Cool Stuff Daily

Pfizer has good news about a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what you need to know. Meet the man who went viral over the weekend for interrupting a French newscaster. And high fashion scratch-and-sniff t-shirts; plus a brief history of the technology that enabled them. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, gabi.com/kottke Links: Vaccine efficacy 101 (Natalie E. Dean, PhD, Twitter)  Biden's Plans for Halting...

Scientists have discovered more information about an absolutely hellish, inhospitable planet. And it’s not the one you think. Colorado passed a first-ever of its kind ballot measure to reintroduce a species of animal to its state. An intriguing if not-yet-promising coronavirus deterrent in the form of a nasal spray. And the secret writing life of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abram...

Remember, remember the fifth of November. Here are some thoughts on the complicated legacy of the Gunpowder Plot. Why Nebraska’s electoral votes are so weird, and the man responsible for keeping them weird. And, inspired by the Korean practice of nunchi, some tips on being a better communicator in virtual spaces. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Get $90 off incl...

Brian Eno’s thoughts on social media and the role of the artist in these trying times, as well as a related new finding that smartphones may actually be helping to pop people’s filter bubbles when it comes to news consumption. A new archaeological discovery that has upended previous conceptions about gender roles in ancient hunter-gatherer societies. And Belgium’s cuddle buddy mandate. Sponsors: H...

It’s Election Day in the US. I’ve got some good and some weird tips for staying calm amidst the election storm. An AI that can tell if you have COVID-19 just by listening to your cough. And a deep dive on one type of U.S. citizen who can’t run for public office in eight states. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Get $90 off including shipping at HelloFresh.com/rid...

Heading into the U.S. general election tomorrow, a refresher on why polls can be unreliable and how to read them responsibly. An opportunity to own the vintage spyware gadgets of your dreams. It’s 2020: platypuses glow in the dark now. And a new site that will distract you from the election. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT Fitbod, Get one month free at F...

Why you’re seeing more young Black students working the polls this year. How the pandemic might parallel Prohibition's effect on the American brewing industry. NASA followed up a viral tweet with a literal link to their Soundcloud, and it’s definitely worth listening to, especially this weekend. And Play-Doh has just introduced a new line for adults. Yes, really. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first...

Can lab-grown brains become conscious? And should we let them? Burger King’s latest creepy stunt to try to rile up McDonald’s. And why do we say trick-or-treat, and what is Mischief Night anyways? Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe  Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: Can lab-grown brains become conscious? (Nature)...

A look back at one hundred years ago when women ruled a notorious wild west town. Some thoughts on the effects of technology on our ability to remember our thoughts in the long-term. And the internet is calling it the best game of 2020, but it’s actually just a virtual 3D tour of a house for sale. What’s going on? Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/k...

Throwing cold water on that whole signs-of-life-on-Venus news. A new travel guide to haunted hotels, based on bad Tripadvisor reviews. A study looking into why we don’t click or comment on certain posts online. And Kazakhstan changes their stance on Borat. Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe  Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/ko...

NASA’s big announcement has been revealed: there is way more water on the moon than we thought. An update on the murder hornet situation. Oreo has built a vault in Norway to preserve a stash of Oreos in case that Election Day asteroid, which is absolutely not going to hit the Earth, hits the Earth. And mutant crayfish clones have taken over a Belgian cemetery just in time for Halloween. Sponsors:...

Do Venus Flytraps have a short-term memory? A new interactive database of every lifeform that’s ever gone into space from Earth. The Seattle bar that made a pandemic-safe pinball machine. And Burger King is getting in on the zero-waste game with reusable containers in select markets. Sponsors: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride  Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: The secret of ho...

What does root beer have to do with a potential COVID-19 vaccine? A deep dive on that connection. A peek into the world of people who grow giant vegetables. And the Iowa woman who had her cat successfully cloned. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: A COVID-19 Vaccine Could Rely on Rare Trees in Chile (The Atlantic) COVID-19 tracker: Roc...

Today is International Pronoun Day so here are some historical facts about pronouns. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown organ in the human body. And forget about WeWork, a Japanese amusement park has offered up their ferris wheel as a co-working space. Sponsors: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride  Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: A brief history of singular 'they'...

Tardigrade sunscreen. Coming soon? How to enjoy a socially-distanced holiday season. Some promising methods for upcycling plastic into more valuable materials. And the curious case of the extremely moldy Twinkie. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: This tardigrade can glow to protect itself when exposed to UV rays (CNN) How to Make Soci...

The fourteen-year-old Texan who may have just made an important discovery for potential COVID-19 treatments. An update on the safety and new norms surrounding air travel. Nokia is building a mobile network on the moon. And the website that’s basically a more organized Chat Roulette but for trying to heal the US’s political divide. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.co...

More and more humans these days have an extra artery. The 2020 Tony Award nominations and the very strange case of Mr. Aaron Tveit. A calculator that will tell you how much time you’re wasting in your day not listening to podcasts. And The Flaming Lips have a plan to bring concerts back, responsibly. Sponsor: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: More Humans Are Growing an Extra Artery in Our A...

A new study puts our odds of living in a simulation at about 50-50. So, that’s a thing. There has been a second sighting of a person on a jetpack flying through LAX’s flight path. And tips to curb your phone habit, adapted from methods used to quit smoking. Sponsor: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: Do We Live in a Simulation? Chances Are about 50–50 (Scientific American) LAX reports anothe...

A thought-provoking proposal from Eli Pariser on how we can fix the broken parts of the internet by creating digital public parks. NASA drops their latest single: the sounds of the Milky Way. And how to make your own AR jack o’lantern using an Amazon Prime box. Sponsor: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: To Mend a Broken Internet, Create Online Parks (Wired) Data Sonification: Sounds from Ar...

What’s up with all those merpeople and sea monsters on old maps? Why Peru opened up Machu Picchu after seven months for one single man to visit. The supermassive black hole that spaghettified a star. And the Anti-Ad Ad Club paying influencers to trash talk corporations. Sponsor: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/RIDE Links: Why Did Renaissance Europeans See Merpeople Everywhere? (Literary Hub) In 1562...

It’s Indigenous People’s Day today. How and when did this start becoming a thing? How west coast governments are finally turning to tribal leaders for assistance preventing wildfires. A serious collaboration between Weird Al Yankovic and Portugal. the Man. And an interactive website that shows you a global map of tribal territories and languages. Sponsor: FightCamp, JoinFightCamp.com/RIDE Links: T...

What kind of operating system do they use in space? The science behind cocktails, to up your at-home mixology game. The 22-year-old responsible for the most viral beats on Tiktok. And the Connecticut mayor who isn’t taking any of John Oliver’s crap. Links: Definitely not Windows 95: What operating systems keep things running in space? (Ars Technica) Cocktail Chemistry: 10 Science-Backed Tips for t...

The Islamic scholars who beat Darwin to the punch by about a thousand years. A cool site for finding new books to read. The world’s largest ouija board. And naked celebrities teaching us about naked ballots. Links: A Thousand Years Before Darwin, Islamic Scholars Were Writing About Natural Selection (Vice) Whichbook | A new way of choosing what book to read next World's Largest Ouija Board (Rob Al...

The twenty-four possible super-habitable planets that could be better than Earth. The man you can pay to gatecrash your funeral. The perfect conclusion to the skateboarding cranberry juice trend, and what the heck that trend was. And the winner of Fat Bear Week 2020. Links: Scientists Have Identified 24 Possible 'Superhabitable' Planets (Vice) 'Coffin confessor' Bill Edgar paid to gatecrash Queens...

How the pandemic is changing our taste in music. The most ironic thing that could happen to a newly-published book titled Word Perfect. How asbestos might actually be a weapon against the climate crisis. And a Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed monument in New Zealand. Links: Is Pandemic Brain Changing Your Taste in Music? You're Not Alone (Vice)  "Music is 5x as good right now" (Demi Adejuyigbe, Tw...