Welcome to our accidental breakfast episode. First, how did orange juice become our go-to breakfast beverage of choice? Plus, Waffle House’s in-house record label. And, someone’s been eating their Wheatie’s, how major sports tournaments are using AI to improve the game and the fan experience. 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 Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coo...
Jul 08, 2022•23 min
In 1972, a team of international researchers used computer modeling to assess and warn us about the potential collapse of human civilization. Fifty years later, how does their assessment add up and have we heeded their warning? Plus, we’ve got space tourists. Now it’s time for astroletes. Why sports might be the next big thing in space. And Spotify Pie. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS earn up to $500 extra in sponsored...
Jul 07, 2022•19 min
We take a deep dive into the freshwater lake origins of Big Mouth Billy Bass, the singing fish, and his riptide success in the early 2000s. And, in other peak scientific innovation news, the Large Hadron Collider has been booted up once more and already discovered three new exotic particles. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: An Oral History Of Big Mouth Billy Bass (MEL) The Rise And Fall Of Big M...
Jul 06, 2022•18 min
Could the historic flooding at Yellowstone National Park be a positive thing in the long term? Plus, new findings into long COVID-caused brain fog. And why some movie theaters are banning formal attire. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Historic Yellowstone flooding brings renewal despite destruction (National Geographic) Episode introducing Yellowstone's Inheritance Pass (Cool Stuff Ride Home) 4 answers about...
Jul 05, 2022•20 min
The murky history of Popsicles, and freeze pops or Otter Pops or whatever you call them. Plus, those skin mites that live on your face might be able to reveal your geographic ancestry. And the Canadian radio station that only plays one song by Rage Against the Machine now. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: The Accidental Invention the Popsicle (Food & Wine) The Cold, Hard Truth About Popsicles (Collectors Weekly) How An 1...
Jun 30, 2022•18 min
Remember the photo of that blue and black dress, or I’m sorry, white and gold dress? It turns out at least one neuroscientist conducted an official study of people’s perceptions about it, and his findings could have larger ramifications on our seemingly increasing inability to communicate and understand each other when it comes to fundamental social issues. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: How 'The Dress' Sparked a Neuro...
Jun 29, 2022•18 min
NASA’s Artemis mission returning us to the moon has officially begun… sort of. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s first step towards establishing a base in lunar orbit. Plus, why do so many of us love logging the books we read and movies we watch on tracking apps, and at what cost? Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: The Capstone Launch Will Kick Off NASA's Artemis Moon Program (Wired) NASA's planning a moon b...
Jun 28, 2022•18 min
Do groups of friends all smell alike? Plus, an astonishingly well-preserved 30,000 year old woolly mammoth baby was just discovered. And we finally have photographic evidence of that mysterious rocket stage that hit the moon in March. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Friends smell like one another (The Economist) People May Pick Friends Who Smell Like Them (Scientific American) Scent of a friend: Similarities in body odo...
Jun 27, 2022•17 min
The facts on how risky public bathrooms actually are when it comes to germs and disease transmission. Plus, the secret lives of skin mites––a bevy of new findings on the microscopic creatures that live on our faces. And, as a chaser, animal ASMR. 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: How Bad Are the Germs in Public Restrooms, Re...
Jun 24, 2022•15 min
A newly-identified molecule may explain why some workouts make you super hungry and others leave you without an appetite at all. Plus, a spectacular planetary conjunction is on display this weekend––how to catch sight of five planets at once. Researchers have a new theory for why all those fish fell from the sky in Texas last year. And a new J.R.R. Tolkien book is coming out in November. Sort of. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Indeed, Get a free $75 credit PLUS ea...
Jun 23, 2022•17 min
A deep dive into the origins, values, and many adaptations of The Adventures of Pinocchio––including how Guillermo del Toro’s dark upcoming stop motion animation could be the truest to the original yet. Plus, the mystery of eight thousand Iron Age frog skeletons found in a mass burial site in England. And, it’s Fat Bear Summer at Katmai National Park. 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/goodnew...
Jun 22, 2022•21 min
More and more countries are banning single-use plastics, but what alternatives are available? One team of scientists have developed an antimicrobial spray that could replace plastic food packaging. Plus, how Colonial Williamsburg is working to incorporate more of its queer past. 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/goodnews Links: Scientists d...
Jun 21, 2022•18 min
Would you use your own pee in your garden? Or donate it to a local farm? Some folks around the world see it as the future of fertilization. Plus, some scientists want to rename summer “danger season.” And astronomers have discovered a new multiplanet system not too far away with two Earth-sized rocky planets. 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 shopi...
Jun 20, 2022•17 min
Ahead of Juneteenth, a reminder of what emancipation did and didn’t do. Plus, a newly discovered group of polar bears who are able to survive on less sea ice than should be possible. And a promising milestone achieved in the field of space-based solar power. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States' 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people we...
Jun 17, 2022•21 min
The Large Hadron Collider has been booted up once more, but will it ever find anything as huge as the Higgs boson again? Plus, an AI model that’s turning Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s words into a magic eight ball. Beyoncé has announced a new album and Beavis and Butt-Head are about to do the whole universe. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Links: Ten years after the Higgs, physicists face the nightmare of finding nothing e...
Jun 16, 2022•17 min
A new lead on the origin of the Black Death. Plus, monkeypox will soon––thankfully––be getting a new name. And Internet Explorer is being put to rest today. RIP. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: The Most Likely Origin of The Black Death Was Finally Revealed in an Unexpected Place (ScienceAlert) Scientists Reveal the Black Death’s Origin Story (Discover) Origins of the Black Death identified: Multidisciplinary...
Jun 15, 2022•20 min
The history and future of the design of the American shopping mall. Plus, a new test that can more accurately assess your immunity to COVID-19. And Coca-Cola is releasing a new Jack & Coke canned cocktail. Meanwhile, fans have created a “healthy Coke” hack, which I tried out in the Cool Stuff Ride Home’s first official taste test. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Links: Get In. We're Going to Save the Mall. (NY Time...
Jun 14, 2022•21 min
Why is it so hard to remember details from books we’ve read and TV shows we’ve watched? Plus, why is food cooked outside on an open flame so dang delicious? And, vaccines for American children under the age of five may finally finally be coming. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Why do we forget books we've read? We ask an expert (The Guardian) The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman What makes smoky, charred...
Jun 13, 2022•20 min
Why are some people experiencing delayed positive tests from COVID-19? And, new tests on the block, from expensive at-home hubs to COVID-sniffing dogs. Plus, a proposal in the UK to raise the legal purchase age for cigarettes by a year, every year. And the newest US quarter has just dropped, featuring Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller. Sponsor: 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 L...
Jun 10, 2022•19 min
Heat waves in the future could come with their own names, and we might be able to keep safe from them thanks to advances in smart window technology. Plus, Europe’s largest ever land dinosaur has just been discovered. And why Wendy’s is temporarily retiring their vanilla Frosty’s. 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 Links: Heat waves could soon have names (Axios) How smart windows save ...
Jun 09, 2022•20 min
Has the sit-up been canceled? Plus, the century-long history of growing nonnative plants in Antarctica and how it will help astronauts fill their bellies when they fly to the moon and beyond. And, why mice are afraid of bananas. Sponsor: 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: The Death of the Sit-Up (The Atlantic) How 100 years of Antarctic agriculture is helping scientists grow food in spac...
Jun 08, 2022•18 min
Why is it that humans get less sleep than all other primates? And are “short sleepers” really a thing? Plus, “mountains” of sugar have been discovered all over the world, hiding beneath meadows of seagrass. And, bad news for plant parents, new findings explain why plants apparently get super stressed out from physical touch. Sponsor: 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: Why humans get less...
Jun 07, 2022•18 min
It’s the hundredth anniversary of the humble gummy bear, but did you know they’ve only been in America since the 80s? Plus, could one source of water ice on the moon be ancient volcanoes? And, something strange is afoot in the reproductive lives of cockroaches. Sponsor: 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: The Colorful History of Haribo Goldbears, the World's First Gummy Bears (Smithsonian...
Jun 06, 2022•18 min
Some wild animal species might be evolving four times faster than we thought. Plus, what your voice would sound like on Mars. And the summer job in Wisconsin that makes teenagers jump off a moving boat to deliver mail. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Evolution May Be Happening Up to 4 Times Faster Than We Thought, Massive Study Finds (Science Alert) Fuel of evolution' more abundant than previously thought in wild animals (University of Exeter) Sounds of Mars ...
Jun 03, 2022•17 min
Turns out your liver is quite a bit younger than expected. Plus, people with food allergies may be at a lower risk of catching COVID-19. Iceland’s new campaign to help you rein in your work-life balance while on vacation. And, in very serious news, we seem to be running out of googly eyes and Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: Your Liver Is Only About Three Years Old, Scientists Say (ScienceAlert) Most People's Livers Are Just 3 Years ...
Jun 02, 2022•20 min
A new contender for the world's largest plant is bigger than Cincinnati and named after Posiedon. Plus, a round-up of everything launching into space this weekend. And, fresh on the heels of the new Baz Lehrman biopic, the company that owns Elvis’ likeness is trying to shut down all the Elvis-themed wedding chapels in Vegas. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: The World's Largest Plant Is a Self-Cloning Sea Grass in Australia (NY Times) Meet the world's largest p...
Jun 01, 2022•20 min
A supremely weird “trivia” cartoon on Netflix. Plus, physicists made bubbles of gas atoms colder than space . And why the Buzzfeed News’ union contract includes legal protection against ghosts. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: The Weirdest Thing on Netflix (Slate) Cat Burglar: Bringing Tex Avery-Style Cartoons to Interactive Gaming (Indie Wire) 'Black Mirror' creator's Netflix video game 'Cat Burglar' cleverly skips the obvious choice (Mashable) Ultracold gas ...
May 31, 2022•18 min
Scientists accidentally created super aggressive mutant hamsters. Meanwhile other scientists have devised a method for pulling drinking water out of thin air with a super affordable thin gel. Different strokes for different folks. And tonight’s possible meteor storm, which could produce thousands of shooting stars an hour. Or not. It could be nothing. Why that is and how to watch just in case. Sponsor: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing approach ...
May 30, 2022•18 min
Why viruses are starting to act in unexpected ways. Plus, the Sex Pistols re-rerelease “God Save the Queen” just in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and at least one DIY collective is running an anti-jubilee punk festival. And some follow-up’s to previous stories, including those ABBA-tar holograms. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Links: Viruses that were on hiatus during Covid are back — and behavin...
May 27, 2022•21 min
The first human genome from a victim of the eruption in ancient Pompeii has been sequenced. Plus, a global mushroom art scavenger hunt is afoot. And Winnie the Pooh is joining the gritty origin story bandwagon with a new horror take on the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Links: Scientists Sequence DNA of Man Who Died In Pompeii Eruption for First Time (Vice) Scient...
May 26, 2022•20 min
