Cool Stuff Daily

Latest Episodes:

Fri. 09/10 - The Mystery of Blue Moon Ice Cream Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

What exactly is blue moon-flavored ice cream and where did it come from? Plus, NASA is planning to purposefully hit an asteroid with a spacecraft, more on why and when. And this year’s Ig Nobel Prize winners have been announced!

Links:

The Enduring Midwestern Mystery of Blue Moon Ice Cream (Atlas Obscura)
BLUE MOON (Chicago Tribune)
The Cult of Blue Moon Ice Cream (Food & Wine)
Blue Moon Core Area (BMCA) (somethingaboutmaps)
NASA is going to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid. Things might get chaotic. (MIT Technology Review)
How to Build a Spacecraft to Save the World (Wired)
Deflecting an Asteroid Before It Hits Earth May Take Multiple Bumps (NY Times)
DART Mission Overview (John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)
Ig Nobel Prize winners include scientists who cleared blocked noses with sex (Mashable)
Sex can relieve nasal congestion, and other work honored by 2021 Ig Nobels (Ars Technica)
Hemp Maze Minnesota Is Almost Surely One-Of-A-Kind (CBS Minnesota)
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Thu. 09/09 - Roof Panels That Cool Your Home, No A/C Required! Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Forget air conditioners, give me radiative cooling panels on my roof! That’s what I hope I’ll be saying a few years from now. Plus, a new species of giant carnivorous dinosaur with shark-like teeth has been identified. And Moderna has announced they’re moving forward with their COVID-19 and seasonal flu combo vaccine.

Links:

Can nanoscience help make AC more efficient? (Popular Science)
Designing an Air Conditioner That Doesn't Heat the Earth (Architect Magazine)
Radiative cooling and solar heating from one system, no electricity needed (Science Daily)
New, Giant Carnivorous Dinosaur Was a Terror to Smaller Tyrannosaurs (Smithsonian Mag)
Gigantic 'shark-toothed' dinosaur discovered in Uzbekistan (Live Science)
Moderna shares rise after company reveals single-shot vaccine booster for Covid and flu (CNBC)
Moderna working on combination COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot (Reuters)
Moderna developing a combo booster shot for Covid and flu (NBC News)
7.00 ("COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic") (MIT)
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Wed. 09/08 - What Happens When You Get Struck By Lightning? Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

What it’s actually like getting struck by lightning, and the community of survivors helping each other cope. Plus, another team of scientists say they have achieved a crucial and record-breaking milestone in the quest for clean fusion power. And an iconic 1970s band that has spawned countless tribute acts over the years is about to reunite to become their own tribute act, with a little help from Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic.

Links:

Lightning strikes: A man hit seven times (Washington Post)
The Secret Society of Lightning Strike Survivors (Narratively)
MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy (MIT News)
Eni completes 'landmark' test in energy fusion project (Reuters)
Cambridge startup takes big step toward clean fusion power (Boston Globe)
Wed. 08/18 - A "Wright Bros. Moment" In Nuclear Fusion (Kottke Ride Home)
Abba delight fans with new 10-song album and virtual concert (BBC)
ABBA fans react to rush for 'Voyage' tour tickets: "robo-ABBA here we go" (NME)
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Tue. 09/07 - Mars Rocks, A Billionaire's Utopia, & The Free Blockbuster Movement Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

The Mars Perseverance Rover has secured its first rock sample, with big promise for insights to come. A billionaire is working on plans to build a new sustainable city “for the people” somewhere in America. And you may have heard of Little Free Libraries, but what about Little Free Blockbusters?

Links:

Mars rover grabs first rock sample, a major step in hunt for alien life (National Geographic)
"I've got it!" (NASA’s Perseverance Rover, Twitter)
NASA says the Mars Perseverance rover has collected its first sample (Engadget)
Telosa: Marc Lore and Bjarke Ingels unveil plans for 5-million-person city in the American desert (CNN)
How Diapers.com Founder Marc Lore Plans to Build Utopian City Telosa (Bloomberg)
Telosa
Forget Netflix, Some Movie Fans Rewind to VHS Tapes (Wall Street Journal)
Free Blockbuster Is Bringing Back the Community Video Rental Hub (Thrillist)
FreeBlockbuster.org
Want A Free Dental Cleaning? Beat This Dentist At Smash Bros! (Neatorama)
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Fri. 09/03 - The Billion Year Gap In the Grand Canyon's Rocks Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

What if a room could charge all of your devices just by them being in there? Like no wires, no charging pads, just being in the room. Some engineers have made that a reality. Plus, new insights into the billion years of time that are missing from the rock layers in the Grand Canyon. And why Red Delicious apples are so common in the U.S. even though they’re not really that great.

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Links:

This Room Could Wirelessly Charge All Your Devices (Scientific American)
Wireless charging room powers your devices without plugs or cables (ABC)
Welcome to the Age of Wireless Electricity (Interesting Engineering)
Why One Billion Years of Time Are Missing in the Grand Canyon (Vice)
Geologists dig into Grand Canyon’s mysterious gap in time (CU Boulder Today)
Erasing a Billion Years of Geologic Time Across the Globe (Eos)
Red Delicious Apples Weren't Always Horrible (New England Today)
Here's exactly how Red Delicious apples became an affront to God (A/V Club)
Paralympics: Runner's Sighted Guide Proposes On The Track After Their Race (NPR)
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Thu. 09/02 - What Is Grimace & Why Are Hyperlinks Blue? Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

Why are hyperlinks blue? You ever think about that before? Plus, a look at the tech behind the wheelchairs and prostheses used by Paralympians. And what the heck is Grimace, the big purple McDonald’s mascot? A manager at a Canadian McDonald’s dropped a bombshell on the internet, but is he correct?

Sponsor:

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Links:

Why are hyperlinks blue? (Mozilla Distilled)
How Paralympic Wheelchairs and Prostheses Are Optimized for Speed and Performance (Scientific American)
Specialized Sports Chairs and the People Who Use Them (New Mobility)
Para sport explained: Wheelchairs in wheelchair sports (International Paralympic Committee)
Award-winning manager opens up about life at McDonald's during pandemic (CBC)
McDonald's manager explains that Grimace is "a taste bud" (Boing Boing)
Is Grimace a taste bud? One McDonald's manager says yes (The Takeout)
"Grimace is the embodiment of a milkshake" (McDonald’s Corporate, Twitter)
Archivist weighs in (McDonald’s Corporate, Twitter)
What the hell is McDonald's Grimace? (Mashable)
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Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Wed. 09/01 - Flying EVs, Bedroom Pop, & Murder Hornets 2: Venomous Boogaloo Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Would you take a flying rideshare taxi? NASA is betting on it. Plus, murder hornets are back and badder than ever. And the growing genre of “bedroom pop,” which isn’t what it maybe sounds like.

Sponsor:

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Links:

NASA is testing electric air taxis with Joby Aviation (The Verge)
Your air taxi has arrived: Why Joby could be the first commercial eVTOL (CNBC, Youtube)
A Special Message from our CEO and Founder, JoeBen Bevirt (Joby Aviation, YouTube)
NASA Begins Air Taxi Flight Testing with Joby (NASA)
'Murder Hornets': Nest of 1,500 eradicated in the US (BBC)
Department of Agriculture Officials in Washington State Attacked While Trying to Remove Murder Hornet Nest (Inside Edition)
Just How Dangerous Is the ‘Murder Hornet’? (Scientific American)
What's bedroom pop? How an online DIY movement created a musical genre (NBC News)
Don’t Call it Bedroom Pop: The New Wave of DIY (Complex)
Elliot Page Is On a "Lo-Fi Bedroom Pop Adventure,” Drops Debut EP (them.)
Mark and Elliot EP (Mark and Elliot, Bandcamp)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Tue. 08/31 - Could We Delete Our Memories One Day? Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

The climate crisis is causing some animals to shrink, and that’s definitely not a good thing. Experts weigh in on the possibility of humans ever being able to edit or delete their own memories. And Netflix cheat codes to help you shake off the algorithm.

Sponsor:

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Links:

When Insects Lost Their Homes, Evolution Clipped Their Wings (NY Times)
Some birds, mammals, and fish are shrinking. Blame climate change. (Vox)
Urbanization is Causing Mammals to Grow Bigger, New Study Says (Sci-News)
Scary study finds urban rats and mammals are getting bigger (Fast Company)
Will We Ever Be Able to Edit or Delete Memories? (Gizmodo)
The Netflix Secret Codes Cheat Sheet (MakeUseOf)
Thu. 05/13 - I'll Have What She's Having: The Decline of Personalized Recommendations? (Kottke Ride Home)
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Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Mon. 08/30 - Electric Cars Almost Became the Norm in the 1800s Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Electric cars were being made as far back at the late 19th century, with entire fleets of electric cabs roaming the streets of several major cities. So what happened? Why didn’t they become the go-to vehicle from the beginning? Plus, the history of the very delicious and confusingly-named Boston Cooler. And the middle schoolers trying to clear the name of a woman accused of being a witch back in 1693.

Sponsor:

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Links:

Why weren't cars electric from the start? (Slate)
How the 'Boston Cooler' Became a Classic Detroit Drink (Atlas Obscura)
The Boston Cooler Was an Accidental Detroit Classic (Detroit Is It)
She Was Declared a Witch at Salem. These Middle Schoolers Want to Clear Her Name. (NY Times)
Kottke.Org
Jackson Bird on Twitter

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Fri. 08/27 - The History of the ICEE, The Coolest Drink In Town Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

The history of and science behind the ICEE. Plus, Glenfiddich is now powering their delivering trucks with spent whisky. And some tips on cleaning your earbuds because, c’mon, how long has it been since you’ve actually done that?

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