Cool Stuff Daily

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Wed. 10/26 - Men Eat Red Meat, Women Eat Salads –– But Why? Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

How and why did food become so gendered? Y’know, men eat red meat and women eat salads. When did those associations begin? Plus, according to new evolutionary findings, animals might have begun to vocalize to each other even before they had ears.

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Links:

How steak became manly and salads became feminine (The Conversation)
Yogurt Is for Women, Fried Chicken Is for Men (The Atlantic)
The Gender Binary Is a Tool of White Supremacy (An Injustice Mag)
Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure by Samira Kawash
Sweetness and Femininity: Fashioning Gendered Appetite in the Victorian Age (CUNY Academic Works)
Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism, and the Metaphysics of Race (The Journal of Negro Education)
Animals may have begun to vocalize before anyone had ears to hear them (Science)
Secret communication of sea animals discovered (BBC)
Vocal communication originated over 400 million years ago (EurekAlert)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 10/25 - Parkour Activists Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Why marigolds are so prevalent in cultural celebrations around the world this time of year. Plus, how insect swarms affect atmospheric electricity. And the parkour athletes turned environmental activists.

Sponsors:

Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews
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Links:

How the marigold became a global icon, from Mexico to India (National Geographic)
Marigold: The Mexican flower that has become a part of Indian festivals (The Economic Times, 2017)
Historical and Ethnobotanical Aspects of Domestication in Tagetes (Economic Botany, JSTOR)
Celebrating Latino Folklore [3 Volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Cultural Traditions by Maria Herrera-Sobek
Insects contribute to atmospheric electricity (Phys.org)
Insect Swarms Can Electrify The Air as Much as a Thunderstorm (Science Alert)
Honeybee swarms generate more electricity per metre than a storm cloud (New Scientist)
Parkour athletes switch off Paris lights one by one (Reuters)
With Leaps and Bounds, Parkour Athletes Turn Off the Lights in Paris (NY Times)
Watch these parkour athletes swing around Paris switching off wasteful lights (Euro News)
Team On The Spot Parkour (Instagram)
International Space Station swerves to avoid Russian space debris, NASA says (CNN)
Space Station Forced to Perform Huge Swerve to Avoid Debris From When Russia Blew Up a Satellite (Futurism)
Space Station Maneuvers to Avoid Orbital Debris (NASA)
Fri. 10/14 - CIA-Funded Woolly Mammoths (Cool Stuff Ride Home)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 10/24 - Eau de Witchcraft Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Why scents and fragrances have been so strongly associated with witchcraft throughout time and how those associations influence witchcraft, feminism, and misogyny today. Plus, a wild bison has been born in England for the first time in thousands of years. And, if you’re in the mood for a long, lonely drive, I’ve got you covered both virtually and on the asphalt.

Sponsors:

American Musical Supply, Use code COOL at https://ter.li/AmericanMusicalSupply-COOL for $20 off your next purchase of over $100
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Links:

Smells like witch spirit: How the ancient world’s scented sorceresses influence ideas about magic today (The Conversation)
Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide to Magical Activism by Sarah Lyons
Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England by Keith Thomas
First wild European bison born in the UK for thousands of years (Natural History Museum)
Baby bison born in Kent countryside (BBC)
First wild bison born in UK for centuries at Canterbury woods following shock pregnancy (Kent Online)
Slow Roads, a "chill" driving game you can play for free in your browser (Boing Boing)
The loneliest roads in America (BigThink)
America’s Quietest Routes (GeoTab)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 10/20 - How the Black Death Changed Our Genes Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

How the Black Death changed the course of human evolution. Plus, the exoplanet with a marshmallow-like atmosphere. And IKEA is testing out autonomous delivery vehicles.

Sponsor:

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Links:

The Black Death Shaped Human Evolution, And We're Still in Its Shadow (ScienceAlert)
The Black Death shaped the evolution of immunity genes, setting the course for how we respond to disease today, researchers find (EurekAlert)
Black Death etched a mark on our genetics, warping immune responses, study finds (Ars Technica)
How the Black Death changed our immune systems (Science)
A Fluffy 'Marshmallow' World Has Been Discovered With Incredibly Low Density (ScienceAlert)
'Marshmallow' world orbiting a cool red dwarf star (Phys.org)
We’ve Found A ‘Marshmallow’ Planet That Would Float In A Bathtub, Say Scientists (Forbes)
Ikea Is Testing Autonomous Delivery in Texas (Gizmodo)
Ikea is trialing driverless truck deliveries in Texas (Engadget)
IKEA teams with self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics to test deliveries in Texas (CNBC)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 10/19 - The Rise of Human Composting, a Burial Alternative Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

A look into the growing movement of human composting as a funeral option. Plus, Anna May Wong quarters start shipping in the US on Monday. And two iconic movies with intriguing reboots on the horizon.

Sponsor:

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Links:

Is Human Composting the Future of Funerals? (Slate)
Inside one of the world’s first human composting facilities (The Verge)
Return Home Terramation (TikTok)
United States Mint to Begin Shipping Fifth American Women Quarters™ Program Coins October 24 (US Mint)
Who is Anna May Wong, the first Asian American on U.S. currency? (Washington Post)
HOLLYWOOD | Official Trailer (Netflix, YouTube)
A celebration of Anna May Wong in 6 films (BFI)
‘Twister’ Sequel in the Works at Universal: What We Know (Vulture)
Twisters sequel Forecast For Spring Start Universal, Amblin Finalizing Director For Sequel (Deadline)
'A Christmas Story Christmas' teaser gives us a glimpse of adult Ralphie (Mashable)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 10/18 - How Quickly Would Vampires Make Humans Extinct? Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Could vampires exist, mathematically speaking? Plus, an update on COVID variants of concern as we head into winter. And the United Kingdom has ruled that GIFs are still relevant and Meta can’t hog them all.

Sponsor:

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Links:

Here's How Long it Would Take for Vampires to Annihilate Humanity (Atlas Obscura)
The transylvanian problem of renewable resources (RAIRO)
Cinema Fiction vs Physics Reality: Ghosts, Vampires, and Zombies (Skeptical Inquirer)
Mathematical Models of Interactions between Species: Peaceful Co-existence of Vampires and Humans Based on the Models Derived from Fiction Literature and Films (Applied Mathematical Sciences)
Trick or Treat Month: Gourds with Jackson Bird (SciShow Tangents)
New COVID variant BQ.1 now makes up 1 in 10 cases nationwide, CDC estimates (CBS News)
BA.5 is finally fading—sublineages BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 rise from variant stew (Ars Technica)
XBB, BQ.1.1, BA.2.75.2 — a variant swarm could fuel a winter surge (Washington Post)
What to Know About COVID-19 Variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 (TIME)
Meta Forced to Sell Giphy in UK Antitrust Case (Gizmodo)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 10/17 - The AI Chatbot Running for Office in Denmark Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

NASA isn’t the only one who may launch a rocket to the moon next month. Plus, a Danish political party led by an AI chatbot that’s running for office. A new horror film that’s causing people to faint and puke in theaters. And, bringing all new meaning to “BTS Army,” the members of BTS are officially enlisting.

Sponsor:

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Links:

NASA will attempt a moon launch in November. So will someone else. (Mashable)
UAE moon rover, Japanese lander set to launch atop SpaceX rocket in November (Space.com)
Artemis 1, ispace lander set November launch dates (Space News)
Japanese lunar company ispace aims to launch first cargo mission to the moon next month (CNBC)
This Danish Political Party Is Led by an AI (Vice)
New European Political Party Is Led by an Artificial Intelligence (Futurism)
Danish AI-driven Political Party Eyes Parliament (Barrons)
Terrifier 2 is reportedly making people shake, cry, throw up in theaters (A/V Club)
Viewers are screaming, crying, throwing up over killer clown flick 'Terrifier 2' (LA Times)
BTS Are Officially On Hiatus Until 2025 Because It’s Mandatory Military Service Time (BuzzFeed News)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 10/14 - CIA-Funded Woolly Mammoths Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

The FCC has just proposed new rules to combat space junk. Plus, remember the company trying to bring back the woolly mammoth? The CIA just invested in them. Plus, a previously unheard Queen song, featuring Freddie Mercury’s vocals, was just released.

Sponsor:

Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews

Links:

The FCC's Rules on Space Junk Just Got Stricter (Wired)
The FCC Is Finally Taking Space Junk Seriously (Scientific American)
Space Debris and Human Spacecraft (NASA)
The CIA Wants to Bring Back the Woolly Mammoth (Gizmodo)
CIA Is Investing In Mammoth Resurrection Technology, But Why? (IFL Science)
How Can We Use Biology to Solve Global Issues? (In-Q-Tel)
Tue. 09/08 - Long Live the (Cloned) Woolly Mammoth (Cool Stuff Ride Home)
Mon. 09/13 - De-Extinct Woolly Mammoths (Cool Stuff Ride Home)
Tue. 08/16 - De-Extincting Tasmanian Tigers (Cool Stuff Ride Home)
Freddie Mercury’s Vocals Featured on Newly Released Queen Song (Advocate)
Queen Release Unearthed Song Featuring Freddie Mercury (Pitchfork)
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Thu. 10/13 - Warhol & Prince & Galileo & Elvis. Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

A Supreme Court case involving Prince and Andy Warhol that could have huge implications on the future of art. Plus, a new book by Galileo just dropped. And a song sung by 100,000 people who didn’t know they were singing together.

Sponsor:

Indeed, Indeed.com/goodnews

Links:

The Supreme Court meets Andy Warhol, Prince and a case that could threaten creativity (NPR)
How a Supreme Court Case About Andy Warhol's Paintings of Prince Could Reshape Freedom of Expression (ARTnews)
Liberal and Conservative Justices Seem Split in the Supreme Court’s Landmark Andy Warhol Copyright Case (and Not in the Way You May Think) (Artnet News)
Researcher discovers "Galileo manuscript" forgery (University of Michigan Library)
Galileo confirmed as author of pseudonymous 17th century astronomy text (Ars Technica)
Researcher discovers another astronomy book written by Galileo Galilei (Medievalists)
Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim Will Make Posthumous Onscreen Appearances in Knives Out Film Sequel (Playbill)
Watch Jacob Collier create a 100,000-person a cappella choir (Upworthy)
Jacob Collier & The Audience Choir - Can't Help Falling In Love (Jacob Collier, YouTube)
Clam-O-Naise
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 10/12 - Space Age Clam Slam Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

The verdict on that asteroid NASA hit with a spacecraft last month. Plus, Tom Cruise’s latest plan to make history in space. And the latest Cards Against Humanity expansion pack that you can only buy at Target, and which is submerged within a jar of clam-flavored mayonnaise.

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