Commute | The Podcast

1️⃣ A recent lethal-injection attempt in Tennessee left death-row inmate Christa Pike alive and critically ill, forcing the state to halt executions and investigate what went wrong. But legally and practically, what happens after a death sentence has already been carried out once… and the person survives? 

2️⃣ Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has now spent a record 24 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. But what actually goes into that ranking - and how does a song stay No. 1 for nearly half a year? 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Honeycrisp went from an experimental Minnesota apple to one of the most influential items in the grocery store. So what made it so different? 

2️⃣ Cemeteries in some cities are filling up, land is getting more expensive, and billions more people will eventually need a final resting place. So are we going to eventually run out of space?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

EP 210 Rebroadcast

A clever crime ring in Bali has been successfully operating for decades and authorities are unable to stop it. The members of this crime syndicate are… monkeys.

Some people get selected for jury duty so often they could teach a course on it, while others have never been called. What’s the story behind this (supposedly) random system?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Well, no one really knows. Archaeologists have found these strange bronze objects all over the former Roman Empire, but we can’t figure out what they were used for.

2️⃣ They’re a staple of Chinese restaurants across America - but fortune cookies aren’t actually a Chinese creation. So, where did they come from, and how did they end up on the table alongside the bill?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ A man went decades prone to choking, regularly feeling sick.  Then he discovered what shocking cause had been happening all along. 

2️⃣ What happens when the first serious crimes are committed beyond Earth? 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Raccoons are starting to show signs associated with domestication - so how far are we from letting one curl up on the couch?

2️⃣ North, south, east and west feel completely natural to us - but who decided what to call each direction in the first place?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Woody is one of Pixar’s most lovable characters, but early on Disney pushed the studio to make him, well, mean. The result was a day that nearly canceled Toy Story before it started.

2️⃣ We accept that giant fuzzy birds, bears and buffalos dancing on sidelines is a perfectly normal part of sports. Where did those crazy mascots come from?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ In 2021, nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, were the hottest of investments, with many selling for 100s of thousands of dollars. Today they sell for pennies. What happened?

2️⃣ We live in a strange reality our ancestors never dreamt of: unlike them, when we die our online versions live on.

sources:

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/nft-tokens-memes-tech-ethereum-blockchain-digital-141150386.html

https://www.elainekasket.com/insights/digital-afterlife-explained

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ It’s more than 2,700 years old and, thanks to the new Christopher Nolan movie, it’s back in the spotlight. But The Odyssey has never gone away and the reason it endures isn’t monsters or myths. 

2️⃣ Why does $9.99 feel so much cheaper than $10? It’s one of the oldest and most effective psychological tricks in marketing.

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-the-ancient-story-of-the-odyssey-still-resonates-today

https://www.the-independent.com/us/money/consumer-price-points-economy-budget-b3014602.html

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Lawns are everywhere and most of us invest a lot of effort in mowing them. The surprisingly fascinating history of grass and how it got into our front yards. 

2️⃣ One sport. Two names. Why Americans say “soccer” - and why the British used to say it, too.

sources:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/why-we-mow-lawns

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyexj7dggpo

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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