Billboard

In April, 2010, we did a segment on the concept of the mesofact, a certain kind of data point that feels fixed even though it’s actually always slowly changing. And we’ve gone back to the idea every now and again ever since.

This hour, a look at three things about the world that changed pretty dramatically while you were thinking about other stuff.

Hey, did you know there’s a fifth ocean now? Hey, did you know that you can put hot food right into your fridge now? Hey, did you know that goldfish are actually pretty smart?

Those kinds of things.

GUESTS:
Andrea Barnes: A writer at Wirecutter covering large cleaning appliances and laundry
Liam McCabe: A writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement
Cait Newport: An associate professor at the University of Oxford, where she leads the Animal Perception and Cognition Group
Alex Tait: The Geographer at the National Geographic Society

Music featured (in order):
Things Change – Venus
It Ain’t Necessarily So – Jaimee Paul
Rock the Boat – Hues Corporation
Washing Dishes – G. Love and Special Sauce
Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
Goldfish – Fionn

In April, 2010, we did a segment on the concept of the mesofact, a certain kind of data point that feels fixed even though it&rsquo;s actually always slowly changing. And we&rsquo;ve gone back to the idea every now and again ever since.
This hour, a look at three things about the world that changed pretty dramatically while you were thinking about other stuff.
Hey, did you know there&rsquo;s a fifth ocean now? Hey, did you know that you can put hot food right into your fridge now? Hey, did you know that goldfish are actually pretty smart?
Those kinds of things.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Andrea Barnes:&nbsp;A writer at&nbsp;Wirecutter&nbsp;covering large cleaning appliances and laundry</li>
<li>Liam McCabe:&nbsp;A writer at&nbsp;Wirecutter&nbsp;covering home improvement</li>
<li>Cait Newport:&nbsp;An associate professor at the University of Oxford, where she leads the Animal Perception and Cognition Group</li>
<li>Alex Tait:&nbsp;The Geographer at the National Geographic Society</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H36FEJSKnGA">Things Change</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Venus</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxQnE6Zd7Fk">It Ain&rsquo;t Necessarily So</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Jaimee Paul</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKr9wZpjBqE">Rock the Boat</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Hues Corporation</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na5m-M6H_oQ">Washing Dishes</a>&nbsp;&ndash; G. Love and Special Sauce</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0">Money for Nothing</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Dire Straits</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIpdwApgJS0">Goldfish</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Fionn</li>
</ul>

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.