Commute | The Podcast

1️⃣ They were once an ordinary pair of sneakers. Then one of the most infamous cult stories in American history gave them a dark legacy…

2️⃣ Rubber ducks have somehow become part of Jeep culture, showing up on dashboards across the country. So where did “Jeep Ducking” come from - and how did such a random tradition catch on so fast?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ DVDs once gave us deleted scenes, bloopers, making-of documentaries and hours of director commentary. Streaming made movies easier to watch - but did we lose part of the experience along the way?

2️⃣ Dating apps promised to make meeting people easier. Now burnout is pushing some young singles back into the real world - and they’re doing strange things in the pursuit of love.

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

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.commute...

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...

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/c...

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...

When the NCAA Football video game returned a few years ago, it sold over 5 million copies - where did all of that money go? 

In the late 1960s, the creator of a unique color claimed it could reduce violent, hostile, and aggressive behavior. Was he right? 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Did the water you drank this morning previously travel through the body of some other person or creature? Today we take a journey through the water cycle.

2️⃣ How did soccer’s most stressful ending become a thing?

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr71enxvrd3o

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/has-all-the-water-on-earth-been-peed-before

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ The NBA Finals just wrapped up. It was fun to see all the celebrities sitting courtside, but it’s even more fun to find out how much they paid (or didn’t) to sit there. 

2️⃣ Nepal’s time zone is 15 minutes off…. of everyone else in the world. 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ From what gloves to wear at a funeral to not talking with your mouth full, social etiquette has been around for a long time. Are these rules of behavior really about good manners - or something else?

2️⃣ There’s a place on earth that decided it would rid itself of rats - forever. Did it work?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Chipotle has been in a bit of a controversy over portion sizes. Is Chipotle really giving us less? What could this tell us about brand identity and customer loyalty?

2️⃣ When Spirit Airlines abruptly called it quits, it did more than cause  customers to look for new flights and pilots to look for new jobs - it abandoned a bunch of airplanes. Where did they go?

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ In the late 1980s, a claymation band of dried fruit boosted raisin sales and became a nationwide phenomenon. Suddenly, they were gone.  

2️⃣ Aliens? UFOs? We finally know the truth about what went on at Area 51.  Prepare yourselves…

Sources:

https://www.mashed.com/212383/the-real-reason-the-california-raisins-disappeared/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/area-51-aliens-ufos-real-history

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

Dave & Jay share an update for the show as Dave heals from a broken jaw.

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ We used to walk to the airline gate without a boarding pass. Now we go through bins-and-belts purgatory. How we got here, and why shoes are guilty until proven innocent.

2️⃣ College hoops plays two halves. The pros play four quarters. It’s not random - it’s tradition, politics, broadcasting, with a bit of “we’ve always done it this way.”

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsa

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

Follow Commute:
Instagram - instagram.com/co...

1️⃣ Did you know there’s a number that’s illegal to publish in the US?

2️⃣ We visit the research facility in a remote corner of Alaska that some folks blame for every natural disaster.  

Sources:

https://citationsy.com/blog/illegal-number/

https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0523/HAARP-project-winding-down-Was-it-all-a-huge-conspiracy

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ We’ve lived on this planet for thousands of years, but one relatively recent picture completely changed how we think about it. 

2️⃣ Ever wonder how your state got its name? Some names make sense, some followed a thoughtful process, and some, well, you’ll see.

Sources:

Why do toddlers experience an event but lose the memory? This week we explore why our youngest years vanish - and what we can do to make those earliest moments stick.

How a tree nearly started WWlll. 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ Two seemingly unrelated objects - a snack can and a flying disc - tell one of the strangest tales about legacy you’ll ever hear.


2️⃣ Holidays inspired by TV episodes or movies - that worked their way into our real calendars. 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ You can have a currency, passport, and flag - but forming your own personal nation won’t keep you from paying taxes. 

2️⃣ Most wars go on, well, forever. This week we look at a few that barely lasted the workday.

Sources:

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/shortest-wars-in-human-history.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/micronation

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ When disaster strikes we don’t look away, even when we probably should. 

2️⃣ WD-40 has unstuck stuck things for the last 50 years.  What’s its secret? Only a handful of people could tell you.

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/business/the-secret-society-of-people-who-know-the-formula-for-wd-40-e9c0ff54

https://case.edu/news/why-are-we-so-drawn-tragedy-psychological-sciences-professor-explains

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

1️⃣ There are a few pay phones left in the world. Here’s who’s using them. 

2️⃣ We’re terrible at telling the future. We keep trying anyway. 

Sources:

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

It’s the world’s most famous movie sound effect. You know it when you hear it. 

This popular Chinese phone app is one of the simplest - and the darkest. 

Sources:

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/wilhelm-scream-explained-75982/

https://www.wired.com/story/china-are-you-dead-yet-app/

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

Sometimes humans randomly … explode??

There’s a lot of money spent (and wasted) with our favorite go-to last-minute gift.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2024/02/09/gift-cards-a-strategy-for-retailers-and-consumers/

https://www.popsci.com/health/can-humans-spontaneously-combust-the-baffling-cases-explained/

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

Ever wonder why January 1st is the beginning of a new year? So did we…

Not all New Year's traditions are about fireworks and funny hats - some are disgusting, others are deadly.

Sources:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/653232/victorian-new-years-traditions

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/29/nx-s1-5624238/new-year-calendar-january-history

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

For nearly 70 years, kids have tracked Santa thanks to a misdial and a quick-thinking Air Force colonel who met the moment. 

The success of Home Alone, led to Home Alone 2. That led to one of the most intense Christmas toy crazes of all time. 

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

We once declared war on a bunch of birds. It went as you’d expect.

The pet of our Commander in Chief often say more about that administration than any speech ever could. 

Sources:

https://www.historyhit.com/the-great-emu-war/

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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

If you suspect your local high school’s mascot looks suspiciously like a professional team or D1 university version, you’re probably right. And they probably shouldn’t be doing that. 

Every year, the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the year is less about the dictionary update and more about where we are as a society. This year is no different. 

Sources:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/oxford-word-of-year-explained

https://frontofficesports.com/high-schools-walk-legal-tightrope-using-trademarked-pro-logos/

http://www.commutethepodcast.com

Follow Com...