Cool Stuff Daily

What “time confetti” is and how to stop spreading it everywhere. A new development in the teleportation of information that means good things for the possibility of quantum internet. And how TikTokers raised a million dollars for The Actors Fund over the weekend with a crowd-sourced fan-created musical, inspired by Ratatouille. Sponsors: Magic Spoon, Save $5 at magicspoon.com/kottke and use code KOTTKE NordVPN, Get 68% off plus FOUR additional free months––at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE Links: How to get your time confetti under control (Timely) Everything You Need to Enjoy One Tech-Free Day a Week (Wired) High-fidelity, long-distance teleportation paves way for quantum internet (New Atlas) The delightful Ratatouille TikTok musical has already sold more than $1 million in tickets (The Verge) How a Ratatouille Musical Came Together on TikTok: WATCH (Vulture) 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 talking out loud to yourself is actually an important cognitive skill, or so I’m telling myself. A new population of blue whales with a distinct song was recently discovered in the Indian Ocean. And a new AI that will hilariously and viciously judge your taste in music. Sponsors: Skillshare, get a free trial of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/kottke The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Links: Talking out loud to yourself is a technology for thinking (Psyche) A New Population of Blue Whales Was Discovered Hiding in the Indian Ocean (NY Times) Yes! A Previously Unknown Population of Blue Whales Has Been Heard in The Indian Ocean (Science Alert) How Bad Is Your Spotify? (The Pudding) A New Musicians' Union Wants Spotify To Pay Up (WBUR) Support Artists Impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic (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

How is it that humans figured out how to read? New cosmological findings that may finally solve the Hubble tension. And, more monoliths continue to pop up, a look at two of the more interesting ones from this past week. Sponsors: Skillshare, get a free trial of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/kottke BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: Reading, That Strange and Uniquely Human Thing (Nautilus) Language is a tool, a technology (NomeDaBarbarian, Twitter) Astronomers Get Their Wish, and the Hubble Crisis Gets Worse (Quanta) Mysterious monolith appears in Pittsfield (WCAX) Photos of gingerbread monolith (Alexis Gallagher, Twitter) Christmas Day Wonder: Gingerbread Monolith Mysteriously Appears at SF Park (KQED) Gingerbread monolith delights San Francisco on Christmas Day (AP) 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 your brain takes out the trash while you sleep. The English man who crossed the Alps on a space hopper. And a subreddit where over half a million people pretend our world is just one big MMORPG. Sponsors: BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Skillshare, get a free trial of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/kottke Links: Deep sleep drives brain fluid oscillations (Science) During deep sleep, the brain does housekeeping (Reuters) Brain pumps comment (Christopher Mims, Twitter) Experience: I crossed the Alps on a space hopper (The Guardian) The Extraordinary Steven Payne Documentary Official Trailer (Regijus Simkevicius, YouTube) What if life were a video game? These 650,000 people imagine it that way. (Washington Post) Outside: The free-to-play MMO, on reddit (r/Outside, Reddit) 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 Star Wars toys have changed over the years and why it may not be a good thing for kids. What if there were tons of alien civilizations elsewhere in the Milky Way but they’re all long since dead? And the Danish tradition of leaving porridge out on Christmas Eve to bribe mischievous elves. Sponsors: Skillshare, get a free trial of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/kottke BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: Star Wars toys and Mandalorian figures aren't really for kids anymore (Polygon) How Star Wars used the Force of Fandom to create a merchandising empire (Syfy) The Milky Way is probably full of dead civilizations (Live Science) The Danish Christmas Porridge That Appeased a Vengeful 'House Elf' (Atlas Obscura) Techmeme Ride Home Podcast 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

Down the rabbit hole of targeted marketing through the lens of some strange, butt-flap onesie pajamas for adults. Don’t trust the sea foam in Australia. And some Catalonian Christmas traditions that are pretty crappy. Sponsors: BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee at BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Skillshare, get a free trial of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/kottke Links: Why are ads for pajamas with a butt flap taking over the internet? (Business Insider) Why Is This Woman's Left A-- Cheek Following Me Around the Internet? (Vice) The Pajamas Suit lets you pretend you’re dressing up for a Zoom meeting (The Verge) Sea snakes may be lurking in foam covering storm-lashed Australian beaches (The Guardian) El Caganer – Barcelona, Spain (Atlas Obscura) A traditional Nativity scene, Catalan-style (BBC) World's Largest El Caganer, 19-Foot Tall Defecating Giant in Barcelona (Laughing Squid) The Crowning Jewel of Catalonia’s Nativity Scene (Great Big Story, YouTube) Tió de Nadal – Barcelona, Spain (Atlas Obscura) 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 movie theaters look like in a post-pandemic world? And what do companies need to do to weather the storm? New research that suggests our early human ancestors could have hibernated. And the pyrotechnic German punch that Atlas Obscura describes as “mulled wine’s metal cousin.” Sponsors: NordVPN, Get 68% off plus FOUR additional free months––at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: How movie theaters will survive beyond the Covid-19 era (Quartz) Early humans may have survived the harsh winters by hibernating (The Guardian) The Flaming Cocktail Cauldrons of German Christmas (Atlas Obscura) 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 ways that COVID could change science forever––both good and bad. The business of Christmas trees and why we’re still seeing the effects of the Great Recession in tree prices today. And a site that plays ambient noise from the forests of the world. Sponsors: HelloFresh, Use code ridehome80 to get $80 off including free shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome80 Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: COVID-19 Changed Science Forever (The Atlantic) How Christmas trees are made, explained by a tree farmer (Vox) We Buy a Lot of Christmas Trees (NPR) America's Great Recession is still affecting Christmas tree sales (Business Insider) Tune Into Forests From Around The World 🌳🔈 (tree.fm) 'Christmas Star' will be closest visible conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 800 years (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

Physicists have measured sound diffusion in a perfect fluid for the first time ever and created a surprisingly popular SoundCloud track. A bunch of new works are entering the public domain in just a few weeks. And the Kellogg brothers are best remembered for inventing cornflakes, but in their time they were known for a number of other odd foods; a look at their B-side, including snowflake toast and the world’s first patented meat substitute. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Use code ridehome80 to get $80 off including free shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome80 Links: Physicists capture the sound of a “perfect” fluid (MIT News) Public Domain Day 2021 (Duke Law Center for the Study of Public Domain) Before Avocado Toast, There Was Snowflake Toast (Atlas Obscura) We're Entering a New Age of Meatless Meat Today. But We've Been Here Before (Smithsonian Magazine) Corn Flakes | The Brothers of Battle Creek | 1 (American Innovations) 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

Genetically-engineered pigs have gotten the all clear. Digging into the field of galactic archaeology. And how Dippin’ Dots can help us better understand the leading COVID-19 vaccines, and may play a role of their own. Sponsors: HelloFresh, Use code ridehome80 to get $80 off including free shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome80 Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: FDA approves genetically engineered pigs (The Verge) Gene editing has made pigs immune to a deadly epidemic (MIT Technology Review) Galactic archaeology: astronomers are using stars as fossils to study the Milky Way (Horizon Magazine) What the Dippin’ Dots ‘cold chain’ can teach us about COVID-19 vaccines (Popular Science) The world's now scrambling for dry ice. It's just one headache in getting coronavirus vaccines where they need to go (CNN) A vial, a vaccine and hopes for slowing a pandemic — how a shot comes to be (Washington Post) Dippin' Dots Cryogenics (Dippin’ Dots) 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 tone indicators? Where do they come from, how are they used, and a look at both the pre-internet history of tone indicators as well as the origin of the emoticon. And, a question for the ages, what was the deal with the leg lamp in A Christmas Story? Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Use code ridehome80 to get $80 off including free shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome80 Links: Tone Indicators and How to Use Them (NY Times) "Joke" Conversation Thread in which the :-) Was Invented (Carnegie Mellon) Here's some historical background on A Christmas Story's leg lamp (A/V Club) Leg lamp Halloween costume and more (Josh Sundquist, Instagram) 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 practical tips to help you remember more of what you read. After 51 years, one of the Zodiac Killer’s ciphers has been solved. And Brussels sprouts kind of became cool in the last few years, and it’s not just because bars started serving them with a whole bunch of spices and bacon; it’s also due to some pretty fascinating cross-breeding. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: How to Remember Everything You Want From Non-Fiction Books (Better Humans) Let's Crack Zodiac - Episode 5 - The 340 Is Solved! (David Oranchak, YouTube) Zodiac '340 Cipher' cracked by code experts 51 years after it was sent to the S.F. Chronicle (San Francisco Chronicle) Zodiac Killer cipher is cracked after eluding sleuths for 51 years (Ars Technica) From Culinary Dud To Stud: How Dutch Plant Breeders Built Our Brussels Sprouts Boom (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

The household features that were shaped by previous epidemics. An ethics committee has approved the French military to start making bionic soldiers. And hot Dr Pepper. Sponsors: NordVPN, Get 68% off plus FOUR additional free months at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: The Curious History of Steam Heat and Pandemics (Bloomberg) From Closets to Subway Tile: How Previous Epidemics Shaped Design (Architectural Digest) French army gets ethical go-ahead for bionic soldiers (CNN) US military closer to making cyborgs a reality (CNN) TIL: People used to drink hot Dr. Pepper during the holidays (The Takeout) What is hot Dr Pepper and where does it come from? (Matador Network) Have You Ever Tried Hot Dr. Pepper? (Serious Eats) Dr Pepper FAQ (Dr Pepper) 1968 COLD & HOT DR. PEPPER COMMERCIAL - Dick Clark (Saturday’s World, YouTube) We tried hot Dr Pepper, and it needs to be your next winter drink (The Dallas Morning 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

The Great Conjunction is upon us. Learn when and how to see Saturn and Jupiter closer than they’ve visibly been in 800 years. The Austin, Texas pop-up bringing canceled Taco Bell menu items back to life. Advice from a Japanese wellness expert on staying fit without entering a gym. And deepfake Santa is here to spread Christmas cheer. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke NordVPN, Get 68% off––only $3.71/month, plus FOUR additional free months––at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE Links: Jupiter and Saturn Head for Closest Visible Alignment in 800 Years (NY Times) How to watch the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on Dec. 21 2020 (Bad Astronomy) What's Up: December 2020 (NASA) Taco Fuego Pop-Up Is Serving Nixed Taco Bell Dishes Like 'Mexican Pizza,' Fiesta Potatoes, and More (Eater Austin) Austin pop-up resurrects lost Taco Bell favorites (The Takeout) How Japanese People Stay Fit for Life, Without Ever Visiting a Gym (Kokumura) Deepfake Santa Claus Has Logged On (Debugger) Send a FREE personalized AI Santa video! (Synthesia) How do I get audio pronunciation right? (Synthesia) 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 did a French company send a whole case of wine into space last year? And, if NASA technically bans alcohol, how come so many astronauts drink it and why are so many companies designing microgravity alcoholic beverage options? All is not merry and bright behind the scenes of some of the more unlikely Christmas songs that have been banned in the past. And you can blast into the past with this site that broadcasts classic old radio shows all day and night. Sponsors: NordVPN, Get 68% off––only $3.71/month, plus FOUR additional free months––at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: We Were Promised Cosmic Cocktails (Supercluster) Alcohol in Space: Past, Present and Future (Chris Carberry) Popular Christmas Songs Banned in the Past (Mental Floss) 'White Christmas' (NPR) Old Time Radio 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 COVID vaccines headed for distribution were developed on the fastest timeline in the history of vaccines. But could we do it even quicker next time? Or even make the vaccine before an outbreak? Speaking of vaccines, William Shakespeare officially got vaccinated for COVID-19 today. Yep, you heard that right. And in other weird news, Mount Everest is taller than we thought. Plus, a website to help you stop judging books by their covers. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke NordVPN, Get 68% off––only $3.71/month, plus an additional free month––at nordvpn.com/kottke or use coupon KOTTKE Links: We Had the COVID-19 Vaccine the Whole Time (NY Mag) Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in UK (BBC) William Shakespeare Gets the Covid Vaccine (NY Times) Shakespeare jokes (Preeti Chhibber, Twitter) Mount Everest gets new official height in measurement by Nepal and China (Washington Post) Recommend Me a Book The Best Books of 2020 (Kottke) A happy news bloopers season to you and yours (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 finder of Forrest Fenn’s treasure chest has been revealed. Also, what does one do with actual buried treasure in the twenty-first century? A special delivery for the astronauts on board the International Space Station. How you can help save bumblebees. And the latest sport to be added to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games lineup. Sponsors: StoryWorth, Get $10 off your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/ridehome Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure (Outside) NASA and SpaceX Launch a New Airlock and a Christmas Feast to the ISS (Gizmodo) How You Can Help Count and Conserve Native Bees (NY Times) US National Native Bee Monitoring Network Break-dancing gets Olympic status to debut at Paris Games in 2024 (ESPN) 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 latest in deep sea luxury tourism. The story of a guy who just found out this week that he’s been a meme for years. The fascinating geometry of Pringles. And an actually kinda sweet story about the polio vaccine. Sponsors: CastleGrade, Enter code KOTTKE for 10% off at CastleGrade.com StoryWorth, Get $10 off your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/ridehome Links: Triton's latest submarine puts six people in a bubble, 3,300 feet under (New Atlas) Guy who became a meme thread (Adrian Smith, Twitter) I Accidentally Became A Meme (BuzzFeed, YouTube) Geometry of Pringles: The Crunchy Hyperbolic Paraboloid (Interesting Engineering) The delightful—and timely—story of how 'A Spoonful of Sugar' ended up in 'Mary Poppins' (Upworthy) 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 few reasons why Zoom parties suck so much, some science-backed proposals to make them better, and a few platforms that are trying to do it. A website that will play that radio for you from anywhere in the world and any time going all the way back to 1900. And J.R.R. Tolkien’s house is up for sale. Sponsors: StoryWorth, Get $10 off your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/ridehome CastleGrade, Enter code KOTTKE for 10% off at CastleGrade.com Links: A Mission to Make Virtual Parties Actually Fun (Wired) Radiooooo Radiooooo: The Hit Tune Time Machine (The New Yorker) JRR Tolkien House Comes on the Market (NY Times) Save Tolkien's Home — Project Northmoor Letters from Father Christmas, Centenary Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien 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 Classic Tetris World Championship final is this Sunday, streaming live online, and if you were also surprised there is a Classic Tetris World Championship, then have I got a documentary recommendation for you. Archaeologists have discovered tens of thousands of Ice Age paintings on a remote cliff in the Amazonian rainforest. And a Christmas song that has been designed especially for dogs. Sponsors: CastleGrade, Enter code KOTTKE for 10% off at CastleGrade.com StoryWorth, Get $10 off your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/ridehome Links: Best of Five: The Classic Tetris Champions (Kickstarter) Ecstasy of Order (earlier documentary from 2013) (Kottke) Why Are Humans Suddenly Getting Better at Tetris? (Kottke) CORRECTION: The finals are on Sunday the 6th, not Saturday. Learn more here: Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) 'Sistine Chapel of the ancients' rock art discovered in remote Amazon forest (The Guardian) Christmas music for dogs is now a thing; 'Raise the Woof' is 'first-ever' holiday single aimed at canines (CNN) USPS Operation Santa® (USPS) Dear Santa (IFC Films) 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

Scientists have used AI to make a massive breakthrough in protein folding that could cause huge ripples in drug treatments and understanding the human body. China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the moon and is bringing back souvenirs. Leave some milk and cookies in the Zoom chat because Santa Claus is officially going virtual. And another quick update on The Monolith. Sponsors: CastleGrade, Enter code KOTTKE for 10% off at CastleGrade.com StoryWorth, Get $10 off your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/ridehome Links: London A.I. Lab Claims Breakthrough That Could Accelerate Drug Discovery (NY Times) DeepMind AI cracks 50-year-old problem of protein folding (The Guardian) DeepMind 101 megathread (Dr. Adam Rutherford, Twitter) China’s Chang’e 5 mission lands on the Moon (The Verge) China's Chang'e 5 lands on the moon to collect the 1st fresh lunar samples in decades (Space) Yes, Virtual Santa Claus Meet and Greets Are Happening on Zoom (Gizmodo) The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York (Alex Palmer) Ripley’s Offering $10,000 Reward For The Missing Utah Monolith (Ripley's) Another Mysterious Monolith Suddenly Appears — This Time In Romania (NPR) Monolith at Four Seasons Total Landscaping (It’s Full Of Stars, 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

An update on the mysterious monolith in Utah. The plant-based seafood companies vying to become the fishy equivalent of Beyond Meat. And some tips for socializing outside during the cold winter months. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT CastleGrade, Enter code KOTTKE for 10% off at CastleGrade.com Links: Utah's Mystery Monolith Appeared Around 2016 Near Site of Old Movie and TV Locations (Gizmodo) Here is our official statement on the rumors surrounding the #Monolith (Utah Bureau of Land Management, Facebook) Mysterious silver monolith disappears from Utah desert (Associated Press) Mystery metal monolith vanishes from Utah desert (The Guardian) The New Wave of Fishless Fish Is Here (Outside Online) The Art of Socializing Outside During Covid Winter (Bloomberg) 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 Thanksgiving Day prank at NASA that ensured Thanksgiving Day pranks never happened again. How artificial intelligence could finally end the spread of tuberculosis. The new EP from a new wave band that is definitely not just Green Day in masks. And Dr. Fauci’s ruling on whether it’s safe for Santa Claus to visit this year. Links: How a Thanksgiving Day gag ruffled feathers in Mission Control (Ars Technica) These Algorithms Could End the Scourge of Tuberculosis (NY Times) The Network, Which Isn't a Green Day Side Project, Returns With New Music (Rolling Stone) Did Green Day Secretly Release A New Album Tuesday? Only The Snoo Knows (MTV) Fauci claims without evidence that Santa Claus possesses "innate immunity" to coronavirus (Boing Boing) Restore the Howl (Instagram) Duncan Parks' wolf sculpture (Instagram) 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 saga of the infamous pig couch on Craigslist. A strange metal monolith has appeared without explanation in a deserted red rock cove in Utah. What does Yellowstone National Park have to do with the COVID-19 test kits? And a new device that will let you listen to things privately, without others being able to hear them, and with no headphones required. Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: Craigslist Pig Couch: Where Is It? (NY Times) Utah helicopter crew discovers mysterious metal monolith deep in the desert (CNN) DPS Aero Bureau Encounters Monolith in Red Rock Country (Utah DPS) How Yellowstone Extremophile Bacteria Helped With Covid-19 Testing (JSTOR Daily) New device puts music in your head — no headphones required (AP) 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

Mars may still be volcanically active, which could mean positive things for the potential of life on the planet. More good vaccine news, this time from Oxford and AstraZeneca. And speaking of Oxford, the dictionary took a weird turn for their Word of the Year. Sponsors: BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Links: Signs of Recent Volcanic Eruption on Mars Hint at Habitats for Life (NY Times) Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covid-19 Vaccine Up to 90% Effective (Kottke) AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is 70% effective on average, data show (STAT) 3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective and cheaper (AP) AstraZeneca and Oxford Say Vaccine Is Up to 90 Percent Effective (NY Times) Oxford’s official word of 2020 is . . . well, it’s a lot of words. (LitHub) Words of an Unprecedented Year: 2020 English Language Report (Oxford University Press) OED Word of the Year expanded for 'unprecedented' 2020 (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

Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, Wondery (Dr. Death, Dirty John, The Shrink Next Door) and Universal Music Group present Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Sound. The story begins with a keyboard player in the heart of Harlem: Teddy Riley. Teddy’s entire world was music. Playing it. Composing it. Producing it. Teddy and his friend Timmy Gatling followed their dreams and started a revolution in the world of hip-hop and R&B.They crafted hit after hit, and were on top of the world. Their group’s quick rise to fame came with betrayals and broken friendships. Tensions within the band began to flare, and rivalries with other artists turned violent. As the stakes grew higher, their troubled manager pushed the group past their breaking point, with deadly results. Listen today at http://wondery.fm/Jacked_Kot See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Ben Franklin really think the turkey should replace the eagle as America’s national bird? Analyzing the microbiome of Leonardo DaVinci’s drawings. And scientists who have figured out a way to rewind cellular aging in humans. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Links: Should the Turkey Replace the Bald Eagle as the National Bird? Ben Franklin Thought So (Discover Magazine) From Benjamin Franklin to Sarah Bache, 26 January 1784 (National Archives) The microbiome of Da Vinci's drawings (Phys.Org) In a First, Scientists Say They've Partially Reversed a Cellular Aging Process in Humans (Science Alert) 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

Advice for enjoying the holidays even if you’re spending them alone this year. AI researchers have made a sarcasm detector. And a look at the burgeoning field of paleomixology. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: How To Enjoy the Holidays if You'll Be Alone This Year (Vice) 22 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Into Your Own Weird, Perfect Holiday (Vice) Baskin-Robbins Turkey Cake (Baskin-Robbins) AI researchers made a sarcasm detection model and it’s sooo impressive (Venture Beat) How a Black-Feathered Dino Inspired a Series of Nerdy Cocktails (Atlas Obscura) 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 real talk about celebrating Thanksgiving this year. How artificial intelligence is being used to recreate smells from history. And Bunny the Talking Dog, the latest viral star on Tiktok. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: How to Reduce (but Not Eliminate) Covid Risk at Holiday Gatherings (Wired) A Pandemic Winter Safety Rule: Don't Spend Time Indoors (The Atlantic) How to Decide if It's Safe to Get Together For the Holidays (Kitchn) One-Pot Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe (Kitchn) Kitchn’s Guide for a Festive, Small-Scale Thanksgiving Menu (Kitchn) Our Best Thanksgiving Menu for Just Two People | Kitchn (Kitchn) How AI Is Helping Researchers Recreate Historical Smells (Forbes) Seeing by Smelling – How to Enhance the Experience for Blind and Low Sighted People in a Museum of 'Visual' Art (Odeuropa) How Bunny the dog is pushing scientists’ buttons (The Verge) TheyCanTalk.org I Am Bunny (@what_about_bunny) (Instagram) I am Bunny (@what_about_bunny) (Tiktok) 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 at trans figures in history in honor of Transgender Awareness Week. New stretchable sensor gloves that could change the game for robots, physical therapy, and VR. Liquid Death, the over-the-top canned water company, has released their second album of the year. Plus a new release from Waffle House. And a quick extra detail about the Moderna vaccine to add to my rundown from yesterday. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: Murdered, Suffocated And Burned Alive: 350 Transgender People Killed In 2020 (Forbes) Transgender Awareness Week (GLAAD) Genny Beemyn, "Transgender History in the United States" (Genny Beemyn, UMass) Re-Dressing America’s Frontier Past by Peter Boag Revolutionary by Alex Myers ‎One From the Vaults (Apple Podcasts) Disclosure (Netflix) Stretchable sensor gives robots and VR a human touch (Cornell Chronicle) Researchers create Synthetic Skin that lets you ‘feel’ in virtual reality (Popular Mechanics) What you need to know about Liquid Death Mountain Water (Newsday) Liquid Death Drops “Greatest Hates Volume II” with Punk Rock Legends (Ghost Cult) Waffle House Is Releasing A Bacon-Infused Beer (Delish) Dolly Parton partly funded Moderna Covid vaccine research (The Guardian) An mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 — Preliminary Report (New England Journal of Medicine) 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 second potential COVID-19 vaccine is showing incredible efficacy and bringing us a modest dash of hope. The future of sustainable air conditioning. The French media outlet that accidentally published obituaries for nearly a hundred public figures today… all of whom are still alive. And the Star Wars character that the SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts brought to space this weekend. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: Moderna says its covid-19 vaccine is nearly 95% effective (MIT Technology Review) Early Data Show Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective (NY Times) Fauci Is Excited About Moderna's COVID Vaccine, Reportedly 94.5% Effective (Vice) Moderna vaccine stability enables distribution in rural America: U.S. official (Reuters) How materials you’ve never heard of could clean up air conditioning (MIT Technology Review) Air Conditioning and Sycamore Trees | The Anthropocene Reviewed (WNYC) Keeping Cool | A Chilly Reception | 1 (American Innovations) Radio France Internationale publishes obituaries of people still alive (BBC) Romanian court tells man he is not alive (The Guardian) SpaceX Crew-1 team harnesses the Force by bringing Baby Yoda with them to space (The Verge) NASA and Peanuts Celebrate Apollo 10's 50th Anniversary (NASA) 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 associate Friday the 13th with being unlucky? The weird and creative solutions some offices are coming up with for virtual holiday parties this year. And don’t miss the next, and first official, SpaceX astronaut flight launch tomorrow. Sponsor: BitTrust IRA, Waive your signup fee BitTrustIRA.com/kottke Link: 2020’s second Friday the 13th is this Friday (EarthSky) Friday the 13th isn’t unlucky. It’s a meme disguised as superstition. (Vox) Why is Friday the 13th So Unlucky? (Snopes) These companies are hosting the weirdest office Christmas parties (Wired) NASA certifies SpaceX's Crew Dragon for astronaut flights, gives 'go' for Nov. 14 launch (Space.com) SpaceX-NASA launch: What to know ahead of Saturday's Crew Dragon astronaut mission (CNN) The 50th Anniversary of the Iconic Exploding Whale (Kottke) Thu. 07/02 - The Exploding Whale Memorial Park (is a real thing) (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

A simple question with a very, very complicated answer: how many holes does a straw have? Why the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be significant beyond COVID-19. And yet another botched art restoration in Spain. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, gabi.com/kottke Links: Q: What Is a Hole? A: We're Not Sure! (Kottke) How Many Holes Does a Human Have? (Vsauce, YouTube) What We Talk about When We Talk about Holes (Scientific American) GOING DEEP DISCUSSION TOPIC: "What is a hole?" (David Rees, YouTube) Why It’s a Big Deal If the First Covid Vaccine Is ‘Genetic’ (Wired) Why the Pfizer vaccine is a big deal (explained in simple terms) (The Literature Lady, Twitter) Seven big unknowns about the breakthrough coronavirus vaccine (Wired) Sculpture restoration work draws laughs, memories in Spain (AP) A Botched Restoration of a Painting in Spain Draws Outrage (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

A deep dive into why a statue of an eighteenth century feminist writer has caused such a stir in England. A new YouTube show to watch, made by Hungarian scientists, called The Genius Dog Challenge. And Collins Dictionary’s word of the year. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, gabi.com/kottke Links: Mary Wollstonecraft finally honoured with statue after 200 years (The Guardian) On women's bodies in statues (Mona Eltahawy, Twitter) On women in parks (Tracy King, Twitter) For Three Suffragists, a Monument Well Past Due (NY Times) 9/23 episode discussing UK statues (Kottke Ride Home) Who Will Win the 'Genius Dog Contest?' Watch the Competition Begin (NY Times) ‘Lockdown’ Is 2020’s Word Of The Year, According To Collins Dictionary (Forbes) 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

Australian scientists have discovered two new mammals. The trick to sticking to new habits that requires letting yourself be bad at things. A new perfume that smells like books. And a calming, hand-drawn web-based game to help you chill out. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, gabi.com/kottke Links: Two new species of greater glider discovered (Sydney Morning Herald) Here's how I finally got myself to start exercising (TED Ideas Blog) Portland's iconic Powell's Books is selling a book-scented unisex fragrance (CNN) Short Trip (Alexander Perrin) 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

Pfizer has good news about a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what you need to know. Meet the man who went viral over the weekend for interrupting a French newscaster. And high fashion scratch-and-sniff t-shirts; plus a brief history of the technology that enabled them. Sponsor: Gabi Insurance, gabi.com/kottke Links: Vaccine efficacy 101 (Natalie E. Dean, PhD, Twitter) Biden's Plans for Halting the Unchecked Spread of Covid-19 in the US (Kottke) Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in first analysis, company reports (Washington Post) Pfizer Vaccine Is 90% Effective, Study Says (Buzzfeed News) Temper expectations re: vaccine (James Ball, Twitter) Meet Meka Anyanetu, Aka 'Omelette Du Fromage' Man (Forbes) What in the World Is a $590 Scratch-and-Sniff T-shirt Doing in 2020? (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

Scientists have discovered more information about an absolutely hellish, inhospitable planet. And it’s not the one you think. Colorado passed a first-ever of its kind ballot measure to reintroduce a species of animal to its state. An intriguing if not-yet-promising coronavirus deterrent in the form of a nasal spray. And the secret writing life of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Sponsors: HelloFresh, Get $90 off including shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome90 Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: Scientists discover bizarre hell planet where it rains rocks and oceans are made of lava (CBS News) We’ve Found Oceans Of Molten Lava And ‘Rocky Rain’ On The Most Extreme Planet Yet, Say Scientists (Forbes) Colorado Is Getting Its Wolves Back After Voters Approve Historic Referendum (Gizmodo) A nasal spray blocked infection in lab animals, raising hopes for a new weapon against the virus. (NY Times) All 8 Stacey Abrams Romance Novels - Selena Montgomery Books List (Oprah Magazine) Chris Pine writing class (Dana Koster, 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

Remember, remember the fifth of November. Here are some thoughts on the complicated legacy of the Gunpowder Plot. Why Nebraska’s electoral votes are so weird, and the man responsible for keeping them weird. And, inspired by the Korean practice of nunchi, some tips on being a better communicator in virtual spaces. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Get $90 off including shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome90 Links: Guy Fawkes's Misunderstood Legacy (The Atlantic) Thread on Senator Ernie Chambers (Dr. Andrew R. Schrock, Twitter) Read the (Virtual) Room! How to Improve Your Digital Nunchi (Wired) 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

Brian Eno’s thoughts on social media and the role of the artist in these trying times, as well as a related new finding that smartphones may actually be helping to pop people’s filter bubbles when it comes to news consumption. A new archaeological discovery that has upended previous conceptions about gender roles in ancient hunter-gatherer societies. And Belgium’s cuddle buddy mandate. Sponsors: HelloFresh, Get $90 off including shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome90 Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: Brian Eno's Music for Anxious Times (NY Times) Phones Actually Pop Skewed 'News Bubbles' (Futurity) Wed. 10/14 - Can Virtual Public Parks Save Democracy? (Kottke Ride Home) 9,000-Year-Old Burial of Female Hunter Upends Beliefs About Prehistoric Gender Roles (Gizmodo) Everyone Gets a Cuddle Buddy in Belgium's New Lockdown (Vice) Why Counties Are Livestreaming Their Ballot Counts (Bloomberg) 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

It’s Election Day in the US. I’ve got some good and some weird tips for staying calm amidst the election storm. An AI that can tell if you have COVID-19 just by listening to your cough. And a deep dive on one type of U.S. citizen who can’t run for public office in eight states. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke HelloFresh, Get $90 off including shipping at HelloFresh.com/ridehome90 Links: Activities to reduce stress waiting for 2020 Election Day results (CNBC) How The Verge is coping with election anxiety (The Verge) Softbody Tetris (Kottke) Election Distractor (NY Times) This AI Can Tell if You Have Covid-19 Just by Listening to Your Cough, Researchers Say (Gizmodo) Anti-atheist statutes still foul 8 state constitutions in U.S. (Patheos) In Seven States, Atheists Push to End Largely Forgotten Ban (NY Times) Church of Universal Suffrage You either have to vote or lie to visit Pornhub on Election Day (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

Heading into the U.S. general election tomorrow, a refresher on why polls can be unreliable and how to read them responsibly. An opportunity to own the vintage spyware gadgets of your dreams. It’s 2020: platypuses glow in the dark now. And a new site that will distract you from the election. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: How claims of voter fraud were supercharged by bad science (MIT Technology Review) Why Pollsters Were Completely and Utterly Wrong (Harvard Business Review) Opinion | This Election Map Will Be Everywhere. Don’t Let It Fool You. (New York Times) 2020 - Latest Election Polls (Real Clear Politics) For Sale: The Entire Spycraft Collection of New York's KGB Museum (Atlas Obscura) Scientists Just Discovered That Platypus Fur Glows Green Under UV Light (Vice) Election Distractor (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

Why you’re seeing more young Black students working the polls this year. How the pandemic might parallel Prohibition's effect on the American brewing industry. NASA followed up a viral tweet with a literal link to their Soundcloud, and it’s definitely worth listening to, especially this weekend. And Play-Doh has just introduced a new line for adults. Yes, really. Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Links: Why young Black students are stepping in as poll workers this election season (NBC News) How a Beer Historian Is Documenting COVID-19's Impact on Brewing (Atlas Obscura) NASA SoundCloud Playlist Features Sinister Sounds of Space (NASA) Play-Doh for Adults May Be the Most 2020 Product Innovation Yet (Ad Week) 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

Can lab-grown brains become conscious? And should we let them? Burger King’s latest creepy stunt to try to rile up McDonald’s. And why do we say trick-or-treat, and what is Mischief Night anyways? Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: Can lab-grown brains become conscious? (Nature) Burger King Halloween stunt makes Ronald McDonald appear in restrooms (Business Insider) Wonder Fair's Virtual Haunted Bathroom (Wonder Fair) Mischief Night and Halloween: A Brief History of the Term (TIME) Why Do We Say 'Trick or Treat' on Halloween? (Mental Floss) Halloween: The History of America's Darkest Holiday by David J. Skal 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 one hundred years ago when women ruled a notorious wild west town. Some thoughts on the effects of technology on our ability to remember our thoughts in the long-term. And the internet is calling it the best game of 2020, but it’s actually just a virtual 3D tour of a house for sale. What’s going on? Sponsors: Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Links: Remembering When Women Ruled a Wild West Town (Atlas Obscura) Gaining, Losing, and Winning Back the Vote: The Story of Utah Women's Suffrage - Better Days Curriculum (Utah Women’s History) Are we losing our ability to remember? (Scott Taylor) This 3D home tour is the best accidental video game of 2020 (A/V Club) The House on Blue Lick Road (Waxy) 3D Tour of 880 Blue Lick Road 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

Throwing cold water on that whole signs-of-life-on-Venus news. A new travel guide to haunted hotels, based on bad Tripadvisor reviews. A study looking into why we don’t click or comment on certain posts online. And Kazakhstan changes their stance on Borat. Sponsors: The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Fundrise, Get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived at fundrise.com/kottke Links: New analysis casts serious doubt on the claim of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus (Bad Astronomy) 12th order polynomial explanation (Bad Astronomy) Ghost Stories of Tripadvisor is a dreadful directory of hotel hauntings (It’s Nice That) 3 Things Drive Our Social Media 'Non-Click' Decisions (Futurity) Why don't we click on some social media posts? (UMich) Kazakhstan stops resisting Borat, adopts "Very nice!" tourism slogan (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

NASA’s big announcement has been revealed: there is way more water on the moon than we thought. An update on the murder hornet situation. Oreo has built a vault in Norway to preserve a stash of Oreos in case that Election Day asteroid, which is absolutely not going to hit the Earth, hits the Earth. And mutant crayfish clones have taken over a Belgian cemetery just in time for Halloween. Sponsors: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride The Jordan Harbinger Show, jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Links: NASA's Big Moon News: There's Water All Over the Place (Gizmodo) NASA’s SOFIA Discovers Water on Sunlit Surface of Moon (NASA) Water on the Moon could sustain a lunar base (BBC) Washington Scientists Destroy First Murder Hornet Nest in US (Earther) In Japan, the ‘Murder Hornet’ Is Both a Lethal Threat and a Tasty Treat (NY Times) Oreo stashed its cookies in a doomsday vault in preparation for the 'Election Day asteroid' (CNET) Hundreds of self-cloning crayfish invade Antwerp cemetery (Brussels Times) An aquarium accident may have given this crayfish the DNA to take over the world (Science Mag) 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

Do Venus Flytraps have a short-term memory? A new interactive database of every lifeform that’s ever gone into space from Earth. The Seattle bar that made a pandemic-safe pinball machine. And Burger King is getting in on the zero-waste game with reusable containers in select markets. Sponsors: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: The secret of how the Venus flytrap “remembers” when it captures prey (Ars Technica) "The Astronaut Database" (Supercluster) Bat Hung onto Shuttle During Liftoff (NASA) Seattle arcade thinks on its feet, introduces touchless pinball (NBC King5) Burger King is testing a new, reusable container for Whoppers (Fast Company) Meet Loop, the new zero-waste platform for consumer products (Fast Company) Is the McDonald's Ice Cream Machine Broken? (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

What does root beer have to do with a potential COVID-19 vaccine? A deep dive on that connection. A peek into the world of people who grow giant vegetables. And the Iowa woman who had her cat successfully cloned. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: A COVID-19 Vaccine Could Rely on Rare Trees in Chile (The Atlantic) COVID-19 tracker: Roche taps Atea for oral antiviral; AstraZeneca's US vaccine trial to resume 'imminently' (Fierce Pharma) ‘We’re like athletes’: the secret lives of giant-vegetable growers (The Guardian) Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Susan Warren Squashed by Joan Bauer Iowa Woman Has Her Dead Pet Cat Cloned (Oddee) ViaGen Pets | America's Pet Cloning Experts 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

Today is International Pronoun Day so here are some historical facts about pronouns. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown organ in the human body. And forget about WeWork, a Japanese amusement park has offered up their ferris wheel as a co-working space. Sponsors: FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke Links: A brief history of singular 'they' (Oxford English Dictionary) He, she, or ... ? Gender-neutral pronouns reduce biases – study (The Guardian) Gender-neutral pronouns: When 'they' doesn't identify as either male or female (Washington Post) Kamala versus Daenerys (The.Ink) International Pronouns Day (Pronouns.Org) Scientists Just Discovered a Mysterious Organ Lurking in The Centre of The Human Head (Science Alert) Doctors May Have Found Secretive New Organs in the Center of Your Head (NY Times) Japanese theme park lets you co-work from the Ferris wheel (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

Tardigrade sunscreen. Coming soon? How to enjoy a socially-distanced holiday season. Some promising methods for upcycling plastic into more valuable materials. And the curious case of the extremely moldy Twinkie. Sponsors: Fitbod, Get one month free at Fitbod.me/kottke FightCamp, joinfightcamp.com/ride Links: This tardigrade can glow to protect itself when exposed to UV rays (CNN) How to Make Socially Distanced Holidays Actually Feel Special (Vice) If recycling plastics isn’t making sense, remake the plastics (Ars Technica) Scientists Are Fascinated By An 8-Year-Old, Moldy Twinkie (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