The following audio files come from a larger group of 143 from last week. Double-click or ctrl-click individual highlighted links. A 164 MB zip file of 29 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed for 11 hours of listening is here for four months vs 655 MB normal speed for 17 hours of listening using the topic links, below. Other groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
Aboriginal Health Fix 8 mins – “It began in 1985 with Aboriginal communities close to Alice Springs. It was noted that 80% of illnesses were infectious disease caused by poor living environments. Paul Pholeros was part of a group brought together to identify and fix the problems. It turns out most of the illness could be traced to poor or broken showers. This led to formation of Health Habitat and Housing for Health.” At the link right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Arturo Sandoval 10 mins – “Cuban-born trumpeter Arturo Sandoval is set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this year for his contributions to the world of music. He’s won nine Grammy awards and an Emmy. He’s also collaborated with legends like Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis, and contemporary stars such as Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys. But his most famous and consequential musical partnership was with his hero, Dizzy Gillespie. Tell Me More guest host Celeste Headlee sat down with Sandoval to talk about his start as a trumpet player in Cuba, and how his journey to America influenced his music.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband DIY in England 21 mins – “Fed up with slow internet connections rural activists [B4RN] are embarking on community based schemes, digging ditches and laying fibre-optic cables to bring broadband to remote areas.” Its site, B4RN, says: “This is a community-wide, co-operative, and collaborative initiative to do the job once, and do it correctly without costly stopgap solutions in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the Forest of Bowland and the Lune Valley.” At the link find the title, “DigitalP: 20 Aug 13: B4RN high speed connectivity, ” right-click “Media files digitalp 20130820-2032a.mp3″ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband in Spanish Fork 27 mins – “The Spanish Fork Community Fiber Network (SFCN) is an incredibly successful HFC cable network in Utah. It delivers television, telephone, and Internet access at incredibly low rates to most of the community despite competition from Comcast. Located south of Provo, Spanish Fork has a population of 35,000. Director of Information Systems and SFCN Director John Bowcut joins us for episode 60 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. We discuss why they built the network in 2000. Funded with 15 year bonds, the network mortgage is nearly retired. In the meantime, the network generates an extra million in revenue for the local government and keeps over $2 million in the community each year with its low rates that force competitors to keep rates lower than they otherwise would.” At the link right-click “…download this MP3…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Bubble Boy Syndrome 14 mins – “Dr. David Williams of the Boston Children’s Hospital may be on the verge of curing the mysterious Bubble Boy Syndrome.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save the Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Carb Addiction 14 mins – “Drugs, alcohol, nicotine…processed carbohydrates? Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital says certain carbs affect our brains, much like addictive substances.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Childhood Labels 18 mins – “Schools have long used IQ tests to group students. But some experts say labels like ‘gifted’ or ‘disabled’ are following students throughout their education — for better and worse. Guest host Celeste Headlee finds out more.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cyber Surveillance 117 mins – “Hosts Steve Gibson with Leo Laporte cover the consequences of the Snowden leaks and, with that in mind, they examine the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) system for encrypting email and attachments.” First half is devoted to cyber surveillance. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Texting while Driving 51 mins – “Werner Herzog is not a name one would associate with a public service campaign. But the filmmaker who made evocative pieces about Antarctica and a man living with grizzly bears has taken on a much different, and equally haunting, topic: texting while driving. And the public is paying attention. The film has now been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube. But with 75 percent of teens admitting that texting while driving is common, experts say there is a long way to go before people change their behavior behind the wheel. Guest host Steve Roberts and our guests discuss the dangers of texting while driving.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the file is included in the zip collection noted in the introduction to this episode.
Drugs in America 53 mins – “At the beginning of August, Illinois legalized medical marijuana, becoming the 20th state to do so. And less than a year ago, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. But back in the early 20th century, both states were among the first to ban the drug. If that seems like a radical change, well – it’s hardly the first time a drug has undergone a major image overhaul in America. So in this episode of BackStory, we’re examining those shifts, tracing the changing face of drugs – and drug users – in the United States.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Education in the US 52 mins – Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids In The World, “…follows three American kids who each spend a year studying in top-rated countries for education: Finland, South Korea and Poland. Their stories reveal truths about keys to educational success and how they might be replicated in the United States.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the file is included in the zip collection noted in the introduction to this episode.
Food and Germs 37 mins – “We talk with authors Michael Pollan and Moises Velasquez-Manoff about the power of bacteria, an element of health that is just beginning to be studied.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Haiti Book 12 mins – “Tell Me More’s summer reading series, Island Reads, highlights authors from the Caribbean. Julia Alvarez’s A Wedding In Haiti started as a promise to a young Haitian man who was working on a farm. If he ever married, Alvarez and her husband would attend the wedding. Little did she know what that would entail, and all that would follow. Julia Alvarez told Tell Me More guest host Celeste Headlee about that journey and more.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
India Economy 66 mins – “Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economy of India based on his book with Arvind Panagariya, Why Growth Matters. Bhagwati argues that the economic reforms of 1991 ushered in a new era of growth for India that has reduced poverty and improved the overall standard of living in India. While supportive of social spending on the poor, Bhagwati argues that growth should precede higher levels of spending, providing the tax revenue for expanded spending.” At the link find the title, “Bhagwati on India,” right-click “Media files BhagwatiIndia.mp3″ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up media.
Lung Cancer Screening 10 mins – “John Field discusses the potential of population screening for lung cancer.” At the link find the title, “Listen to The Lancet: 23 August,” right-click “Media files 23august.mp3″ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mohammad Ali 8 mins – “The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a new documentary that looks at the battles boxing’s biggest star faced outside of the ring. Guest host Celeste Headlee talks to the director, Bill Siegel, and journalist Dave Zirin.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
NSA Surveillance 51 mins – “According to documents declassified yesterday, in 2011 the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruled a data collection method then being used by NSA was unconstitutional. It was a process that failed to specifically exclude thousands of emails and other electronic communications between Americans in this country. The opinion is the latest in a series of new details that shed light on the NSA’s massive surveillance operations — an ongoing effort that can monitor an estimated 75 percent of the nation’s Internet communications.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the file is included in the zip collection noted in the introduction to this episode.
Oil Spills Inland 52 mins – “In March of this year, an Exxon Mobil pipeline in Arkansas burst, spilling about 200,000 gallons of thick Canadian crude oil. Three years ago in Michigan, an Enbridge Energy pipeline ruptured. More than 840,000 gallons of oil spewed into the Kalamazoo River. Communities in both states are still dealing with the aftermath. The fear of a major oil spill is one of the reasons many environmentalists are fighting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Industry experts argue pipeline technology has improved greatly in recent years. They say Keystone will be safe and will help the U.S. economy. Diane and her [5] guests discuss the latest news on the oil spills and the safety of shipping oil through pipelines.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the file is included in the zip collection noted in the introduction to this episode.
Sports Gene 52 mins – “Every high school has its star athletes who are so good it seems like they were born to throw a football, run the 100-meter dash or swing a baseball bat. The sports writer David Epstein has spent a lot of time around exceptional athletes, and he started to wonder if their skills were the result of freak genetic programming or just lots and lots of practice. Epstein has written a new book that examines the science of extraordinary athletic performance and he joins us Thursday to talk about it.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Streptomycin History 13 mins – “Even the Nobel committee got it wrong. The Nobel Prize for medicine in 1952 was awarded to Selman Waksman. But despite the prize, Waksman didn’t discover streptomycin. Lab notebooks reveal the discovery was made by Albert Schatz, a PhD student of Waksman. The case went to the courts. One man became famous. The other couldn’t find work. And what about the vast sums from royalties? All became clear when journalist Peter Pringle tracked down the lab notebooks. The work was done by Albert Schatz. Peter Pringle tells the story.” At the link right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sugar-Again 51 mins – “The sweet stuff is getting sour press. Some researchers say sugar is toxic. A new study seems to support that idea: mice fed the human equivalent of an extra three sodas a day become infertile or die. But should cupcakes be regulated like alcohol?Hear both sides of the debate. Another researcher says that animal studies are misleading, and that for good health, you should count calories, not candy and carbs.” At the link right-click “Download file” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Taking Medicine 18 mins – “A new patient with an abnormal electrocardiogram comes to your office. He is 53, smokes, and has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Though he comes for preoperative risk evaluation, he needs more than “medical clearance” — he needs a primary doctor. Given his risk factors and hesitance to change his lifestyle, you recommend aspirin, a statin, and an antihypertensive. When he doesn’t show up for his stress test, you call him, and he says he doesn’t understand what the fuss is all about — he feels fine. “Why don’t you wait until something is wrong with me to give me these medications?” he asks, launching into a litany of justifications for not taking them: cost, nuisance, potential side effects, not wanting to put anything “unnatural” in his body, and lack of perceived benefit. You attempt to educate him about his risk, but he says, “No disrespect to you, Doctor, but I’ve just never been a pill person. But,” he adds, “if something were to happen, you would still take care of me, right?'” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Texting while Driving 51 mins – “Werner Herzog is not a name one would associate with a public service campaign. But the filmmaker who made evocative pieces about Antarctica and a man living with grizzly bears has taken on a much different, and equally haunting, topic: texting while driving. And the public is paying attention. The film has now been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube. But with 75 percent of teens admitting that texting while driving is common, experts say there is a long way to go before people change their behavior behind the wheel. Guest host Steve Roberts and our guests discuss the dangers of texting while driving.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the file is included in the zip collection noted in the introduction to this episode.
Thrombolytics 155 mins – “This week [Thursday, June 28, 2012] The Lancet published the largest ever randomized trial of thrombolytics for acute stroke. Hands are wringing, teeth are gnashing, and department heads are fighting. It is the biggest, baddest controversy in our field: Do clot-busters benefit stroke patients?” Great presentation about research, medicine, diagnostics and politics. To download the podcast right-click here and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Water Resources 8 mins – “Caroline Sullivan describes water resources assessment. The many inputs go beyond the obvious to include politics, engineering, geography, topography and changing climate. Caroline Sullivan says water availability and equity will fast become political issues as changing climate sees rainfall totals vary widely from long-term averages. She highlights the value of water to tourism and agriculture as ongoing economic inputs, while mining resources once exploited are gone and often leave depleted lands and polluted waterways and aquifers.” At the link right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Whaling Controversy 8 mins – “Jonica Newby of Catalyst wondered whether Japan’s so-called scientific whaling can be justified. Where is the science in scientific whaling? Is it necessary to kill thousands of whales? And for what purpose, what benefit? Newby assembled three eminent scientists and presented them with the published results from eighteen years of Japanese whaling research. 6,800 whales were killed supposedly for this research to be conducted. Four papers met the criteria of peer review, relevance to maintaining a whaling industry and requiring the killing of whales to obtain the information.” At the link right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Women Retiring 11 mins – “The American workforce is graying. And while many people aren’t saving enough for retirement, that’s especially true for women. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with reporter Paul Solman and aging specialist Helen Dennis, about a gender gap in retirement earnings.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Yucca Mountain Permit 19 mins – “On Tuesday, August 13th, the US Court of Appeals-DC Circuit ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to evaluate the application for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. Dr. Bill Alley and Rosemarie Alley talk with us about the significance of the decision. The Alley’s just published Too Hot To Touch: The Problem of High-Level Nuclear Waste with Cambridge University Press. They were also our guests on August 13th’s How On Earth!” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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ARCHIVE
Jan-Jun 2013 files in 18 zip segments (832 podcasts) and a pdf list are here. Jan-Jun 2012 files in 8 segments (362 podcasts) and a pdf list are here, and 591 for Jul-Dec here. For 2011 a list and 5 segments 184 podcasts. For 2010 and earlier 64 podcasts are listed in this PDF and are zipped here as Part 1 and Part 2. (Dead links in old episodes are due to updating; try a current episode.) Over 160 feeds used to prepare this weekly blog are harvested with Feedreader3. The feeds are available in this opml file which Feedreader can import. A PDF list of feeds is here. Free Commander is used to compare old with new downloads to remove duplicates. MP3 Speed Changer is used to boost playback speed to 1.5x. A speed listening background article is here. Please comment on any problems with the links and downloads.
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Media Mining Digest 