The best 38 podcasts from a larger group of 216 for the week are shown below. Double or ctrl-click individual highlighted titles to get single podcasts and explore the source, although it’s easier to get all of them as a zip file here for the next four months. A collection of over 8000 similar podcasts grouped by topic can be downloaded here, but are limited to a 4GB maximum per download, so twelve of those will be needed to get all files, which total over 45GB and will take awhile. The first entry of that collection is a text file listing all the titles for quick searches and researching. All these abstracts have also been assembled alphabetically in three free large volumes at this link and are updated quarterly. Even more diversity is possible using a podcast aggregator loaded with this opml file of 270 sources so even the discarded podcasts can be downloaded and you can make your own selected list.
3D Printed Clothing 6 mins – “Downloadable, printable clothing may be coming to a closet near you. What started as designer Danit Peleg’s fashion school project turned into a collection of 3D-printed designs that have the strength and flexibility for everyday wear. “Fashion is a very physical thing,” she says. “I wonder what our world will look like when our clothes will be digital.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
3D Printing Faster 11 mins – “What we think of as 3D printing, says Joseph DeSimone, is really just 2D printing over and over … slowly. Onstage at TED2015, he unveils a bold new technique — inspired, yes, by Terminator 2 — that’s 25 to 100 times faster, and creates smooth, strong parts. Could it finally help to fulfill the tremendous promise of 3D printing?” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Aging and Young Blood 14 mins – “Tony Wyss-Coray studies the impact of aging on the human body and brain. In this eye-opening talk, he shares new research from his Stanford lab and other teams which shows that a solution for some of the less great aspects of old age might actually lie within us all.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Aluminum 4 mins – “…Have you ever wondered why the English say aluMINium instead of alUminum? When Sir Humphry Davy identified the stuff in 1809 he called it alumium after its kinship to potash alum. That word soon became aluminum. Then, to get a Latin-sounding word, the English put in an extra letter I. They’ve called it aluMINium ever since. Pure aluminum doesn’t occur in nature. It’s chemically bound to other elements. Aluminum oxide, or bauxite, is the commonest source. It’s very hard to separate aluminum from oxygen. Not ’til 1845 did a German chemist isolate a pinpoint sample of aluminum. In 1854 a French chemist, Henri Deville, invented a commercial process for extracting aluminum from bauxite. But his aluminum was still very expensive — practically a new precious metal. Napoleon III commissioned a breastplate, spoons for banquets, and a baby rattle — all made of aluminum….” At the link right-click “Click here for audio….” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Animal Feelings 53 mins – “Animals have deeply fascinated the writer Carl Safina since he was a little kid, and he’s always wondered what animals do and why they do it. More than anything, Safina wants to know what it’s like inside other animals’ minds and in their day to day lives. To try to find out, he traveled to Yellowstone to observe wolf packs, visited elephants in Africa, tracked orcas in Vancouver, and just hung out with his dog at home. Safina joins us Wednesday to offer his insight into what animals think and feel. Carl Safina is the founding president of the Safina Center at Stony Brook University, where he also co-chairs the University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. He’s the author of seven books, most recently, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel .” At the link right-click the play button beside “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Anti-Government Radicals 28 mins – “The Oregon armed standoff is a reminder of how U.S. domestic threats can arise out of the blue. We speak with a former Department of Homeland Security analyst who says the U.S. government is not taking the threat of domestic terrorism seriously.” At the link find the title, “US government ignoring threat of domestic terrorism, says former Homeland Security Analyst – Jan 6, 2016 (3/3),” right-click “Download US government ignoring threat of domestic terrorism, says former Homeland Security Analyst – Jan 6, 2016 (3/3)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Attention Issues 62mins – “Psychologist Daniel Goleman shot to fame with his groundbreaking bestseller ‘Emotional Intelligence’. The premise of the book, now widely accepted, is that raw intelligence alone is not a sure predictor of success in life. A greater role is played by ‘softer’ skills such as self-control, self-motivation, empathy and good interpersonal relationships. In this exclusive talk for Intelligence Squared, Goleman discusses the themes of his latest book, ‘Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence’. Attention, he argues is an underrated asset for high achievers in any field. Incorporating findings from neuroscience, Goleman shows why we need three kinds of focus: inner, for self-awareness; other, for the empathy that builds effective relationships; and outer, for understanding the larger systems in which organisations operate. Those who excel rely on Smart Practices such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and positive emotions that help improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence.” At the link find the title, “From the Library – Daniel Goleman On Focus: The Secret to High Performance and Fulfilment,” right-click “Media files 241000865-intelligence2-daniel-goleman.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Beatrix Potter Mycologist 54 mins – “Most people only know Beatrix Potter as the author of children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies in 35 languages. But Beatrix Potter only began writing seriously in her 30s and before this pursued an interest in the natural sciences. She made intricate drawings of fungi and lichens and worked as an amateur scientist. She even wrote a scientific paper which despite its quality was dismissed as it was written by a female amateur. Sharon Carleton traces the scientific life of author Beatrix Potter.” At the link right-click “Download audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blogging Trends 19 mins – “Where it comes to media, as digital diva Clay Shirky once noted, consumers are now producers, and that is the big story. The once-great wall separating reporters from readers has crumbled like sand…In the just-released Elements of Blogging, coauthor Mark Leccese celebrates this democratization, though he cautions that the best blogs take hard work and require the authors to act responsibly…Mark Leccese is the author, with his Emerson colleague Jerry Lanson of the book The Elements of Blogging: Expanding the Conversation of Journalism. Lanson and Leccese also co-blog at theelemementsofblogging.com” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Trends 60 mins – “Why the wild weather & floods across N. Hemisphere, rain at N. Pole? Then Alex talks with David Montgomery, author of “Dirt The Erosion of Civilizations”, with co-author Anne Bikle, new book “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health”. Radio Ecoshock 160106 Welcome to Radio Ecoshock in this new year of 2016. In this program I’ll talk with two guests who tell us about the erosion of civilizations, climate answers in the soil, and the danger of killing off your own ecology – of microbes in your body. But first in this new year of 2016, I need a little time to talk with you.” At the link near “Download…” right-click “Lo-Fi” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Computer History 108 mins – This Week in Technology host, Leo Laporte, interviews Lee Felsenstein who was “One of the first to apply principles of “open architecture” to computer hardware design” [At the program end Felsenstein describes a new programming hardware game he calls AndOrBit which he wishes to crowdfund.] At the link click “Download Options,” then right-click “Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Contraception 60 mins – “This week we’re taking a closer look at our current – and potential future – contraceptive methods. We’ll speak with Beth Sundstrom and Andrea DeMaria, Co-Directors of the Women’s Health Research Team at the College of Charleston, about why the pill is still our go-to birth control choice when we have long acting reversible contraception methods like the IUD and the implant available for women. And we’ll talk with Elaine Lissner, Executive Director of the Parsemus Foundation, about their continuing work to bring Vasalgel, a long acting, reversible, non-hormonal male contraceptive, to market.” At the link find the title, “#351 Contraception,” right-click “Media files Science for the People, 351_Contraception_v2.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Corruption in Brazil 27mins – “Brazil is in trouble. Confronted with a massive downturn in the economy, its currency the Real has crashed, while its political class sinks in a quagmire of corruption allegations linked to the state oil company, Petrobras… Meanwhile in Maranhao’s state capital, Sao Luis, a Governor with just a year in post, is attempting to bring a new broom to one of Brazil’s poorest regions – Flavio Dino claims to have cut expenses by thousands of Reals just by removing luxury items like seafood and champagne from state banquet menus. Linda Pressly reports from one of Brazil’s least known regions. Produced and presented by Linda Pressly” At the link find the title, “Brazil versus Sleaze,”Media files p03dr087.mp3” and select “Save Link Ass” from the pop-up menu.
Emotional Intelligence 13 mins – “Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren’t more compassionate more of the time.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
EMT Work 47 mins – “Former paramedic Kevin Hazzard has rescued people from choking, overdoses, cardiac arrest, gunshot wounds and a host of other medical emergencies. His memoir is, ‘A Thousand Naked Strangers.’ Also, [last 11 mins] we remember late cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond in an excerpt of his 1990 interview.” At the link find the title, “January 5, 2016 Paramedic Shares His Wild Ride Treating ‘A Thousand Naked Strangers’” right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gender Pay Gap 44 mins – “Discrimination can’t explain why women earn so much less than men. If only it were that easy.” At the link find the title, “The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap,” right-click “Media files freakonomics_podcast010616.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Culture 54 mins – “Mass shootings in the U.S. have become commonplace. Yet the culture of gun ownership remains stronger than ever. A.J. Somerset, Dr. Taiaiake Alfred, and Christopher Hedges in conversation with Paul Kennedy about gun culture in Canada and the U.S.” At the link find the title, “Gun Crazy,” right-click “Media files ideas_20160107_22989.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Control Reform 51 mins – “President Obama began the year with a plea for “common sense” gun safety but admitted that it won’t be easy. We examine the myths and messages that surround, and often obscure, the national conversation on gun safety. Plus, do most Americans really support reform? And, if so, does it matter?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gut Bacteria 55 mins – “Roughly one hundred trillion bacteria are living, and gorging, in our gut–all the more so during the indulgent holidays. Microbes influence our health and well-being, by affecting our gut directly, as well as the crops we eat and the soils in which we grow crops. These microbial communities – called the gut microbiome — have been linked to many disorders, including obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, and even mental illness. We are just at the dawn of a new era of microbial treatments for many illnesses. After a recent How On Earth show generated so much interest, we decided to bring our guest, Amy Sheflin, back for an hour-long call-in show on A Public Affair on KGNU. Amy is a doctoral student at Colorado State University in food science and human nutrition. She studies how the food we eat alters the microbial communities in our gut, and how those microbes in our bodies influence our overall health. For more info on the gut microbiome, check out Amy’s favorite books on the topic: The Good Gut, by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg; and The Inside Tract, by Gerard Mullins. Also check out the American Gut Project.” At the link find the title, “Our Microbes, Ourselves — Special Call-in Show, Dec 2015,” right-click “Media files Sheflin-Interview-edit-KGNU-123015×112.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Habits 36 mins – “Habit is the topic at hand for our inaugural episode of 2016. Postdoctoral Research Associate Jen Labrecque joins Jesse for an in-depth look at habit and human behavior. Tune in to find out more about habit formation, the power of environmental cues, and ideal ways to implement changes in your habits — for New Years Resolutions and beyond. Elsewhere in the episode, Jesse offers some good news for those who want to boost their long-term memory without supplements, without mnemonic tricks, and without extra time for sleep. Is this even possible? According to new research: Yes. And it’s surprisingly simple — but you’ll have to listen to find out.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
How Things Work 24 mins – “This month we discuss Thing explainer by Randall Munroe. In this book the xkcd creator attempts to explain things as diverse as the International Space Station and the human body, using only the most common ten hundred words in the English language (‘thousand’ is not one of those words).See if you can guess the objects from the extracts we read out and hear about our experiences of imposing the rules on our own writing. Finally, take up our challenge and have a go yourself using the xkcd simple writer.” At the link right-click beside “Download:…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Integration in Canada 22 mins – “Ujjal Dosanjh, the former B.C. premier, has published a provocative piece, arguing fear of a political correctness backlash is keeping powerful politicians from saying what they really think… damaging Canadian democracy as a direct result.” At the link find the title, “White male politicians are being stifled by political correctness, says Ujjal Dosanjh – Jan 6, 2016 (1/3),” right-click “Download White male politicians are being stifled by political correctness, says Ujjal Dosanjh – Jan 6, 2016 (1/3)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
ISIS Life 29 mins – “We seldom hear voices from inside the so-called Islamic state. But after interviewing some twenty ISIS defectors, we hear from a researcher who shares a picture of life inside their Caliphate… as well as a clear idea of why they left.” At the link find the title, “Lessons from ISIS defectors on how to fight indoctrination – Jan 5, 2016 (3/3),” right-click “Download Lessons from ISIS defectors on how to fight indoctrination – Jan 5, 2016 (3/3)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Khan Academy School 27 mins – “Salman Khan’s Lab School in Mountain View, CA, has slowly been gaining recognition—but is it really as innovative as people might imagine? EdSurge asked that very question last week. Khan had the idea to open a school long before he started his online platform Khan Academy, and after visiting the Lab School, we at EdSurge were curious about whether he wants to expand to other cities—but before engaging in a Q&A with the man himself, we took to Twitter to get an idea of what our podcast listeners would want to know. Questions came rolling in: Are students actually learning? Is this just an easy way for Khan Academy employees to try out new products on children? After all, the Lab School and Khan Academy are in the same building; the school’s on the first floor, and the nonprofit’s on the second. Check out EdSurge’s podcast interview with Khan to see what we found out.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Lunchroom Economics 75 mins – “On today’s Planet Money, the complex economy of one elementary-school lunchroom.” At the link find the title, “#15: Delicious Cake Futures,” right-click “Media files 20160106_pmoney_pmpod.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Medical Student Age 20 mins – “In this episode of the Medical School Headquarters podcast, we hear a different podcast – the OldPreMeds Podcast! This is a new podcast in partnership with OldPreMeds, which is now part of the MSHQ family! Ryan and Rich dive into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. Here are the insights from Ryan & Rich: Age is not a factor. Here are some facts and figures:About a thousand a year over the age of 30 matriculate every year into an allopath medical school which is about 5% of the total number of students who start the year. From that number, about 200 are of the age of 35. About 350 people a year over the age of 31 start osteopathic school; 10-12 people a year over the age of 50 start medical school” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow on the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Obsidian 4 mins – “Today, we ask why the Aztecs didn’t make full use of metal… One question that torments historians of technology is the “Why didn’t?” question. Why didn’t the Chinese, with all their inventions, produce the industrial revolution? Why didn’t the Romans ever make full use of water wheels? Why was Europe 400 years behind China in printing with movable type? All those questions come back upon the present, of course. Why aren’t we doing the right thing today — whatever that might be? So: why didn’t the Aztecs ever emerge from the stone age? Why did such a remarkably advanced people make such limited use of metal? Anthropologist Terry Stocker offers a troubling answer. When you already have a fine technology, you don’t see beyond it. And the Aztecs had obsidian for their axes and knives….” At the link right-click “Click here for audio…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Paris Attack Insights 54 mins – “This edition of The Enright Files looks back at some of our conversations from 2015 with people who tried to help us understand the terror attacks in Paris and the questions that flow from them.” At the link find the title, “The Enright Files – Understanding the terror attacks in Paris,” right-click “Media files ideas_20160104_55850.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Physician Burnout 51mins – “Dr Dike Drummond is a Mayo trained Family Practice Physician who now specializes in physician burnout. The founder of TheHappyMD.com and author ‘Stop Physician Burnout’ he has come face to face with the realities of burnout as a physician on two separate occasions himself. He understands the complexities of physician burnout and how the one suffering burnout is often the last to know. Dr Drummond has coached thousands of physicians through the challenging times of burnout and speaks regularly across the globe to healthcare institutions in need of guidance on addressing this ever growing problem. In this episode we discuss how burnout manifests in physicians, how men and women differ in their display of symptoms and most importantly we discuss the steps to addressing burnout. This discussion was one of the most eye opening conversations on burnout I have had and explained so much of why we feel the way we do in times of stress.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Political Trends in U.S. 63 mins – “Dave Johnson and Marcy Wheeler wrote posts in December referring to Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise Speech” and its relationship to where the United States is today. Marcy and Dave describe some key inflection points we can expect to see in 2016, ranging from the impact of climate change policy to the Saudi/Iranian axis’ impact on the Middle East and US policy. Also, the effect of the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) on American policy and politics, and the role of declining middle class wages on the Presidential election. Jay Ackroyd hosts. Marcy’s post “Obama’s Terrorism Cancer Speech, Carter’s Malaise Speech” link Dave has several at Seeing the Forest. The 2016 VS Media Panel: Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, Culture of Truth, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Isaiah Poole, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, Sara Robinson, Susie Madrak, Spocko, Stuart Zechman” At the link find the title, “Marcy Wheeler and Dave Johnson Virtually Speaking Sundays,” right-click “Media files marcy wheeler and dave johnson virtually speaking sundays.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Racism in RCMP 25 mins – “RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says he wants to kick racist officers out of the force. Today, we are picking up on this conversation on racism in Canada’s police force and hear from two former police officers.” At the link find the title, “Racism within RCMP stirs debate over bad apples or systemic problems – Jan 5, 2016 (2/3),” right-click “Download Racism within RCMP stirs debate over bad apples or systemic problems – Jan 5, 2016 (2/3)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Camp in Kenya 28 mins – “In many ways, 2015 was the year of the refugee. More than a million people made their way to Europe seeking shelter. And the world was forced to reckon with the fact that millions more have already made their way to the relative safety of UN run camps in countries like Turkey and Lebanon. But, inside the world’s largest refugee camp, 2015 was just another year that came and went, with very little attention paid by the wider world. That camp is an inhospitable corner of northern Kenya, in the desert, where only thorn bushes grow. That camp is Dadaab, and it’s home to more than half-a-million people. The camp first opened in the early 1990s, Dadaab was meant to be a temporary city in the desert. But its hardened since into an uneasy permanence. “There’s no plumbing, no permanent roads, there’s no drainage, no electricity… everybody operates on the fiction that this place is temporary but it’s actually become permanent.” – Journalist Ben Rawlence, author of “City of Thorns.” The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports about 15.2 million refugees live in camps. (Reuters) For the past four years, journalist Ben Rawlence has been visiting the camp, and collecting its stories in his book, “City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp.” Ben Rawlence joined Connie Walker from London, England.” At the link find title, “Forgotten Dadaab camp refugees share their harrowing stories of survival – Jan 4, 2016 (3/3),” right-click “Download Forgotten Dadaab camp refugees share their harrowing stories of survival – Jan 4, 2016 (3/3)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Camp in Kenya 2 48 mins – “Founded in 1991 as a temporary shelter for Somalis, the Dadaab complex in northern Kenya now houses nearly half a million refugees. Ben Rawlence profiles nine of its residents in his new book, ‘City of Thorns.’ Also, [last 8 mins] Ken Tucker reviews Ellie Goulding’s new album, ‘ Delirium.’” At the link find the title, “January 4, 2016 Inside The World’s Largest Refugee Camp,” right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Problem 20 mins – “UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres thinks that we can solve the global refugee crisis — and he offers compelling, surprising reasons why we must try. In conversation with TED’s Bruno Giussani, Guterres discusses the historical causes of the current crisis and outlines the mood of the European countries that are trying to screen, shelter and resettle hundreds of thousands of desperate families. Bigger picture: Guterres calls for a multilateral turn toward acceptance and respect — to defy groups like ISIS’s anti-refugee propaganda and recruiting machine.” At the link click “Download,” then right-click “Download audio” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Stories 27 mins – “Life as a refugee after fleeing the war in Syria to make a new life in Lebanon.” At the link find the title, “The Listening Project in Lebanon,” right-click “Media files p03dnk1m.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Story 3 24 mins – “Having arrived in Germany, the Dhnie family’s dramatic journey to their new home may be over, but the difficulties of adjusting to a new life are just beginning.” At the link find the title, “A New Life 3 – Germany,” right-click “Media files p03cy2tx.mp3” and select”Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Saudi Arabia and Iran 46 mins – “Robin Wright, who writes about Saudi Arabia and Iran in the current issue of ‘The New Yorker,’ says the latest conflict between the countries comes at an especially sensitive moment. Also, [last 6 mins] film critic David Edelstein reviews ‘Anomalisa.’” At the link find the title, “January 7, 2016 Journalist Says Iran-Saudi Showdown Comes At A ‘Really Dangerous’ Time,” right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
The 4 Hour Workweek 41 mins – “Usually, it’s my job to deconstruct world-class performers. This time around, the tables are turned. Many of you have asked to hear me interviewed, so this week Daymond John (@thesharkdaymond), star of ABC’s Shark Tank and CEO and founder of FUBU, is in charge and asking the questions. Daymond has a new book called The Power of Broke, and he is an expert interviewer and interrogator. In this episode, you’ll learn untold stories about my beginnings and rough starts. If you’ve ever felt like a beginner in business, or found your back against a wall, you will learn how to take your lack of resources and turn it into a strength.” [Ferris authored “The 4 Hour Workweek”.] At the link right-click beside “Download as a MP3…” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Thanks for stopping by.
Media Mining Digest 