Episodes

April 19, 2022

Tue. 04/19 - Holoportation & the Real Scream Queen

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.
April 18, 2022

Mon. 04/18 - The Old Villains Are the New Heroes + the Big Mac Index

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.
April 15, 2022

Fri. 04/15 - We Need a Time Variance Authority

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 from one another? Let’s talk about the messy world of human-constructed cal…
April 14, 2022

Thu. 04/14 - Redefining Units of Time for the Techno-Era

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 nefarious shrinkflation games like the other guys? And a new study analyzing the pe…
April 13, 2022

Wed. 04/13 - That's A Big Ol' Comet

A very big comet. How sewage monitoring could transform public health beyond just its applications for COVID-19. Plus, libraries are relinquishing local library card requirements for eBooks in a bid to fight back against book bans. And a new National Park annual pass that won’t be valid for 150 yea…
April 12, 2022

Tue. 04/12 - Social Media as the Fall of the Tower of Babel

How social media has created a Tower of Babel-like fragmentation of society. Plus, the infrastructure secrets behind a new-to-the-US reality show starring some very busy toddlers. And the brewing beef between Spirit Halloween and the King of Halloween.
April 11, 2022

Mon. 04/11 - You Have Livetweeted Dysentery

The Maryland man livetweeting his bout of dysentery––don’t worry, he’s okay. Plus, scientists have managed to de-age human skin cells by thirty years. And an implausible NASA artifact was taken back to space this weekend by one of the Axiom Space private astronauts.
April 8, 2022

Fri. 04/08 - Short Kings & Barbie Girls

We turn back the clocks to 1997 for a history of the song “Barbie Girl” and a look at its influence on music. Plus, the Neolithic origins of Short King Spring. And mark your calendars for the Great North American Solar Eclipse.
April 7, 2022

Thu. 04/07 - Scaly Dino Fossil From the Day the Asteroid Hit Found (maybe)

An impressively well-preserved dinosaur leg fossil has been found that could be the first-ever fossil evidence of the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Plus, Amtrak is stirring up some beef with their Twitch streams. And a new dream job opening: countin…
April 6, 2022

Wed. 04/06 - The Darwin Book Thief

Some libraries cancel late fees, others get Interpol involved for missing manuscripts. Either way, missing books can become fascinating treasures when they’re finally returned. Plus, Hubble has spotted a rare planet in the earliest phase of formation. And the United Kingdom has announced plans to m…
April 5, 2022

Tue. 04/05 - So You Wanna Be A Fossil

How to have the best odds of becoming a fossil after you die. Plus, the creators of the viral Marcel the Shell videos secretly made a feature-length film that’s coming out this summer. And a few other recommendations you can stream right now.
April 4, 2022

Mon. 04/04 - The Artwork Made By Six Million People and Counting

Six million people and counting are creating a piece of artwork together right now in a reminder that sometimes we can have nice things on the internet. Plus, birds are laying their eggs almost a whole month earlier than they used to. And some sounds from Ukraine’s musical resistance to Russia.
April 1, 2022

Fri. 04/01 - Star Wars Kid: A New Hope

The human genome has finally been completely sequenced––twenty-two years after the initial “essentially” complete version was published. Plus, in another early 2000s follow-up, the “Star Wars Kid” breaks his silence two decades later.
March 31, 2022

Thu. 03/31 - We Don't Talk About Pluto

New findings indicate that Pluto’s ice volcanoes are even weirder than we previously thought. Plus, a killer parasite is wiping out an entire species of ant in Texas… but actually it’s kind of a net positive. And US citizens will soon be able to select an X gender marker on their passport.
March 30, 2022

Wed. 03/30 - Prayers on the Blockchain & the Oldest Ever Star

Could alpaca antibodies one day provide treatment for COVID-19? Plus, the Hubble telescope has spotted the oldest star ever seen by humans, by a long shot. The European Union is cracking down on fast fashion. And the scammers trying to turn prayers in NFTs.
March 29, 2022

Tue. 03/29 - Koons' Moons

Artist Jeff Koons’ next sculpture installation? On the moon. Plus, it’s not just you. Seasonal allergies really are worse this year. And, the Northern Lights might be visible Wednesday night in parts of the northern US and Canada, with bonus rockets being blasted into them by NASA.
March 28, 2022

Mon. 03/28 - The Hoax Behind Pringles' Mascot's Name

The Scottish dolphin who lives among and seems to “talk” with porpoises. Plus, how a Wikipedia hoax became official branding for Pringles. And sheep are pivoting to solar.
March 25, 2022

Fri. 03/25 - Digital Rest Stop Ahead

Digital resting points are an increasingly popular way to recharge and slow down in the midst of endless scrolling. Plus, are we facing a “sensory extinction?” And, meet the giant eerie glowing orb that might be installed in London.
March 24, 2022

Thu. 03/24 - You're Not Actually Laughing, lol

The origin and fascinating evolution of “lol.” Plus, it turns out the speed of sound on Mars is different and weirder than anticipated. And some of the researchers behind the discovery of Captain Shackleton’s lost ship are developing a sort of Google Maps for arctic waters.
March 23, 2022

Wed. 03/23 - Lettuce Medicine, Ranch Diamonds, & eWaste Coins

How genetically-modified lettuce grown in space could protect astronauts’ bones on long voyages. Plus, meet Doug, the false potato stripped of Guinness World Record glory in the eleventh hour. And, a two-carat diamond made out of ranch dressing, the Royal Mint in the UK is going to start recovering…
March 22, 2022

Tue. 03/22 - Competitive Water Drinkers On YouTube: One of the Internet's Last Friendly Places?

Turns out humans have been cooking and enjoying carbs for much longer than we initially thought, and the experiments some archaeologists have been conducting to lend credence to their hypotheses are very cool. Plus, welcome to the weird and wonderful world of competitive water drinking on YouTube. …
March 21, 2022

Mon. 03/21 - Squid Tech to Prevent Human Sunburns

How to appear effortlessly charming to new people you meet. Plus, using squid technology to protect humans from the sun. And a new generation of search apps that search everything you touch on your devices.
March 18, 2022

Fri. 03/18 - What Do We Lose By Keeping The Lights On?

Should we be making a greater effort to reduce light pollution? Plus, scientists are trying to use murder hornets’ own sexual behavior to eradicate them. And an app that will help you safely find and eat roadkill.
March 17, 2022

Thu. 03/17 - Why Are Movies So Long These Days?

Why have movies gotten so long recently? Plus, the startups working to develop lab-created chocolate. And a nightmarish creature from Texas to rival all the hype around those giant Joro spiders.