Episodes

March 26, 2021

Fri. 03/26 - We Are All the Big Boat Stuck in the Suez Canal

The gargantuan container ship is still blocking traffic from flowing in the Suez Canal, but it has not stemmed the creativity of people online––from memes to fanfic, here’s your Ever Given round-up. Plus, archaeologists have…
March 25, 2021

Thu. 03/25 - How to Cook & Eat Cicadas

Have you ever wondered who or what comes up with the explanatory blurbs beneath trending terms on Twitter? I’ve got your answer. Your guide to eating and enjoying the Brood X cicadas. And a website to help you out when a wor…
March 24, 2021

Wed. 03/24 - Oops All Shrimp Tails! The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Saga

The saga of the shrimp tails in the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and what it has to do with Chance the Rapper, women’s basketball, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, and Topanga. Scientists have identified the first “space…
March 23, 2021

Tue. 03/23 - How Fast Did Forrest Gump Run?

How fast was Forrest Gump running when he jogged across the country? The running community on Reddit did the math. A study has confirmed that some people do actually age faster than others, quite a bit faster in fact. And tu…
March 22, 2021

Mon. 03/22 - The Bakery AI Being Used For Cancer Research

The AI built to tell pastries apart that’s now being used for cancer research. It turns out a large portion of Mars’ water may be hiding in the planet’s crust. And, if one of your online orders got lost, it may now be lurkin…
March 19, 2021

Fri. 03/19 - The Feuding Cousins Responsible For Our COVID Test Swab Supply

The family feud putting the US’s COVID-19 test swab supply at risk. Could we use our food waste and sewage to fuel jets? And the projected symbol that was spotted in towns all around the world last night. Sponsors: Skillshar…
March 19, 2021

Thu. 03/18 - Salmon Chaos & The Paris Commune

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Paris Commune––and it remains as controversial as ever. Scientists have grown a mouse embryo in an artificial womb and have set their sites on human embryos next, speakin…
March 17, 2021

Wed. 03/17 - Why Doesn't Channel 37 Exist?

Why analog TVs never had channel 37. Spoiler: the answer includes aliens. The rise of bitcoin ATMs. And the pretty amusing self-reported symptoms from the AstraZeneca vaccine. And all the latest breaking marine mammal news. …
March 16, 2021

Tue. 03/16 - Daylight Saving Time? Not in this house!

How St. Patrick’s Day, as we know it now, is kind of more of an Irish-American holiday than a purely Irish one. More of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been uncovered in Israel for the first time in sixty years. And the family who…
March 15, 2021

Mon. 03/15 - Brood X and Self-Sabotaging Zoom Calls

Brood X is coming: what you need to know about your soon-to-be neighbors. A new discovery in Spain has led to questions about the true role of women in the Bronze Age. The science behind why, once you pop, the fun just don’t…
March 12, 2021

Fri. 03/12 - A Sperm Bank on the Moon

The proposal to create a “modern ark” aka scientists want to store sperm and eggs in lava tubes on the moon as a back-up plan in case we accidentally destroy the earth. A new tool that could help us spot deepfakes. And how b…
March 11, 2021

Thu. 03/11 - Is This Ancient Biblical Forgery Actually Real?

It was written off as a forgery in 1883, but now it’s being reconsidered as the oldest known Biblical manuscript. Also, how the pandemic has affected the names people are choosing for their babies. And how a lake in Turkey m…
March 10, 2021

Wed. 03/10 - A Year of the Pandemic WITHOUT the Internet

Reflections from a man who quit using the internet right before the pandemic started. A meteorite older than Earth was discovered in the Sahara Desert. And playable music videos? How film and music are pulling more and more …
March 9, 2021

Tue. 03/09 - Could Aliens' Pollution Help Us Find Them?

Can we find extraterrestrial civilizations by searching the cosmos for their pollutants? Are humans hard-wired to be productive? And what can we learn about leisure from hunter-gatherer societies? Plus, a big uh-oh from HBO …
March 8, 2021

Mon. 03/08 - Replacing The Simpsons Cast with AI Voice "Actors?"

Could The Simpsons replace their entire cast with AI replicas? A look at the scientific, artistic, and legal possibilities. Researchers have discovered an interesting trait in green tree frogs that they’re describing as buil…
March 5, 2021

Fri. 03/05 - A Physical Warp Drive Is Now Possible, Scientists Say

Will warp drive ever be possible? These scientists say they’ve created the first physical model for how it could work. A lookback at the Star Wars immunization PSAs of the 1970s. And a potential new type of COVID-19 test tha…
March 4, 2021

Thu. 03/04 - Will NFTs Change How We Buy Music & Movies?

Will NFTs bring about an economic and creative revolution for artists and change the way we buy our media? Kings of Leon are willing to give it a shot. A small village in Iceland is making a big bid for Oscar glory. And anot…
March 3, 2021

Wed. 03/03 - Life Lessons From Cats

Cuttlefish have passed a test designed for small human children. Polaroid has made a pen that draws in edible 3D candy. What we can learn from cats about being happier and more content with life. And a website that translate…
March 2, 2021

Tue. 03/02 - Light-Up Tattoos For You and Your Avocado

Scientists have created light-up OLED tattoos that could tell you when to put on sunscreen or when your avocados have gone bad. The Twitter account tracking Geneva Convention violations in video games. And good news: scienti…
March 1, 2021

Mon. 03/01 - The Future: Fast Vaccines and Slow Social Media?

How the RNA-based platform used for some of the COVID-19 vaccines is already changing the game for other diseases. Plus, “I got vaccinated” stickers and selfie stations are starting to pop up. And an app that’s bringing back…
Feb. 26, 2021

Fri. 02/26 - Is Mr. Potato Head Non-fungible?

Delving into the world of crypto art and non-fungible tokens. A history of Mr. Potato Head, or, I’m sorry, just Potato Head? And a few links to help you chill out this weekend. Sponsors: Audible, audible.com/kottke or text k…
Feb. 25, 2021

Thu. 02/25 - The Anti-Marie Kondo & Radical Keeping

How to make your clothes last longer and practice the art of “radical keeping” according to “the anti-Marie Kondo.” A segment about #Buttergate in Canada that’s not really about Buttergate afterall. And a browser extension t…
Feb. 24, 2021

Wed. 02/24 - How Childhood Illness Can Shape Future Immune Response

How the flu you had as a kid could shape your immune response to future flu viruses. A bunch of videos have been going viral showing snow not melting when held up against a flame, but it’s not a conspiracy. It’s science. And…
Feb. 23, 2021

Tue. 02/23 - The History (and Erasure) of Black Brewers

Beer culture is perceived as overwhelmingly white, but its history and its present is not. A historical look at the erasure of Black brewers. The impact of pandemic boredom on the economy. And a new app that will put David A…