Cool Stuff Daily

Forget air conditioners, give me radiative cooling panels on my roof! That’s what I hope I’ll be saying a few years from now. Plus, a new species of giant carnivorous dinosaur with shark-like teeth has been identified. And Moderna has announced they’re moving forward with their COVID-19 and seasonal flu combo vaccine. Links: Can nanoscience help make AC more efficient? (Popular Science) Designing...

What it’s actually like getting struck by lightning, and the community of survivors helping each other cope. Plus, another team of scientists say they have achieved a crucial and record-breaking milestone in the quest for clean fusion power. And an iconic 1970s band that has spawned countless tribute acts over the years is about to reunite to become their own tribute act, with a little help from L...

The Mars Perseverance Rover has secured its first rock sample, with big promise for insights to come. A billionaire is working on plans to build a new sustainable city “for the people” somewhere in America. And you may have heard of Little Free Libraries, but what about Little Free Blockbusters? Links: Mars rover grabs first rock sample, a major step in hunt for alien life (National Geographic) "I...

What if a room could charge all of your devices just by them being in there? Like no wires, no charging pads, just being in the room. Some engineers have made that a reality. Plus, new insights into the billion years of time that are missing from the rock layers in the Grand Canyon. And why Red Delicious apples are so common in the U.S. even though they’re not really that great. Sponsor: Raycon, G...

Why are hyperlinks blue? You ever think about that before? Plus, a look at the tech behind the wheelchairs and prostheses used by Paralympians. And what the heck is Grimace, the big purple McDonald’s mascot? A manager at a Canadian McDonald’s dropped a bombshell on the internet, but is he correct? Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Why are hyperlinks blue? (Mozilla Distill...

Would you take a flying rideshare taxi? NASA is betting on it. Plus, murder hornets are back and badder than ever. And the growing genre of “bedroom pop,” which isn’t what it maybe sounds like. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: NASA is testing electric air taxis with Joby Aviation (The Verge) Your air taxi has arrived: Why Joby could be the first commercial eVTOL (CNBC, Y...

The climate crisis is causing some animals to shrink, and that’s definitely not a good thing. Experts weigh in on the possibility of humans ever being able to edit or delete their own memories. And Netflix cheat codes to help you shake off the algorithm. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: When Insects Lost Their Homes, Evolution Clipped Their Wings (NY Times) Some birds, m...

Electric cars were being made as far back at the late 19th century, with entire fleets of electric cabs roaming the streets of several major cities. So what happened? Why didn’t they become the go-to vehicle from the beginning? Plus, the history of the very delicious and confusingly-named Boston Cooler. And the middle schoolers trying to clear the name of a woman accused of being a witch back in 1...

The history of and science behind the ICEE. Plus, Glenfiddich is now powering their delivering trucks with spent whisky. And some tips on cleaning your earbuds because, c’mon, how long has it been since you’ve actually done that? Sponsors: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: ICEE History: The Tech (and Science) Beyond a Sugary Frozen Drink (Tedium) Flashback: Raise your Slurpees to the drink that a...

The 7,200 year old skeleton of a teenage girl is shaking up what we thought we knew about ancient human migration. The creative solution an Oregon hospital has come up with to support its overworked staff, and what we can do to help lessen their load. And a new startup that wants to disrupt the way we eat our meals, specifically by making all of our food look like identical little bricks. Sponsor:...

The Paralympic Games kicked off in Tokyo last night. Here’s what you need to know and a brief history of the games. Plus, how did the Pfizer vaccine end up with the brand name Comirnaty, and what were some of the other contenders? Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Badminton And Taekwondo Make Their Paralympic Debut In Tokyo (NPR) When Did The Paralympics Start, And How Did The Event Get...

What exactly is a pixel? Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith discusses its math and history and his new book. Plus, farmer’s markets, once a cornerstone of in-person weekend outings, have gone digital. And Liquid Death Mountain Water is selling skateboards infused with Tony Hawk’s blood. For real. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: A biography of the pixel, the elementary particle of pictures...

Netflix is leaning into the clickbait game that soured online journalism ten years ago. Could this strategy affect the film industry overall, and has it been played before? Plus, how community members in Marseille took over a McDonald’s and turned it into a mutual aid center. And Facebook has released another transparency report, and it doesn’t make them look any better. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart....

What is the necrobiome and why do some think it’s crucial for restoring our ecosystems? More and more zoo animals across the US are getting their own special animal vaccine, but why doesn’t your pet cat need one? And Disney’s animatronics are getting a huge, AI makeover. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Rewilding death: The plan to restore the necrobiome (BBC) M...

Facebook has released a report of their most widely viewed content, but the #1 most viewed link on the platform shows how the report isn’t exactly proving the point they’re trying to make. Plus, are realtors engineering weird listing photos so they’ll go viral? And it turns out we’ve been getting blue moons entirely wrong for at least forty years. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.c...

A lab in California has achieved a historic breakthrough in nuclear fusion. Three new species from the post-dinosaur mammalian revolution have been identified, including one that’s been named after a Hobbit character. And recent studies shedding light on the pro’s and con’s of exoskeleton suits as consumer goods. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: US lab stands on...

Inside the world of the quasi-secret WhatsApp mango economy. It turns out Saturn is kind of jiggly inside. And the beginning of a season, marked by the end of an era for department stores. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why Are the World’s Greatest Mangoes Almost Impossible to Buy in the U.S.? (Eater) Saturn's Insides Are Sloshing Around (MIT Technology Review...

How one of the earliest bloggers predicted the dark side of the internet, and then went completely off the grid. Plus, the first tribally-affiliated medical school, on tribal land, in the US. is bridging gaps. And Yik Yak is back. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Philip Agre predicted technology's pitfalls and then he disappeared (Washington Post) Everything is...

The groundbreaking study that has basically given us a daily diary of the entire life of a 17,000 year old woolly mammoth. Why coffee prices are spiking. And a ransom scam targeting authors that says a lot about the state of the world. Links: A Woolly Mammoth’s Tusks Reveal a Map of Where It Roamed in Life (NY Times) Ice Age mammoth's life story reconstructed in stunning detail (National Geographi...

How does a kid’s network establish their brand identity? Apparently, riff on a high brow architectural style and add heaping amounts of radioactive green slime. On the 30th anniversary of the first Nicktoons, a look back at Nickelodeon’s iconic aesthetic. Plus, a new––huge––study that upends a lot of what we thought knew about metabolism. And a fake website about fake movies. Links: How Nickelodeo...

Robin has officially come out of the closet. No statement yet from Batman, but I do have the other details, and a brief history of LGBTQ+ superheroes. Plus, SpaceX is planning to put billboards in space. And plastic pollution is confusing the hermit crabs in Yorkshire. Links: Robin, Batman's Sidekick, Comes Out, Which Only Makes Sense (NPR) Robin comes out as gay in new Batman comic, adding to DC'...

Why are CAPTCHA’s so frustrating and, in a way, so grim and disconcerting? Plus, botanists have identified the first carnivorous plant in twenty years, but don’t go calling it Audrey III just yet. And, a new development in the McFlurry Cold War. Links: Why CAPTCHA Pictures Are So Unbearably Depressing (Clive Thompson) How to Solve Captchas—and Why They've Gotten So Hard (Wired) 1st Carnivorous Pla...

Some context and takeaways from the big UN climate report released this morning. NASA has opened applications for their Mars simulation mission. And why are some people in Japan sending bags of rice with their baby’s face on them to relatives? Links: The 2021 UN climate change report, explained: IPCC says humans caused “unequivocal” warming (Vox) New IPCC climate report is the clearest guidebook f...

What are forest schools? And the science behind why gardening can make you feel happy and peaceful. Plus, the Perseid meteor shower is happening in just a few days. And the co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been immortalized as a Barbie doll. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: We Should All Be Playing in the Dirt More… According to Science! (Literary Hub) Can Climbing Trees...

As the tides trend toward requiring vaccinations for entry in more places, what is the landscape of apps and methods to verify vaccination status? Plus, meatball-scented candles from IKEA and two very different commercial space flight updates. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: More than 450 airlines can now use IBM's Digital Health Pass (Quartz) Unvaccinated People Need to Bear the Burde...