Scientists created a microcomputer powered by photosynthetic algae. Plus, a smart pacifier that could monitor the health of premature babies in the NICU. And Domino’s has teamed up with the Hawkins National Laboratory for a …
Plants have successfully been grown in moon dust for the first time. Plus, McDonald’s is officially closing all of their restaurants in Russia––why that’s a big deal. A new site that will tell you how much your current home,…
A deep dive into the multiverse––what it actually is, why it’s become such a popular trope, what its popularity says about where we’re at as a society right now, how it mirrors our relationship to the internet, and why, desp…
Everything you need to know about the just-released first-ever image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy. Plus, is there sight after death? No. But kind of. And, in the most predictable news of the day, Dolly Parto…
How data can help us find happiness in romantic relationships, or at least tell us why we’re dating all wrong. Plus, it turns out sleep-deprivation can affect how we see other people. And a new website for finding and report…
How the summer of 1982 changed movies forever––for better or worse. Plus, a study justifying why teenagers suck at listening to their parents. And, how to watch this weekend’s total eclipse of the moon.
How the 50’s sci-fi horror film The Blob was actually a ripped-from-the-headlines story. Plus, potential cancer treatments involving magnets and dirt. And would you undergo a fecal transplant to reverse signs of aging? It co…
How much can we blame Charles Dickens for the persisting archetype of creepy clowns? Who and what other cultural factors over the centuries contributed to so many people being whigged out by clowns? Plus, we now know the (g…
A deep dive into the question of whether pop culture has become completely dominated by franchises and the same superstars; and, if so, how new that phenomenon actually is and, if it’s really a bad thing in the end.
Did Margaret Thatcher play a role in the origins of Star Wars Day? Plus, why human hibernation for long-distance space travel might not actually be worth it. And a redone Bob Dylan recording on an all-new analog medium, comi…
Why doesn’t the US get all the cool chip flavors that other countries do? Plus, scientists have figured out a way to breakdown plastic in just a few days, instead of over centuries. And why a bunch of creepy dolls keeping wa…
Why it’s time for you to waste time. Plus, a café in Tokyo that doesn’t let people leave until they’ve successfully hit their writing goals. And a possibly sustainable use for the ungodly amounts of disposable masks we’ve th…
How an innocent trip to the library could give you arsenic poisoning. Plus, a new pterosaur fossil seems to confirm the prehistoric reptiles had some pretty cool feathers. And, how would you like to meditate with Yoda and Ch…
Canada has become the first country to release census data on their trans and nonbinary population. Plus, a new study showing how the climate emergency could fuel future pandemics. And, in lighter news, some MIT engineers 3D…
The moon has a bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation going on that astronomers have never been able to definitively explain, but a new study suggests it could be the result of a massive impact four billion years ago. Plus…
How the CIA funded that 1954 animated adaptation of Animal Farm as part of their anti-communist propaganda campaign. Plus, the woman who found out she’d been missing a chunk of her brain for most of her life without realizin…
The secret, anti-monopolist history of the Monopoly board game. Plus, why we’re all having trouble remembering things right now, and how we can strengthen our memories going forward.
Why did some cultures develop tastes for particularly spicy foods and others didn’t? Plus, the Museum of Endangered Sounds. And an upcoming documentary from Alex Winter about radicalization on social media.
Introducing the sport of extreme sitting. Plus, a new study that suggests fungi might be communicating with each other via electrical impulses. And, Sir David Attenborough has been named Champion of the Earth.
The story of a self-described mad scientist who gave a microwave the soul of his childhood imaginary friend using AI, and then it tried to kill him. Plus, texting etiquette from Emily Post’s great-great-grandchildren.
A doctor was beamed up to the ISS in the first-ever holoportation to space. Plus, a new chopsticks invention that makes your food taste salty without adding any salt. And inside the world of a professional scream artist.
Why indie booksellers went from hating Barnes & Noble to defending it, and what that means for the future of publishing. Plus, a look at inflation through the lens of the Big Mac Index.
In a more serious take on yesterday’s musings, how is the pandemic and modern technology changing how we communicate about and understand time? Plus, speaking of time, why do Passover and Easter sometimes occur so far apart …
Should we be measuring time differently now that we spend more time with digital technology than nature? Paul Ford has some suggestions. Plus, how the heck is AriZona Iced Tea still just 99 cents and not playing any nefariou…