Episodes

Jan. 25, 2023

Wed. 01/25 - Wikipedia as a Model for the Rest of the Internet

How Wikipedia editors are bringing more nuance into their decisions and what ripple effects that can have on a website that increasingly defines our shared reality.
Jan. 24, 2023

Tue. 01/24 - 90 Seconds To Midnight

The Doomsday Clock has ticked down even closer to midnight, but how useful of a mechanism is it? Plus, some good news on climate change. And a new Wordle spin-off for the Zillow-obsessed.
Jan. 23, 2023

Mon. 01/23 - The HustleCore of Medieval Monks (& the Spin Cycle of Earth's Core)

The Earth’s inner core has paused its spinning and reversed its course . Sounds alarming, but everything is fine. Plus, what medieval Christian monks, the OG hustle bros apparently, can teach us about distraction and routine.
Jan. 20, 2023

Fri. 01/20 - Are Coffee Pods MORE Environmentally-Friendly Than Filter Coffee?

How did whales get so big anyways? Plus, a new study claims coffee pods are more environmentally-friendly than regular filter coffee. Is it true?
Jan. 19, 2023

Thu. 01/19 - Edgar Allan Poe Wrote In His Books & You Should Too

A deep dive on marginalia. What is it, why should you do it, and how does it reveal the more joyful side of history’s most famous sadboy, Edgar Allan Poe? All that and more in this extended love letter to writing in books.
Jan. 18, 2023

Wed. 01/18 - The CIA's Spy-Pigeons

Earth-like exoplanet discoveries galore, including some that could be habitable. Plus, a look back at the clandestine history of the CIA’s pigeon surveillance missions.
Jan. 17, 2023

Tue. 01/17 - Fake Marrying Kids To Each Other, For Adult's Amusement

It looks like the ozone layer is on track to be restored in just a couple of decades. Plus, an opportunity to get paid for donating your stool samples. (Yes, really) And an examination of the nineteenth and twentieth century phenomenon of Tom Thumb Weddings, AKA elaborate fake weddings for small ch…
Jan. 16, 2023

Mon. 01/16 - Dr. King's Most Controversial Speech

Some projects that will help you suss out the truth in movies that claim to be “based on a true story.” Plus, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most controversial speech.
Jan. 13, 2023

Fri. 01/13 - Surprisingly Old Galaxies & the Future of Libraries

New findings from the JWST may push the origins of the universe’s earliest galaxies back millions of years. Plus, a huge rare earth deposit has been found in Sweden. And an Instagram-based library run out of the home of a famous Mexico City artist––with a bonus defense of owning books you haven’t r…
Jan. 12, 2023

Thu. 01/12 - A Giant River Falling From the Sky

What exactly is an “atmospheric river,” why is it causing so much havoc in California right now, and what do these current storms mean for the future? Plus, NASA and Roscosmos have reached an agreement on how to bring three ISS crew members back to Earth following a coolant leak on a Soyuz spacecra…
Jan. 11, 2023

Wed. 01/11 - Earliest Human Tools Just Monkey Business?

Were the first stone tools in the Americas made, not by ancient humans, but by monkeys? Plus, could color-changing cars be in our future? And will other nations follow New Zealand’s lead on banning cigarettes to future generations?
Jan. 10, 2023

Tue. 01/10 - Is "Y'All" Actually... British?

A historic satellite launch in the United Kingdom ended in disappointment last night. Plus, how “y’all” left the south and its surprising possible origins in… seventeenth century England?
Jan. 9, 2023

Mon. 01/09 - Amateur Discovery May Rewrite Human History

A cave art discovery that could put the development of writing back thousands of years. Plus, one US state taking concrete steps against misinformation. And Benoit Blanc isn’t just playing Among Us, now he’s in it.
Jan. 6, 2023

Fri. 01/06 - Food Has Always Been Dangerous

How old is fast food? And to what extent was food actually healthier in the past, before our days of factory farming and artificial preservatives? A deep dive into the pros and cons of convenience food then and now.
Jan. 5, 2023

Thu. 01/05 - A Vaccine For The Queen Bee

A vaccine for bees. Plus, the Japanese government will pay families to leave Tokyo. And a device that doesn’t let you type “LOL” unless you actually laughed out loud.
Jan. 4, 2023

Wed. 01/04 - A Global Vault of Frozen Stool Samples

Could a poop vault be joining the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? Some scientists think could be a pretty crappy move. Plus, the US congressman who’s slated to be sworn in on a Superman comic. And the History of the World, Part Two.
Jan. 3, 2023

Tue. 01/03 - A New Space Race? And Gregor Mendel's Skeleton

Are we at the beginning of a new space race? NASA Administrator Bill Nelson thinks so. Plus, why father of genetics Gregor Mendel’s skeleton was dug up last year. And a chance to read history’s most famous diarist’s words in real time over the next decade.
Dec. 29, 2022

Thu. 12/29 - BEST OF: Witchy Beer-Makers, CIA-Funded British Cartoons; & Predictions For Today From 1922

Our final lookback on some of the best segments from the past few years. From 2021, how beer-making used to be considered women’s work, and also may have popularized some of the popular symbols, like broomsticks and pointed hats, that we associate with witches today. Plus, why the CIA covertly fund…
Dec. 28, 2022

Wed. 12/28 - BEST OF: Crossing the Ocean W/O a Map; Waffle House Records; & The Dress and Misinformation

Today from the Cool Stuff Ride Home archives, how Polynesian voyagers navigated the oceans without compasses or maps, and how a new generation is bringing back those traditional skills. Plus, Waffle House’s earnest and hilarious record label. And, looking at “The Dress” seven years on––did that vir…
Dec. 27, 2022

Tue. 12/27 - BEST OF: Gendered Food, The Brontë's Graveyard Water, & Mosquito Annihilation

So for today, from the archives, we’ve got how and why food itself became gendered––y’know, men eat red meat, women eat salads. Women watch their weight and men eat huge portions of the most ridiculous Mountain Dew-laced Dorito monstrosities they can come up with. Plus, what would happen if we just…
Dec. 22, 2022

Thu. 12/22 - Where Did "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" Come From?

We dive into the origins and enduring popularity of that most classic of Christmas Carols, “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells.” Plus, Stephen Spielberg has officially apologized to sharks for Jaws. And a note on our holiday programming.
Dec. 21, 2022

Wed. 12/21 - Entire South Korean Population Will Legally Become Younger Next Year

What are solstices and seasons like on other planets? Plus, why everyone in South Korea is about to become a year or two younger. And Lionel Messi’s celebratory Instagram photos have become the most-liked social media post of all-time.
Dec. 20, 2022

Tue. 12/20 - Wind Power for Human Habitats on Mars?

Could wind be the dark horse in the hunt for power sources for human habitats on Mars? Plus, the first-ever recording of a dust devil on Mars, and a goodbye to a beloved Martian explorer. And Google unveils the most-searched word of the year. I’ll give you a hint: it’s a six-letter word about five-…
Dec. 20, 2022

Mon. 12/19 - The Story Behind Those Wooden Castle Playgrounds

Everything you never wondered about those wooden castle-like playgrounds of Gen X and Millennials’ youths. Plus, how a nano-thin layer of gold could finally be the cure to the dreaded glasses fog of our COVID masking era.