Exercise your ears: the 54 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 550 for the week, to hear while your hands and eyes are busy. Get all the files as a group for the next four months here, or double (ctrl-click) individual titles to get single podcasts and explore the source. A collection of 24,198 podcasts, listed alphabetically and grouped by topic, can be downloaded piecemeal, with files A-E at this link, and the remainder here. You’ll be limited to a 4GB maximum per download at the last place, so multiple group downloads will be needed to get all files, totaling over 157GB and may take a few hours. The first entry in the collection is a text file with just titles for quicker reference. A collection of abstracts for all the podcasts is available at this link and updated quarterly. Get the discarded material, too, using a podcast aggregator loaded with this opml file of the 496 sources. And try PodcastRE from the University of Wisconsin with over 150,000 titles. Exercise your ears and relax the rest.
9/11 Memorial 46 mins – “On September 11, 2001, The United States was hit by the biggest terrorist attack in our nation’s history. Now, ten years later, we take a look back at the events of the day, talking to people from different professions — from a New York City firefighter to the creator of a TV comedy show — to discuss how the event affected them then and now.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
9/11 Memorial 46 mins – “On September 11, 2001, The United States was hit by the biggest terrorist attack in our nation’s history. Now, ten years later, we take a look back at the events of the day, talking to people from different professions — from a New York City firefighter to the creator of a TV comedy show — to discuss how the event affected them then and now.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Abstract Art 48 mins – “Thanks to a new exhibit at the Guggenheim, the art world is rediscovering Hilma af Klint. How was this Swede so ahead of her time, and will she finally get her due? Lee Israel’s memoir about forging letters by famous writers, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” is now a terrific movie starring Melissa McCarthy. Israel died in 2014, but here she is in an interview with Kurt Andersen in 2008, where she talks about how — and why — she decided to start impersonating the likes of Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward. When Shane McCrae was a depressed teen in the ’90s, he found inspiration and hope in the strangest of places: the poetry of the famously tragic Sylvia Plath. At the link find the title, “The mother of all abstraction, Jan 2019,” right-click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Abuse from R. Kelly 47 mins – “Allegations against R&B singer R. Kelly have been circulating for decades. Why did it take a TV documentary to get people to pay attention?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Algerian War 27 mins – “President Emmanuel Macron has recently done something unusual for a French President – he made a declaration recognising that torture was used by the French military during the Algerian War of Independence. He described a system that allowed people to be arrested, interrogated and sometimes killed. Many families still don’t know what happened to their loved ones. At 87, Josette Audin, has campaigned for more than 60 years for the French state to take responsibility for the disappearance of her husband, Maurice Audin, during the Algerian War. Charlotte McDonald hears Josette’s story and discovers that the Algerian War has had a lasting impact on many more in France. She speaks to historians Malika Rahal and Fabrice Riceputi about their website 1000autres.org, and to war veteran Rémi Serres about his association 4ACG.“ At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Algorithm Impact 23 mins – “Dr Hannah Fry won the Christopher Zeeman medal in August for her contributions to the public understanding of the mathematical sciences. Ian Sample has invited her on the podcast to discuss her love of numbers. Plus, he asks, can we really use this discipline to predict human behaviour?Maths probably isn’t something you’re thinking about in the build-up to the new year. If anything, it’s the nth thing on your mind, where n equals a centillion. But for UCL’s Dr Hannah Fry, mathematics is often at the forefront of her thinking. For instance, she’s worked out whether Santa would get fatter from eating all the mince pies, or thinner, from having to shimmy up and down chimneys all night long. She’s thought about how game theory could help you beat your uncle at monopoly, and even the optimal length of tinsel you should have used on your Christmas tree.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimer’s P1 26 mins – “Few of us will escape the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease. The grim pay-back from being healthy, wealthy or lucky enough to live into our late 80s and beyond is dementia. One in three – maybe even one in two of us – will then get dementia and forget almost everything we ever knew. And the lucky others? They will probably end up caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. But it is far more than just a personal family tragedy. It is a major economic challenge to governments and health-care providers around the world, and will force some fundamental rethinking on how we care for sufferers. The costs are already immense. Dementia is now a trillion-dollar disease, and with the numbers of patients doubling every 20 years, the burden will fall unevenly on developing countries where the growth rate is fastest. In this first episode of the series, we explore how fear in some parts of the world is stigmatising those who have it, and denying help to those who need it. But also how to overcome the fear.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimer’s P2 26 mins – “Dementia is now a trillion-dollar disease, and with the numbers of people living with the condition doubling every 20 years, the burden will fall unevenly on developing countries where the growth rate is fastest. We travel to South Korea, the fastest ageing country in the world, where the country’s president has declared the challenge of Alzheimer’s to be a national crisis. We meet families struggling to look after loved ones with Alzheimer’s and question whether countries in both the developed and developing world can afford to provide care for patients. We also visit the Netherlands, where an innovative approach to Alzheimer’s care offers hope for the future.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimer’z P3 26 mins – “In the final episode of this three-part series we explore the difficult choices people have to make. In the Netherlands, people with dementia can legally chose euthanasia but the debate is going back and forth there. When can dementia patients consent to euthanasia? The answer it turns out – is ethically very complicated and a Dutch doctor is now being prosecuted for performing euthanasia on a patient with advanced Alzheimer’s. But if we didn’t fear Alzheimer’s so much, couldn’t we find ways to live a happy, fulfilled life – even with dementia? We travel to South Korea and the UK to hear from some of the most promising initiatives; and how a dementia friendly society is possible, with action not just from governments and NGOs but crucially from all of us.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Arterial Plaques 71 mins – “Vincent, Michael, and Michele discuss how iron might disperse bacterial biofilms in carotid arterial plaques, and controlling Salmonella by modulating host iron homeostasis.” At the link “Right click to download TWiM#81” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Benazir Bhutto Assassination P1 51 mins – “It is one of the world’s great unsolved murders. Ten years ago, Pakistan’s most prominent politician, a woman people would form human chains to protect from assassins, died in a suicide blast. The intervening years have brought allegations, arrests and a UN inquiry – but not one murder conviction. The victim was Benazir Bhutto.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Benazir Bhutto Assassination P2 50 mins – “It is one of the world’s great unsolved murders. Ten years ago, Pakistan’s most prominent politician, a woman people would form human chains to protect from assassins, died in a suicide blast. The intervening years have brought allegations, arrests and a UN inquiry – but not one murder conviction. The victim was Benazir Bhutto. The Bhuttos are to Pakistan what the Kennedys are to the US: a powerful political dynasty, a family that inspire love and hate; a name that carries glamour and intrigue – Benazir was just the latest in a long line of Bhuttos to be murdered. With exclusive inside access to the official investigation and a shelf load of leaked, secret documents, The Assassination looks at what happened and why; what we know and what we don’t. The story spans the globe, from Pakistan to the US, to the Gulf and the UK, and hears from the victim, her family and the accused. The series was first released as a podcast. It won gold at the 2018 British Podcast Awards. It made the iTunes charts in seven countries, reaching number one in the UK. Listeners have left hundreds of glowing online reviews: “brilliant” … “fascinating” … “gripping.” Through the mystery of this murder we reveal a little of how Pakistan works. The Assassination is a portrait of a woman and the country she would rule by a man who knows both as well as any British journalist, Owen Bennett Jones.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bill Browder 32 mins – “Jacob Weisberg and Virginia Heffernan are joined by Bill Browder to chat about the latest developments surrounding the Magnitsky Act, corruption, and the people seeking to discredit his efforts worldwide.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the popup menu.
Bill Browder 45 mins – “Virginia Heffernan talks to Bill Browder, financier and author of Red Notice, about Natalia Veselnitskaya, how the Kremlin influences even well-intentioned U.S. civil servants, the origins of the Magnitsky Act, the evolution of Russian oligarchs, and what Putin might be doing next.” At the link left-click “Share” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bioprospecting 15 mins – “Will a cure for cancer be found in the North Pole? A group of Norwegian scientists are scouring the sea and shore in one of the harshest climates on earth, looking for wonder drugs. Writer Kea Krause experienced their search when she spent twelve days aboard a research vessel in the Arctic Ocean. In this episode, she talks about her journey and why this part of the world may unlock answers to some of our most difficult health problems. Krause was a speaker at Spotlight Health. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow on the sound bar, select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Brexit Fate 47 mins – “The make-or-break vote on the Brexit deal with Britain’s future hanging in the balance. We’ll turn to London for reaction and what’s next.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Character Lab 35 mins – “Why is it so hard to watch our children fail? Why might a highly structured life for a child be a bad thing? And how important is our behavior, as adults, in the development of a child? In this episode, psychologist Angela Duckworth explains how to raise a child with strong character. Duckworth, who’s the author of Grit and a MacArthur “Genius,” talks with Jackie Bezos about how young people learn to be grateful, vulnerable, and fearless by modeling the adults in their lives. Bezos is the co-founder and president of the Bezos Family Foundation.” At the link find the title, “Can Character be Learned? 11/20/2018,” left-click the box with three dots, double-click “Download file,” then select “Safe File” and “OK” to download the file.
Cholera Vaccine 72 mins – “The professors of TWiM discuss a University of Wisconsin plan for rescuing biomedical research in the US, and results of a clinical trial in Bangladesh of an oral cholera vaccine.” At the link right-click “Right click to download TWiM#108” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Columbia Bicycle Race 27 mins – “Colombia is a country of passionate cyclists. The first bike races took place in Bogota in 1894 and by 1898 it was one of the first countries to have two purpose built velodromes. In the 1950s the great Vuelta a Colombia, a tour of Colombia, was born – 35 cyclists covered an extraordinary 779 miles in 10 stages. All over the country people listened to the commentary on radios and it began to link up Colombians in a common cause. This is more than just a sporting event. The first Tour took place just two years after the assassination in 1948 of Liberal party leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, which was the catalyst for a bloody sectarian conflict between Liberals and Conservatives, creating deep, violent divisions especially in rural areas. The first Tour was thus promoted as a sign of peace and goodwill, reconnecting the country and reaching into rural communities. Through the turbulent decades that have followed, the Tour has continued to go through parts of Colombia that rarely receive any attention. We join the annual Vuelta a Colombia, cycling the mountains, cities and villages, to find a totally different perspective on the country. This is an event which brings Colombia to a standstill – that is unless you are on two wheels.”At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Crisis Texting 32 mins – “In a time of crisis, would you text someone for help? Millions turn to Crisis Text Line and find life-saving support. Founder and CEO Lublin explains why.” At the link left-click “Download this episode” from the pop-up menu.
Cuban Voices 27 mins – “Ordinary Cubans reveal what their lives have really been like under Castro’s socialism and, more recently, its transformation into a more capitalistic economy. For some, the Cuban Revolution was the last bastion of the communist dream; for others, a repressive, authoritarian regime. Largely missing from those debates were the voices of ordinary Cubans. Almost 60 years on from the Revolution, professor Elizabeth Dore discovers how people from different walks of life and generations have experienced life, work, housing, racism, sexism and corruption on the island. “Cuban Voices” is based on the first large oral history project permitted by their government in more than 30 years. Professor Dore and her team of researchers got unprecedented access to ordinary people for over 15 years, and she has now returned for the BBC, visiting small villages and rural enclaves as well as the bustling metropolis of Havana, to hear how those same people’s ideas have changed about the achievements and failures of socialism in Cuba. What she discovers frequently defies the official narrative of the Revolution. While many welcomed the State’s provision of basic food, health care and housing, now they increasingly bemoan the widening gap between rich and poor. You will hear the Communist party member whose State salary barely allows him to survive in the damp one-room flat he shares with his sister, while others make a fortune earning hard currency from hiring out rooms to tourists or, in the case of one petty entrepreneur, by running a small computer business using software smuggled in from the US. While once ‘egalitarianism’ was seen as central to socialist society, that has been replaced by ‘equal rights and opportunities’, so has the Revolution, as some would say, abandoned its ideals?“ At the link you can listen, but not download: however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Curts Cafe 33 mins – “Most juvenile offenders end up back in prison — but not at Curt’s Cafe, a coffee shop offers a path to a better life. It could save taxpayers billions.” At the link left-click “Download this episode” from the pop-up menu.
Dean Stan Maloy 67 mins – “Vincent meets up with Stan Maloy on the campus of San Diego State University to talk about his career in microbiology and his work as Dean of Sciences.[ including Salmonella research]” At the link “Right click to download TWiM#95” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Director Michael Bay 19 mins – “In 2001, director Michael Bay was one of Hollywood’s most successful commercial filmmakers when he took on the daunting task of directing an epic about Pearl Harbor. How would his testosterone-laden, explosive-style adapt to a serious subject? (Hint: the critics hated it but the movie made $450 million at the box office.) Jeanne Marie Laskas joins host David Brancaccio this week to discuss her sympathetic but piercing—and often hilarious—profile of Bay, who rages at his critics, complains about his agents and studio executives, and attempts, often unsuccessfully, to conduct life at the top without becoming a total…jerk.” At the link find the title, “Michael Bay, by Jeanne Marie Laskas, 27 Jun 2016,” right-click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Drones in Africa 27 min – “While the idea of retail giants like Amazon dropping parcels from the sky via drone may be a long way off, in East Africa momentum is building over the idea of drone delivery in hard to reach places. In the island of Juma near Mwanza, one of hundreds of remote inhabited islands in the vast expanse of Lake Victoria, an ambitious new drone project called the Lake Victoria Challenge (backed by international organisations like The World Bank and the private sector) is taking place. Technology reporter Jane Wakefield visits Juma to see first-hand how the concept could work. Are they a cost-effective solution for getting goods quickly to rural areas? Jane interviews Zipline, currently the only commercial drone delivery company operating in Africa. A year on from announcing a deal with the Tanzanian government, Zipline is still nowhere near setting up in the country. Why? Do drones bring insurmountable regulatory and security issues, or are they going to be a lifeline for Africa’s neglected rural communities? Jane also speaks to Tanzanian drone pilot and entrepreneur Frederick Mbuya of Uhurulabs about why technology needs to work in an African context, and to The World Bank’s Edward Anderson, who is running the Lake Victoria challenge project, about what drones could bring in terms of economic development opportunities.“ At the link you can listen, but not download: however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Euthanasia 28 mins – “In January, Aurelia Brouwers – a 29 year old Dutch woman, with a history of severe mental illness – lay down on her bed to die. She had been declared eligible for euthanasia a month earlier – Dutch law permits the ending of a life where there is, ‘unbearable suffering’ without hope of relief. Aurelia’s death provoked an outpouring on social media, and widespread discussion within the Netherlands… What if a death wish is part of someone’s illness? And does someone with serious mental health challenges have the capacity to make a decision about their own demise? These are questions now being debated in the Netherlands as a result of Aurelia’s death. Crossing Continents features recordings of Aurelia made in the two weeks before she died, hears from some of the friends closest to her, and explores the complex terrain of euthanasia for people with psychiatric problems in Holland.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Evidence Based Medicine 44 mins – “Too many research studies are poorly designed or executed. Too much of the resulting research evidence is withheld or disseminated piecemeal. As the volume of clinical research activity has grown the quality of evidence has often worsened, which has compromised the ability of all health professionals to provide affordable, effective, high value care for patients.” Evidence is in crisis, and Carl Heneghan, director for the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, and Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of The BMJ set out the 9 points of the Evidence manifesto, which tries to set a road map for strengthening the evidence base. 1) Expand the role of patients, health professionals and policy makers in research 2) Increase the systematic use of existing evidence 3) Make research evidence relevant, replicable and accessible to end users. 4) Reduce questionable research practices, bias, and conflicts of interests 5) Ensure drug and device regulation is robust, transparent and independent 6) Produce better usable clinical guidelines. 7) Support innovation, quality improvement, and safety through the better use of real world data. 8) Educate professionals, policy makers and the public in evidence-based healthcare to make informed choices. 9) Encourage the next generation of leaders in evidence-based medicine.” At the link find the title, “The Evidence Manifesto – it’s time to fix the E in EBM, Jun 2017,” right-click “Play Now” and select ‘Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Facebook Impact 28 mins – “How did Facebook get to be so powerful and what, if anything, can we do to take some of that power back? David talks to John Naughton about the rise and possible fall of Mark Zuckerberg’s social media monolith.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Family Leave in Denmark 34 mins – “For progressives in the United States, Denmark seems like a socialist paradise. Danes pay a significant portion of their income in taxes, and their government provides a wide range of services in return, including health care, child care, education, and paid parental leave.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow, then select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Financial Concepts 109 mins – “Peter Mallouk (@PeterMallouk) is the President of Creative Planning, one of the largest independent wealth management firms in America. Creative Planning provides wealth management services to clients, manages over $36 billion for clients in all 50 states and abroad, and has been featured as the number one independent wealth management firm in America by Barron’s (2017). Peter is featured in Worth magazine’s Power 100, featuring the most powerful men and women in global finance, the only financial planner on the list (2017 and 2018). Creative Planning was featured in Forbes in 2016 as the number one RIA for growth over the last 10 years. Peter is the co-author (with Tony Robbins) of Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook”At the link “Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “Save As.”
Forensic Entymologist 28 mins – “Jim Al-Khalili talks to Amoret Whitaker, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum in London. Her intricate understanding of the life cycles of the flies, beetles and the other insects’ which feed on decomposing bodies means she is regularly called by the Police to the scene of a crime or a murder investigation. There she collects and analyses any insect evidence to help them pin point the most likely time of death. In some instances, this can be accurate to within hours. She is just one of only a handful of forensic entomologists working in the UK. She talks to Jim about her life as a research scientist, breeding flies in the far flung towers of the Natural History Museum and her work as a forensic expert with police services across the country. Dropping her work at a moment’s notice she can be called any time of day to anywhere in the country to attend a crime scene. She also talks about her regular trips to a research facility at the ‘Body Farm’ at the University of Tennesee in Knoxville in Ameria to get a better understanding of how real human bodies decompose. Her passion is insects and while our instinctive reaction to flies and maggots may be one of revulsion – when you take time look at them properly, and in detail, she says you can see what truly incredible creatures they are.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Freakonomics Live in NY 55 mins – “Our co-host is comedian Christian Finnegan, and we learn: the difference between danger and fear; the role of clouds in climate change; and why (and when) politicians are bad at math. Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri is our real-time fact-checker. This is a bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio Live. It’s the non-fiction game show we call Tell Me Something I Don’t Know.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the end of the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Game Changers 50 mins – “Jack Canfield, a psychotherapist, educational consultant, award-winning speaker and internationally recognized leader in personal development and transformation, as well as an internationally renowned corporate trainer and keynote speaker. He’s also the originator and co-creator of the worldwide phenomenon Chicken Soup for the Soul® book series. The first book published 25 years ago in 1993; there now are over 500 million copies in print worldwide. 40 of the books have been New York Times bestsellers. He’s credited with ushering in the genre of inspirational anthologies. Jack was a guest on Bulletproof Radio back in episode #471 “Go Beyond Chicken Soup & Confront Your Fears.” Our conversation during that episode became the focal point of Law #3 in my new book, “Game Changers.” And that is what Jack gets in to in this episode.” At the link right-click “Download” on the soundbar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Growth Hormone and Alzheimer’s 11 mins – “Ali Jennings tells the story of how a contaminated medical treatment led researchers to suspect that a key protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease could be transferred between people, although only under rare circumstances.” At the link left-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Hanoi Culture 27 mins – “An interrupted journey is like a portal into somebody else’s life. In this programme, Catherine Carr invites strangers to pause on their way from A to B and asks them one simple question: ‘Where Are You Going?’ In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, Catherine meets the feminist teenagers who dream of equality and a jet-setting seven-year-old who is already worried about college. She meets a depressed new mother struggling to cope, and a teenager praying for good exam grades. The exchanges can be funny, sad or sweet or simply unforgettable. Mixed with the sounds of the city, the stories create a poetic and unpredictable listen.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Human Potential 56 mins – “This week, we speak with James Clear. Yup, that’s right. James Clear!!! James is an author an entrepreneur and you might know him best for his fantastic newsletter. He writes about habits and human potential. His focus is on self-improvement tips based on proven scientific research, and he has new book called, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. To learn more about James, sign up for his awesome newsletter, or download a free chapter of his book, head over to https://jamesclear.com.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow at the end of the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
John Bogle 45 mins – “On this week’s episode Slate Money talks about Vanguard’s founder, discusses the latest in Brexit woes, and takes a look at Trump’s bad deal-making skills.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Lie Detection 27 mins – “Liar liar, pants on fire? In this collaboration between the Guardian’s Science Weekly and Chips with Everything podcasts, we explore whether it will ever be possible to build intelligent machines to detect porky pies.” At the link left-click the square witht three dots, left click “Download File,” then “Save File” and “OK” to get the podcast.
Limbs International 33 mins – “Of the 30 Million amputees worldwide, only 5 percent have access to prosthetics. A professor in Texas sets out to change that, one step at a time.” At the link left-click “Download this episode” from the pop-up menu.
Lobotomies 34 mins – “Lobotomies — brain surgeries to relieve psychiatric problems — are rarely performed today, but they were once fairly common. Tune in to learn more about the controversial history and practice of lobotomies in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.Learn more about advertising on the HowStuffWorks podcasts at http://www.howstuffworks.com/advertisers.htm And to learn about your ad choices when listening to podcasts, visit https://www.howstuffworks.com/privacy.htm#ad-choices “ At the link you can listen, but not download: however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Migrant Myths 16 mins – “This week: The UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Heath released a new report that busts some common migration myths; and a scientist at Oxford University has come up with an alteration to Einstein’s general theory of relativity that could have some interesting effects on our understanding of our universe: negative mass.” At the link find the title, “Up To Date | Migration Myths and Negative Mass, Dec 2018,” right-click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Millennial Burnout 47 mins – “Debt, uncertain work, unrealistic expectations – are millennials turning into the burnout generation?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mixed Martial Arts 50 mins – “Why do we fight? Is sensory deprivation a viable mental health option? Isn’t it weird we’re all floating in space right now? On this episode of StarTalk Radio, we answer these eclectic questions and a lot more as Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down Joe Rogan, comedian, MMA commentator, and host of The Joe Rogan Experience. In-studio, Neil is joined by comic co-host Sasheer Zamata, and Jonathan Gottschall, literary scholar and author of The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch. You’ll learn about Joe’s early science and martial arts influences that shaped his worldview. Jonathan tells us about his experience joining a cage fighting gym and explains why storytelling is a good device for spreading science. Dive into the philosophy of the different teaching forms of marital arts. Ponder the “riddle of the duel” and why Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the most scientific form of fighting. Jonathan takes us inside the ring as he shares what it was like to be knocked unconscious. Find out if fighters think about physics during a fight. Investigate the physics and kinetic energy transfer that take place during a punch. Join us as we debate the effectiveness of a punch vs a kick. Discover why the introduction of gloves made fighting more dangerous. You’ll hear StarTalk correspondent Chuck Nice visit an MMA gym to get choked out in the name of science. Shifting gears, we step inside the brain to explore mental health. We also discuss the underappreciation of teachers and why Joe thinks society over-values celebrities. Sasheer leads the panel in handing out “Teachies” to influential teachers. All that, plus Joe shares his love for sensory deprivation therapy, Dr. Leah Lagos stops by to share techniques to help us connect and feel the world more deeply, Joe gets to ask Neil his own Cosmic Query about the beginning and end of the universe, and Neil ponders the future of fighting against the backdrop of the cosmic perspective.: At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Populism 54 mins -”Once relegated to the political fringes, political populism has exploded across the world in recent years. Most of the populist leaders who have emerged so far — figures like Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen — have been defined, in part, by their xenophobic rhetoric. Some populist parties, like the Sweden Democrats, even have roots in Neo-Nazism. But what if ultra-nationalism and xenophobia aren’t necessarily a part of populism’s DNA? What if populism is actually a logical, if at times convoluted, response to decades of frustration with our democratic institutions? Political scientist Matthew Goodwin thinks it is. Contrary to the belief held by many “progressive” intellectuals, Goodwin argues populism is not simply an attempt by a generation of older, white men to cling to their social and political power. Instead, he argues that the rise of populism is the result of a citizenry who are thoroughly disenfranchised with traditional political ideologies, on both the left and the right.” At the link find the title, “The Case for Populism,” right-click “Download The Case for Populism” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Professor Roland R. Rueckert 76 mins – “At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vincent meets up with one of his virology heroes, Roland R. Rueckert, to talk about his research and his second career as a forest manager.” At the link right-click “Download TWiV 529” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Rapid SOS 27 mins – “A team of “computer nerds” spot a huge hole in emergency services. Their solution may save 10,000 lives a year (or more!).” At the link left-click “Download this episode” from the pop-up menu.
Sen Kamala Harris 67 mins – “On this episode of Live at Politics and Prose, Sen. Kamala Harris discusses her book The Truths We Hold.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Serbia and Kosovo War 27 mins – “Old enemies Serbia and Kosovo discuss what for some is unthinkable – an ethnic land swap. This dramatic proposal is one of those being talked about as a means of normalising relations between these former foes. Since the bloody Kosovo war ended with NATO intervention in 1999, civility between Belgrade and Pristina has been in short supply. Redrawing borders along ethnic lines is anathema to many, but politicians in Serbia and Kosovo have their eyes on a bigger prize… For Serbia, that is membership of the European Union. But the EU will not accept Serbia until it makes an accommodation with its neighbour. Kosovo wants to join the EU too, but its immediate priority is recognition at the United Nations, and that is unlikely while Serbia’s ally, Russia, continues to thwart Kosovo’s ambitions there. Both of these Balkan nations want to exit this impasse. And a land-swap, giving each of them much-coveted territory, might just do it. For Assignment, Linda Pressly and producer, Albana Kasapi, visit the two regions at the heart of the proposal – the ethnically Albanian-majority Presevo Valley in Serbia, and the mostly Serb region north of Mitrovica in Kosovo.“ At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Solzhenitsyn Impact 60 mins – “Historian and author Stephen Kotkin of Princeton University and Stanford University’s Hoover Institution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the historical significance of the life and work of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Solzhenitsyn’s birth.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Startup Businesses 38 mins – “Rohan Oza is a global pioneer in celebrity equity deals and is known for transforming groundbreaking consumer products into household names. His revolutionary expertise has led him to appear on numerous national television shows, including as a Guest Shark on Shark Tank. Rohan’s unique philosophy, ideas and strategy have earned billions for corporations, brands and celebrities alike. His strong track record and consistent success have enabled him to identify key trends and leverage those insights to build iconic brands. On this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Rohan shares with us how they can be their own “brand messiah” and also gets into what makes me (Dave) a good and bad founder.” At the link right-click “Download” on the soundbar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Surveillance Capitalism 72 mins – “Shoshana Zuboff is the author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. She talks with Leo Laporte about how social media is being used to influence people. “ At the link left-click “Download options,” right-click “Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Terrorism Discussion 43 mins – “Kirsty Young’s castaway this week is Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller. She has recently stepped down as Britain’s top spy-master – or more correctly, the Director-General of MI5. She took the helm in the months after the attacks of 11th September 2001 in America and steered the service through a time when the nature of the terrorist threat facing Britain changed enormously and new measures were introduced to counteract it. She concedes that MI5 has to rely, in large part, on information that is ‘patchy and incomplete’ and that ultimately the service will always be judged ‘by what we do not know and did not prevent’. In her first ever interview, Dame Eliza talks gives her recollections about the day when Britain was targeted by suicide bombers, describes what lay behind her own departure from the service and reveals how her mother’s role during World War II fuelled her own interest in public service.“ At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Trump Analysis 37 mins – “A break from Brexit! This week we talk to one of the world’s leading moral philosophers Martha Nussbaum about the really big stuff: anger and disgust, trust and hope, childhood and experience. Can contemporary democracy cope with the growing fears of its citizens? What are we so afraid of? And what does Trump’s election tell us about where we should look to rebuild faith in politics? Martha Nussbaum’s latest book is The Monarchy of Fear: https://bit.ly/2zwpLR9” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is in the blog archive where it can be downloaded.
Uganda Refugees 27 mins – “Last year Uganda took in more refugees than any other country. But how do the South Sudanese, fleeing civil war, transform the African Bush into a new home? Ruth Alexander reports “ At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Uranium One 32 mins – “What are the limitations of a president’s influence on the Justice Dept? Reporter Devlin Barrett offers the latest news, fact checker Glenn Kessler unpacks Uranium One, and a once dep. special counsel explains risks for politicizing the Justice Dept.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in the blog archive.
Thanks for stopping by.
Media Mining Digest 