The following audio files come from a larger group of 188 for the week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 52 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
African Business 6 mins – “In this short, provocative talk, financier Sangu Delle questions whether microfinance — small loans to small entrepreneurs — is the best way to drive growth in developing countries. “We seem to be fixated on this romanticized idea that every poor person in Africa is an entrepreneur,” he says. “Yet, my work has taught me that most people want jobs.” Delle, a TED Fellow, makes the case for supporting large companies and factories — and clearing away the obstacles to pan-African trade.” At the link click “Download,” right-click “Download audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
American Revolution 52 mins – “When thinking about the American Revolutionary War, the founding fathers, Paul Revere and militia men fighting for independence from Britain are first to come to mind. But an historian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says there is much more to the story. In a new book, professor Kathleen DuVal explores how marginalized groups who lived outside of colonial society changed the outcome of the war. Slaves and Cajun exiles along the gulf coast fought against the British for their own reasons. And some Native Americans Indians chose not to assist the British at crucial moments. We hear a new take on the American Revolution.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the program is included in the blog archive.
Animals and Crimes 19 mins – “In 2001, a woman was found dead in a pool of her own blood. Her husband was convicted of her murder. But a curious neighbor had a different theory… one that brings new meaning to man vs. beast.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bear Markets 29 mins – “We have no idea how soon the next bear market will strike but there is enough history to know it will likely be very unsettling to many investors. How big will the losses be? How long will it last? What can you do to protect against those losses? In the podcast Paul discusses 10 things you should know about bear markets. He also refers to a graph that helps give give perspective to the length and depth of bear markets, as well as the bull markets that have made the risk of bear markets worthwhile.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Book Thefts 22 mins – “Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of rare books have been disappearing across America since the late 90s, and haven’t resurfaced in the marketplace. They’ve just vanished, never to be seen again. But unlike most thieves, this thief is motivated by something more abstract and romantic than money, which makes him extremely difficult to catch.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband in Massachusetts 28 mins – “Our second episode of Community Broadband Bits featured an interview with Monica Webb, Chair of the Wired West Board and Spokesperson. Three years later, we are excited to have Monica on the show again to update us on their recent progress. As we recently noted, the state has decided to contribute significantly to the capital costs of a network connecting these rural towns and the towns are currently voting on whether to move forward. In our discussion, we discuss Wired West and what it is like to live with very poor Internet access in 2015.” At the link right-click “…download this Mp3 file directly….” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Buddha Solution 16 mins – “Dan Stevenson has lived in Oakland’s Eastlake neighborhood for 40 years. He says crime has been an issue for as long as he can remember, but he isn’t one to call the police on drug dealers or sex workers. He’s a pretty “live and let live” kind of guy. Or he was. Before he finally got fed up and took matters into his own hands.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Child Pornography Error 20 mins – “In June 2014, authorities released information about a massive child pornography ring being conducted in North Carolina. Four suspects had already been arrested, and the police were asking the public for help finding a fifth suspect. But they didn’t need to look very hard — the suspect was about to turn himself in, almost by accident.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Counterfeiting 17 mins – “With the advent of the Inkjet printer, counterfeiting money became as simple as a trip to Staples. By the year 2000, there were 72 million of these homemade dollars in circulation. The real question is… who was behind them all?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cricket Flour 20 mins – “Trade in your burgers and chicken wings for cricket flour and meatless protein. Bitty Foods’ Megan Miller and Beyond Meat’s Ethan Brown tell you why your dinner is going to look radically different in 20 years.” At the link find the title, The Plate of the Future: Cricket Cookies and Meatless Meat,” right-click “Media files 041115-FOODROUNDTABLE.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Dairy Cows 36 mins – “In 1900, the average dairy cow in America produced 424 gallons of milk each year. By 2000, that figure had more than quadrupled, to 2,116 gallons. In this episode of Gastropod, we explore the incredible science that transformed the American cow into a milk machine—but we also uncover the disturbing history of prejudice and animal cruelty that accompanied it.” 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.
DNA Detectives 21 mins – “DNA: it’s the genetic information that makes plants and animals what we are. Most of the time when you hear about it in the context of food, it’s to do with breeding. But in this short episode, we bring you two DNA detective stories that show how genetic analysis can rewrite the history of agriculture and fight food fraud—at least some of the time.” 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.
Drive-By Shooting 17 mins – “In March 1964, a 35-year-old African American woman named Johnnie Mae Chappell was walking along the side of the road in Jacksonville, Florida. At the same time, four white men were driving around listening to the race riots on the radio. They had a gun on the dashboard. As they passed Chappell, one of the men leaned out the car window and shot her. As the police investigated her death, evidence began to mysteriously disappear, making it impossible to punish the men who admitted to committing the crime.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Engineering Failures 81 mins – “In this episode, Chris and Jeff discuss the role of failure in advancing engineering knowledge. All things fail at some point. Engineers advance their own knowledge, and that of the profession, by analyzing these failures. As a guideline for our discussion, we reference the book, “To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design,” authored by Duke University professor Henry Petroski….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
FBI Informants 52 mins – “Wednesday, we continue our Through the Lens series on documentary film with an exposé of the government’s controversial domestic counterterrorism tactics. The filmmakers behind (T)ERROR were on the ground as Saeed Torres, an aging Black revolutionary turned informant, aided the FBI in an active sting operation. Torres is just one of a growing number of covert operatives in America who straddle the murky line between preventing crimes and inciting them. Director David Sutcliffe joins us to talk about his film.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fossil Fuel Divestment 52 mins – “It began on college campuses, students lobbying their schools to pull out of investments in coal, oil and gas companies. Recently, however, the fossil fuel divestment movement has expanded beyond university walls. Last year, heirs to the Rockefeller oil fortune announced they’d purge a portion of their portfolio of coal and tar sand investments. Earlier this month, Norway voted to cull coal stocks from the holdings of its government pension fund, worth $890 billion. Many see these developments as a victory for climate change activism, but others argue divestment is both ineffective and actually hurts the cause it claims to help. For this month’s Environmental Outlook, a look at fossil fuel divestment.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the program is included in the blog archive.
Fruit and Vegetable Toxins 52 mins – “Your mother was right when she told you to eat your vegetables, but maybe not for the reasons you think. New research suggests it may not be the vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables that are so good for you – it may be their toxins. Plants naturally produce chemicals to ward off insects and other would–be predators. When we eat fruits and vegetables,these chemicals stimulate our nerve cells and seem to boost our body’s resistance to disease. We hear more about the benefits of toxins in fruits and vegetables, and other anti-aging research.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the program is included in the blog archive.
Gateway to Freedom 52 mins – “Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner talks about his book [Gateway to Freedom], in which he examines the efforts of free blacks and white abolitionists to secure freedom for fugitive slaves during the mid-19th century.” At the link find the title, “After Words: Eric Foner,” right-click “Media files program.389443.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Hate Crime Victims 14 mins – “On April 13, 2014, former KKK member Frazier Glenn Cross pulled into a Jewish Community Center and ambushed a grandfather and grandson, killing both. He then killed another woman a short distance away. What does the family left behind do when they are thrust into a national spotlight? How do they figure out what to disclose and what should be private?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Internet Crime 16 mins – “In 1999, most of America’s tech hysteria centered around Y2K. But at that same time, a teenager in Canada was messing around in chat rooms, meeting hackers, and learning tricks. At 15, he decided to put his knowledge to the test. To push up against the Internet’s limits, and in some places, break them. He managed to pull off something no one had ever seen before.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Justice in America 51 mins – “The United States has the world’s largest prison population. In 2012, there were 2.3 million people in American prisons or jails – and even more under some kind of “correctional supervision.” In fact, if you added up all the people in America in prison, on probation, or on parole, it’d total about 6 million – just a little smaller than the population of New York City. The system is vast, but how well is it working? In this episode, we explore how a few communities across the country have responded creatively to problems with police, courts, and prisons.” At the link find the title, American Justice,” right-click “Media files Justice_Podcast.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
K-T Extinction Event 33 mins – “We’ve all heard the story of what happened on the day the dinosaurs died, right? Well, we thought we had. Turns out, high-powered ballistics experiments, fancy computer algorithms, and good old-fashioned ancient geology have given us a shocking new version of the events on that day, 66 million years ago. It’s a new theory that is so scarily precise — and hot — it’s terrifying and nearly unimaginable.” At the link right-click “Stream m3u” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. A video version of the program can be seen on YouTube here.
Kale of the Sea 39 mins – “Call off the search for the new kale: we’ve found it, and it’s called kelp! In this episode of Gastropod, we explore the science behind the new wave of seaweed farms springing up off the New England coast, and discover seaweed’s starring role in the peopling of the Americas. The story of seaweed will take us from a medicine hut in southern Chile to a high-tech seaweed nursery in Stamford, Connecticut, and from biofuels to beer, as we discover the surprising history and bright future of marine vegetables. Along the way, we uncover the role kelp can play in supporting U.S. fishermen, cleaning up coastal waters, and even helping make salmon farms more sustainable.” 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.
Landslides 33 mins – “On March 22, 2014, during a month of heavy rains, a significant landslide occurred near the rural town of Oso, WA, about 50 miles north of Seattle, on the steep slope above a river – a slope with a history of landslide occurrences. The slide destroyed about 50 homes and killed 43 people. The event has raised questions about landslide causes and about the feasibility of landslide warning systems. Professor Schofer discusses the Oso landslide, and the topic of landslides in general, with Jeff Keaton, principal geologist for AMEC Americas in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association team, also known as GEER, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. GEER teams survey extreme event locations immediately following the occurrences, and did so at Oso.” At the link find the title, “The Oso, Washington landslide – causes, impacts, information learned,” right-click “Media files Oso-Landslide.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Lincoln Assassination 52 mins – “On the night of April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre. He died early the next morning. It was the first time a sitting president had been murdered. On this episode of BackStory, we mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination by exploring how his death came to pass — and how a changed nation moved forward.” 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.
Marijuana Protestor 52 mins – “William Bennett, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush, talks about his book [Going to Pot], in which he argues against the legalization of marijuana.” At the link find the title, “After Words: William Bennett,” right-click “Media files program.389973.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mau Mau Revelation 45 mins – “Just down the road from a pub in rural Hanslope Park, England is a massive building — the secret archives of the biggest empire the world has ever known. This is the story of a few documents that tumbled out and offered a glimpse of histories waiting to be rewritten. When professor Caroline Elkins came across a stray document left by the British colonial government in Nairobi, Kenya, she opened the door to a new reckoning with the history of one of Britain’s colonial crown jewels, and the fearsome group of rebels known as the Mau Mau. We talk to historians, archivists, journalists and send our producer Jamie York to visit the Mau Mau. As the new history of Kenya is concealed and revealed, document by document, we wonder what else lies in wait among the miles of records hidden away in Hanslope Park.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Microbe Revolution 38 mins – “Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ve probably heard about the human microbiome. Research into the composition, function, and importance of the galaxy of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that, when we’re healthy, live in symbiotic balance in and on us has become one of the fastest moving and most intriguing fields of scientific study. But it turns out that plants have a microbiome too—and it’s just as important and exciting as ours.vIn this episode of Gastropod, we look at the brand new science that experts think will lead to a “Microbe Revolution” in agriculture, as well as the history of both probiotics for soils and agricultural revolutions. And we do it all in the context of the crop that Bill Gates has called “the world’s most interesting vegetable”: the cassava.” 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.
Monty Python 52 mins – “Witch weighing, African swallows, a bloodthirsty bunny, God himself… We’re talking of course about Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sure, the movie is epically silly, but behind the humor lay countless cultural and historical references. According to BYU film studies professor Darl Larsen, in crafting their 1975 cult-classic film the Pythons drew from Arthurian legend, the Medieval period, and the hard times of 1970s Great Britain. Larsen joins us Thursday for something completely different. EDITOR’S NOTE: Please accept our apologies for the technical difficulties attending today’s podcast audio. We are working forthwith to remedy the situation. Bear with us.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Music Guru 68 mins – “Guests: Ted Cohen – Ted Cohen is a digital entertainment industry executive; having worked in senior management positions at EMI Music, Warner Bros. Records, and Philips Media. He is currently the Managing Partner of TAG Strategic.” At the link click “Download options,” right-click “Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nuclear Energy 77 mins – “We enjoy a wide-ranging conversation about nuclear power with guest Akira Tokuhiro in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast. Out at the road construction job site, Adam notes that most of the energy is provided by diesel fuel. Our guest, Dr. Akira Tokuhiro, is a Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the University of Idaho.” At the link find the title, “Episode 39 — Nuclear Energy Media files,” right-click “TheEngineeringCommons-0039-NuclearEnergy.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nuisance Flooding 27 mins – “‘Nuisance flooding” is a term for minor flooding that is not catastrophic or life-threatening, but which causes various problems for cities and towns, including overflowing storm water management systems, roads that must be closed to traffic, and deterioration of infrastructure not designed to be under water and in contact with salt-water. Much has been written in recent years about climate-related sea level rise, but a study released this July by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, focuses on the impacts of sea level rise as manifested in increasing frequency and magnitude of nuisance tidal flooding – and the findings are dramatic. Titled “Sea Level Rise and Nuisance Flood Frequency Changes Around the United States,” the report shows that nuisance flooding occurs much more frequently today than in the 1960s – in fact, 300 to 925 percent more frequently. Professor Schofer discusses this important topic with the lead author of that report, William Sweet, oceanographer at NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services.” At the link find the title, “Nuisance Flooding – what it is and why it’s on the increase in the U.S.,” right-click “Media files NuisanceFlooding.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pig History 52 mins – “The history of the domestic pig is a tale of both love and loathing. We cherish pigs for the delicious meat they supply. But, as an animals that eats and roots in filth, swine are often met with contempt. In a new book of porcine history, the writer Mark Essig follows the humble pig’s journey from Neolithic villages to modern industrial farms. Essig joins us Tuesday to explore the pig’s vast importance, the tragedy of its modern treatment, and its complicated relationship with humanity.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
PMS Crimes 11 mins – “What does it mean when a woman commits a crime and attributes her actions to PMS? How can the scientific community study severe premenstrual symptoms without perpetuating the utterly unscientific idea that menstruating women aren’t mentally competent or liable for crimes they commit?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Police Shooting 22 mins – “Police officer John Edwards was patrolling a quiet neighborhood in Bellaire, Texas when he saw an SUV driven by two young African-American men. It was just before 2am on December 31, 2008. Edwards followed the SUV and ran the license plate number. His computer indicated that the SUV was stolen, and Edwards drew his gun and told the two men to get down on the ground. It wasn’t until later that he realized he’d typed the wrong license plate number into his computer. He was off by one digit. By the time he realized his mistake, one of the men had already been shot in the chest at close range.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
PTSD History 58 mins – “David Morris, a war correspondent and former Marine infantry officer, talks about his book, [The Evil Hours], about the history of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the 27 million Americans, including himself, who suffer from it.” At the link find the title, “After Words: David Morris,” right-click “Media files program.387463.MP3-STD.mp3 and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.”
Puerto Rico 52 mins – “Nelson Denis talks about his book, [War Against All Puerto Ricans]. He is interviewed by Teresite Levy, Latino and Puerto Rican Studies Professor at CUNY’s Lehman College.” At the link find the title, “After Words with Nelson Denis,” right-click “Media files program.399215.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Raymnd Chandler Death 16 mins – “Raymond Chandler is often called the greatest American crime novelist, famous for murder mysteries like The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. He’s the subject of several biographies, and his correspondence and manuscripts are archived at Oxford. But something very, very important to Chandler had gotten lost. No one noticed until a pair of Chandler’s biggest fans, newlyweds in their seventies, got on the case. “At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Richard Nixon 59 mins – “Evan Thomas talked about his book, Being Nixon: A Man Divided, about the life and career of Richard Nixon. In his book, Mr. Thomas explores President Nixon’s early years and family life, his courtship and marriage to wife Pat, the inner turmoil he experienced throughout his life, and his relationships with political advisers, friends, and staff.” Aat the link find the title, “Q&A with Evan Thomas,” right-click “Media files program.404670.MP3-STD.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Road Tax Success 28 mins – “Six years ago, transportation planners across the U.S. watched with great interest the progress of the November 2008 elections in Los Angeles County, California, where a proposed sales tax to fund transportation projects – called Measure R – was on the ballot. Measure R passed in that election, and its proposal was implemented: a half-cent sales tax on each taxable dollar spent in Los Angeles County, used to fund specific transportation projects for the next 30 years. This month, on the 6-year anniversary of Measure R’s passage, Los Angeles County is the scene of five major highway and transit projects under construction at the same time – an unprecedented accomplishment in U.S. metropolitan areas, where “no new taxes” is the popular mantra. Professor Schofer talks about Measure R, its process and products, with David Yale, Managing Executive Officer, County-Wide Planning and Development, for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also known as Metro.” At the link find the title, “Measure R – the innovative transportation funding process that benefits Los Angeles County,” right-click “Media files Measure-R.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Snail Farms 29 mins – “Finally, Gastropod is tackling gastropods! In this episode, Cynthia visits one of America’s first and only snail farms. Though Gastropod is, as regular listeners know, a podcast about the science and history of all things gastronomical, we do share a name with Gastropoda, the taxonomic class that includes slugs and snails. And, as it turns out, the history and science of heliciculture, or snail farming, is completely fascinating. Join Cynthia on a trip to rural Washington State to learn how to raise snails and whether fresh and vacuum-packed taste any less rubbery than canned. Plus, you’ll hear about the earliest evidence for human snail consumption, how the Romans fattened theirs up, and all about the bizarre world of snail sex.” 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.
Startups in Iran 20 mins – “In this special international edition of the a16z Podcast, Nazanin Daneshvar, co-founder and CEO of Takhfifan, the “Groupon of Iran”, shares her experiences and broader observations about the startup ecosystem and tech infrastructure in Iran with guest interviewer Christopher Schroeder (former entrepreneur, D.C. investor, and author of Startup Rising). How did she do it? (Hint: With a bit of subterfuge and clever cloaking.)What are the attitudes toward failure in a time and place where startups aren’t really considered a real thing? This is the second installment in a special series on tech startups in Iran, part of a larger theme around.” At the link click “Download” to get the podcast.
Suicide 24 mins – “No one disputes that it’s against the law to take another person’s life, but is it against the law to sit with someone and watch while they commit suicide? We meet an elderly woman who sneaks around the country as an “exit guide.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Syrian Refugees 85 mins – “To date, almost 4 million refugees have fled the Syrian civil war, the vast majority seeking shelter in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, but with growing numbers also moving to Egypt and Northern Iraq. At this Migration Policy Institute briefing, Erol Kekic from Refugee Council USA and Anastasia Brown from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who recently visited the region, report on their findings on the space for humanitarian protection. Also joining the panel is Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Simon Henshaw, whose portfolio in the Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration includes Syrian refugees. He discusses recent developments in the region and in the U.S. humanitarian response. The discussion is moderated by Kathleen Newland, director of MPI’s Refugee Protection and Humanitarian Response Program.” At the link find the title, “No End in Sight: The Worsening Syrian Refugee Crisis,” right-click “Media files 201554NoEndInSightSyriansEvent.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Trans-Pacific Partnership and Drugs 18 mins – “International trade deals once focused primarily on tariffs. As a result, they had little direct effect on health, and health experts could reasonably leave their details to trade professionals. Not so today. Modern trade pacts have implications for a wide range of health policy issues, from medicine prices to tobacco regulation, not only in the developing world but also in the United States….” At the link right-click “Download” below the authors photo and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Transgender Couple 13 mins – “Someone decides to transition from one gender to another, it’s obviously a big deal in their life. But what’s it like for their spouse?” At the link find the title, “SOTRU Short: A Couple Twice” right-click “Media files Podcast_AcoupleTwiceBorn.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tweets for Business 85 mins (two parts) – Part One lists ten ways Twitter will changeAmerican business, along with related news. Part Two adds further comments about the list of ten and more related news. At the link right-click the down-pointing triangle beside the play icon and select “Save Link As” fromt eh pop-up menu. Do the same for the Part Two (Episode 57) here. .
Twitter Followers 17 mins – “Rachel Foster, @CopywriterTO, is a specialist in B2B copywriting who can develop persuasive copy that motivates sophisticated business buyers to take the next step in the sales cycle. Join us as she shares some Twitter tips and offers our listeners a free special download.” At the link click the play button to download the podcast.
Twitter for Beginners 40 mins – Interview with author of a free book about tweeting plus news about viruses. At the link click the play button to download the podcast.
Twitter Geolocation 21 mins – “Join Bo and Ryan as tey speak with Michael O’Connor on Geolocation – the new feature within Twitter that allows location identification of your Tweets. How can businesses use this data?” At the link click the play button to download the podcast.
Twitterville 36 mins – Interview with Shel Israel, author of “Twitterville” about the impact of social media on culture. At the link click the play button to download the podcast.
Vaccination Law 52 mins – “California’s new school vaccine law is one of the toughest in the nation: It requires all students to be vaccinated before they can attend public or private school. Medical exemptions are still allowed, but parents will no longer be able to forgo vaccinating their children because of religious or personal objections. Public health officials are praising the move. But California’s vocal anti-vaccine contingent is up in arms. A movement is already underway for a ballot initiative to repeal the law that Gov. Jerry Brown signed this week. We look at mandatory vaccines across the country — and the battle between parental rights and public health.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the program is included in the blog archive.
Venus Flytrap Thefts 21 mins – “Every year for the past few years, tens of thousand of flytraps have gone missing – from the wild, from gardens, from nurseries. And, really, nobody knows where they go. What’s cropped up in rural North Carolina is essentially a Venus Flytrap crime ring — with lackies, middle men, and a mysterious end buyer who’s perpetuating the market.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Work Declines 52 mins – “America has valued the rewards of hard work since its founding. Even so, we’ve long anticipated a future when machines would free us from the toil of labor, and that day may be close at hand. Computer scientists and software engineers are developing technologies that could replace jobs at an exponential rate. And what then? What would our world be like without work? The journalist Derek Thompson investigates that question in a new article for The Atlantic magazine, and he joins us Wednesday to talk about it.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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ARCHIVE
An alphabetic library of 7000 of these hyperlinked descriptions is here and updated quarterly. A file of the podcasts is here , updated weekly, and can be downloaded as four zipped files totaling 45+ GB, or individually. Over 250 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.
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Media Mining Digest 