Episodes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 funded the British cartoon adaptation of Animal Farm in the 1950s. And, as 2022 comes to a close, a look back at one man’s predictions for this year, written from his perspective in 1922.

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 viral moment lay the groundwork for the climate of misinformation today?

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… killed all the mosquitos on the planet? And, from 2021, the little-known reason that all the Brontës died so tragically young.

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.

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.

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-letter words that sold to the New York Times for a “low seven figures.”

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.

An AI chatbot that can negotiate with customer service chatbots to lower your bills, cancel your subscriptions, and more. Plus, the reason why chocolate sometimes gets that white sort of chalky sheen on it. And, a segment from the archives about the science behind some reindeers’ color-changing eyes, real red-nosed reindeer, and the origins of that famous song.

The interplay between science fiction and real-world scientific innovations––from space travel to fusion energy. Plus, a replay of a classic Cool Stuff Ride Home segment on Krampus with an update on some risqué depictions of the Yuletide rogue that have been making the rounds online this year.

Why some street lights across the US and Canada have been turning purple, and what it says about the larger effects of the supply chain on our cityscapes. Plus, the emus that were banned from a bar in Queensland have returned with a surprise. And New Zealand’s parliament just passed a lifetime ban on smoking for the youngest members of Gen Z and beyond.

The origins and significance of the song “Silent Night.” Plus, an update on the US’s fusion energy breakthrough. And Los Angeles County’s first-ever unicorn license has been issued.

A big nuclear fusion announcement is coming in the morning, but just how “big” will it really be? Plus, a collection of disappearing and extinct sounds. And how the climate emergency is coming for one trendy fruit.

A browser button proposed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1997 that could’ve changed the web as we know it… or could it? Plus, eight artists from the around the world are officially going on a trip around the moon thanks to a controversial Japanese billionaire. And Hot Pockets just launched a line of cargo shorts with actual hot pockets.

As we go the first Christmas in over half a century without a network TV airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas, an extended reflection on its staying power, unexpected success, and how CBS originally wished they could get out of having to air it at all because they thought it was so bad.

How less-confusing food labeling––and perhaps more food-based curriculum in schools––can mitigate the huge problem of food waste. Plus, a new web-based simulator that will show you exactly how screwed you are if an asteroid hits your hometown.

Candles will play stunt double for actors in a new staging of Shakespeare’s most violent play. Plus, we take a detour down the path of Shakespearean conspiracies. And, in other news, the moon just got its own infrastructure package.

2023 is going to be a big year for the public domain, and especially for one estate who will finally be losing control of a character they’ve tried their very best to wring every last dollar from for over a century. Plus, Oxford English Dictionary officially declared “goblin mode” as their word of the year. And Saturday Night Live finally did something I’ve been wanting them to do for twenty years.

AriZona Iced Tea is joining the hard beverage movement. Pepsi is joining… Big Milk? And scientists have got some new, practical tips for training your body to wake up earlier and actually alert.

Was Mars once hit with an asteroid on the scale of Earth’s own dino-killer? Plus, what if there was a device that listened to your farts and let you know when you should go see a doctor? And the USDA program that’s recognizing indigenous food ways.