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Wed. 12/22 - Rollerskating, The Holy Pooper, & X-Mas Carol Extortion: Traditions From Around the World & Days of Yore Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

A round-up of Christmas traditions from around the world and throughout time. Plus, the US Army is working on a vaccine that could protect against all COVID and SARS variants, including omicron. And there’s a cream cheese shortage so Kraft Heinz is bribing us not to make cheesecakes over the holidays.

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Links:

11 of the Weirdest Christmas Traditions We Should Absolutely Bring Back (Lifehacker)
13 of the Weirdest Christmas Traditions From Around the World (Lifehacker)
12/22/20 episode about Tió de Nadal and El Caganer (Kottke Ride Home)
12/21/20 episode about the German flaming mulled wine, feuerzangenbowle (Kottke Ride Home)
The Battle for Christmas: A Social and Cultural History of Our Most Cherished Holiday by Stephen Nissenbaum
Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Marsha P. Johnson and Beyond by Leslie Feinberg
Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) cartoons on Christmas Eve. (Slate)
From All Of Us To All Of You 1960 FANRES 2019 (Archive.Org)
The Mummers Parade is returning to Broad Street on New Year's Day 2022 (Philadelphia Inquirer)
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say (Defense One)
Army Testing a Universal Vaccine: Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle SpFN for All Variants (Business Insider)
How the Cream Cheese Shortage Is Affecting NYC Bagel Shops (NY Times)
Kraft will literally pay you not to make cheesecake this holiday season (NPR)
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Tue. 12/21 - Why the Webb Telescope Launch Is Freaking Out Astronomers Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

The James Webb Space Telescope is launching on Friday. Here’s what to expect, and why astronomers are so stressed out about it. Plus, Scotland may soon be issuing a three centuries overdue pardon to victims of its many witchcraft trials. And when the snowstorms come this season, your town might just be de-icing the roads with beet juice.

Sponsors:

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Links:

Webb Telescope Approaches Launch, With an Eye Toward Cosmic Origins (NY Times)
James Webb Space Telescope: how our launch of world's most complex observatory will rest on a nail-biting knife edge (The Conversation)
Watch this space: New telescope to unlock mysteries of the cosmos (NBC News)
Astronomers are freaking out over the launch of the James Webb telescope. (Slate)
NASA refuses to rename James Webb Space Telescope (NPR)
NASA Sets Coverage, Invites Public to View Webb Telescope Launch (NASA)
Witches of Scotland: Bill to be brought forward to pardon women and others convicted of witchcraft (The Scotsman)
Women executed 300 years ago as witches in Scotland set to receive pardons (The Guardian)
UN adopts landmark resolution condemning witchcraft accusations (Humanists International)
March episode about witches & ale wives (Kottke Ride Home)
To Beat Winter, Cities Fight Back, With Beets (Bloomberg)
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Mon. 12/20 - Athletes' Supercharged Blood & Pro Santas On a Boat Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

How an athlete’s blood could boost cognitive function, potentially in non-athletic people. Plus, the origin and meanings of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” And, Christmas in July takes on a whole new meaning with cruises designed specifically for professional Santas.

Sponsors:

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Links:

Can an Athlete's Blood Enhance Brainpower? (NY Times)
The 12 Days of Christmas, explained: The story behind the carol (Vox)
William Studwell's 2008 Carol of the Year (Religious News Service, 2008)
12 Days of a POP PUNK Christmas (YouTube)
FACT CHECK: The Twelve Days of Christmas (Snopes, 2000)
When Santa Goes on Vacation (NY Times)
Scenes From a Bearded Santa Pleasure Cruise (MEL)
Scenes From a Mall (This American Life)
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Fri. 12/17 - The Mystery of the Secret Library Hidden Inside a Library Book Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

How a librarian discovered a secret library within her library. Plus, some tips for unplugging more deeply when you’re on vacation. And the group of actual birds knocking Adele and Ed Sheeran off the top of the Australian music charts.

Sponsors:

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Links:

Inside a hollow library book, a secret library (Capital Daily)
@inusedbooks (Instagram)
Decentralized Zine Library Project
'Punk' DC public library shirt raises $100K (Washington Post)
How to Use Your Phone Less: 6 Tips for Going Device-Free on Vacation (Condé Nast Traveler)
Bird songs bump stars off Australian music chart (BBC)
Songs of Disappearance album featuring birdsongs of endangered species reaches the Top Five ARIA album charts (ABC Australia)
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Thu. 12/16 - DOOM BLOOM: Spotted Lanternfly-Tainted Honey Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

It turns out those pesky spotted lanternflies have changed the local honey in Pennsylvania, and it’s… kind of good? Plus, the FDA has approved eye drops that fix age-related vision problems. And one company is trying to prevent new staff turnover by letting them see what the job is really like using VR headsets.

Sponsors:

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Links:

When Life Gave Pennsylvania Spotted Lanternflies, Its Bees Made Spotted Lanternfly Honey (Atlas Obscura)
09/17 episode about spotted lanternflies (Kottke Ride Home)
The FDA Just Approved Eye Drops to Correct Aging Vision (Gizmodo)
New FDA-approved eye drops could replace reading glasses for millions: "It's definitely a life changer" (CBS News)
New Eye Drops Offer an Alternative to Reading Glasses (NY Times)
The First FDA-Approved Eye Drops to Treat Blurry Vision Are Now Available in The US (Science Alert)
MGM Resorts Job Seekers Can Try Out Roles in VR Before Starting (Business Insider)
Alexa's latest celebrity voice is Santa Claus himself (The Verge)
Ted Lasso Loses His Mustache in New Animated Holiday Short (Consequence TV)
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Wed. 12/15 - Are Floating Neighborhoods the Future? Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

A NASA spacecraft has just touched the sun for the first time in human history. Plus, are floating neighborhoods the future for coastal towns? And a look back at the origin of online reviews, and a question about their future.

Sponsors:

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Tue. 12/14 - Sad Keanu & A Sleeping Bag to Save Astronauts' Eyeballs From Being Squashed Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

When did we first start sending holiday cards and will the tradition ever end? Plus, the health risks for humans in space and a high-tech sleeping bag that could prevent astronauts’ vision from deteriorating. And, Keanu Reeves explains what was going on in the infamous Sad Keanu photo.

Sponsors:

Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com
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Links:

A Brief History of the Holiday Card (JSTOR Daily)
Millennials are embracing the tradition of holiday cards (Washington Post)
Christmas: A Candid History by Bruce David Forbes
Halloween: The History of America's Darkest Holiday by David J. Skal
NASA scientists consider the health risks of space travel (Space.com)
NASA's new sleeping bags could prevent eyeball 'squashing' on the ISS (Engadget)
Space sleeping bag to solve astronauts' squashed eyeball disorder (BBC)
Study Investigates How Men and Women Adapt Differently to Spaceflight (NASA, 2011)
Keanu Reeves finally explains "Sad Keanu" to Stephen Colbert (A/V Club)
Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney talk about 'BRZRKR', the top selling debut comic in 30 years (Mashable)
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Mon. 12/13 - Science-Backed Nap Hacks From Salvador Dalí Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Need a creative boost? Try this napping hack from Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí––research from this month says it actually works. The woman who successfully traded a bobby pin for a house. And Swedish towns are trying to reclaim their names from IKEA products.

Sponsors:

GiveWell, Have your donation matched up to $250 by entering Kottke Ride Home at check out at GiveWell.org
Tentree, Use code KOTTKE to get 15% off at tentree.com

Links:

Sleep technique used by Salvador Dalí really works (Science Alert)
Spark Creativity with Thomas Edison’s Napping Technique (Scientific American)
Edison was right: Waking up right after drifting off to sleep can boost creativity (Science.Org)
Just 10 Minutes of Moderate Running Can Boost Brain Activity, Study Shows (ScienceAlert)
Salvador Dali (Hallmark Art Collection)
From hairpin to house: woman who mastered ‘trading up’ realizes dream (The Guardian)
05/27/21 episode about the bobby pin project (Kottke Ride Home)
Sweden reclaims place names from IKEA (CNN)
Sweden wants to reclaim the names behind Ikea’s toilet brushes and trash cans (Fast Company)
Discover the originals of Sweden (Visit Sweden)
Kottke.Org
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Fri. 12/10 - The Science (& Ethics) of Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Insights from the real-life NASA scientist behind Netflix’s new killer-comet movie, Don’t Look Up. Plus, reindeers are the only mammals whose eyes change color with the seasons. And their noses kind of do too––the science behind that, and the history of the most famous red-nosed reindeer of all.

Sponsors:

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Links:

Meet the real NASA scientist behind Netflix’s Don’t Look Up (The Verge)
Asteroid scientist Amy Mainzer talks space rock impacts and Netflix's new movie 'Don't Look Up' (Space.com)
Netflix's Most Realistic Apocalypse Movie Reveals A Controversial Scientific Debate (Inverse)
What a Times Journalist Learned From His 'Don't Look Up' Moment (NY Times)
Why Are Reindeer Eyes Golden In Summer But Blue In Winter? (National Geographic)
The Scientific Reason Why Reindeer Have Red Noses (Smithsonian Magazine)
Christmas: A Candid History by Bruce David Forbes
Kottke.Org
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Thu. 12/09 - Birds Aren't Real (And Neither Is This Gen Z Conspiracy Theory) Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Finally we get some truth from bird truthers. Everything you need to know about the Birds Aren’t Real movement. Plus, New Zealand is banning tobacco completely for the upcoming generations. And Instagram is bringing back the chronological feed! Kind of.

Sponsor:

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Links:

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