The following audio files come from a larger group of 260 for this week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 67 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
Antibiotics in Agriculture 16 mins – “It’s been going on for almost 75 years. Farmers feed antibiotics to livestock thinking their animals will grow bigger faster. But do they? There have been few independent studies showing this actually happens. Meanwhile our liberal use of antibiotics is creating a fertile breeding ground for antibiotic resistance. The warnings are there. But we continue blindly, with little data on surveillance of use of antibiotics with the livestock industry in the US accused of operating secretively, quietly profiting out of sight. Meanwhile 170 Australians die each week of untreatable bacterial sepsis the result of antibacterial resistance. Isabella Pittaway reports.” At the link right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Anti-Government Violence 46 mins – “Gunfire in all kinds of places it shouldn’t be in America these days. In a school in Oregon yesterday, two dead. In a pizza parlor in Las Vegas Sunday. Two policemen eating lunch. Assassinated by a husband-wife anti-government duo who dropped a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on their bodies, and went on shooting at Walmart. That killing spree has the particular attention of police and more tracking anti-government groups and attacks around the country. The rhetoric is white hot. Adherents are heavily armed. The attacks are startling. This hour On Point: policemen down, and the anti-government movement in America.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Atul Gawande on Healthcare 48 mins – “We are well into Obamacare now, and still fighting over it. Well into panic over healthcare costs, and still struggling to really bring them down. Well-schooled in how we ought to eat, exercise, live – and still overweight and pushing up the diabetes numbers. Celebrated surgeon, writer, thinker Dr. Atul Gawande is watching it all. Thinking it through. When he’s not in the OR, he’s at the keyboard, helping shape the American conversation on health and healthcare. This hour, in a special edition of On Point: On Point Live! – with Dr. Atul Gawande.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bank Robbing 19 mins – “William Black is a former bank regulator who’s seen firsthand how banking systems can be used to commit fraud — and how “liar’s loans” and other tricky tactics led to the 2008 US banking crisis that threatened the international economy. In this engaging talk, Black, now an academic, reveals the best way to rob a bank — from the inside.” At the link right-click “Download,” right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Basotect 9 mins – “Basotect is an intelligent foam which, thanks to its versatility, can be used in simple as well as technically demanding applications. It can be used for cleaning hard surfaces, as a sound absorber in sound studios or as thermal and sound insulation in the aerospace industry. The material that Basotect is made from is called melamine resin. That’s one of the hardest plastics there is. The researchers at BASF have managed to fabricate from this base material a foam that’s light and flexible even though the source material is extremely brittle.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Becker Postmortem 63 mins – “Edward Lazear of Stanford University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Gary Becker’s innovative contributions to economics. The conversation opens with personal reminiscences by Lazear and Roberts. They then discuss Becker’s application of economic principles to social phenomena such as discrimination, crime, education and the family along with Becker’s overall approach to economic theory and measurement.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bleaching Water 3 mins – “Researchers question the use of 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water in disasters. Tests show less than that amount is needed. At the link find Episode 379 – June 12 2014, right-click “Media files ScienceElements_June12_2014.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bone Growing 15 mins – “What does it take to regrow bone in mass quantities? Typical bone regeneration — wherein bone is taken from a patient’s hip and grafted onto damaged bone elsewhere in the body — is limited and can cause great pain just a few years after operation. In an informative talk, Molly Stevens introduces a new stem cell application that harnesses bone’s innate ability to regenerate and produces vast quantities of bone tissue painlessly.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Brain Repair 16 mins – “After a traumatic brain injury, it sometimes happens that the brain can repair itself, building new brain cells to replace damaged ones. But the repair doesn’t happen quickly enough to allow recovery from degenerative conditions like motor neuron disease (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS). Siddharthan Chandran walks through some new techniques using special stem cells that could allow the damaged brain to rebuild faster.” At the link you can only watch and download video (click “download,” then right-click “Download video.”); however, an audio copy is included in the blog archive.
Brazil 46 mins – “As the World Cup kicks off, Brazilians are on the streets in protest. We talk soccer, Brazil, and Brazil’s problems.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bus Systems 21 mins – “Transit service in low-density suburbs is usually provided with buses operating on local streets – rail transit on separate rights of way is too costly given modest ridership levels. But providing bus service in contemporary U.S. suburbs can be a challenge both to the bus operator and the travelers themselves. Secure paths for getting to and from bus stops may not exist, and protected bus stops may be rare. To encourage transit ridership, it is important to offer seamless transportation – safe, efficient, and fast connections between origin and destination, including getting to and from the bus stops. The hosts talk about the challenges of providing seamless bus infrastructure in suburban communities with Michael Bolton, Deputy Executive Director, of Pace, the Chicago metropolitan area’s suburban bus system.” At the link find the title, “Bus travel in the suburbs – the challenge of providing seamless transportation for riders,” right-click “Listen to this episode now“and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Capitalism Declines 56 mins – “Jeremy Rifkin talked about his book, The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism, in which he argues that capitalism is on its way out. Mr. Rifkin said it would be replaced with a global neural network created from the combined communications internet, energy internet, and logistics internet. He argued the increased production and distribution would effectively eliminate corporate profits. Mr. Rifkin spoke about his theory with the author of The Googlization of Everything, Siva Vaidhyanathan.” At the link you can purchase an audio copy for $.99, but a copy is also included in this blog’s archive.
Center for Biologic Imaging 28 mins – “Regenerative Medicine Today welcomes Simon Watkins, PhD and Donna Beer Stolz, PhD. Dr. Watkins is the Founder and Director of the Center for Biologic Imaging at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Stolz is the Assistant Director at the Center. Drs. Watkins and Stolz discuss the many resources available at the Center for Biologic Imaging and the work that is done there.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cesar Milan 4 mins – “Before Cesar Millan became a TV personality, he was a homeless, undocumented immigrant from Mexico with a dream. He reveals how his career took off as part of NPR’s series, “My Big Break.'” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Sve Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Child Migrant Surge 46 mins – “The numbers of children surging over the southern US border now – unaccompanied, as young as six – is just staggering. Forty thousand-plus since October. Up 90 percent. Still growing, flooding in. Coming up from Central America, Mexico. Coming a thousand miles and more from Honduras. Scared north by vicious gangs. Terrorized along the way. And now, piling up in US facilities not designed for an influx of kids. This hour On Point: the new flood of child migrants at the US border – what’s sending them north, and what happens with them now.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chinese Internet 8 mins – A special report from “The Economist” discusses how the internet works in China. At the link find the title, “China and the internet,” right-click “Media files 20130404 china_internet.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cigar Smoking 50 mins – One issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine featured a discussion of “The Association of Pipe and Cigar Use With Cotinine Levels, Lung Function, and Airflow Obstruction: A Cross-sectional Study. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cleanliness 46 mins – “The signs say it all. Please shower before entering the pool. All employees must wash hands before returning to work. Or to go more Biblical: Cleaniness is next to Godliness. Clean is a social value. It’s the American way. But is there such a thing overworrying the clean thing? Or, is clean good, but are we going about it in the wrong way? Science is beginning to suggest possibly yes to both questions. While socially, more folks are skipping the soap, the shampoo, the deodorant, and everything that we tend to define as cleansing. And how popular are they after that? Or. are they onto something? This hour Up On Point: Hygiene hijinks. Rethinking clean.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Crimean Conflict and Energy 7 mins – “Roughly one third of all Europe’s natural gas arrives via pipeline from Russia, and the current standoff in the Crimea has European leaders worried about the reliability of energy supplies. Energy analyst Joe Stanislaw from Deloitte LLP tells host Steve Curwood that energy insecurity may prompt some European countries to explore domestic fossil fuel extraction.” At the link right-click “Play this episode” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Critical Care Horizons 5 mins – “It is with great delight we announce the launch of a new open access critical care journal. Critical Care Horizons is a fresh, original voice in the critical care literature, offering thought-provoking, cutting-edge commentary and opinion papers, plus state-of-the-art review articles. As a Journal, we see discussion, commentary, and the sharing of insight, experience and ideas, as central to progress in our speciality. We are free to publish with, free to read, opening authorship opportunity to all working with the critically ill. We are driven by a desire to improve the care we offer our patients, and operate without financial aim or incentive.” At the link, bottom of the page, right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Drought Measures 23 mins – “When the Federal Bureau of Reclamation finished construction of the giant Hoover Dam near Boulder City, NV in 1936, the country anticipated that this project, which had finally tamed the Colorado River, would ensure a reliable, long-term water supply for the river basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. And for many decades it did so. But the Western states’ drought that has lasted the past 14 years is resulting in a near emergency situation because the water level has been falling in Lake Mead, the reservoir behind the Hoover Dam. The hosts talk with Dave Johnson, Deputy General Manager of Engineering and Operations for the Southern Nevada Water Authority about the situation and about the intake tunnel being drilled under Lake Mead to ensure Nevada continues to have access to its water source.” At the link right-click “Listen to this episode now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Electrical Grid Upgrade 26 mins – “The electrical grid of the United States is an enormously impressive feat of engineering that is critical to the economic and social functioning of the nation. But the fact is, it is basically a century-old power grid, not simply inefficient but vulnerable to cascading breakdowns due to both natural and man-made events. The Smart Grid is a strategy for modernizing the electrical grid. It is an automated network that directs the movement of electric power using information and communications technology to collect data on electricity supply and demand to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of electric power. The hosts discuss this important topic with one of the country’s leading experts on the smart electric power grid, Massoud Amin, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. The Smart Grid – bringing utility electricity delivery into the 21st century.” At the link right-click “Listen to this episode now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. NOTE: This same site has a link to a great free reference called the Transportation Energy Data Book.
Essence Magazine 13 mins – “Back in 1969, faces of color doing any job in major media were few and far between. But that was the year an unlikely group of businessmen and salesmen decided to create a magazine specifically for black women: Essence…But the road to making Essence wasn’t as smooth as the magazine’s pages. In the new book The Man From Essence, magazine co-founder Edward Lewis and former executive editor Audrey Edwards tell many of those stories.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
First World War 50 mins – “Historian Heather Jones tackles the familiar image of a war centered on a static front line in northern Europe, and looks at how World War One affected populations beyond the front line.” At the link find the title, “DocArchive: World War One Saturday, June 14, 2014,” right-click “Media files docarchive 20140614-0806a.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. A second podcast of 46 mins here examines the war from the The Soldiers Perspective in photographs — “The British army banned the use of personal cameras on Christmas Eve in 1914, but privates and officers carried on using them.” (Same download process).
Foldscope 9 mins – “Perhaps you’ve punched out a paper doll or folded an origami swan? TED Fellow Manu Prakash and his team have created a microscope made of paper that’s just as easy to fold and use. A sparkling demo that shows how this invention could revolutionize healthcare in developing countries … and turn almost anything into a fun, hands-on science experiment.” Another four-minute presentation is here and can be downloaded by right-clicking the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the sound bar and selecting “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fracking in America 46 mins – “The meltdown in Iraq right now hardly makes the Middle East look like a calm energy source. And the President’s big push for lower emissions at home will not be met by solar and wind alone. Far from it. This country is poised to go after a lot more domestic natural gas. And for better or worse, that means a lot more fracking. Call it mega-fracking. Many Americans have not taken onboard just how mightily this industry is gearing up for further vast growth, from well-head to transport to processing and pipelines. This hour On Point: future projection – fracking in overdrive.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Cultures 11 mins – “Host Michel Martin looks at gun culture in the America and abroad, and asks two experts what the U.S. can learn from how other countries handle firearms.” At the link right-click “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Violence Reduction 16 mins – “Science’s Meghan Sachdev interviews Jon Vernick and Rebecca Peters about the book “Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis“. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Haz Mat Rules 21 mins – “On July 6, 2013, a freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in the downtown area of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, killing at least 42 residents. Subsequently, a special emergency meeting was held in Washington, D.C. by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, to discuss additional rail safety measures for hazardous materials transport. The agenda of the emergency meeting included a Safety Advisory issued jointly by the FRA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, also known as PHMSA. Directed to railroads and shippers of hazardous materials, this Advisory included a number of recommended actions to help reduce transport risks. The hosts discuss this topic of safe transport of hazardous materials with PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman.” At the link find the title, “Safe transport of hazardous materials,” right-click “Listen to this episode now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Inequality in America 51 mins – “Most economists now agree that income inequality is at an historic high. And the gap between rich and poor is widening – squeezing the middle class as never before. Many worry about how the growing pay disparity is affecting the nation’s economic health. And some, including former labor secretary Robert Reich, argue the concentration of wealth among a very few is jeopardizing our democracy. Others say too much focus on inequality could lead to destructive public policy and hurt american competition. Economists Robert Reich and Douglas Holtz-Eakin offer ideas from across the political spectrum.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is included in the blog archive.
Iraq Revolution 51 mins – “President Barack Obama sends nearly 300 troops to boost security at the American embassy in Baghdad, as Al Qaeda-inspired insurgents continue to expand areas of control. We discuss the crisis in Iraq and the possibility of US-Iranian cooperation.” You can listen at the link, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is in the blog archive.
Juvenile Entrepreneurs 7 mins – “Maya Penn started her first company when she was 8 years old, and thinks deeply about how to be responsible both to her customers and to the planet. She shares her story — and some animations, and some designs, and some infectious energy — in this charming talk.” At the link right-click “Download,” right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
MRSA-the Basics 11 mins -“The basis about Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcal Aureus.” presented by Dr Gill Porat, a practicing Colorado Hospitalist, Board Certified in Internal Medicine. At the link click “Download,” right-click the next “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Museum Collections 30 mins – “In a rebroadcast from May 2, 2010, Keith & Russ talk with John Simmons, museum consultant with Museologica, a consulting company that assists museums with collections care and management. He talks about the importance of collections in museums, and about the human need for collecting that dates back thousands of years, including John’s need to collect books.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select”Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nanopatch 14 mins – “One hundred sixty years after the invention of the needle and syringe, we’re still using them to deliver vaccines; it’s time to evolve. Biomedical engineer Mark Kendall demos the Nanopatch, a one-centimeter-by-one-centimeter square vaccine that can be applied painlessly to the skin. He shows how this tiny piece of silicon can overcome four major shortcomings of the modern needle and syringe, at a fraction of the cost.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
NSA Answers Snowden 34 mins – “After a surprise appearance by Edward Snowden at TED2014, Chris Anderson said: “If the NSA wants to respond, please do.” And yes, they did. Appearing by video, NSA deputy director Richard Ledgett answers Anderson’s questions about the balance between security and protecting privacy.” At the link right-click “Download,” right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Oklahoma City Obesity 15mins – “Oklahoma City is a midsized town that had a big problem: It was among the most obese towns in America. Mayor Mick Cornett realized that, to make his city a great place to work and live, it had to become healthier too. In this charming talk, he walks us through the interlocking changes that helped OKC drop a collective million pounds (450,000 kilos).” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Osteomyelitis 22 mins – Ostomyelitis is an infection in a bone. Infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue. Dr Gil Porat, a practicing Colorado Hospitalist, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, discusses what’s known about this problem, its causes and treatment. At the link click “Download,” right-click the next “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pallet Business 18 mins – ” Certain things are just hard to improve on. The classic example: the mousetrap. Also: the paperclip. And, the super-size version: the pallet. In its way, the pallet is perfect. A few pieces of cheap lumber nailed together, without an extra nail or board. It keeps things a few inches off the floor and works with a forklift. Amazing. This perfect system of moving stuff around on pallets has been around for a long time. And for basically 50 years, no one really improved on it in this country. Until they did. Today on the show: yes you can build a better pallet.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pancreatic Cancer 26 mins – Dr Gil Porat, a practicing Colorado Hospitalist, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, discusses what’s known about pancreatic cancer, its symptoms, causes and treatment. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Paper Beats Plastic 18 mins – “Most of us want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment. But things aren’t as simple as opting for the paper bag, says sustainability strategist Leyla Acaroglu. A bold call for us to let go of tightly-held green myths and think bigger in order to create systems and products that ease strain on the planet.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Physician Compensation Survey 50 mins – “In this episode, Allison and Ryan talk about the 2014 Medscape Physician Compensation Report which came out last April of 2014. Whether you are premed, a medical student, or a resident, there is interesting data in this report that can be very helpful on your path. You don’t necessarily have to use this information to make decisions or choices for you, but you can leverage this knowledge and use it as another data point as you go through medical school and in determining what you truly want to do.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Platform Drilling 4 mins – Oil lies beneath the surface of both land and sea. There’s a lot more sea than land, but drilling under a thick layer of water is tricky. The first time anyone tried it was through the shallow waters of an Ohio reservoir, in 1891. Five years later, small oil companies drilled wells from piers in Santa Barbara Channel. But, offshore drilling evolved fitfully ’til after WW-II. Then we took it up in earnest. First, fixed platforms sat on the sea bottom. The tallest of these eventually reached a depth of 1700 feet. Then compliant towers, and floating platforms anchored to the bottom with tensioned cables. They got even deeper….” At the link right-click “Click here for audio…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Political Party History 52 mins – “Eric Cantor’s shock primary defeat has left the Republican establishment reeling, and breathed new life into the Tea Party movement within the party. It’s another reminder of the powerful role that party factions can play, and have often played in American history. Disagreements within parties have shifted the terms of debate, forced new agendas onto the political stage, even birthed new parties altogether. So in this episode, Peter, Ed, and Brian peer inside our political parties and explore some of the influential factions that have left a mark on the American political landscape – from the Radical Republicans after the Civil War, to the Dixiecrats after World War II. Plus, they look back to the early Republic and a time before the formation of party organizations, when “faction” was the only game in town.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Postal System Reform 44 mins – “Getting mail at the front door may soon be history – as Congress tries to save the Postal Service. We’ll look at the future of who delivers what and where and how in America.” At the link right-click ‘Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Putin and Russia 40 mins – Michael McFaul on Vladimir Putin and Russia. “Michael Anthony McFaul is the former United States Ambassador to Russia. He resigned in February 2014 for family reasons. Prior to his nomination to the ambassadorial position, McFaul worked for the U.S. National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs. After his tenure as ambassador in Moscow, McFaul returned to Stanford University as a Professor of Political Science.” At the link find the title, “Michael McFaul on Vladimir Putin and Russia, right-click “Media files 20140519.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Radio Technology 62 mins – “Doug Rowe is an engineer at Minnesota Public Radio. His title is one that we’ll see more often: Media Production Systems Manager. As radio stations, groups, and networks depend on digital media distribution, more engineers like Doug are needed; not only to keep everything working, but to develop the infrastructure for the workflows needed by talent and content creators. Doug talks with Chris Tarr and me, helping us understand the new responsibilities involved at a highly-connected, digitally-delivered network operation.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu
Ruby Dee 9 mins – “In remembrance of the life of actress and activist Ruby Dee, Tell Me More presents an encore broadcast of Michel Martin’s 2007 interview with the legendary actress and activist.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Seafood Availability 51 mins – “There’s a very good chance that the fish you order at a restaurant or serve at home was not caught in U.S. waters. About 90 percent of the seafood we consume is imported and much of this is produced on seafood farms. Seafood pens in the ocean and sometimes on land are thought to be the key to developing a sustainable source of seafood, but they raise serious environmental challenges as well. For this month’s Environmental Outlook, we explore new efforts to meet the growing world demand for sustainable seafood.” (four guests) At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Senior Sex in Korea 27 mins – “For some in South Korea, old age has meant making some tough choices. In a park in Seoul, Lucy Williamson finds an old profession getting some surprising new recruits.” At the link find the title, “Docs: South Korea: Sex in the Sunset Years – 12 June 2014,” right-click “Media files docarchive 20140612-0330a.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sexual Violence 15 mins – “Rachel Jewkes discusses priorities for the prevention of sexual violence.” “Rachel Jewkes is Unit Director of the Gender and Health Unit of the Medical Research Council, based in Pretoria, South Africa, and a member of the National Council Against Gender-Based Violence in South Africa. Jewkes studied Medicine, receiving a Masters in Community Medicine (MSc) and a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London. She is an Honorary Professor in the faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Jewkes is the Secretary of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative and a regional member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Injury and Violence Prevention and Control.” At the link find the title, “Listen to The Lancet: 10 June,” right-click “10june.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Shots Fired Billings 13 mins – “A burglary suspect opened fire on officers of the Billings Police Department, resulting in a search and a showdown. Shots Fired article written by Dean Scoville and read by Dan Hazeltine.” At the link find the title, “Shots Fired: May 24, 2012 – Billings Montana,” right-click “files shots-fired-2012-05-24-billings-montana.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Snowden On Privacy 35 mins – “Appearing by telepresence robot, Edward Snowden speaks at TED2014 about surveillance and Internet freedom. The right to data privacy, he suggests, is not a partisan issue, but requires a fundamental rethink of the role of the internet in our lives — and the laws that protect it. “Your rights matter,” he says, “because you never know when you’re going to need them.” Chris Anderson interviews, with special guest Tim Berners-Lee.” At the link click “Download” and a video download is the only option; however, an audio version is in the blog archive.
Socratic Reason 15 mins – “Here’s a TED first: an animated Socratic dialog! In a time when irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned thinking finally lost its power? Watch as psychologist Steven Pinker is gradually, brilliantly persuaded by philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein that reason is actually the key driver of human moral progress, even if its effect sometimes takes generations to unfold. The dialog was recorded live at TED, and animated, in incredible, often hilarious, detail by Cognitive.” At the link click “Download” and a video download is the only option; however, an audio version is in the blog archive.
Solar Car Concentrator 30mins – “If you own an electric vehicle and you have solar panels on your house, you can drive around powered entirely by renewable energy. But what can EV owners who don’t have solar on their homes do to make sure they’re as green as can be? Mike Tinskey and his colleagues at Ford Motor Co. are trying to tackle that problem head on. Ford’s promising new C-Max Solar Energi Concept car has solar panels built right into the roof.”
Supply Chain 18 mins – “Taming the unwieldy web of global supply chains; roundup of daily news with David Grimm.” At the link find the title, “Rethinking global supply chains and a news roundup (6 Jun 2014),” right-click “SciencePodcast_140606.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Talking to Doctors 19 mins – “Our sixth episode “Talking Back to Your Doctor,” opens with a question: Why do so many of us find it so hellishly hard to speak freely with our doctors? What is it about a white coat that makes even normally assertive people clam up?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tamiflu Press Conference 33mins – “Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is a neuraminidase inhibitor, developed by Roche, for the treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza. Yet for the first time a comprehensive review of the data, by independent researchers, has shown that the claims for Tamiflu’s effectiveness have been overestimated, and that harms have been underreported. Here is the audio of a recent press conference where researchers and the BMJ’s editors describe the findings of that research, and the systematic regulatory failures those findings expose.” The six participants were: Fiona Godlee – BMJ editor in chief; Carl Heneghan – Director of Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence Based Medicine; Peter Doshi – Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research; Elizabeth Loder – The BMJ clinical epidemiology editor ; David Tovey – Editor in chief, Cochrane Library; Ben Goldacre – Founder of the AllTrials campaign. At the link (in a Chrome browser) right-click the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Teacher Tenure 9 mins – “A California judge ruled that the state’s teacher tenure laws are unconstitutional because they disproportionately affect poor and/or minority students. Education Week‘s Stephen Sawchuk explains.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Teachers Quit 46 mins – “We put our children in their hands. That’s how much we trust school teachers. But do we respect them? Do we give them the support they need, and the leeway to be the best teachers they can be? A surprisingly large numbers of teachers ultimately decide the answer is no, and they quit. Up to half give up within five years. The question is, why: how is it going so wrong for a profession that rests on at least a little idealism and a lot of passion. Because we do need them. This hour On Point: Three teachers, and why they walked away.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Teaching Aids 30 mins – Two Texas teachers produce a regular podcast concerning educational aids from the tech world. Towards the end of Episode 110 they talk about Elements 4D, a free for iPads: you make six paper cubes from a pdf and each face on each cube is an element (so only 36 elements). I think you view them with an iPad loaded with the app and when, say, Na and Cl faces are placed together, the iPad gives a picture of salt. They also discuss some apps for quizzes in classes equipped with devices that allow for fast, collaborative results that students and teachers can see. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Twitter Impact 19 mins – “Remember Sharknado? There was a time when hammy, low-budget sci-fi movies flew under the radar – until they were lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3,000. But that was before Twitter. Deb Roy, Twitter’s Chief Media Scientist, says the Sharknado phenomenon foreshadowed something big. “Because it just somehow hit a nerve amongst a group of people who were watching it on Twitter, it drove this conversation that spilled into timelines of people who had no idea this strange little movie was airing.” Roy believes that Twitter isn’t just a way for people to engage with the ideas of the day; it’s shaping the entire discussion…. ” At the link find the title, “Twitter Has Changed Us,” right-click “IHUB-061414-C.mp3″and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant 20 mins – “Unlike Germany, which is closing down all its nuclear facilities in response to the disaster in Fukushima, Japan, the U.S. will see completion of a new nuclear power plant in 2015 – the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar 2 nuclear plant, located in east Tennessee. The hosts talk about the details of this plant, and about the outlook for nuclear power in general, with Gary Mauldin, General Manager of Project Assurance and Support Services for Watts Bar at the TVA.” At the link find the title, “Watts Bar 2 – a look at the TVA’s impressive new nuclear power plant,” right-click “Listen to this episode now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Weight Loss Drugs 23 mins – “Drugs to encourage weight loss have a chequered past, with many of them having been withdrawn from the market due to increased morbidity and mortality. In this podcast Raj Padwal, associate professor of medicine at the University of Alberta, takes us through the remaining therapy Orlistat, and discusses the potential for two new therapies, Phentermine-ER topiramate, and Lorcaserin, which are being licensed in some countries.” At the click “Download” to download the podcast.
Wikipedia Bias 33 mins – “Shane Greenstein, Kellogg Chair in Information Technology at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, discusses his recent paper, Collective Intelligence and Neutral Point of View: The Case of Wikipedia, coauthored by Harvard assistant professor Feng Zhu. Greenstein and Zhu’s paper takes a look at whether Linus’ Law applies to Wikipedia articles. Do Wikipedia articles have a slant or bias? If so, how can we measure it? And, do articles become less biased over time, as more contributors become involved? Greenstein explains his findings.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
============================================================= ARCHIVE
An alphabetic encyclopedia of over 3100 of these hyperlinked descriptions is here and updated quarterly. A complete folder of the actual podcasts is here and can be downloaded as a 20+ GB zipped file or individually. A separate folder of C-Span, Diane Rehm, et. al. files that aren’t available at their sites is here and can alsob e downloaded as a zip file or individually. 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.
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Media Mining Digest 