Cool Stuff Daily

Latest Episodes:

Mon. 10/12 - The Indigenous Practice of Controlled Burning to Prevent Wildfires Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

It’s Indigenous People’s Day today. How and when did this start becoming a thing? How west coast governments are finally turning to tribal leaders for assistance preventing wildfires. A serious collaboration between Weird Al Yankovic and Portugal. the Man. And an interactive website that shows you a global map of tribal territories and languages.

Sponsor:

FightCamp, JoinFightCamp.com/RIDE

Links:

The Native History of Indigenous Peoples Day (Yes Magazine)
Indigenous Peoples Day: 4 Things to Know (Teen Vogue)
Native America Calling
All My Relations
This Land
Suppressing Indigenous Knowledge Created Uncontrollable Wildfires (Bitch Media)
Alarmed by Scope of Wildfires, Officials Turn to Native Americans for Help (NY Times)
Portugal. the Man, 'Weird Al' Yankovic Team Up for 'Who's Gonna Stop Me' (Rolling Stone)
Portugal. The Man on music, stardom, indigenous rights and playing only 'live instruments' at CRSSD Festival (San Diego Union Tribune)
Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land
'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement (CBC)
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Explained (Teen Vogue)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 10/09 - What OS Do They Use In Space? Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

What kind of operating system do they use in space? The science behind cocktails, to up your at-home mixology game. The 22-year-old responsible for the most viral beats on Tiktok. And the Connecticut mayor who isn’t taking any of John Oliver’s crap.

Links:

Definitely not Windows 95: What operating systems keep things running in space? (Ars Technica)
Cocktail Chemistry: 10 Science-Backed Tips for the Perfect Drink (Discover Magazine)
Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You're Not Drinking for Whatever Reason (Kottke, Bookshop)
Meet Ricky Desktop, the most viral beatmaker on TikTok (The Verge)
Danbury to Name Sewage Plant After John Oliver If He Visits (Vulture)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 10/08 – 1000 Years Before Darwin, Islamic Scholars Wrote About Evolution Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

The Islamic scholars who beat Darwin to the punch by about a thousand years. A cool site for finding new books to read. The world’s largest ouija board. And naked celebrities teaching us about naked ballots.

Links:

A Thousand Years Before Darwin, Islamic Scholars Were Writing About Natural Selection (Vice)
Whichbook | A new way of choosing what book to read next
World's Largest Ouija Board (Rob Allam, Twitter)
World’s Largest Ouija Board Unveiled in Salem, Massachusetts (Mental Floss)
OUIJAZILLA! (Talking Boards Historical Society)
These Naked Celebs Have an Important Message for Voters (Represent Us, YouTube)
"IMPORTANT" (2016 GOTV celebrity video) (Save the Day, YouTube)
Nude celebrities ask you to read mail-in ballot instructions (A/V Club)
'Naked Ballot' Rule Raises Worries For Pennsylvania Voters (NPR)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 10/07 - Paid to Gate-Crash Funerals Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

The twenty-four possible super-habitable planets that could be better than Earth. The man you can pay to gatecrash your funeral. The perfect conclusion to the skateboarding cranberry juice trend, and what the heck that trend was. And the winner of Fat Bear Week 2020.

Links:

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Tue. 10/06 - Asbestos: The Secret Weapon Against Climate Change? Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

How the pandemic is changing our taste in music. The most ironic thing that could happen to a newly-published book titled Word Perfect. How asbestos might actually be a weapon against the climate crisis. And a Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed monument in New Zealand.

Links:

Is Pandemic Brain Changing Your Taste in Music? You're Not Alone (Vice)
"Music is 5x as good right now" (Demi Adejuyigbe, Twitter)
Famed lexicographer's new book "Word Perfect" released with a ton of typos (Boing Boing)
Asbestos could be a powerful weapon against climate change (you read that right) (MIT Technology Review)
There's a park in New Zealand dedicated to Riff Raff from ROCKY HORROR (Boing Boing)
Riff Raff (Visit Hamilton)
RiffRaffStatue.org
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 10/05 - Vending Machine Operators Are Trending Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

Archaeologists have found evidence of neurons in the brain of a Mount Vesuvius victim that basically turned to glass. The latest entrepreneurial trend of the pandemic taking off, in part thanks to influencers? Vending machine ownership. A Wikipedia hack for learning new-to-you complex topics. And another U.S. president whose illness had the potential to throw the nation into chaos.

Sponsor:

BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT

Links:

Archaeologists find evidence of neurons in glassy brain of Vesuvius victim (Ars Technica)
The economics of vending machines (The Hustle)
Simple Wikipedia
George Washington nearly died from the flu. (Washington Post)
George Washington (Brad Neeley, YouTube)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 10/02 - Witchy Ingredients Aren't What They Seem Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

It turns out crows have some skills we once thought were unique to humans. Breaking down what exactly ingredients like “eye of newt” and “tongue of dog” actually are. And Neil Cicierega’s latest mash-up album, Mouth Dreams, is here to bring you a smile in this tough year, but also give you nightmares.

Links:

Crows possess higher intelligence long thought primarily human (STAT News)
Smartest Birds: How Smart Are Crows Compared to Humans? (Popular Mechanics)
Please Pass Me The Eye Of Newt; What's Really In That Witch's Cauldron (Dave’s Garden)
Neil Cicierega's Mouth Sounds mashes up Star Wars, Limp Bizkit, Peter Gabriel (A/V Club)
MOUTH DREAMS (Neil Cicierega)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 10/01 - The Earth Does NOT Have a Black Hole Inside It... Right? Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Why are people saying there’s a black hole at the center of the Earth? The Irish Supreme Court declares that Subway’s bread is not actually bread. The surprising controllers the US Navy uses for its subway periscopes. And winter is coming. So here are some practical tips for preparing for it.

Links:

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Wed. 09/30 - Edward Hopper Copied Others in Early Paintings Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

A guide to the lunar spectacles in October. Some tips for improving communication when wearing masks. The surprising discovery that some of Edward Hopper’s early works were copied. And the wearable social-distancing tech allowing the London Marathon to go forward.

Links:

Moon Today
Halloween Blue Moon in 2020: How Rare Is a Full Moon on Halloween? (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
All you need to know: 2019’s Hunter’s Moon (EarthSky)
What is a Hunter's Moon? (Universe Today)
2020, October 31: Rare Halloween Full Moon (When the Curves Line Up)
How to Use Nonverbal Cues to Make Your Point While Wearing a Face Mask (LifeHacker)
Early Works by Edward Hopper Found to be Copies of Other Artists (NY Times)
The London Marathon will go ahead thanks to social-distancing wearables (Engadget)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 09/29 - The Dark Origins of Nike's "Just Do It" Slogan Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

A Halloween rocket launch. A brief peek into the history of book burnings in honor of Banned Books Week. The surprising and grim origins of Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan. More water has been found on Mars. And the return of Fat Bear Week.

Links: