Episodes

Sept. 24, 2020

Thu. 09/24 - The Secret Mancave Beneath Grand Central Terminal

A guide to saying no for people-pleaser’s. A recently discovered secret party room located under Grand Central Terminal and other strange breaking news from the New York City subway. Experts weigh in on why humans evolved to…
Sept. 23, 2020

Wed. 09/23 - Eat a Five Star Dinner, From Your Car

A new discovery indicates chromium is about a thousand years older than we thought. Why it’s sometimes better not to use your full potential on things. A group of chefs trying to make drive-thru fine dining a thing. And an E…
Sept. 22, 2020

Tue. 09/22 - Horror Fans Fare Better During the Pandemic

A new study has found that fans of horror movies are having an easier time coping with the pandemic. The woman who serves as the Queen of England’s body double. A new species of dinosaur discovered with perfectly preserved f…
Sept. 21, 2020

Mon. 09/21 - Get Vacation Stress-Relief Without the Vacation

Why do we eat fish sticks? The story behind those viral annual 21st of September videos. How to get the mental health benefits of “vacation anticipation” without going on vacation. And one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s favorite t…
Sept. 19, 2020

(Bonus) A Conversation with Jason Kottke

Jason Kottke started Kottke.org in 1998, making it one of the oldest, still maintained blogs on the web with over 26,000 posts spanning topics from art and technology to design, culture, and general knowledge. This is a peek…
Guest: Jason Kottke
Sept. 18, 2020

Fri. 09/18 - How Bras Inspired the N95

The 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced last night. Some people are trying to make CD players a thing again. How algorithms can detect our mood based on what we write online. And the surprising connection between Froz…
Sept. 17, 2020

Thu. 09/17 - Practice Friluftsliv This Winter

Some tips for tricking the algorithms and having a more neutral social media feed. Scientists have discovered a possible way to prevent motion sickness. The Norwegian concept of friluftsliv and how it could be just what we n…
Sept. 16, 2020

Wed. 09/16 - No Seasonal Peeps, Yes Taco Bell Wine

A completely preserved extinct cave bear specimen from the Ice Age has been found in Siberia. Why our dreams have been more intense since the pandemic began. Strange new food and drinks hitting the market, and some beloved o…
Sept. 15, 2020

Tue. 09/15 - Life on Venus & Responsible Shrek Fans

Scientists have detected phosphine on Venus. Is it a sign of life? What it’s like to be in the virtual audience of a televised game. If you have trouble breathing when wearing a mask, here’s an explanation why and some tips …
Sept. 14, 2020

Mon. 09/14 - Preventing "Mask Breath" & Worse

Have you become intimately acquainted with your own breath since you began wearing a mask? Here’s how to curb the stench. Some insight into how non-human animals use numbers and quantitative information. The sad truth about …
Sept. 11, 2020

Fri. 09/11 - Why Do Americans Love Rotisserie Chicken?

Why the cheap rotisserie chicken is ubiquitous in American grocery stores. The new, true proportions of the megalodon. Unpacking the enormous size of Houston, Texas and its highway interchanges, as compared to a tiny Italian…
Sept. 10, 2020

Thu. 09/10 - How Where You Live Determines Your Personality

The big, underlying reason why so many items were tough to find at the start of the pandemic, and why some may still be for a long time to come. The sea anemones who grow extra tentacles when they eat too much. The psycholog…
Sept. 9, 2020

Wed. 09/09 - Modern-Day Willy Wonka Is Giving Away His Candy Factory

The perfectly sealed 2,500 year old coffins recently discovered in Egypt. How lockdown is making us all socially awkward. The gold ticket competition to win a candy factory, and the Willy Wonka-like figure behind it. And a n…
Sept. 8, 2020

Tue. 09/08 - Long Live the (Cloned) Woolly Mammoth

The first cloned endangered horse has been born. Next stop woolly mammoth de-extinction? The New Zealand man who won the French Scrabble competition without speaking a single word of French. The rising popularity of produce …
Sept. 4, 2020

Fri. 09/04 - Meditate With a Squid

New research indicates that Stonehenge may have been able to produce surround sound and was used to amplify rituals. The bizarre tradition of excessively-huge homecoming mums in Texas. A Finnish town is bribing its residents…
Sept. 3, 2020

Thu. 09/03 - The Schwarzenegger School of Social Media Etiquette

The Swedish scientists that used VR to Freaky Friday some best friends and study how our bodies affect our sense of self. Some exercises you can do at your desk to improve your posture. The curious case of the rust found on …
Sept. 2, 2020

Wed. 09/02 - Super Medium Black Holes & An OG Viral Reboot

The most massive merger of two black holes ever and mysteries it’s left us with. The fourteen year old viral hit, “Shoes,” is back with a pro-mask follow-up. The new dollar coins in Australia designed specifically for charit…
Sept. 1, 2020

Tue. 09/01 - Bee Venom Cancer Treatment & Diamond-Powered Batteries

The dragon eggs powered by diamonds. No, it’s not a children’s fairy tale, it’s a cutting-edge type of nuclear battery that could give us super long-lasting power and very little waste. The extinct breed of singing dogs that…
Aug. 31, 2020

Mon. 08/31 - Monkey-Fighting Grannies with Airsoft Guns

An update on Elon Musk’s brain implant technology. Some slightly bizarre anxiety-reducing exercises. How to make Batman give you driving directions. And the monkey-fighting group of grannies in Japan. Sponsor: Beachbody on D…
Aug. 28, 2020

Fri. 08/28 - The Border Town Currently Isolated From Both Canada & the US

How the Anthropocene has had a bigger impact on North America than the last ice age. The Washington border town that can’t access either Canada or the US anymore. How to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day this weekend. A ma…
Aug. 27, 2020

Thu. 08/27 - Why Pumpkin Spice Will Never Die

The Scots Wikipedia site that turns out to have been mostly written by an American teenager who does not speak Scots. Some tips and insight on staying safe from COVID-19 when indoors. Breaking down the strange, undefeatable …
Aug. 26, 2020

Wed. 08/26 - Netflix's Enola Holmes Hit With Lawsuit From Doyle Estate

Why it’s so hard to find dumbbells right now. Why Netflix’s upcoming Enola Holmes movie landed them a lawsuit from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate. A model for fighting procrastination. And the one quick fix that could sav…
Aug. 25, 2020

Tue. 08/25 - New Game Lets You Relive the Boredom of a Long Flight

Why the 2000-year-old redwoods in northern California are safe from the wildfires. How Leo Tolstoy’s mundane procrastination inspired Anna Karenina and can inspire other creatives today. The newly uncovered meteorite that pr…
Aug. 24, 2020

Mon. 08/24 - No Asteroid Apocalypse, But Maybe Aliens?

It turns out the ‘Oumuamua might be alien tech after all. The truth behind that asteroid allegedly hitting earth the day before America’s election. Finnish scientists have discovered an effective hangover cure. And the weird…