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HTDE: Carsickness And Traffic Jams

November 26, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Motion sickness often worsens with age, and there is no guaranteed way to build back childhood stamina, though keeping focus straight ahead may help. 
  • Filming scenes for *Apollo 13* in zero gravity required actors to fly 600 times on NASA's KC-135 (Vomit Comet), often requiring a combination of anti-nausea medication and stimulants. 
  • A study suggests listening to soft or joyful music after driving can reduce car sickness by up to 57%, and during a 12-day traffic jam in China, stranded drivers set up roadside food stalls and played cards. 

Segments

Listener Motion Sickness Inquiry
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(00:00:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Motion sickness issues often develop or worsen in adulthood, contrasting with childhood tolerance for roller coasters.
  • Summary: A listener detailed losing the ability to tolerate roller coasters and reading in the car by age 26, despite having no issues as a child. The hosts commiserated, noting that physical stamina for motion often declines with age. They humorously suggested that the listener should enjoy their current tolerance while it lasts.
Filming Apollo 13 in Zero-G
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(00:03:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Scenes for Apollo 13 were shot 600 times on NASA’s KC-135 (Vomit Comet) to simulate weightlessness, requiring strict medication protocols.
  • Summary: Kevin Bacon explained that weightlessness was simulated by flying the KC-135 in parabolic arcs, creating 26 seconds of zero gravity per maneuver. The cast took anti-nausea medication, but when Bill Paxton and Tom Hanks skipped it, they became visibly ill, leading to the term ‘airman’s corsage’ for vomit bags tucked into flight suit pockets. Bacon himself was vomited on by a camera operator during a handheld shot.
Tips for Reducing Car Sickness
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(00:08:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Keeping focus straight ahead, like watching the horizon on a boat, is a primary training tip to combat motion sickness.
  • Summary: Kevin Bacon advised Ellie to keep her focus straight ahead and avoid swiveling her head, a technique used during the Apollo 13 training flights. Additionally, a study suggests listening to soft or joyful music after driving can reduce car sickness by up to 57%.
Kenny G on Joyful Music
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(00:10:10)
  • Key Takeaway: The quality that defines ‘joyful’ music is subjective and cannot be reduced to specific musical elements like tempo or key.
  • Summary: Kenny G stated that there is no formulaic answer for what makes a song joyful, noting that an up-tempo pace does not automatically equate to joy. He prepared to play a major key piece to demonstrate a happier sound for Ellie’s motion sickness relief. Kenny G also revealed a personal ritual of brushing his teeth before playing his saxophone to avoid food particles in the instrument.
Surviving Extreme Traffic Jams
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(00:18:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Drivers stuck in China’s 12-day traffic jam in 2010 improvised by setting up roadside food vendors and using nearby water sources for bathing.
  • Summary: A guest who survived the 12-day traffic jam in China shared that enterprising locals set up food stalls selling hot pot and dumplings along the road. Some drivers used water from nearby streams to shower, while lorry drivers played cards after taking off their shirts in the summer heat. The guest now always carries food like nuts and dried fruit for unexpected delays.