Exercise your ears: the 55 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 375 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 (25,200) 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 160GB 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 503 sources. And try PodcastRE from the University of Wisconsin with over 150,000 titles. Exercise your ears and relax the rest.
Alien Life 13 mins – “The universe is incredibly old, astoundingly vast and populated by trillions of planets — so where are all the aliens? Astronomer Stephen Webb has an explanation: we’re alone in the universe. In a mind-expanding talk, he spells out the remarkable barriers a planet would need to clear in order to host an extraterrestrial civilization — and makes a case for the beauty of our potential cosmic loneliness. “The silence of the universe is shouting, ‘We’re the creatures who got lucky,'” Webb says.” At the link left-click “Share” right-click “Download” and select “Save Page As” from the pop-up menu.
Alien Life 19 mins – “These are the tweets of a longtime journalist and author that sparked speculation of an alien invasion. His approximately 15-minute mission: To link together a series of factual but unrelated stories related to space in a manner that suggested something incredible was going on. To spark a discussion about how we process and consume fragments of news in the social media age And to make us wonder again, as scientists report that a mysterious object that passed through our solar system last year might be an alien spacecraft investigating earth…Just what else is out there? And why do we want to believe?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Assisted Death 17 mins – “Audrey Parker plans to end her life today. It’s earlier than she’d like—but she doesn’t feel she has a choice. She’s terminally ill, and while she’d prefer to wait a while longer, she’ll be taking a big risk if she does. The rules around assisted death in Canada are complex, but they clearly spell out that you must be of sound mind all the way up until the moment the treatment is administered. On the surface, it makes sense. But if you’re as ill as Audrey is, that sound mind could be taken away from you by disease or the drugs you use for the pain. And once it is, you can no longer opt for a planned exit. If it sounds like this could be a problem, well, it is. And Audrey has spent the last year of her life speaking out as loudly as she can about the changes that need to be made to the rules around the program. Today, she’ll have a final meal and a quiet goodbye. Tomorrow and beyond, she wants us to keep talking about this. Will we?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Astronomy 28 mins – “Maggie Aderin-Pocock has been fascinated by space since she was a young child. When she was six years old she caught the bug when she saw a picture of an astronaut on the front of a book in her primary school library. As a teenager she built her own telescope. After studying physics and mechanical engineering, Maggie worked in industrial research before returning to her first love, astronomy, when she managed the building of an instrument on a giant telescope in Chile. Now, she spends her time presenting TV programmes, in particular the BBC’s Sky at Night, and inspiring the next generation of schoolchildren to become scientists. Maggie’s come a long way since her own childhood. Her parents separated when she was four years old, and their prolonged custody battle meant she attended 13 schools in as many years. In addition, she was diagnosed as dyslexic and put in remedial classes where she wasn’t ever expected to achieve academically.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Blockchain Discussion 56 mins – “On December 17th, Alan Cohn hosted the 244th episode of The Cyberlaw Podcast. We took a deep dive into all things blockchain and cryptocurrency, discussing recent regulatory developments and projections for 2019. Our episode begins with Alan welcoming Will Turner to Steptoe’s Corporate and Blockchain Practice. Turner joins the firm’s Chicago office as partner, bringing with him with more than two decades of experience in corporate and securities law, primarily with application to cryptocurrency, fund formation, investment transactions and mergers and acquisitions. Turner also handles matters involving capitalizations, project finance, restructurings and joint ventures. Will Turner explains why the crypto market became bear in 2018, associating this development with the increase in mergers and acquisitions activity in the crypto market. Moving into 2019, Will projects the “hot items” will be anti-money laundering and securities compliance. In addition, Will presents a more general overview of how the blockchain industry is no different from other industries. Evan Abrams discusses the joint statement issued by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the National Credit Union Administration urging use of technology to bolster anti-money laundering compliance. Abrams states that banks can and should be engaging with the industry and the importance of striking a balance between technology and privacy. Abrams also discusses the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions compliance risks for cryptocurrency companies. In 2019, Abrams projects increased attention on digital counterparts as blockchain-related financial institutions continue to grow. Evan Abrams also highlights the New York Department of Financial Services recent announcement authorizing Signature Bank, a New York State-chartered bank, to offer a digital payment platform called Signet that leverages blockchain technology. Finally, Josh Oppenheimer covers recent LabCFTC updates from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). On November 27, 2018, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s LabCFTC FinTech initiative released A Primer On Smart Contracts. This is the first time since 2017 that the CFTC opined on issues relating to blockchain. The agency released its first primer on virtual currencies on October 17, 2017. Oppenheimer also discusses the pledge the G20 nations made earlier this month regarding their commitment to regulate crypto-assets to further a resilient and open global financial system. In so doing, they agreed to follow standards set forth by the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF. Oppenheimer notes this is significant because FATF, as the global standard setter, has insight into different regulatory approaches and constantly receives input from industry stakeholders. Lastly, Oppenheimer talks about how Ohio is set to become the first state in the country to accept tax payments using cryptocurrency….” At the link left click the down-pointing, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Chemical Weapons 28 mins – “Alastair Hay, now Emeritus Professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Leeds, is a chemist who’s had a dual career as an academic researcher and an outspoken activist and campaigner. The common theme has been the application of his knowledge to how chemicals affect our lives, in the workplace and during conflicts. Alastair Hay is best known for his work to rid the world of chemical weapons, a concern about this horrific form of warfare that goes back to the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. His work culminated in the Chemical Weapons Convention, which came into force in 1997, outlawing their production, stockpiling and use. He spent his childhood in Zimbabwe and returned to the UK when he won a scholarship from Shell to study chemistry in London in the late 1960s. After a spell working on the biochemistry of animals, including a stint at London Zoo where one of his more difficult jobs was taking blood from penguins, he moved on to studying the effects of chemicals on humans. Jim al-Khalili talks to Alastair Hay about his love of chemistry and his shock to see that chemical weapons are still being used over twenty years after the signing of the Convention.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Climate Change and Tar Sands 20 mins – “You’re likely a hypocrite when it comes to climate change. Yes, you. Doesn’t really matter who you are—if you’re demonizing the ecological destruction in Canada’s tar sands from the comfort of your air-conditioned home, you’re not helping the discussion. And the people doing that work don’t want to hear anything from you. On this issue like so many others, the left and right have become so divided that real dialogue is all but impossible. But what if we actually talked to one another over a beer? That’s what Matt Hern and Am Johal (along with award-winning cartoonist Joe Sacco) set out to do when they left Vancouver and headed for the heart of the tar sands around Fort MacMurray. They didn’t go there to shame the people collecting paycheques from companies who are destroying the land, or to preach to them about carbon footprints fresh from hopping a plane and renting a giant truck. They went to talk, without judgement, and it turns out that opening a real dialogue still matters, and that when people from different ends of the environmental spectrum respect one another, all sorts of ideas can bubble to the surface.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change Dangers 18 mins – “Churchill, Manitoba is smaller than it used to be. Around the world, other communities impacted by climate change are shrinking as life within them becomes more difficult and expensive to maintain. Forget the numbers and the reports. As bad as those might be, these are the human faces of our warming globe. But that doesn’t mean hope is lost. It’s those stories that can help shake people from their complacency. We might not be able to relate to a two-degree spike in temperatures, especially in places that won’t become uninhabitable as a result—but when we take a look at the physical, emotional and financial toll of our actions on our neighbours, maybe we can get through to people. Bob Henson of The Weather Company talks to us about Exodus, a TWC series on climate migration, and how a meteorologist feels when he reads the latest dire warnings.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. 96 mins – “This week’s interview is a deep (and long—over an hour) dive into new investment review regulations for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). It’s excerpted from an ABA panel discussion on the topic, featuring: Tom Feddo, who currently oversees CFIUS; Aimen Mir, who used to oversee CFIUS; Sanchi Jayaram, who is in charge of the Justice Department’s CFIUS and Team Telecom work; David Fagan, a noted CFIUS practitioner; and me as moderator. It turns out the new CFIUS law may be the most innovative—and sweeping—piece of legislation on national security in years….Dr. Megan Reiss notes that China is making what might be called great strides in “gait recognition” software to supplement face recognition, taking what looks like a global lead in the technology. This reminds me that fifteen years ago, when DARPA was researching gait recognition for terrorist identification, the left/lib NGOs got Congress to kill funding by lampooning what they called “a Monty Python-esque ‘Ministry of Silly Walks.’” Not so funny now, is it guys? Especially in light of evidence that China is exporting its cyber surveillance tech to Africa….” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Congo River Journey 53 mins – “A journey in sound along the mighty Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This adventure transports you to the heart of the country on the eve of long-delayed elections. You’ll encounter busy ports, vibrant markets and rare gorillas. You’ll learn why this mineral-rich country the size of western Europe is so poor. You’ll ride on the river to the soundtrack of its music, meet its wrestlers, its acrobatic fishermen and explore how history has shaped what the Congo is today. You will travel into the heart of the Ebola outbreak with United Nations peacekeepers, go hunting with pygmies, wander through former President Mobutu’s ruined palace in a town trapped in time, and explore the cobalt mines which will drive the electric cars of the future. So put your headphones on, shut your eyes and let Alastair Leithead, the BBC’s Africa Correspondent, take you on an epic adventure in sound in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You’ll find a binaural version, with additional immersive technology, at bbcworldservice.com/documentaries” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy can be downloaded from this blog archive.
Creativity 38 mins – “Humans use creativity every day to solve complex issues. Some people are more creative than others in problem solving. How do these people manage to stay ahead of everyone else creatively? First, these people are inspired. Find something that piques your interest, that drives you to go above and beyond, to experiment and learn. You can find creative inspiration even at work. If you are passionate about what you are doing, then you are feeding your creativity.” At the link left click the down-pointing, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Cyberlaw Roundup 63 mins – “In the News Roundup, Nick Weaver and I offer very different assessments of Australia’s controversial encryption bill. Nick’s side of the argument is bolstered by Denise Howell, the original legal podcaster, with 445 weekly episodes of This Week in Law to her credit. Later in the program, I interview Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who’s a force for cybersecurity both on the Homeland Security Committee and on the Armed Services subcommittee that oversees Cyber Command and DARPA—a subcommittee that insiders expect him to be chairing in the next Congress. Turning back to news, the Marriott hack, already one of the biggest in history, has developed a new and more interesting angle, Gus Hurwitz explains. It may have been a Chinese intelligence operation. The Khashoggi killing has backfired on… Israeli and Italian state hacking companies? Yes, indeed. Hacking Team and NSO are now immersed in legal hot water. And as a sign of how much the Middle East has changed, Nate Jones tells us that a Saudi dissident is now waging lawfare in Tel Aviv. We touch on what the detention in Canada of Huawei’s CFO means for U.S.-China technology relations as well as on a new DOD report on the risks of EMP. Nick explains why he doesn’t worry about EMP but nonetheless loves the EMP alarmists.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
DNA Controversy 27 mins – “Where do you come from? Tracing your ancestry in the USA is one of the most popular hobbies along with gardening and golf. TV is awash with advertising for the do-it-yourself genetic testing kits which have become much sought after gifts, especially at Christmas time. The kits have revolutionised family tree research and gone are the days of sifting through old documents. But, as Lucy Ash reports, the DNA results are now revealing far more than many had bargained for. How do you react when you find out your mother had a secret affair half a century ago…and the man who raised you isn’t your dad? Produced by Charlotte McDonald.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy can be downloaded from this blog archive.
Drug Overdoses 17 mins – “The opioid crisis is killing more and more people in Canada every day. In Toronto recently, 7 people died over a 12-day span from suspected overdoses, prompting harm reduction activists to open an unsanctioned overdose prevention site. This comes a week after the Ontario government announced a pause on these facilities, while it decides if they “have merit”. Travis Lupick is a Vancouver based journalist, and author of Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction. He tells us how safe injection sites have curbed the number of overdose deaths in British Columbia, and how important they are for the rest of the country.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Earthquake Aftermath in Armenia 27 mins – “Thirty years on from the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, what’s happened to the devastated town of Spitak? Rescuers from all over the world came to help search for survivors – among them a team of British firefighters. Now, with reporter Tim Whewell, two of those men are returning – to see how the town’s been rebuilt – and to remember a rescue effort that marked a turning point in East-West relations. The disaster came as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was developing his policy of glasnost (openness) – and his request for foreign assistance was the first such appeal the Kremlin had made in decades. The firefighters relive the drama, grief and courage of those days – and renew old friendships. They discover that Spitak has still not fully recovered from the quake, with many living to this day in squalid temporary housing.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy can be downloaded from this blog archive.
Fentanyl Crisis 15 mins – “The fentanyl crisis is claiming thousands of lives per year, and the RCMP will take all the help it can get. The force is training its detection drugs to sniff for fentanyl—but the substance is so dangerous that even minute amounts might prove fatal to a pup. How do you train a canine to search out the odour of a drug that could kill them? Where is the line between a dangerous-but-necessary job and animal rights? If a dog can save a human life, should we accept the price it might pay in doing so? We’ll take you inside the RCMP canine training facility for a look at a program that puts some brave pups on the front lines of the opioid crisis.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fentanyl in British Columbia 22 mins – “This is a story that spans the globe and touches on almost every major issue facing Canada’s westernmost province. The full scope of the criminal enterprise that brings deadly drugs to Canada is staggering, and so far police haven’t been able to stop it. We’ll take you inside the sprawling Global News investigation that draws a direct line from the drugs to the mainland to the streets and back into Vancouver’s insane real estate market. What will it take to stop it? What will happen to the real estate market if it does? And how many people will die before we get a handle on it?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gambling Addiction 18 mins – “Gambling addiction is a serious mental illness, but one that isn’t talked much about. There have been cases of people with gambling addictions stealing money from people they know, and in more tragic cases, killing themselves. In Canada, it’s estimated that three per cent of people have gambling issues, but they are responsible for 30 per cent of all gambling revenue. That’s a shocking statistic – but what’s even more shocking is that that big chunk of revenue is seemingly why governments aren’t stepping in. CBC investigative reporter Erica Johnson tells us about some of the efforts made over the years that look good on paper, but aren’t really that effective, and the simple changes that could make all the difference.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Glaucoma Overview 22 mins – “Dr Jed Lusthaus is an ophthalmologist at Sydney Eye Hospital and the University of Sydney. He discusses the management of glaucoma and where future breakthroughs may come from. With MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Hacker Capture 53 mins – “Mieke Eoyang joins us for the interview about Third Way’s “To Catch a Hacker” report. We agree on the importance of what I call “attribution and retribution” as a way to improve cybersecurity. But we disagree on some of the details. Mieke reveals that this report is the first in a series that will hopefully address my concerns about a lack of detail and innovation in the report’s policy prescriptions. Russia’s lawyers are almost as good as its hackers, to judge by a “letter” the Russian government sent in the DNC’s hacking case against Putin’s intelligence agents. Matthew Heiman and I conclude that the DNC is going to face an uphill fight trying to overcome Russia’s sovereign immunity arguments…. Dr. Megan Reiss explains the significance, if any, of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, where more than 50 states and companies—the United States not among them—have signed onto a mostly Mom-and-apple-pie agreement on cyber principles….” At the link left click the down-pointing, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Kinder Robotics 53 mins – “Jason Innes is the Manager of Curriculum Development and Teacher Training at KinderLab Robotics. He talks with Jason Howell about teaching STEAM concepts to kids with the KIBO robotics kit.” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Lab Rats Book 62 mins – “Dan Lyons is an author, journalist, and fake Steve Jobs. His latest book is Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us. He talks with Jason Howell about Silicon Valley is changing work for the worse. ” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Marijuana Legalization 16 mins – “October 17 was supposed to change Canada. Legalizing recreational pot marked a huge shift in the country’s justice system, tax revenues, the affairs of the federal government, provincial legislation, bylaws and dozens more aspects of policy. But is life in Canada really any different now that recreational marijuana is legal? As October 17 loomed, it seemed there were dozens of things that could go wrong. Two months later…how much of that concern was founded? And where does the pot industry go from here? In 2019, Ontario will see storefronts open for the first time, Canada will add edibles to the list of pot products it sells, and dozens of municipalities will pass or modify laws governing how they handle that subject. This is an evolving business. All of that is important, but is the biggest news story around legal pot the fact that there really hasn’t been a big news story since legalization? And if Canada can handle a change like this seamlessly, what does that say about pot prohibition elsewhere in the world?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Legalization P1 15 mins – “Canadians spent $5.7 billion on marijuana last year. Nearly all of it on the black market. That’s an entire industry off the books. What happens to that $5.7 billion on Wednesday, when weed becomes legal? What does the landscape look like in the days and weeks and months after everything changes? Welcome to Pot Week on the Big Story. Every day this week, we’ll explore another facet of Canadian life that’s about to be impacted by this massive shift. Today, what happens to your local dispensary, or your friendly neighbourhood weed dealer? Shauna Hunt, CityNews’ pot beat reporter takes us inside the black market. Tomorrow, how will legalization change parenting, from judgement between moms to a whole new ‘The Talk’ parents will have to have with their kids? Later this week we’ll explore stocks, the justice system, opportunities within a brand new industry and many other questions—including the ones you’ve asked us to answer for you.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Legalization P2 16 mins – “Look, kids have a lot of questions—and starting tomorrow, more of them than ever before are going to be about marijuana. It’s only natural. But it won’t just be kids asking questions. In recent years, as #WineMom has become a trending hashtag, the stigma of parents needing some booze to get through the day has largely vanished. But will #DoobieDad be met with the same tolerance and understanding? Probably not. Kim Shiffman, editor in chief of Today’s Parent, explains that parents can be harsh judges of other parents, and there’s a long way to go before we’re comfortable with those discussions. In the meantime, should you disclose to other parents that you have an after-work joint when hanging at the park? What do you tell your five-year-old when she asks if you use pot? Or if it’s bad for you? What about your 15-year-old with the same questions? How do you explain to young children that something Daddy could have gone to jail for last year is now for sale at the shop down the street? How do you explain to your mommy group that it’s no different from that glass of red? And is it safe for mom and dad to break out the vape after the kids are tucked in bed. Like kids, we have a lot of questions as Pot Week continues. Tomorrow: You’ve probably heard about pot stocks. A lot of people are making a lot of money on them, and they’re happy to tell you about it. Should you jump in? Is it too late? We’ll ask a financial expert what he tells his relatives.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Legalization P3 18 mins – “Time for some high finance. A few years ago, you could buy stock in emerging marijuana production companies for a couple of bucks a share. Now they’re some of the hottest investments on the market. And since recreational pot is legal—as of right now, in Canada, it’s for sale—there’s a lot of money still to be made, right? Well, maaaaaybe. But maybe not. The story of how pot stocks skyrocketed is a long and winding tale, and even more interesting are the possibilities from here on out. Right now, the all the industry valuations have been built on hopeful speculation, and extrapolation of pot consumption data from black market sales. Starting today, though, real consumer numbers will be recorded, then reported, then analyzed and we’ll see how much of pot’s climbing stock prices were based on hype. Should you get out now? Is it too late to dive in? Our market analyst breaks it all down.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Legalization P4 18 mins – “So much for the meritocracy. When legal pot was just a hazy line on the horizon, a lot of people spent a lot of time picturing what the industry would look like. There were plenty of optimistic reports that women would dominate the cannabis industry. There were even hopes for more representative boardrooms and executives, with women and men of all skin colours sharing the wealth in an industry that, by virtue of prohibition and necessity, had always been somewhat more equal than established businesses. Then plans for legalization began to firm up, and reports began to look at how many billions of dollars would be up for grabs. And before you know it, the c-suites looked the same way they always have. Shocking, we know. So, what happened to that optimistic dream of a pot industry that offered equality? In a word: Money. Can women and people of colour still reclaim their seats at the table? Yes, actually. We’ll tell you how it starts.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marijuana Prohibited in Gimli 12 mins – “In just over a month, pot will be legal across Canada. And although October 17th is a day the entire country has been anticipating for a while now, some municipalities feel that it’s too soon. One of those is Gimli, Manitoba – a popular beach town about an hour from Winnipeg. Last December, councillors voted, almost unanimously, to ban the retail sale of pot. Kyle Edwards of Maclean’s breaks down the decision, and the impact it could have on a town known by many as a summer party hub.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Medical Cannabis 24 mins – “Clinical Associate Professor Adrian Reynolds is the clinical director of the Tasmanian Alcohol and Drug Service, and the president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ Chapter of Addiction Medicine. He discusses the challenges presented by medicinal cannabis for prescribing doctors.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Namibia Genocide 27 mins – “In 1904 the Herero people of South West Africa made their final stand against German Colonial troops with their backs against the slopes of Waterberg mountain in today’s Namibia. The battle marked the beginning of what has been called the first genocide of the 20th Century as tens of thousands were killed, driven into the desert to die and thousands more held in concentration camps. The Nama, another indigenous group suffered the same fate soon after. But for some of the victims, the cruelty did not stop with death as a bizarre and gruesome trade in body parts developed, driven by racial anthropologists in Germany intent on proving the superiority of their own race. As more and more of such human remains are discovered and their provenance investigated, Johannes Dell asks what we can know about the victims whose bones were stolen.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy can be downloaded from this blog archive.
OpenVPN Founder 60 mins – “Frances Dinha is the CEO of OpenVPN. He talks with Jason Howell about growing up in Iraq, founding OpenVPN, and why you need to be very careful choosing a VPN.” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Opioid Withdrawal 14 mins – “The United States accounts for five percent of the world’s population but consumes almost 70 percent of the total global opioid supply, creating an epidemic that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths each year. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? In this personal talk, Travis Rieder recounts the painful, often-hidden struggle of opioid withdrawal and reveals how doctors who are quick to prescribe (and overprescribe) opioids aren’t equipped with the tools to eventually get people off the meds.” At the link left-click “Share,” right–click “Download Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Opioids in America P1 50 mins – “The opioid epidemic in America is hurting all levels of society – in this three part documentary series we explore its impact, in real-time, on people in one city, Louisville, Kentucky. We work with a team of reporters on the Louisville Courier Journal as they follow opioid stories across the community – in particular, how it is affecting schools and colleges, as well as health care, law and order and prisons. Over six weeks, beginning mid-August at the start of the new school semester, we follow the reporters who have been covering the opioid epidemic in a state which was one of the first to be hit hard by a problem which started with over-prescribing of prescription drugs, and has now spread to become a major urban crisis.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Opioids in America P2 53 mins – “The opioid epidemic in America is impacting the criminal justice system. We meet the drug court judge who tells us about her hopes for those going through the court. We attend the drug court graduation ceremony and follow the police as they search for drugs. And, we assess the impact on Louisville’s city jail, which runs the state Kentucky’s biggest detox centre.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Opioids in America P3 67 mins – “The opioid epidemic in America is hurting all levels of society. In Louisville, Kentucky, drug overdose related deaths are twice the national average. What will the impact be on the next generation? We hear of babies born addicted as a result of their mothers’ drug use, an inspiring school choir and the families finding ways to face up to the epidemic. A mother is campaigning to hold pharmaceutical companies to account and citizens, faith groups and politicians are responding to the crisis.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Overactive Bladder 9 mins – “A/Professor Eric Chung is a urological surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He discusses adult non-neurogenic overactive bladder with MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Poison Information 10 mins – “Alanna Huynh is a research associate at the University of Sydney and a poisons information specialist with the NSW Poisons Information Centre. She discusses the latest Poisons Information audit data with MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” to download the podcast.
Privacy Concerns 19 mins – “They’re called anonymous video analytics, among other terms, and the cameras that capture them might be discreetly placed in interactive guides at your favourite shopping centre. They capture demographic data like gender, age and even whether you’re happy or sad, before deleting the image. But should they have to tell you about it? Which malls in Canada use them? Would we even know about this if it wasn’t for a software glitch at a mall display in Alberta? As with so many of our privacy concerns these days, the technology that collects our personal information is advancing much faster than any regulations governing it. There are complaints before privacy commissioners right now, but there are some quirks to this tech that make it very hard to crack down on. How much privacy can you expect these days in a public space? If the answer is not much, then what should you expect your data to be used for? And … how do you spot these things next time you’re shopping, anyway?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pueblo Spy Ship Capture 27 mins – “It was a brazen and violent attack by North Korean forces on an American ship sailing in international waters, leading to the death of one sailor and the imprisonment of the remaining 82 crewmen who were confined and tortured for 11 long months. Yet the capture of the spy ship the USS Pueblo, the only active-duty vessel of the US Navy still held captive by a foreign government, remains a largely forgotten chapter in American naval history. As we approach the 50th anniversary of those 82 men’s poignant, safe return to US soil on Christmas Eve 1968, Tim Whewell meets the surviving sailors and hears their compelling stories. The survivors describe how the small, unguarded Pueblo faced overwhelming enemy firepower as they were captured and horrifying tales from the wounded about their treatment without anaesthetic during the 11 long months they were held prisoner. The men recount the boredom of their daily routine broken only by regular brutal beatings by sadistic guards, being paraded for North Korean propaganda and surviving on starvation rations; yet despite these traumas they tell us about the acts of defiance that embarrassed their North Korean captors and possibly led to their release. But after the sailors returned home to California that Christmas Eve to an initially rapturous reception, the US establishment, embarrassed by the capture of the ship, turned on the men – tarnishing their reputations for many years. Fifty years on the crew of the USS Pueblo look back on the incident that changed their lives.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Racist Deprogramming 18 mins – “Elisa Hategan used to be a white supremacist. Then she turned against her group and brought down the neo-Nazi Heritage Front group. Today she works to help deprogram people in the same situation she once found herself in. It’s much harder than it used to be, because hatred is seeping from online sewers into our streets and cities. And you’ve probably witnessed it happening. Everyone has that person in their online network. They started just fine, then they started to talk about someone taking their jobs. Then came the memes. Then the nasty rhetoric. And now you’re legitimately worried about how far it could go. What do you say to that person? How can you tell when they’re being indoctrinated into a world of online hatred? What drives them from talking about it online to committing hate crimes in real life? And what can we do right now to stop it?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Repair or Recycle 69 mins – “Kyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit. He talks to Megan Morrone about tearing down computers and protecting our right to repair them.” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Russian Trolls 48 mins – “This episode features an interview with Michael Tiffany, the co-founder and president of White Ops and a deep student of how to curtail adtech fraud. Michael explains the adtech business, how fraudsters take advantage of its structure, and what a coalition of law enforcement and tech companies did to wreck one of the most successful fraud networks, known as 3ve. You can read more about the take down in the joint White Ops and Google report, “The Hunt for 3ve.” …You knew this was coming: Megan Reiss covers U.S. proposals to screen Chinese students for espionage risk before giving them visas. We think it’s a good idea, but really wish there were a way to score every student in China for how compliant they are with government wishes…oh, wait…Nobody trolls like the Russians troll. David Kris covers a Russian trollsuit claiming that Facebook has unfairly censored Russian speech. Showing that they know their opponents’ weakness, the suit includes broad hints that censoring Russians is … racist. Maury Shenk covers the bookend—Russian government threats to sue Google for not complying with Russian censorship demands. And I suggest that Putin’s Data Protection law will be just that—a law to protect Putin’s data. Speaking of privacy law always protecting the powerful, Michael Tiffany offers several reasons why GDPR has been good for Google and Facebook ad market share and bad for European competitors. It’s the tragedy of EU mercantilism: always aiming at the United States and usually hitting itself in the foot….
Snake Oil Questions 19 mins – “Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand hosts its first Canadian event this weekend in Vancouver. For a cool $400, attendees will learn all about how to cure what ails them with products of questionable medical efficacy—at best. This is a golden age of science, and real medical information has never been more accessible to the average person. So why are so many people willing to spend hundreds of dollars on supplements like GoopGenes that offer a lot of big words and very little evidence to back them up.This isn’t new behavior, but it’s something we might have thought we’d get better at sniffing out. But since Goop is valued at $250 million…maybe not. So how should we be treating claims made by wellness products? What’s going on in our minds when we buy them and we do feel better? And how can we learn to apply a more sensible smell test to wellness products?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Solitary Confinement 21 mins – “The practice of isolating prisoners without meaningful human contact violates inmates’ rights, two separate provincial courts have ruled, and Canada must change it. The government was given one year to draft and pass legislation altering the rules around what it calls “administrative segregation”. That year is up on Dec. 18. While a new bill is in the works, the earliest it could pass is mid-2019, and there are questions about whether it will stand up to a court challenge if it does. Meanwhile, thousands of prisoners remain in limbo. Alone. Some are in solitary right now, and very few of them meet the stereotype Hollywood has given us of the criminals who deserve solitary. Activists say they’re often the most vulnerable people in the correctional system. So, what happens to them when the current standards expire with no replacement? Is Canada violating their human rights? If so, what kind of recourse do they have? How can they tell their stories? This is a problem the government would probably like to bury underground and ignore. Just like…well, you get the idea.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Southern Tales by Boys 35 mins – “Tales from the South: Episode 271 “Flyin’ Solo” Show, December 28, 2015. Featuring Lennie Dusek, Sherry Rankins-Robinson, and Deborah Carroll. Music by The Salty Dogs. Sponsored by Solo Parent Magazine.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Southern Tales by Girls 29 mins – “Tales from the South: Episode 18 Encore, January 11, 2016. Original airdate January 18, 2011. Stories from Godwin, Butkus, Koehler. Music by Montgomery Trucking.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu to get the podcast.
Stacy Abrams 13 mins – “How you respond after setbacks is what defines your character. Stacey Abrams was the first black woman in the history of the United States to be nominated by a major party for governor — she lost that hotly contested race, but as she says: the only choice is to move forward. In an electrifying talk, she shares the lessons she learned from her campaign for governor of Georgia, some advice on how to change the world — and a few hints at her next steps. “Be aggressive about your ambition,” Abrams says.” At the link left-click “Share” right-click “Download” and select “Save Page As” from the pop-up menu.
Technology Faults 43 mins – “I propose this episode’s title as Baker’s Law of Evil Technology, something that explains Twitter’s dysfunctional woke-ness, Yahoo’s crappy security and Uber’s deadly autonomous vehicles. Companies with lots of revenue can afford to offer a lot of stuff they don’t much care about, including protection of minority voices; security; and, um, not killing people. But as Uber’s travails show, all that can get tossed out the window when corporate survival is at stake. And here’s Baker’s Law in action: Airline algorithms that deliberately break up families sitting on the plane so they can charge to put the kids back in the same row…Merrick Garland may now be available. But, we ask Jamil Jaffer and Gus Hurwitz, is a Facebook Supreme Content Court a good idea? Speaking of Facebook, even the 98-lb weaklings seem to be kicking sand in the company’s face. I lay out the latest, incredible tale about how an app that finds all your friends’ bikini pics ended up spurring an international breach of U.S. confidentiality orders—at the order of the UK Parliament’s sergeant at arms. And when I say incredible, I mean it; the story told by the participants is extraordinarily hard to believe. Jamil and Gus note that Commerce has begun identifying an enormous list of “emerging” technologies to be restricted for export. Is this defense-industrial policy? And will it work? The panel disagrees…Nick Weaver gives us the latest Bear Facts. Both Cozy and Fancy are back with a vengeance—and not much concern about avoiding attribution.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tooth Evolution 37 mins – “Brush, floss, and forget: chances are, you only think about your teeth when they cause you trouble. But teeth have tales to tell, such as how old we are, how fast we grew, and how far we’ve traveled… But, most intriguingly, teeth can tell us both what we evolved to eat and what we actually have been eating. Paleo diet fans insist that our modern teeth troubles—all those pesky cavities—come from eating the wrong diet. If we only ate what our ancestors ate—meat, berries, and no grains—we’d be fine, they claim. But what do our teeth say? Tune in this episode to find out the toothy truth.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File,” and “OK” from the pop-up menu.
Truman to Trump 27 mins – “The final interview with the veteran American politician Senator Joe Tydings, with his vivid memories of working with the Kennedy dynasty – and his unhappy relationship with Donald Trump. The Tydings family are the nearest you get to political aristocracy in America. His diplomat grandfather knew Truman, Stalin and Churchill, and helped to broker the post-war map of Germany at the Potsdam Conference. His heiress grandmother built the lavish Florida mansion – Mar A Lago – which is now one of President Trump’s favourite homes. Tydings himself insisted on joining up and, in 1946, he served in war-ravaged Germany as a corporal in the last horse cavalry unit of the US Army. On his return home, he fell in with the Kennedy clan – attracted by their youth and glamour, as well as their vision for a new America. Tydings helped run JFK’s presidential campaign in Maryland; was a marshal in the Kennedy inauguration parade and became best friends with Bobby Kennedy as a newly elected US senator. Unfortunately, in this era of assassinations, he watched two of his good friends die tragically young. Senator Tydings died in October but the BBC secured the 90 year old’s final broadcast interview. We’ll learn about one of the most exciting periods in US history – including his memories of the protests, assassinations and political upheaval which marked the 1960s. And we’ll find out why Senator Tydings never forgave Donald Trump for pinching the family crest.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy can be downloaded from this blog archive.
Volcanology 28 mins -”Clive Oppenheimer has, more than once, been threatened with guns (a Life Scientific first?). He’s dodged and ducked lava bombs and he’s risked instant death in scorching and explosive eruptions.
He studies volcanoes; science that by necessity, requires his presence at the volcanic hotspots of the world. It was at the lip of a bubbling lava crater on one of the earth’s most active volcanoes, Mount Erebus in Antarctica, that he met the film and documentary maker Werner Herzog. The two became friends and went on to make a volcano movie together. Clive, who’s Professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge, tells Jim academics and film makers share the same complementary skill set: thorough research, slick location recording and a familiarity with rejection as 9 out of 10 film pitches (or grant proposals) are turned down! As well as a forensic fascination with the dramatic impact of ancient and modern volcanism on the landscape, Clive discusses how multiple scientific disciplines are now needed to understand the complex historical, archaeological, climatological and environmental impacts of the earth’s volcanic eruptions. He wades into the bitter academic row about what did it for the dinosaurs 65 million years ago: meteorite or volcanism? And he details the importance of Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption in the Philippines for our deeper understanding of anthropogenic climate change.” At the link left-click “Download,” then select quality from the pop-up menu, then “Save File” and “OK” from the next pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Weaponized Computers 56 mins – “Bruce Schneier is a renowned security expert and the author of Click Here to Kill Everybody. He talks with Jason Howell about the many difficulties we face in securing technology.” At the link left-click “Download,” then right-click “audio” from the pop-up menu to download the podcast.
Wild Place Protection 9 mins – “Navigating territorial hippos and active minefields, TED Fellow Steve Boyes and a team of scientists have been traveling through the Okavango Delta, Africa’s largest remaining wetland wilderness, to explore and protect this near-pristine habitat against the rising threat of development. In this awe-inspiring talk packed with images, he shares his work doing detailed scientific surveys in the hopes of protecting this enormous, fragile wilderness.” Webb says.” At the link left-click “Share” right-click “Download” and select “Save Page As” from the pop-up menu.
Workplace Loneliness 16 mins – “No chatty cubicle mates. No stinky office microwaves. No pants, if you don’t feel like wearing ‘em. Working from home always sounds great in theory…but we’re learning that it’s not so good for us in practice. It turns out we…actually need that meaningless interaction with colleagues? As more and more people telecommute or freelance, we’re starting to see the impact of workplace loneliness on our emotions, and some companies are seeing its results on their workers efficiency and calling them back in. Why are we so quick to try to replace face-to-face interaction with emails and chat messages? And what happens to us when we do? And for those of us who don’t have an office to go back to, and never will, what can be done to stave off the inevitable isolation that comes with having nobody but a pet for company for much of the day? We asked someone who has experience both reporting and living the reality of the issue.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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Media Mining Digest 