Podcast: Infinite Monkey Cage

Leave it to the Brits to make science cool. Whether you’re looking to have fun while learning or to learn while having fun, this long-running BBC Radio 4 series is for you. Every week, The Infinite Monkey Cage podcast tackles a big topic with humor and irreverence. Listening feels like being a fly on the wall at a really entertaining dinner party, where everybody is smarter or funnier than you. The show’s hosted by comedian Robin Ince and sexy particle physicist (and former rock star) Brian Cox. Episodes have delved into black holes, space archaeology, UFO sightings and the science of laughter. Last month, Jane Goodall discussed chimpanzee research. And since you’re wondering, the podcast’s title refers to the theorem about giving monkeys typewriters and them eventually writing something like Hamlet. bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00snr0w. –C. Moon Reed

Film: Palm Springs

Perhaps it’s because we’re living through a pandemic, and every day feels pretty much like the same, exact 24 hours as the one before, but there’s something about watching Andy Samberg’s latest film that feels a little … relatable. Every time they fall asleep, strangers Nyles (Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) wake up to experience the same day over, but together, the two find a way to make the monotonous slog a little more bearable. There’s never been a better time to watch a movie about being in an infinite time loop. Hulu. –Leslie Ventura

Music: Maxine Jones & Tony Terry

The Space has emerged as a leading venue in pandemic-era Vegas entertainment thanks to its livestream capabilities. Tony Award-winning singer John Lloyd Young of Jersey Boys fame performs via pay-per-view on July 25, but one night earlier it’s Maxine Jones, an original member of En Vogue and a key contributor to the R&B quartet’s megahits “My Love (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Free Your Mind.” She teams with soul singer Tony Terry for a livestream with proceeds benefiting Jones’ Maxstar Urban Arts Foundation. thespacelv.com/livestream, 7 p.m., $10. –Brock Radke

Television: Upload

As co-creator of Parks and Recreation and the U.S. version of The Office, Greg Daniels has steered some of the most influential and hilarious TV comedies of our era. Prime Video’s sci-fi dramedy Upload isn’t quite in their class, but it is an audacious watch that rewards binge viewing. Set in a believable near-future in which dying people can transfer their consciousness to an Elon Musk-ish simulated “afterlife,” Upload nevertheless has lots to say about the closely surveilled, ad-targeted digital world we live in now—and, miraculously, Daniels makes it funny. Also, Upload’s leads—Robbie Amell and Andy Allo—are just plain charming. Season 1 on Prime Video. –Geoff Carter

Book: The Food Lab

You’ve been cooking at home for months now, and you want to take your culinary skills to the next level. Enter James Beard Award winner The Food Lab, a massive tome by J. Kenji López-Alt, of the popular Serious Eats blog. Over the course of 900-plus pages, López-Alt gets into the science of recipes by breaking down their ingredients. Want to up your fried chicken game? He devotes pages to oil, batter and frying technique. Ditto for the section titled “Five Rules for Better Burgers.” These are recipes you make every day, just seriously better. -Genevie Durano