Commute | The Podcast

History is filled with stories that seem too fantastic to be true … and then there’s Archimedes and his death ray.


Private label generic brands are the more affordable option to store brands at your local supermarket. But who makes this stuff, and is it true that it’s secretly made by the name brand company it’s competing against?!


As we’ve discussed on the show before, food expiration dates are suspect, and certainly something that’s 50,000 years old is a no-brainer! When scientists dug up a perfectly preserved bison, though, they decided to try it.

Sources:
https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2021/10/28/did_archimedes_death_ray_actually_work_799152.amp.html
https://sporked.com/article/what-is-a-private-label-product/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-bison-stew-blue-babe-alaska

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Sometimes, if you’re a Sriracha fan and you want THE Sriracha - the original OG version with the cartoon rooster - you’re out of luck. Is it a supply chain issue as everyone assumes … or something deeper?


It’s hard to go a day without seeing a State Farm Insurance commercial featuring the iconic Jake from State Farm. But Jake is a real person (though that’s not his real name), and being famous isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.


Soon we’ll recognize something we only experience every four years - Leap Day. Why do we do this again?

Sources:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/really-caused-sriracha-shortage-2-110000803.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/jake-state-farm-actor-kevin-miles-patrick-mahomes-friendship-1235820810/amp/
https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/science-leap-year

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We’re fresh off of watching the Super Bowl - but besides the Super Bowl there was the Puppy Bowl! Where did this come from, and why do so many advertisers want in?

Betty Crocker, The Jolly Green Giant - these fictional characters are fun representatives for food brands that consumers can form connections with. Then there's Chef Boyardee.

Eighty-seven years ago, Amelia Earhart vanished during a flight. Her plane and remains have never been found. Have we finally solved the mystery?


Sources:
https://www.marketplace.org/2023/02/10/how-the-puppy-bowl-became-a-marketing-juggernaut-in-its-own-right/
https://www.npr.org/2011/05/17/136398042/the-man-the-can-recipes-of-the-real-chef-boyardee
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/travel/amelia-earhart-missing-plane-pacific-ocean-scn?cid=ios_app

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Americans average nearly 30 minutes in the car to get to work and back, and they hate it. This week, what we can do to improve the experience.


Movies spectacles cost millions of dollars. One thing that’s not in the budget? Fighter jets.


Taylor Swift made both the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs a lot of money. We’ll tell you how and how much.

Sources:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/taylor-swift-is-worth-331-million-and-counting-to-nfl-and-the-chiefs-05e4dbf9
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/taylor-swift-is-worth-331-million-and-counting-to-nfl-and-the-chiefs-05e4dbf9
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2024/01/how-much-did-top-gun-maverick-cost-the-u-s-taxpayer/
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15004-survey-toll-of-commute.html

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Why is raising the middle finger offensive? How did the idea evolve?

You dip a chip and take a bite. Now, what do you do with the other half?

Does it matter what month your birthday occurs? Some turn out to be better than others.

Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/22/world/middle-finger-gesture-explained-cec?cid=ios_app
https://theconversation.com/is-double-dipping-a-food-safety-problem-or-just-a-nasty-habit-51014
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3361998/amp/Not-happy-birthday-Research-reveals-today-worst-day-year-celebrate-thanks-friends-family-partied-money-spent-Christmas.html

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It looks so easy in movies, but what does it take to hire a hitman in the real world?


In the 90’s, McDonald’s was the largest playground provider in the nation, but recently McDonalds Play Places have been disappearing. What happened?


Heads or tails? Does it matter which you choose? A group of researchers decided to find out.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/14/nyregion/hit-men-are-easy-to-find-in-the-movies-real-life-is-another-story.html
https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/mcdonalds-playland-playplace-history
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-destroy-illusion-that-coin-toss-flips-are-50-50/

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For most of its 110-year history, Stanley drinkware has not been particularly cool. Suddenly, the Stanley Tumbler has now become a status symbol across high school and college campuses. How did this happen?


In the early 1980s, cockroaches were everywhere, from homes across America to the halls of the White House. This seemingly indestructible insect was impossible to stop. Then one man had an idea.


Legend has it that specific artwork on a Tootsie Roll Pop can be redeemed for a freebie. But legends are complicated.




Sources:
https://www.retaildive.com/news/stanley-quencher-tumblers-viral-success/699416/
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2023/11/cockroach-bait-invention-combat/676167/?gift=j9r7avb6p-KY8zdjhsiSZwMg1Z5NhWtvHwcVQswRZjU
https://www.mashed.com/989880/could-you-really-score-free-candy-if-you-found-this-special-tootsie-pop-wrapper/

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If you thought litter was terrible on Earth, wait until you hear about what’s happening in outer space. At least down here it doesn’t come at you flying 15,000 MPH!

First, there was Winnie the Pooh and, now, Mickey Mouse. As beloved modern characters enter public domain we could see them in versions and situations their creators never intended. But with Mickey there’s a catch...

When Columbus and crew discovered America in 1492 they brought a stowaway with them. It now lives in your front yard.

Sources:
https://time.com/6551496/mickey-mouse-public-domain-steamboat-willie/

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Teaching history is hard. It can be challenging to convey the importance of events that happened long ago. An Instagram account tried a different approach, but did it work?


Need a new Christmas tradition?! Too bad - we have one for you, anyway.


To close out 2023, we look back at the year’s top 25 Wikipedia searches and wonder if it means anything for the year ahead.


Sources:
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/08/instagram-holocaust-diary-evastories-sparks-debate-in-israel
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/arts/music/whamageddon-last-christmas-game.html
https://apnews.com/article/wikipedia-top-searches-2023-chatgpt-a0e742df4e00c30c063d0c2505c126e5

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Walk down the snack aisle at any grocery store and mixed among the BBQ and Salt & Vinegar chips you’ll find unusual and limited edition ones like “Picnic” or “All Dressed Up.” How do such chips, which may taste like entirely different foods, get made?

If you’ve thought your cell phone reception has worsened in recent years, this segment is for you.

McDonald’s is always a pretty consistent fast food choice. That’s about to change.

Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/the-weird-secretive-world-of-crisp-flavours
https://time.com/6340727/cell-phone-reception-is-getting-worse/
https://nypost.com/2023/11/30/lifestyle/mcdonalds-is-giving-its-burgers-a-makeover-changes-explained/

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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