Condensed Soup

Toxic mushrooms are causing serious problems in California. Foragers, you have been warned!

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Deadly mushroom poisonings in California mark record US outbreak (Anthony Thompson, USA Today, May 16, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

It's not your imagination! A new fish species has been confirmed, and it's been named after Mr. Snuffleupagus.

This episode has been re-recorded and updated to fix some corrupted audio in the original release. Thank you to Victor in San Diego for the heads up!

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Meet the tiny fish that looks like Mr. Snuffleupagus (Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, May 15, 2026)
• A Brief History of Sesame Street's Snuffleupagus Identity Crisis (Maris Fessenden, Smithsonian Magazine, Nov 20, 2015)
• Sesame Workshop (accessed May 16, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Yesterday, we talked the beige-ification of modern life. Today, we'll explore how that relates to the films we watch.

Note: at one point I reference The Devil Wears Prada and I run out of time to connect the dots. The answers are in the article linked below! :-)

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• 9 injured after escalator malfunction at Broadway theater where 'Wicked' is performing (ABC7, May 13, 2026)
• The World is Literally Getting Less Colorful, New Analysis Finds (Jessica Stillman, Inc., Feb 5, 2021)
• The devil wears Prada. It's just a shame we can't really see it (Nell Geraets, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 12, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Scientists have determined that jazz and classical music are evolving into more simple forms. What does this mean for singers?

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

Jazz and classical music have become simpler, a new study finds (Payal Dhar, ScienceNews, May 12, 2026)

The World is Literally Getting Less Colorful, New Analysis Finds (Jessica Stillman, Inc., Feb 5, 2021)

The devil wears Prada. It's just a shame we can't really see it (Nell Geraets, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 12, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

A sign of the times -- Japanese snack company Calbee, a mainstay of Asian snacking, has announced its switch to monochromatic packaging due to ink shortages from the Iran war.

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Japanese snack packages turning black-and-white as Iran war depletes ink supply (NPR / AP, May 13, 2026)
• Why Potato Chips Are Not As Unhealthy As You Think (Missy Wilkinson, Thrillist, Jan 19, 2023)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

It's hard to find good news these days, but we're trying out here! Today: a group of people come together to provide shoes for a teen with a rare growth syndrome.

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Teen with rare Weaver-Smith syndrome gets custom-designed shoes to fit her size 22 feet (Demetrios Sanders, WXYZ, Mar 5, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

One of the world's most magical sights is bioluminescent algae. Should we be able to harness its power?

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Bioluminescent algae's blue light harnessed to make 3D-printed shapes (Chris Baraniuk, The Guardian, May 6, 2026)
• Where to see the world's brightest bioluminescent tides (Lena-Marie Müller, National Geographic, Mar 14, 2025)
• Living Light: Bioluminescent Art (Interalia Magazine, accessed May 10, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

We're a little crazy for sweet corn around here, both on the dining table and the dessert bar. And now we have a shucking hack!

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• Corn creme brûlée from chef Craig Koketsu (CBS News, May 13, 2017)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in a hotel room.

You say tomato, and I say, PROVE IT! A newly proposed class action suit calls out Cento on 'tomato fraud.'

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

Popular Italian food manufacturer sued over alleged 'tomato fraud' (Greta Cross, USA Today, May 7, 2026)

Food manufacturer Cento is committing 'tomato fraud,' lawsuit alleges (Mary Cunningham, CBS News, May 7, 2026)

Why Everyone Swears by San Marzano Tomatoes (Kristine Brogno, Food52, Aug 8, 2025)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Some elephants have a fancy new home at the San Diego Zoo! There's even a live stream for you to check.

CONDENSED SOUP: 10 minutes of cozy curiosity

• US will start revoking passports for thousands of parents who owe child support, AP learns (Matthew Lee, AP, May 7, 2026)
• San Diego Zoo launches Elephant Valley live camera (Ben Hooper, UPI, Apr 30, 2026)
• San Diego Zoo Safari Park Celebrates Official Opening of Elephant Valley (Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Mar 20, 2026)
• 25 Things You Might Not Know About Elephants (International Elephant Foundation, accessed May 8, 2026)
• 10 Unforgettable Elephant Facts! (Nat Geo Kids, accessed May 8, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.