Cool Stuff Daily

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Mon. 05/03 - Can We Expand Human Life Spans? May 03, 2021

Show notes

Average human life expectancy doubled in the last century. Has it reached its cap or can we double it again? Some considerations. And NASA conducted a tabletop simulation of an asteroid impact last week, with… less than ideal results. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with tips on how to survive a killer asteroid.

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Links:

How the Human Life Span Doubled in 100 Years (NY Times)
How Long Can We Live? (NY Times)
Can We Live to 200? Here's a Roadmap (NY Times)
An Asteroid Impact Simulation Is Currently Underway—and It's Absolutely Terrifying (Gizmodo)
NASA Simulated an Asteroid Impact, Couldn't Avoid a Crash in Europe (Science Alert)
How to Survive a Killer Asteroid (Wired)
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Co-founder of brain implant startup Neuralink leaves the company (Engadget)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 04/30 - Human Memes Are Taking Back What They’re Owed Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

People who accidentally became memes are using NFTs to regain a sense of ownership over their likenesses––and make some pretty nice chunks of change. Scotland could become the first “rewilding nation.” And another shortage report. This time: computer chips.

Links:

The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made $500,000 Off the Meme. (NY Times)
They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich (Wired)
NFTs Are Hot. So Is Their Effect on the Earth’s Climate (Wired)
NFTs, explained: what they are, and why they're suddenly worth millions (The Verge)
The climate controversy swirling around NFTs (The Verge)
I Accidentally Became A Meme (BuzzFeed Video, YouTube)
Scotland could become the world’s first ‘rewilding nation’(Euronews)
Get Ready For A Shortage Of iPads And MacBooks (NPR)
Global Chip Shortage Set to Worsen for Car Makers (Wall Street Journal)
Office: How "Kevin's famous chili" was made (A/V Club)
Brian Baumgartner’s Best Chili Pot…EVER (BUSH’s Beans, YouTube)
The Office Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner (Spotify)
Office Ladies (Spotify)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 04/29 - An AI Won a Crossword Tournament & the Olympics Gets Into eSports Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

How an AI, after failing for a decade, finally won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. The Olympics are going virtual, but not how you’re probably thinking. And remembering Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins.

Links:

Dr. Fill, an AI, won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Here's how. (Slate)
Win a gold medal from your front room? IOC launches Olympic Virtual Series (The Guardian)
Olympic Virtual Series gaming event launched by IOC (NBC Sports)
Photos: Apollo 11: As They Shot It (NY Times)
For Apollo 11 He Wasn’t on the Moon. But His Coffee Was Warm. (NY Times)
Michael Collins, ‘Third Man’ of the Moon Landing, Dies at 90 (NY Times)
Space community mourns the death of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins (The Verge)
What going to the moon taught Michael Collins about Earth (PBS)
‘It’s time’: Blue Origin teases ticket sales for its New Shepard rocket (The Verge)
Jeff Goldblum Jones Dungeons & Dragons Podcast Dark Dice (iO9)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 04/28 - How To Fix Our Crappy Toilets & Secure Our Future Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

It’s time for a toilet revolution. No, I’m not just talking about bidets. Our wastewater systems are dangerously out of date, but sustainable innovations could be just around the u-bend. Plus, the future of contact lenses is bright––or not, if you’d prefer they block the sun. And Apple dropped a very pandemic-themed update to their emojis.

Links:

The Pandemic Proved That Our Toilets Are Crap (Wired)
High-tech contact lenses are straight out of science fiction — and may replace smart phones (The Conversation)
The new syringe emoji is a better fit for the age of COVID-19 vaccines (CNET)
The 'Vaccine' Emoji Gets a New Look This Week (Wired)
💉 Syringe Emoji (Emojipedia)
‎Kottke Ride Home: Thu. 1/14 - How We Narrowly Avoided an Emoji Shortage on Apple Podcasts (Kottke Ride Home)
'Great Gatsby' Musical to Be Written by Florence Welch (Variety)
Citizen Kane lost its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score (A/V Club)
Citizen Kane loses 100% "Fresh" rating after 80-year-old negative review added to Rotten Tomatoes (Boing Boing)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 04/27 - This Famous Actor's Mom Helped Save the Apollo 13 Astronauts Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

Why the story of aerospace engineer Judith Love Cohen, who helped rescue the Apollo 13 astronauts, is making the rounds again and why we should remember her name. A new ice cube tray-shaped retinal patch that could help restore vision. And the rattlesnake-like jumping worms invading the American midwest.

Links:

Meet Aerospace Engineer Judith Love Cohen (Kottke.Org)
In Memory of Judith Love Cohen: Mother, Wife, Friend, Author, Engineer (USC Viterbi)
Women in the Workplace / Judith Love Cohen : Engineering a Change (LA Times)
Highly Invasive Jumping Worms Have Spread to 15 States (Smithsonian Magazine)
Invasive Jumping Worms That Violently Thrash If Handled Now in at Least 15 US States (Newsweek)
Fear is the mind killer (Molly Lambert, Twitter)
"Ice cube tray" retinal patch is loaded with cells to restore vision (New Atlas)
TX population increase (Texas Tribune, Twitter)
Census Bureau announces 331 million people in US, Texas will add two congressional seats (CNN)
Fewest seats shifted since 1940 (Phil Jankowski, Twitter)
Narrowest margin to decide seat in Congress (David H. Montgomery, Twitter)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 04/26 - The Battle of the Joshes Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Dozens of people named Josh gathered in Nebraska over the weekend for a battle to crown the ultimate Josh. Who won and why the heck did this happen? I’ve got the details. The precursor to laugh tracks: professional applauders in 19th century France. And the Oscars saw many firsts last night, including one long overdue first for the award ceremony’s set.

Links:

Josh Swain Tells All About Viral 'Josh Fight' And How He Turned A Meme Into A Charity Event (Know Your Meme)
Josh Fight won by very small Josh (A/V Club)
Joshes Battle for Josh Supremacy in Nebraska (NY Times)
Inaugural #Josh Fight is over and 'Little Josh' is crowned the best Josh (ESPN)
Josh Battle Take Over Lincoln, Nebraska, Park (Buzzfeed News)
When Paid Applauders Ruled the Paris Opera House (JSTOR Daily)
This Oscar nominee plans to shatter the film world's crippling ableism (MSNBC)
CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION | Official Trailer (Netflix, YouTube)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 04/23 - A McShake Up: The Battle Over McDonald's Ice Cream Machines Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

What do you call a collection of black holes? That’s not the tee-up for a punchline. Scientists are legitimately trying to decide what word to use. Plus, how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was based on Blackfoot principles that he got wrong. And how the problem of McDonald’s perpetually broken ice cream machines is even more super-sized than you might think.

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Links:

What Do You Call a Bunch of Black Holes: A Crush? A Scream? (NY Times)
Maslow Got It Wrong. (GatherFor)
Maslow's hierarchy connected to Blackfoot beliefs (A Digital Native American)
They Hacked McDonald's Ice Cream Machines—and Started a Cold War (Wired)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 04/22 - Your Grandma's Meme Stocks of the 1980s Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

NASA has generated oxygen on Mars. The story of the women retirees who hacked the stock market decades before GameStop and Wall Street Bets. And on the eve of his 404th death day, a look at what Shakespeare can teach us about living through pandemics.

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Wed. 04/21 - Translating Whales' Conversations Using AI Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

A few newly-announced NASA funded projects, including one to build a radio telescope in a crater on the moon. A Welsh farmer shares his secrets to ultimate contentment. And can machine learning help us understand what whales are saying to one another?

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Links:

Groundbreaking effort launched to decode whale language (National Geographic)
NASA Selects Innovative, Early-Stage Tech Concepts for Continued Study (NASA JPL)
Experience: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years (The Guardian)
Russia mulls withdrawing from the International Space Station after 2024 (Science Mag)
NASA Updates Launch Date, TV Coverage for Crew-2 Mission (NASA)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 04/20 - The New Roaring 20s? An Economist & Epidemiologist Weigh In Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

Will this decade be another “Roaring 20s?” A social epidemiologist and a Nobel Prize-winning economist weigh in. How many T-Rexes roamed the land throughout their time on Earth? A team of paleontologists did the math. And scientists have created the whitest paint ever, which could make a sizable difference in the climate crisis.

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