Cool Stuff Daily

Latest Episodes:

Tue. 06/29 - The Underground McDonald's DIY Recipe Guide for Recreating 1960s Menu Items Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

Why exactly were McDonald’s french fries so good back in the day? Why did they change and can the secret original recipe be recreated? Plus, a new sort of post-post-punk subgenre is emerging in the post-Brexit United Kingdom. And, a completely pointless but wonderful website I discovered last week.

Links:

My Hunt for the Original McDonald's French-Fry Recipe (Atlas Obscura)
McMenu
Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc (Internet Archive)
The New Wave Of Post-Brexit Post-Punk, From Dry Cleaning To Squid (NPR)
Sublime Text
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 06/28 - A New Extinct Human Species? The Giant Skull Everyone's Talking About Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

As promised on Friday, more information on the so-called Dragon Man––the recently unveiled 140,000-year-old skull that may be a new species of extinct human. The science behind why all your in-person coffee dates since reopening have been so awkward. And a first-of-its-kind study puts a number on the nonbinary population in the US.

Links:

Discovery of ‘Dragon Man’ Skull in China May Add Species to Human Family Tree (NY Times)
Move Over Neanderthals, Newly Discovered ‘Dragon Man’ Might Be Our True Sister Species (Gizmodo)
Massive human head in Chinese well forces scientists to rethink evolution (The Guardian)
Scientists hail stunning 'Dragon Man' discovery (BBC)
Science 'Dragon Man' skull may be new species, shaking up human family tree Hidden down a (National Geographic)
The neuroscience behind why your brain may need time to adjust to 'un-social distancing' (The Conversation)
The first population estimate of LGBTQ non-binary adults in the US is out. Here's why that's significant. (Washington Post)
Groundbreaking Study Finds Over One Million Nonbinary Adults Live in the U.S. (them.)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 06/25 - 20,000 Years Ago, A Different Coronavirus Epidemic Hit Humanity Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

Researchers have found evidence of a coronavirus epidemic from 20,000 years ago. A new blood test that can detect fifty different types of cancer. And what the lowercase “i” in Apple products stands for and why they stopped using it.

Links:

A Coronavirus Epidemic Hit 20,000 Years Ago, New Study Finds (NY Times)
20,000 years of coronaviruses (and counting) (Cosmos Magazine)
A Coronavirus Epidemic Hit Humanity 20,000 Years Ago, DNA Study Reveals (Science Alert)
Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out (The Guardian)
Blood test for early detection of cancer: final study results support screening use (Eurek Alert)
Why Apple Products Have An 'i' (Apple Explained, YouTube)
Why The Apple Watch Wasn't Named iWatch (Apple Explained, YouTube)
The Death of Apple's 'i' (Apple Explained, YouTube)
How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by Brian McCullough
'Under the Banner of Heaven' Miniseries with Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones Greenlit at FX (Collider)
Prophet's Prey (2015) (Showtime)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
Discovery of ‘Dragon Man’ Skull in China May Add Species to Human Family Tree (NY Times)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 06/24 - Astronauts' Dirty Laundry Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

The growing attempts to put flavor back into our produce because, yes, apparently it left. An update on the lumber industry and what it could mean for the economy overall. And the surprisingly strange things astronauts have done with their dirty laundry, plus the introduction of NASA Tide.

Links:

How farmers and scientists are engineering your food (BBC)
Lumber Prices Are Falling Fast, Turning Hoarders Into Sellers (Wall Street Journal)
Lumber price decline supports Powell's view that inflation will prove temporary (Washington Post)
Mon. 05/10 - Got Wood? America's Mounting Lumber Problem (Kottke Ride Home)
‘NASA Tide’ will be the first-ever laundry detergent for astronauts (Fast Company)
Astronauts' Dirty Laundry (NASA)
What We Do in the Shadows Wellington Paranormal CW Trailer (Gizmodo)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 06/23 - How to Recover from "Zoom Body" + A Big Ol' Comet's a-Comin' Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

A very big and very strange comet-ish object has entered our solar system. Some tips to help your body recover from a year of virtual learning, working, and socializing. And the two badass twelve-year-old girls going to the Tokyo Olympics for skateboarding.

Links:

A huge comet called 2014 UN271 is heading toward the Sun (Syfy’s Bad Astronomy)
Visitor From Oort Cloud Could Be Among the Largest Comets Ever Documented (Gizmodo)
Unexpected Minor Planet to Visit the Inner Solar System Soon (Kottke)
Extremely eccentric minor planet to visit inner solar system this decade The outskirts of our solar (New Atlas)
Zoom Nearly Broke My Body. Here’s How to Protect Yours (Wired)
Skateboarders Sky Brown & Kokona Hiraki Qualify For 2021 Olympics (Skate World)
Two girls head to the Olympics for skateboarding at age 12 (Upworthy)
Medals and Tokyo skate spots dished out in Des Moines (Olympics)
Honest Trailers | The Fast & The Furious (Honest Trailers, YouTube)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 06/22 - Smart Slime, Supermoons, & Upcycled Food Scraps Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

How a single-celled yellow slime is changing the way scientists think about intelligence. A new upcycled food label that would let you know when your food has been made with food scraps that would’ve otherwise gone to waste. And everything you need to know about this week’s Strawberry Supermoon.

Links:

This Weirdly Smart, Creeping Slime Is Redefining Our Understanding of Intelligence (Science Alert)
How This Blob Solves Mazes (Wired, YouTube)
'Upcycling' promises to turn food waste into your next meal (The Conversation)
Upcycled food trend turns waste into ingredients found on store shelves (CBS News)
When to See the 'Strawberry Moon,' the Last Supermoon of 2021 (LifeHacker)
Strawberry Moon: Full Moon in June 2021 (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon and a Marginal Supermoon – NASA Solar System Exploration (NASA)
Moonrise & Moonset Calculator (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
Check out this D&D-style choose-your-own-adventure book from Chuck Tingle (Boing Boing)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 06/21 - How the Pandemic Reshaped the Home of the Future Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

What will our homes look like in the future and how much has the pandemic shaped that vision? Plus, why are humans so thirsty? And, Brian Eno has found a home for hundreds of his previously unreleased songs.

Links:

America Should Become a Nation of Renters (Bloomberg)
What Will Future Homes Look Like? Filmed in the 1960's - Narrated by Walter Cronkite (16mm Educational Films, YouTube)
The New American House - Post-Pandemic Architecture and Design 2021 (Veranda)
Human Evolution Led to an Extreme Thirst for Water (Scientific American)
Brian Eno Launches His Own Radio Station with Hundreds of Unreleased Tracks: Hear Two Programs (Open Culture)
Brian Eno Launches Sonos Radio Station With Unreleased Music (Pitchfork)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 06/18 - Are There Dinosaur Teeth on the Moon? Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

A new species of giant rhino might be the largest land mammal that ever walked the earth. Did you know there are probably dinosaur teeth on the moon? For real. The Girl Scouts have millions of leftover cookies and we must do our part by eating as many as we can. And China sent its first crewed mission up to their new space station yesterday.

Sponsors:

Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast
UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP

Links:

National Geographic Fossils of rhino taller than a giraffe found in China (National Geographic)
New Fossil Reveals One of The Largest Land Mammals Ever Found, And It's a Rhino (Science Alert)
A giant prehistoric rhino was the biggest land mammal to walk the Earth (CNN)
Dinosaur teeth on the moon (Hank Green, TikTok)
We Are Pleased To Inform You There Are Probably Dinosaur Remains On The Moon (IFLScience)
Asteroid impact excerpt/discussion (Matt Austin, Twitter)
The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen
Girl Scouts Stuck With Over 15 Million Boxes of Unsold Cookies (NY Times)
Be a patriot and buy the Girl Scouts' 15 million extra cookies (A/V Club)
China space station: Shenzhou-12 delivers first crew to Tianhe module (BBC)
China launches three astronauts to new space station: What to know (CNET)
LIVE: China Launches Shenzhou-12 Manned Spaceship (CCTV, YouTube)
Tamagotchi’s new smartwatch lets you strap a needy digital pet to your wrist (The Verge)
Feels (emoji game) (Games For Crows)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 06/17 - Top 10 Best Homes for Extraterrestrial Life & the 20-5-3 Rule Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

A ranking of the top ten best places in our solar system to find extraterrestrial life. Plus, you know about the food pyramid, but what about the nature pyramid? Also called the 20-5-3 rule. And, I guess we have to talk about that Jeff-Bezos-Eating-the-Mona-Lisa petition.

Sponsors:

UTEP Connect, Apply at online.utep.edu or call UTEP Connect at 1-800-684-UTEP
Credit Karma, creditkarma.com/podcast

Links:

The best places to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system, ranked (MIT Tech Review)
Aliens Wouldn't Need Warp Drives to Take Over an Entire Galaxy, Simulation Suggests (Gizmodo)
How Much Time Should You Spend Outside, According to Michael Easter (Men’s Health)
Exploring the Nature Pyramid – The Nature of Cities (The Nature of Cities)
The Nature Pyramid (Biophilic Cities)
People Want Jeff Bezos to Buy the Mona Lisa and Eat it (Hyperallergic)
It's time to ponder Jeff Bezos buying and eating the Mona Lisa (A/V Club)
Yes, Jeff Bezos Could Buy and Eat the Mona Lisa if He Wanted To (Vice)
Petition · We want Jeff Bezos to buy and eat the Mona Lisa (Change.Org)
Aussie hosts can't keep straight face over Jeff Bezos' rocket (Today Show Australia, YouTube)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 06/16 - How Xerox & Some Dalmatians Saved Disney Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

How Juneteenth has evolved over the years from its origins in Texas, and its reception today. How the Xerox machine (and several dozen dalmatian puppies) saved Disney Animation Studios from closing up shop. And a portal for exploring the cosmos… on Google Chrome.

Sponsors: