News Sidequest: Recent Episodes
Keith Conrad
Dan and Keith discuss the headlines you missed this week while you were focused on the Red Team vs. Blue Team rock throwing contest
keithconrad.substack.com
A Talker Research survey of 2,000 US college students finds that only 45% feel optimistic about the job market, 69% fear AI will cause a "job apocalypse," and 22% have already changed their major because of it — while simultaneously, 91% are using AI to upskill. Also: a Brazilian study of 5,117 adults published in PLOS One finds that "nonordinary experiences" — hearing a voice, sensing a presence, feeling sudden overwhelming awe — are far more common than clinical research suggests, and roughly 51% said the experience had a positive long-term effect on their life. And a University of Missouri study of 67 adults published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine finds that a consistent daily routine was linked to lower physical pain and fewer symptoms of depression — regardless of whether participants had insomnia. Plus a machete vs. hatchet Florida parking lot duel, a flight canceled because a child wouldn't buckle up, a 162-year-old Guinness bottle in a shipwreck, and flesh-eating bacteria.
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BuzzFeed compiled 19 "giant lies" sold to entire generations — get a degree and you'll be set, work hard and you'll get ahead, starter homes are just a few years away — and the comments are full of people adding smaller ones that stick just as much. Also: New Orleans has confirmed AI has been answering some 911 calls since 2023, triggering a national debate — but what it's actually doing is considerably more limited and more defensible than the headline suggests, which raises its own questions. And a new eight-year study of nearly 13,000 adults published in the journal Neurology finds that people under 60 who consume artificial sweeteners regularly showed cognitive decline 62% faster than the lowest-consumption group. Plus 90,000 rubber ducks in the Chicago River, a hotel bathtub full of potatoes, a locust swarm in Russia, and a bar banning Meta smart glasses.
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Betty Bromage is a 97-year-old former nurse from Cheltenham who suffered a stroke in August 2025, recovered, and on Tuesday walked along the wing of a moving airplane to break her own Guinness World Record — which she previously set at 93. She's already planning something for her 100th birthday. Also: University of Nottingham researchers conducted three studies with more than 1,200 participants and found that hardship alone doesn't predict conspiracy belief — what matters is whether the hardship leads someone to see the world as fundamentally unfair. And on Monday, Booklegger in Old Town Eureka, California received a bubble-wrapped package with an illegible return address. Inside: a first-edition Edward Gorey book stolen roughly 40 years ago, a handwritten apology note from a "young man" who said he was 18 or 19 at the time, and a $100 bill. Plus the Grim Reaper on a hospital roof, gene-edited allergy-free beagles, Neil Armstrong's childhood home, and Americans returning to dairy.
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A UC Berkeley study conducted with Meta researchers during the 2020 election reduced users' exposure to untrustworthy content on Facebook and Instagram by 70% — and measured almost no change in beliefs across 20 primary outcomes. The researchers' conclusion is the uncomfortable one: social media companies can change what you see, but beliefs are shaped by something deeper. Also: a new BMC Psychology study of 664 adults finds compulsive dating app use is linked to a weaker belief that romantic love is meaningful and a more transactional view of relationships — people fall in love faster but less discriminately and see love as less worth taking seriously. And a San Francisco billboard is advertising "ChatTJB," described as "the leading chatbot powered by AI" — where AI stands for "average individual," the chatbot is Tucker Bryant, a former Google staffer, and he answers every message by hand to make a point about cognitive surrender. Plus a bush-disguised cop, a prehistoric three-way chomping, the koi fish murder, and a Little Debbie delivery scheme.
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A yearlong University of Edinburgh study of 45 workers aged 50-66 using wearable sensors found that nearly 70% had persistent clinically significant sleep problems and 92% met sleep disorder criteria at least once — despite most averaging a normal 6.5-8 hours of sleep nightly. The problem isn't duration. It's disruption. Also: Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong — currently having one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history, with numbers that compare favorably to Babe Ruth — appeared on a podcast and said "Babe Ruth never existed is one that I like" as his craziest unpopular opinion. And a two-week study tracking 900 adults published in PLOS ONE found that temptation, not stress or mood, is the strongest predictor of problematic internet use — roughly doubling the odds of going online on any given day. Plus a JetBlue free fall, the Idaho Hungry Hungry Hippos record, nude dining in Florida, and a bison with opinions about tourists.
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The Wall Street Journal reports there were 6,376 properties with HOA-related foreclosure filings in Q1 2026 — up nearly 40% from two years earlier, rising faster than mortgage foreclosure rates, driven by rising insurance premiums, maintenance costs, and homeowners falling behind on dues. Also: a new study published in Psychological Science finds that conversations about boring topics are significantly more enjoyable than people expect — and people systematically underestimate how much strangers enjoy talking to them. And at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, a State Department official presented a map of Africa generated by an OpenAI tool that placed Nigeria in the Sahara Desert, moved Mozambique to the Horn of Africa, and relocated the Ivory Coast away from any coast. Every single country was wrong. Plus the Minnesota spike strip man, the wildfire near Area 51, the nude man claiming to be Jesus, and the Only Fans marmots.
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Fortune reports that the US has lost a fifth of its movie theaters and nearly a third of its bowling alleys since 2001, all 12 categories of "third places" tracked by a 2025 Census study declined from 2019 to 2021, and economists now put the loneliness epidemic's cost to the US economy at $406 billion annually. Also: a Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans finds the average salary needed for "true love" is $106,417 — with 78% of Gen Z saying salary will determine whether someone can find true love, compared to just 32% of Baby Boomers. And University of Virginia biology professor Erin Clabough writes in The Conversation that the American education system is functionally optimized to produce anxiety — not learning — and a 2026 study confirms that academic pressure at 15 predicts depressive symptoms that persist into adulthood. Plus Civil War cannonballs in checked luggage, a plane preacher banned by Alaska Airlines, a flying saucer alert over Gatwick, and a lawn mower OUI in Iowa.
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The Consumer Federation of America just released a report estimating the true cost of online scams at $148.2 billion — seven times the $21.1 billion officially reported to the FBI, because only about 14% of fraud victims report to any law enforcement body at all. Also: a new Nature Communications study from the University of Tübingen found that the hippocampus — the brain's memory-forming region — fluctuates between high and low states of readiness, and whether a memory gets encoded may have as much to do with your brain's internal state at that moment as with the experience itself. And the federal government's 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released Monday, found 21.4 million Americans now use marijuana daily or near-daily — more than the 19.9 million daily cigarette smokers or 17.2 million daily drinkers. Plus Katy Perry trapped in a bottle, the teen who died saving his brother from lightning, the woman who spent years biting her husband's toes, and the 116-year overdue library books.
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A new Climate Central analysis of 1,338 global cities finds the average person loses nearly 56 hours of sleep a year to high overnight temperatures — and the share attributable to climate change has at least doubled since the early 1970s. Also: a UCLA study of third- and sixth-graders in Los Angeles County finds that kids who own cell phones score significantly lower on reading comprehension — and the twist is that it doesn't matter whether the phone is present during the test. Ownership alone is the variable. And a landmark study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B by UC Berkeley and Project CETI finds sperm whale communication includes vowels, diphthongs, and phonetic structures that parallel human speech so closely researchers are now asking what it means for animal legal rights. Plus the eBay cockroach settlement, evangelical plane preachers, the bride who set the church on fire, and Colonel Sanders' bow tie.
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The Wall Street Journal profiles a growing trend of "love hackers" — singles who use Excel or Google Sheets to rate their dates on up to 70 data fields after returning home, and a Cornell researcher who interviewed 42 of them and analyzed 24 spreadsheets. Also: Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence at Amherst College, published a piece in Fortune documenting two decades of watching students lose the ability to read — high school English teachers now assign an average of 2.81 books a year, down from 4 in 2008, and 32% of 12th graders now score below basic reading levels. And Kai Sato, 39, of California, set out on June 7 for a solo sail to Hawaii, had his mast snap two weeks in, ran out of gas, lost his phone signal, spent days suicidal, fashioned repairs from PVC pipes and kayak paddles, ate oatmeal and fish that landed in his boat, licked condensation from plastic bags to survive, and was rescued 33 days later by a cargo ship. He's already planning his next voyage. Plus the Chicago scream club, flight attendants falling mysteriously ill, Gunther von Hagens requesting to be plastinated, and the vending machine burrito recall.
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The AP spent weeks with grocery shoppers across Massachusetts, Texas, and Hawaii documenting how Americans are adapting to the biggest jump in home food prices in 50 years — up 33% since 2019 — with couponing, comparison shopping, multi-store trips, and quietly dropping favorite foods. Also: Fortune and new Federal Reserve data confirm the millennial generation has formally split in two — older millennials aged 36-45 now post the highest median household income of any generational group at $132,700 and are functioning like Baby Boomers, while younger millennials aged 27-35 are moving into multigenerational homes at rates last seen in the early 1900s. And a University of Macau study of nearly 1,000 workers tracked over six months finds that "career wisdom" — comfort with uncertainty, intuition, and tolerating not having a plan — predicts more meaningful work, higher job satisfaction, and stronger engagement than rigid career planning. Plus an emotional support peacock, a cobra in the bed, Spider-Man, and measles.
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The Council on Criminal Justice released a comprehensive mid-year crime report Thursday showing homicides are down 18% across 30 cities compared to 2025, on track for the lowest annual rate in over a century — and the drop is happening in cities with different political leadership, different policing strategies, and different economic conditions. Also: Wharton researchers led by Adam Grant just published a three-study investigation into why some leaders resist remote work — and the answer across all three studies was the same: narcissism. Not productivity concerns. Not collaboration. Power and status. And Japan's meteorological agency has formally adopted the word "kokushobi" — pronounced koh-koo-shoh-bee, meaning "cruelly hot day" — for temperatures above 40°C, after 200,000 people voted on it and Tuesday saw 260 people hospitalized with heat stroke symptoms around Tokyo alone. Plus a Pennsylvania fortune teller's witch trial, a McDonald's hot fries lawsuit, a bear on a utility pole, and 30% of Americans who've shoplifted.
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The BMO Real Financial Progress Index finds the all-in average cost of a date in the US hit $189 in 2026 — up 12.5% in a year, with Millennials averaging $252 — and 47% of singles say dating is no longer financially worth it. Also: a new Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet finds the US has the largest "morbidity gap" in the world — 14 years of life spent in poor health — and the bad news is it's not just happening at the end of life. And a new West Health-Gallup survey finds 24% of US employees — roughly 23 million people — are staying in unwanted jobs specifically to keep their health insurance, up from 16% in 2021. Plus the easyJet mid-air brawl, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, the Pan Am plane found after 74 years, and a Florida man with a flamethrower at a Walmart.
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Wang Jibing is 56 years old, left school at 14, spent decades doing odd jobs, became a food delivery rider in 2019, wrote poems on scraps of paper between orders, and just won the Lu Xun Literary Prize — China's top literary honor — for his collection Low Flight, based on interviews with 200 fellow couriers. Also: the Wall Street Journal published a piece asking whether therapists are to blame for the rise of family estrangement — with researchers on both sides of a genuinely complicated question. And Yosemite dropped its reservation system in 2026 at federal direction, hit 90-minute entrance waits and full parking lots before noon, and became the most concentrated expression of what happens to affordable leisure when everything else gets too expensive. Plus a robot decapitated in combat, Australian identical quadruplets, the Baseball Spy, and deeply discounted Taylor Farms lettuce.
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The American Heart Association just published its most comprehensive position statement on coffee in years, and the verdict is: up to five cups a day is safe for most healthy adults, with cardiovascular benefits at moderate consumption. Also: a man in Ohio bought a house sight unseen in a competitive market, arrived with a moving truck, and found three decomposed human remains inside — and the story underneath it is really about what the housing market has pushed buyers to do. And Silicon Valley is actively pitching the Pentagon on armed autonomous robots, and the Washington Post got inside several of the pitches. Plus three bodies in a house, the David Rush toilet paper record, a dog rescued from a Scottish mountain after finding someone's stash, and pizza traded for pythons in Florida.
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A new CNN/Federal Reserve investigation finds that nearly half of adults aged 18-29 received assistance from someone outside their household to cover recurring expenses last year — and the people who got early inheritance aren't feeling good about it, they're feeling guilty and relieved simultaneously. Also: the average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions per day, decision fatigue is real and measurable, and the research on how to fight it is more specific and actionable than "simplify your life." And on July 15, China's new AI companion regulations took effect — ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent all shut down their AI persona features, and the grief on Chinese social media was immediate and genuine. Plus two babies switched at birth 38 years ago, a man suing his bank for lending him money, an Alabama husband committed to a remarkable relationship, and the firefighting donkeys of Spain.
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Astronomers analyzing new James Webb Space Telescope observations of LHS 1140b — a "super-Earth" just 49 light-years away — are now reporting the strongest evidence yet for a nitrogen-rich atmosphere on a habitable-zone exoplanet, and models suggest it may have a liquid ocean roughly the size of half the Atlantic. Also: a Pew Research/Newsweek survey of 5,119 Americans finds Gen Z uses AI more than any other generation and is simultaneously the most worried about where it's heading — 66% use chatbots regularly, up from 55% in 2024, and they're more concerned than older generations about job loss, AI's reliability, and its environmental impact. And scientists from institutions around the world just published predictions for life in the 2100s. Plus a bored pilot who skytyped it, the Florida woman betrayed by a cat, the Ohio lottery voice winner, and a pole dancing sprinkler flood.
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Enrollment at public two-year vocational schools is up nearly 20% since 2020, Gen Z is nearly evenly split between four-year college and trade school when asked what they'd choose today, and the math — sub-$25,000 programs leading to $80,000-plus jobs — is hard to argue with. Also: the felt-tip pen that Buzz Aldrin jammed into a broken circuit breaker on the lunar surface in 1969 to save the Apollo 11 crew sold at Sotheby's today alongside the snapped-off switch for $857,600. And a new Japanese study of 1,899 adults tracked over time finds that regular moviegoers, museum visitors, and theatergoers have bodies that function like people three years younger. Plus the 1,700-pound great white shark heading to Cape Cod, the bank robber's borrowed kitten, the deer in the antique store, and wildfire smoke rolling across the Midwest.
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About 90% of Americans say they want to die at home. Only about 35% do — and the median hospice enrollment in 2024 was 19 days, meaning most people get palliative care so late it barely functions as a transition. Also: Taskrabbit data shows a 23% jump in quick-move bookings and a 19% increase in same-day moves year-over-year, with the "micro-move" trend driven by smaller spaces, lighter lives, and a housing market where staying flexible is more important than putting down roots. And University of Reading research shows clear-air turbulence — the kind you can't see coming, that doesn't show on radar — has increased 55% since 1979, is projected to double or triple by 2050, and is being driven entirely by climate change. Plus the dog who caused a $200K fire, the peanut butter museum floor, the robotaxi sleepers, and the Taco Bell investigation.
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NPR spoke with five music influencers who say they regularly accept payments from record labels to post about songs without disclosing it — and when they reached out to Interscope, Republic, Atlantic, RCA, Sony, Universal, and Warner for comment, none responded. Also: a Boston College Center for Retirement Research study finds that since ChatGPT launched, older workers in AI-exposed jobs — coders, accountants, tax preparers — are leaving the workforce significantly faster than before, reversing a long-standing trend in which those jobs actually extended careers. And a new service in Russia allows lonely people to rent a companion specifically to share a barbecue and beers with. That is the entire service. Plus the Airbnb family who found their own photos on the wall, Ontario's grenade advisory, Zara's dangerous pants, and sugar discovered in space.
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NASA is recruiting four volunteers for a yearlong simulated Moon and Mars mission beginning August 2027 at Johnson Space Center — two confined habitats, mock spacewalks, limited food, no sunshine, no wind, and complete isolation. A previous CHAPEA participant said what he missed most was birthdays, holidays, and fresh vegetables. Also: a Word Unscrambler analysis of Google Trends data finds "gaslighting" was the most-searched word definition in America in 2026, with 286,900 monthly searches, edging out "love" at 274,900. Narcissist, fascism, empathy, and propaganda also cracked the top 25. And a comprehensive Lancet review led by UBC researchers analyzed data from billions of mRNA vaccine doses across multiple countries and found: safe, effective, does not alter DNA, works for children and pregnant women, and shows enormous promise for cancer treatment. Plus the man who dangled from an airplane by his seatbelt, the Circle K lottery clerk, the dog pepper spray incident, and humanoid robot gallbladder surgery.
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Researchers at Hebrew University presenting in London this week found total testosterone levels in men declined 54% between 1972 and 2019, tracking more than 118,000 individuals across six studies — and they're calling it a "major crisis in male reproductive health." Also: Brown University economics professor Roberto Serrano — who is blind — allowed take-home exams after a December campus shooting traumatized his students. His class averaged 96 out of 100 on the take-home midterm. When he moved the final in-person, the average crashed to 48. And the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday that the US median home sale price hit $440,600 in June — an all-time record going back to 1999, with prices rising on an annual basis for 36 consecutive months. Plus a squirrel mailed to Meta, a Florida man fighting police in alligator-infested water, a burglar whose truck got stolen while he robbed a Verizon store, and a son's lottery birthday gift.
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World Cup tourists have been going viral on TikTok for their reactions to Walmart — the chips aisle, the gallon jugs of ranch, the dog-kibble-sized bags of Fruity Pebbles — and Walmart just announced VIP guided store tours for the first 20 visitors in line at two fan events. Also: Bryan Murray of New Zealand started water skiing in 1955, competed in tournaments across his country, survived a hip replacement last month, and just been named the world's oldest water skier at 94 years and 318 days old. He plans to extend his record this summer. And a Polish-Czech research team published a paper in PNAS this month building a mathematical model to answer why cannibalism became one of humanity's strongest taboos — and the answer is prions. Plus the hostage negotiation robot, the naked garage fire hero, the insect protein bar, and the Freedom Fuel gas stations.
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An exclusive Guardian/pollster survey finds 95% of Americans believe the country is in an affordability crisis, with half struggling to afford groceries and gas — and the partisan gap on the economy has collapsed fastest among Republicans since the Iran war sent gas prices surging. Also: new Census Bureau data shows the 45-to-64 age group shrank by 2.68 million people between 2020 and 2025, and the Northeast lost 7.1% of its midlife workforce in five years. And researchers presenting at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum found that multilingual people's brains appear 6 to 13 years younger than those who speak only one language — and the effect gets stronger with each additional language. Plus the serial plant thief, the man who slapped himself into a detached retina, the bail bond t-shirt, and the time traveler from 3700.
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In 1973, 9-year-old Laurie Blair Brown threw a note in a bottle into the ocean at the Jersey Shore — a fake distress call from her family's vacation. It washed up 53 years later. Also: Bryan Johnson, who spends roughly $2 million a year on a 30-person medical team trying to live forever, just disclosed he has autoimmune gastritis — an incurable disease that was quietly destroying his stomach lining for over a decade while every biomarker looked fine. And the UN Secretary-General has declared that autonomous killer robots are "politically unacceptable and morally repugnant" and must be banned by international law — but the 2026 deadline he set is here, talks are stalled, and the US, Russia, and Israel have been quietly blocking a treaty for years. Plus a whale sinking a fire rescue ship, Frank's Hot Sauce across a highway, the Delaware falling camel, and a $3 Goodwill jacket worth $250,000.
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On July 4th, 32-year-old Grand Canyon river guide Kelsey Pfendler rowed her 21-foot boat Lily into Honolulu harbor after 43 days, 17 hours, and 55 minutes at sea — shattering both the women's record of 86 days and the men's record of 52 days, and raising over $180,000 for the Whale Foundation along the way. Also: the American Time Use Survey just confirmed what a lot of people feel but nobody wants to say — average daily socialization time has fallen from 45 to 35 minutes over the last 20 years, with teenagers down nearly 50%. And ETH Zurich researchers just published a light-controlled molecular switch that wakes dormant cancer cells out of hibernation, potentially making previously untreatable tumors vulnerable again. Plus the Brooklyn Bridge catching fire, the Smokey Bear sign thief, rental swimming pools, and a Delta flight hit by a firework over Chicago.
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Sony just announced that physical disc production for new PlayStation games ends in January 2028 — and the deeper story is what this means for everyone who's watched a one-time purchase quietly become a monthly subscription. Also: a new Albert Einstein College of Medicine study published in Neurology finds that people in their 80s who walk unusually fast have about half the risk of cognitive impairment — and they maintain that advantage even when their brains show the same Alzheimer's-related pathology as everyone else. And new research from StudyFinds maps exactly how people lie to their partners — and finds that "good" lies damage relationships about as often as selfish ones. Plus shark attack alerts on your phone, Pokémon cards stolen from an arcade, an Empire State Building climbing arrest, and king cobras on Everest.
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NPR reports that the US murder rate in 2025 was almost certainly the lowest ever recorded since the FBI started keeping national data in the 1950s — and 2026 is tracking to go lower still. This is the second "Great Crime Decline" in American history and almost nobody is talking about it. Also: a new study from the University of Silesia finds that people who gossip and spread rumors are more likely to be in romantic relationships and have more children — and the evolutionary logic behind it is more interesting than the headline. And a Chinese platform launched in March called Wangbu lets dog owners in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen rent out their pets by the hour to strangers for walks, and animal welfare experts are not pleased. Plus a Harvard UFO professor running the White House alien council, human remains in a Queens school chimney, two-month-olds on screens, and a woman who denied owning the cocaine.
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Slate reports that kindergarten, first grade, fifth grade, and pre-K graduations have exploded into ticketed events with caps, gowns, diplomas, and professional photographers — and parents can't figure out who asked for this. Also: with the 250th anniversary tomorrow, life expectancy in America has doubled since 1776 — from roughly 35-40 years to 79 — and the story of how that happened is worth knowing. And a 60-year-old man in Spain came to the hospital with two weeks of worsening headaches, was put on the oncology track when his CT scan showed what looked like metastatic brain cancer, and was eventually diagnosed with something considerably more unsettling. Plus a bear who needed a lift, a water slide world record at a vow renewal, the Michigan lemonade stand freedom bill, and the Mexican Batman.
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Epic Research analyzed electronic health records from nearly 200 million American adults and found gambling disorder diagnoses jumped more than 60% since 2018 in states that legalized sports betting — with the rate among men 18 to 29 more than doubling. In the 11 states that never legalized it, diagnoses fell 30% over the same period. Also: a small Japanese trial found that a daily cup of probiotic yogurt, regular walks, and basic diet coaching shifted a DNA-based aging marker in overweight men within just 12 weeks — though the study was funded entirely by the yogurt company that makes the product. And a new Penn State experiment with real money on the line confirms that fear of losing and the dread of regret both shape our decisions simultaneously, with loss aversion the stronger of the two forces. Plus the world's loudest man, a self-driving toilet, the rhinestone menswear trend nobody asked for, and an instant-karma story for the ages.
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A new Realtor.com analysis finds a record 25.2 million Americans under 35 — roughly one in three — were living with a parent in 2025, and 70% of them have jobs. This isn't a story about unemployed young adults playing video games in the basement. It's a story about a 4-million-unit housing supply gap and a median home price up 34% since 2019. Also: a 30-year study tracking three generations of college students from 1982 to 2022 finds Millennials entered adulthood with significantly more fear of growing up than Gen X or Baby Boomers before them — but that fear fades with age across every generation, suggesting nobody stays scared of adulthood forever. And a new study of 180 British university students finds a year abroad makes you measurably more agreeable and curious, with lower anxiety — but it doesn't overhaul your personality the way the brochures promise. Plus a teleporting FEMA official, smoke grenades in checked luggage, a Carnival cruise brawl, and a snake and a spider sharing a bedroom in Australia.
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A new PNAS study of more than 2,400 people finds women achieve the exact same economic outcomes as men in negotiations — but their partners trust them more, like them more, and want to negotiate with them again, even in fully anonymous text-chat negotiations where gender was unknown. The compounding effect projects to a roughly $55,000 earnings advantage over time. Also: Texas A&M researchers have regenerated bone, joints, and ligaments in mice using a two-step treatment that redirects the body's healing response away from scarring — suggesting the capacity for regeneration may never have left us, just gotten switched off. And researchers say the old phones sitting in drawers around the world contain an estimated $67 billion in recoverable critical minerals, and recycling currently meets just 1% of global rare earth demand. Plus a giant street-legal banana, a retired Robocop with a perfect arrest record of zero, an influencer who learned a hard lesson about showing off online, and a man who fell into a vault toilet rescuing his sunglasses.
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A new Talker Research survey finds 86% of Americans distrust AI-generated results — but the study was commissioned by a content management company with a clear stake in the answer, and the actual complaint underneath the number is more specific and more interesting than blanket distrust. Also: a 6-year-old girl in Tokyo spent months preparing with her parents before completing a solo trip through the city to the grocery store and back — and the show that inspired an entire genre of "free-range kid" content is now a real parenting movement. And Columbia University exercise physiologists confirm that five minutes of walking every 30 minutes of sitting is enough to meaningfully offset the health harms of a sedentary day. Plus tentacled rabbits, a 13-year-old who climbed out of a Disneyland ride mid-drop, a missing giraffe with a $5,000 reward, and a DIY exorcism gone wrong.
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A decade-long study of more than 1,400 young people found that 83% of the life events they call most meaningful are positive — graduations, friendships, travel, sports. But teens and young adults with anxiety or depression were far more likely to name a struggle or a loss as their defining moment instead, raising a real question about which came first: the hard life or the hard lens. Also: a Wall Street Journal writer spent five days in total silence at a Buddhist retreat in Massachusetts, and it nearly broke her. And a McGill-led study of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries finds that feeling poorer than your peers wrecks your wellbeing — even when your actual income is identical to theirs. Plus the Titanic artifacts dispute, tentacled rabbits, a pickleball felony, and Russian soldiers catfished by Ukrainian fighters posing as lonely women online.
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The New York Times reports that older couples who once stayed in "empty-shell" marriages are increasingly unwilling to spend their remaining healthy years that way — longer life expectancy is changing the math on what's worth enduring. Also: a Nature Human Behaviour study of 105,000 headlines viewed six million times confirms that negative words drive clicks — and a developmental psychologist explains why a brain built to track local, immediate threats is now being asked to process a war, a financial shock, and a climate disaster before lunch. And Zillow's new analysis finds a record 242 American cities now have "starter homes" priced at $1 million or more — triple the number from before the pandemic. Plus an 87-year-old's smart lottery decision, a vanished magician, the Red Lobster shrimp justification for invading Greenland, and 5,000 beers in Dallas.
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A USC study of 5,642 American adults finds that 26% of people with a completely normal BMI already meet the clinical criteria for obesity — because BMI can't tell the difference between muscle and dangerous belly fat. Also: a new Fox News poll finds only 25% of registered voters say they generally trust the federal government — the lowest reading in more than two decades of this poll, dating back to 2002 when more than half of Americans said they trusted it. And a University of Tokyo brain imaging study finds that reading on paper requires measurably less mental effort to piece a story together than reading the same content on a tablet — same comprehension, lower cost. Plus a quiz on dating red flags, the three pillars of a perfect dad joke, an 85-year-old street racer, and a nurse who sold 3,000 fake diplomas.
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A new Gallup-Milken Center survey of more than 6,300 Americans finds belief that everyone has a real shot at the American Dream has fallen to 46% — but 69% still believe they personally will achieve it, and striving for it remains important to 78%. The gap between those two numbers might say more than either one alone. Also: Johnson & Johnson's CEO told a London leadership summit this week that curing certain cancers within the next decade is a realistic goal — not aspirational marketing, but a real projection backed by current treatment trajectories. And NPR reports that bumblebees just solved a classic problem-solving test originally designed for chimpanzees — using a ball as a stepstool to reach an out-of-reach reward, with no training required. Plus a 194-year-old tortoise, a robot toilet, a TSA ranch dressing warning, and a 12-year-old's elaborate fake kidnapping.
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A Dutch study of 451 married couples, average relationship length 28 years, finds that spouses genuinely resemble each other on exactly two personality traits — shared values and shared curiosity — and almost nothing else. On the rest of the personality spectrum, married couples are basically strangers. Also: a viral trend out of South Korea called "dopamine sites" lets users browse, fill a cart, and track a fake courier on fake food delivery apps that never complete a real order — all the anticipation, none of the bill. And new ground-penetrating radar scans at Turkey's Durupınar site are reigniting the decades-old Noah's Ark debate — researchers claim distinct organic material inside a boat-shaped formation, while geologists call it a natural rock structure. Plus the San Andreas Fault's worst stress level in 1,000 years, Scottish soccer fans drinking Boston dry, the 17,000-year doomsday formula, and the cats-don't-reduce-stress study.
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USA Today reports that "goblintimacy" — showing up on a first date as your actual, unpolished, slightly chaotic self — is having a moment, and the relationship experts quoted are surprisingly divided on whether it's a good idea. Also: a Semmelweis University study finds one in three young adults are heavy smartphone users primarily because of FOMO — fear of missing out — and the psychological mechanism behind it is more interesting than the name suggests. And a London School of Economics meta-analysis of 82,000 college students across 35 years finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 — and phones aren't the cause. Economic anxiety is. Plus the CIA gold heist, bees on a United flight, the Idaho flaming torch juggler, and mixed emotions during a Weird Al song.
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A University of Michigan poll finds most parents of 18-to-25-year-olds are using location tracking apps — and a quarter of those parents say it causes more anxiety than peace of mind. Also: a Medical University of Vienna study finds that people who appreciate dark humor score higher on both verbal and nonverbal intelligence tests, and lower on aggression — and the findings hold up across replications. And the Dog Aging Project just published in the Journals of Gerontology finding that the same metabolic biomarkers that predict lifespan in humans also predict it in dogs, with a striking correlation across 24 human cohort studies. Plus a house full of snakes, medieval eel rent, a scammer who got chocolate coins, and a lemonade stand robbery.
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The Columbia University base editing paper has triggered a major scientific debate — with the researcher who helped develop CRISPR saying "the cat's out of the bag" and calling it "a gateway to embryo editing to do enhancements." Also: Northwestern Mutual's 2026 Planning and Progress Study finds 33% of Gen X adults — people now aged 45 to 61 — still feel financially dependent on their parents, and 1 in 5 say they don't expect to ever be financially independent. And a new MIT study in Open Mind finds that the social expectation of reciprocity — you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours — only applies between equals. In hierarchical relationships, once you're the giver, you're the giver forever. Plus a gaming PC that stopped a bullet, police in mascot costumes, the potato-shaped UFO, and the Marilyn Monroe world record.
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The Wall Street Journal reports that young New Yorkers are moving into convents to escape a rental market where Manhattan's median one-bedroom just hit $4,680 a month — and some of them say it's genuinely great. Also: in May 2026, for the first time in US history, solar power generated more electricity than coal — 12.8% to 12.2% — and solar is now the third-largest electricity source in the country. And Columbia University geneticist Dieter Egli and his team just published a landmark preprint demonstrating precise base editing of human embryos with high efficiency — and the conversation about where this goes next has officially started. Plus therapy donkeys, a period in a text message, Bigfoot's right to privacy, and a Pasadena horseplay situation.
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New data from the Princeton Review finds 16 American colleges have crossed the $100,000-a-year threshold for total cost of attendance for 2026-27 — Harvey Mudd tops the list at $104,512 — and the trend is accelerating. Also: a woman at a Florida noodle restaurant went to war with staff over her son's uneaten $5 bowl, invoking "the law" and threatening to call the owner and sue, and the internet mostly sided with the restaurant. And new research from Penn State and the University of Colorado finds that AI fact-checkers face the same problem human fact-checkers always have: people's politics strongly shape whether a fact-check changes their mind at all — and for conservatives, the reputation of the source matters more than the verdict. Plus an alligator DWI getaway, a whale graveyard, a satanic ritual at an Olive Garden, and a lightning-struck church.
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Two new papers from the National Bureau of Economic Research find that US fertility rates have fallen 22% since 2007 — the year the iPhone launched — and access to smartphones correlated with birth rate declines of up to 8% among teenagers. Also: the average all-in cost of a date in the US has hit $189, up 12.5% in a year, and a growing number of Gen Z and millennials are responding by opting out of dating entirely — a trend they're calling solo-maxxing. And Geoffrey Wall, a 59-year-old former Air Canada captain from Barrie, Ontario, flew more than 900 commercial flights on Boeing 767s, 777s, and 787s between 2009 and 2025 — allegedly without ever obtaining the license required to do so. Plus a fake boarding pass, woolly mammoth DNA in squirrel poo, a Florida man arrested on the way to court, and a hot sauce shortage.
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A 15-year-old Minneapolis café called Post Modern Times stopped charging for food in January as an act of protest and community care — converted to a nonprofit, kept the model, and owner Dylan Alverson says: "Stepping out of the capitalist system gave us more support than existing in it for 15 years." Also: Cambridge neuroscientists scanning 577 brains found that older adults' brains register fewer distinct "moments" per unit of time — literally processing fewer neural transitions — which is why years vanish faster the older you get, and what you can actually do about it. And a Pepperdine professor told Fortune: "It's not even an inability to critically think. It's an inability to read sentences." Plus dynamite in a freezer, mashed potato litigation, AI-look plastic surgery, and a mysterious cold blob.
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A landmark study published in Science — 590,000 workers, 13 years of data — finds remote work explains about a third of the increase in isolation and mental distress since the pandemic. Workers in remote-capable jobs became more likely to see mental health professionals and fill prescriptions for anxiety and depression. Also: a new survey of 2,000 men finds 57% say financial struggles have made them feel like they're failing at manhood, 77% were taught growing up that a man's primary role is to be a financial provider, and 72% say society expects them to handle that stress quietly and alone. And a Zety survey of 900+ Gen Z workers finds 95% have stopped sharing their real opinions online to protect their careers — and 90% have already faced workplace consequences for something they posted. Plus $8.65 returned to the Pope, a goat in a London office, a spider in disguise, and a four-winged velociraptor cousin.
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The Guardian profiles a booming category of faith-based energy drinks — with brands called Yahweh, 4gvn, and Praise Energy — that claim to spread the gospel through caffeine. The theology here is thin, but the market opportunity is apparently real. Also: physicists at ETH Zurich just published a landmark paper in Nature demonstrating certifiably perfect randomness for the first time in human history — using quantum entanglement and two chips cooled to near absolute zero. And a new LendingTree analysis finds 18.7% of Americans 65 and older are still working — the average Social Security benefit is $2,071 a month, but basic monthly expenses for a single adult run $4,641. Plus flesh-eating screwworms returning after 60 years, SpaghettiOs with unexpected ingredients, identical twin doctors, and 60 Idahoans who learned the hard way about raw milk.
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A new PNAS study from Tufts University finds that Americans born between 1970 and 1985 are dying at higher rates than any previous generation did at the same age — with rising deaths from cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and external causes including overdoses and suicide. The lead researcher called it "genuinely alarming." Also: Art Ulene is a physician, television personality, and author who survived a suspected stroke in Paris, watched his wife battle illness, and is now training six days a week at 89 years old to become the oldest person ever to summit Mount Kilimanjaro — in July, on his 90th birthday. And a Myrtle Beach detective named Michael DeBiase was arrested, charged with a felony, and fired from the police department after allegedly pulling his department-issued handgun on a fellow officer who microwaved fish in the breakroom. Plus sourdough from a mummy, the world's largest blanket fort, a casino self-ban that went awry, and a Frontier flight situation.
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A Travel Guard survey of 1,022 Americans finds 97% have taken at least one trip they regret — and the most regretted destination in the US is Las Vegas. Also: The Atlantic profiles the solitude influencer, a growing genre of creator documenting life alone — and one woman's formula ("you live alone in NYC and have no friends") has 195,000 followers and sparked a real cultural conversation. And a new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer finds that during just the first nine months of the pandemic, 55,000 cancer cases went undiagnosed across seven countries — with prostate cancer down 24% and breast cancer down 18% from expected levels. Plus a bed bug infestation at the USDA, a 19-year red light ticket fight, an AI laser mosquito system, and the Uber lost and found.
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The New York Federal Reserve just published the most direct answer yet to why young college graduates can't find jobs — and it's not AI. Remote work accounts for 64% of the surge in youth unemployment since the pandemic, because companies won't hire inexperienced workers onto distributed teams they can't train. Also: a University of Illinois study finds gratitude journaling and optimism training can reduce blood pressure by more than 7 points within weeks — and the mechanism is more interesting than "think positive thoughts." And gateway hotels near Crater Lake National Park are devastated this summer — not because the park is closed, but because misinformation spread that it was, and people cancelled anyway. Plus a chicken police recruit, a yellow submarine mystery, kitchen sponge microplastics, and a $200,000 Lego lawsuit.
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A new Michigan State University study finds people consistently underestimate how cynical their friends are — and the blind spot appears to be deliberate, a kind of social glue that keeps friendships intact. Also: an aerospace engineering professor at Georgia Tech just did the math on interstellar travel, and the numbers are not encouraging for anyone hoping an alien civilization is on its way here. And new research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology finds that insomniacs under 50 are up to three times more likely to develop certain cancers — and the timing of the surge maps almost exactly onto the arrival of smartphones. Plus a Bluetooth device named "bomb," men emerging from a Brooklyn manhole, Gen Z tanning, and a humanoid robot with a mop.
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The Brookings Institution just released the most precise picture yet of American household financial fragility — and the number that should stop everyone is this: a single $1,000 increase in annual living costs would push 3 million more households over the edge. Also: prediction markets and sports betting apps are using memes, leaderboards, and social media to recruit users as young as 18 — and a UCLA gambling researcher says a young brain exposed to this "is going to want it again." And flight attendants are formally asking passengers to stop poking, tapping, prodding, and otherwise physically touching them to get their attention. One veteran of 20 years says it's a rare flight when it doesn't happen. Plus an excavator divorce, a kindergarten graduation brawl, a monkey in a Florida backyard, and an influencer banned from Cedar Point.
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Bloomberg reports that younger consumers are redirecting their entertainment budgets from bars to boutique gyms, and some are spending $300 or more a month to do it — because the gym has become the social infrastructure that everything else used to provide. Also: physicists at the University of Toronto just published a peer-reviewed study in Physical Review Letters confirming that photons can spend a negative amount of time inside a cloud of atoms — exiting before they enter. No, it's not time travel. Yes, it's still deeply unsettling. And a meta-analysis of 54 studies covering 2.5 million people across nearly 50 years confirms the happiness gap for single parents — and the specific reasons why it's worse in the US than anywhere else on Earth. Plus a Kit Kat truck, a murder investigation that wasn't, a dismissed phone charge, and a Florida man in a thong.
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A new survey finds 48% of Americans say their lives are currently lacking fun — and the survey was commissioned by Dave and Busters, which tells you everything about the source and nothing about whether the finding is wrong. Also: a Harris Poll/Indeed survey finds 52% of professionals with degrees say their degree wasn't relevant to their current job, and among Gen Z that number rises to 51% who call it a waste of money outright. And a Chinese startup called Meng Xiaoyi has launched a $118 AI pet translator collar claiming 95% accuracy — with zero published data to back it up and 10,000 units already pre-ordered. Plus a robin nest that's holding a Ford truck hostage, a driver stuck in fresh concrete, a paraglider and a plane, and a toothpick world record.
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A new NYT/CNN poll finds 61% of Americans changed what they buy at the grocery store to stay within budget — a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents all said the same thing. Also: a rural North Carolina school district stopped students from using screens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a public health professor who studied the results shares what happened — including the kid whose eye strain went away. And a new PNAS study of 215,000 professional chess moves finds that faster decisions are consistently linked to better moves — and the reason why is more interesting than "trust your gut." Plus a mayor who tasered his own adviser, an AI girlfriend breakup, an airport hair removal evacuation, and some screws on a Florida highway.
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Space Camp registrations doubled after Artemis II splashed down — and the NASA administrator who attended Space Camp as a kid is now running the agency. Also: Luis Salazar walked into a Wawa bathroom in Riviera Beach, Florida, found a fanny pack with $30,000 in cash, spent days trying to find the owner, and returned every dollar. The owner was carrying it for a family emergency. He cried. He hugged Luis. And a new report from the Oxford Longevity Project presented at the Smart Ageing Summit finds that at least 80% of the health problems people experience in old age are driven by lifestyle and environment — not genetics. Plus Harvard capping A grades, a Google Translate robbery, mutant super pigs, and a 14-year-old with incredible dedication to avoiding school.
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A new Adelaide University study of more than 20,000 students found that well-being declines across every single measured category after the move to high school — and the damage can persist for more than two years. Also: Burning Glass Institute data shows master's degree unemployment for workers under 35 is at the 77th percentile over the past two decades — near a 20-year high — while PhD, law, and medical degree unemployment is near a 20-year low. The lines used to move together. They don't anymore. And on the banks of the Darling River in Australia, archaeologists have uncovered a 950-year-old dingo burial that is the first documented case in world history of humans ritually feeding a grave — for 500 years after the animal died. Plus a frog in a salad bag, a heat gun and a dealer decal, a courtroom birth, and a sailor whose rescue flare started a wildfire.
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Oxford researchers just published the most comprehensive answer yet to why 90% of humans favor their right hand — and it turns out it has everything to do with how we learned to walk. Also: a three-bedroom colonial on Nantucket that sold for $3 million five months ago is yours for free — you just have to move it off the property in 180 days, and the moving bill runs between $150,000 and $500,000. And the debate over whether human brains have been shrinking for thousands of years is genuinely unresolved — with one side saying yes, and the reasons pointing toward collective intelligence, and another side saying the data doesn't hold up. Plus a six-year-old who may be the rightful King of Norway, a Qantas flight diverted by a man who bit a flight attendant, and a 100-year overdue library book.
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The research on money and happiness has been debated for 15 years, but the most current numbers adjusted for inflation put the sweet spot around $100,000 to $111,000 — and the story of why problems scale beyond that is more interesting than the headline. Also: Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft got a microscope when she was seven years old, wanted to be a doctor her whole life, raised four children, worked as a neonatal nurse practitioner for 45 years, used her retirement savings to attend medical school in her late 60s, and is graduating this month at 72. And Gen Z — the generation raised on Amazon and Instagram — is driving a shopping mall renaissance, and the reason why is actually the same reason they put down their phones for a month. Plus sleeping Windsor Castle guards, the TSA's official position on rotisserie chicken, Southwest's robot ban, and the great glutes longevity story.
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At NC State's Wilson College of Textiles commencement on May 8th, donor Anil Kochhar stood up and announced he and his wife were paying off the final-year student loans for all 202 graduates — in honor of his father, who came from Punjab, India to study there in 1946. Also: a man who changed his Bitcoin wallet password while high eleven years ago just recovered $400,000 worth of cryptocurrency by dumping his old college computer files into an AI — which found an older wallet file he didn't know existed. And a new academic study finds tarot readers are increasingly using AI to interpret their cards, which raises a genuinely interesting question about why people consult tarot in the first place. Plus drunk deer in France, a ChatGPT confession, the Alabama annoyance defense, and a wine bottle hidden somewhere remarkable.
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Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth researchers just published a national education scorecard and the reading results are sobering — scores have been declining since 2013, well before COVID, and the states making gains all have one thing in common. Also: new data shows college-educated dads cut their paid work by six hours a week and added four hours of childcare between 2019 and 2024 — the biggest shift in household labor in decades. And a new JAMA study of 76 million children finds that 15% — 11 million kids — had a family member criminally charged in the past five years, triple the rate from 2000. Plus the Knight Rider car's speeding ticket, a Zoltar machine with a winning lottery number, the vomit fee restaurant, and a fertilizer spill on a Pennsylvania highway.
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Adult band camps are having a moment — and they're being described as an antidote to isolation, which tells you something about why they're catching on right now. Also: the optimism research is genuinely interesting — optimistic brains are measurably different, they process good and bad news in distinct ways, and about 80% of people have an optimism bias they don't even know about. And Oxford physicist Vlatko Vedral just published a piece in Popular Mechanics arguing that your alternate universe selves are literally shaping your fate — and the physics behind it is more grounded than it sounds. Plus the Manson mansion for rent, fingerprint theft from selfies, Dante as the Simpsons of the 14th century, and federal charges on a Carnival cruise.
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A new Gallup poll of 141 countries finds young Americans are more pessimistic about the job market than their older counterparts — creating a generational gap bigger than any other country in the survey. Historically, young Americans have always been more optimistic than older ones, even through the Great Recession. That pattern just broke. Also: the American Academy of Pediatrics just released its first new recess guidance in 13 years, and one of the doctors accidentally summarized the whole thing perfectly: "We all kind of need recess." And a professor in Searcy, Arkansas spent a week noticing his shoes had moved, food was disappearing, and chairs kept turning up in different places — before his family found a man living in a storage closet under his basement stairs. Plus an earthquake machine under the Alps, a pencil running for governor, a hospital wall smashing, and a dead rat in an energy drink.
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A new survey of 6,400 older Americans finds that looking back, people report peak life satisfaction at age 52 — and the reasons why make a lot of sense once you hear them. Also: a major new study finds that one specific flavor of anxious, neurotic personality is linked to a 35% lower risk of death over 15 years — and the mechanism behind it is genuinely interesting. And the Wall Street Journal spent time with the Hadzabe of Tanzania, one of the last true hunter-gatherer societies on Earth, who are quietly debating whether to join the modern world. The answer, in my opinion, should be no. Plus AI self-replication, Bigfoot sightings in Ohio, a brain-eating amoeba warning, and someone tracking private jets to predict the apocalypse.
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A new study confirms what every teenager already knew: they're not telling their parents about the sketchy stuff they see online, because they're afraid of the freak out that would follow. Also: just one night of bad sleep can spike the exact brain proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease by 25 to 30 percent — and a week of poor sleep makes it worse. And four volunteers at NASA's Johnson Space Center just hit 200 days inside a 1,700 square foot 3D-printed habitat pretending to be on Mars, with 178 days still to go. Plus a hacked robot lawn mower, a Buddhist robot monk, two Florida alligators, and a bear that wanted a pastry.
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A new study finds 37% of Americans have ended a friendship, family relationship, or romantic partnership over political differences — and the rate has accelerated since 2016. Also: a new Allianz retirement study finds 67% of Americans are now more worried about running out of money than about dying, up 10 points in just three years. And a Texas A&M researcher has identified the specific compounds in coffee that explain why it's been linked to longer life and lower disease risk for decades — and it has nothing to do with caffeine. Plus a 28-year-old posing as a high school student, Apophis getting closer, a Wile E. Coyote car crash, and a woman who took poultry protection very seriously.
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A new survey finds the average American with a $79,000 household income would spend $57,000 a year — nearly three-quarters of it — just to feel okay. Also: a TikToker named Hunter Peterson posted a joke video about buying Spirit Airlines after it shut down Saturday, and 125,000 people pledged $88 million in four days. And a major 15-year study of nearly 40,000 older adults finds that eating at least one egg a week is associated with a 27% lower risk of Alzheimer's — and the mechanism actually makes sense this time. Plus a porta-potty explosion, a man whose seizure saved his life, children drawing fake mustaches to bypass age checks, and 64 stolen calves.
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A new survey finds nearly half of Gen X workers are pushing back their retirement dates — and more than half expect to raid their retirement accounts early just to cover near-term costs. Also: rage workouts are having a moment, and the psychology behind using anger as athletic fuel is more interesting than it sounds — and more effective than punching a pillow. And a new study published in PNAS finds that 2024 was the first year in human history that female global fertility levels exceeded male fertility — and the trend is projected to continue through 2100. Plus a painted donkey that escaped a zoo, a dog that shot its owner, a couple that torched a neighbor's drone, and an atmosphere beyond Pluto.
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A new survey of 2,000 Americans finds one in three is currently having an existential crisis — and for Gen Z it's more than half. The top word people used to describe 2026 so far is "stressful." Also: a Paris Brain Institute study of 92 adults finds that dream-like mental experiences can and do happen during confirmed wakefulness — the boundary between dreaming and being awake is far more porous than anyone realized. And Spirit Airlines, 34 years old and bright yellow, shut down Saturday morning after jet fuel prices tied to the Iran war doubled and a government bailout fell apart. Seventeen thousand people are out of work. The Spirit Halloween conversion is already underway. Plus a robot that delayed a Southwest flight, a kid who watched 13,000 YouTube videos during school hours, and an $80,000 mac and cheese scheme.
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A new Gallup poll finds 55% of Americans say their financial situation is getting worse — the highest number since 2001, higher even than during the pandemic or the 2008 financial crisis. This is the fifth consecutive year of declining financial confidence, and the only comparable stretch was the Great Recession. Also: a new study finds two-thirds of babies under two watch screens, some for up to eight hours a day — and the research on what that does to developing brains is more nuanced and more concerning than most parents realize. And archaeologists at Pompeii just used AI to reconstruct the face of a man who died fleeing Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 — carrying an oil lamp, a ring, and ten bronze coins. Plus weaponized bees, a skeleton at the bank, GPS-collared possums, and a bird with a grudge.
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A new study finds dreams function as a complex social simulation space — your brain running rehearsals for the challenges it thinks you'll face. Also: Pam Cronrath promised her husband of nearly 60 years a "super wake," and she delivered — a life-size hologram of Bill appeared at his own memorial service, took questions from 200 mourners, and told his wife he loved her one last time. And college students are switching majors in search of AI-proof careers — but here's the problem: nobody actually knows what an AI-proof major is. Plus infrasound and ghost sightings, a pastor with a publishing problem, an orangutan who crossed the road, and someone who used a hair dryer to win a $34,000 weather bet.
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A new NBC News poll finds nearly half of Gen Z would choose to live in the past if they could — and the reasons are more specific and interesting than simple nostalgia. Also: a new wave of surveys confirms what a lot of people already feel — dating has become expensive enough that millions of Americans are going on fewer dates or stopping altogether, and the apps aren't helping. And summer travel costs are up 26% since 2019, jet fuel prices are spiking due to the Iran conflict, and 65% of Americans have already changed their summer plans because of price. Plus kindergarteners naming themselves, a game hunter and some elephants, Americans who might now be Canadian, and a very generous lottery winner.
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A Wall Street Journal survey finds nearly a third of Americans are pregaming before going out to avoid paying $20 for a drink at a bar — and liquor brands are packaging miniature bottles specifically to enable this. Also: a group of 20- and 30-somethings in Washington swapped their smartphones for flip phones for a full month, and the things they rediscovered are more interesting than the detox itself. And MIT just published the first direct evidence that plant seeds can sense sound — specifically, that rice seeds exposed to the sound of rain germinate 30 to 40 percent faster than seeds in identical conditions without it. Plus a US sailor sidelined by a monkey, the Senate's hot rotisserie chicken legislation, a bored arsonist, and a man who gave police the wrong name.
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A new survey finds 38% of Americans went no contact with a friend or family member in the last year — and the generational gap is stark. Also: South Korean Air Force investigators just published their findings on how two F-15K fighter jets collided mid-air, and the reason is both absurd and surprisingly human. And a family in China hired an AI company to create a digital clone of their deceased son so his 80-year-old mother — who has heart disease — would never learn he'd died. The ethical questions are real and they're coming for all of us. Plus the Yellowstone wolf, Pope Leo on Bozo's Circus, Germany's military timeline, and a DUI excuse that was never going to work.
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A New York Fed survey finds American workers are more dissatisfied with their pay and chances of advancement than at any point in the survey's 12-year history — and job mobility is simultaneously at a multi-year low. That's a trap, and the question worth asking is what you actually do when you're in it. Also: 65% of Americans are picky about their water, a third of them bring their own water wherever they go, and the survey was commissioned by a bottled water company, which tells you everything you need to know. Plus: NASA's Curiosity rover just detected more than 20 organic molecules on Mars — including a nitrogen-bearing compound that resembles a DNA precursor — and the researchers are careful to say it's not proof of life, but it's the most compelling chemistry yet. And Finnish Air Force cadets, an arson suspect with a very telling forehead, and a parrot who knows your name.
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New research confirms what trial-and-error learners have always suspected: getting something wrong first — and then learning the right answer — produces significantly better retention than memorizing correctly from the start. Also: a study from Norway finds that solo time in nature has a measurable protective effect against loneliness, and the mechanism is more interesting than just "fresh air." And a case study from the BMJ that went viral this week: a woman in 1980s England heard voices telling her she had a brain tumor, her doctors initially dismissed it, and the scan proved the voices right. Plus the Lego pasta swap, a Florida driver who thought a Supra was a license, and a paraglider with very poor aim.
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A major new study finds that Americans in midlife are lonelier, more depressed, physically weaker, and showing worse memory than earlier generations — and the gap between the US and most of the rest of the wealthy world is significant and growing. Also: a Simon Fraser University study finds that life satisfaction isn't just about feeling good — autonomy, the sense that your choices are genuinely your own, turns out to be a stronger predictor than positive emotions. And demographers are increasingly clear: the world is running out of people, and it's not because of war or disease — it's because prosperity itself is changing the math. Plus humanoid robots beating humans in a half-marathon, a skydiver hitting a scoreboard, and a bear costume that did not hold up to scrutiny.
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Researchers have a new model for treating chronic nightmares in kids — and the key insight is that it's not the nightmare itself that keeps them coming back, it's the child's response to waking up. Also: a double-level airplane seat concept called the Chaise Longue is back with its "final statement" design, and honestly the economics of it make more sense than you might expect. And Dan the Pizza Man, a 68-year-old Domino's driver in Idaho who stopped at a convenience store to buy a customer's Diet Coke out of his own pocket, is heading into retirement with over $150,000 raised by strangers on the internet. Plus a Florida surgeon who removed the wrong organ, a Louisiana fugitive tracking his own escape stats, and a Japanese fire official whose idea of workplace fun went very badly.
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Bloomberg reports that anxious parents are spending $50,000 or more to hire career coaches for their college-age kids — starting as early as freshman year. It raises a real question: is this a generational shift, a symptom of a brutal job market, or both? Also: a Vanderbilt study of 633,000 people finds loneliness is a critical step on the road to suicidal ideation — and the finding has direct implications for how we think about mental health treatment. Plus, a tool called Delphi-2M can now predict more than 1,000 diseases up to 20 years before symptoms appear, using nothing but your medical history. And a man declared dead who wasn't, a deputy on a dating app during a SWAT operation, a Disney stroller scheme, and an Ohio man who won the lottery twice in one day.
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After ten days, 695,000 miles, and one crater named Carroll, the Artemis II crew splashed down safely in the Pacific on Friday — and the reaction was everything NASA needed it to be. Also: veterinary costs are up 43% since 2021, the average dog will cost you $50,000 over its lifetime, and the pet debt crisis is quietly becoming a breaking point for a lot of families. Plus, a new Gallup survey finds Gen Z's excitement about AI has collapsed while anger has surged — and the worry underneath it is actually pretty legitimate. And three men, a million dollars worth of Lego, a chimpanzee civil war, and a cow that apparently had an appointment.
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A survey finds 61% of Gen Z have a diagnosed anxiety condition and 43% have a panic attack at least once a month — and they're building curated "anxiety bags" to manage it on the go. Also: a new study finds that blocking internet on your phone for just two weeks reversed the cognitive equivalent of ten years of aging. And nearly half of Gen Z workers admit to actively sabotaging their company's AI rollout — and the fear driving it is more understandable than it sounds. Plus the world chess champion's perfectly executed selfie trap, two men and 96 stolen bananas, and a funeral brawl nobody planned for.
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A new study finds depression hits personal finances harder than cancer or stroke — and the income gap doesn't close for a decade. Also: marriage is linked to dramatically lower cancer rates, and the study raises a question worth sitting with: is it the ring, or the connection? Plus, there's actually a name for why people buy $22 smoothies when they can't afford a house — and it's more psychologically interesting than it sounds. And a Nutella jar in space, a whole Australian town for sale, automatic military draft registration, and a dead alligator strapped to a car roof.
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A new study finds it's not just how much time you spend sitting — it's what you're doing while you sit. Passive screen time is linked to significantly higher dementia risk, and swapping one hour of TV for something that actually uses your brain could make a real difference. Also: the housing market is stuck in a slow grind that's locking out first-time buyers and trapping everyone else in place, and there's no quick fix in sight. Plus, nine in ten Americans say giving is a priority — but the share who actually donate has been falling for 25 years. And a banana emergency, a Tennessee Congressman hinting at aliens, and an April Fools' Day 911 call that did not land well.
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Four astronauts flew farther from Earth than any person in history — broke a 56-year-old record, named a crater after a commander's late wife, and heard a wake-up message from Jim Lovell recorded just before he died. Also: experts say banning kids from social media is politically popular but scientifically weak, and the evidence points toward something harder than a ban. Plus, the question I've been wanting to ask for a while: what is your actual system for deciding whether a news story is real? And a samurai sword stolen by a guy on a bike, a cat stuck in a recliner, and a cruise ship that ran aground next to where Cast Away was filmed.
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Gig workers in 50 countries are strapping phones to their foreheads and filming their chores to train humanoid robots — while openly acknowledging they're probably building their own replacements. Also: the number of seniors seeking roommates has tripled as housing costs crush retirement budgets, and a growing number of young couples say they want kids but simply can't make the math work. Plus, the Artemis II crew already had to call Houston about Microsoft Outlook, Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz while cutting NASA's budget, and a man stopped for gas and left with $100,000.
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A teenager in France can mentally revisit any moment of her life in vivid detail — and scientists say it's as much burden as gift. Also: a new study finds people are speaking 338 fewer words every day than they were 15 years ago, and researchers say those missing words are the small moments of human contact quietly disappearing from daily life. Plus, ancient bone dice confirm humans have been gambling since the Ice Age — 6,000 years before anyone thought. And Paul McCartney got banned from his own subreddit, Jonathan the tortoise survived a crypto scam, and a company wants to block the sun.
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A new survey finds most Americans are just three months away from financial collapse — and it only takes about $6,000 in extra debt to push a household toward bankruptcy. Also: gas just crossed four dollars a gallon for the first time since 2022, driven by the war in Iran, and experts say relief isn't coming anytime soon. Plus, a new study says the most popular graduate degrees aren't worth the money. And NASA just launched four astronauts to the Moon for the first time in 54 years
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A new study confirms what a lot of people already suspected: having kids doesn't make you happier — but it does strain your relationship. Also: the Wall Street Journal says the American workplace has become so joyless it feels like a funeral, and Dell charging for coffee is Exhibit A. Plus, Gen Z workers are escaping the 9-to-5 for nap pods and cry rooms around New York City. And identical twins, a DNA mix-up, a camel smuggling operation, and an Amber Alert for a child who never existed.
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A new study asked kids what makes play feel like play — and their answer has nothing to do with anything adults have been building for them. Also: more than half of college students are lonely, and the heaviest social media users are the most isolated. Plus, your airplane seat row may determine whether you walk away from a crash. And a three-minute art heist, a Powerball winner who keeps committing crimes, and an underwater supervolcano nobody asked for.
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A new study finds AI chatbots are making people less likely to apologize — and more likely to double down. Also: why having babies in space is harder than anyone expected, and why there might be a second Sphinx buried under the sand at Giza.Plus: portals to the fifth dimension, frozen brain tissue, a KitKat heist, and a Florida man who took his horse through a Chick-fil-A drive-thru.
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Can you actually design a sense of belonging?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at schools adopting Hogwarts-style house systems—and whether that kind of structure really works in the real world.
We also explore why connections may matter more than merit in some systems, and one incredible story of persistence from a woman who went from janitor to doctor at the same hospital.
Plus: an “alien” potato in space, a million-year-old time capsule, Opening Day debates, and more from around the edges of the news.
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How do you prove you actually know something in the age of AI?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at how colleges are turning to oral exams as a way to verify learning—and what that says about how education is changing.
We also explore why more Americans are struggling with credit card debt, and a more optimistic finding about what people actually get better at as they age.
Plus: rogue robots in Chicago, cocaine sharks, giant spiders, and more from around the edges of the news.
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What’s the biggest green flag you’ve ever seen on a first date?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we start with a surprisingly controversial Olive Garden moment—and what it says about how we judge people.
We also look at the reality facing young graduates entering today’s job market, and a fascinating insight into how people actually change their minds.
Plus: rising Easter candy prices, fake carpool passengers, antimatter on the move, and more from around the edges of the news.
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Why does finding a hidden detail in a movie feel so satisfying?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore the psychology behind why Easter eggs make us feel smart—and how that connects to the way we process information more broadly.
We also look at why people tend to lower their standards for “their side,” and what that says about how we judge others.
Plus: the rising cost of owning a pet, robots in fast food, coffee and brain health, and more from around the edges of the news.
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What if one of the best things for your mental health… is simply going outside?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore why doctors may soon start prescribing time in nature—and what people already do to disconnect and recharge.
We also look at how HOA fees are starting to feel like a second mortgage for many homeowners, and a growing debate over whether extreme wealth is something to admire… or question.
Plus: a possible meteorite crash, a very determined baseball fan, a fried chicken lottery win, and more from around the edges of the news.
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What happens when technology starts bringing people back from the dead?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore the growing use of AI to recreate actors like Val Kilmer—and where the line might be between tribute and something else.
We also look at how the famous number 867-5309 has taken on a completely different meaning over time, and what a 2,000-year-old sarcastic message reveals about how little human behavior has actually changed.
Plus: exploding comets, questionable lawsuits, bank robbers with poor returns, and more from around the edges of the news.
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Why do people keep doing things that don’t work—and never seem to face consequences?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore why personal attacks in politics continue despite failing to persuade voters, and what that says about how behavior actually changes.
We also look at a striking survey showing how common dark thoughts really are—and why most people never act on them.
Plus: a restaurant robot goes off the rails, a 2,000-year-old coin used as bus fare, rising stamp prices, and more from around the edges of the news.
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Gen Z has a new “viral hack” to fix attention spans — and it’s surprisingly simple: put the phone down and do nothing.
In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore why boredom might actually be the reset our brains need.
We also look at a new survey finding that 58% of people say AI chatbots have influenced their opinions — and what that means for how we form ideas in 2026.
Plus: a hospital patient who won’t leave, a 12-year-old building a nuclear reactor, tipping culture reaching the courtroom, and why even sharks might have a social life.
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A new study suggests reading negative reviews can actually make painful experiences feel worse — because our brains tend to believe the crowd.
In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at how expectations shape the way we experience things.
We also dive into research suggesting people who rely heavily on corporate buzzwords like “circle back” and “synergy” may actually be worse at their jobs.
Plus: flying gets more expensive, a side hustle negotiating with car dealers, mice sent into space, possible UFO revelations, and a man who has spent 73 years digging graves.
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A new study suggests memory and cognitive disability rates are rising among younger people — which raises an uncomfortable question: are modern distractions making it harder for all of us to focus?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at what might be happening to our attention spans and share some practical ways people are trying to stay focused in a world full of notifications.
We also explore the growing scientific effort to resurrect extinct animals like the dodo — and whether bringing species back from extinction is a brilliant idea or a Jurassic Park sequel waiting to happen.
Plus: CIA spy cats, an asteroid that flew closer than the Moon, karaoke rage, a spicy salsa lawsuit, and a Florida man who claims he was abducted by dolphins.
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Only about half of Americans went to a movie theater in 2025, according to a new Pew study — and some people say they’ve never seen a movie in a theater at all. In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at what might be driving the shift away from theaters and ask listeners about their most memorable movie-going experiences.
We also explore the surprising rise in Tooth Fairy payouts, which now average nearly six dollars per tooth.
Plus: a “Google Maps” for the human body, Bigfoot sightings in Ohio, a 10-year-old college student, a possible April Fools’ moon launch from NASA, and a man accused of trying to smuggle 2,000 queen ants.
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Nearly a third of Americans say they believe the world will end in their lifetime. But what does that actually say about how we think about the future?
In this episode of News Sidequest, we take a closer look at that surprising survey and ask listeners whether they feel more optimistic or pessimistic about the future than they did 10 or 20 years ago.
We also explore the FAA’s plan to test flying “air taxis” across the United States — and whether anyone is actually ready for thousands of drone-style vehicles buzzing over our cities.
Plus: a Florida man accused of stealing $600,000 worth of onions and potatoes, a missing Russian gold coin treasure, scam losses hitting $119 billion a year, and the very unfortunate moment when police lose the password to $5 million in seized cryptocurrency.
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Teens are spending hours on their phones during the school day—and it’s raising a big question about whether schools should ban them entirely. In this episode of News Sidequest, we look at what a new study found about phone use in classrooms and ask teachers, parents, and students to weigh in.
We also explore the strange reason you can remember song lyrics from 25 years ago but forget why you walked into a room.
Plus: raccoons solving puzzles for fun, a treasure hunter who still won’t reveal where the gold is, cheating in a fishing tournament, and a little long-overdue justice for the Titanic.
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Young people are rediscovering old-school hobbies to escape their phones, and a new study suggests open-plan offices might actually encourage workplace bullying. In this episode of News Sidequest, we explore why hobbies like gardening and woodworking might be making a comeback—and why the office layout designed for “collaboration” might be doing the exact opposite.
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A new study suggests difficult people in your life might actually make you age faster — which raises the question: who’s the most difficult person you’ve ever had to deal with? Meanwhile, research shows people who can laugh at their own mistakes tend to be more likable and easier to work with. Plus: taco seasoning used in a $40K theft, a couple trying to claim land with a garden gnome, salamanders shutting down roads in New Jersey, and why climbing around on an active volcano is still a bad idea.
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A new international survey finds Americans are especially likely to view their fellow citizens as morally bad — raising the question of when we started becoming more suspicious of each other. Meanwhile, United Airlines is cracking down on passengers who blast audio without headphones, highlighting the growing problem of public etiquette. Plus: Girl Scouts selling cookies outside a dispensary, moon-grown chickpeas, lottery lightning striking twice, and why “Swiftie” is finally in the dictionary.
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Record numbers of Americans are dipping into their 401(k) retirement savings just to get through the present — what does retirement planning actually look like for people right now? Plus, scientists are studying why people who take the psychedelic DMT often report seeing similar “entities,” raising fascinating questions about how the human brain constructs reality. We also cover Renaissance art mysteries, a hotel coffee maker controversy, Pokémon-style crime stories, and why the Brady Bunch house is now a historic landmark.
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A 95-year-old traveler says staying curious and exploring the world is the secret to staying sharp — which raises the question: what does a good life at 95 actually look like? Plus, a new poll finds most Americans admit to being nervous about flying, even though it’s statistically one of the safest ways to travel. We also cover alien civilizations, Pokémon card heists, a baby spider monkey naming contest, and a Yellowstone geyser waking up after years of silence.
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Teachers are working second jobs just to stay afloat — but is this really a teacher crisis, or a broader middle-class reality? Plus, a new blood test claims it can predict whether you’ll still be alive in two years. Would you want to know? We also cover deepfake phone calls, Gen Z finding love at wrestling matches, and a sinkhole that accidentally revealed a wine cellar.
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With major global headlines dominating the news cycle, today’s News Sidequest offers a brief detour. A new poll says more than half of Americans now consider health care, a weeklong vacation, and even a new car unaffordable — so what quietly feels out of reach in your life? Meanwhile, most Americans say they feel fine personally… but think the country is falling apart. Is that media-driven anxiety or something deeper? Plus lab-grown brains, popcorn-scented tomatoes, and microwave lasers in space.Take a look at Justin Robert Young’s podcast on everything that happened in the middle east this weekend: War with Iran. What Happened and What's Next?
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If America buried a time capsule for 250 years, what should go inside? A smartphone? A meme? A Costco receipt? And while we’re at it — should airports draw the line at pajama pants? Today on News Sidequest: how we want to be remembered, the great airport dress code debate, Neanderthal ancestry surprises, and why podcasts officially beat talk radio. We want your answers — email us at newssidequest@gmail.com or weigh in in the comments.
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Does having kids actually make you happier — or are we doing a terrible job selling parenthood? And in the dating world, is “ghostlighting” a real trend or just flaky behavior with better branding? Today on News Sidequest: parenting, modern romance chaos, dodgeball fitness for adults, why podcasts just beat talk radio, and a rare Florida nudist real estate opportunity. Parents and single people — this one’s for you.
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A new study says you’d need $400,000 a year to make childcare “affordable” — so is parenthood becoming a luxury item? Meanwhile, police are increasingly using Google search histories to identify suspects, raising big questions about privacy in 2026. Today on News Sidequest: the cost of kids, searchable curiosity, rogue AI real estate monsters, and why Waffle House remains undefeated.
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A new study says you’d need $400,000 a year to make childcare “affordable” — so is parenthood becoming a luxury item? Meanwhile, police are increasingly using Google search histories to identify suspects, raising big questions about privacy in 2026. Today on News Sidequest: the cost of kids, searchable curiosity, rogue AI real estate monsters, and why Waffle House remains undefeated.
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Gen Z is hitting life milestones later — and more women are choosing to stay single by choice. What does “adulthood” even mean anymore? Today on News Sidequest: redefining grown-up life, the new relationship calculus, flirty chimpanzees, rogue robot vacuums, and why you should live your life in a way that doesn’t make jury selection impossible.
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A Republican senator backs his Democrat wife for office — and somehow that’s national news. Meanwhile, U.S. fighter jets can apparently be “jailbroken” like an iPhone. Today on News Sidequest: loyalty vs. party, military software at Mach 2, and why stealing an ambulance is harder to get away with than you’d think.
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A new study says college students who spend 16 hours a week on social media are more likely to feel lonely — which raises an important question: what are you all doing for two hours a day? Meanwhile, a 32-year-old couple retired to live full-time on cruise ships for less than $10K a year. Today on News Sidequest: loneliness, logging off, boneless wing justice, pickle assault, kung fu robots, and the growing threat of a coffee shortage.
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Adults who still “play” are happier and less stressed — which is great news, because apparently we also need $2 million to retire. Today on News Sidequest, we talk about burnout, play, the future of retirement, and why waiting until you’re 70 to enjoy life might be a risky strategy. Plus: spicy chicken crimes, city-killer asteroids, automation anxiety, and one very good dog.
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Gird your loins for Friday the 13th. Naturally we’re talking about happiness and the American Dream. New research says the secret to happiness is feeling loved — while another study suggests more Americans feel the Dream is slipping out of reach.
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Three out of four people are burned out… and apparently stressing about aging makes you age faster. Cool. On today’s News Sidequest, we talk survival strategies, mindset hacks, and the strange headlines that help us reset — from alien commentary to Olympic hockey fugitives.
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Gird your loins for Friday the 13th. Naturally we’re talking about happiness and the American Dream. New research says the secret to happiness is feeling loved — while another study suggests more Americans feel the Dream is slipping out of reach.
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Meta’s plan to let AI “digital stand-ins” keep posting after you die — because apparently logging off forever is no longer an option. Then we look at the growing number of Americans turning to AI for emotional therapy and what that means for real human connection. Plus, the usual strange headlines
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American optimism has hit a record low, according to a new Gallup poll—but what does that actually feel like in everyday life? Plus, a high school in Taiwan that’s making students climb a wall to graduate, sparking a bigger conversation about the life skills school never taught us.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at why job seekers are paying recruiters just to get hired, how “polyworking” is becoming a survival strategy, and what it all says about the modern economy—plus the usual strange, funny, and slightly alarming headlines along the way.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at why nearly all Americans feel stuck in a cost-of-living crisis, what soaring national debt says about where we are right now, and the strange headlines people are using to cope with it all.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at claims of an intergenerational drop in intelligence, Elon Musk’s comments on money and happiness, and the strange mix of headlines that rounded out the week.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at renters turning to “rent now, pay later” services, the annual February rush back to dating apps, and the quieter anxieties hiding inside today’s headlines.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at a surprising study linking fathers’ interactions to children’s long-term health, the growing push to ban social media for kids, and the quieter questions hiding inside today’s headlines.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about losing years of work with one wrong click, finding meaning in failure, and a collection of headlines meant to give you a short break from the heavier news.
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Today on News Sidequest, we take a break from the heavier news to talk about how Americans are actually using AI at work, the airport behaviors that drive travelers insane, and a collection of stories that earned a well-timed eye roll.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about rising life expectancy in the U.S., whether AI should really be teaching kids, and a collection of headlines that close out the week with a well-earned eye roll.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about “attraction hobbies,” the push to eliminate property taxes, and a collection of headlines that made today’s news quietly absurd.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about stepping back from modern tech, childhood mistakes we somehow survived, and a collection of headlines meant to give you a brief break from the heavier news.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about losing years of work with one wrong click, finding meaning in failure, and a collection of headlines meant to give you a short break from the heavier news.
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Today on News Sidequest, we take a break from the heavier news to talk about how Americans are actually using AI at work, the airport behaviors that drive travelers insane, and a collection of stories that earned a well-timed eye roll.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at a new study on cellphone radiation, an Amazon driver caught stealing a cat on camera, and a collection of headlines that earned a well-deserved eye roll.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about a proposed age limit for elected officials, the time and money lost to traffic, and a collection of headlines that earned a well-deserved eye roll.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about compensation after wrongful imprisonment, why education doesn’t stop conspiracy thinking, and a collection of headlines that earned a well-deserved eye roll.
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On today’s News Sidequest: Netflix movies built for phone distraction, aging and fitness reality checks, and the strange confidence behind today’s headlines.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about a terminally ill fan getting early access to GTA 6, the quiet revival of letter writing, and a collection of headlines that deserved at least one good eye roll.
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Today’s News Sidequest covers AI memory, horses sensing fear, and the stories that made today’s news hard to take seriously.
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On today’s News Sidequest, we talk about young Americans unplugging from their phones, the push to ban cell phones in classrooms, and a mix of headlines that earned a well-deserved eye roll — from dog poop DNA tests to late-night pizza requests.
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Today on News Sidequest, we look at what space travel actually does to the human brain, why people are already putting down deposits for a hotel on the Moon, and a handful of headlines that deserve a skeptical eye roll. Plus: cancer survival milestones, productivity myths, Bigfoot sightings, White Castle romance, and a very futuristic ketchup box.
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Today on News Sidequest, we talk about workday survival rituals, why some people would rather have a fancy job title than more money, and the small choices that help us get through the day. Plus, monkeys on the loose, an OnlyFans side hustle controversy, AI stress, cruise ship illness, and other stories that made the news feel slightly more ridiculous than usual.
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On today’s News Sidequest, we explore the things people refuse to spend money on, how someone apparently made it to marriage without noticing their spouse was bald, and the small revelations that come after the wedding. Along the way: aliens and Rubik’s Cubes, a $15 million Superman comic, traumatized AI chatbots, outhouse-level hotel service, and a stadium urinal you can now call your own.
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I had the chance to chat with Big John Howell and Rick Telander about their podcast The Chicago Smokehouse. Being two relative noobs to the podcasting world, they have plenty of questions of how to make it big. I hope you enjoy the conversation, and will check out their show.
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Dan Levy is the host of the Barguments podcast with Joe Kelly. He asked that question on Facebook, and got some interesting responses. He joined me to talk about it, as well as two big brands who might be making big mistakes: MLB with their potential realignment, and of course Cracker Barrel
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Older Americans are using AI -- study shows what they think of it
Maybe this will keep people from falling for scams where they believe Brad Pitt has fallen in love with them online and needs them to send their life savings in Bitcoin. AI is coming for old and young alike. In addition to older people, now AI-Powered Stuffed Animals Are Coming for Your Kids. Chicago radio and TV reporter Jen DeSalvo joined me to talk about how we’re all using AI, among other sidequests
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Jim Lovell passed away at the age of 97. He flew in space on Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. He was an absolute legend. Andrew Donaldson, host of Heard Tell joined me to talk about Lovell’s amazing life. We also talked about the US Coast Guard report on the Titan submersible implosion. It had some incredible revelations.
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Interim NASA Director Sean Duffy has announced that NASA is going to put the first nuclear reactor on the Moon! That’s great, but there doesn’t seem to be any goal for it… we’re just doing it to say we did. I see that ending well. Big John Howell, host of As I Was Saying and The Chicago Smokehouse joined me to talk about the announcement, and the differences between old school radio and podcasting, now that I’m embarking on yet another project.
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My ex broke my heart — so I sliced off my arm tattoo and mailed it to him
Japan makes 'online insults' punishable by one year in prison in wake of reality TV star's death
Mystery Machine from 'Scooby-Doo' listed on Airbnb
Boss blasted for rule that punishes staff for being one minute late
Parents mortified after son poops in store’s display toilet: ‘Very big poo’
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A woman got an STD in a car. Now Geico may have to pay her $5.2 million.
A man in India divorced his wife for cooking him instant noodles every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, judge says
Survey finds more than half of US respondents have blocked a family member on Facebook
I paid $5K to stuff my dead cat so we could be together forever
One-third of Americans admit they had no life plan after graduating school
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Clarksville farm offers cow cuddling to reduce stress
India: Elderly couple sue son over lack of grandchildren
Millennial moms admit they would need 4 clones to be unstressed: poll
More than half of Americans love watching 'comfort' TV shows and movies
Researchers offer alarming reason ‘why aliens have never visited Earth’
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US Navy shoots down drone using all-electric laser for the first time
Woman rescued after falling in toilet trying to get phone
‘Do not buy that house before talking to me,’ sign in Norfolk reads
I hate looking after ill people so I’m removing ‘in sickness’ from my wedding vows
Boss Asks Employees to Send Him Screenshot of Phone Battery Usage Before Leaving Work
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Kentucky man sues employer for throwing him birthday party, and now they owe him $450K
Cheating wives are more likely to own a cat than any other pet, survey finds
Family builds giant iPhone headstone for their daughter
Florida TSA officer faked burglary report to cover for being late to work, deputies say
Woman Impersonates Doctor For 3 Years Without Undergoing Any Medical Training
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The Friday livestream will be back next week, but in the meantime here’s a great story of a survivor of the Titanic for the 110th anniversary
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To build a more trustworthy relationship with humans, AI will now attempt to explain itself to its human operators
1 in 4 pet owners trying to turn furry friends into social media stars, survey says
Pet cloning is getting more popular despite the cost
Granny posts strict rules for her funeral: ‘Get drunk’ and ‘Bertha isn’t invited’
Alien life ‘probably’ exists on Jupiter’s moon – and could be as smart as an octopus
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Ohio woman calls 911 to complain about her KFC order
Vietnamese man tries to row dinghy from Thailand to India to see wife
Humans could live up to 150 years, new study claims
Mexico to rent out unwanted presidential jet for parties
Woman Receives text from hiring manager caller her a “piece of crap”
Honorable Mention: Florida man charged with battery after throwing hot ramen noodles on woman
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Dan eventually resurfaced from his computer issues
Confused traveler mistakes stranger's home for his Airbnb
Dodo DNA discovery could lead to revival of extinct bird
OnlyFans model "kept taking nudes" while in hospital for brain surgery
'Let's Reject Him:' Man Gets CC'd Into Company Email After Applying for Job
Shocking number of people eat straight from trash — and even on the toilet
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North Carolina school blasted for mock ‘slave auction’ of black students
Ex-Stripper Running For Congress In Philadelphia: 'Elect Hoes'
McDonald’s closure feeds Russian resale market with a Big Mac on sale for $44
Man Vividly Remembers Past Life as WWI Pilot
Woman Given Onboard Upgrade After Seatmate Starts Surfing For Porn Involving Planes
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‘King Kong’ monkey bashes seagull to death and eats it in wild video
Woman hasn't eaten fruit or vegetables in 22 years, lives on chicken nuggets due to phobia
Those who consume even a few alcoholic drinks a week have smaller brains, research finds
Drunk pilot pulled off JetBlue flight at Buffalo airport, police say
‘Tone deaf’ man slammed for pulling ‘nuclear attack’ prank on terrified family
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Florida bill requiring high school financial course clears another hurdle
Our home came with secret room we never knew about – it looks like a torture dungeon
Medical Student Has Bluetooth Device Surgically Implanted in Ear to Cheat on Exam
Survey shows 1 in 8 people suffer anxiety from low phone battery
New parents turn military tugboat into home: But is it ‘unsafe’ for baby?
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Russian gallery says guard added eyes to avant-garde work
When a Robot Named After Tiger Woods Flushed a Hole-in-One at the Iconic Phoenix Open’s 16th Hole
These 10 US cities will pay you to move there, report says
Dinosaurs survived flu pandemic 100million years before being killed off
Not Lovin’ It! Receptionist claims McDonald’s cheeseburger she bought five years ago and threw in the back of her car looks exactly the same FIVE years later
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US leads world in unprovoked shark bites
High School Students Create High-Tech Device to Accurately Cut Cake Into Equal Pieces
Meet the superfans trying to save Tab
Woman’s date kept bedside tower of every piece of gum he’s ever chewed
Couple disgusted after they find thousands of FINGERNAIL CLIPPINGS in a second hand sofa they bought as they say getting rid of them 'sounded like uncooked rice being hoovered up'
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Man Falls in Love With Humanoid Robot, Hopes to Marry It
Huge number of Americans plan to travel in 2022, survey shows
Court docs: Young woman wanted 'a break' from husband, faked own kidnapping to do so
I was the only passenger on an international flight in the ‘weirdest experience’
Mexican man donates kidney to girlfriend's mother; gets dumped a month later as she marries someone else
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Italy bishop tells children Santa doesn’t exist
Human Punching Bag Makes a Living by Letting People Punch Him to Relieve Stress
Florida company offers 2 free homes as worker incentive
Four-year-old Sydney child orders $1,139 of gelato delivered to his father’s work
Truth is in here: $770B defense bill includes agency to investigate UFOs
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Survey: US Is World's 4th-Drunkest Country
Man hides Britain's largest model train set from girlfriend
China's Yutu 2 rover spots cube-shaped 'mystery hut' on far side of the moon
Animal Shelter Volunteer Walks 50 Dogs on His 50th Birthday: 'This Is the Reward Right Here'
Mom, 48, admits stealing her daughter’s identity to run up nearly $20K in student debt. She even posed as a student in her 20s to evade detection
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1 in 3 people around the world have never used the Internet
‘Credible’ UFO sightings spotted by jet pilots are being ‘ignored by government’
Inside the bizarre world of 'timeline shifters': The TikTok users who claim they teleport to a parallel universe by using extreme temperature change in the shower as their portal
Robot Company Offers $200K for Right to Use One Applicant's Face and Voice 'Forever'
US facing shortage of Santas this year
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Daylight saving time is 'not helpful' and has 'no upsides,' experts say
Men more heartbroken than women during a breakup: study
Florida Teacher Won't Face Charges for Showing R-Rated Film
Florida Mom's OnlyFans Gets Her Booted From School Volunteering Position
Hunter in Michigan claimed he encountered Bigfoot and took shocking photo ‘proof’
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