The following audio files were selected from a larger group of 136 for the last week. The link to each podcast is at the highlighted topic and reached by double-clicking or ctrl-clicking the topic. All 29 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed can also be downloaded as a single 138 MB zip file here for four months (vs 552 MB, below). Larger collections of these are discussed at the end of this episode.
ER Wait Times 28 mins – “This week, customer service comes to the hospital. Dr. Brian Goldman visits one of the first Emergency Rooms in Canada to tell you how long you’ll have to wait to see the doctor. And find out how patients in the ICU react when they are asked a common customer service question.” At the link locate the title, “Customer Service,” right-click “whitecoat_20121020_37315.mp3″ and select “Save File As” to download the file.
Chinese Politics 24 mins – “The series History Lessons for China’s New Leaders recalls some of the most important stories from Chinese history. In part 1 on the eve of the 18th Communist Party Congress, Carrie Gracie looks at lessons from history for China’s new leaders… In part 2 Carrie Gracie looks at the lessons from history as seen by the Chinese people.” At the link locate the titles, “Docs: History Lessons For China’s New Leaders Ep 1” and “Ep 2,” right-click “Download 11MB” for each and select “Save Link As.”
Internet Entrepreneur 60 mins – Jonathan Abrams, founder & CEO of Nuzzel, Friendster, and HotLinks , talks about the Commodore PET, start ups, and more. At the link right-click the blue down-pointing arrow beside “Audio” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Voting 57 mins -“Jonathan Rodden, political science professor at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the geography of voting. The main focus is on the tendency of urban voters around the world to vote for candidates on the left relative to suburban and rural voters. Rodden argues that this pattern is related to the geography of work and housing going back to the industrial revolution. He also discusses the implications of various voting systems such as winner-take-all vs. proportional representation, the electoral college and how political systems and voter preferences can produce unexpected outcomes.” At the link locate the title, “Rodden on the Geography of Voting,” right-click “Roddenvoting.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
USAID Innovation 31 mins – “Twenty years after the first Rio Earth Summit, the world’s most vexing sustainability problems around health, environment, agriculture and economic growth haven’t changed. But technologies have –– and they could provide critical and innovative solutions. In this university podcast, Maura O’Neill, chief innovation officer at USAID, addresses international ministers from developing countries, technology experts, and NGO professionals convened by the U.S. State Department and the Stanford Graduate School of Business to discuss how connection technologies can support sustainable development, and what USAID is doing to support that.? O’Neill delivered her remarks at the USRio+2.0 Conference hosted by Stanford.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Bad Pharma 62 mins – “We presented some edited highlights of Alok Jha’s interview with science writer, broadcaster, doctor and academic Ben Goldacre in the show on 8 October. In today’s Science Weekly Extra we bring you the full interview. Goldacre’s new book Bad Pharma is a forensic investigation into how the pharmaceutical industry – which invests millions in the high-stakes process of drug development and clinical trials – ensures its products reach the market. Goldacre discusses the central thesis of Bad Pharma, that drug development and evidence-based medical research are not working for the benefit of patients and may even be endangering lives.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As.”
Waste Water Bio Fuel 15 mins-“Call it “fuel without fossils”: Jonathan Trent is working on a plan to grow new biofuel by farming micro-algae in floating offshore pods that eat wastewater from cities. Hear his team’s bold vision for Project OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae) and how it might power the future. Not only does Jonathan Trent grow algae for biofuel, he wants to do so by cleansing wastewater and trapping carbon dioxide in the process. And it’s all solar-powered.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “SaveLink As.”
Sprawl Correction 17 mins – “How can we fit more people into cities without overcrowding? Kent Larson shows off folding cars, quick-change apartments and other innovations that could make the city of the future work a lot like a small village of the past. Kent Larson designs new technologies that solve the biggest questions facing our cities.” The video images make it a better choice to better appreciate this talk. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Due Diligence 12 mins – “When Entrepreneurs pursue getting funding from Investors, there is a due diligence process that is performed by the potential investors on behalf of their stakeholders. However, many entrepreneurs are not aware of the extent of the detailed investigation and validation of every aspect of your business.” At the link locate the title, “29- The Due Diligence Process and the Entrepreneur,” right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Meaning of Startups 7 mins – “A study shows that Arizona leads the way for the most startups created in the past year. However, the growth may be due to individuals being laid off and seeking entrepreneurship as another means of working and getting revenue. The complete article is located at this link and the author is Kent Hoover, the Washington Bureau Chief of the Phoenix Business Journal.” At the link locate the title, “Struggling Entrepreneur, 189- Best state for startups,” right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
CIB Meaning 43 mins – “What does the CIB mean to combat veterans who were Green Beret Special Forces during the Vietnam war? We get answers to this question from both Jon Ker and James Savell– Combat Infantrymen who earned the CIB after they volunteered to go to Vietnam as Airborne Special Forces. This interview took place several days prior to the Lifetime Achievement recognition event at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, which was hosted by the Commanding General of US Army North – 5th Army, LTG William B. Caldwell, IV. During this event, both Jon Ker and James Savell presented the 1st annual AL ESSIG AWARD to Darrell G. Harris (a WWII Airborne Combat Infantryman who had 3 combat jumps, a combat beach landing at Anzio and fought in the Battle of the Bulge). This award recognizes a local hero who served as an Airborne Combat Infantryman and served as a role model for Infantrymen and Paratroopers.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save File As.”
Pet Deaths 51 mins – “Bioethicist Jessica Pierce explores the practical, medical and moral issues facing pet owners at the end of a companion animal’s life.” You can listen online and view a transcript, but not download the program; however, it’s included with the zipped collection at the top of this edition.
HD TV Free22 mins – “Get HD television shows with an over-the-air antenna! You’ll get the know how to cut the cord entirely and you’ll still be able to watch sports and live events! To pick an antenna, our favorite tool is TVFool.com. It gives you an incredible amount of data in one location. It might appear complex, but give it a read. Alternatively, you can check out AntennaWeb.org. It’s a little more user friendly, but has less data. The antenna we used is the Channel Master CM 4228 8-bay HDTV/UHF Antenna CM4228HD. It allowed us to get signals from 40 miles out from the transmitter towers in the city. Use TVFool’s information to direct your antenna. The right column shows where you should point your antenna. Directionality is super-important when you’re far away from the transmitters. If you’re in a city, it might be much easier to get signals in general. Use a compass or compass app to find the right direction. iOS Pick | Android Pick When you’re using coax cables from your antenna to your tuner, use the shortest length of cable you can find as signal quality degrades over the length of the cable. We like using the HDHomeRun since it allows us to keep the tuner close to the antenna with short cables and then using our home network to carry the signals.” At the link right-click “Audio” by the down-pointing blue arrow and select “Save Link As.”
Viral Future 32 mins – Carl Zimmer reports “I recently gave a talk in San Francisco about the future of viruses, based in part on my book, A Planet of Viruses. I talk about how deadly new outbreaks may emerge, how we may harness viruses for technology and medicine, and just how many viruses there are out there (hint: 10000000000000000000000000000000).” At the link sign up for 24-hour free trial, then right-click “Audio (MP3)” and select “Save Link As.”
Colors 68 mins – “Our world is saturated in color, from soft hues to violent stains. How does something so intangible pack such a visceral punch? This hour, in the name of science and poetry, Jad and Robert tear the rainbow to pieces. To what extent is color a physical thing in the physical world, and to what extent is it created in our minds? We start with Sir Isaac Newton, who was so eager to solve this very mystery, he stuck a knife in his eye to pinpoint the answer. Then, we meet a sea creature that sees a rainbow way beyond anything humans can experience, and we track down a woman who we’re pretty sure can see thousands (maybe even millions) more colors than the rest of us. And we end with an age-old question, that, it turns out, never even occurred to most humans until very recently: why is the sky blue?” Seven guests. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Open Access Research 63 mins – “How do you make your own work Open Access (OA)? The question comes up from researchers at schools with good OA policies (like Harvard and MIT) and at schools with no OA policies at all. In recognition of Open Access Week, Peter Suber — Director of the Harvard Open Access Project — and Stuart Shieber — Professor of Computer Science in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — discuss the Harvard Open Access Project, and suggest concrete steps for making your research OA.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Nuclear Arms Reduction 81 mins – “As the 50th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis approaches, nuclear arms control has received scant attention in the current U.S. presidential campaign. Yet the future of arms control has major implications for U.S. national security, and no matter who is elected on November 6, the next president will have an opportunity to use arms control to enhance domestic and global security. In their new Brookings Focus Book, The Opportunity: Next Steps in Reducing Nuclear Arms (Brookings Press, 2012), Brookings Senior Fellows Steven Pifer and Michael O’Hanlon make a strong case for further steps in nuclear arms control, explain in clear and straightforward prose the background to complex arms control issues, and offer practical and realistic proposals for action by the administration in 2013 and beyond.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Software Patents 18 mins – “Two big patent cases this summer in the smartphone industry: 1. A jury finds that Samsung violated Apple’s patents, and orders Samsung to pay Apple $1 billion. 2. A judge throws out a case between Apple and Motorola (now owned by Google). The judge goes on to write an article in the Atlantic arguing that there are too many patents in America, and lots of industries could probably get along fine with no patents at all. These radically different rulings were just the latest reminder that the world of software patents is a mess. Big companies that should be focused on inventing the next great thing are instead spending billions of dollars buying up patents and suing each other. Small companies have to worry that someone with some random patent is going to sue them and shut them down. On today’s show, we talk with Mark Lemley, who has some ideas for fixing the patent mess. Lemley is a professor at Stanford law school and an expert on software patents. Lemley also works for clients in the private sector, including Google. For More: See When Patents Attack, our big patent story from last year, and The Case Against Patents, a paper by the St. Louis Fed.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Preschool Value 21 mins – “On today’s show, we meet a self-described robber baron who decided to spend his billions on finger paint and changing tables. We revisit decades-long studies that found preschool made a huge difference in the lives of poor children. And we talk to a Nobel prize-winning economist who says that spending public money on preschool produces a huge return on investment… For more: Tulsa’s Educare Center in the Tulsa; Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed; The Carolina Abededarian Project; and “A new cost-benefit and rate of return analysis for the Perry Preschool Program: A Summary.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Fractals 31 mins – “In this podcast, art historian Nina Samuel, biologists Brian Enquist and James Brown, and ethnomathematician Ron Eglash discuss the prevalence and power of fractals from the perspectives of their various disciplines.” Several books are mentioned as well as this site, Culturally Situated Design Tools. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Oil Prices 12 mins -“Both candidates have been on their talking points about high gas prices. But Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Roben Farzad says there’s only so much elected officials can do to control prices at the pump. He speaks with host Michel Martin as a part of NPR’s “Solve This” series, looking at issues driving the election.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Same Sex Story 14 mins – “Weddings are supposed to be filled with joy and excitement, but Artie Goldstein had mixed emotions when his daughter, Jill, got engaged to another woman. His trip to the wedding became a video journey that father and daughter wanted to share with the world. Host Michel Martin finds out how this personal moment became an internet sensation.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Mortgage Interest Tax Deductions 8 mins – “The mortgage interest tax deduction lets homeowners deduct the interest they pay on home loans. Some economists say it should be eliminated, but many homeowners fear a change would wreak their budgets. Host Michel Martin talks about the issue with NPR’s Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Apartheid U 17 mins – “Discussion with Jimmy Volmink, Head of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.” Dr Volmink is african and Stellenbosch was a strong center of apartheid. At the link locate the title, “October 19, 2012,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Intellectual Property Law 57 mins – “Under conventional wisdom, intellectual property is simply a tool for promoting innovative products, from iPods to R2D2. But intellectual property does more than incentivize the production of more goods; IP law governs the abilities of human beings to make and share culture, and to profit from this enterprise in a global knowledge economy. In this talk, Madhavi Sunder — Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law and author of the new book From Goods to a Good Life: Intellectual Property and Global Justice — calls for a richer understanding of intellectual property law’s effects on social and cultural life.” At the link right-click “MP3″and select “Save Link As” to download the podcast.
#SatChat 8 mins – “Every Saturday morning, nearly 200 educators join the online conversation #satchat. They say Twitter lets them instantly discuss issues like bullying, teacher recruitment and social media with colleagues outside their districts. Host Michel Martin talks with #satchat co-founder and New Jersey public school administrator Scott Rocco.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Gloria Steinem 62 mins – “Jennifer Bardi, editor of the Humanist, interviews world famous author and activist Gloria Steinem. “It’s not about not believing,” says the 2012 Humanist of the Year. “It’s about rejecting a god who looks like the ruling class.” The interview starts about five minutes into the program. At the link find the title, “The Humanist Hour #78: Gloria Steinem, 2012 Humanist of the Year,” right click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Disruptive Tech 4 mins – “Historian Roslyn Lee Hammers tells an intriguing story of economic development in Medieval China. A minor official, Lou-Shu, created a scroll in the mid-twelfth century — in the Sung Dynasty. It was a kind of technical manual, written for his emperor. It explained, in detail, the laborious processes of producing rice and silk.” At the link right-click “Click here for audio of Episode 2004” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Media Mining Digest 