The following audio files come from a larger group of 172 for this week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 39 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
African City 11 mins – “A group of beautiful, accomplished women are on the hunt for love —and great clothes— in a vibrant metropolis. No, Carrie Bradshaw is not returning for another run of Sex and the City. It’s the story of the new web series. The show follows the adventures of five young women who’ve returned to their home country of Ghana after years spent abroad. The stories of An African City may present a side of Africa that viewers have never seen before.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alcoholism Stories 55 mins – “Michael Enright talks to two authors who have written about the bottle and the damage done: Ann Dowsett Johnston, author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, and Olivia Laing, author of The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink.” At the link find the title, “The Enright Files – Drink,” right-click (here or there) “Download The Enright Files – Drink” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Autism Analysis 59 mins – “Autism is a general term for a spectrum of disorders of brain development that range in severity from mild to severe. Because autism is not a single disease, it has been difficult to identify its causes. Dr. Christopher Walsh describes how recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have made it possible to study large cohorts of patients and find genes that are most commonly disrupted in children with autism. These studies show that all currently known genes associated with autism are also associated with other neurological diseases, and that they affect the mechanisms of communication between neurons.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Lecture 3,” right-click “Media files 13Lect3_400.mp4” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.”
Bicycles 30 mins – “This week on Sea Change Radio, we hear from Michael Payne, a wind energy executive-turned-bicycle-advocate. He talks with host Alex Wise about the efforts his non-profit, Bike Houston, is undertaking to change policy, attitudes, and habits in the nation’s 4th largest city. While it’s unlikely this work will transform Houston into a Southwestern Amsterdam anytime soon, the lessons from the work of Payne and his colleagues may well inspire similar bicycle revolutions in other cities.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blood Tests 51 mins – “Blood tests have long been a routine part of medicine; complete blood counts,red and white cell counts, blood chemistry and a number of other tests give doctors valuable information about a patient’s health. But researchers are discovering blood tests may also offer critical information about an even wider variety of illnesses and conditions, including the early detection of some cancers and the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease. For patients, the chance to avoid invasive procedures such as biopsies and the prospects for earlier intervention are clear benefits, but there are ethical questions as well.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the zip collection noted in this episode’s introduction contains a copy of the audio file.
Brain Genetics 60 mins – “The human brain is a complex network of cells whose organization and function are controlled by many genes. By working with patients who have developmental brain disorders, Dr. Christopher Walsh and his team have begun to identify genes that are required for proper brain development. This research has led to some surprising insights, such as a connection between cell division orientation and cell fate during the development of the cerebral cortex.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Lecture 1,” right-click “Media files 13Lect1_400.mp4” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.
Cancer Genetics 59 mins – “Despite decades of research, cancer continues to be a major cause of death in the United States. The disease is traditionally treated by a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which can have severe side effects. Recent advances in cancer biology have led to the development of targeted drugs as new and effective treatment options for some types of cancer. Dr. Charles Sawyers presents an overview of cancer biology and describes how understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in a type of cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, resulted in the development of Gleevec, one of the first targeted cancer drugs.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Lecture 4,” right-click “Media files 13Lect2_400.mp4” and select “Save File As” to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.
Cancer Treatment 58 mins – “Based on early successes with targeted drug therapy, the cancer research community prioritized sequencing the genomes of thousands of tumor samples to identify every gene mutated in cancer. Approximately 140 such genes have been identified to date. They can be classified into three main functional groups according to their roles in normal cell biology: genes that affect cell growth and survival, cell fate, and genome maintenance. Cancers can now be classified not only by the type of tissue and cell that they affect, but also by the genes that are mutated. As Dr. Charles Sawyers reveals, both types of classification are necessary for devising new, targeted therapies.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Lecture 2,” right-click “Media files
13Lect4_400.mp4″ to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.
Central African Republic Conflict 27 mins – “Can a unique friendship between two men of god end the killings in the Central African Republic? Tim Whewell investigates.” At the link find the title, “Docs: Central African Republic – A Road Through Hatred – 10 Apr 2014,” right-click “Media files docarchive 20140410-0330a.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
College for Free 10 mins – “The Kalamazoo Promise pays for the higher education of students in the Michigan school district’s public education system. It’s the latest chapter in Tell Me More’s series about paying for college.” At the link right-click “download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Dog Genome 29 mins – “Dr. Elinor Karlsson of the Broad Institute discusses using dogs in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and the genetic evidence for dog domestication, as revealed by copy-number variations in the amylase gene.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Discussion 1,” right-click “Media files 13Discussion 1_400.mp4” to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.
Economic Indicators 58 mins – “Zachary Karabell talked about his book, The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers that Rule Our World, in which he argues that gross national product, balance of trade, unemployment, inflation, and consumer confidence should no longer be the primary basis for business plans or monetary policy. He argued that the information revolution has made considerably more data available. He spoke with Wall Street Journal reporter Kimberly Strassel.” You can watch online, but not download the program; however, it’s included with the zipped collections for the last half of 2012 noted at the end of each Media Mining Digest.
Education Economics 63 mins – “In this week’s episode, Roberts talks with EconLog blogger Bryan Caplan about higher education. In the spirit of continuing conversation, here are some things to consider…What is the earning premium to college relative to high school, and how has it changed over time? What “psychological changes in the economy” have accounted for this change, according to Caplan….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Farm Workers 7 mins – “The film Cesar Chavez focuses on the Mexican-American activist who helped organize farm workers. But some say the movie ignores the Filipino laborers in that movement. Filmmaker Marisa Aroy explains.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Financial Literacy 38 mins – “Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz – President of the Charles Schwab Foundation, Senior Vice President at Charles Schwab & Co., and the daughter of Charles Schwab! Her newest book is The Charles Schwab Guide to Finance After Fifty: Answers to Your Most Important Money Questions. This week we discuss what it was like for Carrie growing up, how finance was in her blood, her deep understanding of the tough financial questions and what you can do to tackle your toughest money issues at any age. Through Carrie’s popular “Ask Carrie” columns, her leadership of the Charles Schwab Foundation, and her work across party lines through two White House administrations and with the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, she has become one of America’s most trusted sources for financial advice.” Ten minutes into the podcast she talks about a teenage financial literacy program. At the link right-click “Download” toward the page bottom, and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fracking History 46 mins – “Every day, one hundred new oil and gas wells are drilled and hydraulically fractured in America. The recent fracking boom has produced immense amounts of energy, income and a whole lot of controversy. In a new book called The Boom, Wall Street Journal reporter Russell Gold attempts to cut through the noise from both sides to understand how we can best procure the energy we rely on every day. Gold joins us Tuesday to examine the economic, environmental and social impacts of where our energy comes from. Russell Gold is an investigative journalist at The Wall Street Journal. His new book is called The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World [Amazon|Indiebound].” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Funerals 45 mins – “The latest trend in burials gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “bite the dust.” Eco-friendly, personalized funerals. The perfect way to end a low-impact environmentally friendly life. Some are replacing a casket with a burial shroud. Opting to place a family member’s cremated remains on the ocean floor. Or going high-tech, putting computer chips in your burial blot. Modernizing the burial ritual – it’s increasingly popular… reflecting the values of an aging baby boomer generation. This hour On Point: new ways to say goodbye to eco-conscious, tech savvy loved ones.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Genomic Researchers 37 mins – “Dr. Charles Sawyers and Dr. Christopher Walsh discuss wide-ranging topics with students, including autism, cancer, and scientific career choices.” At the link find the title, “2013 Genomics: Cancer and Autism Discussion 2,” right-click “Media files 13Discussion2_400.mp4” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the video, only. An audio version is in the zip collection mentioned in the introduction for this episode.
Humanitarian Intervention 52 mins – “In 1898, President McKinley called for war with Spain to liberate Cuba from the “barbarities, bloodshed, starvation, and horrible miseries now existing there”—offering a humanitarian justification that has underpinned other interventions, from Haiti in 1915 to Libya in 2011. But in 1994, President Clinton took a stance against intervening in Rwanda, even as the scale of the humanitarian crisis there became clear. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, BackStory takes on the history of humanitarian intervention….” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow above the sound bar on the right side and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up men.
Internet and NSA 89 mins – “The long-term viability of an unowned, open Internet remains in question. Any analysis of where the Internet is headed as a protocol and a platform must take into account the activities of both public and private entities that see the Internet as a source of intelligence — and a field of contention. Yochai Benkler, Bruce Schneier, and Jonathan Zittrain of the Berkman Center are joined by John DeLong and Anne Neuberger of the National Security Agency in a conversation moderated by Berkman Faculty Director Terry Fisher on the future of an open internet in the face of challenges to privacy in an unsecure world.” At the link right-click “MP3” beside “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
John Wayne 51 mins – “John Wayne was one of the most popular film actors of the twentieth century. Between 1926 and 1976 he appeared in more than 170 films – including some of the best westerns ever made. Wayne often portrayed lonely and flawed men of dignity and strength searching for justice. But over the course of his five-decade career John Wayne became something much greater than a movie star: he became a symbol of America itself. But while many Americans viewed Wayne as a hero, others vilified him for his controversial political causes. Diane and her guest explore the life and legend of John Wayne.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, the zip collection noted in this episode’s introduction contains a copy of the audio file.
Marijuana Legalization 90 mins – “Panelists talked about the impact of marijuana legalization and argued that certain adverse consequences could be avoided through strong federal actions that would allow states to legalize marijuana while removing large corporations from the picture. Professor Mark Kleiman said the current state-by-state approach to legalization had the potential to increase marijuana abuse and decrease tax revenues as the industry grew in size and influence. Topics included Washington and Colorado, the two states that had legalized recreational use of marijuana.“The Corporate Takeover of Marijuana: How Not To Make a Hash out of Marijuana Legalization” discussion at the New America Foundation was co-sponsored by Washington Monthly.” You can watch at the link, but audio download costs $.99; however, the zip collection noted in this episode’s introduction contains a copy.
Microaggression 11 mins – “Has a colleague ever said something to you that wasn’t outright racist, sexist, or homophobic, but kind of rubbed you the wrong way? Tell Me More looks at how to handle microaggressions at work.” At the link right-click “download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Numenta Brain Simulator 57 mins – Host Leo Laporte interviews Jeff Hawkins the founder of Palm Computing and Handspring, who has turned to work on neuroscience, founding Numenta to reinvigorate artificial intelligence development using cutting edge neurological research. At the link right-click “Audio” beside the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pee in Pool Is Bad 4 mins – “Wee! Something you really shouldn’t do in the pool.” It reacts with chlorine to produce hazardous results. At the link find the title, “Episode 352 – April 10 2014,” right-click “Media files ScienceElements April10_2014.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pharma Doctor 24 mins – “MSHQ 072 : A Look Into the Pharmaceutical Industry with a Chief Medical Officer” At the link right-click “Download” and elect “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Power Grid 24 mins – “The speaker and guest in our studio today is Maggie Koerth-Baker. She writes a monthly column, “Eureka,” for The New York Times Magazine and is also the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She enjoys exploring the intersection between science and culture, and you can “Find your daily dose of Maggie science” through her website at maggiekb.com, and her pages on Facebook and Twitter. She has co-authored a book titled: “Be Amazing: Glow in the Dark, Control the Weather, Perform Your Own Surgery, Get Out of Jury Duty, Identify a Witch, Colonize a Nation, Impress a Girl, Make a Zombie, Start Your Own Religion.” Her recent book, and with a shorter title, is called: “Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before It Conquers Us.” And that is the topic that brings her here today.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Rwanda Genocide 54 – ” The brutality and bloodshed of the Rwandan genocide 20 years ago was unfathomable. And whether we learned enough to prevent it from happening again is questionable. Jean-Paul Samputu tells his story reconciliation with the man who killed his family.” At the link find the title, “Rwanda Reconciliation,” right-click (here or there) “Download Rwanda Reconciliation” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Rwanda Hero 27 mins – “The story of Capt Mbaye Diagne, one of the unsung heroes of Rwanda’s genocide. Working as a Senegalese UN peacekeeper, he saved the children of murdered Hutu Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and many more. Mark Doyle travels to Rwanda, Senegal and Canada to meet the people who knew Mbaye Diagne.” At the link find the title, “DocArchive: A Good Man in Rwanda,” right-click “Media files
docarchive 20140405-1806a.mp3″ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Saturated Fats 46 mins – “For years we were told “cut the fat, cut the fat.” Especially the saturated fat. “Fat free” was the label that sold. Now comes a big new study with a more nuanced message. A little butter won’t kill you. Saturated fat is not the dietary third rail for heart disease. Don’t roll in it. Don’t go crazy. Pay attention to your whole diet, with lots of plants in there. Stay clear of trans-fats. Watch out for sugar and processed food. But the new meta-study found no evidence that eating saturated fat increased heart disease. This hour On Point: we’re taking on board the latest findings on fat.” At the link right-ccick “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Seniors and Tech 7 mins – “There are plenty of stereotypes when it comes to seniors and technology, but the Pew Research Center says those don’t always ring true.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
South African Violence 55 mins – “Twenty years after the first free elections in South Africa, the country still struggles. But across the bitter divides of race and class, there is hope. Philip Coulter tells the story of a massacre, and one woman’s act of grace and reconciliation.” At the link find the title, “Unfinished Business ,” right-click (here or there) “Download Unfinished Business” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Stock Trading 63 mins – “Michael Lewis, the best-selling author of several books about Wall Street, published his latest, titled Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt… In his book, Mr. Lewis looks at the world of high-frequency stock trading and argues that high-frequency traders and big Wall Street banks have rigged the system to gain an advantage over regular investors. He also talked about a group of traders who, having discovered how the market now operates, created their own stock exchange to try to level the playing field.” You can watch at the link, but audio download costs $.99; however, the zip collection noted in this episode’s introduction contains a copy.
Technology Transformation 52 mins – “Happy Birthday, World Wide Web! The 25-year-old Web, along with the Internet and the personal computer, are among mankind’s greatest inventions. But back then, who knew? A techno-writer reminisces about the early days of the WWW and says he didn’t think it would ever catch on. Also, meet an inventor who claims his innovation will leave your laptop in the dust. Has quantum computing finally arrived? Plus, why these inventions are not as transformative as other creative biggies of history: The plow. The printing press. And… the knot? And, why scientific discoveries may beat out technology as the most revolutionary developments of all. A new result about the Big Bang may prove as important as germ theory and the double helix.” At the link right-click “Download file” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Terraform the Mediterranean 4 mins – “Herman Sörgel, born in 1885,…wanted to reduce the size of the Mediterranean, to irrigate much of North Africa, and to create land links to Africa. He would dam the Bosporus to block off the Black Sea to the east. On the west, he wanted to build a huge semicircular earth gravity dam — arcing out into the Atlantic at Gibraltar. He would also redirect African rivers to create vast freshwater inland seas in northern Africa. Once the Mediterranean was isolated, evaporation would cause it to drop several feet per year. That would eventually expose more than a hundred thousand square miles of new land. Most of the Adriatic Sea would vanish, and an expanded Sicily would link to Italy and almost touch Tunisia…” It would be called Atlantropa. At the link right-click “Click here for audio…” and select “Save Link As” from the poop-up menu.
Vaccinating Children 16 mins – “Health officials are on edge after outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. Colorado lawmakers want to make it tougher for parents to opt out of immunizing their children. A panel of parents weigh in.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Vermeer’s Secret 35 mins – Host Leo Laporte interviews Tim Jenison who talks about his documentary, “Tim’s Vermeer,” where Tim attempts to solve how 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer was able to paint so photo-realistically during an era without today’s technology. At the link right-click “Audio” beside the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Vietnam Reporters 46 mins – “Journalist David Halberstam says when the government is twisting the truth, reporters have their biggest role to play. The new film DATELINE – SAIGON explores that idea through the work of Halberstam and other young reporters who in the early days of the Vietnam War, found themselves at odds with the Kennedy White House, and on a South Vietnamese assassination list. Thursday, director Thomas Herman joins Doug to talk about the journalists who set the standard for front-line war reporting.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Women Earn Less 46 mins – “Ladies, you’ve probably heard: if you want to rise at work it’s up to you. Lean in! And guys, have you seen the news that with women’s advances, boys are being left behind? Hillary Clinton. Marissa Mayer. Sheryl Sandberg. Three strong women on top means the glass ceiling is gone. Right? Wrong. The authors of a new book say more subtle forms of bias in the workplace are preventing women from advancing on their merit. They call it a new “Soft War on Women”. This hour, On Point: women at work — the facts and the fight.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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An alphabetic encyclopedia of over 2800 of these hyperlinked descriptions is here and updated quarterly. Jan-Jun 2013 files in 18 zip segments (832 podcasts) can be downloaded here, and a list of those files here; Jul-Dec 2013 files in 13 zip segments (720 podcasts) downloaded here, and a list here; Jan-Jun 2012 files in 8 segments (360 podcasts) and a list are here, and Jul-Dec here in 13 parts (593 podcasts). For 2011 a list and 5 segments (184 podcasts). For 2010 and earlier 64 podcasts are listed here and zipped 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 list of the feeds is here. Free Commander is used to compare old with new downloads and remove duplicates. MP3 Speed Changer is used on batches of new files to boost playback speed 150%. A speed listening background article is here. Please comment on any problems with the links and downloads.
Thank you for visiting.
Media Mining Digest 