Episodes

The Swedish scientists that used VR to Freaky Friday some best friends and study how our bodies affect our sense of self. Some exercises you can do at your desk to improve your posture. The curious case of the rust found on the moon. And some social media age life lessons from The Terminator himself. Links: How 'swapping bodies' with a friend changes our sense of self (Science Daily) Would You Swap Bodies with a Friend? (Science Times) Six seated exercises to keep you limber at your desk (Pop...

The most massive merger of two black holes ever and mysteries it’s left us with. The fourteen year old viral hit, “Shoes,” is back with a pro-mask follow-up. The new dollar coins in Australia designed specifically for charitable giving. And the 96th annual burning of Zozobra is happening in Santa Fe this Friday. Links: Astronomers say they’ve detected the most massive merger of two black holes ever discovered (The Verge) A black hole merger may have formed a never-before-seen intermediate mass...

The dragon eggs powered by diamonds. No, it’s not a children’s fairy tale, it’s a cutting-edge type of nuclear battery that could give us super long-lasting power and very little waste. The extinct breed of singing dogs that has been rediscovered. A brief history of Kool-Aid and the drink’s totally cool mascot. And new research into the effective use of bee venom for breast cancer treatment. Links: Are Radioactive Diamond Batteries a Cure for Nuclear Waste? (Wired) Singing Dogs Re-emerge From ...

An update on Elon Musk’s brain implant technology. Some slightly bizarre anxiety-reducing exercises. How to make Batman give you driving directions. And the monkey-fighting group of grannies in Japan. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Musk says that Neuralink implants are close to ready for human testing (Ars Technica) Elon Musk's Neuralink is neuroscience theater (MIT Technology Review) Ahead of Neuralink event, ex-employees detail r...

How the Anthropocene has had a bigger impact on North America than the last ice age. The Washington border town that can’t access either Canada or the US anymore. How to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day this weekend. A make-your-own mashup site that’s a blast from the past. And how to see Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon all together tonight. Links: Humans Have Changed North America More Than an Ice Age (Earther) A Border Town Is Now Isolated From Both the U.S. and Canada (Atlas Obscura) Poin...

The Scots Wikipedia site that turns out to have been mostly written by an American teenager who does not speak Scots. Some tips and insight on staying safe from COVID-19 when indoors. Breaking down the strange, undefeatable popularity of pumpkin spice. And an update from Elon Musk to be on the lookout for. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Shock an aw: US teenager wrote huge slice of Scots Wikipedia (The Guardian) I've discovered that ...

Why it’s so hard to find dumbbells right now. Why Netflix’s upcoming Enola Holmes movie landed them a lawsuit from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate. A model for fighting procrastination. And the one quick fix that could save hundreds of thousands of birds a year. Links: Why it's so hard to find dumbbell sets in the US (Vox) The curious case of copyright and character (Intellectual Property Magazine) Watch the trailer for Enola Holmes, the Sherlock Holmes movie that landed Netflix a lawsuit (...

Why the 2000-year-old redwoods in northern California are safe from the wildfires. How Leo Tolstoy’s mundane procrastination inspired Anna Karenina and can inspire other creatives today. The newly uncovered meteorite that predates the sun. And an upcoming game that simulates the most boring part of air travel. Links: 2,000-year-old redwoods survive wildfire at California's oldest state park (NBC News) The Everyday Inspiration for Anna Karenina (The New Republic) Rainbow meteorite discovered i...

It turns out the ‘Oumuamua might be alien tech after all. The truth behind that asteroid allegedly hitting earth the day before America’s election. Finnish scientists have discovered an effective hangover cure. And the weird 1970s commercials hidden in a Disney+ special. Sponsor: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT Links: Mystery of Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua Gets Trickier (Scientific American) Wild Idea: What If Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua Is an Alien Lig...

The 3D-printed sushi restaurant that takes a DNA sample with your reservation. Why we may not remember much of our day-to-day lives during the pandemic. The return of mouse-sized elephants. And the emerging trend of drive-thru haunted houses. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Tokyo Restaurant Offers 3D-Printed Sushi Tailored to Your Health Needs (My Modern Met) SUSHI TELEPORTATION (Open Meals) We won’t remember much of what we did in ...

Talking about lots of old media today. Vice wants to send you physical zines through USPS. It turns out a number of industries are still using floppy disks. A new online database fifty years in the making and created by Julia Child’s former neighbor. And some crop art celebrating Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Link: Introducing The Mail, a Newsletter and Zine About the USPS (VICE) Vice wants to send...

Did you know we have two different measurements for feet in the US? Like the twelve inches on a ruler. There are two different versions. But not for long. Some good news regarding the prospects for a COVID-19 vaccine. A new Girl Scout cookie and why the cookies seem to vary from state to state. And a Swiss town that got a very delicious surprise snowstorm last week. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: America Has Two Feet. It’s About to L...

Debunking some misconceptions about women’s suffrage on the hundredth anniversary of American women gaining the right to vote. Busting the myth of the Lost Colony. Facebook and NYU are trying to make MRIs better for patients using artificial intelligence. And a website that will replicate the white noise of your office. Sponsors: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Facebook and NYU use artificial intelligence to make MRI scans four times faster (...

Scientists find the Butterfly Effect does not exist in the quantum world. Dennis Quaid has adopted a cat named Dennis Quaid. The mural in Warsaw that eats smog. The curious case of beer hidden in the shelves of the Walla Walla Public Library. And a special podcast announcement. Sponsors: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Scientists Have Shown There's No 'Butterfly Effect' in the Quantum World (Vice) The Time Traveler's Almanac Dennis Quaid ado...

It’s a brand new world today. There’s a new ice cream jingle from Good Humor and RZA. A new dinosaur was discovered in England. Some books of classic literature are being published under new names. And a new use for Little Free Libraries. Links: ‘George Eliot’ joins 24 female authors making debuts under their real names (The Guardian) New Dinosaur Found on Isle of Wight Beach is Related to the T-Rex (Gizmodo) New dinosaur related to T. rex discovered on Isle of Wight (BBC) RZA Wrote a New Ji...

Some facts about left-handedness for International Left Handers Day. Why you should invest in bird poop. Why Tony Hawk just renamed the “mute air” skateboard trick. And how Australian bars turned their excess expired beer from lockdown into renewable energy. Links: Left Handers Day, August 13th (Left Handers Day) 15 Things You Never Knew About Left-Handed People (Reader’s Digest) Geneticists Are Untangling the Mystery of Left-Handedness (Gizmodo) Why is left-handedness rare? It comes down to...

The “rumor clinics” that combated fake news during World War II. How scientists have turned ordinary bricks into supercapacitors. Why some groceries are still tough to come by. And your chance to have a sleepover at the last remaining Blockbuster in the world. Links: How 'Rumor Clinics' Fought Fake News 80 Years Ago (Mental Floss) During WWII, 'Rumor Clinics' Were Set Up to Dispel Morale-Damaging Gossip (Atlas Obscura) Clever chemistry turns ordinary bricks into electricity storage devices (T...

Is it a good idea to clean your face mask by putting it in the rice cooker? The weird defunct rides of Disney theme parks past. Why scientists want farmers to paint their cows butts. And how to watch the Perseid meteor shower tonight. Links: Decontaminate your N95 mask with a rice cooker (Popular Mechanics) Electric cooker an easy, efficient way to sanitize N95 masks, study finds (Science Daily) Defunct Disney Rides and Lands (Mental Floss) Alien Encounter: The Life and Death of Walt Disney ...

A new face mask that can translate in eight languages. Tips for lifting your mood as lockdown measures and remote working stretch on. Why people used to rent pineapples. And the renaissance-era wine windows experiencing a comeback in Italy. Sponsors: BetterHelp, Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/REPORT Links: This Japanese face mask translates into eight languages (CNN) Startup Developed a Smart Face Mask That Translates Speech Into Eight Different Languages (iTech Post) How t...

Today is International Beer Day! How to celebrate and why it exists. How the Netflix sound logo came to be, and what goats and wedding rings have to do with it. And the orchestra that uses fresh produce as instruments. Links: Here's the story behind Netflix's iconic intro sound. A goat is involved. (Mashable) 100 | Ta-dum! It's Netflix (Twenty Thousand Hertz) MOUTH SOUNDS (Neil Cicierega) About International Beer Day (International Beer Day) Here's a List of All the Beer Drinking “Holidays”...

Further findings into just how much of our speech dogs can understand. An American highway that’s been repaved with recycled plastic. Taika Waititi’s new anti-racist website. Scientists who had to rename human genes due to a Microsoft Excel error. And a smoke detector that wakes you up by spitting wasabi scents in your face. Links: Brain researchers: Dogs process speech just like humans do (Fast Company) America now has a stretch of highway paved with recycled plastic (Optimist Daily) Voice ...

Do you live in a zip code that’s a Harbinger of Failure? The newly discovered secret to anglerfish’s parasitic success. The woman who returns items left behind in used books to their owners. And the 87 year old athlete who just became the oldest man to complete the Ironman World Championship. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: The "Harbinger Customers" Who Buy Unpopular Products & Back Losing Politicians (Kottke) "Harbinger households"...

Cool armor-like technology that butterflies have on their wings to protect them from the rain. How to use Slack without annoying all of your coworkers, or being annoyed yourself. And what 1918 anti-mask culture can teach us about our own mask debates today. Links: Armor on butterfly wings protects against heavy rain (Phys.Org) How to Use Slack Without Driving Your Coworkers Crazy (Wired) The 1918 Flu, Masks and Lessons for the Coronavirus Pandemic (NY Times) Jackson Bird on Twitter

Australian scientists have figured out a way to grow colored cotton. How poetry is helping healthcare workers through the pandemic. Get your hands on some official Fyre Festival merchandise, thanks to the US Marshals. And the famous cartoon character who accidentally signed people’s tax refund checks. Sponsor: Beachbody on Demand, Text "GOODNEWS" to 303030 for a free trial membership Links: Cotton Conquest: Australian scientists discover how to grow coloured cotton (ABC Landline) Putting th...