The following audio files were selected from a larger group of 172 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 45 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed can also be downloaded as a single 252 MB zip file here for four months (vs 767 MB, below). Accumulations of these are discussed at the end of this episode.
Marijuana Business 14 mins – “Last month, two states voted to legalize recreational marijuana. A bunch of others states have already legalized medical marijuana. Not surprisingly, there are legitimate, legal (at least under state law) marijuana entrepreneurs trying to start businesses around the country. On today’s show, we discover the one big thing that’s standing in their way: getting a bank account. And we learn how hard it is to run a business on cash alone.” At the link locate the title, #420: The (Legal) Marijuana Business,” right-click “Media files npr_166531176.mp3 ” and select “Save File As” to download the audio file.
Congo and Goma 9 mins – “Congolese soldiers returned to Goma after a withdrawal by rebel troops. But rebels warn they will retake the city if the government fails to meet their demands. Host Michel Martin speaks with Reuters correspondent Jonny Hogg about the unrest.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Sugar Issues 23 mins – “Main feature (6 minutes in): We’re in that time of year when animals hibernate. Before they started their long winter’s nap, they fattened up, so they can make it through the winter. According to CU Health Sciences researcher, Richard Johnson, we humans also evolved to put on weight to make it through leaner times. But for us, it’s not a change of seasons that gets the weight gain started. It’s a specific trigger, called, “Sugar.” Specifically a kind of sugar called fructose, found in honey, fruit juice, corn syrup, and even regular table sugar. In his new book, The Fat Switch, Johnson traces the increasing availability of this fructose sugar among humans and how it has now made people fat, and sick for thousands of years… They begin with how too much sugar can make a person’s body get stuck, storing the sugar as fat.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
Gender Trap 54 mins – This topic name in MMD30 summarizes Part 1, but Part 2 was noted then and included in the zipped file for that episode: “For the past twenty years we’ve been hearing the claims from pop psychology to neuroscience: men and women, boys and girls, have different brains. Yet some neuroscientists and psychologists believe this leads to unhealthy gender stereotyping. IDEAS producer Mary O’Connell explores the debate.” At the link locate the title “The Gender Trap, Part 1 (Encore April 25, 2012),” right-click ” Download The Gender Trap, Part 1 (Encore April 25, 2012)” and select “Save Link As.”
Israel and Iran 54 mins- “Michael Enright speaks with two authors on the internal and external forces that have shaped modern Israel and Iran. Gershom Gorenberg, the author of The Unmaking of Israel. And Christopher de Bellaigue, the author of Patriot of Persia.” At the link locate the title, “The Enright Files,” right-click ” Download The Enright Files” and select “Save Link As.”
Nuclear Iran 54 mins -“Be it resolved the world cannot tolerate an Iran with nuclear weapons capability. That’s the resolution for the latest Munk Debate. On the pro side: Amos Yadlin and Charles Krauthammer. On the con side is Fareed Zakaria and Vali Nasr. At the link locate the title, “The Munk Debates – Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions (Broadcast Version),” right-click “Download The Munk Debates – Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions (Broadcast Version)” and select “Save Link As.” The non-broadcast version in the zipped collection at the top of this episode is 30 minutes longer!
Hunger in America 51 mins -“Americans are relying on what we used to call food stamps in unprecedented numbers. According to figures released in September, more than 46 million Americans, about one in seven, are getting government assistance for food, but it’s estimated that millions more struggle with hunger. The nation’s food banks, supported by private dollars and donations, are straining to fill the gap. Federal funding for food stamps is not on the line in the current tax and spending negotiations, but some believe new limits on government food assistance programs are needed. Please join us to discuss hunger in America and what we can do about it.” With four guests. 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.
Prison Sex 23 mins – “Linda Pressly investigates why rape and sexual abuse is so common in America’s huge prison system – and asks if new measures to fight it will succeed.” At the link locate the title, ” Docs: US Prison Rape Dec 2012,” right-click “Download 11MB” and select “Save Link As.”
Chemical Warfare 23 mins – “John Simpson looks back at the chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja, unleashed by Saddam Hussein in 1988. What hope and justice can a new scientific investigation offer to the families of those 5000 civilians who lost their lives?” At the link locate the title, “Decontaminating Halabja 03 Dec 12,” right-click “Download 11MB” and select “Save Link As.”
Love Letters 5 mins – “Hannah Brencher’s mother always wrote her letters. So when she felt herself bottom into depression after college, she did what felt natural — she wrote love letters and left them for strangers to find. The act has become a global initiative, The World Needs More Love Letters, which rushes handwritten letters to those in need of a boost.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Global Warming Plans 10 mins – “As Vicki Arroyo says, it’s time to prepare our homes and cities for our changing climate, with its increased risk of flooding, drought and uncertainty. She illustrates this inspiring talk with bold projects from cities all over the world — local examples of thinking ahead.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Therapeutic Inertia 13 mins – “Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers — and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.” She does not use the term, therapeutic inertia, but it is a term applied to many situations she presents. At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Bio Fuel from Algae 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.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Spores 69 mins – Profs Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter meet with Jonathan Dworkin to discuss how bacteria form spores and how they return to vegetative growth. At the link right-click “TWIM#46” and select “Save Link As”.
ALEC in State Legislatures 32 mins – “Moyers & Company presents “United States of ALEC,” a report on the most influential corporate-funded political force most of America has never heard of — ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a “nonpartisan public-private partnership”. But behind that mantra lies a vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to increase corporate profits at public expense without public knowledge. ” At the link locate the title, right-click “Play Now ” to download the full program, but only the first half applies to ALEC.
African Failures 17 mins – “When most well-intentioned aid workers hear of a problem they think they can fix, they go to work. This, Ernesto Sirolli suggests, is naïve. In this funny and impassioned talk, he proposes that the first step is to listen to the people you’re trying to help, and tap into their own entrepreneurial spirit. His advice on what works will help any entrepreneur.” He mentions an important book, “Dead Aid“. At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Lady Bird Johnson 51 mins – “Lady Bird Johnson chronicled her life in a series of interviews spanning almost 20 years. Oral historian Michael Gillette recounts his interviews with the former first lady, and we hear her firsthand account of life and marriage with President Lyndon Baines Johnson. 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.
Teaching Technics 37 mins – “Have you been striving to use more technology in your science instruction? Our guest this week may have some insights for you. We talk with Randy Bell – co-author of “Technology in the Secondary Science Classroom,” and Associate Dean and Professor of Science Education in the College of Education at Oregon State University. Randy talks to us about the effective use of technology in the science classroom, the power of simulations in science instruction, and some important tech tools that have the power to engage students in science.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Doomsday Scenarios 52 mins – “If there is only one show you hear about the end of the world, let it be this one. Recorded before a live audience at the Computer History Museum on October 27th, 2012, this two-part special broadcast of Big Picture Science separates fact from fiction in doomsday prediction. In this second episode: a global viral pandemic … climate change … and the threat of assimilation by super-intelligent machines.” Four guests participate and reference to the PREDICT program. At the link locate the title, “Doomsday Live, Part 2,” right-click “Media files BiPiSci12-12-03.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio file.
Landlines Future 51mins – “Landline phone use is plummeting. The telecom industry argues it should no longer be required to provide the service. Consumer groups disagree. The future of the landline [with four guests]. “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.
IT Conversations 40 mins “When Doug Kaye created IT Conversations in 2003, most people didn’t know what a podcast was and why they should care. Yet the idea spread and today, all kinds of people and organizations regularly release content to people throughout the world. Doug joins Phil Windley to bid farewell to the Conversations Network. They discuss the background of why Doug chose to be a podcast pioneer and how the network helped revolutionize a new way to distribute interesting content.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
Internet Threats 18 mins – “There are three basic components that made the Web possible: (1) the basic underlying infrastructure and the set of protocols that have existed for a very long time; (2) the open standards built that allowed every one to share information, link to each other, view client side source code of other people’s web sites and figure out how to re-use it, etc. and (3) the democratic legal system and environment that made all of this possible. These very conditions are under a threat. We should be worried. In the recent times, there have been a series of announcements from the International Telecommunication Union to control bandwidth allocation. The major telecommunication companies are quibbling with carriers to control how much bandwidth they can allocate and which services will be allowed. Content is being restricted. As a result of all this, the penetration of Internet adoption in the US is still slow. US ranks at number 25 to 27 in the list of countries and their Web penetration rates.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
Education Programs 60 mins; 87 mins; 99 mins – “As the 2015 expiration date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, the goal of achieving universal access to primary education is unlikely to be realized. Worldwide, 61 million children still do not have access to primary school and millions more are in school but not learning basic skills. In response, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a five-year global education initiative, Education First, at the U.N. General Assembly this September, calling on local governments and the international community to prioritize quality education leading up to and following 2015. On December 5, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings hosted a discussion on the role of education in the post-2015 development agenda. Building on the launch of Education First, the {approximately 15] panelists discussed how to reach the remaining children with no access to school, and improve the quality and relevancy of education for all children and youth.” At the link click on the “Audio” tab, click “Part 1, 2, 3” in turn, then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
Poverty Control 133 mins – “On December 5, the Center on Children and Families at Brookings and Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity held an event to examine the impact of the election on programs affecting the poor and contributing to opportunity for economic advancement. How has the election affected threats to enact major cuts in anti-poverty programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)? To answer this and related questions, we heard from two major political figures within the Democratic Party and the Republican Party as well as a panel of [4] experts with extensive experience in previous administrations.” At the link click on the “Audio” tab, click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
SEC Failure 52 mins – “Mary Schapiro took over as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2009. The nation was in serious financial crisis and Wall Street seemed to resemble the Wild West in need of a strong sheriff. Many saw Schapiro as that sheriff and credit her with salvaging the agency’s role as Wall Street’s watchdog. Critics point to unfinished business, such as addressing the root causes of the financial crisis and punishing the perpetrators whose actions contributed to it. A discussion [by three guests] of the role of the SEC and its future under new leadership.” 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.
US Financial Reform 102 mins – “In light of the financial crisis and ensuing severe recession, Western governments are in the process of sharply transforming the laws and regulations for banks and other financial institutions. Yet, recent scandals and problems at major banks have given new life to calls for major structural changes beyond Dodd-Frank, Basel III and other banking reforms, including a return to Glass-Steagall’s restrictions on activities at banking groups or breaking up the largest banks. Any such changes would have significant implications for economic growth and stability, given the central role of finance in lubricating the gears of the economy.” Two panels make presentations. The second at 102 mins with three participants deals with the future and is more interesting. The first speaker, Prof Calomiris, has been interviewed on EconTalk and co-authored “Fragile By Design“. At the link click on the “Audio” tab, click “Part 2…” then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”.
New Festivals 9 mins – “David Binder is a major Broadway producer, but last summer he found himself in a small Australian neighborhood, watching locals dance and perform on their lawns — and loving it. He shows us the new face of arts festivals, which break the boundary between audience and performer and help cities express themselves.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Orphanage Problems 11 mins – “Orphanages are costly and can cause irreparable damage both mentally and physically for its charges — so why are they still so ubiquitous? Georgette Mulheir gravely describes the tragedy of orphanages and urges us to end our reliance on them, by finding alternate ways of supporting children in need.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Democracy Defined 14 mins – “The public is losing faith in democracy, says British MP Rory Stewart. Iraq and Afghanistan’s new democracies are deeply corrupt; meanwhile, 84 percent of people in Britain say politics is broken. In this important talk, Stewart sounds a call to action to rebuild democracy, starting with recognizing why democracy is important — not as a tool, but as an ideal.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Foster Children 15mins – “Literature has long been fascinated with fostered, adopted and orphaned children, from Moses to Cinderella to Oliver Twist to Harry Potter. So why do many parentless children feel compelled to hide their pasts? Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay tells his own moving story.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Perception Change 15 mins – “What do science and play have in common? Neuroscientist Beau Lotto thinks all people (kids included) should participate in science and, through the process of discovery, change perceptions. He’s seconded by 12-year-old Amy O’Toole, who, along with 25 of her classmates, published the first peer-reviewed article by schoolchildren, about the Blackawton bees project. It starts: “Once upon a time … ” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Living Faster 12 mins -“The world is changing much more rapidly than most people realize, says business educator Eddie Obeng — and creative output cannot keep up. In this spirited talk, he highlights three important changes we should understand for better productivity, and calls for a stronger culture of “smart failure.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Mental Illness 9 mins – “Diseases of the body garner sympathy, says comedian Ruby Wax — except those of the brain. Why is that? With dazzling energy and humor, Wax, diagnosed a decade ago with clinical depression, urges us to put an end to the stigma of mental illness.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
New Ideas Impact 18 mins- “The open-source world has learned to deal with a flood of new, oftentimes divergent, ideas using hosting services like GitHub — so why can’t governments? In this rousing talk Clay Shirky shows how democracies can take a lesson from the Internet, to be not just transparent but also to draw on the knowledge of all their citizens.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Tantalum 9 mins – “Your mobile phone, computer and game console have a bloody past — tied to tantalum mining, which funds the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Drawing on his personal story, activist and refugee Bandi Mbubi gives a stirring call to action.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Open Government 17 mins – “What can governments learn from the open-data revolution? In this stirring talk, Beth Noveck, the former deputy CTO at the White House, shares a vision of practical openness — connecting bureaucracies to citizens, sharing data, creating a truly participatory democracy. Imagine the “writable society” She notes the value of the crisis mapping website, Ushahidi. At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
China Workforce 14 mins – “In the ongoing debate about globalization, what’s been missing is the voices of workers — the millions of people who migrate to factories in China and other emerging countries to make goods sold all over the world. Reporter Leslie T. Chang sought out women who work in one of China’s booming megacities, and tells their stories.”At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Slavery 19 mins – “For the past two years, photographer Lisa Kristine has traveled the world, documenting the unbearably harsh realities of modern-day slavery. She shares hauntingly beautiful images — miners in the Congo, brick layers in Nepal — illuminating the plight of the 27 million souls enslaved worldwide.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Parkinson Detection 6 mins -“Parkinson’s disease affects 6.3 million people worldwide, causing weakness and tremors, but there’s no objective way to detect it early on. Yet. Applied mathematician and TED Fellow Max Little is testing a simple, cheap tool that in trials is able to detect Parkinson’s with 99 percent accuracy — in a 30-second phone call.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Coursera 21 mins – “Daphne Koller is enticing top universities to put their most intriguing courses online for free — not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (cofounded by Andrew Ng), each keystroke, quiz, peer-to-peer discussion and self-graded assignment builds an unprecedented pool of data on how knowledge is processed” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
City Bee Hives 13 mins – “Bees have been rapidly and mysteriously disappearing from rural areas, with grave implications for agriculture. But bees seem to flourish in urban environments — and cities need their help, too. Noah Wilson-Rich suggests that urban beekeeping might play a role in revitalizing both a city and a species.” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Terrorist Technology 19 mins – “The world is becoming increasingly open, and that has implications both bright and dangerous. Marc Goodman paints a portrait of a grave future, in which technology’s rapid development could allow crime to take a turn for the worse” At the link click “Download” then right-click “Download to desktop (MP3)” and select “Save Link As”.
Over 120 feeds used to prepare this weekly blog are harvested with Feedreader3. The feeds are available in this opm file. A PDF of feeds is also available. Free Commander is used each week to compare old with new downloads and remove any duplicates. MP3SpeedChanger is applied to podcast batches to change playback speed to 1.5x. A speed listening background article is here. Sixty-four podcasts for 2010 and earlier at 1.5x are listed alphabetically in this PDF and can be downloaded in two sections as zip files, Part 1 and Part 2, each holding about 350 MB. For 2011 an alphabetical PDF list of 184 podcasts at 1.5x is available, and can be downloaded in five segments. A similar list and downloads for 362 podcasts for Jan-Jun 2012 is here. Podcasts are grouped into zipped files for easier downloading and segmented due to a 300MB limit on file uploads. A similar group for the last half of 2012 will be available in Jan 2013. A comm-enter recommended this $1.99 iPhone/iPad app for mobile devices; leave a comment if you try it. Please comment on any problems with the links and downloads.
Thanks for visiting.
Media Mining Digest 