Cool Stuff Daily

The sexist history of the rollerboard suitcases. Plus, the facts about Merck’s new COVID-19 antiviral pill, including its connection to Thor. And the return of Nick Lutsko’s absurdist Spirit Halloween music videos. Sponsor: Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Links: Meet molnupiravir, Merck’s Thor-inspired pill that hammers COVID (Ars Technica) How Merck's Covid-19 pill molnupiravir could change the Covid-19 pandemic (Vox) Merck's antiviral pill reduces hospitalization of Covid patients (STAT) How Merck's antiviral pill could change the game for COVID-19 (National Geographic) The hedge fund manager behind a long-shot coronavirus pill (Financial Times, 2020) Mystery of the wheelie suitcase: how gender stereotypes held back the history of invention (The Guardian) Who Actually Invented the Wheeled Suitcase? (Interesting Engineering) Reinventing the Suitcase by Adding the Wheel (NY Times) Spirit Halloween Planet (Nick Lutsko, Twitter) Halloween Planet EP (Nick Lutsko, Bandcamp) Spirit Halloween Theme - FULL TRILOGY (Nick Lutsko, 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

The persisting myth of tampered-with and tainted trick-or-treat candy, and why it’s an urban legend that will never die. Plus, how we humans produce speech and a website that shows you both the beautiful engineering and the chaos of our mouths. And a selection of haunted houses you can sleep over at in case you’re looking to up the ante on your spooky experiences this month. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: For the Last Time: No One Is Trying to Give Your Kid Edibles (LifeHacker) Could THC candies make it into your child's Halloween haul? (The Takeout) Are People Really Trying to Drug Kids With Marijuana-Laced Halloween Candy? (Reason) Big Candy Is Angry at Look-Alike THC Treats (NY Times) Halloween: The History of America's Darkest Holiday by David J. Skall Those Treats May Be Tricks (NY Times, 1970) Pink Trombone From Grunting To Gabbing: Why Humans Can Talk (NPR, 2010) You can spend Halloween with Dewey Riley at the original 'Scream' house (Mashable) Stay somewhere spirited (Airbnb) 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 very American history of the Chinese takeout box, and a look at the new “Americancore” trend. Plus, archaeologists have uncovered a hidden neighborhood in the ancient Maya city of Tikal that sheds new light on the imperialism of the Teotihuacán. And a lost David Bowie album is finally being released. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: The Chinese Takeout Box is As American As Baseball and Apple Pie (The Dieline) Chinese Food Delivery Containers, Explained (Eater) The Chinese-Takeout Container Is Uniquely American (NY Times) Takeout and Delivery Food Can Teach You American History (TIME) America as an Internet Aesthetic (The New Yorker) Panda Express (Yuki Chikamori, TikTok) chinese food box (R & D Tool Engineering & Fourslide Production, YouTube) Ancient Maya City of Tikal Had a Teotihuacán-Like Neighborhood (Gizmodo) Startling Discovery Reveals Mysterious Citadel Hidden in Ancient Maya City (Science Alert) In Guatemala, archaeologist from Brown helps to uncover hidden neighborhood in ancient Maya city (Brown University) Lost Maya Neighborhood Is a Mini Replica of Teotihuacan Citadel, New Research Finds (ARTnews) David Bowie’s Lost 2001 Album, Toy, Receiving Long-Awaited Release (Consequence of Sound) David Bowie’s Unreleased Album Toy Set for Release (Pitchfork) International Podcast Day 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 happen to the bodies of people who die on Mars? Plus, AI has indicated that a famous painting at the National Gallery might be a phoney. And festival-goers at Glastonbury are endangering rare eels with their drug-addled refusal to use public toilets. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: How Would Humans Decompose on Mars? (Discover) What Happens If Someone Dies on Mars? (Atlas Obscura) How to die on Mars (Space) Was famed Samson and Delilah really painted by Rubens? No, says AI (The Guardian) AI study suggests a London gallery's been exhibiting a fake for years (The Next Web) Glastonbury Festival: Levels of illegal drugs high enough to harm wildlife found in river running through site (Sky News) Glastonbury: drug traces from on-site urination could harm rare eels (The Guardian) 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 removing methane from the atmosphere be a viable strategy for slowing global warming? And are all of these disparate new ideas and strategies to solve the climate crisis going to lead to real solutions? Plus, pulling back the curtain on the on-going supply chain problems. And the crypto-trading hamster showing up the pros. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: Pulling methane out of the atmosphere could slow global warming—if we can figure out how to do it (MIT Technology Review) Climate Change Is the New Dot-Com Bubble (Wired) The Supply-Chain Mystery (The New Yorker) No End In Sight For The COVID-Led Global Supply Chain Disruption (Forbes) An Excerpt from My New Anxiety Dream Where I Personally Break the Global Supply Chain (McSweeney’s) Brexit means Brexit (r/LeopardsAteMyFace) Mr Goxx, the crypto-trading hamster beating human investors (BBC) A Hamster on Twitch Is Trading Crypto and Beating the Stock Market (Vice) mr_goxx (Mr. Goxx, Twitch) 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 19th century New Yorkers took advantage of a loophole in the strict drinking laws and ended up creating the world’s worst sandwich. Plus, a supernova that’s been missing since the twelfth century has been found! And how a young woman on Tiktok accidentally caused havoc to thousands of scientific studies. Sponsor: NetSuite, netsuite.com/kottke Links: To Evade Pre-Prohibition Drinking Laws, New Yorkers Created the World's Worst Sandwich (Atlas Obscura) A supernova missing since 1181 AD has finally been found (Syfy) Astronomers solve 900-year-old cosmic mystery surrounding Chinese supernova of 1181AD (University of Manchester) A teenager on TikTok disrupted thousands of scientific studies with a single video (The Verge) 'Great British Bake Off' Goes by Different Name in US Due to Trademark (Insider) 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

Ancient footprints discovered in New Mexico are shaking up what we thought we knew about when humans first arrived in the Americas. Plus, how much plastic do we unknowingly ingest each year? The answer is probably more than you’re comfortable with, but it also turns out that babies take in way more of it than adults. And a new, very unauthorized website that will bring you Chick-fil-A on a Sunday. Sponsors: Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Ancient Footprints Suggest Humans Arrived In Americas During Ice Age (NY Times) Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier than we thought (The Conversation) Fossil footprints challenge theory of when people first arrived in Americas (National Geographic) Erosive forces tweet (Michael Roston, Twitter) Baby Poop Is Loaded With Microplastics (Wired) Infants have more microplastics in their feces than adults (Science Daily) You can now risk eternal damnation by buying Sunday Chick-fil-A (A/V Club) Chick-fil-A’s Owner Is Bankrolling Hate Groups Targeting Trans Kids (them.) MSCHF Sunday Service 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 dark side of the history of epidemiology. Plus, a study that proves, yes actually, birds were louder and more numerous during lockdown. And two women in their hundreds who have lived incredible lives and refuse to quit doing what they love. Sponsors: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Links: How Transatlantic Slave Trade Shaped Epidemiology Today (TIME) Birds Thrived During Covid-19 Lockdowns, New Study Shows (Wall Street Journal) Fri. 05/15 - Have Birds Gotten Louder During Lockdown? (Kottke Ride Home) 107-Year-Old French Pianist Colette Maze Has A New Album (NPR) ‘America’s Oldest Park Ranger’ Is Only Her Latest Chapter (NY Times) A few details NYT left out (Jennifer Schuessler, 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

Sharing some reflections, some poetry, and a bit of a historical context on what it is that makes fall strike such a strong chord with so many of us, in honor of this first day of fall. And a look at NASA’s upcoming Lucy mission to Jupiter’s asteroids that somehow includes facts about the Beatles, Mexican track and field athlete Norma Enriqueta Basilio Sotelo, and The Iliad. Sponsors: Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Between Restlessness and Rapture: Autumn and the Sensual Urgency of Aliveness (Brain Pickings) A Sunset of the City (Gwendolyn Brooks, Poetry Foundation) Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me… (William Shakespeare, Poetry Foundation) To Autumn by John Keats (John Keats, Poetry Foundation) John Keats: “To Autumn” by Caitlin Kimball (Poetry Foundation) Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night by Nicholas Rogers The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature a book by J. Drew Lanham by J. Drew Lanham NASA's Lucy mission will visit at least 8 asteroids on a loop-de-loop trajectory (Bad Astronomy, Syfy) Queta - The Story Behind the Name - Lucy Mission (NASA) Where Is Lucy? Netflix buys Wonka author Dahl's catalog (AP) Roald Dahl's Family Apologizes For His Anti-Semitic Comments (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

How Ted Lasso filled a whole stadium for a crowd scene during the pandemic, and how advances, especially in AI, are beginning to change filmmaking. Plus, a Colorado man has won a yearlong treasure hunt for golden tickets, making him the new owner of a candy factory. That last part wasn’t a joke. It was literally a golden ticket competition for a candy factory. And finally, an ambient noise website for the most chaotic among you. Sponsors: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Links: How Fake Crowds Are Made For Movies And TV (Insider, YouTube) AI might help edit the next generation of blockbusters (The Verge) Andrew Maas won The Gold Ticket competition after clues led him to Kokomo, Ind. (Washington Post) Colorado man wins candy factory after finding golden ticket in Highland Park (Kokomo Tribune) Wed. 09/09 - Modern-Day Willy Wonka Is Giving Away His Candy Factory (Kottke Ride Home) Ambient Chaos Last year's segment on Demi Adejuyigbe's 9/21 series (Kottke Ride Home) 9/21 videos (Demi Adejuyigbe, YouTube) Sept21st.com 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 science of mosh pits. Exciting developments in the treatment of poison ivy reactions, including a possible vaccine. And how to catch tonight’s Harvest Moon, and why we call it that. Sponsors: Novo, BankNovo.com/kottke Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Moshing: The History, Anatomy & Art Of The Dance Form (Consequence of Sound) The Science Behind Mosh Pits (Professor Politics, YouTube) Moshpits.js (Jesse Silverberg et al) Mosh Pits Teach Us About the Physics of Collective Behavior (The Atlantic) A Vaccine against Poison Ivy Misery Is in the Works as Scientists Also Explore New Treatment Paths (Scientific American) The full Harvest Moon of 2021 rises tonight: Here's what to look for (Space.com) Harvest Moon 2021: All you need to know (EarthSky) Celebrate The End Of Summer With Monday's Harvest Moon (NPR) What Is the Harvest Moon? | Harvest Moon Facts and Folklore (Old Farmer’s Almanac) The world's tallest nation is getting shorter (CNN) 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 food trucks, and a look at the old tradition of “night lunch.” The visually-striking lanternfly that eastern US states are begging people to kill. And why you may not be getting that book you ordered anytime soon. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Before Food Trucks, Americans Ate 'Night Lunch' From Beautiful Wagons (Atlas Obscura) The Rise of the Taco Truck (JSTOR Daily) Taco Bell's Subscription Service: We've Gone Too Far (The Atlantic) Die, Beautiful Spotted Lanternfly, Die (NY Times) The Book Biz Tries to Avoid Supply Chain Disruptions (Publisher’s Weekly) Supply Chain Challenges: Put Your Book Orders In Now For The Holidays (Book Riot) Booksellers warn over Christmas supplies amid UK lorry driver shortage (The Guardian) 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 the social lives of the characters from Jane Austen’s novels are analogous to our digital ones today, and what we can learn from them about being over-stimulated. Plus, a study illustrating how we could build bases on Mars out of astronaut blood. And a couple of updates from the world of LEGO. Sponsors: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Is Jane Austen the Antidote to Social Media Overload? (JSTOR Daily) Scientists Want to Build Mars Bases Out of Human Blood (Vice) ​Concrete on Mars Could Literally Be Made Out of Astronaut Blood, Sweat, And Tears (Science Alert) LEGO releasing fabulous Queer Eye loft set (Digital Spy) European Championships 2022 to Feature LEGO Wheelchair Ramps (Mental Floss) 22,000 LEGO bricks for Munich 2022 (European Championships) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' Wedding Marks 1st Same-Sex Marriage Of Sitting Governor (NPR) Nonbinary 'Hacks' Star Carl Clemons-Hopkins on Being an Emmys First (The Advocate) Nonbinary Performers Say Gendered Award Categories Ignore Their Identity (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

SpaceX’s Inspiration4 all-civilian crew is blasting off tonight in Cape Canaveral. Here’s everything you need to know about the historic launch. Plus, the Māori Party in New Zealand has introduced a petition to rename the country its Māori language name, Aotearoa. And a newly identified species of insect has been named after RuPaul. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: SpaceX's Latest Mission Will Launch Four People Into Orbit (NY Times) SpaceX Mission: How to Watch the Inspiration4 Launch (NY Times) Inspiration4: Why SpaceX’s first all-private mission is a big deal (MIT Technology Review) Private astronauts are not 'space tourists' (op-ed) (Space.com) SpaceX’s All-Civilian Inspiration4 Crew Readies for Launch (Wired) The era of orbital private spaceflight truly begins with today’s launch (Ars Technica) Inspiration4's call signs: The crew of SpaceX's all-civilian mission have special nicknames (Space.com) Inspiration4 Launch: Where to Watch Netflix Livestream (Indie Wire) Māori Party campaigns to change New Zealand's name to Aotearoa (CNN) Bilingual road signs in Aotearoa New Zealand would tell us where we are as a nation (The Conversation) ‘A neat trick’: critics aim to shift Aotearoa debate, but historical fidelity no longer matters (The Guardian) ‘Rainbow colours and legs for days’: Australian fly species named after drag star RuPaul (The Guardian) Endangered fly with 'legs for days' named after drag queen RuPaul (ABC Australia) RuPaul fly among species named by CSIRO (CSIRO) 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 gas stations actually make money, and their prospects for the future. Steve Wozniak says Don’t Mess With Space. And, a timeless question for the ages: how many s’mores could you make from the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters? Sponsors: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why most gas stations don't make money from selling gas (The Hustle) Apple Cofounder Steve Wozniak Starting Space Company Privateer (Business Insider) Steve Wozniak Announces Privateer, a New Space Company (Gizmodo) Steve Wozniak's latest moonshot is a private space company (Engadget) How Many S'Mores Can You Make from the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? (Mel Magazine) 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 woolly mammoths help slow the effects of the climate emergency? It’s not just a theoretical question. One entrepreneur is betting on it, and working to bring woolly mammoths back from extinction to prove it. Lorde has re-released part of her latest album with Māori language translations. And a new effort to potty train cows, for the environment. Sponsors: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Firm raises $15m to bring back woolly mammoth from extinction (The Guardian) This Texan Aims to Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth to Save the Planet (Texas Monthly) Tue. 09/08 - Long Live the (Cloned) Woolly Mammoth (Kottke Ride Home) Lorde Drops Maori-Language Album Of 'Solar Power' Songs (NPR) Te Ao Mārama (Lorde, YouTube) Scientists Potty-Trained Cows to Help Reduce Environmental Pollution (Vice) Toilet-Training Cows Is A Win For The Planet – And The Cows (IFL Science) 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 exactly is blue moon-flavored ice cream and where did it come from? Plus, NASA is planning to purposefully hit an asteroid with a spacecraft, more on why and when. And this year’s Ig Nobel Prize winners have been announced! Links: The Enduring Midwestern Mystery of Blue Moon Ice Cream (Atlas Obscura) BLUE MOON (Chicago Tribune) The Cult of Blue Moon Ice Cream (Food & Wine) Blue Moon Core Area (BMCA) (somethingaboutmaps) NASA is going to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid. Things might get chaotic. (MIT Technology Review) How to Build a Spacecraft to Save the World (Wired) Deflecting an Asteroid Before It Hits Earth May Take Multiple Bumps (NY Times) DART Mission Overview (John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) Ig Nobel Prize winners include scientists who cleared blocked noses with sex (Mashable) Sex can relieve nasal congestion, and other work honored by 2021 Ig Nobels (Ars Technica) Hemp Maze Minnesota Is Almost Surely One-Of-A-Kind (CBS Minnesota) 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

Forget air conditioners, give me radiative cooling panels on my roof! That’s what I hope I’ll be saying a few years from now. Plus, a new species of giant carnivorous dinosaur with shark-like teeth has been identified. And Moderna has announced they’re moving forward with their COVID-19 and seasonal flu combo vaccine. Links: Can nanoscience help make AC more efficient? (Popular Science) Designing an Air Conditioner That Doesn't Heat the Earth (Architect Magazine) Radiative cooling and solar heating from one system, no electricity needed (Science Daily) New, Giant Carnivorous Dinosaur Was a Terror to Smaller Tyrannosaurs (Smithsonian Mag) Gigantic 'shark-toothed' dinosaur discovered in Uzbekistan (Live Science) Moderna shares rise after company reveals single-shot vaccine booster for Covid and flu (CNBC) Moderna working on combination COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot (Reuters) Moderna developing a combo booster shot for Covid and flu (NBC News) 7.00 ("COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic") (MIT) 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 it’s actually like getting struck by lightning, and the community of survivors helping each other cope. Plus, another team of scientists say they have achieved a crucial and record-breaking milestone in the quest for clean fusion power. And an iconic 1970s band that has spawned countless tribute acts over the years is about to reunite to become their own tribute act, with a little help from Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic. Links: Lightning strikes: A man hit seven times (Washington Post) The Secret Society of Lightning Strike Survivors (Narratively) MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy (MIT News) Eni completes 'landmark' test in energy fusion project (Reuters) Cambridge startup takes big step toward clean fusion power (Boston Globe) Wed. 08/18 - A "Wright Bros. Moment" In Nuclear Fusion (Kottke Ride Home) Abba delight fans with new 10-song album and virtual concert (BBC) ABBA fans react to rush for 'Voyage' tour tickets: "robo-ABBA here we go" (NME) 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 Mars Perseverance Rover has secured its first rock sample, with big promise for insights to come. A billionaire is working on plans to build a new sustainable city “for the people” somewhere in America. And you may have heard of Little Free Libraries, but what about Little Free Blockbusters? Links: Mars rover grabs first rock sample, a major step in hunt for alien life (National Geographic) "I've got it!" (NASA’s Perseverance Rover, Twitter) NASA says the Mars Perseverance rover has collected its first sample (Engadget) Telosa: Marc Lore and Bjarke Ingels unveil plans for 5-million-person city in the American desert (CNN) How Diapers.com Founder Marc Lore Plans to Build Utopian City Telosa (Bloomberg) Telosa Forget Netflix, Some Movie Fans Rewind to VHS Tapes (Wall Street Journal) Free Blockbuster Is Bringing Back the Community Video Rental Hub (Thrillist) FreeBlockbuster.org Want A Free Dental Cleaning? Beat This Dentist At Smash Bros! (Neatorama) 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 a room could charge all of your devices just by them being in there? Like no wires, no charging pads, just being in the room. Some engineers have made that a reality. Plus, new insights into the billion years of time that are missing from the rock layers in the Grand Canyon. And why Red Delicious apples are so common in the U.S. even though they’re not really that great. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: This Room Could Wirelessly Charge All Your Devices (Scientific American) Wireless charging room powers your devices without plugs or cables (ABC) Welcome to the Age of Wireless Electricity (Interesting Engineering) Why One Billion Years of Time Are Missing in the Grand Canyon (Vice) Geologists dig into Grand Canyon’s mysterious gap in time (CU Boulder Today) Erasing a Billion Years of Geologic Time Across the Globe (Eos) Red Delicious Apples Weren't Always Horrible (New England Today) Here's exactly how Red Delicious apples became an affront to God (A/V Club) Paralympics: Runner's Sighted Guide Proposes On The Track After Their Race (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

Why are hyperlinks blue? You ever think about that before? Plus, a look at the tech behind the wheelchairs and prostheses used by Paralympians. And what the heck is Grimace, the big purple McDonald’s mascot? A manager at a Canadian McDonald’s dropped a bombshell on the internet, but is he correct? Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Why are hyperlinks blue? (Mozilla Distilled) How Paralympic Wheelchairs and Prostheses Are Optimized for Speed and Performance (Scientific American) Specialized Sports Chairs and the People Who Use Them (New Mobility) Para sport explained: Wheelchairs in wheelchair sports (International Paralympic Committee) Award-winning manager opens up about life at McDonald's during pandemic (CBC) McDonald's manager explains that Grimace is "a taste bud" (Boing Boing) Is Grimace a taste bud? One McDonald's manager says yes (The Takeout) "Grimace is the embodiment of a milkshake" (McDonald’s Corporate, Twitter) Archivist weighs in (McDonald’s Corporate, Twitter) What the hell is McDonald's Grimace? (Mashable) 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

Would you take a flying rideshare taxi? NASA is betting on it. Plus, murder hornets are back and badder than ever. And the growing genre of “bedroom pop,” which isn’t what it maybe sounds like. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: NASA is testing electric air taxis with Joby Aviation (The Verge) Your air taxi has arrived: Why Joby could be the first commercial eVTOL (CNBC, Youtube) A Special Message from our CEO and Founder, JoeBen Bevirt (Joby Aviation, YouTube) NASA Begins Air Taxi Flight Testing with Joby (NASA) 'Murder Hornets': Nest of 1,500 eradicated in the US (BBC) Department of Agriculture Officials in Washington State Attacked While Trying to Remove Murder Hornet Nest (Inside Edition) Just How Dangerous Is the ‘Murder Hornet’? (Scientific American) What's bedroom pop? How an online DIY movement created a musical genre (NBC News) Don’t Call it Bedroom Pop: The New Wave of DIY (Complex) Elliot Page Is On a "Lo-Fi Bedroom Pop Adventure,” Drops Debut EP (them.) Mark and Elliot EP (Mark and Elliot, Bandcamp) 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 climate crisis is causing some animals to shrink, and that’s definitely not a good thing. Experts weigh in on the possibility of humans ever being able to edit or delete their own memories. And Netflix cheat codes to help you shake off the algorithm. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: When Insects Lost Their Homes, Evolution Clipped Their Wings (NY Times) Some birds, mammals, and fish are shrinking. Blame climate change. (Vox) Urbanization is Causing Mammals to Grow Bigger, New Study Says (Sci-News) Scary study finds urban rats and mammals are getting bigger (Fast Company) Will We Ever Be Able to Edit or Delete Memories? (Gizmodo) The Netflix Secret Codes Cheat Sheet (MakeUseOf) Thu. 05/13 - I'll Have What She's Having: The Decline of Personalized Recommendations? (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

Electric cars were being made as far back at the late 19th century, with entire fleets of electric cabs roaming the streets of several major cities. So what happened? Why didn’t they become the go-to vehicle from the beginning? Plus, the history of the very delicious and confusingly-named Boston Cooler. And the middle schoolers trying to clear the name of a woman accused of being a witch back in 1693. Sponsor: Raycon, Get 15% off at buyraycon.com/kottke Links: Why weren't cars electric from the start? (Slate) How the 'Boston Cooler' Became a Classic Detroit Drink (Atlas Obscura) The Boston Cooler Was an Accidental Detroit Classic (Detroit Is It) She Was Declared a Witch at Salem. These Middle Schoolers Want to Clear Her Name. (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 history of and science behind the ICEE. Plus, Glenfiddich is now powering their delivering trucks with spent whisky. And some tips on cleaning your earbuds because, c’mon, how long has it been since you’ve actually done that? Sponsors: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: ICEE History: The Tech (and Science) Beyond a Sugary Frozen Drink (Tedium) Flashback: Raise your Slurpees to the drink that almost wasn't (Dallas Morning News) US3044878A - Process for the preparation of a beverage (Google Patents) US3628759A - Fishing rod holder (Google Patents) A Brief History of the Slurpee, a Frozen American Icon (Eater) Slurpee turns 40 (The Oklahoman) About Us – ICEE (The ICEE Company) Fizzies Drink Tablets (Old Time Candy) One for the road: Glenfiddich uses whisky waste to fuel trucks (Reuters) Whisky lorries in Scotland will run on ‘green biogas’ made from distillery leftovers to tackle climate change (The Scotsman) How to Clean Your Apple AirPods, Galaxy Buds, and Pixel Buds (Gizmodo) An easy tip to keep your earbuds clean and sanitized (Komando) How AirPods Are Deep Cleaned (Insider, 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

The 7,200 year old skeleton of a teenage girl is shaking up what we thought we knew about ancient human migration. The creative solution an Oregon hospital has come up with to support its overworked staff, and what we can do to help lessen their load. And a new startup that wants to disrupt the way we eat our meals, specifically by making all of our food look like identical little bricks. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: ‘Genetic fossil’: intact DNA from woman who lived 7,200 years ago discovered in Indonesia (The Guardian) Who were the Toaleans? Ancient woman's DNA provides first evidence for the origin of a mysterious lost culture (The Conversation) 7,200-Year-Old Human DNA With Unique Denisovan Ancestry Has Been Found in Indonesia (Science Alert) First ancient human DNA found from key Asian migration route (Nature) Oregon, once a virus success story, struggles with surge (AP) Oregon hospital workers smash plates to relieve stress (Upworthy) WHO says Covid misinformation is a major factor driving pandemic around the world (CNBC) Covid: CDC study shows unvaccinated people 29 times more likely to be hospitalized (CNBC) Facebook moms' Vaccine Talk group is fighting misinfo and persuading skeptics (Washington Post) New start-up presents a selection of weird little food cubes (A/V Club) This Startup Wants You To Eat All Your Food In Cube Form (Vice) Are you ready to eat your delicious nutrient square? Yum, yum, yum (The Verge) What is SquarEat? 'Modular squared food' company is taking over Twitter (Today) How I Experience Web Today (h/t Garbage Day) 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 Paralympic Games kicked off in Tokyo last night. Here’s what you need to know and a brief history of the games. Plus, how did the Pfizer vaccine end up with the brand name Comirnaty, and what were some of the other contenders? Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Badminton And Taekwondo Make Their Paralympic Debut In Tokyo (NPR) When Did The Paralympics Start, And How Did The Event Get Its Name? (NPR) The Paralympics Finally Get To Prime Time (1A) Paralympics History - Evolution of the Paralympic Movement (IPC) Paralympics 2020: How much do you know about the sports on offer? (BBC) The 2020 Paralympics Will See the Most Openly LGBTQ+ Athletes Ever (them.) How does the Paralympic classification system work? (CNN) Murderball Trailer (Participant, YouTube) Pfizer's Covid Vaccine Is Named Comirnaty (Intelligencer) Comirnaty, Spikevax, and the weird world of branding COVID-19 vaccines (The Verge) Why ‘Comirnaty’ Is The New Name For Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccines, ‘Spikevax’ For Moderna (Forbes) The inside story behind Pfizer and BioNTech's new vaccine brand name, Comirnaty (Fierce Pharma) Samsung phone catches fire on airplane five years after Galaxy Note 7 debacle (Mashable) Starbucks' new apple crisp macchiato joins pumpkin spice latte on the fall menu (CNBC) 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 exactly is a pixel? Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith discusses its math and history and his new book. Plus, farmer’s markets, once a cornerstone of in-person weekend outings, have gone digital. And Liquid Death Mountain Water is selling skateboards infused with Tony Hawk’s blood. For real. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: A biography of the pixel, the elementary particle of pictures (Aeon) Hitting the Books: How our lying eyes trick the brain into seeing motion during movies (Engadget) The Real Story of Pixar (IEEE) Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith's unseen 1990 presentation (Fast Company) Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith on 'A Biography of the Pixel' (Fast Company) The farmers market is moving online (The Verge) Liquid Death Puts Tony Hawk’s Blood In Limited Edition Skateboards (Liquid Death, 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

Netflix is leaning into the clickbait game that soured online journalism ten years ago. Could this strategy affect the film industry overall, and has it been played before? Plus, how community members in Marseille took over a McDonald’s and turned it into a mutual aid center. And Facebook has released another transparency report, and it doesn’t make them look any better. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: Netflix Top 10: The streaming service's clickbait problem threatens to ruin it. (Slate) Why Netflix Features Black Actors in Promos to Black Users (Wired) Artwork Personalization at Netflix (Netflix TechBlog) Blockbuster thread (C. A. Funderburg, Twitter) Unhappy Little Trees: The Dark Legacy of Bob Ross (Vanity Fair) Lovin it: How a group of Marseille workers seized a McDonald's and turned it into a foodbank (gal-dem) McDonald's In Marseille Turned Into Food Base To Help Needy (Forbes) Facebook releases Q1 'widely viewed content' report following criticism (Engadget) Aug 20: Why Facebook Shelved an Earlier Report on Popular Posts (NY Times) Q1Content Transparency Report VO (US) - internal copy (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

What is the necrobiome and why do some think it’s crucial for restoring our ecosystems? More and more zoo animals across the US are getting their own special animal vaccine, but why doesn’t your pet cat need one? And Disney’s animatronics are getting a huge, AI makeover. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Rewilding death: The plan to restore the necrobiome (BBC) Meet the Necrobiome: The Microbes That Will Eat Your Corpse (The Atlantic) Bears, baboons, tigers are getting COVID vaccines at zoos across the U.S. (National Geographic) US zoos giving special animal coronavirus vaccine to tigers, bears and gorillas (CNN) Disney kills FastPass for costly line-skipping app Disney Genie Plus (Polygon) Are You Ready for Sentient Disney Robots? (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

Facebook has released a report of their most widely viewed content, but the #1 most viewed link on the platform shows how the report isn’t exactly proving the point they’re trying to make. Plus, are realtors engineering weird listing photos so they’ll go viral? And it turns out we’ve been getting blue moons entirely wrong for at least forty years. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: How an Obscure Green Bay Packers Site Became the Biggest Thing on Facebook (Wired) Everyone's fighting about a dating simulator again (Garbage Day) Facebook releases a report on the most-viewed content in News Feed (The Verge) Facebook reveals top posts but still won’t share key data about disinformation (Ars Technica) Knight in Zillow: A realtor explains what is going on in this bonkers real estate listing. (Slate) The August 2021 full moon is, somehow, a Blue Moon. Here's why. (Space.com) We'll have a Blue Moon this weekend (EarthSky) 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 lab in California has achieved a historic breakthrough in nuclear fusion. Three new species from the post-dinosaur mammalian revolution have been identified, including one that’s been named after a Hobbit character. And recent studies shedding light on the pro’s and con’s of exoskeleton suits as consumer goods. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goal (BBC) Physicists in California Achieve 'Historic' Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough (Science Alert) Lawrence Livermore Lab makes significant achievement in fusion (CNBC) Three Extinct Mammals Found in Wyoming Were Part of the Post-Dinosaur Revolution (Gizmodo) Discovery of prehistoric mammals suggests rapid evolution of mammals after dinosaur extinction (Science Daily) Newly discovered prehistoric creature named after The Hobbit character (CNET) Exoskeleton Suits: A New Device to Help You Walk and Run Better (NY Times) Exoskeletons have a problem: They can strain the brain Exoskeletons (Ohio State News) Pumpkin spice everything is coming back to Dunkin' this month (Houston Chronicle) Starbucks Introduces New and Returning Pumpkin Spice Products At Home Coffees (Starbucks) When does Pumpkin Spice come back to Starbucks? (Guilty Eats) Fast And Furious 10 hits the gas pedal, gets 2023 release date (A/C 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

Inside the world of the quasi-secret WhatsApp mango economy. It turns out Saturn is kind of jiggly inside. And the beginning of a season, marked by the end of an era for department stores. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Why Are the World’s Greatest Mangoes Almost Impossible to Buy in the U.S.? (Eater) Saturn's Insides Are Sloshing Around (MIT Technology Review) Saturn’s Rings Are Like a Seismometer That Reveal the Planet’s Core (NY Times) Saturn Has a 'Fuzzy' Core, Ring Ripples Reveal (Gizmodo) Barneys, Deader Than Ever, Is Becoming a Spirit Halloween (Curbed) Spirit Halloween Rises from the Dead. Again. And Again. (NY Times) 12-Foot Skeletons Return: Associate Shares Halloween Inspiration (Home Depot) Spirit Halloween Theme Song (Nick Lutsko, 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

How one of the earliest bloggers predicted the dark side of the internet, and then went completely off the grid. Plus, the first tribally-affiliated medical school, on tribal land, in the US. is bridging gaps. And Yik Yak is back. Sponsor: Indeed, Get a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/goodnews Links: Philip Agre predicted technology's pitfalls and then he disappeared (Washington Post) Everything is too complicated: our annual list of confusing tech questions (The Verge) Missing Internet Pioneer Phil Agre Is Found Alive (NPR) Phil Agre's articles in Wired First Tribally-Affiliated Medical School Bridging Gaps in Indian Country, Rural America (The Daily Yonder) Remember Yik Yak? Well, it's back and still anonymous. (Mashable) There would be no screen — only a locomotive (Garbage Day) 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 groundbreaking study that has basically given us a daily diary of the entire life of a 17,000 year old woolly mammoth. Why coffee prices are spiking. And a ransom scam targeting authors that says a lot about the state of the world. Links: A Woolly Mammoth’s Tusks Reveal a Map of Where It Roamed in Life (NY Times) Ice Age mammoth's life story reconstructed in stunning detail (National Geographic) Mammoth's epic travels preserved in tusk (Nature) A Mammoth Tusk Reveals a Woolly (and Unprecedented) Tale (Wired) Your Daily Coffee Habit Is About to Get More Expensive (NY Times) Coffee Jolt Gets Pricier as Costs of Beans, Labor, Transport Rise (Wall Street Journal) The summer of writing scams continues with a series of Goodreads ransom notes. (Literary Hub) How the alt-right are resurfacing old tweets to get Trump's critics fired (The Guardian) Number of twins in Inverclyde schools hits 80 (The Scotsman) Fifteen sets of twins to start schools in Inverclyde (BBC) The number of twins in the world is the highest it has ever been (New Scientist) Countries With Most Twins Identified (Live Science) 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 does a kid’s network establish their brand identity? Apparently, riff on a high brow architectural style and add heaping amounts of radioactive green slime. On the 30th anniversary of the first Nicktoons, a look back at Nickelodeon’s iconic aesthetic. Plus, a new––huge––study that upends a lot of what we thought knew about metabolism. And a fake website about fake movies. Links: How Nickelodeon Created Its Slime-Drenched ’90s Style (The Ringer) The Best Nickelodeon Character Bracket: The Elite Eight (The Ringer) Nickelodeon's Generational Divide (The Ringer) What We Think We Know About Metabolism May Be Wrong (NY Times) Metabolism in adulthood does not slow as commonly believed, study finds (NBC News) Nestflix Nestflix is a Netflix for fake movies and shows from real movies and shows (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

Robin has officially come out of the closet. No statement yet from Batman, but I do have the other details, and a brief history of LGBTQ+ superheroes. Plus, SpaceX is planning to put billboards in space. And plastic pollution is confusing the hermit crabs in Yorkshire. Links: Robin, Batman's Sidekick, Comes Out, Which Only Makes Sense (NPR) Robin comes out as gay in new Batman comic, adding to DC's LGTBQ characters (Polygon) The Evolution of Extraño, DC's First Openly Gay Super Hero (DC Universe Infinite) Why Tim Drake's Coming Out as Bisexual Matters (Nerdist) Sav Rodgers: The rom-com that saved my life (TED) No One Wants Your Space Billboards, Elon Musk (The Mary Sue) SpaceX and Canadian Startup Launching Space-Advertising Satellite (Business Insider) SpaceX acquiring satellite data start-up Swarm Technologies (CNBC) Plastic pollution in North Yorkshire is arousing hermit crabs, University of Hull scientists say (Washington Post) Plastic waste: Study finds crabs confused by chemical additive (BBC) Embrace the 90s again with Kid Pix's web app (It’s Nice That) Kid Pix web app 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 are CAPTCHA’s so frustrating and, in a way, so grim and disconcerting? Plus, botanists have identified the first carnivorous plant in twenty years, but don’t go calling it Audrey III just yet. And, a new development in the McFlurry Cold War. Links: Why CAPTCHA Pictures Are So Unbearably Depressing (Clive Thompson) How to Solve Captchas—and Why They've Gotten So Hard (Wired) 1st Carnivorous Plant Identified In 20 Years Grows Near Vancouver (NPR) This Flower Hides a Secret: It’s Actually a Carnivore (New York Times) A Carnivorous Plant Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight in North America Triantha occidentalis is picky (Gizmodo) McFlurry Machine Maker At the Center of Right-to-Repair Fight (Gizmodo) Why the McFlurry Machine Company Just Got Hit With a Restraining Order (Motherboard) Did the Company That Makes McFlurry Machines Get Hit with a Restraining Order? (Snopes) Fri. 04/23 - A McShake Up: The Battle Over McDonald's Ice Cream Machines (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

Some context and takeaways from the big UN climate report released this morning. NASA has opened applications for their Mars simulation mission. And why are some people in Japan sending bags of rice with their baby’s face on them to relatives? Links: The 2021 UN climate change report, explained: IPCC says humans caused “unequivocal” warming (Vox) New IPCC climate report is the clearest guidebook for selecting a future (Ars Technica) Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity' (BBC) Climate change widespread, rapid, and intensifying (IPCC) The era of 'rapid' climate change has begun (The Phoenix) 1.5 degrees Celsius: the sad truth about our boldest climate change target (Vox) Want to pretend to live on Mars? For a whole year? Apply now (AP) NASA looking for people to spend a year pretending they live on Mars so it can prepare to send astronauts to red planet (Sky News) Rice, rice baby: Japanese parents send relatives rice to hug in lieu of newborns (The Guardian) Behold this creepy and adorable 1911 book of captioned cat photos. (Literary Hub) 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 are forest schools? And the science behind why gardening can make you feel happy and peaceful. Plus, the Perseid meteor shower is happening in just a few days. And the co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been immortalized as a Barbie doll. Sponsor: Upstart, upstart.com/kottke Links: We Should All Be Playing in the Dirt More… According to Science! (Literary Hub) Can Climbing Trees Replace Preparing for Tests? (NY Times) The Ground Beneath Us: From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us about Who We Are by Paul Bogart Perseid meteor shower peaks this month! New moon bodes well for skywatchers. (Space.com) Perseid meteor shower 2021 peaks soon: How to watch the sparkling show (CNET) New Barbie Dolls Include A Vaccine Developer And Other Female Scientists (NPR) Vaccinologist Barbie: Prof Sarah Gilbert honoured with a doll (The Guardian) Equestrian Sumo scare? Riders say horses might be spooked by statue (AP) Jessica Springsteen makes Olympic show jumping debut (NBC Olympics) 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 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