It’s Indigenous People’s Day today. How and when did this start becoming a thing? How west coast governments are finally turning to tribal leaders for assistance preventing wildfires. A serious collaboration between Weird Al…
What kind of operating system do they use in space? The science behind cocktails, to up your at-home mixology game. The 22-year-old responsible for the most viral beats on Tiktok. And the Connecticut mayor who isn’t taking a…
The Islamic scholars who beat Darwin to the punch by about a thousand years. A cool site for finding new books to read. The world’s largest ouija board. And naked celebrities teaching us about naked ballots. Links: A Thousan…
The twenty-four possible super-habitable planets that could be better than Earth. The man you can pay to gatecrash your funeral. The perfect conclusion to the skateboarding cranberry juice trend, and what the heck that trend…
How the pandemic is changing our taste in music. The most ironic thing that could happen to a newly-published book titled Word Perfect . How asbestos might actually be a weapon against the climate crisis. And a Rocky Horror …
Archaeologists have found evidence of neurons in the brain of a Mount Vesuvius victim that basically turned to glass. The latest entrepreneurial trend of the pandemic taking off, in part thanks to influencers? Vending machin…
It turns out crows have some skills we once thought were unique to humans. Breaking down what exactly ingredients like “eye of newt” and “tongue of dog” actually are. And Neil Cicierega’s latest mash-up album, Mouth Dreams, …
Why are people saying there’s a black hole at the center of the Earth? The Irish Supreme Court declares that Subway’s bread is not actually bread. The surprising controllers the US Navy uses for its subway periscopes. And wi…
A guide to the lunar spectacles in October. Some tips for improving communication when wearing masks. The surprising discovery that some of Edward Hopper’s early works were copied. And the wearable social-distancing tech all…
A Halloween rocket launch. A brief peek into the history of book burnings in honor of Banned Books Week. The surprising and grim origins of Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan. More water has been found on Mars. And the return of Fat…
An undergrad has proven that paradox-free time travel is indeed possible. If you thought email newsletters were ubiquitous now, let me introduce you to the world of 1930s mimeograph newsletters. The emerging field of biomedi…
The face mask economy––how everyone from high fashion designers to mom and pop shops on Etsy met the demand, and where they go from here. The origins of the phrase “jack of all trades.” Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to fun…
A guide to saying no for people-pleaser’s. A recently discovered secret party room located under Grand Central Terminal and other strange breaking news from the New York City subway. Experts weigh in on why humans evolved to…
A new discovery indicates chromium is about a thousand years older than we thought. Why it’s sometimes better not to use your full potential on things. A group of chefs trying to make drive-thru fine dining a thing. And an E…
A new study has found that fans of horror movies are having an easier time coping with the pandemic. The woman who serves as the Queen of England’s body double. A new species of dinosaur discovered with perfectly preserved f…
Why do we eat fish sticks? The story behind those viral annual 21st of September videos. How to get the mental health benefits of “vacation anticipation” without going on vacation. And one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s favorite t…
Jason Kottke started Kottke.org in 1998, making it one of the oldest, still maintained blogs on the web with over 26,000 posts spanning topics from art and technology to design, culture, and general knowledge. This is a peek…
The 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced last night. Some people are trying to make CD players a thing again. How algorithms can detect our mood based on what we write online. And the surprising connection between Froz…
Some tips for tricking the algorithms and having a more neutral social media feed. Scientists have discovered a possible way to prevent motion sickness. The Norwegian concept of friluftsliv and how it could be just what we n…
A completely preserved extinct cave bear specimen from the Ice Age has been found in Siberia. Why our dreams have been more intense since the pandemic began. Strange new food and drinks hitting the market, and some beloved o…
Scientists have detected phosphine on Venus. Is it a sign of life? What it’s like to be in the virtual audience of a televised game. If you have trouble breathing when wearing a mask, here’s an explanation why and some tips …
Have you become intimately acquainted with your own breath since you began wearing a mask? Here’s how to curb the stench. Some insight into how non-human animals use numbers and quantitative information. The sad truth about …
Why the cheap rotisserie chicken is ubiquitous in American grocery stores. The new, true proportions of the megalodon. Unpacking the enormous size of Houston, Texas and its highway interchanges, as compared to a tiny Italian…
The big, underlying reason why so many items were tough to find at the start of the pandemic, and why some may still be for a long time to come. The sea anemones who grow extra tentacles when they eat too much. The psycholog…