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 DailyThu. 1/14 - How We Narrowly Avoided an Emoji Shortage
The workaround the Unicode Consortium used to make sure we still get new emojis in 2021, pandemic or not. Facial hair is biologically useless. So why do some…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 1/13 - Pablo Escobar's Hippos Are Out of Control
Pablo Escobar’s pet hippos have multiplied and are ravaging part of Colombia’s capital. An AI that can create very impressive and artistic images from text…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 1/12 - 16th Century Disease Prevention & Beer Can Archaeology
The sixteenth-century manual on containing the spread of disease that is eerily reminiscent of current COVID guidelines. Bitcoin millionaires who can’t access…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 1/11 - Tim Berners-Lee's Quest to Restore Balance to the Web
It’s time for two writers to pay up on a 25-year-old bet about whether tech would destroy civilization. Tim Berners-Lee’s new quest to transform the web into…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 1/8 - What Folklore Can Teach Us About Conspiracy Theories
What folklorists can teach us about the structure and resilience of conspiracy theories. The genome of the platypus has been sequenced, and it’s just as weird…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 1/7 - Dude, IceBots on Mars!
A prototype for self-repairing planetary exploration robots made of ice. The surprising history of the word “dude.” And a new Danish children’s cartoon about…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 1/6 - The 60s Spy Satellite Helping Today's Environmental Scientists
Space missions to keep your eye on in 2021. How satellites built to spy on the Soviets have helped unravel environmental mysteries. Why the dark ages aren’t…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 1/5 - A Nanny Cam to Keep You On-Task?
People who are choosing to be surveilled by strangers and productivity nannies in order to stay on task while remote working. A 3D-printed hydrogel inspired by…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 1/4 - Time Confetti & the Quantum Internet
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/30 - The Cognitive Case for Talking To Yourself
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/29 - How Humans Began to Read and Write
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/28 - What If 2020 Was Just One Big MMORPG?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/23 - Leave Out Porridge for Belligerent Elves on Christmas Eve
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/22 - The Holy Pooper & the Curse of the Targeted Butt-flap PJs Ad
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/21 - How Will Movie Theaters Stay Afloat Post-Pandemic?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/18 - The Business of X-Mas Trees & How COVID Changed Science
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/17 – Snowflake Toast & The Sound of a Perfect Fluid
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/16 - What Pfizer Can Learn From Dippin’ Dots
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/15 – The Origins of the Emoticon
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/14 - How To Remember More of What You Read
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/11 - How Our Homes Were Shaped By Epidemics + Hot Dr Pepper
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/10 - Deepfake Santa & The Great Conjunction
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/9 - Space Booze: It's... For Science
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/8 - Can We Pre-Design Vaccines For Future Pandemics?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 12/7 - What It's Like Finding Buried Treasure in 2020
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 12/4 - When You Find Out You're a Meme
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 12/3 - Proximity Chats: A Solution to Bad Zoom Parties?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 12/2 – Competitive Tetris Champions & Christmas Carols For Dogs
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 12/01 - China's Chang'e 5 Lands on the Moon
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/30 - The Utah Monolith Has VANISHED
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/25 - Did Devo & Green Day Predict 2020?
The Thanksgiving Day prank at NASA that ensured Thanksgiving Day pranks never happened again. How artificial intelligence could finally end the spread of…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/24 - An Unexplained Monolith in the Utah Desert
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/23 - Oxford's Vaccine & "Word" of the Year
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFeed Drop - Jacked: Rise of the New Jack
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/20 - Did Ben Franklin Want to Replace the Eagle With the Turkey as the National Bird?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 11/19 - Paleomixology & the Baskin-Robbins Turkey Cake: Tips For Spending the Holidays Alone
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…
Cool Stuff Daily11/18 - Real Talk on Thanksgiving Celebrations in 2020
Some real talk about celebrating Thanksgiving this year. How artificial intelligence is being used to recreate smells from history. And Bunny the Talking Dog…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/17 - The Little-Known History of Transgender People
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/16 - The Moderna Vaccine: What You Need To Know
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/13 - How Did Friday the 13th Become Unlucky?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 11/12 - How Many Holes Does a Straw Have?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/11 - Why People Are Mad About Mary Wollstonecraft in 2020
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/10 - Make Better Habits By Being Bad At Them
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/09 - What To Know About the Pfizer Vaccine
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 11/06 - The Most Extreme, Hellish Planet Yet Discovered
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 11/05 - Why Nebraska Splits Its Electoral Votes
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 11/04 - Brian Eno & the Atomization of Society
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 11/3 - The Atheist Ban
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 11/02 - Debunking & Distracting From Election Coverage
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/30 - Is the Pandemic Causing Prohibition-esque Ripple Effects?
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/29 - Haunted Bathrooms & Lab-Grown Brains
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/28 - 2020's Best Game Is a Cursed Real Estate Listing
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…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/27 - Kazakhstan Is Very Nice, But Venus Is Not
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…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/26 - Water on the Moon & Oreo’s Arctic Vault
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…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/23 - The Bat Who Went To Space
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…
Cool Stuff DailyThu. 10/22 - The Rare Tree Needed for a COVID-19 Vaccine
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…
Cool Stuff DailyWed. 10/21 - Co-Working On A Ferris Wheel
Today is International Pronoun Day so here are some historical facts about pronouns. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown organ in the human body…
Cool Stuff DailyTue. 10/20 - Tardigrade Sunscreen & Cursed Twinkies
Tardigrade sunscreen. Coming soon? How to enjoy a socially-distanced holiday season. Some promising methods for upcycling plastic into more valuable materials…
Cool Stuff DailyMon. 10/19 - The Moon Is Getting a Nokia Cellular Network
The fourteen-year-old Texan who may have just made an important discovery for potential COVID-19 treatments. An update on the safety and new norms surrounding…
Cool Stuff DailyFri. 10/16 - Will Plastic Bubbles Save Live Music? The Flaming Lips Think So.
More and more humans these days have an extra artery. The 2020 Tony Award nominations and the very strange case of Mr. Aaron Tveit. A calculator that will tell…