Cool Stuff Daily

Latest Episodes:

Mon. 09/28 - Time Travel, Biomedical Tattoos, & Satanic Tea Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

An undergrad has proven that paradox-free time travel is indeed possible. If you thought email newsletters were ubiquitous now, let me introduce you to the world of 1930s mimeograph newsletters. The emerging field of biomedical tattoos. And the Satanic tea company here to bust stereotypes.

Links:

Time Travel Theoretically Possible Without Leading To Paradoxes, Researchers Say (NPR)
Time Travel Is Possible: Math Proves Paradox-Free Time Travel (Popular Mechanics)
Time Travel - Is It Possible? (Popular Mechanics)
Peak Newsletter? That Was 80 Years Ago (Wired)
We’re at Peak Newsletter, and I Feel Fine (Vanity Fair)
Dynamic tattoos promise to warn wearers of health threats (The Conversation)
Care for a Cup of Satanic Chamomile? (NY Times)
Bones Coffee Company
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 09/25 - Making Millions on Face Masks Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

The face mask economy––how everyone from high fashion designers to mom and pop shops on Etsy met the demand, and where they go from here. The origins of the phrase “jack of all trades.” Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to fund polling locations. And Vin Diesel pivots to singer-songwriter.

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Links:

How a couple of mom-and-pop Etsy shops made millions off masks (The Verge)
The Real Reason Every Fashion Company Is Now Making Face Masks (Marker)
Vistaprint, Gap, and Etsy Sellers Pivoted to Making Masks. What Happens When the Bubble Pops? (Marker)
Jack of All Trades meaning (The Idioms)
"Jack of all trades, n." (Oxford English Dictionary)
Essayes and Characters of a Prison and Prisoners by Geffray Mynshul
Arnold Schwarzenegger says he'll pay to reopen polling centers across America so everyone can vote (Upworthy)
Vin Diesel Is a Sensitive Club King on Debut Single 'Feel Like I Do' (Rolling Stone)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 09/24 - The Secret Mancave Beneath Grand Central Terminal Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

A guide to saying no for people-pleaser’s. A recently discovered secret party room located under Grand Central Terminal and other strange breaking news from the New York City subway. Experts weigh in on why humans evolved to have butts. And the mysterious reason the internet went out every morning at seven am across an entire village in Wales.

Sponsor:

Indeed, Get a $75 credit at Indeed.com/GOODNEWS

Links:

How To Say No, For The People Pleaser Who Always Says Yes (NPR)
Secret 'Man Cave' Discovered in Room in Beneath Grand Central Station (Gizmodo)
Subway Pooping Ban On MTA Board To-Doo List (Patch)
Why Do We Have Butts? (Gizmodo)
Old TV caused village broadband outages for 18 months (BBC)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 09/23 - Eat a Five Star Dinner, From Your Car Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

A new discovery indicates chromium is about a thousand years older than we thought. Why it’s sometimes better not to use your full potential on things. A group of chefs trying to make drive-thru fine dining a thing. And an Enola Holmes PR stunt from Netflix that’s shining a light on women’s representation.

Sponsor:

Indeed, Get a $75 credit at Indeed.com/GOODNEWS

Links:

1,000-Year-Old Precursor to Stainless Steel Found in Iran, Surprising Archaeologists (Gizmodo)
This 'Modern' Invention Is Really 1,000 Years Old, Researchers Discover (Vice)
In Defence of Half-Arsing (David R. MacIver)
Why this drive-through restaurant could be the future of fine dining (Fast Company)
Netflix Enola Holmes Statues Thread (Netflix UK, Twitter)
Netflix Celebrates 'Enola Holmes' Release With Statues Of Sisters Overshadowed By Famous Brothers (Forbes)
More Monuments to Women (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 09/22 - Horror Fans Fare Better During the Pandemic Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

A new study has found that fans of horror movies are having an easier time coping with the pandemic. The woman who serves as the Queen of England’s body double. A new species of dinosaur discovered with perfectly preserved fossils in China. And a few ways to get your nature fix from the National Parks Service, including one that will make you $50,000 richer.

Sponsors:

Indeed, Get a $75 credit at Indeed.com/GOODNEWS

Links:

Horror Movie Fans Are Having an Easier Time Dealing With the Pandemic, Study Says (Vice)
The Morbid Curiosity Scale Coltan Scrivner (Psychology of Morbid Curiosity)
125-Million-Year-Old Dinosaurs Found Buried By Volcano Eruption In China (All That’s Interesting)
125 million-year-old dinosaur found buried by a volcanic eruption in China (CNN)
Visit Any National Park for Free on September 26—or Volunteer to Help Maintain Them (Mental Floss)
National Public Lands Day (National Environmental Education Foundation)
Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold CEO
A Photographic Window into the Remote Siberian Territory of Yakutia (Kottke)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 09/21 - Get Vacation Stress-Relief Without the Vacation Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

Why do we eat fish sticks? The story behind those viral annual 21st of September videos. How to get the mental health benefits of “vacation anticipation” without going on vacation. And one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s favorite teachers.

Sponsors:

BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT
Indeed, Get a $75 credit at Indeed.com/GOODNEWS

Links:

How marketers convinced America to eat fish sticks (The Hustle)
The shifting popularity of fish throughout American history (Splendid Table)
Interview: Demi Adejuyigbe's 'September 21' Videos (Vulture)
9/21 (Demi Adejuyigbe, YouTube)
September 21st! A Charity Fundraiser (Action Network)
How travel excitement can provide COVID-19 stress relief (LA Times)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg on how Vladimir Nabokov influenced her writing. (Lit Hub)
Opinion | Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Advice for Living (NY Times)
Egypt tomb: Sarcophagi buried for 2,500 years unearthed in Saqqara (BBC)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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(Bonus) A Conversation with Jason Kottke Sep 19, 2020

Show notes

Jason Kottke started Kottke.org in 1998, making it one of the oldest, still maintained blogs on the web with over 26,000 posts spanning topics from art and technology to design, culture, and general knowledge. This is a peek behind the scenes of Jason's process, his philosophies, and general thoughts on the internet––where it’s been, and maybe where it’s going. We talked about what running the blog looks like now, how it’s changed over the years. The evolution of patronage models, and his current thoughts on them. We talked a bit about burn out and managing that tension between what you really want to do versus what may appear to be the path of success online. And about the increasingly challenging task of maintaining ownership over what you create online. We also compared and contrasted our experiences as an OG blogger versus an OG vlogger, and how terrible both of those words are.

Links:

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Fri. 09/18 - How Bras Inspired the N95 Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

The 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced last night. Some people are trying to make CD players a thing again. How algorithms can detect our mood based on what we write online. And the surprising connection between Frozen and Arrested Development.

Sponsor:

Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership

Links:

2020 Ig Nobel Prize Winners (Improbable Research)
Emergency Bra
Scientific American Endorses Joe Biden (Scientific American)
Sara Little Turnbull Inspired the N95 Respirator From a Bra Cup Design (House Beautiful)
CD Players Are Back From the Dead and Now Work With Airpods (Gizmodo)
How To Remove Ham From CD Drive (InconseQuest, YouTube)
How algorithms discern our mood from what we write online (Sinapticas)
Hedonometer
This Popular Line In The "Frozen" Song "Love Is An Open Door" Was From An "Arrested Development" Episode (BuzzFeed)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 09/17 - Practice Friluftsliv This Winter Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Some tips for tricking the algorithms and having a more neutral social media feed. Scientists have discovered a possible way to prevent motion sickness. The Norwegian concept of friluftsliv and how it could be just what we need this winter. And the latest installment in the sad saga of Chuck E. Cheese versus the pandemic.

Sponsor:

Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership

Links:

How to Break Out of Your Social Media Echo Chamber (Wired)
Firefighter fighting conspiracies (WildlandMike, Tiktok)
You can train your brain to reduce motion sickness (Eurekalert)
What is ‘friluftsliv’? How an idea of outdoor living could help us this winter (National Geographic)
Why Chuck E. Cheese Needs to Destroy 7 Billion Paper Prize Tickets (Food and Wine)
Chuck E. Cheese wants to destroy 7 billion prize tickets, watch the world burn (The Takeout)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 09/16 - No Seasonal Peeps, Yes Taco Bell Wine Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

A completely preserved extinct cave bear specimen from the Ice Age has been found in Siberia. Why our dreams have been more intense since the pandemic began. Strange new food and drinks hitting the market, and some beloved ones we won’t be seeing this year. And the billionaire who just accomplished his lifelong goal of giving away all of his money.

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