The following audio files come from a larger group of 221 for the week. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted links, below, to get single podcasts. A zip file of all 55 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed will download here for four months. Older groups of podcasts are discussed at the end of this episode.
Alcohol Disorders 9 mins – “Wayne Hall discusses how doctors could do more to better diagnose and treat patients who have poor health relating to high alcohol use.” At the link find the title, “Alcohol-use disorders: The Lancet: Sept 4, 2015,” right-click “Media files 04september.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. (The title will be near the page bottom.)
Alzheimer’s 60 mins – “This week we’re learning more about Alzheimer’s disease, from the perspective of a researcher and a patient. We’ll discuss Alzheimer’s and brain degeneration with Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati, neurobiologist and researcher at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto. And we’ll get a first hand account of living with the disease from journalist Greg O’Brien, author of “On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s.” 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.
Anonymous Group 58 mins – “At long last, I’m pleased to post Show # 237, May 20, my interview with return guest Prof. Gabriella Coleman of McGill University, author of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous. Biella has written a remarkable anthropological study of Anonymous, the ubiquitous collection of technology activists who were born out of the “lulz” (i.e., pranksterism plus). Over many months, Biella got to know an assortment of individuals involved in Anonymous, and through that interaction paints a complex and surprising picture of their operations. In our discussion, we talked about both her research methods and the insights that she developed through her work. In an era of networked interactions that exist on the spectrum from public to secret, Biella’s work is both groundbreaking and essential.”At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Arctic Issues 47 mins – “President Obama, out on a glacier in Alaska today with wilderness survivalist Bear Grylls. A melting glacier. To make the point that we’ve got a hot planet to worry about. The heat goes north of Alaska, too. All the way to the North Pole. The Arctic is being transformed by climate change. Global warming. The polar ice cap is melting away, melting back. For environmentalists, that’s a five-alarm fire bell. For would-be Arctic developers, that’s an opportunity. To fish, to mine, to drill, to sail. This hour On Point: going after the Arctic.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Atrial Fibrillation for the Layperson 60 mins – “UCSF cardiologist Dr. Gregory Marcus covers the basic mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation – an irregular, often rapid heart rate. He discusses the consequences of the disease, and the various therapies available for treatment. Gregory is the Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Cardiology at UCSF.” He makes reference to a large heart study program which is looking for more participants. At the link right-click “Audio MP3” and select “Save Link As” to download the audio program, or Video MP4” for the video version.
Autism History 31 mins – “Despite increasing awareness about autism, it remains one of the most mysterious topics of this generation. Autism’s controversial biological cause is matched by its convoluted history and the uncertain standing of autistic people in today’s world. On this episode, Steve Silberman addresses some of the mysteries of autism and suggests that we don’t actually need to solve them before we move forward.” At the link right-click VBR MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bathysphere 24 mins – “In 1860, a chance find at sea forever changed our understanding of marine habitats, sparking an unprecedented push to explore a new world of possibilities far below the surface of our planet’s oceans. Deep sea life, previously thought possible down to a maximum depth of 1,800 feet, was found in the form of creatures attached to a transatlantic telegraph cable.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bit Coin Technology 57 mins – “I am pleased to post Show # 238, May 27, my interview with Prof. Arvind Narayanan of Princeton University on Bitcoin, cryptography, privacy and web transparency. Arvind does a range of information policy-related research and writing as a professor affiliated with Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP)….Through studying the operation of and security challenges surrounding the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, Arvind has been able to assess cryptography as a privacy-enhancing and dis-intermediating technology. To that end, we had a wide-ranging discussion, from the varied roles of cryptography to commercial surveillance and transparency.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blind College Students 20 mins – “Peter White is joined by Ed Eyad, Rebecca Cooke & Jessica Luke who discuss their visual impairment and how to get the most out of university life. Ed Eyad, who is about to go to Birmingham University, expresses his concerns and apprehension about going to a mainstream university after attending New College – a special college for blind students. Rebecca Cooke is a former student of New College and is now studying psychology at Keele University. She advises Ed to be as prepared as he can in getting IT and allowances organised in advance of starting his course. Jessica Luke is a post-graduate now working for Blind in Business, which supports blind graduates into work. She talks about her experience of moving from a mainstream school to University, and gives tips on studying and partying.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband in Danville Va 21 mins – “Danville, Virginia, has long been one of the municipal network approaches that we like to highlight. Built in a region hard hit by the transition away from tobacco and manufacturing economies, the open access fiber network called nDanville has led to many new employers coming to town and has shown the benefits of a low-risk, incremental investment strategy for building a fiber network. Jason Grey, Interim Utilities Manager, is back on the show to update us on their approach. He introduced the network to us three years ago on episode 22. Since we last checked in, Danville has continued expanding the fiber network to a greater number of residents and Jason talks with us about the importance and challenges of marketing to residents. We also discuss how they lay conduit as a matter of course, even in areas they do not plan to serve immediately with the fiber network.” At the link right-click “…download this Mpp3…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Car Hacking 87 mins – “Michael Ossmann returns to The Amp Hour to discuss a summer of security conferences and the newest things in the hardware hacking world.” The first third of the program is devoted to the hacking issues. At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Controversial Research 60 mins – “This week, we’re talking about justice, truth and social activism, and how they influence scientists and their research. We’ll spend the hour with Alice Dreger, professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. We’ll discuss her experience as a scientist and activist, and her book “Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science.” 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.
Cooperative Spirit 70 mins – “Are human beings naturally cooperative or selfish? Can people thrive without government law? Paul Robinson of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Pirates, Prisoners and Lepers talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts the ideas in his book. Robinson argues that without government sanctions or legislation, there is an evolutionary drive to cooperate even in life-and-death situations. In such situations private punishment and norms play a crucial role in sustaining cooperative solutions. The last part of the conversation deals with the criminal justice system and how attitudes toward the system affect society-wide cooperation and crime.” At the link right-click “Download” from the pop-up menu.
Credit Card Math 4 mins – “We’ve all done it at one time or another. We go to a website where we type in our credit card number, press the enter key, and are told the number’s invalid. On closer examination, we realize we made a mistake typing. We fix the problem and the transaction goes through. So exactly how did the website know the card number was invalid? You might imagine it was sent off to the credit card company where it wasn’t found. But that’s likely not the case. The error was probably caught using a simple consistency check patented by Hans Peter Luhn in 1954.” At the link right-click “Click here for audio …” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Disabled in China 58 mins – “Joyce welcomes Stuart James, executive director of the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Berkeley, California. Mr. James will discuss the mission of the CIL, which provides services, support, and advocacy to enhance the rights and abilities of people with disabilities to actively participate in their communities and to live self-determined lives. The CIL emerged from the independent living movement of the 1960’s as a powerful social catalyst on the University of California at Berkeley campus. There, Ed Roberts, Hale Zukas, and Jan McEwan Brown joined forces to lead a movement that made the full academic and social life of the college accessible to all. In 1972, these students along with community members formally incorporated as the Center for Independent Living, Inc.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Driverless Cars 33 mins – “ Some of us see self-driving cars as futuristic, not likely to become popular in our lifetime. But several companies are getting very close to launching their first lines of unmanned vehicles and many people want them. Today Corey Clothier of Local Motors joins us to talk about the state of autonomous vehicles, when they’ll be available, and how they could change the way we commute and travel.” At the link right-click VBR MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Drones 50 mins – “ Drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, have been put to use by various military bodies around the world as silent harbingers of death and destruction. But they might also be put to use for good causes: deployed in rescue operations, for example, or accurately dropping seeds to aid reforestation. Realistically, will they ever be used to deliver your mail? And can the danger from drones that fail and drop out of the sky ever be nullified? Click assembles a panel of experts to discuss the future of drones. Joining Gareth Mitchell and Bill Thompson in the BBC Radio Theatre will be Dr Mirko Kovac, Director of the Aerial Robotics Laboratory at Imperial College London, Lauren Fletcher, CEO of BioCarbon Engineering, Mya Padget, a licensed commercial drone pilot, Liam Young, one of the key people behind the Barbican’s Drones Orchestra, writer and poet Salena Godden with a specially commissioned poem about drones. Click also hears from Adrien Briod, Head of Technology at Flyability and Tero Heinonen, CEO of Sharper Shape about a Finnish drones delivery service.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” from the pop-up menu.
Drug Abuse 60 mins – “This week we’re revisiting an episode about the science and policy of treating drug addiction. We’re joined by psychology professor and researcher Carl Hart to talk about his book “High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society.” And we’ll speak to Donald MacPherson, Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, about harm reduction strategies to reduce the negative consequences of drug use.” 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.
Early Computers 4 mins – “1956 found me working for Pacific Car and Foundry [now renamed as PACCAR] designing equipment for tractors. Of course we used whatever off-the-shelf parts we could in our designs — springs, bearings, pulleys, seals … One ritual in those days was the infamous three-martini lunch with parts-manufacturer’s representatives. I’d struggle to drink as little as possible and learn as much as I could. Those sales people wanted to make it easy for us to select their parts. And selection is complicated. Example: take the design of a simple spring: If it’s to deflect, say two inches under a one-ton load, we have to chose workable spring and wire diameters. We need to find a material with the right stiffness, strength, corrosion resistance, fatigue lifetime. We need an optimal number of coils per inch. To sell us springs, a salesman helped us through that selection. So, when I dug into an old drawer yesterday, I found a special slide rule made by the Associated Spring Corporation — a cheap celluloid throw-away with scales on the front and back. Our regular slide rules were made of sturdy bamboo or aluminum. They had to survive years of constant daily use, but this was for rare occasions. How many springs does an engineer design?…” At the link right-click “Click here for audio …” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Extinction Crisis 52 mins – “In his last film, director Louie Psihoyos shed light on the shadowy practice of dolphin slaughter in Japan. His new film, Racing Extinction, bears witness to an even greater tragedy: the sixth extinction event, the one we’re causing. He and his filmmaking team went undercover to expose how the international wildlife trade and the oil and gas industries are together driving species around the globe to extinction. Psihoyos joins us Thursday to talk about that crisis and what can be done to stop it.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Farm Lessons 34 mins – “In this episode we just share some updates and clarification about the fate and future of the farm. We also talk a bit about some of the veggies we discovered still thriving in the gardens.” At the link right-click beside “Direct download:” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
FEMA Trailers 30 mins – “Ten years ago Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore into the Gulf Coast and displaced more than one million residents. For many of these people, trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency became their homes. But many of the new occupants soon found it hard to breathe, suffering flulike symptoms, stinging eyes, and nosebleeds. The culprit was formaldehyde, which emanated from the hastily assembled, substandard materials used to make the trailers. A decade after the storms Distillations follows CHF researcher and medical anthropologist Nick Shapiro as he searches for the remaining FEMA trailers. His search takes him to the oil fields of North Dakota, where a different kind of housing crisis is taking place.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Flintknappers 4 mins – “The earliest stone-working consisted of breaking rocks to form simple hammers and scrapers. A shallow piece broken off a rock will have a sharp edge that can be used, say, to scrape leather. But artisans of the later Mesolithic Era would flake chips off slabs of hard, brittle materials like flint, chert, obsidian, and chalcedony. They formed amazingly delicate knives and spearheads. That skill has come to be known as flintknapping. Flintknappers might wrap the hand that held the flint in leather for protection. With the other hand, they’d press a stone or bone implement into the edge of the slab to remove small chips, leaving behind a slightly serrated, viciously sharp, cutting edge….” At the link right-click “Click here for audio….” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gender Equality 64 mins – “Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick addresses the National Press Club in Canberra.” At the link find the title, “National Press Club: Elizabeth Broderick,” right-click “Media files NPCc_ElizabethBroderick_0209_512k.mp4” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Violence Control 47 mins – “Outside of war zones and struggling nations, nobody comes close to the United States when it comes to gun violence and death by gun. Not even close among our peers. Not in the same ballpark. The same universe. We are the worst. More Americans have died from guns in the US since 1968 than on the battlefields of all the wars in American history. Think about that. Last week, it was live on TV. Over the weekend, a cop pumping gas. 33,000 dead a year. Are we paralyzed? This Hour, On Point: Desperate for answers to America’s gun violence nightmare.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Violence Control 52 mins – “The United States has the highest rate of gun violence in the developed world — six times higher than Canada’s and 15 times more than Germany. In mass public shootings, defined as when four or more people are killed, the U.S. leads as well. There are an estimated 33,000 gun related deaths — which include accidents, suicide and murder — every year. The sheer number of guns in the U.S. is clearly a key factor, but many believe Americans’ apparent willingness to accept these gun violence plays an important role. We look at how American attitudes toward restrictions on guns compare to those in other industrialized countries.” (Four guests) At the link you can listen but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Hand Painted Signs 13 mins – “There was a time when every street sign, every billboard, and every window display was painted by hand. This sounds unremarkable until you actually think about what that actually means….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Harvard President 40 mins – “How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.” At the link find thte title, “The Harvard President Will See You Now,” right-click “Media files freakonomics podcast090215.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Heads-up CPR 39 mins – “What’s on the horizon with resuscitation research? Have you heard about “Heads-up CPR” and wondered what people were talking about? Well we’ve got the answers in special crossover episode from one of my other shows, the Disaster Podcast. If that’s what you’re looking for, you found it. It’s the Nursing Show “ At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
HIV Trends 16 mins – “Peter Piot outlines key themes and priorities emerging from The Lancet/UNAIDS Commission launched on June 25.” At the link find the title, “UNAIDS Commission: The Lancet: June 25, 2015,” right-click “Media files 25june.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Human Trafficking 20 mins – “The International Labour Organization estimates that between forced labor and the commercial sex trade, more than 20 million men, women, and children are being trafficked internationally. The web plays a huge role in keeping trafficking industries viable, but new technology is also contributing to the efforts to police and prevent human trafficking and the child exploitation that results from it. As a PhD student in MIT’s HASTS program, Mitali Thakor is studying the problems associated with a tangled web of different institutions and companies trying to solve these problems. Thakor points to questions of surveillance and the rights of youth online in her discussion with Radio Berkman producer Elizabeth Gillis.” At the link right-click “or download” and select “Save Link As” from the op-up menu.
Hybrid Publishing 12 mins – “The lines have blurred recently in publishing, and the consequences for authors are considerable. Blurring lines means the freedom to move beyond once heavily-constricted roles: authors today also act as publishers and distributors of their works. Blurring lines can mean confusion, too: vendors vying for attention and business from authors don’t always make it easy to see the value of their services. With a personal mission to educate authors about the publishing industry (without, she says, either drama or hype), Jane Friedman aims to help authors make the best long-term decisions for their careers. Her recent column for Publishers Weekly looked to sort out the growing family of “hybrid” publishers; she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally “there’s still a lot of education that needs to take place” when it comes to what lies between self-publishing and traditional publishing houses….” At the link right-click “Download” and select”Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Immigrant Issues 40 mins – “On this episode of Slate Money, Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs economist Suresh Naidu joins host Felix Salmon of Fusion, Cathy O’Neil of mathbabe.org, and Slate’s Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann to talk about the economics of migration. Topics discussed on today’s show include: The differences between migrants and refugees. H2 visas for unskilled workers – the new American slavery? How H1 visas for skilled workers also prevent economic growth.” At the link find the title, “The Migration Edition,” right-click “Media files SM15082901_money.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Jimmy Carter 60 mins – “President Jimmy Carter is a Nobel Prize winner, author, humanitarian, professor, farmer, naval officer and carpenter. In this special Intelligence Squared interview with Channel 4 News’s Jon Snow, which took place in October 2011, President Carter talks about his career as president, and the past three decades as a senior statesman and ambassador for the Carter Center. He shares his stories from a truly remarkable and well-lived life and his views of global politics today.From the Library: Jimmy Carter in Conversation with Jon Snow” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Journalism Hazards 48 mins – “We all know journalists take risks to bring us the news. Think of casualties in war. Beheadings by ISIS. Lately, established governments have become a greater and greater threat to reporters. Look at the headlines from just the last week. Vice News reporters jailed in Turkey. Al Jazeera reporters in prison in Cairo. The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian still held in Iran. A top finance reporter detained in China. A top photojournalist murdered — executed — in Mexico. A seven-year sentence in Azerbaijan. On and on. Even in the USA. This hour on On Point: Journalists under pressure, worldwide.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Katrina and 9th Ward 73 mins – “Katrina bus tours go all over New Orleans, but it’s illegal for them to go into the Lower 9th Ward, the area that’s been the slowest to rebuild. This week we go around talking to residents there about what matters the most to them (and what doesn’t) ten years after the hurricane. The episode we did in 2005 the week of the storm is here.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As’ from the pop-up menu. (At the second link you can listen, but a download costs $.99)
Katrina and New Orleans 49 mins – “On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson is joined by Daniel French to discuss what he saw and heard from those trapped in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, then Jason Russell of the Washington Examiner talks about charter schools in post-Katrina New Orleans, then Steven Horwitz from the Mercatus Center tells the story of Wal-Mart’s quick response to the storm, and finally, Abby Phillip from the Washington Post describes the different experiences whites and blacks have had in the rebuilding of New Orleans.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Library Future 65 mins – “Anyone seeking to participate in the 21st century needs to understand how to find and use the vast stores of information available online. Libraries play a crucial role in making these skills and information available, and yet are at risk. John Palfrey — Head of School at Phillips Academy, Andover and President of the Board of Directors of the Digital Public Library of America — discusses his new book, BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever In An Age of Google, in which he argues that libraries must make the transition to a digital future as soon as possible by digitizing print material and ensuring that born-digital material is publicly available online, while continuing to play the vital role as public spaces in our democracy that they have for hundreds of years.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Looted Antiquities P2 55 mins – “When the Taliban and ISIS destroy ancient artifacts, the world responds with outrage. But where should that outrage lead: taking ancient art out of the country of origin? Or would that amount to cultural genocide? Just who owns ancient art?” At the link find the title, “Who Owns Ancient Art, Part 2,” right-click “Media files ideas_20150619_43026.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Los Angeles Street Cars 14 mins – “When Eric Molinsky lived in Los Angeles, he kept hearing this story about a bygone transportation system called the Red Car. The Red Car, he was told, had been this amazing network of streetcars that connected the city—until a car company bought it, dismantled it, and forced a dependency on freeways. If this sounds familiar, it might be because it was the evil scheme revealed at the end of the Robert Zemeckis’s 1988 movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? But like most legends, the one that Eric heard about the Red Car is not entirely accurate. It’s true that Los Angeles did have an extensive mass transit system called the Red Car, which at one time ran on 1,100 miles of track—about 25 percent more more track mileage than New York City has today, a century later.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Meat in American 58 mins – “Eating meat is a time-honored tradition in America. Whether it’s Thanksgiving Day turkey, a TV dinner of Salisbury steak, or a plate of Hawaiian Spam musubi, meat has been a constant presence on the national platter. But over the years, changing technologies, tastes, and policies have altered not only which meats Americans consume but also how they consume them. As millions of Americans fire up their grills this Labor Day, the Guys will look back on America’s love affair with all things meat. How did we get from smokehouses to supermarkets? Why do we love hot dogs so much? And in the era of modern appliances, why do we still insist on grilling steak, wings and burgers on an open flame?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the ound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Migrant Deportations 62 mins – “On this webinar, marking the release of an MPI report on these topics, authors presented an overview of regional immigration enforcement trends, including U.S. and Mexican apprehensions and deportations of both children and adults, along with a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of child and adult deportees. The researchers presented their analysis of how Mexico’s growing enforcement efforts are impacting migration from Central America to the United States, and discussed migration policies that establish workable enforcement and humanitarian protection.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Narcos Program 49 mins – “The illegal drug news these days is all about “El Chapo” in Mexico, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. His prison break. His violent goons. His power, even on the run. In the 1980s, that kind of reporting was all about the then “King of Cocaine” Pablo Escobar, of Colombia. From his stronghold in Medellín, Escobar broke open the massive cocaine trade with the U.S. First into Miami, and then all over. It was the tidal wave that sparked the “war on drugs.” A new Netflix drama tells the story. Its Brazilian director José Padilha is with us. This hour on On Point: “Narcos,” and the drug trade then and now.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Netflix Culture 19 mins – “Patty McCord helped create a workplace at Netflix that runs more like a professional sports team than a family. If you’re not up to scratch, you’re off the team. Is this the future of work?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Oliver Sacks 27 mins – “If you are in the habit of eating your breakfast or lunch on the go, you might be ruining your chances of losing weight. Research at the University of Surrey in the UK suggests people who eat while they are walking are more likely eat more later in the day. But how big a contribution to obesity risk is this? On average people in the Netherlands spend 74 minutes on their bicycles every week. According to research at the University of Utrecht, this adds an average of six months to the life expectancy of the average Dutch bike user. Ann Holligan reports from Holland and Dr Graham Easton adds a global perspective on the health benefits and risks of cycling. Listener John Muthamia tells Claudia Hammond about his brush with death from carbon monoxide poisoning. The celebrated neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has died aged 82. Health Check visits the BBC archive with an interview that professor Sacks recorded in 1994. He talks about the patients in a coma-like state who he treated with L-dopa in the late 1960s. They ‘awoke’ after more than 40 years and were the subject of his first book Awakenings and the film in which Oliver Sacks was played by Robin Williams. “ At the link right-click the title, “Food on the Go Bad for Your Health?” to download the file.
Oliver Sacks 49 mins – “Famed neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks died over the weekend at 82. Sacks made a double career of exploring the human brain, and writing about the most remarkable patients and stories he found in that work. “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” was just one of his bestselling books. “Awakenings” another. Robin Williams played Sacks in the movie. In 2013, we talked with Oliver Sacks about life and aging. “The joy of aging,” he called it. As always, he was remarkable. This hour On Point: we listen back to our last conversation, on the last years of life, with the late, great Oliver Sacks.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Oliver Sacks 51 mins – “In 2012, Doug was joined by one of the most interesting people on the planet. Oliver Sacks was a neuroscientist who specialized in brain disorder, and in a very full career had dozens of fascinating encounters with patients. Dr. Sacks died on Sunday, so we’re rebroadcasting our conversation with him. We talked about hallucinations – people with migraines seeing shimmering arcs of light or having phantom limbs. Really, it was about the way we perceive things that aren’t there.” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pluto Mission 58 mins – “Alan Stern is an American engineer and planetary scientist. He is the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Chief Scientist at Moon Express.New Horizons is an interplanetary space probe that was launched as part of NASA’s New Frontiers program. The spacecraft was launched to study Pluto, its moons and the Kuiper belt, performing flybys of the Pluto system and one or more other Kuiper belt objects.” At the link click “Download options,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Audio” from the pop-up menu.
Prohibition Impact 17 mins – “President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came to Warm Springs, Georgia in the 1920s. He suffered from polio and used the warm waters for physical therapy. Around town however, another story circulates. FDR was fond of the region’s moonshine. On today’s show, we go to Warm Springs to find out if the rumors are true: Did FDR really buy moonshine during Prohibition? Did he really violate the Constitution he had sworn to protect? In our quest for truth, we meet the daughter of FDR’s favorite fiddle player and an economist, who explains how a divisive moral issue became a celebrated business stimulus plan.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Integration 83 mins – “Marking the release of a new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) report examining the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States, currently estimated at 11 million, this webinar drew on U.S. Census Bureau data to detail the profiles of the overall U.S. unauthorized population, including first-ever estimates at the county level by country and region of origin for those potentially eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) programs.” AT the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sex Assaults in School 47 mins – “ Rape sounds clear and bad. In the courtroom, it can get messy. On Friday, a New Hampshire jury found 19-year-old now prep school grad Owen Labrie guilty of misdemeanor statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl, a schoolmate. But the jury found prosecutors did not prove he acted without her consent. He may face jail time, but not on the most serious felony sex charges. Across the country, standards are all over the place. Where should they be? At force? At “no means no?” Or at “yes means yes?” Affirmative consent? This Hour, On Point: drawing clearer lines on rape.” At the link right-click “Download this story” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sharing Communities 49 mins – “On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson is joined by Erik Sofgee from Popular Science to discuss Uber’s plans for autonomous drivers, then Michael Rosen from AEI discusses what Uber must do to rally support for their business model, then Christopher Koopman from the Mercatus Center talks about how regulators have responded to the sharing economy, and finally, professor and scholar Liya Palagashvili breaks down the Uber vs. Bill DeBlasio battle in New York City.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Social Media Impact 58 mins – “I’m pleased to post Show # 239, June 3, my interview with Jacob Silverman, author of Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection. Jacob has written an insightful critique of the costs associated with information socialization and sharing. [Note: as a contracts professor, I should point out that this book does not use “terms of service” (end-user license agreements and the like) as we might in first-year Contracts]. Focusing on the meaning of status, visibility and followers, Jacob runs through a range of concerns surrounding social media, including sentiment analysis, privacy and “dataveillance.” We probed several areas in our discussion, from the meaning of the monicker “Luddite” to whether technology is, in fact, neutral.” at the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Unconscious Bias 14 mins – “What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions, and to open doors to new ways of supporting others.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Wildfires in U.S. 60 mins – “…Later in this program we’ll hear a NASA scientists tell us about the coming 30 year megadroughts. But first I want to share the latest report on the strong link between climate change and the fires burning up the West Coast, from California through Canada all the way into Alaska. I’m going to play you a teleconference held August 26th, arranged by the group Climate Nexus. We’ll hear two scientists and a veteran fire fighter. Maybe I’m biased because we are surrounded by megafires right now, but I found this teleconference riveting and full of insight for all of us….” At the link right-click “Lo-Fi” beside “Download” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
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ARCHIVE
An alphabetic library of 7300 of these hyperlinked descriptions is here and updated quarterly. A file of the podcasts is here , updated weekly, and can be downloaded as a 40+ GB zipped file, 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 