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What actually makes somebody cool? It is a question we have all been asking since middle school, and this week Commander Drew and Dr. Paul finally have some data. Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 people across 12 countries, from the United States and Mexico to Nigeria, India, China, Germany, and South Korea, and the answer was remarkably consistent. Cool people are seen as outgoing, adventurous, open-minded, independent, influential, and willing to enjoy life. But the research found something even more important: cool and good are not the same thing. The Wingmen make the case that the strongest kind of cool combines confidence and adventure with character, the kind of person who can walk into any room as themselves and still answer the phone at 2:00 a.m. when a friend needs help.

From there, the good news keeps coming. The guys break down time-of-use electricity plans and why when you use power can matter almost as much as how much you use. They share the story of a California resident who gave $1 million directly to the teachers of an underfunded school district, more than $9,000 each, delivered in sealed envelopes. They look at the evolving science on treating sprains and strains, where gentle movement is getting a fresh look alongside the old RICE routine.

In the Jet Jolt, it is China’s TMS-10, an experimental business jet with a goal of carrying passengers at Mach 2 while taming the sonic boom. A fellow Navy veteran in Indiana writes in to the Frequent Flow Line asking how to make peace with a difficult neighbor without starting World War III over the property line. Ace takes on the Gouge question of what to do when your flight is delayed and the gate line is growing. And the episode closes with “The First Word,” the story of a Navy kid in Naples, Italy, and the neighbor boy who showed him that a wingman does not need to speak your language to make room for you.

We Talk About

■ What makes someone cool: a 12-country study of nearly 6,000 people on what the world considers “cool”

■ Cool vs. good: why confidence and adventure mean little without kindness and dependability

■ The smart electricity gouge: time-of-use plans, peak hours, and shifting your biggest loads off-peak

■ A million-dollar thank-you: one resident’s $1 million gift to Ross Valley School District teachers

■ A better way to bounce back: rethinking rest, ice, and gentle movement for minor sprains and strains

■ Jet Jolt: China’s TMS-10 and the push for quieter supersonic travel

■ Frequent Flow Line: a Navy veteran in Indiana looking for calm seas with his neighbor

■ The Gouge with Ace: what to do first when your flight is delayed

■ Wingmen Story: “The First Word,” a Navy kid, a new country, and a friend with a soccer ball