Free academic papers

For the past 8 years Sci-Hub has been the Napster of academic papers. It’s a pirate site that serves up scholarly journal articles usually stashed behind paywalls. You copy and paste the link from the official journal site (or its DOI) into the Sci-Hub website and it immediately gives you the PDF. I have no qualms using it. Many researchers who have legitimate access to the journals prefer to use Sci-Hub because its interface is easier, consistent, and better designed. — KK

Learn what synthesizers do

I spent 45 minutes interacting with the sliders and buttons at Learning Synths and now I understand concepts like envelope, attack, decay, sustain, and release. I was having so much fun I didn’t realize I was being taught a lesson, either. — MF

Strikethrough stress note

I started a "stress note” in my Notes app where I keep a list of whatever I'm anxious about. Anytime I add something new I reread my past worries and if they no longer matter (which is usually the case), instead of deleting them I apply the strikethrough style. There is something very calming and self-affirming in doing this, and as the list grows I actually find it very beautiful to look at. — CD 

Superior shopping bags

We live in an area where you must bring your own bag to the store. That usually meant recycled paper bags, or floppy cloth bags. At the suggestion of a guest on our Cool Tools podcast, we started using these fantastic Planet E collapsible “bags” that unfold into a rigid cloth box. They are roomier, much easier to pack and unpack, and can carry a lot of weight without distorting their shape. They are lower and wider, more stable so they won’t fall over, easier to move into the car. They fold flat, and seem indestructible, made of recycled plastic bottles. We’ll never go back to other kinds of bags. — KK

Calculate your free time

I like this free tool created by Erik Rood that calculates all the free time you have left in your life. Just input your age and the hours per week you spend on things like sleep, work, commuting, eating, etc. Apparently I have 34 free hours per week. It really makes me rethink what I want to do with it. — CD

Large non-skid cutting mats

This four-pack of colorful, Bellemain 15" x 11" cutting mats is only $11. The bottom is textured so the mat doesn’t slip when you use it. I’ve run them through the bottom rack of the dishwasher several times with no noticeable effect. — MF

— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson