Drought and inflation are making it a tough year for Christmas trees. Plus, Japan has had to abandon what would’ve been their first-ever lunar landing, but a private Japanese company launching a lander tomorrow might still fulfill that milestone for the nation. And a round-up of the weirdest movies coming out next year, including the true story of Cocaine Bear. Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://...
Nov 29, 2022•17 min
The world’s largest active volcano has begun erupting for the first time in four decades. Plus, “monkeypox” has officially been renamed “mpox.” And insurance company State Farm has just released a jazz album. Sponsors: American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $100 Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano erupts for first time in 38 years (Washingt...
Nov 28, 2022•17 min
New Zealand is set to vote on lowering the voting age to 16. Scientists have added four new prefixes to the metric system. And a peek inside the wide world of Monster Energy drink collection and trading communities. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off your next gift at uncommongoods.com/cool Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Supreme Court rules in favour of lowering voting age to 16 in case by ‘Make it 16′ group (New Zealand Herald) New Zealand lawmakers will vote on...
Nov 22, 2022•20 min
Could the “tripledemic” be tamped down slightly by the viruses interfering with and preventing each other from spiking in the same place at the same time? Plus, public libraries in the US and Canada have been launching their own streaming platforms featuring local musicians. Sponsors: Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off your next gift at uncommongoods.com/cool Links: Competition between respiratory viruses may hold off a ‘tripledemic’ this winter (Sc...
Nov 21, 2022•17 min
What’s the deal with those giant turkey legs they serve at renaissance fairs and Disney World? Plus, Coors Light has just launched a color-changing nail polish that lets you know when your beer is cold enough to drink. And Cambridge Dictionary’s perplexing choice of a word of the year that most Brits have never heard of. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off your next gift at uncommongoods.com/cool Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: Meaty-oric Rise...
Nov 18, 2022•19 min
The FDA has given approval for the first time to a lab-grown meat. Plus, another company is genetically modifying plants to work as superpowered air purifiers. And 500 new words like bae and subtweet have been added to the official Scrabble dictionary. Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off your next gift at uncommongoods.com/cool Links: A Lab-Grown-Meat Startup Gets the FDA’s Stamp of Approval (WIRED) Lab-Grown Meat Rece...
Nov 17, 2022•18 min
Can wearing a mask yourself make it harder to recognize the faces of people, even when they’re not wearing a mask? Plus, why Kraft Heinz has upped the goof factor with so many off-the-wall stunts in recent years. And is fruitcake the new go-to holiday season flavor? Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Mask-wearing can make it more difficult to recognize masked and unmasked faces of othe...
Nov 16, 2022•20 min
In what feels like the start of a riddle, egg prices are surging, but chicken prices are going down. Plus, it turns out chimps like to share cool stuff as much as some daily podcasters. And Artemis I is supposed to launch late tonight, but if this mysterious “space prophet” continues to be right, the launch might not happen until 2023. Sponsor: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: Why egg prices are surging — but chicken prices are falling: It's an '...
Nov 15, 2022•21 min
Polar Night and Midnight Sun. What’s it like living in a place that stays absolutely pitch black for two and half months, and what can we learn from the people who live there? Plus, a new emergency alert system in the US to let you know when an earthquake is nearby. And Mountain Dew’s latest holiday-themed flavor, which oddly enough is a combination of the first two segments today. Sponsor: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: People here live in com...
Nov 14, 2022•20 min
How tech from shows like The Mandalorian is now being used in live election coverage on TV. Plus, an enormous tunnel has been uncovered beneath an Egyptian temple and some think it could lead to Cleopatra’s tomb. And Netflix is starting to experiment with live streaming. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off at uncommongoods.com/cool I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: How MSNBC used tech from ‘The Mandalorian’ to bring election night to life (Mashable) Thu. 11/04 - How the World Serie...
Nov 11, 2022•17 min
Is algae the secret to feeding our growing world? Plus, new evidence for a sixth mass extinction that occurred even earlier than the Big Five. And some prescient thoughts on democracy from fifty years ago, courtesy of the creator of Charlie Brown. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off at uncommongoods.com/cool Links: Is it time to start eating algae? (National Geographic) Scientists Uncover Evidence of What May Be Earth's First Mass Animal Extinction (Scien...
Nov 10, 2022•17 min
Could the ballpoint pen be just as responsible for the death of cursive handwriting as the computer? Plus, lab-grown blood has been injected into two patients in a world-first clinical trial. And, would you attend a Zoom meeting in a movie theater? AMC is betting on it. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off at uncommongoods.com/cool I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive (The Atlantic) In world-first trial, lab-grown blood was just injected into two pe...
Nov 09, 2022•19 min
From a 3D bioprinter for human tissues to pumpkin spice cappuccinos, here’s the cargo being delivered on board the S.S. Sally Ride tomorrow to the International Space Station. Plus, this time it’s not just in your head, the New York Times really is making some (small) changes to Wordle. A puzzle expert has some practice tips for winning the daily game. And Netflix has a new interactive trivia game. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off at uncommongoods.com/cool I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/pod...
Nov 08, 2022•20 min
On TikTok, Twitter, and more broadly how social media has changed us, how we might finally be approaching a tipping point in how we use it, and the ways in which our devices play just as large a role as the algorithms. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Uncommon Goods, Get 15% off at uncommongoods.com/cool Links: The Machine Stops (New Yorker) TikTok’s Greatest Asset Isn’t Its Algorithm—It’s Your Phone (Wired) Elon Musk is more Funko Pop than man (Garbage Day) The Real Difference B...
Nov 07, 2022•26 min
Could a musical cue played while you’re asleep help prevent nightmares? Plus, a round-up of science news from this month in history. And the US government might be getting an official Space Bureau. Sponsor: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Links: Can a Musical Reminder Banish Bad Dreams? (Smithsonian Magazine) Nightmares Can Be Silenced With a Single Piano Chord, Scientists Discover (ScienceAlert) 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: November 2022 (Scientific American...
Nov 04, 2022•17 min
A deep dive into two major events that led to the television boom, and a question of what that has meant for the artifice and theatricality of live events. Sponsor: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Links: The first televised World Series spurred America's television boom, 75 years ago (The Conversation) Queen Elizabeth II’s First Move: Allowing TV Cameras at Her Coronation (Tedium) Scholarly Analysis of the Kennedy-Nixon Debates (Purdue) Nick Offerman joins we...
Nov 03, 2022•18 min
2022 has been the year of cheating. The latest scandal to rock a niche community? BagGate at the American Cornhole League World Championships. Plus, Collins Dictionary has declared “permacrisis” their word of the year. And an exciting update for what you probably all know by now is my most-anticipated movie of the year: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Sponsor: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Links: Professional Cornhole Has a Cheating Scandal Called BagGate...
Nov 02, 2022•17 min
Why does Dracula still resonate with audiences over a century later? The disease narrative is one possible reason, but there’s another less-discussed theory too. Plus, one team of scientists have detected traces of an ancient ocean on Mars. And a turkey-flavored beer for your dog to enjoy this Thanksgiving. Sponsor: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Links: 125 Years Old and Still Biting (The Atlantic) Fri. 10/29 - Disease and the Vampire Myth + Hallowmeme Histo...
Nov 01, 2022•16 min
Dispatches from the Recreational Fear Lab on why being scared might be a healthy thing. And the raucous Halloween parties Queen Victoria used to throw in Scotland. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/COOLSTUFF Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews Links: The Director of the Recreational Fear Lab Explains Why We Love to Be Scared (Slate) The monarch who loved Scots' spooky traditions (Scottish Field) Queen Victoria's highland journals (Internet Archive) Halloween by Robert ...
Oct 31, 2022•19 min
In our first-ever "Best Of" episode, we look back at the history of candy corn. How did this contentious candy come to be, why does it persist when so many people hate it, and does it really contain bug secretions? Plus, a segment from 2020, were witches back in the day really mixing tongues and eyeballs into their brews? Here’s what ingredients like “eye of newt” actually meant. And finally, from last year, a survey of witchy and chilling music—from psychedelic countercultural witch music in th...
Oct 28, 2022•29 min
Can the books we read permanently change our brains? Or at least impact our values over a lifetime? Two studies that used undergrads as guinea pigs attempt to quantify the effects of powerful books on our brains. Plus, the upcoming election night lunar eclipse and a Halloween asteroid. Sponsors: Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $100 Links: How Do the Books We Read Change Our Brai...
Oct 27, 2022•18 min
How and why did food become so gendered? Y’know, men eat red meat and women eat salads. When did those associations begin? Plus, according to new evolutionary findings, animals might have begun to vocalize to each other even before they had ears. Sponsors: American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $100 Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews Links: How steak became manly and salads became feminine (The Conversation) Yogurt Is f...
Oct 26, 2022•19 min
Why marigolds are so prevalent in cultural celebrations around the world this time of year. Plus, how insect swarms affect atmospheric electricity. And the parkour athletes turned environmental activists. Sponsors: Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $100 Links: How the marigold became a global icon, from Mexico to India (National Geographic) Marigold: The Mexican flower that has be...
Oct 25, 2022•18 min
Why scents and fragrances have been so strongly associated with witchcraft throughout time and how those associations influence witchcraft, feminism, and misogyny today. Plus, a wild bison has been born in England for the first time in thousands of years. And, if you’re in the mood for a long, lonely drive, I’ve got you covered both virtually and on the asphalt. Sponsors: American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $1...
Oct 24, 2022•19 min
How the Black Death changed the course of human evolution. Plus, the exoplanet with a marshmallow-like atmosphere. And IKEA is testing out autonomous delivery vehicles. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: The Black Death Shaped Human Evolution, And We're Still in Its Shadow (ScienceAlert) The Black Death shaped the evolution of immunity genes, setting the course for how we respond to disease today, researchers find (EurekAlert) Black Death etched a mark on our ge...
Oct 20, 2022•18 min
A look into the growing movement of human composting as a funeral option. Plus, Anna May Wong quarters start shipping in the US on Monday. And two iconic movies with intriguing reboots on the horizon. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Is Human Composting the Future of Funerals? (Slate) Inside one of the world’s first human composting facilities (The Verge) Return Home Terramation (TikTok) United States Mint to Begin Shipping Fifth American Women Quarters™ Progr...
Oct 19, 2022•20 min
Could vampires exist, mathematically speaking? Plus, an update on COVID variants of concern as we head into winter. And the United Kingdom has ruled that GIFs are still relevant and Meta can’t hog them all. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Here's How Long it Would Take for Vampires to Annihilate Humanity (Atlas Obscura) The transylvanian problem of renewable resources (RAIRO) Cinema Fiction vs Physics Reality: Ghosts, Vampires, and Zombies (Skeptical Inquirer)...
Oct 18, 2022•19 min
NASA isn’t the only one who may launch a rocket to the moon next month. Plus, a Danish political party led by an AI chatbot that’s running for office. A new horror film that’s causing people to faint and puke in theaters. And, bringing all new meaning to “BTS Army,” the members of BTS are officially enlisting. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: NASA will attempt a moon launch in November. So will someone else. (Mashable) UAE moon rover, Japanese lander set to la...
Oct 17, 2022•19 min
The FCC has just proposed new rules to combat space junk. Plus, remember the company trying to bring back the woolly mammoth? The CIA just invested in them. Plus, a previously unheard Queen song, featuring Freddie Mercury’s vocals, was just released. Sponsor: Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews Links: The FCC's Rules on Space Junk Just Got Stricter (Wired) The FCC Is Finally Taking Space Junk Seriously (Scientific American) Space Debris and Human Spacecraft (NASA) The CIA Wants to Bring Back the Woolly ...
Oct 14, 2022•20 min
A Supreme Court case involving Prince and Andy Warhol that could have huge implications on the future of art. Plus, a new book by Galileo just dropped. And a song sung by 100,000 people who didn’t know they were singing together. Sponsor: Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews Links: The Supreme Court meets Andy Warhol, Prince and a case that could threaten creativity (NPR) How a Supreme Court Case About Andy Warhol's Paintings of Prince Could Reshape Freedom of Expression (ARTnews) Liberal and Conservativ...
Oct 13, 2022•19 min
