Cool Stuff Daily

Latest Episodes:

Feed Drop - Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Nov 21, 2020

Show notes

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 story begins with a keyboard player in the heart of Harlem: Teddy Riley. Teddy’s entire world was music. Playing it. Composing it. Producing it. Teddy and his friend Timmy Gatling followed their dreams and started a revolution in the world of hip-hop and R&B.They crafted hit after hit, and were on top of the world.

Their group’s quick rise to fame came with betrayals and broken friendships. Tensions within the band began to flare, and rivalries with other artists turned violent. As the stakes grew higher, their troubled manager pushed the group past their breaking point, with deadly results.

Listen today at http://wondery.fm/Jacked_Kot

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Fri. 11/20 - Did Ben Franklin Want to Replace the Eagle With the Turkey as the National Bird? Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

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 scientists who have figured out a way to rewind cellular aging in humans.

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Links:

Should the Turkey Replace the Bald Eagle as the National Bird? Ben Franklin Thought So (Discover Magazine)
From Benjamin Franklin to Sarah Bache, 26 January 1784 (National Archives)
The microbiome of Da Vinci's drawings (Phys.Org)
In a First, Scientists Say They've Partially Reversed a Cellular Aging Process in Humans (Science Alert)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 11/19 - Paleomixology & the Baskin-Robbins Turkey Cake: Tips For Spending the Holidays Alone Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

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 of paleomixology.

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Links:

How To Enjoy the Holidays if You'll Be Alone This Year (Vice)
22 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Into Your Own Weird, Perfect Holiday (Vice)
Baskin-Robbins Turkey Cake (Baskin-Robbins)
AI researchers made a sarcasm detection model and it’s sooo impressive (Venture Beat)
How a Black-Feathered Dino Inspired a Series of Nerdy Cocktails (Atlas Obscura)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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11/18 - Real Talk on Thanksgiving Celebrations in 2020 Nov 18, 2020

Show notes

Some real talk about celebrating Thanksgiving this year. How artificial intelligence is being used to recreate smells from history. And Bunny the Talking Dog, the latest viral star on Tiktok.

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Links:

How to Reduce (but Not Eliminate) Covid Risk at Holiday Gatherings (Wired)
A Pandemic Winter Safety Rule: Don't Spend Time Indoors (The Atlantic)
How to Decide if It's Safe to Get Together For the Holidays (Kitchn)
One-Pot Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe (Kitchn)
Kitchn’s Guide for a Festive, Small-Scale Thanksgiving Menu (Kitchn)
Our Best Thanksgiving Menu for Just Two People | Kitchn (Kitchn)
How AI Is Helping Researchers Recreate Historical Smells (Forbes)
Seeing by Smelling – How to Enhance the Experience for Blind and Low Sighted People in a Museum of 'Visual' Art (Odeuropa)
How Bunny the dog is pushing scientists’ buttons (The Verge)
TheyCanTalk.org
I Am Bunny (@what_about_bunny) (Instagram)
I am Bunny (@what_about_bunny) (Tiktok)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 11/17 - The Little-Known History of Transgender People Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

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 therapy, and VR. Liquid Death, the over-the-top canned water company, has released their second album of the year. Plus a new release from Waffle House. And a quick extra detail about the Moderna vaccine to add to my rundown from yesterday.

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Links:

Murdered, Suffocated And Burned Alive: 350 Transgender People Killed In 2020 (Forbes)
Transgender Awareness Week (GLAAD)
Genny Beemyn, "Transgender History in the United States" (Genny Beemyn, UMass)
Re-Dressing America’s Frontier Past by Peter Boag
Revolutionary by Alex Myers
‎One From the Vaults (Apple Podcasts)
Disclosure (Netflix)
Stretchable sensor gives robots and VR a human touch (Cornell Chronicle)
Researchers create Synthetic Skin that lets you ‘feel’ in virtual reality (Popular Mechanics)
What you need to know about Liquid Death Mountain Water (Newsday)
Liquid Death Drops “Greatest Hates Volume II” with Punk Rock Legends (Ghost Cult)
Waffle House Is Releasing A Bacon-Infused Beer (Delish)
Dolly Parton partly funded Moderna Covid vaccine research (The Guardian)
An mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 — Preliminary Report (New England Journal of Medicine)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 11/16 - The Moderna Vaccine: What You Need To Know Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

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 French media outlet that accidentally published obituaries for nearly a hundred public figures today… all of whom are still alive. And the Star Wars character that the SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts brought to space this weekend.

Sponsors:

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Links:

Moderna says its covid-19 vaccine is nearly 95% effective (MIT Technology Review)
Early Data Show Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective (NY Times)
Fauci Is Excited About Moderna's COVID Vaccine, Reportedly 94.5% Effective (Vice)
Moderna vaccine stability enables distribution in rural America: U.S. official (Reuters)
How materials you’ve never heard of could clean up air conditioning (MIT Technology Review)
Air Conditioning and Sycamore Trees | The Anthropocene Reviewed (WNYC)
Keeping Cool | A Chilly Reception | 1 (American Innovations)
Radio France Internationale publishes obituaries of people still alive (BBC)
Romanian court tells man he is not alive (The Guardian)
SpaceX Crew-1 team harnesses the Force by bringing Baby Yoda with them to space (The Verge)
NASA and Peanuts Celebrate Apollo 10's 50th Anniversary (NASA)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 11/13 - How Did Friday the 13th Become Unlucky? Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

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. And don’t miss the next, and first official, SpaceX astronaut flight launch tomorrow.

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Link:

2020’s second Friday the 13th is this Friday (EarthSky)
Friday the 13th isn’t unlucky. It’s a meme disguised as superstition. (Vox)
Why is Friday the 13th So Unlucky? (Snopes)
These companies are hosting the weirdest office Christmas parties (Wired)
NASA certifies SpaceX's Crew Dragon for astronaut flights, gives 'go' for Nov. 14 launch (Space.com)
SpaceX-NASA launch: What to know ahead of Saturday's Crew Dragon astronaut mission (CNN)
The 50th Anniversary of the Iconic Exploding Whale (Kottke)
Thu. 07/02 - The Exploding Whale Memorial Park (is a real thing) (Kottke Ride Home)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 11/12 - How Many Holes Does a Straw Have? Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

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. And yet another botched art restoration in Spain.

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Links:

Q: What Is a Hole? A: We're Not Sure! (Kottke)
How Many Holes Does a Human Have? (Vsauce, YouTube)
What We Talk about When We Talk about Holes (Scientific American)
GOING DEEP DISCUSSION TOPIC: "What is a hole?" (David Rees, YouTube)
Why It’s a Big Deal If the First Covid Vaccine Is ‘Genetic’ (Wired)
Why the Pfizer vaccine is a big deal (explained in simple terms) (The Literature Lady, Twitter)
Seven big unknowns about the breakthrough coronavirus vaccine (Wired)
Sculpture restoration work draws laughs, memories in Spain (AP)
A Botched Restoration of a Painting in Spain Draws Outrage (NY Times)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 11/11 - Why People Are Mad About Mary Wollstonecraft in 2020 Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

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 scientists, called The Genius Dog Challenge. And Collins Dictionary’s word of the year.

Sponsor:

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Links:

Mary Wollstonecraft finally honoured with statue after 200 years (The Guardian)
On women's bodies in statues (Mona Eltahawy, Twitter)
On women in parks (Tracy King, Twitter)
For Three Suffragists, a Monument Well Past Due (NY Times)
9/23 episode discussing UK statues (Kottke Ride Home)
Who Will Win the 'Genius Dog Contest?' Watch the Competition Begin (NY Times)
‘Lockdown’ Is 2020’s Word Of The Year, According To Collins Dictionary (Forbes)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 11/10 - Make Better Habits By Being Bad At Them Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

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 smells like books. And a calming, hand-drawn web-based game to help you chill out.

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