Episodes

Nov. 17, 2021

Wed. 11/17 - The 1930s "Streaming" Music Service from Seattle

The progenitors to on-demand streaming music, including the multiphone in the 1950s American west and the Théâtrophone in 1880s Paris. Plus, new findings about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. And the woman whose own immune system seems to have effectively cured her of HIV.
Nov. 16, 2021

Tue. 11/16 - Pastel Pavement to Appeal to Women Drivers & More Tired Ideas From Auto History

The US finally has a national recycling strategy as of yesterday. Plus, what is the ultimate song to listen to at any time of the day or night? Scientists figured it out. The gendered history of car and road design. And the giant Reese’s cup “pie” that sold out in mere minutes.
Nov. 15, 2021

Mon. 11/15 - Welcome To The Human Library

Zillow is out of the iBuying game. What does that mean for its competitors and for the future of real estate? Plus, a look into the Human Library. And astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to take shelter in their return ships this morning due to on-coming space junk.
Nov. 12, 2021

Fri. 11/12 - The Year Without A Santa Claus? "Labor Shortages" Hit the North Pole

White-tailed deer in America have been found to be transmitting SARS-CoV-2 among each other in higher than expected rates. Plus, next week will be the century’s longest partial lunar eclipse. A new, huge species of dinosaur was discovered on the Isle of Wight. And it’s not just shipping delays to b…
Nov. 10, 2021

Wed. 11/10 - Could Dogs Survive Without Us?

The curious story of how sushi became popular in America. Plus, what would happen to dogs if all their humans disappeared? And in their latest stunt, Heinz says they’ve grown ketchup in Martian conditions.
Nov. 9, 2021

Tue. 11/09 - Why Does America Have So Few Public Restrooms?

A deep dive down the drain pipe to discuss why America has so few public restrooms. Plus, how Pinterest ruined Google Search, and a few options for fixing it.
Nov. 8, 2021

Mon. 11/08 - The Messy Legacy of Emily Dickinson and Her Favorite Cake

Another even more promising antiviral pill for COVID-19 has been announced, this time from Pfizer. Plus, why adults aren’t as good at learning new things as kids are, but is it such a bad thing? And the messy legacy of both Emily Dickinson and her favorite cake recipe.
Nov. 5, 2021

Fri. 11/05 - A Universal Vaccine For EVERY Coronavirus, Not Just COVID-19

How would a universal coronavirus vaccine work and how close are we to having one? Plus, how cosplaying as a superhero can actually make you a better person, at least temporarily. And one of the most notorious serial killers in horror is getting his own killer breakfast cereal.
Nov. 4, 2021

Thu. 11/04 - Steel Igloos In Iceland Turn CO2 Into Rocks

New international space laws may soon be on the horizon. Plus, the brewing battles between artists using AI to reconstruct lost artworks and the estates of the original artists. And some steel igloos in Iceland that protect one of the most promising examples of carbon capture yet.
Nov. 3, 2021

Wed. 11/03 - The McRib, Space Tacos, and Tropicana Toothpaste

An abridged history of the McRib sandwich. Astronauts have leveled up their taco game by growing chile peppers in space. And Tropicana just introduced their own line of toothpaste.
Nov. 2, 2021

Tue. 11/02 - How to Rewild Your Attention

Some tips for “rewilding your attention.” Plus, how to help NASA train future rovers to better navigate Mars. And what’s going on with those NFT billboards in Times Square… and also, the McRib is now an NFT?
Nov. 1, 2021

Mon. 11/01 - "Behind The Joy Are The Algorithms"

A meditation on streaming entertainment, algorithms, and David Foster Wallace’s prescient writing on the illusion of choice. Plus, a possible functional cure for HIV has just been approved to enter human trials. And, the Wampanoag woman who grew heirloom corn on its original land for the first time…
Oct. 29, 2021

Fri. 10/29 - Disease and the Vampire Myth + Hallowmeme History

Digging up the origins of some of the most popular Halloween memes––from “Spooky Scary Skeletons” to the dancing pumpkin man, and also touching on the Disney Channel’s 1980s answer to MTV. Plus, how times of disease have historically led to an uptick in vampire fear and folklore. And, on a more opt…
Oct. 28, 2021

Thu. 10/28 - Human Eggs Made From Blood Cells

Could we one day create sperm and egg cells from any human cell, even across the sexes? Plus, how BJ Novak from The Office’s face ended up on products all around the world without him knowing. And the latest drops from two of the internet’s leading mischief-making companies, including Andy Warhol f…
Oct. 27, 2021

Wed. 10/27 - Permafrost Thaw May Unleash Radioactive Waste & Bacteria

It turns out that melting permafrost could unleash Cold War-era radioactive waste and millions of years old antibiotic resistant bacteria. Cool cool cool. Plus, a look back at when picnicking in cemeteries was a common past time––and not just for goths. And the annual drop of totally weird and prob…
Oct. 26, 2021

Tue. 10/26 - Can AI Simulations Solve the Supply Chain Disruptions?

Could a new generation of AI simulations help solve the mounting supply chain disruptions? Plus, the history and future of haunted houses. And Jeff Bezos is basically trying to start a WeWork in space.
Oct. 25, 2021

Mon. 10/25 - Music That Gives You Chills, and Why It Does

The countercultural witchcraft music of the 1960s, and a study exploring what it is about certain songs that give us a spine-tingling chill. Plus, elephants in Mozambique have evolved to be born without tusks. And the guy who discovered a budget hack for spending just $150 on meals all year: eat ev…
Oct. 22, 2021

Fri. 10/22 - A Solar Storm Proved the Vikings Visited The Americas Exactly 1000 Years Ago

Thanks to a collaboration between trees and the sun, we can now pinpoint an exact year that the Vikings were in North America. Plus, are sirens actually effective tools for emergency vehicles? And why are apples associated with Halloween? Like what is up with apple bobbing?
Oct. 21, 2021

Thu. 10/21 - Using These Memes Is A Red Flag 🚩

Open captions are coming to the big screen as AMC Theaters takes a big step towards accessibility, and a look at captions’ growing popularity among the hearing. Plus, how some of the most popular memes are completely inaccessible. And the group of museums who have started an OnlyFans account.
Oct. 20, 2021

Wed. 10/20 - None Pizza With Left Beef: A Slice of History

A brief history of one of the most famous pizzas on the internet. Surgeons have successfully transplanted a kidney from a genetically-altered pig to a human. And how to watch the Orionid Meteor Shower this week, if the big ol’ full moon doesn’t get in your way.
Oct. 19, 2021

Tue. 10/19 - Grand Duke Travis of Westarctica Wants To Save the Planet

A look at the micronation of Westarctica, whose Grand Duke Travis started a nonprofit arm of the micronation to raise awareness about the consequences of the climate emergency in Western Antarctica. Plus, AstroAccess successfully completed their first zero-g flight with their disability ambassadors…
Oct. 18, 2021

Mon. 10/18 - Thank Exoplanets For Your iPhone's Display

How the push to search for signs of life on exoplanets fueled the development of the technology we use in our latest generation of smartphones. Plus, what your punctuation habits can say about you as a writer––and a new website based on a 2016 art project that allows you to visually analyze those f…
Oct. 15, 2021

Fri. 10/15 - Responding to Pandemic Uncertainty Like an Engineer

A proposal for approaching this next phase of the pandemic less like an epidemiologist and more like an engineer. Plus, new findings from the Mars Perseverance rover that has NASA breathing a sigh of relief. And product placement in novels, added without the author’s knowledge. It’s a real thing th…
Oct. 14, 2021

Thu. 10/14 - Do Spoilers Actually Make Movies Better?

Should you read the spoilers for horror movies before you watch them? Plus, a butterfly species in Finland with parasitic wasps in its belly… and even more wasps inside of that one. And, what if instead of lamps we one day use glowing plants to light our homes?