The following audio files come from a larger group of 203 for the week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 75 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
Atrial Fibrillation 32 mins – “Atrial Fibrillation: Admit? Or treat and street?” At the link right-click “2010-3-A-1130 Atrial Fibrillation – Mossallam” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Atrial Fibrillation Management 26 mins – “Emergency Department Management of Recent Onset Atrial Fibrillation – What Is the Evidence”At the link right-click “2012-06-27 D1T4 1130 ED Management of Recent Onset Atrial Fibrillation – What Is the Evidence” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
avTag App 41 mins – “Simon Wolf joins me to talk about creating his media tagging and annotation app, avTag. We discuss major redesigns for iOS 7 and dip into marketing woes, and even do a little brainstorming regarding Simon’s future plans for the app, and spinning it off to it’s own company….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Ballistic Entry 23 mins – “Everybody wonders what it’s like to be an astronaut, but fewer wonder what it’s like to be an astronaut’s spouse. Don and Micki Pettit were about to find out the answers to both those questions. This is the story of their first mission together … and apart. After you’re done listening, be sure to check out Don’s “Saturday Morning Science” videos he made while on the space station. And for a lot more on this story, including Don’s crewmates on the Space Station, check out Chris Jones’s book, Out of Orbit. “ 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.
Birth of a Nation 60 mins – “Dick Lehr discusses his book, [The Birth of a Nation], about the 1915 movie of the same title. The film was shown to President Woodrow Wilson and across the nation despite attempts by newspaper publisher William Monroe Trotter and others to stop it.” At the link find the title, “Q&A: Dick Lehr,” right-click “Media files program.382449.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Black Migration 28 mins – “In the years between 1915 and 1970 almost six million black American citizens from the south migrated to northern and western cities seeking freedom and a better life. Our guest is Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” Her book tells the untold experiences of the African-Americans who fled the south over three generations. Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people for her book. She is the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and is a recipient of the George Polk Award and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Her parents were part of the great migration, journeying from Georgia and southern Virginia to Washington D.C. In the first of two interviews recorded from Isabel Wilkerson’s home near Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 2012, she begins with a description of the “biggest untold story of the 20th century.’” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Black Panthers 28 mins – “The exodus of approximately six million black people from the American South between 1915 and 1970 had a significant role in setting the stage of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. Many of the children of those who left the south participated in desegregation efforts which included the Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-ins. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 which attempted to resolve employment discrimination and define voting rights, only changed the law. Many young blacks however did not see changes in their everyday life. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was born out of this disillusionment. Although infiltrated and feared by the F.B.I., the Black Panther Party pioneered social and community programs, including free medical clinics, free meals, and educational programs. Our guest in this edition of Radio Curious is Columbia University Sociology and Gender Studies Professor Alondra Nelson, author of “Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination.’” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blind Capabilities 54 mins – “NPR Science reporters Alix Spiegel and Lulu Miller explain to Ira Glass how they smuggled a rat into NPR headquarters in Washington, and ran an unscientific version of a famous experiment first done by Psychology Professor Robert Rosenthal. It showed how people’s thoughts about rats could affect their behavior…(6 minutes) Lulu tells the story of Daniel Kish, who’s blind, but can navigate the world by clicking with his tongue. This gives him so much information about what’s around him, he does all sorts of things most blind people don’t. Most famously, he rides a bike. We learn why he was raised so differently from the way most blind kids are brought up, and how the book The Making of Blind Men by Robert Scott changes everything for him. (25 minutes) Daniel Kish says that through clicking, he forms mental pictures. He actually sees. A neuroscientist Lore Thaler explains how that might be possible. Daniel goes on a mission to teach other blind people to see the way he does. (23 minutes)” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive
Blind Shooting 20 mins – “Peter White talks to Ted Ellerton about living alone in a small village. Ted lost his sight overnight, whilst still working as a driver. Now nearly 90, he is nevertheless highly organised with cooking, washing and even with labeling his cassettes. Also, Tony Shearman travels to Cornwall to find out about acoustic target shooting, one of the most popular sports for blind and partially-sighted people.” At the link find the title, “InTouch 13 Jan 15: Living Alone –Access to Work – Acoustic Shooting,” right-click “Download 9MB” but only for a limited time; however, a copy of the file is included in this blog’s archive.
Blind Traveler 29 mins – “The ways different creatures, especially us humans, use our senses to guide ourselves through life has long attracted my curiosity. I’ve often wondered how blind people seem able to orient themselves, and also wondered about their dreams. From time to time, over the years, I would see an attentive woman walk past my office window next to a young person of student age. They would walk together talk, and the young person almost always carried a white cane with a red tip. Laura Fogg is this woman, the author of “Traveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers,” and our guest in this archive edition of Radio Curious. Laura Fogg worked as a Mobility and Orientation Instructor for the Blind in Mendocino County for over 35 years beginning 1971. She pioneered the use of the red tipped white cane with very young blind students some of whom had multiple impairments… I asked her about the lessons that she learned that have changed her life. The book Laura Fogg recommends is “My Year of Meats,” by Ruth Ozeki. Published in 1999.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Boko Haram 51 mins – “The militant group Boko Haram has escalated its campaign of terror in northern Nigeria. Last year the Islamist fighters abducted nearly 300 school girls. Early this month they massacred hundreds in a border town near Chad in what Amnesty International says might be the group’s “deadliest act” so far. This week soldiers in the neighboring nation of Cameroon fought off a Boko Haram raid, raising fears of regional instability. The Nigerian government has been unable to quell the violence. We discuss Boko Haram, the roots of the insurgency and what can be done. [4 guests]” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
California Railroad 29 mins – “Local railroad systems were once the primary, if not the exclusive means of shipping and travel between nearby communities as well as links to those far away. The California Western Railroad and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad met in Willits in rural Mendocino County in northern California, about 135 miles north of San Francisco. Virgin old growth redwood trees were logged in the forests along the 40 miles of track to the coastal town Ft. Bragg. Rail Villages, those isolated communities accessible only by train track prospered and grew. Then came the automobile and trucks. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Richard Jergensen, president of the Mendocino Country Railroad Society, about the history of the California Western and the Northwestern Pacific Railroads, and what their presence did and can do in the future. He is also the co-author of “How to Build with Grid Beam: A Fast, Easy and Affordable System for Constructing Almost Anything.” Among a small part of his vast collection of maps, books, histories, posters and other memorabilia laid out throughout his home in Willits for our visit, Richard Jergensen shared a small part of this long story on January 20, 2013.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Carnism 27 mins – “Carnism is the invisible belief system, or ideology, that conditions people to eat certain animals. It is the opposite of vegetarianism or veganism; “carn” means “flesh” or “of the flesh” and “ism” denotes a belief system. Most people view eating animals as a given, rather than a choice; in meat-eating cultures around the world people typically don’t think about why they find the meat of some animals disgusting and the meat of other animals appetizing, or why they eat any animals at all. This is the topic of a conversation with Melanie Joy, Ph.D., author of , “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, an Introduction to Carnism.” The interview with Melanie Joy, Ph.D. was recorded in Ukiah, California on November 29, 2010. Joy’s website is www.carnism.com The book she recommends is, “Food Revolution: How your diet can save your life and our world,” by John Robbins.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chanel 14 mins – “It was the end of World War II, the American military had entered Paris, and soldiers lined up in droves outside one Paris store, hoping to get their hands on the ultimate luxury product: Chanel No. 5. It’s been the bestselling perfume in the world for the last 90 years, says Tilar Mazzeo, author of The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume. And, she says, it took much more than marketing to get it to the top. “It turns out that, Chanel No. 5… is an amazing accomplishment in perfume,” Mazzeo adds. In the 1910s and 20s, perfumers were just starting to introduce synthetic scent compounds – and one synthetic in particular, an aldehyde, was used in Chanel No. 5 to “represent a bouquet of flowers that does not really exist in the world.” Of course, the woman behind the iconic brand, Coco Chanel, was full of contradictions – and beneath the veil of success was a darker side….” At the link find the title, “The Creations of Coco Chanel,” right-click “IHUB-011715-A.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chinese Internet 65 mins – “The world is witnessing a massive expansion of Chinese telecommunications reach and influence, powered entirely by users choosing to participate in it. In Usage of the mobile messaging app WeChat (微信 Weixin), for example, has skyrocketed not only inside China, but outside, as well. Due to these systems being built upon proprietary protocols and software, their inner workings are largely opaque and mostly insecure. (WeChat has full permission to activate microphones and cameras, track GPS, access user contacts and photos, and copy all of this data at any time to their servers.) In this talk, Nathan Freitas — Berkman Fellow, director of technology strategy and training at the Tibet Action Institute. and leader of the Guardian Project — questions the risks to privacy and security foreign users engage in when adopting apps from Chinese companies. …is there any fundamental difference in the impact on privacy freedom for an American citizen using WeChat versus a Chinese citizen using WhatsApp or Google?” At the link right-click “Download the MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change 49 mins – “Climate change. Floods and droughts. Plummeting biodiversity. Malnutrition and obesity. Rising rates of cancer and other diseases. This program continues our series Changing Climate – Changing World, and takes a look at how our changing climate is changing the world we live in, locally and globally. Part 3 continues to look at how climate change and a growing scarcity of fossil fuels will impact our food system and features two examples of adaption to these coming changes. I talk with Eric Toensmeier, permaculture pioneer and author of Paradise Lot -the story of two plant geeks who created an edible garden oasis on a tenth of an acre in the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts and found their sweethearts along the way.” At the link right-click the start button for the sound bar half hidden at the bottom of the book cover and select “Save Link As” from the pop-menu.
Climate Debate 25 mins – “The rightful place of science (starts at 6:22): In 2014, the world certainly saw more than a few costly weather disasters. Flooding in India and Pakistan in September killed more than 600 people and resulted in economic losses of more than $18 billion. Super Typhoon Rammasum, which hit the Philippines, China and Vietnam in July caused more than 200 deaths and losses of $6.5 billion. And, closer to home, in August, rainfall and flooding in Detroit, Baltimore and Long Island damaged homes and cities leading to economic losses of about $2 billion. At the same time, the United Nations Weather Agency states that 2014 was the warmest year on record. So, the question is: Are these natural disasters related to the warming climate? And are natural disasters becoming more costly because of climate change? These are questions that Roger Pielke Jr., an environmental sciences professor at the University of Colorado, addresses in his new book “The Rightful Place of Science: Disasters and Climate Change.” He talks with HOE’s Jane Palmer about his book and why he believes it is important to maintain scientific integrity while engaging in the climate debate.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Community Radio 27 mins – “Radio Curious host and producer Barry Vogel and associate producer Janet Mendell attended the 10th international congress of the World Association of Community Broadcasters, known as AMARC. AMARC is a network of more than 4,000 community radio stations, in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1983, its goal is to democratize the media sector. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighborhood levels. It defends and promotes the interests of the community radio movement through global solidarity, networking and cooperation. The 10th AMARC congress was held near Buenos Aires, Argentina the second week of November 2010, with 500 delegates from 86 countries present. In addition to presenting a workshop on interviewing skills, Radio Curious interviewed conference delegates from several different countries. In this edition of Radio Curious, the first in a series about local community radio around the world, we visit with Fadi Abuzada, a community radio activist in Palestine and AHM Bazlur Rahman, the CEO of the Bangladesh NGO’s Network for Radio and Communication. The interviews were recorded in November 2010, in La Plata, Argentina.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the poop-up menu.
Computer Repairmen 126 mins – A long discussion about the background, insights and practices of two computer repairmen who created and run their own businesses. At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cost of Civilization 29 mins – “In this edition of Radio Curious we visit again with Spencer Wells and discuss his new book, “Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization,” published in 2010. Our interview is a follow-up to a 2004 conversation about his book, “The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, … Our 2004 interview may be found here. “Pandora’s Seed” tells the story of what we humans, with our hunter-gatherer biological construct have created in the past 10,000 years. These multiple live style changes have produced what we call “civilization,” with systems and mechanisms that will not allow us to continue the life-styles to are emulated by many people world-wide, and exploited by those who have access to them. In other words we can’t last much longer doing what we are doing without radically reducing the way we all live, if not outright killing our species. Spencer Well is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., where he leads the Genographic Project, which is collecting and analyzing hundreds of thousands of DNA samples from people around the world in order to decipher how our ancestors populated the world….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Crypto-Gram Newsletter 22 mins – “In this issue: Regin ; FBI Agents Pose as Repairmen to Bypass Warrant Process ; NSA Hacking of Cell Phone Networks ; Comments on the Sony Hack ; Over 700 Million People Taking Steps to Avoid NSA Surveillance; Corporations Misusing Our Data – from the December 15, 2014 Crypto-Gram Newsletter by Bruce Schneier read by Dan Henage” At the link right-click “Direct download: crypto-gram-14-12.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cyber and National Security 47 mins – “A whole lot of the country runs on the Internet now, from the Pentagon to the power grid to our personal finances. And we know – from hacks on Sony and Centcom and Target and JP Morgan – that the Internet has enormous vulnerabilities. Tightening web security has been challenging. Corporations and privacy advocates and government spies can all have reasons to resist. Now the President is pushing a new package of legislation. Is it the right stuff? Will it work? Can it pass? This hour On Point: cybersecurity, vested interests, vulnerability and you.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Death Row Doctorate 29 mins – “Consider spending time on death row and turning that experience into the drive to get a doctorate? In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Professor Rudolph Alexander Jr. Ph.D., author of “To Ascend Into The Shining World Again”. As a 17 year old student Rudolph Alexander found himself in a threatening situation in which he felt compelled to shoot another man. In his trial he felt he was badly misrepresented by his attorney and was convicted and sentenced to death by the electric chair in the State of Georgia. Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1968, Rudolph’s sentence was changed to life imprisonment. He was later granted trusty status, which aided him in securing parole in 1975. Rebounding from his ordeal, Alexander began college, earning four degrees, including a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Presently Alexander is a full Professor at Ohio State University. We spoke with Rudolph Alexander from his home in Ohio on October 26, 2009 and began by asking him to reflect on the extremes he has experienced in his life.” At the link click “Click here to download podcast, then right-click “1197-1-alexander_interview_10-26-09_hb_mono.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Dengue Vaccine 102 mins – “Hosts Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler review the outcomes of two recent phase 3 clinical trials of a quadrivalent dengue virus vaccine in Asia and Latin America.” At the link right-click “TWIV 319” beside “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Drug Death 12 mins – “Lost after arriving at grad school, Bethany Brookshire is happy to finally find a perfect mentor. Bethany Brookshire has a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Philosophy from The College of William and Mary, a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is the guest Editor of the Open Laboratory Anthology of Science Blogging, 2009, and the winner of the Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award and the Three Quarks Daily Science Writing Award, among others. She is currently the Science Education Writer for Science News for Students. She blogs at Eureka!Lab and at Scicurious. You can follow her on Twitter as @scicurious.” AT the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Earthquakes 28 mins – “In a rebroadcast from Nov. 14, 2010, Keith talks with seismology professor Brian Stump, Albritton Professor of Earth Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, with SMU. Stump explains why the earth’s crust differs around the world, and why there is an increasing detection of smaller quakes worldwide. An interesting question arises during the interview: Could nuclear weapons be used to relieve pressure along fault lines? Plus, Stump explains how earthquakes cause low frequency acoustic waves in the atmosphere.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Emancipation 52 mins – “This month marks the 150th anniversary of the 13th amendment’s passage through Congress. That was the amendment that did away with slavery once and for all. But on January 1, 1863, two years before, President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It declared that all slaves in the rebellious states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Today, Lincoln is remembered as “The Great Emancipator,” but the story of emancipation is complex and contradictory. And the question of how we choose to commemorate this anniversary can be touchy. On this episode, we set out to understand the way Americans thought about emancipation in 1862, and reflect on its shifting meanings since then. Along the way, we make stops at the Emancipation Memorial in Washington D.C., the Civil War centennial commemorations in the height of the Civil Rights Era, and the former capital of the Confederacy today. And we hear the voices of former slaves themselves, remembering their first experiences of freedom.” 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.
Equal Rights 51 mins – “Congress passed an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution in the early 1970s. But after a 10-year lobbying effort on both sides, the amendment fell three states short of ratification. Since then, the ERA has been reintroduced in every session of Congress but hasn’t gone anywhere. Polls continue to show widespread support for a constitutional guarantee of women’s rights. But a series of decisions by the Supreme Court have denied claims of sex discrimination by women. A legal scholar on how an Equal Rights Amendment would address ongoing pay inequity, workplace discrimination and violence against women.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
Fish Farming 23 mins – “ …According to Paul Greenberg, author of American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood, today about 50 percent of our fish are now raised on farms, as opposed to in the wild. With a lot of fears about factory-farmed animals swarming around, Greenberg is quick to add that farm-raised fish have an important distinction from their land-based friends: “The vast majority of the fish that we’re eating has not been selectively bred. There’s not a lot of genetic difference between the wild animal and the farmed animal.” (Salmon and tilapia are notable exceptions to this rule.)…Americans love shrimp: It’s the most consumed seafood in the country. But around 90 percent of that shrimp actually comes from Southeast Asia and other foreign markets – places where aquaculture is booming. And where rules for fish farming aren’t nearly as stringent… In an attempt to make our food more affordable, fish production undergoes a seemingly inefficient process. Part of the fish that we eat in America was actually caught on our shores. But to save labor costs, companies freeze fish and send them via boat to processing plants in Asia, where they are defrosted, boned, processed and refrozen. “ At the link find the title, “The Story of Our Seafood,” right-click “IHUB-011715-B.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Food and Climate P2 53 mins – “Part 2 takes a look at the impact of climate change on food – how we may create a food system that is resilient enough if fuel grows scarce, weather gets more severe, and traditional supply chains are hampered. I talk with Philip Ackerman-Leist, farmer, college professor and author of Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable and Secure Food Systems. In this Community Resilience Guide, Philip Ackerman shares some of the most promising, replicable models for growing, processing, and distributing sustainably grown food, and points us toward the next stages of the food revolution. At the link right-click the play button at the base of the book cover picture and select “Save Audio As” from the pop-up menu.
Free Speech 47 mins – “Islam and blasphemy. What it is and how it’s used and abused, from Charlie Hebdo in France to Saudi Arabia and beyond. The killers at Charlie Hebdo in Paris shouted they had avenged the Prophet Mohammed. Against the insult, the blasphemy, of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons. Blasphemy can sound like a very old idea in much of the world. But in the Islamic world, blasphemy is hot and very political. In Pakistan, you can get a beating or worse in a hurry. Saudi Arabia just sentenced a critic to 1000 lashes. Mauritania has sentenced a blogger to death by firing squad for insulting the prophet. And then there’s Charlie Hebdo. This hour On Point: the blasphemy charge, inside the Islamic world and beyond.”” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Free Speech 51 mins – “Yesterday the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a new issue with another caricature of the Prophet Muhammad on its cover. More than a million copies were sold in Paris and additional printings have been promised as demand surges. While Muslims worldwide have condemned the terror attacks last week that killed twelve people, many have called the depictions of Muhammad offensive, and object to news organizations reprinting them. Guest host Frank Sesno and our [5] panelists discuss the latest on the investigation into the attacks and the ongoing debate over balancing free speech with religious sensitivity.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
Government Web Sites 58 mins – “Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America, explains how governments, from the federal level to the local, need individuals with the skills to harness technology and design principles to make the everyday user’s experience simpler and more elegant. Recently the U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer at the White House, Pahlka also discusses the hunger within government for “creative hacks” that improve their platforms.” At the link hover over “Download,” then right-click “Download MP3 Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu
Greek Austerity 27mins – “The protest by cleaners, laid off from tax offices and the Greek Finance Ministry, which has captured the imagination of those opposed to the country’s harsh austerity programme.” At the link find the title, “DocArchive: Greece – The Rubber Glove Rebellion 15 Jan 2015,” right-click “Media files docarchive_20150115-0232a.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Green Illusions P3 60 mins – “We will switch away from fossil fuels sooner or later, because they will run out. If it’s later, our kids get a wrecked civilization trying to cope with a wrecked climate. This week on Radio Ecoshock we finish out a three-part series on alternative energy, what it can do, and what it can’t. The take-home from green energy lovers and haters alike is simple: we can’t have this crazy civilization running just on the sun and wind. When we stop milking the billion year-pile of concentrated solar, known as oil, gas and coal – something has to change. That’s all in this rebroadcast of a podcast out of Britain, called Legalise-Freedom.com. Host Greg Moffit interviews David Fridley, a long-term energy expert working with both the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Post Carbon Institute. Pull up an ear, and let’s listen in.” At the link right-click “Lo-Fi” beise “Download or listen…” and select “Save Link As” form the pop-up menu.
Group Think Issues 59 mins – “ Harvard Law School professor Cass Sunstein discusses his book, [Wiser: Getting Beyond Groupthink to Make Groups Smarter], about the pitfalls of group decision-making and how to avoid them.” At the link find the title, “After Words: Cass Sunstein,” right-click “Media files program.383766.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Hospice for Profit 51 mins – “About half of Americans of retirement age will receive end-of-life care from a hospice. Most hospices used to be nonprofits run by community or religious groups. But the number of for-profit hospice firms has tripled in the last 15 years. A new analysis by the Washington Post says that for-profit hospices often provide less nursing and crisis care. Join guest host Frank Sesno and a panel of [4] guests for a discussion on the rise of the for-profit hospice industry and what it means for patients.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
Immigrant Submariners P2 51 mins – “In 2004, four Latino high school students won an underwater robotics competition sponsored by NASA and the Office of Naval Research. With little funding or experience, they beat out a field of college teams, including one from MIT. It was a classic underdog story with a made-for-Hollywood ending. In fact, a major motion picture recounting their victory will be released later this week. Yet, the reality was much more complicated. The teenagers from Phoenix lived in the United States illegally. Though clearly talented, they faced a future with limited options. A new book called “Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream” tells their story.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
Islamic Machinations 27 mins – “Former jihadi Aimen Dean gives a unique insight into the workings of Islamic State. Dean left school in Saudi Arabia to fight jihad in Bosnia in the 1990s. But with the rise of al-Qaeda he became disillusioned with his comrades’ drift towards terrorism. He joined al-Qaeda – but working undercover for the British government.” At the link find the titl,e “DocArchive: Bureaucracy and Brutality,” right-click “Media files docarchive_20150110-1932a.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Job Woes 47 mins – “Best jobs numbers since 1999 out last week. Official unemployment down to 5.6 percent. But wages? Going nowhere. “Paltry,” said The Wall Street Journal. And the jobs? How good can they be when average hourly earnings – weak for a long time now – actually fell by a nickel. While headline writers wait for the economy to roar again, a lot of thinkers are wondering if the US economic engine needs to be fundamentally retooled. Rebuilt. Reimagined. This hour On Point: No holds barred. How do we make the American economy work for all of America? “ At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Johnny Mnemonic 18 mins – “Every time there is a big new release of some software, an operating system or a new browser, hackers get to work. Each new release is the start of a race because there are all these giant players who desperately want to find the new flaw in the software.Today on the show, the story of one man who stumbled into a flaw in Apple’s operating system, a way to hack the phone you might have in your hands right now – the iPhone 5s. It was a flaw that was worth a million dollars to the first person who could exploit it.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Living with Nature 49 mins – “…This series looks at how our changing climate is changing the world we live in, locally and globally. ..This series is part of my contribution to education about climate change… Recent research and books like ‘Tending the Wild‘ by Kat Anderson are dispelling the hunter-gatherer stereotype long perpetuated in anthropological and historical literature. We are now coming to see California’s indigenous people as active agents of environmental change and stewardship. Their traditional ecological knowledge is essential if we are to successfully meet the challenge of living sustainably. I talk with Sherrie Smith-Ferri (Dry Creek Pomo/Bodega Miwok), Executive Director at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, California. Sherrie is also the author of Pomo Indian Basketry and was a project advisor on the California’s “Lost” Tribes Film Series. I also talk with nature writer Kate Marianchild. She is writing Secrets of the Oak Woodlands, a book full of little-known information about the plants and animals that live among California’s oaks. Oak habitats collectively support more diversity of life than any other terrestrial ecosystems in California….” At the link right-click the play button at the bottom of the book jacket and select “Save Audio As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Components 29 mins – “Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana has caused considerable debate and political discussion, but just what is in this plant which creates such controversy? In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Dr. William Courtney, a cannabis Medical Consultant based in Mendocino County, California. Dr. Courtney has studied the compounds of the cannabis plant known as “cannabinoids,” their various health effects, and the United States government patents held on these compounds. Further details on the legal status and current research relating to cannabis may be found on Dr. Courtney’s website www.leavesofgrass.info This conversation with Dr. Courtney was recorded in the studios of Radio Curious, Ukiah, California on March 23, 2009. We began when I asked him to describe the compounds in marijuana.” At the link click “Click here to download podcast, then right-click “1197-1-courtney_interview_3-23-09_hb.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mars Mission 60 mins – “This week we’re learning how private enterprise has jumped in to fill the gap left by shrinking government budgets for space exploration. We’re joined by journalist Elmo Keep, to talk about her article on Mars One, a nonprofit planning to make a reality show out of a one-way trip to colonize the red planet. And we’ll get an update on the state of the for-profit space industry with Space News Senior Editor Jeff Foust.” At the link right-click “Listen Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Memetics 29 mins – “The developing field of science called the science of memetics is based on evolution, studies memes: how they interact, replicate, and evolve. The biological definition of a meme is a basic unit of cultural transmission. The psychological definition of a meme is a unit of cultural heredity analogous to the gene, the internal representation of knowledge. A working definition of a meme is a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds. “The Virus of the Mind” is a book devoted to the study of memetics and memes and was written by Richard Brodie, who also was a writer of the first version of Microsoft Word. He was our guest for this edition of Radio Curious that was originally broadcast in July of 1996. We began when I asked him what is the importance of studying memetics.” At the link right-click “Click here to begin listening.” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Midwives 51 mins – According to a new study by Britain’s National Health Service, it’s safer for women with low risk pregnancies to deliver under the supervision of a midwife than in a hospital maternity ward. According to the study, mothers expected to have uncomplicated deliveries, and their babies, did better with midwives compared to doctors except in one circumstance: first time mothers delivering at home. Of the 3.9 million babies born in the U.S last year, only about 9 percent were delivered by midwives and most of these in a hospital. But this may be changing. Join us [4 guests] to talk about best practices in maternity care.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, the file is in the blog archive.
Migrants by County 61 mins – “This Migration Policy Institute (MPI) webinar marks the release of new data profiles of unauthorized immigrants for counties in the United States with the largest populations potentially eligible for the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or the new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program (known as DAPA). Experts from MPI discuss some of the interesting county-level findings, and top officials from Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. and the National Council of La Raza talk about the implications of the data for implementation of the DACA and DAPA programs. The 94 detailed county-level profiles, along with top line estimates of unauthorized immigrant population size for 117 counties, are available here.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download” and select” Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Migrants in Britain 50 mins – “In the 1950s and 1960s tens of thousands of migrants came to Britain from the Indian subcontinent. Many arrived with no more than £3 in their pocket – the limit set by the Indian authorities. They came to work in Britain’s factories, foundries, and new public services. Kavita Puri hears their stories.” At the link find the title, “DocArchive: Three Pounds in my Pocket,” right-click “Media files docarchive_20150111-2005a.mp3” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mingle App Story 30 mins – “19 year old self taught developer, Sam Ghobril, joins me to discuss creating his action based contact app Mingle, teaching himself to code and being the only coder he knew growing up around his home in Lebanon.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Navajo Elder 28 mins – “In this edition of Radio Curious assistant producer Christina Aanestad speaks with Leonard Benally, a Dine’ elder. Dine is the indigenous name for the Navajo people. Leonard Benally lived in an area called Big Mountain on the Navajo and Hopi reservations close to the Arizona-New Mexico border. He died on October 11, 2013 from cancer. In the 1970′s a Hopi – Navajo land dispute erupted on Big Mountain; some claim it was devised to move the Navajo out of the area because Peabody Coal wanted the coal rich land below their feet. As a result, an estimated 20,000 Dine’ were displaced. A few hundred remain to this day-refusing to leave. Leonard Benally was one of them.In August, 2012 Leonard Benally agreed to talk about his life.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nose Temperature 6 mins – ”It was dismissed by doctors for decades as a myth. But now, scientists have proved that the winter weather really can increase your chances of catching a cold. Yale University’s Akiko Iwasaki has found that when the cells in our noses are infected with viruses, they sound a chemical alarm to help other cells to fend off infection. But at lower temperatures, this doesn’t work so well, giving an attacking virus an advantage and partly explaining why colds are much more common in winter, as she explained to Chris Smith. “ At the link right-click “Download as mp3…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Outdoor Education 29 mins – “In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Helen Menasian, director of the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project, located north of Ukiah, California. Ukiah is a small town in a long narrow valley that has been occupied by the Pomo People for about 11,000 years. About 150 years ago when Europeans and other foreign settlers arrived the wilderness of the Ukiah valley was interrupted by pavement, waterworks and mechanical noise. The book “The Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder,” by Richard Louv describes some of the central ethos behind outdoor education for children. The book reminds us that parents have the power to ensure that their son or daughter will not be “the last child in the woods,” and discusses the importance of the nature-child reunion. During this conversation we hear how the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project seeks to regain that connection. We began by asking Helen Menasian to explain just what the project does.” At the link right-click “Click here to begin listening.” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Paperback vs E-Readers (2 parts) 106 mins – “eReaders have many advantages over paperbacks and although Amazon would have you believe that eBooks are leading the way, the paperback is far from dead and we look at both sides of the debate….Follow up (Part A) to Hopefully They Don’t Burn It where Vic and John touch briefly on DRM, looking at kill switches and when it’s right/wrong to use them confirm that Chapters is still open, touch on libraries already lending books via Kindles and more.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. Do the same for part two here.
Peopling the World 28 mins – “Around 60,000 years ago, a man – identical to us in all important genetic respects – lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. This is known because the secrets of human evolution are hidden in our genetic code. In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit with geneticist Spencer Wells, author of the book and movie, “Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey.” Spencer Well is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., where he leads the Genographic Project, which is collecting and analyzing hundreds of thousands of DNA samples from people around the wold in order to decipher how our ancestors populated the world. He is also a professor a Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The book Spencer Wells recommends is “No Logo,” by Naomi Klein.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
San Quentin Insider 29 mins – “Buzzy Martin began teaching music to at risk kids in Juvenile Hall. He then taught guitar in San Quentin Prison for three and a half years, where he gained a unique “insiders” perspective about prison life, prisoners, and the guards. His book, “Don’t Shoot! I’m the Guitar Man,” chronicles his experiences teaching prison inmates, including rapists, child molesters and murderers how to play the guitar. Martin shares his experiences with incarcerated youth, to teach them that prison is not a “badge of honor,” and he reveals how music can be a universal language to open the hearts of people who may think they don’t have one. Buzzy Martin’s memoir will be made into a movie. His website is http://buzzymartin.com/ The interview with Buzzy Martin was recorded on October 11th, 2010. The book he recommends is, “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book,” by don Miguel Ruiz.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Selma 47 mins – “Fifty years ago this spring, it was billy clubs and blood and high stakes politics – moral reckoning – in Selma, Alabama. The heart of the civil rights movement. A high-wire act between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson. Brutal repression. Readiness to be clubbed for a cause. High strategy in the streets. The new movie “Selma” brings that story back, powerfully, into the midst of Ferguson and “I Can’t Breathe.” At a time when we know, a half century on, this isn’t over. This hour On Point: we’re traveling back with Selma, the movie, and bringing it right up to date.
Sitting Hazard 5 mins – “Are you sitting comfortably? You may want to stand up after reading this. People are spending so much time on their derrieres it could be shortening their lifespans by up to six years, research suggests. This sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise is one of the contributing factors to the current obesity crisis….” At the link right-click “Download as mp3…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Solitary Confinement 29 mins – “This is our second interview with Steven Czifra, a 38 year old undergraduate student at the University of California at Berkeley who spent almost 16 years in prison beginning when he was 14 years old. For almost eight of those years he was held in solitary confinement. Having been held in a solitary confinement facility known as the SHU, security housing units of California’s juvenile and adult prisons, for almost eight years, he recently participated in the hunger strikes in solidarity with current prisoners to end the use of those facilities. In the first of a two-part series on prisons from the prisoner’s perspective, Steven Czifra shared his story and experiences. Our first conversation ended when he was about to explain his desire to give a voice to the segment of the population which ends up in prison, and is otherwise not heard. Who they are and why they are there. In this second conversation recorded from his home in Berkeley, California in September 14, 2013, Steven Czifra tells more of his personal story, his background and reflections and how he chose to turn his life around.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. Part 1 can also be downloaded.
Sound Signatures 16 mins – “The first trademark for a sound in the United States was issued in 1978 to NBC for their chimes. MGM has a sound trademark for their roaring lion, as does 20th Century Fox for their trumpet fanfare. Harley Davidson tried to trademark the sound of their motorcycles, but after years of litigation, they finally withdrew their application. Right now there are fewer than two hundred active trademarks for sounds. A surprisingly small number, considering sound has the power make—or break—a brand. Consider, for instance, the fajita. Specifically, the”sizzling fajitas”of the restaurant chain Chili’s.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Spectrum Management 32 mins – “Martin Cooper, regarded as the inventor of the cellular phone, talks about wireless spectrum needs. Mr. Cooper invented the first portable cell phone in 1973, and is currently a member of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee.” At the link find the title, “The Communicators: Martin Cooper,” right-click “Media files program.378727.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Synthetic Biology 34 mins – “an editorial in the journal Science raised important questions about the safety of synthetic biology. In particular, it asked whether we can ensure safe practices in the more shady research arenas, such as the DIY synthetic biology movements… To discuss the implications, Ian Sample is joined by Nicola Davis, commissioning editor of Observer Tech Monthly, and Professor Paul Freemont from Imperial College, London, who is co-director of its Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation. Dr Filippa Lentzos from King’s College London also joins us down the line from Switzerland.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Teacher Wars 52 mins – “There are many ideas about improving education, but journalist Dana Goldstein says most of them have been tried, and many of them have already failed. Goldstein has written a book that chronicles the history of what she calls America’s most embattled profession – teaching. She joins us to tell stories of what it’s been like to be a teacher throughout our nation’s history and to talk about the questions we’ve always wrestled with: who should be teaching and what should our children be learning?” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Torture 28 mins – “Radio Curious brings you an interview about torture from our archives in 2006. Our guest is Dr. Steven Miles, author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War On Terror,” a book based in part on eyewitness accounts of actual victims of prison abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than thirty-five thousand pages of documents, autopsy reports and medical records.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Toxicology Conflicts 51 mins – “ Controversies in medical toxicology: gaps between evidence and practice.” At the link right-click “Controversies in Medical Toxicology – Gaps Between Evidence & Practice“ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tracker 15 mins – “When a little girl goes missing in the desert, one woman is driven to find her, no matter what. Find out all about Hannah’s amazing story, and find resources for domestic abuse survivors on her website pointlastseen.com “ At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the right side of the sound bar and select “Save Link As from the pop-up menu.
Tungsten Carbide 6 mins – “Richard Feynman once said there was a ‘sleeping dragon’ lying dormant in the bowels of the Los Alamos Laboratory. And there were a few scientists who decided to tickle its tail, with fatal consequences. Harry Daghlian Jr., a physicist from MIT, was looking at neutron reflection as part of the Critical Assemblies Group in 1946. He surrounded a Pu-239 core with metal reflection bricks to see how many would be needed, and in what position, to make the core go critical. As he was positioning the bricks around the spherical metal core, Daghlian noticed it was about to go super-critical and tried to remove a brick. It fell into the Pu, which immediately set-off a runaway chain reaction. Exposed to a lethal dose of gamma radiation, Daghlian was the first peacetime casualty in a nuclear incident. The ultra-hard metal composite that landed on the dragon was, in fact, one of the toughest materials on Earth: Tungsten carbide.” At the link right-click “Download: CIIE_TungstenCarbide.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Urban Agriculture 51 mins – “Hosts Dickson Despommier and Vincent Racaniello Chris Hammelef and Paul Grey of Illumitex to learn about their revolutionary approach to designing horticultural LED lighting.” At the link right-slick “UrbAg11” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Urban Agriculture 80 mins – Dickson Despommier and Vincent Racaniello read listener email about urban agriculture, hydroponics, aquaponics, underground vertical farms, climate change, and more. At the link right-click “UrbAg 10” and select “Save Link As” from the poop-up menu.
Urban Agriculture Science 92 mins – Hosts:Dickson Despommier and Vincent Racaniello continue their discussion of the science of indoor farming. At the link right-click UrbAg7” beside “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Urban Planning 29 mins – “Many planners agree that a more centralized population is a good thing for long-term environmental responsibility. But as people all over the world continue to flock to urban centers, the challenge of creating sustainable cities becomes more pressing. How can cities be improved to ensure that their billions of residents have energy-efficient transportation, housing, waste-stream management, as well as clean air and water? This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Melanie Nutter, a consultant and Presidio Graduate School Expert-in-Residence, who has worked independently and as a part of city government to use technology and data to make smart and practical advances toward ecological urban planning. She walks us through some of the emerging policies and practices to promote smart, sustainable and resilient cities.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Vertical Farm in Indiana 78 mins – “Hosts Dickson Despommier and Vincent Racaniello speak with guest James Cannon. Chief of Horticulture at Green Farms A&M, about how his company produces food indoors.” “Green Farms Agronomics & Mycology (Green Farms A&M) is a Porter County, Indiana, indoor, vertical farm, located in Valparaiso. Founded in the fall of 2010, Green Farms is a new farming concept focusing on quality, the environment, and the community.” At the link right-click “UrbAg 8” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Vertical Farm in Michigan 80 mins – “Hosts Dickson Despommier and Vincent Racaniello interview guests Milan Kluko and Daniel Kluko, owners of Green Spirit Farms, a sustainable vertical farm in New Buffalo, Michigan.” “We grow our local high quality vegetables year round, which reduces the “carbon footprint” associated with traditional food supply while increasing ecosystem performance. Our approach eliminates unforeseen and uncontrollable severe weather events that negatively impact yields of these specialty vegetable crops (such as drought, flood, and early frost) resulting in more stable production, predictable harvest schedules that increase the amount of food that is consumed locally while providing maximum food transparency and a secure local food supply year round. This is vertical farm-to-table.” At the link right-click “Download UrbAg9” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Wireless Pros and Cons 86 mins – “There is a growing trend to eliminate the wires and go wireless for data and for power. Can it work? It is practical? Dive in.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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ARCHIVE
An alphabetic encyclopedia of 5000 of these hyperlinked descriptions is here and updated quarterly. A file of the podcasts is here , updated weekly, and can be downloaded as a 30+ 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, too, and can also be downloaded as a zip file or individually. Over 210 feeds used to prepare this blog are harvested with a podcast aggregator. The feeds are available in this opml file which most aggregators can import. A list of the feeds is here. 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 