Cool Stuff Daily

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 Burden (The Atlantic) Privacy and efficacy concerns remain for New York's vaccine passport apps (NBC News) IKEA Made a Swedish Meatball Scented Candle (Food and Wine) ARROW WEIRD Make Your Home Smell Like Swedish Meatballs With IKEA's New HUVUDROLL Candle (Mental Floss) Ikea's First Smart Air Purifier Comes Camouflaged as a Side Table (Gizmodo) NASA, Boeing Continue Starliner Data Analysis (NASA) SpaceX is hiring a 'Spaceport Mixologist' to make cocktails (The Verge) Kottke.Org 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 six countries most likely to survive all-out societal collapse from climate change. Why is snow on the Alps turning red? And a website that will transport you back to sleepy nights in front of the TV in the early 2000s. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: These 6 countries are most likely to survive a climate change-caused societal collapse (Mic) Study: Which Countries Will Best Survive a Collapse? (NY Times) Chocolate "snow" dusts Swiss town after malfunction at Lindt factory (CBS) The secrets of the Alps' strange red snow (BBC) What 'Glacier Blood' on the French Alps Tells Scientists About Climate Change at High Elevations (Smithsonian Mag) Glacier Blood? Watermelon Snow? Whatever It’s Called, Snow Shouldn’t Be So Red. (NY Times) You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD History of Dean Kamen's Segway: The mysterious invention was going to change the world, and I helped kill it. (Slate) Bargaining for Clean Water: Why Dean Kamen Invented the Coca-Cola Freestyle (Bio Huma Netics) Kottke.Org 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

Edgar Allan Poe wasn’t just the sad author of spooky tales we all know and love, but also a passionate science journalist, and the writings he left behind can tell us a lot about our current relationship to misinformation and science communication. Plus, Starbucks officially sells more cold drinks than hot ones now, by a lot. What’s responsible for the trend and how do baristas feel about it? And the newly re-dubbed Cleveland Guardians can’t catch a break when it comes to their team name. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Edgar Allan Poe science writing: His forgotten journalism has a lesson about COVID. (Slate) Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History by Kurt Andersen Starbucks Becoming 'Frappuccino Factory' Amid Cold Drinks Boom (Business Insider) Here's why Starbucks sells so many frozen drinks (The Takeout) Starbucks pushing high-end coffee, might raise prices (The Takeout) Starbucks, Facing Higher Costs, Pushes Upscale Coffee (Wall Street Journal) Cleveland baseball team now in fight with roller derby team over the name Guardians (Deadspin) Kottke.Org 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

What makes an Olympic sport an Olympic sport? And what does it take to get cut from the lineup? Namely, why is baseball getting cut once again in 2024, but breakdancing will make its Olympic debut? A breakdown of how it works. Plus, Boeing is trying again for a successful launch of their CST-100 Starliner tomorrow afternoon. What went wrong last time and what’s at stake? And, the mysterious jetpack man has returned to the Los Angeles airspace. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: From skateboarding to surfing, 6 new Olympics sports will appear at the Tokyo Games (Vox) Tokyo Olympics embrace fun of mixed events (Sports Illustrated) Mixed-Gender Relays Make Their Olympic Debut (NY Times) Boeing’s second Starliner mission to the ISS is a make-or-break moment (MIT Technology Review) NASA, Boeing launch Starliner to the ISS: How to watch test flight live (CNET) All eyes on weather as Boeing looks to Starliner launch on Tuesday (Space) NASA Updates Coverage, Viewing Options for Starliner Launch (NASA) What happened on the International Space Station when Russian module's thrusters misfired? (Washington Post) ‘Possible jetpack man in sight,’ LAX air traffic control reports (LA Times) "Jetpack Man" returns to menace the skies of LA once more (A/V Club) Mysterious 'Jetpack Guy' Could Actually Be a Drone (Gizmodo) Kottke.Org 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

I read a BuzzFeed article about virality and go on a rant about the creator economy. PornHub has a new campaign to help bolster museum tourism. And we may have found a fingerprint from Michelangelo… on a statue’s butt. Sponsor: Green Chef, go to GreenChef.com/kottke100 and use code kottke100 to get $100 off including free shipping Links: His Video Got 75 Million Views But He Didn't Make A Cent (BuzzFeed News) I took Pornhub’s tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s nudes (Input Mag) Classic Nudes Michelangelo's fingerprint possibly found on butt of wax statue (Live Science) Michelangelo's thumb print seen in BBC Two's Secrets of the Museum (BBC) Kottke.Org 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 could take you months to get a new sofa. Kids are trying to get out of class by using soda to fake positive COVID tests. And how to reinvigorate your health with a “microadventure.” Sponsor: Green Chef, go to GreenChef.com/kottke100 and use code kottke100 to get $100 off including free shipping Links: The reason there's a furniture shortage (sorry, couch and table buyers). (Slate) COVID-19: kids are using soft drinks to fake positive tests – I've worked out the science and how to spot it (The Conversation) Who Needs the Grand Canyon? Try a Microadventure. (NY Times) Kottke.Org 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 a task force prevented the COVID-19 vaccines from being hacked because, yes, that was a real and valid concern. Plus, the sometimes controversial history of timekeeping at the Olympics and the AI-based innovations introduced this year. And, how the garbage industry is a lucrative one in the US because of course. Sponsor: Green Chef, go to GreenChef.com/kottke100 and use code kottke100 to get $100 off including free shipping Links: The COVID-19 vaccines weren’t hacked — this task force is one reason why (The Verge) Thu. 10/22 - The Rare Tree Needed for a COVID-19 Vaccine (Kottke Ride Home) Wed. 12/16 - What Pfizer Can Learn From Dippin’ Dots (Kottke Ride Home) Fri. 07/23 - Time Keeps on Slipping, Slipping, Slipping (Kottke Ride Home) What Happened to Milorad Cavic? (The Ringer) How AI Will Help Keep Time at the Tokyo Olympics (Wired) How the garbage industry outperformed the market (CNBC) Here's why we call this time of year the 'dog days' of summer (National Geographic) Fri. 07/10 - Groceries Delivered Via Puppy (Kottke Ride Home) Kottke.Org 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 billboard advertising. The surprisingly big challenge of recycling bowling balls. And the YouTube Creator who just got hired by Lucasfilm. Sponsor: Green Chef, go to GreenChef.com/kottke100 and use code kottke100 to get $100 off including free shipping Links: Billboard History: How Outdoor Advertising Came to Cover the Landscape (Tedium) Ford Wants to Bring Billboards Inside Your Car, Beamed to the Dashboard Screen (Motor Trend) Giant cat on 3D illusion jumbo display in Tokyo Shinjuku Japan (Kotaku) Meet 'The Giant.' a 10-story movable statue that could come to Phoenix (AZ Central) No, You Can’t Recycle a Bowling Ball (But People Sure Keep Trying) (Curbed) Wed. July 14th episode about bowling balls under the man's house (Kottke Ride Home) Lucasfilm hires the YouTube deepfaker who put its Luke, Leia and Tarkin cameos to shame (The Verge) Kottke.Org 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 look back at when the Olympics used to give out medals in artistic categories, including the designing of Olympic medals, and the case for why they should bring that back this year in particular. Plus, some more background on how the wildfires on the west coast of Canada and the US are affecting weather and health all the way in New York City and beyond. And, the Cleveland baseball team has officially changed their name––something they used to do quite a bit around the turn of the century. Sponsor: Green Chef, go to GreenChef.com/kottke100 and use code kottke100 to get $100 off including free shipping Links: The Olympics Could Be a Covid-19 ‘Super-Evolutionary Event’ (Wired) Olympic pictogram sequence: The Opening Ceremony highlight for many, but what was it all about? (Olympics) Olympic Pictograms: Design through History – Media Made Great (Media Made Great) When the Olympics Gave Out Medals for Making Medals (Mental Floss) Remember When the Olympics Used to Have an Art Competition? No? (The Atlantic) 2020 Tokyo Olympics: Medals made from recycled metal are unveiled (Washington Post) How can smoke from West Coast fires cause red sunsets in New York? (The Conversation) Wildfire Smoke Makes Sun Glow Red in New York City (NY Mag) The Bootleg Fire Is Now Generating Its Own Weather? (NY Times) See How Wildfire Smoke Spread Across America (NY Times) Cleveland's MLB team rebrands as 'Guardians,' dropping 'Indians' name (Washington Post) Cleveland's baseball team goes from Indians to Guardians (Indian Country Today) Tokyo Olympics: 13-Year-Old Stars Win Women's Skateboarding (Time) Glenn Fleishman on Twitter Kottke.Org 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

Rounding errors may cause winners to become losers and losers winners, Bezos and James Webb both fall to Earth, and beyond lobster shortages, now crabs. Links: The floating point: Rounding error in timing devices (American Journal of Physics) Apple’s weather app won’t say it’s 69 degrees (The Verge) Progressives call out Jeff Bezos’s space flight as “self-indulgent” and renew calls for wealth tax (CNN) NASA investigates renaming James Webb telescope after anti-LGBT+ claims (Nature) Consider the $34 Lobster Roll (New York Times) Record lobster prices sign of sky-high demand (SeafoodSource) Mysterious blue crab shortage spawns big-time sticker shock (E&E News) Glenn on Twitter (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

Your payments for dog walking and, er, “love hotels” via Venmo are now no longer subject to global scrutiny, neutron stars have wee tiny mountains, smaller than predicted, pool parties by the hour via Swimply, and former Colombian guerrillas tour you through the beauty of the jungle they still inhabit. Links: Venmo drops the global social feed that could make your payments visible to strangers (The Verge) The Venmo App You Know and Love Now Has a New Look and Feel (PayPal Newsroom) Venmo payment records reveal a vast network of young women received money from Rep. Matt Gaetz’s associate, the accused sex trafficker Joel Greenberg (The Daily Beast) Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg scheduled to be sentenced in August (CNN) We Found Joe Biden’s Secret Venmo. Here’s Why That’s A Privacy Nightmare For Everyone. (Buzzfeed) Venmo Will Now Let You Hide Your Friend List Because We Found Biden’s Account (Buzzfeed) Thanks to Venmo, We Now All Know How Cheap Our Friends Are (New York Times) Modelling neutron star mountains paper (F. Gittins, N. Andersson, and D. I. Jones) Gravitational waves from star-eating black holes detected on Earth (The Guardian) An ‘Airbnb for Pools’ Is Making a Splash This Summer (Wall Street Journal) Swimply Oklahoma City homeowners cashing in on the ‘Airbnb for your pool’ (The Oklahoman) Is There a Urine Detector for Swimming Pools? (ThoughtCo) Tourists In Colombia Can Now Take Jungle Hikes With Ex-FARC Guerrilla Guides (NPR) FARC Wants You to Come Stay in the Jungle—Voluntarily (The Daily Beast) Glenn on Twitter (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 did paper sizes fall into their century-long groove, how low-wage workers seem to have the upper hand in the job market despite pandemic job losses, and the very newest, freshest words are in. Links: The Reason Why a Standard Piece of Paper Is 8.5 Inches by 11 Inches (Mental Floss) Grandma’s Cooking Secret (Snopes) Who decided our paper should measure 8.5” x 11”? (International Paper Company) Library of Congress Bibles Collection (Library of Congress) The Article About Paper Sizes You Didn’t Know You Needed (Modus) International standard paper sizes (Markus Kuhn) Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic, June 15, 2021 (Congressional Research Service) Low Pay, No Benefits, Rude Customers: Restaurant Workers Quit At Record Rate (NPR) Oof, Y’all, Dictionary.com Just Added Over 300 New Words And Definitions (NPR) From “5G” to “Zaddy”: Dictionary.com Adds Over 300 New Words And Definitions (Dictionary.com) A Word on ‘Descriptive’ and ‘Prescriptive’ Defining (Merriam-Webster) ‘Fewer’ and ‘Less’ (Merriam-Webster) Should “Decimate” be Annihilated? (OUPblog) Glenn on Twitter (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

Was the Chinese seed scare of mid-2020 just a matter of delayed orders and pandemic memory? The Ever Green clogging the Suez Canal is probably a sign of things to come, not a one-off accident. And Wally Funk returns from space—oh, also, Jeff Bezos was there and he gave a bunch of money to the Smithsonian. Links: 2016 clown sightings (Wikipedia) Invasion of the Clowns (New York Times) The Truth Behind the Amazon Mystery Seeds (The Atlantic) What Changes to the Universal Postal Union Treaty Mean for Your Business (Red Stag Fulfillment) How One of the World’s Biggest Ships Jammed the Suez Canal (New York Times) Six Days in Suez: The Inside Story of the Ship That Broke Global Trade (Bloomberg News) Columbia River​Maritime Museum The 20-Ton Packet (Wired) Mary Robinette Kowal’s Web site Bezos Launches to Space, Aiming to Reignite His Rocket Company’s Ambitions (New York Times) Jeff Bezos Gives $200 Million to National Air and Space Museum (New York Times) Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to Begin Seven-Year Renovation (Smithsonian) National Air and Space Museum Receives $60 Million Pledge for its Dulles Center (Smithsonian) You Could Win a Seat on One of the First Virgin Galactic Space Flights (Mental Floss) David Koch, one half of controversial Koch brothers, donates $35 million to Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (MassLive) Smithsonian Stands By Wildly Misleading Climate Change Exhibit Paid For By Kochs (ThinkProgress) We are cultivating a movement to expand access to space for all of humanity (Space for Humanity) Glenn on Twitter (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

Coca-Cola brings your dead taste buds back to life with a new Coke Zero formulation that probably definitely certainly won’t produce a New Coke outrage, Olympic athletes can perform team gymnastics on the beds provided in Japan, and how to watch Jeff Bezos fly into space with all his money. All that and duck-tape fashion. Links: Coca-Cola Is Changing the Flavor of a Soda. Again. (New York Times) The Story of One of the Most Memorable Marketing Blunders Ever (Coca-Cola Company) Don Keough Speech Classic Coke Poochie (Simpsons Wiki) Goodbye, Poochie (YouTube) New Coke Didn’t Fail. It Was Murdered (Mother Jones) Was the ‘New Coke’ Fiasco Just a Clever Marketing Ploy? (Snopes) ‘Old Coke’ Booster Can’t Taste the Difference (AP) The Real Coke, the Real Story by Thomas Oliver (Penguin Random House) Anti-sex beds tweet by Rhys McClenaghan (Twitter) “Thanks for debunking the myth” from the official Olympics account (Twitter) ‘Anti-Sex’ Beds in the Olympic Village? A Social Media Theory Is Soon Debunked (New York Times) Why some athletes at the Tokyo Olympics won’t be vaccinated (Axios) SpaceX’s 22nd Cargo Resupply Mission Underway as Dragon Journeys to Station (NASA) As Artemis Moves Forward, NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon (NASA) Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic crew go to the edge of space and back (Los Angeles Times) How to Watch Jeff Bezos Go to Space (Wired) 2021 Stuck At Prom Entry Gallery (Duck Brand duct tape) Glenn on Twitter (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 flood of robocalls may soon abate due to a technology named after James Bond’s martini instructions to bartenders, an ethical debate over whether we can revive the dead’s voices to simulate what they said or wrote in life after a documentary filmmaker deep-faked Anthony Bourdain, and dropping fish from planes, Among Us in Irish, and the Hubble, rebooted. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: How Do You Stop Robocalls? (New York Times) National Do Not Call Registry FAQs (FTC) Robocall Mitigation Database (FCC) A new Android feature tells you why someone’s calling so you know who to ignore (Input magazine) Caller ID Authentication May Tame the Scourge of Spam Calls (TidBITS) Use the AT&T Call Protect app (AT&T) Scam Shield (T-Mobile) Screen and automatically block incoming spam calls for free with Call Filter (Verizon) An AI Bourdain Speaks From the Grave (Kottke.org) A Haunting New Documentary About Anthony Bourdain (The New Yorker) What Was Anthony Bourdain Searching For? (GQ) Ottavia Bourdain denying she gave approval (her Twitter account) Anthony Bourdain’s ex-wife says she didn’t say he’d be okay with recreating his voice for documentary (EW) Voice clone of Anthony Bourdain prompts synthetic media ethics questions (Tech Policy Press) Helen Rosner on the Bourdain deep-fake audio (Twitter) Fred Astaire dances with vacuums in commercials set for Super Bowl debut (AP) A Plane in Utah Lets the Fish Fly (New York Times) Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources has released footage of an airplane dumping fish from the air into a lake (NPR’s Instagram account) Among Us gets an official Irish translation (The Verge) NASA Successfully Switches to Backup Hardware on Hubble Space Telescope (NASA) Orkestra Obsolete play Blue Monday using 1930s instruments (BBC Arts) New Order, olden style: A unique take on Blue Monday (BBC Arts) More Cover Songs from the Man Behind Orkestra Obsolete’s ‘Blue Monday’ (Dangerous Minds) 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 not mind reading, but a man’s ability to convey words is partially restored through electrodes and machine learning; NASA carefully prepares to press Control-Alt-Delete on the Hubble Space Telescope; look to the skies, the Perseids are coming; inexplicable black ice worms emerge by the billions from glaciers; and happy 22nd birthday, MetaFilter. Sponsors: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Tapping into the Brain to Help a Paralyzed Man Speak (New York Times) ‘Neuroprosthesis’ restores words to man with paralysis (Science Daily) Neuroprosthesis for Decoding Speech in a Paralyzed Person with Anarthria (New England Journal of Medicine) BCI milestone: New research from UCSF with support from Facebook shows the potential of brain-computer interfaces for restoring speech communication (Facebook Reality Labs) Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (NASA) In praise of celestial mechanics (The Economist) James Webb Space Telescope (Wikipedia) Webb Space Telescope Launch Delayed (EarthSky) The ‘Best Meteor Shower Of The Year’ Is Happening. Here’s How You Can See It (NPR) Perseid Meteors 2021: All You Need To Know (EarthSky) It’s Summer, And That Means The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms (NPR) Happy birthday, Metafilter! (MetaFilter) Glenn on Twitter (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 all greeked to me, some new history about the old text “lorem ipsum”; Europa may hide its secrets more deeply than previously thought; and a man happily discovers 160 bowling bowls under his house. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: Lorem Ipsum: Filler Fail, Killer Tale (Antigone) De finibus bonorum et malorum (Internet Archive) Description of the “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” text that appears in Word Help (Microsoft Support) What does the filler text “lorem ipsum” mean? (The Straight Dope) The History of Lorem Ipsum (Priceonomics) Lorem ipsum : nouvel état de la question (Hypotheses) Letraset Lorem Ipsum.jpg (Wikimedia Commons) Europa: Ocean Moon (NASA) Impact gardening on Europa and repercussions for possible biosignatures Muskegon County man unearths more than 150 bowling balls during renovations (Detroit Free Press) David Olson’s Facebook account of finding the bowling bowls (Facebook) Help the Bowling Ball man fund (GoFundMe) Flong Time No See (YouTube) Glenn on Twitter (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

Archeologists dig up a massive cache of 15th century metal printing type in South Korea, a baby beaver is born in Exmoor, what if ice cream but also macaroni and cheese, a video-game breaks records and may indicate a sales bubble, and Nic Cage’s Pig: probably good? Sponsors: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Earliest Hangeul metal movable type blocks excavated in Seoul (Korea Times) Goryeo Metal Type (918–1392 era) (National Museum of Korea) Seoul lifts development ban on Insa-dong (Korea Herald) Want to know about Hangeul? (National Institute of Korean Language) Baby beaver born on Exmoor for first time in 400 years (The Guardian) First baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years (BBC News) ‘Drivers of change’: beavers released on National Trust land to ease flooding risk (The Guardian) Van Leeuwen and Kraft debut mac and cheese-flavored ice cream (New York Post) Sealed Mario 64’s Record-Breaking $1.5M Sale Has Retro Experts Skeptical Ultra-Rare Zelda Cart Fetching 6 Digits Before Auction Even Begins (Update: Sold For $870,000) (Kotaku) Kelsey Lewin on Super Mario 64 sale (Twitter) Pat Contri on Super Mario 64 sale (Twitter) Nicolas Cage on his legacy, his philosophy of acting and his metaphorical — and literal — search for the Holy Grail. (Hollywood Reporter) Pig is so much richer and stranger than the Nicolas Cage revenge thriller it appears to be (AV Club) Strandbeest Glenn on Twitter The Tiny Type Museum & Time Capsule Glenn’s type artifact photos (Flickr) 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

Houseplants became Instagram models in 2020 driving sales up by billions and overwhelming mail-order and garden-supply stores; we know a lot more about the bulbous shape of the sun’s shield against the ravages of the interstellar medium due to data gathered over a decade; and creators learn more about reclaiming their copyright after decades have passed. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: How the Pandemic Has Changed the Houseplant Industry—and Why (House Beautiful) Are all those houseplants people got during COVID still alive? (APM Markpetplace) Partly Sunny Projects (Sonja Detrinidad) Demand outpacing supply on house plants during pandemic (KMBC News) Covid lockdowns turned buying plants into the next big pandemic trend — for good reason (NBC News THINK) Q&A: What Causes Variegation? (Horticulture Magazine) New Zealand houseplant sells for $19,200 in online bidding war (CNN) Rhaphidophora tetrasperma (Exotic Rainforest) The Effects of The Number of Indoor Foliage Plants on Productivity, Stress and Attention (CLIMA 2013 International Conference) The solar wind bubble that protects Earth has been mapped for the first time (MIT Technology Review) A Three-dimensional Map of the Heliosphere from IBEX (The Astrophysical Journal Supplement) Who’s Gotten Their Copyright Back? (Kottke.org) George Clinton Denied Rights to His Own Work (MTV) George Clinton Wins Funkadelic Rights (New York Times) U.S. Copyright Termination Notices 1977-2020: Introducing New Datasets (Journal of Empirical Legal Studies) Termination of Transfers and Licenses Under 17 U.S.C. §203 (U.S. Copyright Office) Quantifying copyright reversion (Cory Doctorow’s Pluralistic) 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

New findings in the debate about whether the dinosaurs were actually already in a sharp decline before the asteroid hit the Earth. A rumination on private ownership and how, by 2030, we might not own anything at all, just subscribe to services. And an upcoming Pride and Prejudice-themed reality dating show. Links: Scientists propose wild new theory for what originally killed the dinosaurs (Inverse) Dinosaurs May Have Been Declining Before the Asteroid Struck Earth (Smithsonian Mag) Dinosaurs were in decline before the end, according to new study (EurekAlert) Dinosaurs Were Already Going Extinct Before Asteroid Hit Earth: Study (Business Insider) Dinosaurs were not in decline before the asteroid wiped them out (Natural History Museum) Hot Dinosaur Summer (NY Times) In 2030, You Won't Own Any Gadgets (Gizmodo) Peacock orders Pride And Prejudice-style dating show (A/V Club) ‘Pride and Prejudice’-Inspired Reality Dating Show Ordered at Peacock (Variety) Glenn Fleishman on Twitter The Tiny Type Museum and Time Capsule Take Control Books – Expert Advice from Leading Tech Authors by Glenn Fleishman Kottke.Org 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

Could lead poisoning have led to the fall of Rome? The Australian craft brewery using algae to offset their carbon emissions. And Moderna has started human trials of their mRNA flu vaccine. Sponsor: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: The White House killed William Henry Harrison (Washington Post) How Lead (Maybe?) Caused the Downfall of the Roman Empire (Reactions, YouTube) Did lead poisoning cause downfall of Roman Empire? The jury is still out (Ars Technica) Why ancient Rome kept choosing bizarre and perverted emperors (Vox) The first artificial sweetener poisoned lots of Romans (Gizmodo) Cities With the Most Contaminated Tap Water in the US (Business Insider) The craft brewery using algae to cut emissions (BBC) 'What the hell is that?': Brewery uses algae to reduce carbon emissions (Sydney Morning Herald) Each sixpack of beer contributes to climate change. 'Going green' might be the solution (ABC Australia) The Algae Project (Young Henrys Brewing) Moderna starts human trials of an mRNA-based flu shot (The Verge) mRNA vaccine yields full protection against malaria in mice: Recent advancements allow for novel approaches against an old enemy (Science Daily) Are mRNA flu shots in the works? Yes, but not for the upcoming flu season. (Washington Post) Moderna to Trial HIV and Flu Vaccines With mRNA Technology (Verywell Health) America used fewer fossil fuels in 2020 than it has in three decades (The Verge) Kottke.Org 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 have a five-day work week and could changes from the pandemic be enough to finally implement the long held fantasy of the four-day work week? Are we looking at a passwordless login landscape in our near future? And vinyl is more popular than CDs, but could disruptions to supply and demand change that? Sponsor: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: Will the post-Covid world include a 4-day workweek? As Kickstarter tests it out, some predict it will catch on (CNBC) Iceland ran the world's largest trial of a shorter work week. The results will (not) shock you. (Mashable) Four-day week 'an overwhelming success' in Iceland (BBC) Where the Five-Day Workweek Came From (The Atlantic) Why the Password Isn't Dead Quite Yet (Wired) The time is right to embrace passwordless authentication (Tech HQ) 5 Best Password Managers: Features, Pricing, and Tips (Wired) Vinyl Is More Popular Than Ever. Surprisingly, That's a Problem (Vice) The Pandemic Caused An Explosion In Vinyl Demand – Here’s Why The Music Industry Can’t Meet It (Billboard) We Are Living in a Climate Emergency, and We’re Going to Say So (Scientific American) Kottke.Org 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 restaurant that inspired Taco Bell, its larger legacy, and the question of authenticity. Plus, the new species of beetle that was discovered in some fossilized dinosaur dung. And the communities of people who devote their time to uncovering the mystery of dogman. Sponsor: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: How Taco Bell 'stole' the taco (BBC) Newsletter: The best thing our restaurant critic ate this summer (LA Times) Perspective | I’m from a Mexican family. Stop expecting me to eat ‘authentic’ food. (Washington Post) Mitla Cafe – San Bernardino, California - Gastro Obscura (Atlas Obscura) Taco Bell Wouldn't Exist Without San Bernardino's Mitla Cafe (Eater) A Triassic Insect Was Found Perfectly Preserved in Dinosaur Poop For The First Time (Science Alert) Over 200 Million Years Ago, Nature Called. It Was Full of Beetles. (NY Times) The Dinosaur That Books by Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, and Garry Parsons (Simon & Schuster) North American Dogman Project - Research, Cryptid (NADP) Dogman Encounters (Report your Dogman Encounters Here!) All About Dogman (r/dogman) Virgin Galactic to launch Richard Branson on July 11, aiming to beat Jeff Bezos to space (CNBC) Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson to Beat Jeff Bezos to Space (Gizmodo) Kottke.Org 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

This week has proven we need air conditioners more than ever, but we also need them to be better than ever. Here are some of the innovations being considered. Plus, one of the women from the secret Mercury 13 program at 1960s NASA is finally getting the chance to go to space this month. And the UAE’s Hope orbiter on Mars has picked up something scientists have never before been able to capture on the red planet. Sponsor: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: How to Prevent Air Conditioners from Heating the Planet (Scientific American) Heat Pumps Are Ready to Have a Moment (Gizmodo) Nowhere Is Ready for This Heat (The Atlantic) Mercury 13 legend Wally Funk will ride with Jeff Bezos to the edge of space (The Verge) Grapevine, Texas, woman going to space with Jeff Bezos (Spectrum Local News) Jeff Bezos picks female aerospace pioneer to launch with him (AP) UAE's Hope Mars orbiter spots elusive aurora on Red Planet (Space) Visions of the Future posters (NASA JPL) Joy Generator (NPR) Kottke.Org 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

What’s with the on-going trend of horror films and TV shows being set in the 1980s? Is sunscreen worse in the United States compared to Europe? And one of the sports returning to the Olympics next month has a deadly precedent. Sponsor: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: Screams, slashers and Thatcher: why horror films are going back to the 80s (The Guardian) Why So Many Modern Horror Movies Are Set In The 1980s (Screen Rant) Are European Sunscreens Better Than Those in the U.S.? (Discover) Peak Performance: The Most Hazardous Sport In Olympic History (Mental Floss) British Mountaineer Kenton Cool's Odd Quest | Outside Online (Outside) Indoor Weekly: History of Climbing as Olympic Sport (Gripped) Kottke.Org 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 exactly were McDonald’s french fries so good back in the day? Why did they change and can the secret original recipe be recreated? Plus, a new sort of post-post-punk subgenre is emerging in the post-Brexit United Kingdom. And, a completely pointless but wonderful website I discovered last week. Links: My Hunt for the Original McDonald's French-Fry Recipe (Atlas Obscura) McMenu Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc (Internet Archive) The New Wave Of Post-Brexit Post-Punk, From Dry Cleaning To Squid (NPR) Sublime Text Kottke.Org 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

As promised on Friday, more information on the so-called Dragon Man––the recently unveiled 140,000-year-old skull that may be a new species of extinct human. The science behind why all your in-person coffee dates since reopening have been so awkward. And a first-of-its-kind study puts a number on the nonbinary population in the US. Links: Discovery of ‘Dragon Man’ Skull in China May Add Species to Human Family Tree (NY Times) Move Over Neanderthals, Newly Discovered ‘Dragon Man’ Might Be Our True Sister Species (Gizmodo) Massive human head in Chinese well forces scientists to rethink evolution (The Guardian) Scientists hail stunning 'Dragon Man' discovery (BBC) Science 'Dragon Man' skull may be new species, shaking up human family tree Hidden down a (National Geographic) The neuroscience behind why your brain may need time to adjust to 'un-social distancing' (The Conversation) The first population estimate of LGBTQ non-binary adults in the US is out. Here's why that's significant. (Washington Post) Groundbreaking Study Finds Over One Million Nonbinary Adults Live in the U.S. (them.) Kottke.Org 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

Researchers have found evidence of a coronavirus epidemic from 20,000 years ago. A new blood test that can detect fifty different types of cancer. And what the lowercase “i” in Apple products stands for and why they stopped using it. Links: A Coronavirus Epidemic Hit 20,000 Years Ago, New Study Finds (NY Times) 20,000 years of coronaviruses (and counting) (Cosmos Magazine) A Coronavirus Epidemic Hit Humanity 20,000 Years Ago, DNA Study Reveals (Science Alert) Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out (The Guardian) Blood test for early detection of cancer: final study results support screening use (Eurek Alert) Why Apple Products Have An 'i' (Apple Explained, YouTube) Why The Apple Watch Wasn't Named iWatch (Apple Explained, YouTube) The Death of Apple's 'i' (Apple Explained, YouTube) How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by Brian McCullough 'Under the Banner of Heaven' Miniseries with Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones Greenlit at FX (Collider) Prophet's Prey (2015) (Showtime) Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer Discovery of ‘Dragon Man’ Skull in China May Add Species to Human Family Tree (NY Times) Kottke.Org 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 growing attempts to put flavor back into our produce because, yes, apparently it left. An update on the lumber industry and what it could mean for the economy overall. And the surprisingly strange things astronauts have done with their dirty laundry, plus the introduction of NASA Tide. Links: How farmers and scientists are engineering your food (BBC) Lumber Prices Are Falling Fast, Turning Hoarders Into Sellers (Wall Street Journal) Lumber price decline supports Powell's view that inflation will prove temporary (Washington Post) Mon. 05/10 - Got Wood? America's Mounting Lumber Problem (Kottke Ride Home) ‘NASA Tide’ will be the first-ever laundry detergent for astronauts (Fast Company) Astronauts' Dirty Laundry (NASA) What We Do in the Shadows Wellington Paranormal CW Trailer (Gizmodo) Kottke.Org 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 very big and very strange comet-ish object has entered our solar system. Some tips to help your body recover from a year of virtual learning, working, and socializing. And the two badass twelve-year-old girls going to the Tokyo Olympics for skateboarding. Links: A huge comet called 2014 UN271 is heading toward the Sun (Syfy’s Bad Astronomy) Visitor From Oort Cloud Could Be Among the Largest Comets Ever Documented (Gizmodo) Unexpected Minor Planet to Visit the Inner Solar System Soon (Kottke) Extremely eccentric minor planet to visit inner solar system this decade The outskirts of our solar (New Atlas) Zoom Nearly Broke My Body. Here’s How to Protect Yours (Wired) Skateboarders Sky Brown & Kokona Hiraki Qualify For 2021 Olympics (Skate World) Two girls head to the Olympics for skateboarding at age 12 (Upworthy) Medals and Tokyo skate spots dished out in Des Moines (Olympics) Honest Trailers | The Fast & The Furious (Honest Trailers, YouTube) Kottke.Org 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 a single-celled yellow slime is changing the way scientists think about intelligence. A new upcycled food label that would let you know when your food has been made with food scraps that would’ve otherwise gone to waste. And everything you need to know about this week’s Strawberry Supermoon. Links: This Weirdly Smart, Creeping Slime Is Redefining Our Understanding of Intelligence (Science Alert) How This Blob Solves Mazes (Wired, YouTube) 'Upcycling' promises to turn food waste into your next meal (The Conversation) Upcycled food trend turns waste into ingredients found on store shelves (CBS News) When to See the 'Strawberry Moon,' the Last Supermoon of 2021 (LifeHacker) Strawberry Moon: Full Moon in June 2021 (Old Farmer’s Almanac) The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon and a Marginal Supermoon – NASA Solar System Exploration (NASA) Moonrise & Moonset Calculator (Old Farmer’s Almanac) Check out this D&D-style choose-your-own-adventure book from Chuck Tingle (Boing Boing) Kottke.Org 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

What will our homes look like in the future and how much has the pandemic shaped that vision? Plus, why are humans so thirsty? And, Brian Eno has found a home for hundreds of his previously unreleased songs. Links: America Should Become a Nation of Renters (Bloomberg) What Will Future Homes Look Like? Filmed in the 1960's - Narrated by Walter Cronkite (16mm Educational Films, YouTube) The New American House - Post-Pandemic Architecture and Design 2021 (Veranda) Human Evolution Led to an Extreme Thirst for Water (Scientific American) Brian Eno Launches His Own Radio Station with Hundreds of Unreleased Tracks: Hear Two Programs (Open Culture) Brian Eno Launches Sonos Radio Station With Unreleased Music (Pitchfork) Kottke.Org 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 species of giant rhino might be the largest land mammal that ever walked the earth. Did you know there are probably dinosaur teeth on the moon? For real. The Girl Scouts have millions of leftover cookies and we must do our part by eating as many as we can. And China sent its first crewed mission up to their new space station yesterday. Sponsors: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP Links: National Geographic Fossils of rhino taller than a giraffe found in China (National Geographic) New Fossil Reveals One of The Largest Land Mammals Ever Found, And It's a Rhino (Science Alert) A giant prehistoric rhino was the biggest land mammal to walk the Earth (CNN) Dinosaur teeth on the moon (Hank Green, TikTok) We Are Pleased To Inform You There Are Probably Dinosaur Remains On The Moon (IFLScience) Asteroid impact excerpt/discussion (Matt Austin, Twitter) The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen Girl Scouts Stuck With Over 15 Million Boxes of Unsold Cookies (NY Times) Be a patriot and buy the Girl Scouts' 15 million extra cookies (A/V Club) China space station: Shenzhou-12 delivers first crew to Tianhe module (BBC) China launches three astronauts to new space station: What to know (CNET) LIVE: China Launches Shenzhou-12 Manned Spaceship (CCTV, YouTube) Tamagotchi’s new smartwatch lets you strap a needy digital pet to your wrist (The Verge) Feels (emoji game) (Games For Crows) Kottke.Org 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 ranking of the top ten best places in our solar system to find extraterrestrial life. Plus, you know about the food pyramid, but what about the nature pyramid? Also called the 20-5-3 rule. And, I guess we have to talk about that Jeff-Bezos-Eating-the-Mona-Lisa petition. Sponsors: UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: The best places to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system, ranked (MIT Tech Review) Aliens Wouldn't Need Warp Drives to Take Over an Entire Galaxy, Simulation Suggests (Gizmodo) How Much Time Should You Spend Outside, According to Michael Easter (Men’s Health) Exploring the Nature Pyramid – The Nature of Cities (The Nature of Cities) The Nature Pyramid (Biophilic Cities) People Want Jeff Bezos to Buy the Mona Lisa and Eat it (Hyperallergic) It's time to ponder Jeff Bezos buying and eating the Mona Lisa (A/V Club) Yes, Jeff Bezos Could Buy and Eat the Mona Lisa if He Wanted To (Vice) Petition · We want Jeff Bezos to buy and eat the Mona Lisa (Change.Org) Aussie hosts can't keep straight face over Jeff Bezos' rocket (Today Show Australia, YouTube) Kottke.Org 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 Juneteenth has evolved over the years from its origins in Texas, and its reception today. How the Xerox machine (and several dozen dalmatian puppies) saved Disney Animation Studios from closing up shop. And a portal for exploring the cosmos… on Google Chrome. Sponsors: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP Links: Honoring Black History on Juneteenth (NY Times) On Juneteenth: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian Annette Gordon-Reed Explores the Origin of an American Holiday (The Root) Senate passes bill to make Juneteenth, day commemorating the end of slavery in Texas, a federal holiday (Washington Post) Why many Americans don't want to talk about Juneteenth (LA Times) How to Celebrate Juneteenth (NY Times) What is Juneteenth? (Juneteenth.com) How 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians' Saved Disney (Smithsonian Mag) Redefining the Line: The Making of 101 Dalmatians (Sean Dudley, YouTube) 100,000 Stars Kottke.Org 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 report from fifty of the world’s leading experts on the need to combine solutions for combatting the climate crisis and our planet’s rapidly declining biodiversity. California’s historically low water levels may have inadvertently helped solve the case of a missing plane that crashed fifty-six years ago. And an update on that telescope NASA is now planning to construct on the far side of the moon. Sponsors: UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast Links: How to Protect Species and Save the Planet—at Once (Ars Technica) 56-Year-Old Plane Crash May Be Solved by California's Drought (Gizmodo) NASA Might Put a Huge Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon (Wired) The fat bear cams at Alaska's Katmai National Park are back, baby (Mashable) Wed. 07/01 - The Beer Garden Run By Nuns (Kottke Ride Home) Kottke.Org 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 full story of the man who was swallowed by a humpback whale on Friday and lived to tell the tale. Calories. Who’s responsible for their inclusion in the world of nutrition? Some weird highlights from the history of this controversial measurement. And the growing need for a bill of neuro-rights. Sponsors: Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP Links: Man swallowed by whale by Cape Cod; MA lobster diver survives humpback (Cape Cod Times) A humpback whale swallowed Michael Packàrd as was lobster diving in Cape Cod (Washington Post) Cape Cod: Diver Swallowed by Humpback Whale Story Doubted (Insider) Humpback Whale Nearly Eats a Lobsterman, Then Thinks Better of It (NY Times) I'm a lobster diver who recently survived being inside of a whale. AMA! (r/IAmA) A Brief History of the Calorie (JSTOR Daily) 'This is not science fiction,' say scientists pushing for 'neuro-rights' (Reuters) The Rise of Neurotechnology Calls for a Parallel Focus on Neurorights (Scientific American) Limit on lab-grown human embryos dropped by stem-cell body news (Nature) Bone Music: Forbidden Soviet Records Made From Used X-Ray Films (Kottke) Kottke.Org 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

Thanks to a new study that sequenced the genomes of several types of wild melons, we now have a better idea of the origins of the watermelon… but we still don’t know how tornadoes are formed. And that’s a problem. Plus, in a bid to continue dominating all Halloween-themed playlists, Danny Elfman released a new punk rock album today, his first since 1994. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Tornado warnings lag behind hurricane predictions because of a meteorology mystery (Vox) Where Your Watermelon Came From (NY Times) Watermelon Was Domesticated in Sudan from Kordofan Melon, New Genetic Study Suggests (Sci-News) Danny Elfman Came Here to Make a Big Mess (The Ringer) Danny Elfman - Big Mess music videos (Epitaph Records, YouTube) ‘Lord of the Rings’ Anime Feature Fast-Tracked by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation (Variety) Kottke.Org 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 method of carbon capture that would turn carbon dioxide from the ocean into rocks. Mosquitos beefed up with virus-fighting bacteria have proven even more effective at preventing dengue fever than expected. And the often forgotten history of a turn of the century scientist way ahead of his time and his groundbreaking gender and sexuality clinic that was destroyed by the Nazis. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: To Combat Climate Change, Researchers Want to Pull Carbon Dioxide From the Ocean and Turn It Into Rock (Smithsonian Mag) Market for carbon emissions (Wojtek Kopczuk, Twitter) 'Miraculous' mosquito hack cuts dengue by 77% (BBC) Mosquitoes armed with virus-fighting bacteria sharply curb dengue infections, hospitalizations (Science Mag) The Forgotten History of the World’s First Trans Clinic (Scientific American) Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg Christopher and His Kind by Christopher Isherwood The First Man-Made Man by Pagan Kennedy Transgender History by Susan Stryker A member of the SA throws confiscated books into the bonfire during the public burning of "un-German" books on the Opernplatz in Berlin. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) Watch Andrew Garfield in trailer for Lin-Manuel Miranda's tick, tick, BOOM! (A/V Club) Kottke.Org 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 some people don’t have a mind’s eye and others can visualize things in incredible detail. Watermelons on Mars and human-animal hybrid babies born across the world––neither of those are true, but if you read two of the biggest newspapers in the US, you might have been led to believe they are. And El Salvador has become the first country to officially recognize bitcoin as currency. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Can't See Pictures in Your Mind? You're Not Alone. (NY Times) Are you a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in this apple visualization exercise? (Twitter) Ball on a Table - Visualization Experiment (r/Aphantasia) We Don't All Have a "Mind's Eye" | Aphantasia (SciShow Psych, YouTube) New York Times Publishes Then Deletes Article Claiming Watermelons Were Found on Mars (Futurism) Netflix's Sweet Tooth Advertorial in USA Today Was Beyond Irresponsible (Gizmodo) El Salvador becomes first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender after passing law (CNBC) El Salvador Becomes First Country to Recognize Bitcoin as Currency (Gizmodo) El Salvador 'Legal Tender' Move Unlikely to Change US Tax on Bitcoin: Former IRS Counsel (Decrypt) The 'ring of fire' solar eclipse of 2021 will look like the 'Death Star' in front of the sun, astronomer says (Space) Kottke.Org 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

New ocean just dropped. And a new dinosaur species. Big release day. All about the fifth ocean and one of the newest, largest dinosaurs. Plus, what a new cereal says about current marketing trends, the state of cereal as a whole, fan-franchise relationships, and the contemporary fusion of ancient folklore. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: There's a new ocean now—can you name all 5? (National Geographic) New Dinosaur Species Is Australia’s Largest, Researchers Say (NY Times) Introducing Australotitan: Australia's largest dinosaur yet spanned the length of 2 buses (The Conversation) Scientists say new dinosaur species is largest found in Australia (BBC) Cereal: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Web Exclusive) (Last Week Tonight, YouTube) John Oliver Accepts Cheerios Counter-Challenge – But With a Sick Twist (The Wrap) Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal Messed Up Bad (Gizmodo) Loki Charms cereal: Marvel gets marshmallowy ahead of Disney Plus premiere (CNET) Of Norse Loki and the Celtic Lugh | Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (Druidry.Org) Norse Loki = Celtic Lugh? (Fortress of Lugh, YouTube) Kottke.Org 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

SpaceX just delivered a bunch of tardigrades and baby squids to the International Space Station. New research finding pupil size is an indicator of intelligence. And why it seems like vaccine lotteries are actually working. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why NASA Is Blasting Water Bears And Bobtail Squid Into Space (NPR) NASA Squid In SpaceX Mission To International Space Station (Jalopnik) SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Mission to Space Station (NASA) NASA’s Juno probe will get close to Jupiter’s moon Ganymede on Monday (The Verge) Pupil Size Is a Marker of Intelligence (Scientific American) FDA approves first drug to slow decline of Alzheimer’s disease (Washington Post) Wait, Vaccine Lotteries Actually Work? (Wired) A 6-Year-Old Requested A Birthday Cake Showing The Beheading Of Anne Boleyn And That’s Exactly What She Got (Buzzfeed News) Girl, 3, requests morbid 'Lion King' scene on birthday cake so she can have it all to herself (NBC News) Kottke.Org 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

COVID-19 precautions largely prevented outbreaks of the flu this past winter, and they also may have caused two types of flu viruses to go extinct. Spinking of extinction, sharks apparently lost 90% of their population 19 million years ago and never fully recovered. And what day-to-day life is like for the first team to arrive at the Tokyo Olympic campus. Links: Flu virus became less diverse, simplifying task of making flu shots (STAT News) [January] Flu Cases Dramatically Low So Far This Season (Johns Hopkins Medicine) 2 types of flu viruses may have gone extinct (LiveScience) Certain Strains Of Flu May Have Gone Extinct Because Of Pandemic Safety Measures (NPR) Mystery event caused shark populations to crash 19 million years ago (National Geographic) The world saw a shark-pocalypse 19 million years ago, and we don’t know why (Ars Technica) 90% of Sharks Were Mysteriously Wiped Out and Never Recovered, Scientists Find (Vice) Australian Team Arrives at a Constricted Tokyo Olympics (NY Times) Why 'Cursed' Olympics in Tokyo Are Pressing Ahead Amid Covid (NY Times) Elon Musk Files Trademark Paperwork for Tesla Restaurant Concept (Bloomberg) What dishes could Elon Musk's upcoming Tesla drive-in serve us? (A/V Club) Apple WWDC 2021: iOS 15, new MacBook Pros, and what else to expect (The Verge) Kottke.Org 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

What if your pick-up truck could power your whole neighborhood? That’s the potential people are imagining with the new Ford F-150 Lightning. The science behind why unique people are more attractive. And updates from the annual State of NASA address, including the latest planet they’ll be returning to. Links: Can Millions of New Ford F-150 Trucks Become a Clean-Energy Storage Grid? (Curbed) 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Revealed! The Electric Pickup Has a Shockingly Low Price, Mega Specs (Motortrend) As electric vehicles take off, we'll need to recycle their batteries (National Geographic) Why 'quirky' people are attractive (BBC) State of NASA tweets (NASA, Twitter) NASA will send two missions to Venus for the first time in over 30 years (The Verge) NASA Picks Twin Missions To Visit Venus, Earth's 'Evil Twin'? (NPR) New NASA Missions Will Study Venus, a World Overlooked for Decades (NY Times) Kottke.Org 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

John Steinbeck’s secret unpublished werewolf novel that his estate doesn’t want you to read. Lithuania built a portal to Poland and more may soon follow. And set your alarms for the “ring of fire” solar eclipse next week. Links: Yes, Steinbeck Wrote a Werewolf Novel. Don’t Expect to Read It. (NY Times) John Steinbeck’s estate urged to let the world read his shunned werewolf novel (The Guardian) John Steinbeck's Lost Werewolf Novel Is HBO Max Gold (Jezebel) Beast of Eden tweet (Erik M. Gregersen, Twitter) Opinion | John Steinbeck’s editor removes all the werewolves from his work (Washington Post) Vilnius, Lithuania built a ‘portal’ to another city to help keep people connected (The Verge) How to watch next week's rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse (CBS News) 2021's first solar eclipse will show off a 'ring of fire' in the sky (CNET) 'Ring of fire' solar eclipse on June 10 'Ring of fire' solar eclipse on June 10 (EarthSky) Annular Solar Eclipse of 2021 Jun 10 (NASA) Seth Rogen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle reboot has a release date (A/V Club) Kottke.Org 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

Five hundred years later the Medicis continue to ruin Michelangelo’s artworks, but fortunately some bacteria are on the scene to restore his works to their former glory. The new naming scheme for COVID-19 variants. And the story of Allandale, Texas––once the only village in the entire world to be fully air conditioned. Links: Send in the Bugs. The Michelangelos Need Cleaning. (NY Times) Bacteria get a fresh gig as art restorers in Italy (The Verge) Is it all Greek to you? Coronavirus variants get new names (Reuters) How to use the air conditioning without ruining the environment (Quartz) Living in an Air Conditioned Village (Austin Public Library) The Air Conditioned Village (Amusing Planet) The air conditioning trap: how cold air is heating the world (The Guardian) It's high time we electrocute some hot dogs and see what happens (The Takeout) Will It Waffle? (Jackson Bird, YouTube) Kottke.Org 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

Seven counties in the US state of Oregon have now voted to leave their state behind and merge with neighboring Idaho. Could this actually work? A new English dictionary of Ancient Greek fully and explicitly makes up for the modesty of its previous Victorian translators. And the best way to cook a hot dog. Links: Oregon's Rural Counties Search for Representation With Idaho (Business Insider) Don Kahle: Greater Idaho: thinking it through Don Kahle (The Register-Guard) Their Own Private Idaho: Five Oregon Counties Back a Plan to Secede (NY Times) Oregone? 7 Oregon Counties Vote To Back Seceding, So Citizens Can Vote GOP In Idaho (NPR) English dictionary of ancient Greek ‘spares no blushes’ with fresh look at crudity (The Guardian) New Ancient Greek Dictionary Includes Words for S---, F---, C---------- (Jezebel) The Absolute Best Way to Cook a Hot Dog, According to So Many Tests (Food52) Pints With A View: London Eye Is Launching A Pub In A Pod (The Handbook) Cicada Plushie (Tyler Thrasher, DFTBA) Kottke.Org 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

Potentially good news for longterm COVID-19 immunity. Pizza farms, not just a figment of my imagination, apparently they’re a real and wonderful thing. And the story of a naked mole rat named Joe who just won’t die, and what he could mean for human longevity. Links: Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find (NY Times) Vaccinated COVID-19 survivors may be immune for life, according to new research (Mic) Pizza farm (Wikipedia) Pizza-shaped farm draws tourists with organic slice (USA Today) The Pizza Farm (via Web Archive) 'Pizza farm' also a place to learn about organic methods (The State Journal-Register) Where to Eat Pizza on a Farm in Minnesota and Wisconsin (Eater) Where the Produce Includes Pepperoni: The Pizza Farm (NY Times) The Long, Strange Life of the World’s Oldest Naked Mole Rat (Wired) "Our definition of 'summer' will change" (Alissa Walker, Twitter) L.A. County Fair is moving from scorching September to cooler May (LA Times) Exclusive: Phil and Lil's mom Betty will be gay in new Rugrats series (A/V Club) Kottke.Org 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

Dr. B was the most well-known nationwide vaccine finder in the US. But did anyone actually end up getting their vaccine through the service? Plus, the artist raising awareness about the gender gap on the moon, Disneyland’s $100 sandwich and the newest Willy Wonka on the block. Links: Vaccine waitlist Dr. B collected data from millions. But how many did it help? (MIT Technology Review) We Know What You Did During Lockdown video (Kottke, Financial Times) An Artist Sketches the Giant Gender Gap on the Moon (NY Times) $100 Ant-Man-inspired sandwich coming to Disneyland (A/V Club) Disneyland Adds Family-Sized $100 Sandwich to Marvel-Themed Menu (Food & Wine) Timothée Chalamet is your new Willy Wonka (A/V Club) Kottke.Org 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 flavorful history of frozen pizza. We check in on how the pandemic continues to affect our dreams. And meet the dude actually taking advantage of Krispy Kreme’s free donut a day offer for vaccinated people. Links: Frozen Pizza History: Ready To Heat, Nearly Ready To Eat (Tedium) Pizza Was the Restaurant Hero of 2020 (NY Times) Frozen pizza sales are red hot and expected to outlast the pandemic (CBC) How Frozen Pizza Got Hot (Published 2004) (NY Times) Covid: How the pandemic is affecting your dreams (BBC) Krispy Kreme free doughnut: A man who is trading his vaccine for one doughnut every day explains himself. (Slate) Kottke.Org 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