Cool Stuff Daily

How did whales get so big anyways? Plus, a new study claims coffee pods are more environmentally-friendly than regular filter coffee. Is it true? Sponsor: ZocDoc, zocdoc.com/coolstuff Links: The genes that made whales gigantic (Phys.org) Unlocking the Genes That Made Whales Into Giants (NY Times) For whales, study shows gigantism is in the genes (Reuters) Whales or dinosaurs: What are the biggest,...

A deep dive on marginalia. What is it, why should you do it, and how does it reveal the more joyful side of history’s most famous sadboy, Edgar Allan Poe? All that and more in this extended love letter to writing in books. Sponsor: ZocDoc, zocdoc.com/coolstuff Links: Edgar Allan Poe on the Joy of Marginalia and What Handwriting Reveals about Character (The Marginalian)  Marginalia by Edgar Allan P...

Earth-like exoplanet discoveries galore, including some that could be habitable. Plus, a look back at the clandestine history of the CIA’s pigeon surveillance missions. Sponsors: ZocDoc, zocdoc.com/coolstuff Links: NASA Just Discovered a Rare Earth-Sized Planet in a Habitable Zone (ScienceAlert) NASA has discovered an Earth-sized planet orbiting in the habitable zone of its star (CBS News) NASA’s...

It looks like the ozone layer is on track to be restored in just a couple of decades. Plus, an opportunity to get paid for donating your stool samples. (Yes, really) And an examination of the nineteenth and twentieth century phenomenon of Tom Thumb Weddings, AKA elaborate fake weddings for small children. Sponsors: ZocDoc, zocdoc.com/coolstuff Links: Ozone layer may be restored in decades, UN repo...

Some projects that will help you suss out the truth in movies that claim to be “based on a true story.” Plus, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most controversial speech. Sponsor: ZocDoc, zocdoc.com/coolstuff Links: Thread about Selma and historical accuracy (Franklin Leonard, Twitter)  Reel history (The Guardian) Is Selma historically accurate? (The Guardian)  Based on a *True* True Story? (Informatio...

New findings from the JWST may push the origins of the universe’s earliest galaxies back millions of years. Plus, a huge rare earth deposit has been found in Sweden. And an Instagram-based library run out of the home of a famous Mexico City artist––with a bonus defense of owning books you haven’t read. Links: The James Webb Space Telescope Is Finding Too Many Early Galaxies (Sky and Telescope) The...

What exactly is an “atmospheric river,” why is it causing so much havoc in California right now, and what do these current storms mean for the future? Plus, NASA and Roscosmos have reached an agreement on how to bring three ISS crew members back to Earth following a coolant leak on a Soyuz spacecraft. Just don’t call it a rescue mission. Links: Why California Is Being Deluged by Atmospheric Rivers...

Were the first stone tools in the Americas made, not by ancient humans, but by monkeys? Plus, could color-changing cars be in our future? And will other nations follow New Zealand’s lead on banning cigarettes to future generations? Links: Monkeys – Not Humans – Made Ancient Sets of Stone Tools in Brazil, Study Finds (ScienceAlert)  Scientists prove that tools attributed to ancient humans were made...

A historic satellite launch in the United Kingdom ended in disappointment last night. Plus, how “y’all” left the south and its surprising possible origins in… seventeenth century England? Links: UK space industry mulls setback after satellite launch fails (AP) UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket launch ends in failure (BBC) Britain's satellite hopes undimmed by mission failure (Reuters) The...

A cave art discovery that could put the development of writing back thousands of years. Plus, one US state taking concrete steps against misinformation. And Benoit Blanc isn’t just playing Among Us, now he’s in it. Links: Amateur archaeologist helps crack Ice Age cave art code (BBC News) An Upper Palaeolithic Proto-writing System and Phenological Calendar (Cambridge Archaeological Journal) A Total...

How old is fast food? And to what extent was food actually healthier in the past, before our days of factory farming and artificial preservatives? A deep dive into the pros and cons of convenience food then and now. Links: A Plea for Culinary Modernism by Rachel Laudan, 2001  Thread and replies on the article (Jason Crawford, Twitter) 11/21/23 episode including a brief background on the baguette (...

A vaccine for bees. Plus, the Japanese government will pay families to leave Tokyo. And a device that doesn’t let you type “LOL” unless you actually laughed out loud. Links: US government approves use of world’s first vaccine for honeybees (The Guardian) World-First Vaccine For Honeybees Gets Approved In The US (IFL Science) United States Honey Bee Colony Losses 2021-2022: Preliminary Results From...

Could a poop vault become joining the Svalbard Global Seed Vault's new neighbor? Some scientists think could be a pretty crappy move. Plus, the US congressman who’s slated to be sworn in on a Superman comic. And the History of the World, Part Two. Links: The “disappearing” human microbiome — and the fraught push to preserve it (Inverse) A Mass Extinction Is Taking Place in the Human Gut (WIRED) Th...

Are we at the beginning of a new space race? NASA Administrator Bill Nelson thinks so. Plus, why father of genetics Gregor Mendel’s skeleton was dug up last year. And a chance to read history’s most famous diarist’s words in real time over the next decade. Links: ‘We better watch out’: NASA boss sounds alarm on Chinese moon ambitions (Politico) China sets out clear and independent long-term vision...

Our final lookback on some of the best segments from the past few years. From 2021, how beer-making used to be considered women’s work, and also may have popularized some of the popular symbols, like broomsticks and pointed hats, that we associate with witches today. Plus, why the CIA covertly funded the British cartoon adaptation of Animal Farm in the 1950s. And, as 2022 comes to a close, a look...

Today from the Cool Stuff Ride Home archives, how Polynesian voyagers navigated the oceans without compasses or maps, and how a new generation is bringing back those traditional skills. Plus, Waffle House’s earnest and hilarious record label. And, looking at “The Dress” seven years on––did that viral moment lay the groundwork for the climate of misinformation today? Links: Mon. 07/11/22 - Sailing...

We kick off the final week of the year with a look back at some of the show’s best segments. So for today, from the archives, we’ve got how and why food itself became gendered––y’know, men eat red meat, women eat salads. Women watch their weight and men eat huge portions of the most ridiculous Mountain Dew-laced Dorito monstrosities they can come up with. Plus, what would happen if we just… killed...

We dive into the origins and enduring popularity of that most classic of Christmas Carols, “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells.” Plus, Stephen Spielberg has officially apologized to sharks for Jaws. And a note on our holiday programming. Sponsor: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells: The History of a Children's Classic (CBR) I Aske...

What are solstices and seasons like on other planets? Plus, why everyone in South Korea is about to become a year or two younger. And Lionel Messi’s celebratory Instagram photos have become the most-liked social media post of all-time. Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: Give Thanks for the Winter Solstice. You Might Not Be Here Without It....

Could wind be the dark horse in the hunt for power sources for human habitats on Mars? Plus, the first-ever recording of a dust devil on Mars, and a goodbye to a beloved Martian explorer. And Google unveils the most-searched word of the year. I’ll give you a hint: it’s a six-letter word about five-letter words that sold to the New York Times for a “low seven figures.” Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cance...

Everything you never wondered about those wooden castle-like playgrounds of Gen X and Millennials’ youths. Plus, how a nano-thin layer of gold could finally be the cure to the dreaded glasses fog of our COVID masking era. Sponsors: Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: If you remember this playground...

An AI chatbot that can negotiate with customer service chatbots to lower your bills, cancel your subscriptions, and more. Plus, the reason why chocolate sometimes gets that white sort of chalky sheen on it. And, a segment from the archives about the science behind some reindeers’ color-changing eyes, real red-nosed reindeer, and the origins of that famous song. Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your...

The interplay between science fiction and real-world scientific innovations––from space travel to fusion energy. Plus, a replay of a classic Cool Stuff Ride Home segment on Krampus with an update on some risqué depictions of the Yuletide rogue that have been making the rounds online this year. Sponsors: Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary sub...

Why some street lights across the US and Canada have been turning purple, and what it says about the larger effects of the supply chain on our cityscapes. Plus, the emus that were banned from a bar in Queensland have returned with a surprise. And New Zealand’s parliament just passed a lifetime ban on smoking for the youngest members of Gen Z and beyond. Sponsors: Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecess...

The origins and significance of the song “Silent Night.” Plus, an update on the US’s fusion energy breakthrough. And Los Angeles County’s first-ever unicorn license has been issued. Sponsors: Shopify, Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/cool Rocket Money, Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/COOL Links: The humble origins of 'Silent Night' (The Conversation)  History of the...