• (Ep. 119 Rebroadcast) The Postal Service might misplace your mail. What if they misplace your grandpa? | Can adults really make new friends? | International etiquette can get pretty strange.
    Jun 24 2024

    It's vacation season around here... but we'll be back next week with an all-new episode!
    _

    It’s not uncommon to have something lost in the mail, but typically it’s not something irreplaceable … like human remains.

    Is it hard to make new friends as an adult, or is it just you?

    Traveling internationally soon? We have your back with our guide to proper etiquette across borders and cultures.

    -

    Sources:
    https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxjxkm/the-usps-has-452-wayward-cremated-bodies
    https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/
    https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/peculiar-etiquette-practices-world-map

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Jaywalking: The Crime of Blame. | Thinking Like a Mosquito. | Crazy Times in the Vintage Toy Market.
    Jun 17 2024

    Jaywalking- crossing the road wherever you please instead of at a crosswalk or stoplight - is a crime. But it wasn’t the police department’s idea.


    Ah, summer. Vacations and outdoor fun … and mosquitoes. Are they more particular choosing victims than we think? And what’s up with the itch?


    Recently, a vintage toy set an incredible record sale price at a collectibles auction. What are people thinking??

    NOTE: Fixed Audio Version

    Sources:
    https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/12/19/old-toys-worth-money/71976097007/
    https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/10/business/vintage-collectible-toys-market-sale/index.html

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    24 mins
  • Who named Earth? | A century of counting calories. | Time Traveler Dinner Party
    Jun 10 2024

    Who decided that the Earth would be called the Earth?


    It’s been a century since a physician's own weight loss journey introduced the concept of counting calories. We still do that, but is it the best approach?


    Famed physicist Stephen Hawking once held a dinner party where every guest shared the same peculiarity - they were from the future. Who showed up?

    Sources:
    https://www.livescience.com/32274-how-did-earth-get-its-name.html
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/doctor-pioneered-counting-calories-century-ago-were-still-dealing-with-consequences-180984282/#:~:text=The%20cover%20of%20Lulu%20Hunt,diet%20best%20seller%20in%20history
    https://mashable.com/article/stephen-hawking-time-travel-party

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • The Trouble with Timeshares | Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe | Old Farmers Almanac
    Jun 3 2024

    More than 10 million households own timeshares. You can also buy one online for $1.


    The story behind Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe is more than weird - it’s actually pretty dark.


    The Old Farmers Almanac has been around since the late 1700s and is as relevant and popular today as ever. What’s its secret?



    Sources:
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-a-timeshare-cbs-news-explains/
    https://www.financialpoise.com/timeshare-ownership-is-not-real-estate-investment/
    https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-origins-history
    https://mhebtw.mheducation.com/2021/11/19/a-history-of-the-old-farmers-almanac/

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    21 mins
  • Ranch: A Love Story. | Don’t Rile a Real-Life Stalker! | Is there Power of Persuasion in Political Signs?
    May 27 2024

    Ketchup is considered the king of condiments but Ranch, uniquely both a dressing and a dip, wears the crown when it comes to sales. Who came up with this great idea?


    The hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer is based on a true story of a stalker terrorizing a struggling standup comedian. The real stalker has seen it. She isn’t happy.


    May midterm elections are over. Until November, the political signs dominating our yards have gone back into hibernation. What happens to them when they disappear? Did they effectively influence voters?

    Sources:
    https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/ranch-dressing-food-history
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/05/14/baby-reindeer-real-martha-seeks-125-million-for-piers-morgan-interview/?sh=1fc855285141
    https://www.campaignnow.com/blog/political-yard-signs-helpful-or-an-eyesore?hs_amp=true

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • (Ep. 136 Rebroadcast) The Museum of Failure. | Where Lost Luggage Goes. | (Un)limited Breadsticks.
    May 20 2024

    We'll have a new episode next week, but this week, we revisit one of our most popular episodes from 2023:

    We’ve all failed. Most of us would rather not talk about it, but the Museum of Failure does more than talk about failures. It celebrates them.

    U.S. airlines lose millions of pieces of luggage annually. Most of them don’t just vanish, they end up in the same place. (It’s not the landfill.)

    It’s been a calling card of the dining experience at Olive Garden for decades - unlimited breadstick and salad refills. But even unlimited things have their limit.

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    21 mins
  • The Myth of 98.6. | Meet Lady Liberty. | Pop Tart Wars.
    May 13 2024

    You know the healthy average human temperature is 98.6 … but it’s not, and we’ve known that for over three decades.


    The Statue of Liberty is world famous - but is the iconic sculpture based on a real person?


    Pop Tarts changed breakfast 60-years ago. It was the prize in a high-stakes race between rival cereal-makers to get to the toaster pastry finish line first.

    Sources:
    https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544046/why-myth-average-human-body-temperature
    https://www.statueoflibertytour.com/blog/the-woman-behind-the-statue-of-liberty-who-is-lady-liberty/
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-contentious-history-of-the-pop-tart-180984270/

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • Can we change time? | How often should you shower? | Where change goes.
    May 6 2024

    Who decides what time it actually is? France tried to change it once. It involved decimals.


    Many of us shower once a day. Do we need to? Does it do more harm than good?


    Americans throw away $70 million in coins every year. One company decided to go dumpster diving.

    Sources:
    https://www.engadget.com/that-time-france-tried-to-make-decimal-time-a-thing-143600302.html
    https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240423-theres-no-need-to-shower-every-day-heres-why
    https://www.wsj.com/finance/americans-throwing-away-coins-28ca794c

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

    Follow Commute:
    Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/
    Twitter - @PodcastCommute
    Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

    Show more Show less
    21 mins