Shows / Cool Stuff Daily
Cool Stuff Daily
Cool Stuff Daily covers the most interesting and coolest stories in the world of science, progress, life-hacks, memes, exciting art, and hope. This is the antidote to depressing headlines. Smart stuff in podcast form. Cool news, as a service. Hosted by Zach Morris.
Episodes
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/29 - Why Donuts Are Emblems of America (& some NYE traditions from around the globe)
A history of the humble donut as a symbol of American patriotism, and a circular source of joy world round. Plus, a round-up of New Year’s traditions from…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/28 - Emojis As Folklore & Cows On Waterbeds
The argument for emojis as folklore, the top emojis of 2021, and why an emoji reference site is being archived in the Library of Congress. Plus, it turns out…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/27 - I'm Disgusted
What is the real driver of all of humanity’s innovations, doctrines, and oddities? According to some psychologists, disgust. Plus, the surprisingly recent…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/22 - Rollerskating, The Holy Pooper, & X-Mas Carol Extortion: Traditions From Around the World & Days of Yore
A round-up of Christmas traditions from around the world and throughout time. Plus, the US Army is working on a vaccine that could protect against all COVID…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/21 - Why the Webb Telescope Launch Is Freaking Out Astronomers
The James Webb Space Telescope is launching on Friday. Here’s what to expect, and why astronomers are so stressed out about it. Plus, Scotland may soon be…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/20 - Athletes' Supercharged Blood & Pro Santas On a Boat
How an athlete’s blood could boost cognitive function, potentially in non-athletic people. Plus, the origin and meanings of the song “The Twelve Days of…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/17 - The Mystery of the Secret Library Hidden Inside a Library Book
How a librarian discovered a secret library within her library. Plus, some tips for unplugging more deeply when you’re on vacation. And the group of actual…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/16 - DOOM BLOOM: Spotted Lanternfly-Tainted Honey
It turns out those pesky spotted lanternflies have changed the local honey in Pennsylvania, and it’s… kind of good? Plus, the FDA has approved eye drops that…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/15 - Are Floating Neighborhoods the Future?
A NASA spacecraft has just touched the sun for the first time in human history. Plus, are floating neighborhoods the future for coastal towns? And a look back…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/14 - Sad Keanu & A Sleeping Bag to Save Astronauts' Eyeballs From Being Squashed
When did we first start sending holiday cards and will the tradition ever end? Plus, the health risks for humans in space and a high-tech sleeping bag that…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/13 - Science-Backed Nap Hacks From Salvador Dalí
Need a creative boost? Try this napping hack from Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí––research from this month says it actually works. The woman who successfully…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/10 - The Science (& Ethics) of Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’
Insights from the real-life NASA scientist behind Netflix’s new killer-comet movie, Don’t Look Up. Plus, reindeers are the only mammals whose eyes change color…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/09 - Birds Aren't Real (And Neither Is This Gen Z Conspiracy Theory)
Finally we get some truth from bird truthers. Everything you need to know about the Birds Aren’t Real movement. Plus, New Zealand is banning tobacco completely…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/08 - Cleaning Hacks From Victorians
Cleaning advice from nineteenth century housekeepers. An upcoming feminist retelling of 1984. How to watch the Geminid meteor shower next week. And MST3K is…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/07 - Scientists Want SpaceX's Starship To Go To Infinity & Beyond
How SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket could herald a new generation of space exploration. Plus, all sound recordings from the mid-1800s to 1923 are going to be…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/06 - Why Is It So Hard To Hear Movie Dialogue These Days?
Do you feel like the dialogue in movies has gotten harder to understand? It’s not just you. Sound professionals dish on all the reasons why it’s gotten worse…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/04 - Krampus, the Unabomber, & Tickle Me Elmo
Why the FBI thought the inventor of Tickle Me Elmo might have been the Unabomber. A new potential method for freeze-drying vaccines. And it’s Krampusnacht this…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/02 - How a College Student Invented Oregon Trail 50 Years Ago
How a twenty-one-year-old student-teacher and his roommates created Oregon Trail fifty years ago, and never made a cent from their creation. Plus, a letter…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/01 - Duolingo's Bizarre Sentences
Why does Duolingo use such weird and sometimes deeply relatable phrases to teach its users new languages? Plus, the real science behind the much-hyped “first…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/30 - How Mark Twain Invented the Bra Clasp
How Mark Twain invented the bra clasp. Kinda. Plus, beavers doing the work of million dollar machines to restore land and prevent wildfires––in a fraction of…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/29 - Canada's Emergency Maple Syrup Reserves
Are influencers’ aesthetic choices for their kids threatening their brain development? Probably not, but the science behind it is kind of interesting. Plus…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/24 - Made-Up Words For Very Real Feelings
How does the CIA go about recruiting young people who are increasingly skeptical of government institutions and also not exactly covert about their lives on…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/23 - Why Do We Say "Sh*t Hit the Fan"?
Why we rely on idioms for communication and how some of the more nonsensical ones entered our lexicon. Plus, a company working on a sort of 10,000 g slingshot…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/22 - Oxygen From Moon Rocks Could Sustain Humanity for 100,000 Years
Could lunar explorers of the future be sucking air out of moon rocks? Could all of us? Plus, a device made from household objects could expand the world’s…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/19 - The Fake 2000s Yo-Yo Career of 'What We Do In the Shadows' Mark Proksch
A brief history of takeout and delivery. Plus, a What We Do In The Shadows actor’s previous career as an award-winning yo-yo-er. And the abomination that is…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 11/18 - AMC Will Soon Deliver Popcorn to Your Home
Will we soon have a new Planet Nine? The first human trial for an Alzheimer’s nasal vaccine is about to be under way. And Papa John’s has changed their name…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/17 - The 1930s "Streaming" Music Service from Seattle
The progenitors to on-demand streaming music, including the multiphone in the 1950s American west and the Théâtrophone in 1880s Paris. Plus, new findings about…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/16 - Pastel Pavement to Appeal to Women Drivers & More Tired Ideas From Auto History
The US finally has a national recycling strategy as of yesterday. Plus, what is the ultimate song to listen to at any time of the day or night? Scientists…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/15 - Welcome To The Human Library
Zillow is out of the iBuying game. What does that mean for its competitors and for the future of real estate? Plus, a look into the Human Library. And…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/12 - The Year Without A Santa Claus? "Labor Shortages" Hit the North Pole
White-tailed deer in America have been found to be transmitting SARS-CoV-2 among each other in higher than expected rates. Plus, next week will be the…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/10 - Could Dogs Survive Without Us?
The curious story of how sushi became popular in America. Plus, what would happen to dogs if all their humans disappeared? And in their latest stunt, Heinz…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/09 - Why Does America Have So Few Public Restrooms?
A deep dive down the drain pipe to discuss why America has so few public restrooms. Plus, how Pinterest ruined Google Search, and a few options for fixing it…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/08 - The Messy Legacy of Emily Dickinson and Her Favorite Cake
Another even more promising antiviral pill for COVID-19 has been announced, this time from Pfizer. Plus, why adults aren’t as good at learning new things as…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/05 - A Universal Vaccine For EVERY Coronavirus, Not Just COVID-19
How would a universal coronavirus vaccine work and how close are we to having one? Plus, how cosplaying as a superhero can actually make you a better person…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 11/04 - Steel Igloos In Iceland Turn CO2 Into Rocks
New international space laws may soon be on the horizon. Plus, the brewing battles between artists using AI to reconstruct lost artworks and the estates of the…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/03 - The McRib, Space Tacos, and Tropicana Toothpaste
An abridged history of the McRib sandwich. Astronauts have leveled up their taco game by growing chile peppers in space. And Tropicana just introduced their…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/02 - How to Rewild Your Attention
Some tips for “rewilding your attention.” Plus, how to help NASA train future rovers to better navigate Mars. And what’s going on with those NFT billboards in…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/01 - "Behind The Joy Are The Algorithms"
A meditation on streaming entertainment, algorithms, and David Foster Wallace’s prescient writing on the illusion of choice. Plus, a possible functional cure…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/29 - Disease and the Vampire Myth + Hallowmeme History
Digging up the origins of some of the most popular Halloween memes––from “Spooky Scary Skeletons” to the dancing pumpkin man, and also touching on the Disney…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/28 - Human Eggs Made From Blood Cells
Could we one day create sperm and egg cells from any human cell, even across the sexes? Plus, how BJ Novak from The Office’s face ended up on products all…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/27 - Permafrost Thaw May Unleash Radioactive Waste & Bacteria
It turns out that melting permafrost could unleash Cold War-era radioactive waste and millions of years old antibiotic resistant bacteria. Cool cool cool…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/26 - Can AI Simulations Solve the Supply Chain Disruptions?
Could a new generation of AI simulations help solve the mounting supply chain disruptions? Plus, the history and future of haunted houses. And Jeff Bezos is…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/25 - Music That Gives You Chills, and Why It Does
The countercultural witchcraft music of the 1960s, and a study exploring what it is about certain songs that give us a spine-tingling chill. Plus, elephants in…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/22 - A Solar Storm Proved the Vikings Visited The Americas Exactly 1000 Years Ago
Thanks to a collab between trees and the sun, we can now pinpoint an exact year that the Vikings were in North America. Plus, are sirens actually effective…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/21 - Using These Memes Is A Red Flag 🚩
Open captions are coming to the big screen as AMC Theaters takes a big step towards accessibility, and a look at captions’ growing popularity among the…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/20 - None Pizza With Left Beef: A Slice of History
A brief history of one of the most famous pizzas on the internet. Surgeons have successfully transplanted a kidney from a genetically-altered pig to a human…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/19 - Grand Duke Travis of Westarctica Wants To Save the Planet
A look at the micronation of Westarctica, whose Grand Duke Travis started a nonprofit arm of the micronation to raise awareness about the consequences of the…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/18 - Thank Exoplanets For Your iPhone's Display
How the push to search for signs of life on exoplanets fueled the development of the technology we use in our latest generation of smartphones. Plus, what your…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/15 - Responding to Pandemic Uncertainty Like an Engineer
A proposal for approaching this next phase of the pandemic less like an epidemiologist and more like an engineer. Plus, new findings from the Mars Perseverance…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/14 - Do Spoilers Actually Make Movies Better?
Should you read the spoilers for horror movies before you watch them? Plus, a butterfly species in Finland with parasitic wasps in its belly… and even more…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/13 - Who's To Blame For Candy Corn?
How candy corn went from a year round candy marketed at farmers to the love-to-hate it Halloween treat it is today. Plus, a new interactive image gallery that…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/12 - Why Do We Casually Kill Spiders Without Remorse?
What is it that makes spiders so frightening to us, and why do most of us kill them without sparing a second thought? Plus, a Scottish nightclub that’s using…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/11 - The Very Intense Miss Navajo Nation Pageant
It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day. More and more local governments are making it official, but why did we start celebrating Columbus Day to begin with? Plus, the…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/08 - Is The Nobel Prize Bad For Science?
The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have been announced! As well as the winners in Chemistry and Literature. More on each winner, as well as a question about…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/07 - It's Like Venmo, But For the Post Office
The WHO has officially approved the first-ever malaria vaccine. The United States Postal Service is trying out being a bank. And the story of a white-naped…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/06 - "Corpse Medicine," Brain Implants, & Actors In Space
A Russian film crew have arrived on the International Space Station to shoot the first-ever feature length film in space. A woman has received a brain implant…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/05 - The Facebook Outage Revealed a Grim Reality
Are we prepared to reckon with how much of the world came to a stop when Facebook went down yesterday? Plus, thanks to a new discovery, you may soon be able to…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/04 - Thor's Antiviral COVID-19 Pill & Sexist Suitcases
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/01 - Edibles In Your Kid's Trick-Or-Treat Candy? Don't Bet On It.
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 09/30 - Chinese Takeout Boxes Are Americancore
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…