Exercise your ears: the 54 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 619 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 (25,485) 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.
AI Uses 36 mins- “‘AI is like fire’ — and it’s spreading – Yep, those sci-fi movies and shows like “Blade Runner” and “Westworld” about robots imbued with enough A.I. to make them seem human are developing at a rapid pace. Kim talks to Ryan Steelberg, president of Veritone, a leading provider of artificial intelligence technology and solutions, about how robots are becoming less fantastical. Ryan describes how one man in Great Britain has his “companion” robot sit with this family at mealtimes. You don’t want to miss this conversation.” At the link right-click ”Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Amazon and Antitrust Issues 15 mins – “At the end of the 19th century, many local railroads in the United States became consolidated into giant iron networks. The anticompetitive practices that resulted soon made these trusts, also called monopolies, a hot political issue. More than a century later, a new rebellion is gathering strength against domineering players on the digital network – the digital network that is our new railroad for e-commerce and much more. In 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act made it illegal under federal law to restrain trade or to form a monopoly. Many celebrated legal cases since then have threatened, and sometimes succeeded, to break up such legendary American companies as Standard Oil, US Steel Corporation, International Harvester, and Microsoft. In 2019, the so-called “hipster antitrust” cohort now have Amazon in their sights. A leader in that effort is Lina Khan, an academic fellow at Columbia Law School and senior fellow at the Open Markets Institute, who recently was named to the Politico 50, a list of thinkers whose ideas are driving politics. Her piece, Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox, published in January 2017 in the Yale Law Journal, was awarded the 2018 Antitrust Writing Award for best academic unilateral conduct article from Concurrences Review and the George Washington University Law School Competition Law Center. She delivered a keynote address at this weekend’s Pubwest 2019 Conference.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
American Status 66 mins – “Historian and author Jill Lepore talks about nationalism, populism, and the state of America with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lepore argues that we need a new Americanism, a common story we share and tell ourselves. Along the way, topics in the conversation include populism, the rise of globalization, and the challenge of knowing what is true and what is false in the internet era.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Assange Indictment Discussion 48 mins – “The indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for conspiracy to hack into a classified government computer has reignited the debate over the question: what is the line between First Amendment-protected journalism and cyber-crime? On this episode, two leading experts on the intersection of the First Amendment and national security–Josh Geltzer of Georgetown University Law Center and Ben Wizner of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project—join host Jeffrey Rosen to consider whether Assange’s indictment poses a threat to press freedom.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bassem Youseff 45 mins – “My grandmother used to tell a story about coming to America from Poland. How she sang God Bless America to cheer up all the grownups on the ship. She was 5 or 6 years old, traveling alone with her mom. For her, it must have been a big adventure. I can hardly imagine what it was like for her mom— my great grandmother — how bad things must have been for Jews in their home town of Bialystok for her to pick up and leave like that, without her husband, heading toward some distant cousin in the undiscovered country of Vineland, New Jersey. My guest today left Egypt as an adult for the US, also under politically grim circumstances. During the Arab Spring, as his country convulsed toward revolution, he became a leading voice of dissent. A trained surgeon, he made an unlikely transition to famous tv satirist for millions of viewers on his nightly political comedy show. Bassem risked jail, helped facilitate the toppling of a dictator who’d been in power for 30 years, and after all that change decided it was time to start a new life in America.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blockchain and Podcasting 49 mins– “Why would two intelligent women running a hugely successful podcast at one of the most respected studios in the audio world, quit to start a small journalism company built on blockchain, a technology very few people have ever heard of? To quote someone on Twitter yesterday paraphrasing Bill Clinton sounding pretty harsh, actually: “It’s the business model, stupid.” As we keep learning the hard way, as long as we get our journalism from Facebook and 24 hour cable news, we’re suckers for infotainment, propaganda, and actual fake news—not the real news Trump is always calling fake, but the real fake news trolls cook up to polarize American culture. And in these raging digital waters, non-profits and public media struggle just to stay afloat. There’s got to be a better way, right? Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant thought so. Partners on the podcast Note to Self, they left to start Stable Genius Productions. It’s part of Civil, a new blockchain journalism platform. For reasons we’ll try to explain, blockchain has the potential to bring us better, more independent media. Better, more independent everything, maybe. That’s what Jen and Manoush were betting on, anyway. They document the twists and turns since that fateful decision with refreshing vulnerability on their podcast ZigZag.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chinese Poet Li Bai 48 mins – “In his beautiful new biography THE BANISHED IMMORTAL: a Life of Li Bai, the poet and author Ha Jin paints a vivid picture of this extra-vivid man—who suffered the double misfortune of living in interesting times and being interesting himself. Ha Jin is interesting too—a young soldier in China’s Cultural Revolution, he came to America as a grad student. Watching the Tiananmen Square Massacre on TV, he decided to stay in America for good.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change Impact 29 mins – “How do you usually react to the stream of dire warnings about climate change and wildlife extinction? Does it motivate you to do more to make a difference, or does it submerge you into depressed inertia? This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with environmental journalist Jeremy Hance about his ongoing series for Mongabay which shines an encouraging light on the future of our planet’s flora and fauna. Hance outlines the Bottleneck-to-Breakthrough theory and looks at the driving factors that may save our species and others from extinction. Who knew that earth science prognostications could actually serve as an antidote to climate change malaise?” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Congo Documentary 56 mins – “THIS IS CONGO, a new documentary film, attempts to wrap its mind around the incomprehensible realities of the Democratic Republic of Congo, almost 60 years after it was founded. At one point, commenting on one of the more incomprehensible recent events, a high-ranking military officer remarks: “They will say, “This is Congo” But when will they ask “Why? why is Congo like this?” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Crowdfunding a Book 16 mins – “What if your book concerns the absorbing life story and voluminous work of a seminal figure in graphic design and bookmaking? The printed object must seek to match its subject matter in presentation and production. How to pay for such a treasure, and where to find the audience? Well, now there’s Kickstarter for that. Bruce Kennett, graphic designer, photographer, and teacher, has lectured and written for much of his professional life about William Addison Dwiggins, an American type designer, calligrapher, and book designer who is credited with coining the term graphic designer. After a Kickstarter campaign that raised $200,000, Kennett wrote and designed W. A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design. His new role as publisher proved a rewarding one – even if it added to his workload. “What’s so great about this crowdfunding model is that titles that might not appeal to a mainline publisher are eminently suitable for this,” Kennett tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally from his New Hampshire studio. “You do have to gather together the people who want to read the book. But in the end, you’re delivering directly into the hands of the reader a publication whose every quality you can control. And that was what was so great for me – being able to supervise the printing, use really high-quality paper, and produce most of the book right here in New England.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
David Sedaris 60 mins – “…Life is full of horrible things. I dare you to deny it. Things like death, sickness, and alcoholism. And did I mention death, which lies in wait for us all? But if you talk about these things at dinner parties, or at work, or to someone you have just met in line at the grocery store, you risk being branded a negative person. In some circles, such as the state of California, negativity is like leprosy. It can really mess up your social life. This does not seem to trouble my guest today, who has spent much of his life turning horrible, true stories into festive comedy. like many people, I first heard David Sedaris‘ unmistakable voice on public radio in the late 90s. My sister and I took a couple of his audio books on a road trip across America in her red Saturn with a bumper sticker on the back that read “Humanity is Trying”. Having Sedaris along as company somehow made the endless miles of Stuckeys’ and strip malls, and the weeping people at Elvis’s grave side in Graceland a little less alien and terrifying. In his latest book, Calypso, David is doing his thing better than ever. It’s about what’s on his mind these days, from decluttering the English countryside, to feeding a surgically removed lump of fat to a snapping turtle, to a sister’s suicide.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Death Penalty Discussion 50 mins – “Is it constitutional to execute an inmate who doesn’t remember the crime he committed? Or a person who might suffer excruciating pain during execution? These questions were raised by cases that came before the Supreme Court this term; joining host Jeffrey Rosen to debate them are John Bessler of the University of Baltimore School of Law and Richard Broughton of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. These two scholars consider the death penalty’s past and present, find points of agreement between death penalty abolitionists and supporters, and predict what the new makeup of the Court will mean for the future of capital punishment.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Democracy and the Internet 26 mins – “Part of celebrating democracy is questioning what influences it. In this episode of IRL, we look at how the internet influences us, our votes, and our systems of government. Is democracy in trouble? Are democratic elections and the internet incompatible? Politico’s Mark Scott takes us into Facebook’s European Union election war room. Karina Gould, Canada’s Minister for Democratic Institutions, explains why they passed a law governing online political ads. The ACLU’s Ben Wizner says our online electoral integrity problem goes well beyond a few bad ads. The team at Stop Fake describes a massive problem that Ukraine faces in telling political news fact from fiction, as well as how they’re tackling it. And NYU professor Eric Klinenberg explains how a little bit of offline conversation goes a long way to inoculate an electorate against election interference.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Democracy Future 49 mins – “A nation born in revolution will forever struggle against chaos. Jill Lepore, author of THESE TRUTHS, on the political divide, public shaming, and the future of democracy.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Empathy 46 mins – “Empathy is the basic stuff of human connection. It’s how we hear and are heard by one another. It’s how we deal with one another as people rather than objects. But with massive, relentless trouble in the world, the 24 hour news cycle, the pressure to choose political and social sides, and the struggles of our everyday lives, empathy is sometimes in short supply. My guest today is the psychiatrist and research scientist Helen Riess. She’s an associate clinical professor at Harvard and runs the relational science program at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as the company Empathetics, Inc. Her new book, THE EMPATHY EFFECT: 7 Neuroscience-based keys for transforming the way we live, love, work, and connect across differences, is all about empathy: where it comes from, what its effects are, and how we can develop more of it.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Equal Rights Amendment 73 mins – “The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) technically expired on June 30, 1982, the ratification deadline set by Congress, but a renewed push to resurrect and ratify this constitutional amendment gained momentum in 2017, with ratification by Illinois and Nevada. Now, ERA proponents are looking to secure ratification in a 38th state, which would round out the necessary three-fourths majority of the states required to pass an amendment. Two leading voices on either side of the debate over the ERA – Linda Coberly, chair of the national ERA Coalition Legal Task Force, and Inez Stepman, senior policy analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum – join host Jeffrey Rosen to detail the potential constitutional, legal, political, and cultural effects of adding the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Exoplanets 46 mins – “For our 200th episode, we welcome Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) back to the show. Phil joins us to discuss the current status of exoplanet discovery and gives us a glimpse of what we might find in the future. Listen to the show to hear Phil discuss new techniques and technologies in planet hunting, looking for life on other worlds and the role of science in science fiction.” At the link right-click “download” above the sound bar select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Facts and Truth 54 mins – “While the idea that we’re living in a post-truth era is still highly contested, there is greater agreement that facts themselves have also become contestable. Belief and feeling have sideswiped facts, especially when it comes to news stories about politics. IDEAS producer Naheed Mustafa examines the increasingly elastic and unsettle relationship between facts and truth.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Flying Saucers 60 mins – “…what happens when someone claims that something’s objectively true, but reason, evidence, and/or science are insufficient to test it? Claims of hauntings, cryptozoological wonders, or alien technology under US military lock and key? This is the stuff of endless subreddits and secret societies. Of conspiracies and shadow-wars between skeptics and believers. Where evidence is lacking or disputed, things can get hella heated. My guest today wants to “weaponize your curiosity” in the realms of these extraordinary beliefs. He’s Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell, a mixed-martial artist, a visual artist, and an investigative filmmaker. His new documentary is Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers. It raises some ghosts, some hell, and some unsettling questions.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Folk Music in Greece 61 mins – “Christopher C. King is a writer, Grammy—winning music producer, and something of an ethnomusicologist. His obsessive collecting of rare ’78s led him to discover the music of Epirus, a region of northwestern Greece. To his ears, the playing of Kitsos Harisiadis, Alexis Zoumbas, and other Epirote masters virtually unknown outside of Epirus had an elemental power transcending even that of Delta Blues legends like Robert Johnson and Skip James. In Epirus, King found something he thought had been lost in the world: a musical culture with unbroken roots stretching back into prehistory. And some clues, perhaps, as to why we make music in the first place.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Food Abundance 28 mins – “You’re walking the aisles of your local grocery store, picking out fresh ingredients for dinner — you get to the counter, pay for it, bag it, and you’re off. Pretty simple, right? Well, that little mindless exchange was the product of thousands of years of human development. There was a time, not that long ago, when acquiring what you needed to survive entailed far more individual effort. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Kevin Walker about his new book, The Grand Food Bargain, to learn about the ups and downs of all this food abundance. We take a look back at how we got here, some of the unforeseen outcomes from this grand bargain, and what we ought to do moving forward. You may just take a step back in wonder the next time you go to the store for a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter.” At the link right-click “Download’ and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Greek Former Finance Minister 56 mins – “My guest today experienced this in the most intense way imaginable, wrangling with the European Union over the economy of his country, Greece, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown. He saw firsthand what a house of cards global capitalism can be, and what can happen to the ones on the bottom. Yanis Varoufakis is Greece’s former finance minister and the author of two recent books: Adults in the Room and Talking to My Daughter About the Economy.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gun Control 48 mins – “When you think of the industrial revolution what comes to mind? Steam engines probably. Lone genius inventors. Factories and coal mines, perhaps. And depending on your professional interests and political leanings, either suffering laborers in sweat shops or the Great Onward March of Civilization. Did anybody think of guns? According to my guest today Stanford historian Priya Satia, guns are inextricably bound up with industrialization and it is our long and ever-changing relationship with these tools, toys, trade goods, status symbols, and instruments of war that makes them such a persistent fact of life to this day. Priya Satia’s latest book is EMPIRE OF GUNS: the Violent Making of the Industrial Revolution.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Hoover Dam Construction P1 48 mins – “It’s one of America’s biggest accomplishments in the 20th century, a slab of concrete holding back one of the country’s most finicky rivers, providing water and electricity to a swath of majors cities that otherwise couldn’t exist.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Hoover Dam Construction P2 44 mins – “And now for something completely different. Just kidding – tune in to hear the thrilling conclusion of America’s most amazing public works project in the 20th century.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Humans and AI 64 mins – “Historian Jessica Riskin of Stanford University talks about her book The Restless Clock with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. What is the difference between human beings and machines? How has science thought about this distinction? When do we have agency and when are we constrained? Riskin discusses these issues and the implications for how we think about ourselves and the growth of artificial intelligence.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Koch Brothers and Public Transit 39 mins – “ On this week’s episode, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski discuss: The Koch brothers and public transit Pregnancy Rwanda” At the link right-click the download arrow at the sound bar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Land O’Lakes CEO 58 mins – “Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about running a modern dairy and food company, which is co-owned by thousands of farmers. In this episode: What Land O’Lakes does other than butter; Ford’s thoughts on being an openly gay female leader; the changing role of a modern CEO; why farmers are the “ultimate entrepreneurs”; agriculture technology, aka agritech; automation and big data in farming; the future of food; why Land O’Lakes withdrew its support for Congressman Steve King; and the political demands on modern CEOs.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Life Defined 31 mins – “This week we welcome science writer Carl Zimmer to the show. As Zimmer often writes about life, he has been wondering about the concept of life and if there is a way to properly define it. To shed some light on the matter, he recently hosted a series of live conversations with some leading thinkers on life—including chemists, physicists, and a philosopher . Supported by a grant from Science Sandbox, these conversations are now available as a podcast of seven episodes called “What is Life?” Zimmer joins us to discuss the concept of life, shares with us some insights from his guests and even reveals how his thinking about life changed based on these conversations.” At the link right-click “download” above the sound bar select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Loneliness 26 mins – “White Coat Black Art looks at ways of dealing with loneliness in seniors. We visit roommates Cara Duncan, 23 and Lesly Adamson, 92. Dr. Mayur Lakhani, a family doctor and president of Britain’s Royal College of General Practitioners, talks about the social prescribing expert in his office who guides his patients to local community activities. Dr. Helen Kingston, another U.K. doctor, tells Brian about the Compassionate Frome Project, a plan to treat lonely patients in her hometown of Frome.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Loneliness Problem 56 mins – “Urban loneliness is a virtual pandemic. Even though there have never been as many cities across the world as there are right now with such high populations, urban loneliness carries with it huge social, medical and financial consequences. Why are cities the new capitals of isolation?Ideas contributor Tom Jokinen believes the design of urban centres may actually be the cause of urban isolation. Yet they may also contain the ingredients for a more integrated social landscape. It’s hard to believe that anyone could be lonely in the city, surrounded by millions of people. But urban loneliness is real, and it’s at the centre of a health epidemic. According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, former United States Surgeon General under President Obama, loneliness can lead to increased risks for heart disease, anxiety, depression and dementia: in stark terms it is the same as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. ” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Machine Learning to Find Injustice 47 mins – “Predictive algorithms can often outperform humans in making legal decisions. But when used to automate or guide decisions, predictions can embed biases, conflict with a “right to explanation,” and be manipulated by litigants. HLS Climenko Fellow and Lecturer on Law Ryan Copus suggests we should instead use predictive algorithms to identify unjust decisions and subject them to secondary review. This event is supported by the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. In conjunction with the MIT Media Lab, the Initiative is developing activities, research, and tools to ensure that fast-advancing AI serves the public good.“ At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Malawi Death Penalty 27 mins – “Byson expected to be dead long ago. Now in his sixties, he was given a death sentence quarter of a century ago. But instead of being executed, he’s found himself back at home, looking after his elderly mother, holding down a job, and volunteering to help other prisoners leaving jail. His release was part of a re-sentencing project in Malawi. Anyone who was given the death penalty automatically for killing someone can have their case re-examined. What is known as a mandatory death sentence was ruled to be unconstitutional, so now judges are giving custodial sentences instead, or in some cases inmates are even being freed. Charlotte McDonald travels to the small town of Balaka to visit the Halfway House where Byson mentors former inmates. She visits someone who came out of jail a few years ago and now runs her own business in the village where she was born. And she speaks to one of the last remaining people on death row about their upcoming re-sentencing hearing.Many of those former death row inmates are now back in their communities living and working – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that ordinary Malawians are ready for the death penalty to be abolished.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Man vs the Machine 41 mins– “What drives people to reject technology? Though American society has been driven by technological leaps forward, not everyone has come along for the ride. We explore the strain of technophobia in American society from Neo-Luddism to Sabbatarianism and the anti-technology terrorism of the Unabomber. This episode and related resources are funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this show, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Michael Palin 56 mins – “…My guest today is writer, actor, comedian, and explorer Michael Palin. He studied history at Oxford, then transformed comedy forever as a writer and performer in Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Since then he’s been traveling the world, writing books and hosting travel documentaries. His latest book, EREBUS, resurrects one of the greatest nautical mysteries of all time, and takes us deep into the icy heart of polar exploration in the mid-19th century.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mueller Report and Barr Letter 56 mins – “Special Counsel Robert Mueller sent his report to Bill Barr on Friday, and the attorney general sent a letter to Congress on Sunday detailing the principal conclusions of the Mueller report. Benjamin Wittes talks about it all with Lawfare Executive Editor Susan Hennessey, former senior Justice Department official Carrie Cordero and former assistant attorney general for national security David Kris.” At the link right-click “Direct download: Lawfare_Special_Edition_mixdown.mp3” and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Music and Culture 61 mins – “Christopher C. King: While you live, shine – Think Again like you’ve never heard it before. A trip deep into the oldest living folk music in the Western world — that of Epirus, Greece — and what it reveals about why we make music at all…Christopher C. King is a writer, Grammy—winning music producer, and something of an ethnomusicologist. His obsessive collecting of rare ’78s led him to discover the music of Epirus, a region of northwestern Greece. To his ears, the playing of Kitsos Harisiadis, Alexis Zoumbas, and other Epirote masters virtually unknown outside of Epirus had an elemental power transcending even that of Delta Blues legends like Robert Johnson and Skip James. In Epirus, King found something he thought had been lost in the world: a musical culture with unbroken roots stretching back into prehistory. And some clues, perhaps, as to why we make music in the first place.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Myers-Briggs Test 42 mins – “How a mother-daughter obsession became a massive and dangerous industry. The weird history of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Oregon Life 56 mins – “…In the 1980’s, Northeast Portland was a black neighborhood hustling to survive. Today, it’s full of pilates studios and handlebar moustaches. As a writer, professor, and former inmate, Mitchell S. Jackson has lived in and learned from both worlds. In SURVIVAL MATH, he puts the pieces together….Can you lie in both places at once.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pain Management Problems 12 mins – “Inappropriate use of opioids after surgery has contributed substantially to the global opioid epidemic. Lead author Paul Myles (Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) discusses a new Lancet Series that proposes alternative approaches for pain management after surgery.” [Opioids can increase pain!] At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Political Opposition 51 mins – “Following a string of landmark Supreme Court rulings and a surprise retirement, this week On the Media examines the conservative culture on the bench and wonders what we can expect from the court going forward. Plus, is civility really dead or only sleeping? And what is the view from small-town America?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. Tribalism Problems 52 mins – “Legal scholar Amy Chua says tribalism is tearing the U.S. apart, and in order to build unity, we need to understand how identity politics have hijacked the left and the right. Legal scholar Amy Chua says Americans have a hard time understanding tribalism around the globe. We get “Capitalism vs. Communism” or “Democracy vs. Authoritarianism,” but in places like Vietnam and Iraq, we’ve underestimated the role ethnic rivalries have played. Worse yet, we’re missing that same insight at home. In her latest book, Chua argues tribalism is tearing the U.S. apart, and in order to build unity, we need to understand how identity politics have hijacked the left and the right. Amy Chua is a Professor of Law at Yale University. her books include Days of Empire, World on Fire, and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Her latest is called Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Political Tribes 46 mins – “My guest today is Yale Law professor Amy Chua, who shook the Internet up a few years back with her book BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER. What upset some progressive American parents most, it seems, was the suggestion that they were members of a parenting tribe. A cultural bubble with its own fallible set of assumptions. In her powerful new book POLITICAL TRIBES: GROUP INSTINCT AND THE FATE OF NATIONS, Amy points out that long past high school, group instinct is much stronger than Americans generally like to admit. And that this cognitive blind spot has led to our repeatedly shooting ourselves in the foot, at home and abroad.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Presidential Lessons 19 mins – “Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about what we can learn from American presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson. Then she shares a moving memory of her own father, and of their shared love of baseball.” At the link left-click “Share,” then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Documentary 56 mins – “…Since 2011, an estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes. They and refugees from other troubled nations like Eritrea and Somalia have been trying to migrate Westward and northward, to Turkey, then to Europe. Many have died along the way. Many thousands of others have been detained in refugee camps while nations decide what to do with them. I’m here today with filmmakers Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo. Their new documentary, IT WILL BE CHAOS airs on HBO this month. It follows Eritrean, Somali, and Syrian refugees on their harrowing journeys to new lives in Europe.” At the link left-click “Share,” then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Religious Freedom 60 mins – “A dispute over the firing of a high school football coach who refused to stop praying on the field after games reached the Supreme Court this term; last week, the justices said they would not hear the case until its facts were better established by lower courts. Justice Alito concurred but, joined by three other conservative justices, indicated that he might be sympathetic to Kennedy’s claim that his actions were protected by the First Amendment, should his case eventually return to the Court. Justice Alito also suggested that he and some of his colleagues may be willing to overturn Employment Division v. Smith in order to bolster free exercise and religious exemption claims under the First Amendment. Religion law experts Professor Stephanie Barclay of BYU Law School and Richard Katskee of Americans United for Separation of Church and State discuss Coach Kennedy’s case, whether Smith should be overturned, and how such changes might affect people like public school teachers and coaches. Jeffrey Rosen hosts.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Saturday Night Live Creator 24 mins – “Creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live,” Lorne Michaels discusses the landmark series that changed television and comedy forever. Lorne shares what he’s learned from being at the helm for more than 25 years, and his thoughts on the power of laughter and taking risks. He reflects on the importance of changing with the times and the value of comedy as a political tool. Lorne also discusses the tragic loss of “SNL” cast members John Belushi and Chris Farley.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Secret Organizations 45 mins – “It’s interesting that several centuries after the Illuminati first appeared, as basically a idealistic secret boys’ club, followed by the Freemasons, these kinds of shadowy organizations still exert so much power on our imaginations. That’s because power doesn’t always come in the shape of Queens, Presidents, CEOs or Members of Parliament. Often it exists in the more or less invisible relationships between people. My guest today is renowned historian Niall Ferguson. His new book The Square and the Tower: Networks and Hierarchies, from the Freemasons to Facebook looks at the two ancient power structures that continue to move the world today.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Squid Biologist 30 mins– “Our guest this week is Sarah McAnulty, squid biologist and founder of Skype a Scientist. Using readily available video chat tools, SKYPE a Scientist connects real scientists with classes around the world. Through these video sessions, classes can learn more about the scientist’s field of study, what it means to be a scientist and how they do their job. Sarah joins us to talk about the program, how it promotes scientific literacy, communication and outreach. Listen to the show to find out how you can be matched with a scientist or join a live Q&A session held weekly.” At the link right-click “download” above the sound bar select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Stuff You Should Know 60 mins -”I like to think. If I didn’t, this would be the wrong job for me. But I realize that as open-minded as I like to consider myself, I’ve taken a thick, black sharpie to certain areas of the philosophical map, scrawling “here there be monsters” and leaving them be. We’re all like this to some extent—it’s the flip side of interest—even if you’re super-curious, the things that interest you most become safe spaces. Comfort zones. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to keep learning, it’s necessary to spend time in regions of reality that scare the crap out of you. The things you don’t want to look at. And if, like me, your unsafe spaces include the many catastrophes that could befall the human race—you couldn’t ask for a more affable, well-informed, tour guide than Josh Clark. Trained in history and anthropology, Josh is a writer and podcaster—host of Stuff You Should Know and now, The End of the World—a 10 part series that looks at the many ways humanity might go extinct. And what we can do about them. And why it’s all worth taking very, very seriously.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Terry Gilliam 51 mins – “The film becomes the story of the making of the film. From his Monty Python days to now, Don Quixote is a metaphor for Terry Gilliam’s whole career, and for his 30 year project of making a film about a film about the knight of the woeful countenance. We talk about Muppets, time, and basically everything else two humans can talk about.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Virtual Reality 48 mins– “Jeremy Bailenson, my guest today, has been experimenting with cutting edge virtual reality for over a decade now. His Virtual Human Interaction Lab studies the ways VR’s unique sense of presence—of putting you into a different place (and maybe time) from the one you’re in can be used for education, healing, and—yes—generally making the world a better place. His new book is called: EXPERIENCE ON DEMAND: What Virtual Reality Is, How It Works, and What It Can Do.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Water Purification 36 mins – “In the late 1950s a Texas town on the Gulf of Mexico was suffering from a devastating, decade-long drought. But while the wells ran dry, the ocean lapped at the town’s shore, taunting the thirsty residents with its endless supply of undrinkable water. Undrinkable, that is, until President John F. Kennedy stepped in to save the day with the promise of science. The evolving technology of desalination wouldn’t just end droughts: it would give us as much water as we wanted. It would allow us to inhabit otherwise uninhabitable places. It would let us make the deserts bloom. But at what cost?” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, select “Save File” and “OK” to get the podcast.
Women in STEM 22 mins – “This week we welcome Laurie Wallmark to the show. As a computer science teacher and award-winning children’s author, Laurie has been writing picture book biographies that recognize women in STEM. Her breakout book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books) debuted in 2017 and was readily recognized with numerous awards. Laurie’s most recent book, Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, was just released in February from Sterling Children’s Books. Listen to the show to hear Laurie discuss Hedy Lamarr in her new book, how she selects women in STEM to write about, and why her work is so important,” At the link right-click “download” above the sound bar select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Thanks for stopping by.
Media Mining Digest 