plus, how to find the sweetest watermelon, and a brief history of the fruit. And Papa Johns is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks… and coincidentally that seems to be the same strategy they used for their newest menu item, just throwing everything in it at once. Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolid...
Aug 17, 2022•19 min
The team trying to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction is doing a trial run with Tasmanian tigers, funded in part by the Hemsworth brothers. Plus, NASA’s megarocket that will return humans to the moon and, perhaps one day take humans to Mars, has begun its four mile journey to the launch pad, readying for its uncrewed journey around the moon later this month. And a new breakfast cereal from Snoop Dogg. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challe...
Aug 16, 2022•18 min
This one weird baking trick could make your cookies healthier and decrease waste in your home. Plus, the not-quite-net-positive potential in Greenland’s melting Arctic ice cover. Your chance to officially name an exoplanet. And a new law requiring New York museums to disclose if artworks on display were stolen by Nazis. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90...
Aug 15, 2022•18 min
Could chewing gum and micro-robots replace your toothbrush? Plus, a Lord Byron-themed RPG. And get paid to indulge in every pumpkin-spiced item at Trader Joe’s. Sponsors: Bambee, Schedule a conversation at bambee.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Will Micro-Robots Brush Your Teeth? (Neo.Life) No weekend plans? Gather your party and play this literary RPG about Lord Byron. (Lite...
Aug 12, 2022•18 min
The science and history of bog butter–––still edible butter buried in Irish bogs thousands of years ago. Plus, the first-ever feature film dubbed entirely in the Comanche language, and more cool takeaways from the latest Predator installment. A Lyme disease vaccine has just entered its final stage of clinical trials. And a new weird Coke flavor just dropped. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/...
Aug 11, 2022•20 min
The story of the 197-year-old frozen gentleman–––a tale that will take us from unprecedented weather events and the 19th century version of misinformation to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, a 1980s medical miracle, and brief shout-out to the OG velocipede. Plus, Austrian Burger King say you’re abnormal if you like meat. And the upcoming live-action Pac-Man movie. Sponsors: Bambee, Schedule a conversation at bambee.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job cr...
Aug 10, 2022•21 min
The exciting world of Excel eSports. Plus, a Native American tribe who has had their land returned to them after 350 years. The top scientist who caused a big stir with a tiny bit of sausage. And a group of spiders that have been named after David Bowie. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Bambee, Schedule a conversation at bambee.com/cool Links: ESPN8 The Ocho is back: How to watch th...
Aug 09, 2022•19 min
What would happen if we just Thanos-snapped all the mosquitoes out of existence? Would there be significantly adverse effects? Plus, from heat indexes to physiology, why the same temperature can feel so different in two different places, or even at different times of the year. Sponsors: Bambee, Schedule a conversation at bambee.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Ecology: A world...
Aug 08, 2022•18 min
Let’s talk about your brain on horror movies. Plus, Mark Cuban wants to turn a Texas town into Jurassic Park. And a virtual map that lets you see what your town looked like millions of years ago. Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: This Is Your Brain On Horror (Crime Reads) Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth Mark Cuban wants...
Aug 05, 2022•20 min
A deep dive into the history of the IPA. What exactly is an IPA anyways? How did it get its name? And why did it become so ubiquitous over the last decade? Plus a very brief look at South Korea’s first-ever moon mission, launching this evening. Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: Who Invented the IPA? It’s Complicated. (Wine Enthusiast) The Truth Ab...
Aug 04, 2022•17 min
Cheese baths––a nineteenth century fad coming back in style. Plus, Shaun the Sheep is officially going to the moon later this month, alongside 10,000 other trinkets. And a volcano has erupted near the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, but all seems to be under control. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: Bathtub Full Of Cheese Is Meant To Soften Skin...
Aug 03, 2022•19 min
Virtual Reality doesn’t stink. And that’s kind of a problem. Why virtual smell could take the VR experience to the next level. Plus, a paper battery that’s activated by adding water. And you could get paid $100K a year to sit on your couch and eat candy. Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: VR Still Stinks Because It Doesn’t Smell (Wired) Scientists ...
Aug 02, 2022•19 min
The first major study of its kind sheds new light on the evolution of all you mutants who can digest dairy. Plus, engineers at MIT have developed a wearable sticker that can see inside your body. And, was George Jetson born over the weekend? Sponsor: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Links: How Humans’ Ability to Digest Milk Evolved from Famine and Disease (Scien...
Aug 01, 2022•19 min
How likely are you really to get bit by a shark and do some of those cliché comparisons still hold up as waters warm and shark sightings seem to be on the rise? Plus, future lunar explorers could enjoy year round sweater weather in moon caves. And murder hornets are getting a new name. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS...
Jul 29, 2022•18 min
Why a new discovery about plesiosaurs has gotten everyone talking about the Loch Ness Monster. Plus, the oldest DNA from a horse domesticated in America might have solved a centuries-old mystery. And the scoop on that thirteen-eyed anthropomorphic oyster mascot from Halifax. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challeng...
Jul 28, 2022•20 min
Cryptographers have identified the first known secure global communication system, in the form of nineteenth century newspaper ads. Plus, a fourth patient has been effectively cured of HIV. And Netflix is retroactively editing Stranger Things. The edits are not as big a deal as they seem, but the fact that Netflix can implement them so easily raises bigger questions about the future of arts and entertainment. Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challengi...
Jul 27, 2022•20 min
Let’s take a visit to the Museum of Failure. Plus, robot spider zombies. Not a new comic book series, but an actual experiment from mechanical engineers in Texas. And the Earth’s earliest animal predator has been named after David Attenborough. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your ...
Jul 26, 2022•18 min
The world’s first verified image of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith has been found… but it’s not convincing everyone just yet. And how did the NASA logo become so ubiquitous in clothing from fashion runways to rural Walmarts? Sponsors: Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users on Slack. Try Kolide Today! https://l.kolide.co/3aVdR90 Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s ...
Jul 25, 2022•18 min
Why do we laugh and what causes us to do so? Was laughing at one point an evolutionary advantage? Plus, the reason for a mysterious pink glow over a small Australian town on Wednesday. And the latest contender in Home Depot’s line of extremely large yard decorations. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: What's So Funny? The Science of Why We Laugh (Scientific American) Mysterious pink glow in sky over Australian town revealed to be from local cannabis facility (Th...
Jul 22, 2022•20 min
A product that could help you hear the person you’re trying to have a conversation with in a loud, crowded room. Plus, a follow-up on why Unicode is adding so many more colored hearts in the next emoji drop. There was more to the story than I thought. And why everyone online is making horrifying memes about something called Pink Sauce. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Hearing aids that read your brain will know who you want to hear (MIT Technology Review) The ...
Jul 21, 2022•16 min
The real-life sport inspired by quidditch has announced their new name––and I have a lot of thoughts. Plus, a few companies in Japan have introduced standing “nap boxes” into their offices. And on the anniversary of the moon landing, NASA has announced the launch windows for the kick-off mission of our return to the moon. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Kolide, Got Slack? Got Macs? Get Kolide: Device security that fixes challenging problems by messaging your users ...
Jul 20, 2022•21 min
