The following audio files were selected from a larger group of 158 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 35 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed can also be downloaded as a single 204 MB zip file here for four months (vs 805 MB normal speed). Accumulations of these are discussed at the end of this episode. (Some links in old episodes may be dead due to updating; try a current episode.)
Alzheimer’s 51 mins – “An estimated 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. By mid-century, this number could climb to 14 or 15 million. Suffering is immense for both patients and their families and so is the cost. We spend close to $200 billion dollars every year for Alzheimer’s patient care and treatment. Demographic trends together with healthcare cost projections clearly put us on an unsustainable path. As part of our ongoing Mind and Body Series: please join us for an update on public and private research aimed at learning how Alzheimer’s progresses through the brain and the effort to find drugs that can slow or even stop the disease.” (Three guests participate.) At the link 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.
American Gut Project 24 mins – At the 13 minute mark of this mixed episode, all of which is interesting (ozone, cholesterol, diabetes), begins the ten-minute discussion about the American Gut Project. It mimics the genome project where you submit samples that are characterized and added to a database to help everyone better understand the gut microflora. You’ll have to pay to participate and many will be discouraged from paying for more than one sample. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As”
Asian Water Woes 95 mins – “Security concerns in Asia focus today on maritime and territorial disputes in Northeast Asia, yet the potential for conflict over access to fresh water across the continent may be equally dangerous. Asia’s exploding demand for water makes it the most water-scarce continent per capita. Many of its water sources cross national boundaries, creating the potential to raise international tensions as water becomes less available. The water security challenges facing China and India in particular may have consequences not just for the two rising powers, but also for Asia as a whole. How policy-makers manage that demand and deal with cross-border water conflicts deserves greater attention.” At the link click the audio tab, then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio file.
Broadband Projects 88 mins – “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included $7.2 billion to expand access to high-speed Internet services to close the digital divide, drive economic growth, and build the technology infrastructure and skills that America needs to compete in the 21st century. Roughly $4 billion of that total supports the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, or BTOP. The program, which is administered by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), is investing in roughly 230 projects to increase broadband access and adoption around the country.” At the link click the audio tab, then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio file.
China Channel 60 mins – “In what ways is the Chinese Internet a better source for grassroots Chinese sentiment than traditional quotes and sources? In what ways is it worse? More broadly, what best practices can and should journalists use when mining social media for sentiment? David Wertime—co-founder and co-editor of Tea Leaf Nation, an English-language online magazine that synthesizes and analyzes Chinese social media—discusses how his team analyzes Chinese language social media to discern trends in grassroots sentiment.” At the link right-click “Download the 
MP3″ and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
China in Nigeria 26 mins – “How China impacts local job markets is a divisive topic among Africans. Some insist the Chinese take up jobs that native youth desperately need. Others argue these foreign workers bring in expertise and employment.” At the link right-click the
at the right side of the listening bar and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Cook Book Medicine 51 mins – “The United States spends $2.5 trillion on health care, accounting for more than 16 percent of our gross domestic product. But more spending has not translated into better results: the U.S. consistently ranks below other countries on delivering quality health care. A major culprit in rising costs is medical testing, which totals $250 billion extra every year. In a new book, two Harvard doctors say physicians rely too much on algorithms and formulas to make a diagnosis, leading them to order unnecessary tests. How to get the right diagnosis and better care from your doctor.” At the link you can listen online and view a transcript, but notdownload the program; however, it’s included with the zipped collection at the top of this edition.
Defense Spending 111 mins – “The U.S. Department of Defense has been described as “bloated” by the man nominated to be its next secretary, former Senator Chuck Hagel. Many share this view. However, achieving reforms is more difficult than diagnosing the problem, and estimating how much can realistically be saved is particularly challenging. Yet, rough approximations are needed as Congress and President Barack Obama seek to determine how much more, if at all, the defense budget might be reduced over the next ten years as part of a possible deal to avert the fiscal cliff before its new March 1 deadline.” At the link click the audio tab, then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio file.
DIY Biology 10 mins – “We have personal computing, why not personal biotech? That’s the question biologist Ellen Jorgensen and her colleagues asked themselves before opening Genspace, a nonprofit DIYbio lab in Brooklyn devoted to citizen science, where amateurs can go and tinker with biotechnology. Far from being a sinister Frankenstein’s lab (as some imagined it), Genspace offers a long list of fun, creative and practical uses for DIYbio. Ellen Jorgensen is at the leading edge of the do-it-yourself biotechnology movement, which brings scientific exploration and understanding to the masses.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click the audio or video option and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Doctors and Death 21 mins – “We turn to doctors to save our lives — to heal us, repair us, and keep us healthy. But when it comes to the critical question of what to do when death is at hand, there seems to be a gap between what we want doctors to do for us, and what doctors want done for themselves. Producer Sean Cole introduces us to Joseph Gallo, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who discovered something striking about what doctors were not willing to do to save their own lives. As part of the decades-long Johns Hopkins Precursors Study, Gallo found himself asking the study’s aging doctor-subjects questions about death. Their answers, it turns out, don’t sync up with the answers most of us give.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the podcast.
Equal Rights Progress 15 mins – “Many people have argued that President Obama’s election and re-election were crowning achievements of the civil rights movement. Host Michel Martin explores what makes a social movement a success. She speaks with Linda Hirshman, author of ‘Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution‘ and Marie Wilson, founder of The White House Project.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Filibuster Failure 52 mins – The first 24 minutes of this Bill Moyers’ episode deals with the filibuster issue: “… Tuesday, January 22 — on Capitol Hill. That’s when the United States Senate is supposed to decide the fate of the filibuster. Once “the world’s most deliberative body”, the Senate has become a graveyard of democracy where, says Bill Moyers, “grown men and women are zombified in a process no respectable witch doctor would emulate for fear of a malpractice suit. Case in point: The 112th Congress that just ended — the least productive in the record books — saw Republicans mounting or threatening to mount nearly 400 filibusters, blocking everything from equal pay for equal work and jobs bills to immigration reform and judicial appointments. As a result, there are more vacancies on the federal courts today than when President Obama first took office. With minimal effort — and hardly a word spoken — a minority of Senators can prevent lawmakers from even discussing legislation by simply making phone call to the cloakroom. The filibuster is also “a triumph of hypocrisy,” Moyers says, because the party in the majority always wants to reform it, until that same party winds up in the minority and wants to keep it.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save File As” to get the audio file.
Fix Me Stick 33 mins – Podnutz episode 96 is an interview with the man who makes a thumb drive with three anti-viral programs which are activated before a computer boots up in order to locate and remove most viral attacks that can be applied by the average computer user. Fix Me Stick seems to be a respected product, but it isn’t free and costs $60. At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” to get the podcast.
Foundations v. Non Profits 60 mins -“Steven McCormick, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, discusses the value and continued need of an entrepreneurial approach in the philanthropic sector. McCormick also shares lessons learned on staying obsessively focused on outcomes, the critical need to measure success, and how to create change by being a ‘positive deviant’ inside organizations. At the link click “Podcast” right-click “Download MP3,” then select “Save Link As” from the drop-down menu.
Gravity Light 28 mins – The second item of six in this weekly NPR Technology program describes Inventors Design Lamp Powered Entirely By Gravity. It’s a single LED powered for 30 minutes by a bag of dirt on a cable that can be reset in 30 seconds. The work is aimed at eliminating the battery or need for sunlight used with low-cost lights in underdeveloped countries. It includes terminals for connections to other low-powered devices. The price is about $5 and distribution is pending. At the link find the title, “NPR: 01-23-2013 Technology,” right-click “Media files npr_170123217.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to get the audio file.
Greek Opposition Leader 83 mins – “On January 22, Global Economy and Development at Brookings hosted Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the Greek opposition, for a conversation about Greece and the economic challenges ahead. Tsipras’ remarks touched on themes including: economic and social prospects for his own country; the relationship between Athens and the rest of Europe, including what reforms are needed in Greece and Europe to address the crisis; and what role, if any, the U.S. can play in assisting Greece and Europe tackle their current problems.” At the link click the audio tab, then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio file.
Higgs Field 60 mins – “This week, we’re looking at one of the biggest science stories of 2012, and one of the largest instruments in the history of science. Guest host Marie-Claire Shanahan spends the hour with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll, author of the new book The Particle at The End of The Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World. They’ll discuss the search for the particle that gives all the others their mass, the story of the Large Hadron Collider, and the challenge of communicating with a broad audience about difficult topics in cutting-edge physics.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the interview.
Iceberg Ship Habbakuk 54mins – “1942: Hitler’s U-Boats are ravaging merchant ships that Britain depends on for its survival. Enter a plan, for a gigantic warship, to help the Allies win the Battle of the Atlantic. It will be built in Canada and made from … ice! Richard Longley tells the story of iceberg ship Habbakuk, in all its icy eccentricity.” At the link find the title, then right-click “
Download Iceberg Ship Habbakuk” and select “Save Link As” from the drop-down list.
Investment Pornograpny 13 mins – “Recent headlines at morningstar.com herald their “Fund Managers of the Year for 2012”. As is often the case, these managers are those richly rewarded for their past performance. We all know we can’t buy the past, but it doesn’t stop investors from hoping the past is prologue. Paul discusses the performance of the hottest of the funds, Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund. The good news is the fund made lots of money. The bad news is it was much riskier and more expensive than competing index funds. In fact, many of the index funds actually beat Virtus’ short and long-term track record. As always, Paul tries to get investors to look behind the hype and focus on the numbers so as to act in your own best interest.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the podcast.
Java Issues 42 min- Homeland Security announced that Java used on most computers can be a major source of problems as an avenue for hackers to gain access, so HS recommended not to use it. The Mike Tech show at the link discusses the fact that many computer users need to use Java and discusses how to do so safely by making sure various protective barriers are in place. The 4 minute discussion starts at the 32 minute mark. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the whole audio file.
Lobbying in Utah 59 mins – Dave Spatafore Capstone Strategies discusses the lobbying process at the state level with college students, how it mimics the federal process and how lobbying has changed over the decades of his work in this area. At the link right-click the blue arrow left of “Listen” and select “Save Link As” to get the audio file.
Managing Utility Assets 13mins – “Kurt Towler, GIS coordinator with Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, discusses the use of ArcGIS in electric utility asset management.” He discusses tracking power, structures (power poles), locations of equipment and population distribution (demographics) to determine where maintenance and other service is prioritized. At the link find the title, “Managing Utility Assets with ArcGIS,” right-click “Media files user_towler.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to get the podcast.
Manhood 14 mins – “An educator takes in a troubled student after his mother dies. Tim King is founder and CEO of Urban Prep Academies, a nonprofit organization operating a network of public charter boy schools in Chicago. Tim also teaches at Northwestern University, regularly contributes to several publications, and lectures nationally.” At the link you should be able to download or listen or go to iTunes and listen or download, but none of those options worked in Firefox of Chrome. However, the file is included in the zip file of all session podcasts mentioned at the top of this episode.
Mental Health Policy 16 mins – “President Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence includes provisions aimed at shoring up access to mental health care — but is that practical? Host Michel Martin discusses the plan’s mental health goals with Michael Fitzpatrick of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Dr. Carl Bell of the University of Illinois.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Micro Quad Copters 102 mins – The first nine minutes of this episode of The Crash Cast talks about a $50 tiny tough Scorpion V202 quad copter that flies for eight minutes per battery charge comes with an extra battery pack and several extra sets of propellers. The price includes the controlling joystick unit, too. The links for the podcast include a military field manual of several hundred pages in pdf format about fixed and rotary wing flying fundamentals. Also are links to two new RC-related podcasts. At the link right-click the POD symbol towards the upper left side next to “TPACF” and select “Save Link As” to get the audio file.
Moral Psychology 20 mins – “If an asteroid were headed for Earth, we’d all band together and figure out how to stop it, just like in the movies, right? And yet, when faced with major, data-supported, end-of-the-world problems in real life, too often we retreat into partisan shouting and stalemate. Jonathan Haidt shows us a few of the very real asteroids headed our way — some pet causes of the left wing, some of the right — and suggests how both wings could work together productively to benefit humanity as a whole. Jonathan Haidt studies how — and why — we evolved to be moral. By understanding more about our moral roots, his hope is that we can learn to be civil and open-minded.” At the link click “Download,” select audio or visual download with a right-click and select “Save Link As” from the drop-down menu to get the file.
Morehouse College 17 mins – “John Silvanus Wilson is the new president of Morehouse, the famed historically black college in Atlanta. Host Michel Martin speaks with Wilson about the challenges facing the only all-male HBCU. [Historically Black Colleges and Universities]” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Morphine Pain 18 mins – About 12 minutes into this issue of BBC Health Check is a discussion about why morphine can increase pain. You can read this at the link, but not download; however, the audio file is included in the zip collection for the first half of 2013.
Parkinson’s Disease 12 mins – “Roger Barker discusses fetal dopaminergic transplantation as a therapeutic option for Parkinson’s disease.” At the link go to and right-click “January, 2013” and select “Save Link As” to get the audio file.
Pneumonia Affects Heart 8 mins – “Vicente Corrales-Medina discusses a review about the association between pneumonia and cardiovascular disease.” The sound is poor but useable. At the link right-click “January 18, 2013” and select “Save Link As” to get the audio file.
Roe v. Wade 17 mins – “Forty years ago this week, the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade established the right to an abortion. But today, laws vary widely from state to state. Host Michel Martin sits down with the ladies of the Beauty Shop to talk about the history of the case, and where abortion rights law might end up in the next forty years.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Status Check 58 mins – “Kevin Kelly talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about measuring productivity in the internet age and recent claims that the U.S. economy has entered a prolonged period of stagnation. Then the conversation turns to the potential of robots to change the quality of our daily lives.” At the link find the title, “Kelly on the Future, Productivity, and the Quality of Life,” right-click “Media files Kellyfuture.mp3” and select “Save File As” to download the podcast.
Syrian Revolution 11 mins – “As President Obama starts his second term, Tell Me More is looking at unfinished business from his first four years in office. The United Nations estimates that 60,000 people have already died in the ongoing Syria conflict. Host Michel Martin discusses the president’s foreign policy challenges in that country with Abderrahim Foukara of Al Jazeera International.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Taste and Health 28 mins – “Little known fact: we have taste buds all over our bodies, not just our tongues. Another surprise? Our taste buds might play a role in more than just our processing of taste. On today’s show producer Mary Harris visits the Monell Chemical Senses Center here in Philadelphia to find out if she is one of the lucky few whose super-taster status affords them better health. Then we welcome Nadia Berenstein to the studio to discuss her research on the early days of synthetic flavor development. She reveals how a cadre of early flavorists changed our very perception of familiar flavors like pineapple.” At the link right-click “Download” and select”Save Link As” from the drop down menu to get the podcast.
Understanding Pain 58 mins – “Episode 93 the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. Fernando Cervero. Dr. Cervero is the current president of the international Association for the Study of Pain and author of “Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain.” At the link go to “Direct download:,” right-click “93-BSP-Cevero.mp3” and select “Save Link As”.
U.S. Latin America Policy 11 mins – “As President Obama starts his second term, host Michel Martin takes a look at his foreign policy agenda. She speaks with NPR‘s Juan Forero about upcoming opportunities and challenges in Latin America — from drug trafficking, to changes in leadership, to the evolution of the U.S. relationship with Cuba.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” to get the file.
Over 130 feeds used to prepare this weekly blog are harvested with Feedreader3. The feeds are available in this opm file which Feedreader can import. 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, and 591 for Jul-Dec here. Podcasts are grouped into zipped files for easier downloading and segmented due to a 300MB limit on file uploads. A commenter 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 
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