The following audio files come from a larger group of 180 for this week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 31 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
Abortion Access 51 mins – “On this day 41 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled women have a constitutional right to an abortion. Today, thousands of abortion opponents will hold their annual rally in front of the Court to protest that decision. Despite numerous attempts to repeal it, Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land. But the past few years have seen a surge in the passage of anti-abortion measures by dozens of state legislatures. Supporters and opponents of abortion rights agree the new restrictions have dramatically altered access to the procedure. And some are concerned low-income women are especially affected. Diane and her guests discuss how access to abortion has shifted in the four decades since Roe v. Wade.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.
Angel Investor McClure 60 mins – “500 Startups Founding Partner Dave McClure delivers a passionate examination of the startup financing landscape. Arguing it’s the best of times for Internet entrepreneurship, McClure advocates making lots of small bets and reveling in the transformational approach of “The Lean VC.” At the link click “Podcast” then right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bitcoins 29 mins – “If you’ve heard about Bitcoin on the evening news or seen a headline about it, you might have been left with the impression that it’s some sort of online scam or the next Dutch tulip bubble. But Bitcoin and other cryptographic currencies are very real. Our guest this week on Sea Change Radio is Jem Bendell, a professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, the world’s first public university to accept Bitcoin for tuition payments. He explains how Bitcoin works and why he thinks it might help us move beyond the inadequacies and inequities of central bank-controlled currencies toward a sharing economy. Bitcoin has its critics to be sure, but, as New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki has so aptly put it, “the value of currency is, ultimately, what someone will give you for it…” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Border Crossings 52 mins – “Twenty years ago, NAFTA — the North American Free Trade Agreement — removed barriers to trade between the United States and Mexico, marking a more cooperative phase in what has often been a contentious relationship over the centuries. In this episode, Peter, Ed, and Brian delve into the complexities of that relationship and offer a broader take on American history that looks beyond our national boundaries.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Brain Plasticity 59 mins – “BSP 105 is an interview with Dr. Michael Merzenich, author of “Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.” At the link right-click (there or here) “105-BSP-Merzenich.mp3” and select “Save Link/Target As” from the pop-up menu.
Detroit 64 mins – “Edward Glaeser of Harvard University and author of The Triumph of Cities talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about American cities. The conversation begins with a discussion of the history of Detroit over the last century and its current plight. What might be done to improve Detroit’s situation? Why are other cities experiencing similar challenges to those facing Detroit? Why are some cities thriving and growing? What policies might help ailing cities and what policies have helped those cities that succeed? The conversation concludes with a discussion of why cities have such potential for growth.” At the link right-click (there or here) “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Detroit House Buying 8 mins – “When Drew Philp bought a house in Detroit for $500, he thought it would take a lot of work to make it livable. But as he was fixing it up, he learned a lot about Detroit and rebuilding a city. He tells guest host Celeste Headlee about the experience.” At the link right-click “Listen to the story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Disruptive Changes 55 mins – Leo Laporte interviews Larry Downes, an Internet industry analyst and co-author of “Big Bang Disruption.” “It used to take years or even decades for disruptive innovations to dethrone dominant products and services. But now any business can be devastated virtually overnight by something better and cheaper. How can executives protect themselves and harness the power of Big Bang Disruption?” At the link right-click “Audio” beside the down-pointing blue arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Employment Testing 19 mins – “To hire new employees, some companies are paying less attention to resumes and more attention to data — and the data are leading to some surprising findings. On today’s show, we take a weird hiring test for a call-center job. And we hear what does (and doesn’t) predict success for everyone from call-center workers to software developers.” At the link find the title, “#509: Will A Computer Decide Whether You Get Your Next Job?” right-click “Media files npr_262901758.mp3” and select “Save LinkAs” from the pop-up menu.
Expert Labs 36 mins – “Gina Trapani, blogger, author, software developer, and creator of ThinkTank, and Anil Dash, director of Expert Labs and blogging pioneer, talk about Expert Labs, an organization that seeks to improve government by letting policy makers tap into the collective wisdom of the public, and ThinkTank, an open source tool that the White House is using to crowdsource and sort policy ideas, insights, and recommendations offered through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.” At the link right-click (there or here) “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Eye Evolution 33 mins – “The wide array of eye designs in the animal kingdom reflects the critical role that sight plays in the well-being of an animal. Today, ophthamologist Dr. Ivan Schwab tells us the story of eye evolution, beginning with the first photoreceptive compounds and taking us through some of the most interesting and strange eyes known. We’ll also learn a bit about our own eyes, how they work, and how we compare to other animals.” At the link about mid-page is a section called “Individual Files” where a column labeled “VBR MP3” is located under which the blue number can be right-clicked and “Save File As” selected from the pop-up menu to download the audio file.
Gang Violence Solution 9 mins – “The city of High Point, North Carolina has seen a dramatic reduction in violent crime. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with High Point Police Chief Marty Sumner about the strategies he’s using, and why other cities are turning to High Point for advice.” At the link right-click “Listen to the story” and select “Save Link/Target As” from the pop-up menu.
Guerilla Warfare 33 mins – “This week on Uncommon Knowledge, military historian Max Boot discusses current events in Syria, Iran, and his recent book Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to Present. Boot explains how guerrilla warfare has been, and still is, the most common form of conflict even today, as seen in Syria and Afghanistan. Since conventional tactics do not work for unconventional armies, Boot offers lessons to be learned and applied to today’s battles. Boot further argues that now it is more important than ever to understand the history and operation of insurgent forces.” At the link right-click “Media files 20140122.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Innovation 38 mins – “Alex Tabarrok, author of the ebook Launching The Innovation Renaissance: A New Path to Bring Smart Ideas to Market Fast discusses America’s declining growth rate in total factor productivity, what this means for the future of innovation, and what can be done to improve the situation. According to Tabarrok, patents, which were designed to promote the progress of science and the useful arts, have instead become weapons in a war for competitive advantage with innovation as collateral damage. College, once a foundation for innovation, has been oversold. And regulations, passed with the best of intentions, have spread like kudzu and now impede progress to everyone’s detriment. Tabarrok outs forth simple reforms in each of these areas and also explains the role immigration plays in innovation and national productivity.” At the link right-click (there or here) “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Internet Crime 32 mins – “Joseph Menn, a Financial Times technology reporter and the author of Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down The Internet, discusses cyber crime. Menn says that one of the main challenges of cybersecurity is that the internet was never intended for many of the things it’s used for today, like e-commerce or critical infrastructure management. He talks about the implications of the internet still being in beta form and comments on the recent Sony data breach and other similar cyber attacks. Menn also discusses his book, telling a few anecdotes about the people who go beyond computer screens in pursuit of internet crime lords.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Internet Neurological Impact 36 mins – “Nicholas Carr, bestselling author who writes on the social, economic, and business implications of technology, discusses his new book, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. Carr posits that the internet is changing not only they way we consume information but also the biological and neurological workings of our brains. He addresses the internet’s effect on attention span and the ability to think deeply, neuroplasticity, multitasking, reading books v. snippets, Google, commonplaces, and much more.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mass Collaboration 32 mins – “Don Tapscott, writer, consultant, and speaker on business strategy and organizational transformation, and co-author of the bestseller Wikinomics, discusses his new book, Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World. In the book, Tapscott and his co-author, Anthony Williams, document how businesses, governments, nonprofits, and individuals are using mass collaboration to change how we work, live, learn, create, and govern. On the podcast, he discusses an Iraq veteran whose start-up car company is “staffed” by over 45,000 competing designers and supplied by microfactories around the country. He also talks about how companies are using competitions for R&D, and how mass collaboration can improve government regulation and universities.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mitochondria in the Brain 16 mins – “Henrik Hagberg discusses the role of mitochondria in CNS development and in the injury responses of the developing brain.” At the link find the title, “Listen to The Lancet Neurology: February, 2014,” right-click “Media files laneur_january.mp3” and select “Save File/Target As” from the pop-up menu.
Morality 63 mins – “Jonathan Haidt of New York University and author of The Righteous Mind talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his book, the nature of human nature, and how our brain affects our morality and politics. Haidt argues that reason often serves our emotions rather than the mind being in charge. We can be less interested in the truth and more interested in finding facts and stories that fit preconceived narratives and ideology. We are genetically predisposed to work with each other rather than being purely self-interested and our genes influence our morality and ideology as well. Haidt tries to understand why people come to different visions of morality and politics and how we might understand each other despite those differences.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link/Target As” from the pop-up menu.
Net Neutrality 52mins – “A federal appeals court strikes down Federal Communications Commission regulations that ensure equal access to the Internet. The debate over net neutrality, and what the decision could mean for consumers and Internet providers.” (4 guests) 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.
Netflix 44 mins – “Gina Keating, author of Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs, discusses the startup of Netflix and their competition with Blockbuster. Keating begins with the history of the company and their innovative improvements to the movie rental experience. She discusses their use of new technology and marketing strategies in DVD rental, which inspired Blockbuster to adapt to the changing market. Keating goes on to describe Netflix’s transition to internet streaming and Blockbuster’s attempts to retain their market share.” At the link right-click (there or here) “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
NSA for Lawyers 38 mins – “Edward Snowden’s leaks about NSA surveillance have been a hot topic in the media for the last few months. But what do lawyers, specifically, need to worry about? The answer is: a lot. On this edition of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon D. Nelson and John W. Simek take the stage and examine NSA surveillance as it relates to lawyers. Tune in for an overview of Snowden and the NSA surveillance controversy, how effective (or ineffective) encrypting data is, whether the surveillance is having a chilling effect on lawyers, how to abide by the Model Rules of Professionalism 1.6, and an answer to the underlying question – has George Orwell’s dystopia, 1984, arrived a few decades late?” At the link find the title, “The Implications of NSA Surveillance for Lawyers,” right-click “Media files The Implications of NSA Surveillance for Lawyers.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Online Porn Impact 46 mins -“Gilbert Wondracek, research fellow at the International Secure Systems Lab and postdoctoral fellow at the Vienna University of Technology, discusses his research on the online porn industry. He addresses various economic roles of online porn providers and the industry’s connections to malware and cybercrime. Wondracek also explains how he investigated the industry, how he set up adult websites to assess user vulnerabilities and examine traffic, what he learned, and how he got approval for the project.” (2010) At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Open Source Software Issues 42 mins – “Edmund J. Walsh, shareholder in the electrical and computer technologies group at Wolf Greenfield, and Andrew J. Tibbetts, patent agent assisting the electrical and computer technologies group at Wolf Greenfield, discuss the benefits and costs faced by businesses when they incorporate Open Source software into their products.” (2010) At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Rule Breaking 16 mins – “On today’s show: Three stories about people who, intentionally or not, found themselves breaking the rules. 1. In A City With Terrible Traffic, A Gridlock Economy Emerges 2. Why U.S. Taxpayers Started — And Stopped — Paying Brazilian Cotton Farmers 3. How A Community Bank Tripped On Footnote 1,861 Of The Volcker Rule” At the link find the title, “#511: Rule Breakers,” right-click “Media files npr_265047236.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Shots Fired Palm Desert 15 mins – “A quiet shopping trip ended in a furious gun battle when Deputy Jason Hendrix tried to stop an angry man from killing several hostages. Shots Fired article written by Dean Scoville and read by Dan Hazeltine.” (1996) At the link find the title, “Shots Fired: March 30, 1996 – Palm Desert, California,” right-click the same beside “Media files” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Shots Fired Scottsdale 35 mins – “Detective James Peters acted immediately and decisively to end a barricade incident before it could spiral out of control. Shots Fired article written by Dean Scoville and read by Dan Hazeltine.” (2006) At the link find the title, “Shots Fired: April 23, 2006 – Scottsdale, Arizona,” right-click the same beside “Media files” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Suicide by Helium 24 mins – “In this episode we talk about a mystery gas increasingly used in suicides and get a first hand account from Nick Connors from the NYCPCC. Articles mentioned are available here and a link to the Frontline documentary. Contributors include Nick Connors and Matt Zuckerman.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Technology Control 38 mins – “William Powers, a writer who has been a columnist and media critic for such publications as The Washington Post, The New Republic, and National Journal, discusses his new book, Hamlet’s BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. In the book, Powers writes, “You can allow yourself to be led around by technology, or you can take control of your consciousness and thereby your life.” On the podcast, he discusses historical philosophers’ ideas that can offer shelter from our present deluge of connectedness, how to create gaps that allow for currently elusive depth and inward reflection, and strategies that help him and his family regain control over their technology.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tragedy of the Commons 85 mins – “Bruce Yandle of Clemson University and George Mason University’s Mercatus Center looks at the tragedy of the commons and the various ways that people have avoided the overuse of resources that are held in common. Examples discussed include fisheries, roads, rivers and the air. Yandle talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the historical use of norms, cooperative ventures such as incorporating a river, the common law, and top-down command-and-control regulation to reduce air and water pollution ” (2007) At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Unemployment Rate 12 mins – “The national unemployment rate has been falling, but economists say the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Roben Farzad of Bloomberg Businessweek and NPR Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax about why we might be mis-measuring the economy.” At the link right-click “Listen to the story” and select “Save Link/Target As” from the pop-up menu.”
=============================================================== ARCHIVE
Jan-Jun 2013 files in 18 zip segments (832 podcasts) here, and a pdf list here; Jul-Jul Dec 2013 files in 13 zip segments (720 podcasts) here, and a list here; Jan-Jun 2012 files in 8 segments (360 podcasts) and a pdf list are here, and 593 in 13 parts 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 180 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.
Thank you for visiting.
Media Mining Digest 