Cool Stuff Daily

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 Neuroscience Breakthrough (Wired) How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion by David McRaney The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman French's Gives Away Ketchup Ice Pops in Canada (Food & Wine) I Tried the 'Frenchsicle,' French’s Ketchup Popsicle & Here's My Honest Take (Narcity, YouTube) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 base in space for astronauts. Today is the first major step. (Mashable) A tiny NASA spacecraft launches to test out a new orbit around the Moon (The Verge) ‘It’s dopamine’: why we love to track our watching and reading habits (The Guardian) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 odor may contribute to social bonding (ScienceDaily) Rare mummified baby woolly mammoth with skin and hair found in Canada (CBS News) 30,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth Found Almost Perfectly Preserved in Canadian Gold Fields (ScienceAlert) Gold miner in Canada finds mummified 35,000-year-old woolly mammoth (The Guardian) Astronomers Found a Crater From The Mystery Rocket That Smashed Into The Moon (ScienceAlert) Rocket Impact Site on Moon Seen by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA) New double crater seen on the moon after mystery rocket impact (CNN) Alan Rickman's personal diaries set for posthumous release (A/V Club) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, Really? (NY Times) The Mites That Live and Breed on Your Face Have Anuses, Genome Study Finds (Gizmodo) Don't freak out, but there are thousands of mites living all over your face (Vox, 2015) Skin Mites That Mate on Our Faces at Night Are Slowly Merging With Humans (ScienceAlert) The tiny mites that have sex on our faces have a problem (BBC) We could all use a little animal ASMR about now (Boing Boing) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 earn up to $500 extra in sponsored job credits with Indeed’s Virtual Interviews at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why Does a Hard Workout Make You Less Hungry? (NY Times) The unexpected link between hunger and exercising (MIC) 'Anti-hunger' molecule forms after exercise, scientists discover (Stanford) Five major planets to line up in rare planetary conjunction (BBC) Five planets are aligned in night sky for first time in 18 years in June (Washington Post) Rare 5-planet alignment comes into better view this week (Space.com) Researchers figured out why fish fell from the sky in Texarkana, and it's pretty gross (The Dallas Morning News) Mon. 01/03 - It's Raining Fish (Hallelujah) (Cool Stuff Ride Home) New Tolkien Book, The Fall Of Númenor, Collects The Second Age Stories That Influence Prime Video's The Rings Of Power (SlashFilm) New Tolkien book: The Fall of Númenor to be published (The Tolkien Society) Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is changing its name (CNN) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/goodnews Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/cool Links: The Transformations of Pinocchio (New Yorker) Is the Original Pinocchio Actually About Lying and Very Long Noses? (Literary Hub) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Carves a New Path: An Exclusive First Look (Vanity Fair) Pinocchio enlisted by fascists in Guillermo del Toro's version (A/V Club) Mass frog burial baffles experts at iron age site near Cambridge (The Guardian) The fat bear cams are live and baby, WE GOT BEARS (Mashable) Brown Bear Cam - Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park (Explore.org) Before "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Rankin-Bass produced "The New Adventures of Pinnochio" (Boing Boing) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 develop antimicrobial, plant-based food wrap designed to replace plastic (ScienceDaily) Single-use bags and plastic wet wipes face ban in Wales (BBC) Canada to ban making, importing many single-use plastics from Dec (Reuters) Cutie Polluties (Liquid Death, YouTube) Plastic waste: What are the alternatives? (BBC, 2018) Excavating a Queer History of Colonial Williamsburg (Atlas Obscura) This is not a drill. The Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared TV series trailer is (finally) here (It’s Nice That) Everything We Know About Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (ScreenRant) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 shopify.com/cool Links: Meet the Peecyclers. Their Idea to Help Farmers Is No. 1. (NY Times) Peecycling: could donating your urine to farmers help feed the world? (The Guardian) Some Scientists Coined a New Name for Summer: 'Danger Season' (Wired) Thu. 06/09 - Heat Waves May Get Names, Like Hurricanes (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Astronomers discover a multiplanet system nearby (MIT News) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too (The Conversation) Black Ghost of Empire by Kris Manjapra On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed Watch 13TH (Netflix) Poet Amanda Gorman reflects on what lies beneath the celebrations of Juneteenth (NPR) Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman Juneteenth 2020 segment (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Juneteenth 2021 segment (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Meet the unique group of polar bears living with less sea ice (The Verge) These Polar Bears in Greenland Can Survive With Less Sea Ice (NY Times) Secret population of polar bears found living in seemingly impossible habitat (ScienceAlert) China built a 246-foot tower to test an emerging solar power system (Interesting Engineering) New Tower in China Brings Us a Step Closer to Space-Based Solar Power (Gizmodo) For All Mankind (Apple TV+) 5 Takeaways From Drake’s New Album Honestly, Nevermind (Pitchfork) "I, too, am excited about that Drake drop!!!!" (Preeti Chhibber, Twitter) Tim Drake's Story Continues in New Series 'Tim Drake: Robin' (DC Comics) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 else (Science.org) Particle Hunters Can Spend a Lifetime Searching for Answers (Wired) As the Large Hadron Collider Revs Up, Physicists' Hopes Soar (NY Times) How the revamped Large Hadron Collider will hunt for new physics (Nature) This AI model tries to re-create the mind of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Washington Post) Ask RBG Beyoncé Announces Release Date for New 16-Song Project 'Renaissance' (Complex) Beavis and Butt-Head's Mike Judge on the Revival's 21st Century Updates: There's "YouTubers" and "TikTok Stuff" (Consequence) Deep in the Heart of Beavis & Butt-Head (Texas Monthly) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 team studied ancient plague genomes (ScienceDaily) Where Did the Black Death Begin? DNA Detectives Find a Key Clue. (NY Times) Monkeypox Is Getting a New Name, WHO Announces (Gizmodo) Monkeypox Outbreak Poses ‘Real Threat’ to Public Health, W.H.O. Official Says (NY Times) Internet Explorer Is Dead—It's the End of an Era (Gizmodo) Internet Explorer dies todayInternet Explorer Is Dead—It's the End of an Era, but its spirit lives on in Microsoft Edge (PC World) Internet Explorer, star of Windows, dies at 26 (The Verge) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Times) A History of Mall Walking (Bloomberg) Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange Two New Permanent Meow Wolf “Portals” Come to Texas (Glasstire) A New Test Can Help Reveal If You're Immune to COVID-19 (TIME) Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola Are Putting a Classic Cocktail in a Can (Thrillist) 'A refreshing salad drink': does balsamic vinegar and fizzy water really taste like healthy Coke? (The Guardian) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 barbecue taste so good? The chemistry of cooking over an open flame (The Conversation) Pfizer Vaccine Effective in Children Under 5, the FDA Says (NY Times) Pfizer COVID vaccine safe for kids under 5, FDA review finds (PBS) Tony Awards 2022: Why Jennifer Hudson has just made history (NPR) Jennifer Hudson Is The Youngest Female EGOT Winner Ever (Nylon) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Links: A Negative COVID Test Has Never Been So Meaningless (The Atlantic) Dogs may be better at detecting Covid-19 than nasal PCR tests, study finds (The Guardian) Behind the high-tech COVID-19 tests you probably haven't heard about (The Verge) Legal age someone can buy cigarettes should rise by a year every year, review recommends (Sky News) Smoking age of sale should rise by year each year (BBC) Age to buy cigarettes in England should rise every year, review says (Reuters) A new quarter honors Native American leader and activist Wilma Mankiller (NPR) Wilma Mankiller quarters released to eager public (Indian Country Today) American Women Quarters 2022 Rolls and Bags (US Mint) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 energy (Knowable) Europe's 'largest ever' land dinosaur found on Isle of Wight (BBC) Bones found on Isle of Wight may be from Europe's biggest predator dinosaur (The Guardian) Why the World's Biggest Dinosaurs Keep Getting Cut Down to Size (Scientific American) Archaeologists May Have Found The Remains of Europe's Largest Ever Land Predator (ScienceAlert) The T. Rex Still Rules Over the Rest (The Ringer) Wendy’s Is Replacing Vanilla Frosties With Strawberry Ones This Summer (Mental Floss) Wendy's Adds Strawberry Frosty to the Menu, Kills Off the Vanilla Frosty (Thrillist) Wendy's is finally selling this 'highly anticipated' Frosty flavor (CNN Business) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 space (Fast Company) Research briefs: Origami-inspired design and why mice fear bananas (McGill University) Why Are Mice Afraid of Bananas? (SciTechDaily) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 sleep than other primates (BBC Future) Some People Have a Superhuman Strength: Only Needing 4 Hours of Sleep (Popular Mechanics) Mountains of sugar have been found in the ocean under seagrass meadows (The Weather Network) Sweet spots in the sea: Mountains of sugar under seagrass meadows (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology) Biologists May Have Solved a 30-Year-Old Mystery on Why Touch Stresses Plants Out (Science Alert) What happens when plants have stress reactions to touch (Lund University) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Mag) The Untold Truth Of Gummy Bears (Mashed) A Brief History of Gummy Bears (Bon Appetit) The Surprisingly Dark Origins of Gummy Bears (Mental Floss) The Source of Water Ice on The Moon Could Be Traced to a Seemingly Unlikely Source (Science Alert) Astronauts may one day drink water from ancient moon volcanoes (CU Boulder Today) Ancient volcanoes may be the source of water found on the moon (Interesting Engineering) Cockroach Reproduction Has Taken a Strange Turn (NY Times) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 (NASA) NASA Scientists Made a Martian 'Soundscape' Using Audio Recorded by Perseverance Rover (Gizmodo) On Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover's playlist like no other (EurekAlert) Episode about designing the microphone on Perseverance (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Mail Jumper in action (Cruise Lake Geneva, Instagram) The Gravity-Defying Mail Jumpers of Lake Geneva (Atlas Obscura) Mail Boat Jumper Tryouts (Best of Lake Geneva) Who You Gonna Call? Explores the Life of Ray Parker Jr., the Man Behind the Ghostbusters Theme (Gizmodo) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Old (Gizmodo) Your liver is just under three years old (ScienceDaily) People With Food Allergies Seem to Have Lower Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (ScienceAlert) Food allergy is associated with lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (National Institutes of Health) Some Types of Asthma Protect Against Severe COVID-19, And We May Finally Know Why (ScienceAlert) Food allergies & lower SARS-CoV-2 risk (Dr. Alok Patel, Twitter) Icelandic Horses Help Respond to Work Emails So Iceland Visitors Can Disconnect and See the Sights (Laughing Squid) OutHorse Your Email (Visit Iceland) App Lets You Destress By Screaming Into Icelandic Wilderness (NPR, 2020) Taco Bell is running out of Mexican Pizza (CNN) Did a Beloved Indie Movie Really Cause a Googly Eye Shortage? (Slate) DeLorean reveals Alpha 5, a performance EV with Back to the Future vibes (TechCrunch) Some quick photoshops of Doc Brown's new ride: the DeLorean Alpha5 EV (r/BacktotheFuture) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 plant: a single seagrass clone stretching 180 km in Western Australia's Shark Bay (The Conversation) NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Space Station Cargo Launch, Docking (NASA) Blue Origin targets June 4 for next space tourist mission after delay (Space.com) China rolls out rocket for crewed Shenzhou 14 mission ahead of Saturday launch (Space.com) NASA prepares for a June 5 dress rehearsal of its first Artemis I moon mission (Interesting Engineering) June 6 Set for Artemis I Moon Rocket to Roll for Next Tanking Test (NASA) US FAA delays SpaceX final environmental decision to June 13 (Reuters) JWST is now fully focused (Syfy Wire) First Images From NASA’s Webb Space Telescope Coming Soon (NASA) Company to Las Vegas chapels: No more Elvis-themed weddings (AP) Vegas chapels all shook up by Elvis likeness crackdown (Las Vegas Review-Journal) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 bubbles on the space station could reveal strange new quantum physics (Space.com) Researchers Made Ultracold Quantum Bubbles on the Space Station (Wired) Ultracold Bubbles on Space Station: New Quantum Research Experiments With an Exotic State of Matter (SciTechDaily) Buzzfeed News' union contract includes legal protections against ghosts (Boing Boing) Here's why the BuzzFeed News Union's contract includes protections from ghosts (Poynter) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 can alter the social behavior of animals (ScienceDaily) CRISPR Editing Accidentally Turns Hamsters Into Angry Bullies, The Opposite Of Researcher's Intentions (IFL Science) Super-Absorbent Gel Pulls Fresh Water Out of Thin Air (Gizmodo) Cheap gel film pulls buckets of drinking water per day from thin air (New Atlas) Episode about SOURCE Global's hydropanels from July 2020 (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Tau Herculids meteor shower could unleash 1,000 shooting stars per hour (Washington Post) You May See a New Meteor Shower in Night Skies, or Nothing at All (NY Times) Meteor shower outburst from new tau Herculids possible May 30 (Space.com) Tau Herculid meteor shower livestream (Virtual Telescope Project) 'Merch!' Documentary Looks to Examine Music Merchandising from Elvis Presley to the Grateful Dead and Beyond (Collider) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 behaving in unexpected ways (STAT) Sex Pistols to re-release God Save the Queen ahead of Jubilee (BBC) Bristol pubs announce 'F*** the Jubilee' three day punk festival (Bristol Post) In Pistol, punk gets a lavish TV treatment (A/V Club) Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century by Greil Marcus ABBA Premiere “ABBA Voyage” Hologram Concert: Setlist + Video (Consequence) Salem's ‘Last Witch' Has Her Name Officially Cleared, 329 Years Later (NBC Boston) Taco Bell's 'Mexican Pizza: The Musical' just got postponed (Today) Stranger Things' fourth season premiere adds warning label following Uvalde shooting (A/V Club) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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) Scientists Sequence First Human Genome From The Ruins of Ancient Pompeii (ScienceAlert) Ancient DNA reveals secrets of Pompeii victims (BBC) Game of Shrooms, the worldwide art scavenger hunt, returns June 11 (Boing Boing) Game of Shrooms 2022 (Yum Factory) 'Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey' — Violent New Horror Film Reworks A Childhood Classic (Dread Central) 'Winnie the Pooh' Horror Movie 'Blood and Honey' Explained by Director (Variety) Teen Lives Are the Real Bother in New Horror Film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (Consequence) New Horror Movie Turns Winnie the Pooh Into a Serial Killer (Gizmodo) How ‘Public’ is the Public Domain? Winnie-the-Pooh Illustrates Copyright Limitations of Public Domain Works (IPWatchDog) Wed. 08/26 - Netflix's Enola Holmes Hit With Lawsuit From Doyle Estate (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why NASA is sending a bunch of brewer’s yeast up to space on Artemis 1. Plus, scientists have created genetically-edited tomatoes pumped up with vitamin D. And a COVID-19 memorial that will be purposefully burnt down on Saturday. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Links: NASA plans to launch an unexpected organism to space to study cosmic radiation (Inverse) BioSentinel (NASA) Around the Moon with NASA's First Launch of SLS with Orion (NASA) Gene-edited tomatoes could provide new source of vitamin D (Nature) Scientists CRISPR'd Tomatoes to Make Them Full of Vitamin D (Gizmodo) Scientists create tomatoes genetically edited to bolster vitamin D levels (The Guardian) The Public Will Be Invited to Safely Burn Down a New COVID-19 Memorial (Architectural Digest) Visitors 'overwhelmed' by Bedworth Covid memorial Sanctuary (BBC) 'I feel your country's anger' – why the memorial to Britain's Covid dead will be set ablaze (The Guardian) The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE (Penguin Random House, YouTube) The Unburnable Book Over 1,000 Musicians Honor Taylor Hawkins with "My Hero" Cover: Watch (Consequence) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything you need to know about monkeypox––what is it, how is it spread, and how concerned should we be? Plus, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is returning to Earth on Wednesday, after just a few hiccups on its first successful trip to the ISS. And Coca-Cola is introducing new bottle caps that you can’t remove from the bottle. Sponsors: DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Engineering Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff Links: Why monkeypox isn't like Covid-19 (Vox) Rare monkeypox outbreak in U.K., Europe and U.S.: What is it and should we worry? (NPR) The symptoms and causes of monkeypox infections, which CDC calls an 'emerging issue' (NBC News) U.S. monkeypox case reported, as Spain, Portugal report infections in growing outbreak (STAT) Monkeypox global case tracker (Global.health) Monkeypox (WHO) Spread prediction from modeling expert (Thomas House, Twitter) Thread on transmission and vaccines (Bill Hanage, Twitter) The Monkeypox Virus Is Affecting Queer Men, but Has Nothing to Do With Being Queer (them) Monkeypox: UNAIDS 'concerned' about stigmatizing language against LGTBI people (United Nations) Unfair monkeypox labeling must stop before our image goes from Curious George to Typhoid Mary (USA Today) How to watch Starliner capsule return to Earth on Wednesday (Digital Trends) Boeing Starliner problems go beyond thrusters (Washington Post) Watch the Starliner capsule live (NASA) Coke's new bottle cap doesn't come off (CNN) Coca-Cola's attached bottle cap is rock bottom of hokey greenwashing (TechCrunch) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ancient forest that was discovered at the bottom of a giant sinkhole in China. Plus, a moth species not seen since 1912 was found in the luggage of a passenger at the Detroit airport. And the first patient has been injected with an experimental virus meant to destroy tumors. Sponsors: Calm, Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription calm.com/coolstuff DeVry University, Learn more at DeVry.edu/Future Links: Ancient forest found at bottom of huge sinkhole in China (The Guardian) Giant sinkhole with a forest inside found in China (ScienceAlert) In a massive Chinese sinkhole, scientists find a secret forest (Washington Post) karst (National Geographic) TSA on Instagram Moth Species Not Seen Since 1912 Was Intercepted at Detroit Airport (NY Times) 'Very flashy' moth not seen in more than a century found in bag at Detroit airport (NBC News) First Patient Injected With Experimental Cancer-Killing Virus in New Clinical Trial (ScienceAlert) Oncolytic Virus Therapy That Destroys Cancer In Solid Tumors Given To First Patient In New Trial (IFL Science) First Patient Dosed With Experimental Cancer-Killing Virus in New Trial (Gizmodo) Trailer for David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream Doc Promises a “Cinematic Odyssey” (Consequence) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The history of the humble shopping cart, and why people absolutely did not like them when they first came out. Plus, a parasite that might make you more attractive—but like, don’t try it. And a tiny pub in an English village that stood up to Condé Nast, and won. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Why people hated shopping carts when they first came out (CNN) How a Basket on Wheels Revolutionized Grocery Shopping (Priceonomics) Mind-Altering Parasite May Make Infected People More Attractive, Study Suggests (ScienceAlert) Toxoplasmosis - General Information (CDC) Vogue magazine threatens to sue Cornish village pub of the same name (Cornwall Live) Village pub asked to change name by Vogue magazine (BBC) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we judge each other so harshly for saying “like,” even though most of us say it way more often than we’d admit to? Plus, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is launching mere hours after recording… probably. Here’s everything you need to know about the second contender in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. And introducing Pepsi™-Roni Pizza. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Why do people, like, say, 'like' so much? (The Guardian) Boeing Is Ready to Launch Starliner, a Rival to SpaceX's Dragon (Wired) What You Need to Know about NASA's Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (NASA) How to Watch Boeing Launch Its Beleaguered Astronaut Capsule to the ISS (Gizmodo) Boeing Starliner OFT-2 Launch (Official NASA Broadcast) (NASA, YouTube) Landmark Mars robot will run out of power, ending historic mission (Mashable) NASA's InSight Still Hunting Marsquakes as Power Levels Diminish (NASA) Just When We Settled Our Differences About Pineapple on Pizza, Pepsi Entered the Chat With Pepsi-Roni (The Mary Sue) Finally, a New Pepsi Flavor We Can Get Behind (The Takeout) Pepsi™-Roni Pizza in NYC (Pepsi, Eventbrite) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The history and future of making music out of DNA sequences, particle vibrations, and more. Plus, a new study indicates that cats recognize the names of their cat friends and their human roommates; they’re just ignoring you because they want to, not because they don’t understand. And Alamo Drafthouse is hitting the road for their twenty-fifth anniversary. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Why Scientists Are Turning Molecules Into Music (Smithsonian Magazine) Can you see and touch music? (Markus J. Buehler, YouTube) Your DNA Song Cats know the names of other cats that are their friends, study says (Salon) Cats Actually Know Each Other's Names, Study Suggests (Vice) Cats Remember Each Other's Names, Japanese Study Suggests (ScienceAlert) Alamo Drafthouse is Taking Things on the Road to Celebrate Their 25th Anniversary (Collider) Alamo Drafthouse Is Turning 25 – Time To Party (Alamo Drafthouse) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists created a microcomputer powered by photosynthetic algae. Plus, a smart pacifier that could monitor the health of premature babies in the NICU. And Domino’s has teamed up with the Hawkins National Laboratory for a new app that lets you order pizza with your mind. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Scientists create algae computer powered by photosynthesis (The Verge) Scientists Create Microcomputer Powered by Algae (IGN) Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months (New Scientist) The Algae Project (Young Henrys) Smart pacifier developed to monitor infant health in the hospital (ScienceDaily) Domino’s Mind Ordering (Domino’s, YouTube) Domino’s does Stranger Things with 80s packaging and a new mind ordering pizza app (It’s Nice That) Mind Ordering app (Domino’s) The First Thing That Ever Sold Online Was Pizza (The History of the Web) PizzaNet: How a Website Changed Pizza and the World (Slice) How Domino's Turnaround Gained Nearly $12b in Enterprise Value (Aaron Allen) Wed. 10/20 - None Pizza With Left Beef: A Slice of History (Cool Stuff Ride Home) The federal government is offering another round of free COVID tests (NPR) Marvel Pop Culture Week (Consequence) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plants have successfully been grown in moon dust for the first time. Plus, McDonald’s is officially closing all of their restaurants in Russia––why that’s a big deal. A new site that will tell you how much your current home, or one you’re looking to buy, is at risk of wildfires. And underwear that can protect you from STIs. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: Plants will grow in lunar regolith, but they don't like it (Ars Technica) Researchers Grew Tiny Plants in Moon Dirt Collected Decades Ago (Wired) Moon soil used to grow plants for first time in breakthrough test (BBC) McDonald's to Exit From Russia After Three Decades (Wall Street Journal) The Beautiful, Dumb Dream of McDonald's Peace Theory (Foreign Policy) Is your house at risk of a wildfire? This online tool could tell you (NPR) Risk Factor These Vanilla-Scented Panties Protect Against STIs During Oral Sex, FDA Says (Vice) FDA Authorizes Underwear to Protect Against STIs During Oral Sex (NY Times) These FDA approved underwear protect against STIs (Mic) Black Mirror Will Return for Another Season (Gizmodo) ‘For All Mankind’ Season 3 Trailer: The Red Nation Takes Us to the Red Planet (Collider) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A deep dive into the multiverse––what it actually is, why it’s become such a popular trope, what its popularity says about where we’re at as a society right now, how it mirrors our relationship to the internet, and why, despite some cynical reasons for its usage in film, the multiverse might actually be exactly what we need right now. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/start Links: The multiverse is huge in pop culture right now – but what is it, and does it really exist? (The Conversation) The Internet Gave Rise to the Modern Multiverse Movie (Wired) Why 2021 Was The Year of the Multiverse (IGN) How 'Our Flag Means Death' embraces fanfiction tropes (Xtra) Doctor Strange and the historical roots of the multiverse (BBC) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything you need to know about the just-released first-ever image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy. Plus, is there sight after death? No. But kind of. And, in the most predictable news of the day, Dolly Parton is starring in a Doja Cat-inspired Taco Bell TikTok musical about Mexican Pizza. Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/start Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: We got it! Astronomers reveal first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy (National Science Foundation) The Milky Way's Black Hole Comes to Light (NY Times) Feast your eyes on the first image of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way (Ars Technica) This is the first image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy (MIT Technology Review) Scientists Have Revived a Glimmer of Activity in Human Eyes After Death (ScienceAlert) Light after death: scientists revive human eyes (Scripps Research) Life after death for the human eye: Vision scientists revive light-sensing cells in organ donor eyes (ScienceDaily) Dolly Parton to star in a musical on TikTok about Taco Bell's Mexican pizza (NBC News) Taco Bell is bringing back a fan-favorite menu item (CNN) Doja Cat's Mexican Pizza beat (Doja Cat, TikTok) Mexican Pizza: The Musical by Doja Cat. (Victor Kunda, TikTok) G-strings in the mist: 'You wouldn't expect Jane Goodall to be fronting a campaign for underwear' (The Guardian) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How data can help us find happiness in romantic relationships, or at least tell us why we’re dating all wrong. Plus, it turns out sleep-deprivation can affect how we see other people. And a new website for finding and reporting dinosaur sightings in your area, and around the world. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/start Links: People Are Dating All Wrong, According to Data Science (Wired) Being Sleep-Deprived Actually Changes The Way We See Other People (ScienceAlert) Acute sleep loss may alter the way we see others (Uppsala Universitet) Sleep: here's how much you really need for optimal cognition and wellbeing – new research (The Conversation) 'Jurassic World: Dominion' Gives Fans a Way to Track Dinos (The Mary Sue) Dinotracker Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the summer of 1982 changed movies forever––for better or worse. Plus, a study justifying why teenagers suck at listening to their parents. And, how to watch this weekend’s total eclipse of the moon. Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/start Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: How the summer of 1982 changed movies forever (A/V Club) New Study Reveals The Reason Teens Seem to Tune Out Their Mom's Voice (ScienceAlert) The teen brain tunes in less to Mom's voice, more to unfamiliar voices, study finds (Stanford) See the fiery Blood Moon rise in a total lunar eclipse in May's must-see skywatching event (Space.com) Watch the total lunar eclipse of May 2022: Super Blood Moon webcasts (Space.com) Blood Moon total lunar eclipse 2022: Everything you need to know (Space.com) May 15–16, 2022 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) (Time and Date) 'Good Night Oppy': Documentary About the Opportunity Mars Rover to Release in November (Collider) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the 50’s sci-fi horror film The Blob was actually a ripped-from-the-headlines story. Plus, potential cancer treatments involving magnets and dirt. And would you undergo a fecal transplant to reverse signs of aging? It could be an option in the future. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/start Links: The (Sort of) True Story Behind 'The Blob' (Mental Floss) The Blob from THE BLOB Was Based on a Real-life... Blob (Nerdist) The Weird, True Life Incident That Inspired “The Blob” (Rue Morgue) The Blob Was Based On A True Story (Gizmodo) Magnets made by soil bacteria offer hope for breast and prostate cancer (The Guardian) Oncolytic Virus Therapy (Cancer Research Institute) Fecal transplants reverse hallmarks of aging (ScienceDaily) Ncuti Gatwa is the new star of Doctor Who (A/V Club) Steven Knight to create 2 Tone drama in Birmingham (BBC) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much can we blame Charles Dickens for the persisting archetype of creepy clowns? Who and what other cultural factors over the centuries contributed to so many people being whigged out by clowns? Plus, we now know the (general) location of where Forrest Fenn’s treasure chest was found. And a round-up of media recommendations for your weekend, based on stories I’ve covered previously on the show. Sponsors: Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Links: Here We Are Again!—How Joseph Grimaldi Invented the Creepy Clown (JSTOR Daily) Hospital clown images 'too scary' (BBC News) The psychology behind why clowns creep us out (The Conversation) The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary (Smithsonian Magazine) Revealed: Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Was Hidden in This National Park (Outside Online) Fenn Treasure coverage #1 (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Fenn Treasure coverage #2 (Cool Stuff Ride Home) The Found Footage Festival Chop and Steele documentary #dracula daily on Tumblr Belle and Sebastian: A Bit of Previous Album Review (Pitchfork) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A deep dive into the question of whether pop culture has become completely dominated by franchises and the same superstars; and, if so, how new that phenomenon actually is and, if it’s really a bad thing in the end. Sponsors: Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Links: Pop Culture Has Become an Oligopoly (Experimental History) Cultural Dopes (LA Review of Books) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Margaret Thatcher play a role in the origins of Star Wars Day? Plus, why human hibernation for long-distance space travel might not actually be worth it. And a redone Bob Dylan recording on an all-new analog medium, coming this Friday. Sponsors: Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Links: May the 4th Be With You: A Cultural History (Star Wars) A Brief History of Star Wars Day (MovieWeb) May the Fourth: What is Star Wars Day and when did it start? (USA Today) May the Fourth kicks off with a new Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer (A/V Club) "Meet Me in Mustafar" (Blue Milk Run, Bandcamp) On May the 4th, let's remember the time NPR had a 'Star Wars' radio drama (NPR) Star Wars: A New Hope Radio Drama - Nigel's Edit (Nigel Langes, YouTube) May the Fourth, Rex Manning Day, and 10 More Made-Up Movie and TV Holidays (LifeHacker) May The Force Be With You / May the 4th Be With You (Know Your Meme) Here's Why Hibernation in Space May Not Be Possible For Humans After All (ScienceAlert) Hibernate for a trip to Mars, the bear way (European Space Agency) Team Behind First Black Hole Image Set to Announce 'Groundbreaking' Milky Way Discovery (Gizmodo) Bob Dylan to Release New Version of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (Consequence of Sound) "Suburban Homesick Blues" (Mount Righteous, YouTube) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why doesn’t the US get all the cool chip flavors that other countries do? Plus, scientists have figured out a way to breakdown plastic in just a few days, instead of over centuries. And why a bunch of creepy dolls keeping washing ashore along the gulf coast in Texas. Sponsors: Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Links: Why Are American Chips So Boring? (Eater) Plastic-Eating Enzyme Could Gobble Up Tons and Tons of Waste (Futurity) Scientists Discover Method to Break Down Plastic In Days, Not Centuries (Vice) Creepy dolls keep washing up on this stretch on Texas coastline. 'A lot of nightmares' (Star-Telegram) Why Have Garfield Phones Been Washing Ashore in France for 30 Years? (Smithsonian Magazine) Tropicana wants you to pour orange juice on cereal (CNN) Wed. 11/03 - The McRib, Space Tacos, and Tropicana Toothpaste (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why it’s time for you to waste time. Plus, a café in Tokyo that doesn’t let people leave until they’ve successfully hit their writing goals. And a possibly sustainable use for the ungodly amounts of disposable masks we’ve thrown out in the last two years? Sponsors: Novo, Sign up for a free business checking account and get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts at novo.co/kottke Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Links: Coffee, tea and nagging at Japan's anti-procrastination cafe (Reuters) How to tackle 'wasted-time worry' – and why it's important (Metro News) I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt by Madeleine Dore There might finally be a good use for all those disposable masks (Mic) Disposable masks could be used to improve concrete (ScienceDaily) China banned Spider-Man: No Way Home because of Statue of Liberty scene (Consequence of Film) Gay references removed from Fantastic Beasts 3 for Chinese release (The Guardian) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How an innocent trip to the library could give you arsenic poisoning. Plus, a new pterosaur fossil seems to confirm the prehistoric reptiles had some pretty cool feathers. And, how would you like to meditate with Yoda and Chewbacca? Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: Poison Book Project (Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library) These green books are poisonous—and one may be on a shelf near you (National Geographic) Prussian blue and its partner in crime (Journal of Art in Society) When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut and Adrian Nathan West Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery (ScienceDaily) This ancient creature developed feathers long before the dinosaurs (Inverse) Fossil of Sick Pterosaur Crest Reveals Clues to Feather Color (Gizmodo) Star Wars and Headspace let you practice mindfulness in a galaxy far, far away (Mashable) Best Star Wars Day Deals: Early Discounts Available Ahead Of May The 4th (Gamespot) Gene Wilder Documentary in the Works at White Horse Pictures (Collider) It's Always Something a book by Gilda Radner Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada has become the first country to release census data on their trans and nonbinary population. Plus, a new study showing how the climate emergency could fuel future pandemics. And, in lighter news, some MIT engineers 3D printed a new device to study why Oreos rarely split the cream filling evenly when you twist them apart. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: Canada becomes first country to release census data on trans and non-binary population (Xtra Magazine) BC has Canada's 3rd-highest number of transgender, non-binary people per capita, latest census shows (CBC) New Study Finds Climate Change Could Spark the Next Pandemic (Georgetown University Medical Center) 'Potentially devastating': Climate crisis may fuel future pandemics (The Guardian) Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds (NY Times) MIT engineers introduce the Oreometer (MIT News) Files and "how-to" for the Oreometer design files (Crystal Owens, Github) Why Do Oreos Never Come Apart Evenly?: MIT Researchers Build an "Oreometer" to Find the Answer (Open Culture) Michael J. Fox Documentary From Davis Guggenheim Headed to Apple (Collider) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The moon has a bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation going on that astronomers have never been able to definitively explain, but a new study suggests it could be the result of a massive impact four billion years ago. Plus, yoga for your eyes? What is it and does it actually do anything? And the US is officially saying good riddance to incandescent light bulbs. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: Did A Whopping Huge Impact At Its South Pole Cause Our Moon To Be Two-Faced? (Syfy Wire) Differences between the Moon's near and far sides linked to colossal ancient impact (Brown University) Does eye yoga actually improve your vision? (Mic) 10 Minute Yoga Break - Netra Vyayamam - Yogic Eye Exercises - A Tonic for Too Much Screen Time (Amanda Parr SoulScuba Yoga & Diving, YouTube) Eye Exercises | Daily Yoga for Eyes (Yogalates With Rashmi, YouTube) Say Goodbye to Incandescent Light Bulbs (Gizmodo) Dracula Daily (Substack) Someone is serializing Dracula in real time over email (Boing Boing) Romeo and Juliet get Twitter treatment (The Guardian) The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, YouTube) The Look Back Diaries Episode 1 (Ashley Clements, YouTube) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the CIA funded that 1954 animated adaptation of Animal Farm as part of their anti-communist propaganda campaign. Plus, the woman who found out she’d been missing a chunk of her brain for most of her life without realizing. And why more and more rivers are being granted legal personhood. Sponsors: Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Links: The cartoon that came in from the cold (The Guardian, 2003) How the CIA Played Dirty Tricks With Culture (NY Times, 2000) All Propaganda is Dangerous, but Some are More Dangerous than Others: George Orwell and the Use of Literature as Propaganda (JSTOR) Keeping It All in the (Nuclear) Family: Big Brother, Auntie BBC, Uncle Sam and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (Frames Cinema Journal) She Was Missing a Chunk of Her Brain. It Didn't Matter (Wired) This woman is living without a cerebellum. How is that possible? (Vox) This Canadian river is now legally a person. It's not the only one. (National Geographic) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The secret, anti-monopolist history of the Monopoly board game. Plus, why we’re all having trouble remembering things right now, and how we can strengthen our memories going forward. Sponsors: I Am Bio, Subscribe at bio.org/podcast Munk Pack, Use code KRH at Munkpack.com for 20% off your first purchase Links: The Secret Left-Wing History of 'Monopoly' (Discourse Blog) Who Really Invented Monopoly? (Smithsonian, YouTube) Monopoly's Inventor: The Progressive Who Didn't Pass 'Go' (NY Times) The Board Game Trial of the Century (Mental Floss) The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game by Mary Pilon Why We're All Forgetting Things Right Now (Wall Street Journal) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did some cultures develop tastes for particularly spicy foods and others didn’t? Plus, the Museum of Endangered Sounds. And an upcoming documentary from Alex Winter about radicalization on social media. Sponsors: Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Links: How—and Why—Did Cultural Tastes for Spicy Food Develop? (Literary Hub) Darwinian Gastronomy: Why We Use Spices: Spices taste good because they are good for us (Oxford Academic) Antimicrobial functions of spices: why some like it hot (Harvard, PDF) Museum of Endangered Sounds Where the Sounds of Your Childhood Go to Rest (MEL) Saving the Sounds of the Early 20th Century (Atlas Obscura) 'The Youtube Effect' Teaser: Alex Winter's Documentary Examines Radicalization and Misinformation (Collider) Rabbit Hole (NY Times) Feels Good Man | Films | Battle to Take Pepe the Frog Back (PBS) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing the sport of extreme sitting. Plus, a new study that suggests fungi might be communicating with each other via electrical impulses. And, Sir David Attenborough has been named Champion of the Earth. Sponsors: Shopify, Get a 14-day free trial at shopify.com/kottke Outer, Get $300 off and free shipping at liveouter.com/kottke Links: Tue. 01/25 - Extreme Ironing: Can You Take The Heat? (Cool Stuff Ride Home) Meet the Man Who Wants to Make Sitting an Extreme Sport (Atlas Obscura) About Desert Sitting (Desert Sitting) How to explain a day 'desert sitting': Social distancing as endurance sport (Travel Weekly) Desert Sitting documentary (Desert Sitting) Fungi May Be Communicating in a Way That Looks Uncannily Like Human Speech (ScienceAlert) Mushrooms communicate with each other using up to 50 'words', scientist claims (The Guardian) The Fungus Among Us May Have Their Own Mushroom Language (Nerdist) Sir David Attenborough named Champion of the Earth by UN (BBC) Dinosaurs: The Final Day With David Attenborough review – a thrilling slice of time-travelling detective work (The Guardian) Jackson Bird on Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices