Exercise your ears: the 53 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 778 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.
Alcohol Addiction 52 mins – “The writer Leslie Jamison said she had bought into the story that booze and a dark temperament were ingredients of beautiful art. So when she sobered up she had to ask herself whether you can write compelling stories about happiness. The writer Leslie Jamison had a lot going for her: she had studied at the Iowa Workshop and earned a Ph.D. from Yale. She was also an alcoholic. Jamison said she had bought into the story that somehow booze and a dark temperament were the ingredients of beautiful art. So when she decided to sober up she had to ask herself whether you can write compelling stories about happiness. Jamison’s book tells her story, along with the stories of some of our greatest authors, to explore how we imagine addiction.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “save link as” from the pop-up menu.
Angry Women 12 mins – “Anger is a powerful emotion — it warns us of threat, insult, indignity and harm. But across the world, girls and women are taught that their anger is better left unvoiced, says author Soraya Chemaly. Why is that, and what might we lose in this silence? In a provocative, thoughtful talk, Chemaly explores the dangerous lie that anger isn’t feminine, showing how women’s rage is justified, healthy and a potential catalyst for change.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Atlantis Discussion 35 mins – “While the search for Atlantis has been pushed to the fringes since the 19th century, archaeologists have quietly pursued cities that may have inspired Plato to fabricate the mythical city. It looks like a team in Greece has found it..” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Broadband in Michigan 22 mins – “This week, Marshall FiberNet’s Customer Service and Marketing Manager Jessica Slusarski talks to Christopher about the town’s investment in their community broadband network. Quiet and quaint Marshall, Michigan, didn’t expect to become one of the state’s communities with the best Internet access, but here we are. Like many other small towns where big incumbent providers didn’t want to make infrastructure investments, most of Marshall was stuck with DSL and some premises were still using dial-up connections. Their solution was clear — build a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network. Jessica and Chris discuss how the idea became a reality and what were some of the services that the city decided they wanted to include for subscribers, based on the needs of residents and businesses. They also discuss how, even though Michigan requires local communities to reach out to the private sector first, a lack of responses allowed the town to move forward. Jessica describes the favorable response from users and how subscribers are taking advantage of better Internet access than they’ve ever experienced. We also learn about nuts and bolts, including what it took to get the network deployed, how the city administrates the utility, and what’s next. You can learn more details by reading our coverage of Marshall’s FiberNet.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband in Missouri 26 mins – “Missouri is one of the states where electric cooperatives are taking the lead in bringing high-quality Internet access to rural areas. This week, we talk with Jack Davis, Vice President of IT and Special Projects at Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative. The co-op is in the midst of deploying Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to members in their service area, located in Missouri’s “Bootheel” region. The mostly agricultural area consists of three counties that extend down from the southeast corner of Missouri and is surrounded by Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The co-op brought electric service to homes in the region in the 1930s and Jack and his colleagues are performing a similar service today by bringing broadband to a region where large corporate ISPs haven’t invested much in infrastructure. In this interview, he describes what Internet access is like for people in the region before the cooperative decided on the project, and how strong support from residents and businesses has helped the cooperative determine the services to offer. Jack and Christopher also discuss how the geography and environment influenced engineering and design plans, how locals are responding to the new service, and potential plans for growth in the region. In this conversation, you’ll also hear about some of the partnerships that Pemiscot-Dunklin has forged with other cooperatives in order to offer better services to cooperative members.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Broadband in North Carolina 22 mins – “While in North Carolina at the recent Let’s Connect! speaking tour, Christopher sat down with Greg Coltrain, Vice President of Business Development of RiverStreet Networks. Greg participated in panel discussions in all three communities where the community meetings occurred: Albemarle, Fuquay-Varina, and Jacksonville. RiverStreet Networks is the product of evolution of what began as Wilkes Communications. They’ve acquired several local providers in different areas across the state and are set on bringing high-quality Internet access to rural North Carolinians. In this interview, Greg shares some of the cooperative’s history, including information on how they’ve funded their deployments. Greg also discusses his experience on the practical side of cooperative life, such as comparative operating costs between fiber and copper, working with electric cooperatives, and the ins and outs of leasing assets from public entities. Christopher and Greg also talk about future plans that RiverStreet has to partner with North Carolina’s electric cooperatives across the state to bring connectivity to more people in rural areas. Learn more about Wilkes Communications and RiverStreet Networks from our conversation with Eric Cramer from 2016 for episode 188 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chinese Internet 13 mins – “The Chinese internet has grown at a staggering pace — it now has more users than the combined populations of the US, UK, Russia, Germany, France and Canada. Even with its imperfections, the lives of once-forgotten populations have been irrevocably elevated because of it, says South China Morning Post CEO Gary Liu. In a fascinating talk, Liu details how the tech industry in China has developed — from the innovative, like AI-optimized train travel, to the dystopian, like a social credit rating that both rewards and restricts citizens.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click the down-pointing arrow select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Clemency Concept 50 mins – “Justice for whom? President Trump’s controversial pardoning spree has benefited political allies and nonviolent drug offenders alike. This week, we look at whether the President’s unorthodox use of clemency might not be such a bad thing. Plus, why the Justice Department curbed prosecution of white collar crime, and Seymour Hersh revisits highlights from his storied investigative reporting career.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Concussion Discussion P2 24 mins – “Doc Lax continues our discussion of diagnosing and managing concussion (mTBI) for operators and PJs, corpsman, and medics.” At the link right-click “Download this episode” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Democratic Socialism 29 mins – “Twenty Democrats seeking their party’s presidential nomination took to the debate stage this week. Over two nights, we heard from the crowded field on health care and immigration, as well as gun control and how to make the economy “work for all Americans.” Diane discusses who stood out, the state of the race, and what the debates revealed about the future of the Democratic party.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Depression Causes 52 mins – “The journalist Johann Hari traveled around the world to find out why people are so depressed these days. He found evidence for nine causes of depression and anxiety, and he says he has some ideas for fixing them. At a young age, the journalist Johann Hari was diagnosed with depression. Doctors said there was a chemical imbalance in his brain that drugs could fix. As an adult, he began to wonder if it wasn’t his brain that was off kilter. What if it had more to do with the way we live? So he traveled around the world, investigating these questions, and he found evidence for nine causes of depression and anxiety. Two of them are biological, but the others are cultural, and Hari has some ideas for fixing them. Johann Hari’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, and Politico, among many others. His TED Talk “Everything You Know About Addiction Is Wrong” has been viewed more than 10 million times. His new book is Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of–and the Unexpected Solutions” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “save link as” from the pop-up menu.
Fibernet Failure 31 mins – “The United States prides itself on being a country of innovation. But in the land that built the internet, our ability to get access to high speed quality service is not on par with other countries in Europe and Asia. Harvard law professor Susan Crawford says as the country slips further behind, we jeopardize our place as a leader in the tech revolution. Susan Crawford’s new book is called “Fiber: The Coming Tech Revolution―And Why America Might Miss It.” AT the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Genetic Advances 18 mins – “Gene-editing tools like CRISPR enable us to program life at its most fundamental level. But this raises some pressing questions: If we can generate new species from scratch, what should we build? Should we redesign humanity as we know it? Juan Enriquez forecasts the possible futures of genetic editing, exploring the immense uncertainty and opportunity of this next frontier.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Immigration Controversy 51 mins – “Immigration systems regulate the flow of foreign immigrants into any given country. But why is immigration such a controversial topic, especially in the United States? In this episode, Josh and Chuck delve into the details and debate behind immigration.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Impeachment Discussion 35 mins – “The first calls to remove President Trump were heard even before he took office. After Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey, talk of impeachment became louder. But with a Republican-controlled Congress, that was all it was – talk. Now that Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, that could change. But should the House move to impeach? The Atlantic’s Yoni Appelbaum says “yes.” He looks to history to make his argument that the impeachment process may be just what this country needs right now.” At the link you can listen, but not down-load; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Impeachment Discussion 52 mins – “The journalist Yoni Appelbaum says that to understand what impeaching Donald Trump would mean, it helps to look at the case of the 17th president, Andrew Johnson. His impeachment, Appelbaum says, brought order out of chaos. Thursday, we’re talking about the power of impeachment. The journalist Yoni Appelbaum says that to understand what impeaching Donald Trump would mean, it helps to look at the case of the 17th president, Andrew Johnson. He was a brash and profane businessman-turned-politician who stoked racial tensions. Appelbaum says that impeaching Johnson moved the debate about his fitness for office out of the court of public opinion and into Congress, where it belonged. It also brought order out of chaos. Yoni Appelbaum is a historian and a senio editor at the Atlantic, where he oversees the Ideas section. His article “The Case for Impeachment” appeared in magazine’s the March 2019 issue.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Innovation and Scientific Progress 76 mins – “Patrick Collison, co-founder and CEO of Stripe, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the pace of innovation. Collison argues that despite enormous increases in the numbers of scientists and researchers, the pace of progress in scientific and technological understanding does not seem to be increasing accordingly. The conversation looks at the challenge of measuring innovation and whether the pace of innovation should be a matter of concern and if so, what might be done about it.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Investment Advice 99 mins – “In this special podcast, Paul discusses his list of “A Dozen Million-Dollar Decisions.” This advice for college students was recorded this week for students at Western Washington University, Paul’s alma mater and where The Merriman Financial Education Foundation funds the development and presentation of Personal Investing 216, an accredited course since 2014. The 12 Decisions include: saving vs. spending, stocks vs. bonds, degrees of diversification, taxes, expenses, target date funds, and more. For young investors to better understand equities (stocks) and fixed income (bonds), see this Table Here also are some sites that appeal to young investors trying to deal with the realities of student debt and transitioning to the “real world” while maintaining a budget that leaves room for some saving: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com https://thinksaveretire.com https://www.choosefi.com” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Iran Womens’ Revolution of ‘79 54 mins – “”We didn’t have a revolution to go backwards.” That was the rallying cry which brought tens of thousands of Iranian women together onto the streets of Tehran on March 8, 1979. After finally ousting the Shah, and just mere weeks after Ayatollah Khomeini took power, Iranian women marched to show their fury at the revolution, which now seemed to be turning against them. On the 40th anniversary of their protests, CBC Radio producer Donya Ziaee spoke to three women who were on the streets of Tehran, fighting to to turn the tide of history.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Kellogg Brothers 74 mins – “There’s no way you haven’t had one of their breakfast cereals, but we bet you don’t know the story behind the two brothers who brought the world corn flakes. Buckle in for a lot of talk about poop, religion and masturbation, live from Sydney, Australia.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Lewis and Clark Details 59 mins – “They may be the most famous explorers in U.S. history, but there are plenty of interesting details to the Lewis and Clark expedition that history has allowed to fade. Learn about the origin and the aftermath of America’s first early push Westward in this episode..” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Marijuana Effects 64 mins – “For millennia people used marijuana for fun and medicine. Not until the 20th century that was it vilified, unfairly say many. Weed has done lots of good things, from alleviating cancer symptoms to unlocking secrets of the brain. Learn all about pot here. .” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Medical Doctor Part-time 26 mins – “Few doctors plan for a future that involves part-time work while they’re in the throes of a gruelling medical school education, but even then, Michelle Cohen knew it would be a part of her plan at some point down the line. “I never really wanted to be — especially with a young family — to have that kind of 60-plus-hour-a-week work,” Dr. Cohen told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of White Coat, Black Art. The 30-something family physician in Brighton, Ont., shares a practice with a semi-retired doctor who wanted to reduce his hours. The arrangement lets her spend time caring for her three children. “I don’t want to push myself to that extent and not be a part of my family life and not enjoy my life now that I’m finally out of school,” said Cohen, who worked full-time work previously when her husband took parental leave. Dr. Michelle Cohen, shown with her three children, says working part-time allows her to spend more time caring for her family, but it’s a constant juggling act. (Submitted by Michelle Cohen) Part-time work is becoming a fact of life in Canada. A recent look at job stats shows that the greatest number of positions being created are part-time. It’s something we accept when it comes to our supermarket cashiers, nurses and even our children’s teachers. But it’s also becoming more common among doctors. An estimated 15 per cent of physicians work part-time, some as a means of reducing burnout. Others, like Dr. Michelle Cohen, planned for it.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Molecular Engineer 12 mins – “The transistors that power the phone in your pocket are unimaginably small: you can fit more than 3,000 of them across the width of a human hair. But to keep up with innovations in fields like facial recognition and augmented reality, we need to pack even more computing power into our computer chips — and we’re running out of space. In this forward-thinking talk, technology developer Karl Skjonnemand introduces a radically new way to create chips. “This could be the dawn of a new era of molecular manufacturing,” Skjonnemand says.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mountain Top Removal 14 mins – “Research investigator Michael Hendryx studies mountaintop removal, an explosive type of surface coal mining used in Appalachia that comes with unexpected health hazards. In this data-packed talk, Hendryx presents his research and tells the story of the pushback he’s received from the coal industry, advocating for the ethical obligation scientists have to speak the truth.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nairobi Slumlords 53 mins – “In Nairobi’s slums, more than 90% of residents rent a shack from a slum landlord. These so-called slumlords have a less than shining reputation in the popular media, for exploiting the lives of the some of the poorest people in Kenya. BBC reporter Anne Soy takes one Kibera street as her starting point and investigates the ownership chain back to its source in an attempt to discover that there are bigger players and corruption on a much wider scale. It turns out that there is no business like slum business. Who are the faceless figures who own hundreds of shacks and make massive tax-free profits? Who is bulldozing whole areas of Kibera and leaving hundreds homeless? We meet the activists who are bringing slumlords and tenants together to fight these mass evictions and the real enemy behind them. We also exmaine the structural reasons that might explain the so-called ‘Kibera Conundrum’ – why this slum defies all efforts to develop it. The answer, we discover, lies with land titles and those who benefit from maintaining the status quo, of keeping Kibera as one of Africa’s largest poverty traps.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Obesity Paradox 27 mins – “It is well known that being overweight or obese puts a person at a higher risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and many other conditions. But new research suggests that if a person does have a stroke, they are more likely to survive it if they are overweight. This adds evidence to what is known as the obesity paradox; namely that obesity puts you at risk, but might protect you in certain circumstances. Claudia speaks to the study author Dr Zuolu Liu, Vascular Neurology Fellow at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center. Algae, cacti and the horseradish tree – they may sound like parts of nature you would observe on a hike but, according to a new report, these are among the 50 so-called foods of the future we should all be eating. The report, compiled by the food manufacturers Knorr, WWF-UK and the Center of Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, is hoping to help find solutions to how we can reduce the impact our food has on the environment. And give us some health benefits as well. The BBC’s Katie Silver went along to taste some of the ingredients in Paris and New York.” At the link you can listen, but not down-load; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Online Censorship 64 mins – “Professor Jonathan Zittrain discusses the social media giant’s ‘long year’ with Facebook’s head of global policy management Monika Bickert. Citing his sense of the “pessimism and near-despair that permeate our feelings about social media,” Zittrain opened the conversation by recalling a September 2017 discussion in which he and Bickert looked at the rise of white nationalism and the first indications of how social media manipulation had been at play in the 2016 elections….” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow on the soundbar and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Opioid Addictions P3 55 mins – “In the final chapter of this series we travel to the heart of our modern opioid crisis. In what is now a notorious Philadelphia neighborhood called Kensington, we meet two victims of the epidemic and follow them on two distinct paths toward recovery. Our current devastating opioid crisis is unprecedented in its reach and deadliness, but it’s not the first such epidemic the United States has experienced or tried to treat. In fact, it’s the third. Treating America’s Opioid Addiction is a three-part series that investigates how we’ve understood and treated opioid addiction over more than a century. Through the years we’ve categorized opioid addiction as some combination of a moral failure, a mental illness, a biological disease, or a crime. And though we’ve desperately wanted the problem to be something science alone can solve, the more we look, the more complicated we learn it is.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop- menu.
Opioid Narratives 24 mins – “Purdue Pharma has settled a lawsuit with the state of Oklahoma for $270 million, a larger figure than two other cases the company has settled with other states. In doing so, the company also avoided a televised trial in May at a time when there’s been growing public pressure on Purdue and its owners, the Sackler family, amid allegations that they misled the public about the dangers of OxyContin. Back in 2017, Bob spoke with Barry Meier about how public discourse about chronic pain and treatment have been shaped by companies like Purdue with help from physicians, consultants, and the media. Meier is a former reporter for The New York Times and author of Pain Killer: A “Wonder” Drug’s Trail of Addiction and Death. Bob also interviewed journalist Anna Clark about her reporting for the Columbia Journalism Review on opioid-related death notices. Sites like Legacy.com, she explained, have often chronicled the crisis’ individual human toll.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link as” from the pop-up menu.
Pablo Picasso 51 mins – “When Pablo Picasso moved to Paris in 1904 he was still struggling to find his artistic identity. Three years later, he broke through with one of the most famous and controversial paintings ever: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. When Pablo Picasso moved to Paris in 1904 he was still struggling to find his artistic identity. The French capital was the center of the art world, and it was there, in the seedy glamour of Montmartre, that Picasso found friends, rivals, patrons and inspiration. Then, in 1907, he broke through with one of the most famous and controversial paintings ever: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Biographer Miles Unger has written a book about Picasso’s breakthrough period, and he joins us to talk about it. Miles Unger writes about art and books the The Economist. He’s written biographies of Machiavelli, Lorenzo de’Medici, and Michelangelo. His latest book is Picasso and the Painting that Shocked the World” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Palliate Care for Homeless 26 mins – “It was an unremarkable venue for an extraordinary gathering: A drab, windowless staff room in the basement of a Toronto homeless shelter in mid-February. Doctors, nurses and shelter workers sat on well-worn chairs around a coffee table displaying a framed photo of the woman — who is being called Ruth to protect her privacy — beside a flickering candle. Hoping to find better care in a larger centre, Ruth arrived in Toronto from Saskatchewan with a dire cancer prognosis, no family and no place to live. The team at Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH), which had cared for the 56-year-old woman through her metastatic breast cancer for two years, were mourning in a “healing circle” to help process her death….” At the link find the title, “Palliative care team helps the homeless die ‘with dignity.’ A healing circle helps them grieve,” right-click “Download Palliative care team helps the homeless die ‘with dignity.’ A healing circle helps them grieve” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Paris Sewers P1 54 mins – “Public sewers might be a fairly modern innovation, but that’s not to say that people in the past were entirely ignorant about disease and how it was transmitted. Did people actually throw the contents of their chamber pots out the window and into the street hundreds of years ago? The Romans had a sewer system that drained into the rivers, and they knew enough about to keep clean drinking water separate from more general purpose water. A couple of thousand years earlier, the palace at Knossos in Crete also had sewers and even a kind of flushable toilet. Yet plague and disease swept across the world on a regular basis. So why did it take so long to figure out the causes and the probably solutions to the great pandemics? Part of the reason is that for a very long time, there was no real idea of the public good, that in order for all of us to be healthy, we all pretty much have to have the same access to clean water, and similar standards of hygiene. The herd immunity idea. But there was one other big consequence to our lack of understanding about disease: the big pandemics slowed down the growth of cities. The Paris Sewer Museum is, in fact, a working sewer. In the 19th. century you could eat dinner while taking a boat tour through the sewers. (Philip Coulter/CBC) At a certain point, all that concentration of humanity – and its waste – bred disease, and growing civilizations would have to step back for a while. The modern metropolis is really only possible because now we have a better understanding of how disease is transmitted, and of the public good. The French Revolution, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man, proposed a big idea of the common good, a more equitable society, a social contract between the state and the citizen. One of the offshoots of that was the notion of public health: it took about fifty years to get established with the rebuilding of Paris that started in the 1850’s. We may suffer a little nostalgia for the beauty of the old medieval city that is lost now. But there’s no question that the new city is beautiful too – and partly for what’s below ground: the sewers.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Paris Sewers P2 54 mins – “Sewers are a relatively modern phenomenon. For centuries, people in cities lived intimately with their waste. The price paid for that lack of awareness about hygiene was of course disease and plague — as well as unbearable stench. Understanding how germs and diseases are spread led to sanitation and sewers — and to the modern city. The rebuilding of Paris in the mid-19th century was a great civic achievement and a new idea of society only made possible because it was built on sewers. This is the second of a 2-part series by Philip Coulter. The idea of the common good has deep roots. Ancient Greek philosophers thought about what “the good” might be, and how it might find expression in both individual action and individual lives, as well as in the good society. Social cohesion was important, but that didn’t mean that everyone was somehow equal, merely that knowing your role in the overall pecking order brought happiness and social harmony. It was more of a philosophical idea than a practical one, and a long way from our modern focus on equality of access and opportunity. The French Revolution of the 18th century brought in a new idea – the Social Contract, borrowed from the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which promised not just a mutual set of obligations and responsibilities between the individual and the state, but also a new idea of the common good: that a state is successful when it responds to and reflects the interests and needs of its citizens. We can draw a fairly straight line from these lofty ideas and ideals to the massive expansion of the Paris sewers in the mid-19th century. When the Emperor Napoleon III, his city planner Baron Haussmann and the engineer Eugene Belgrand set out to tear down most of the city and build something absolutely new, a large part of the impetus was to create a city that would be for the benefit of all, and not just the few. The city in and of itself would be the expression of a civic ideal of equality: everyone would have clean water, clean air, parks, as well as wide, pleasant and beautiful streets. And proper sewers. But all this depended on people agreeing on what their common needs are. It’s one thing for an emperor, or a philosopher-king, to decide what the people really want and then give it to them. It’s quite another thing, as Patrick Zylberman laments, when the people have the power to decide for themselves what they want, and decide through both collective action and inaction that the common good is less important than the personal good. That part the ancient Greeks got right.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Parkland One Year Later 47 mins – “In one year since Parkland, more than 1,000 young people have died in gun violence. We talk to the reporters who counted the numbers and tell the stories.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As from the pop-up menu.
Pathology Services 9 mins – “Kenneth Fleming and John Nkengasong discuss the importance of pathology services, as part of The Lancet’s Series on pathology and laboratory medicine in low-income and middle-income countries.” At the link find the title, “Pathology and laboratory medicine,” right-click “Download audio” and “save” to get the podcast.
PBS Survival 53 mins- “Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the state of public media as President Trump is trying to cut its federal funding. In this episode: How Kerger got to PBS 13 years ago; why running it is more like running a co-op than a normal company; the decline of local media; how public media is funded; bringing PBS into the digital age; why it’s backed off of Netflix in favor of competitors like Amazon; YouTube isn’t just a stepping-stone to TV; the commercial cable channels that gave up on PBS-style content; how important is broadcast for PBS’ future?; how it builds for mobile streaming; investigative journalism in VR; has content changed in the digital era?; kids’ shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; Trump’s proposal to close the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; why that would hurt rural communities the most; why PBS is not “liberal”; and where will PBS be in 20 years?” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Photographing the West 51 mins – “How much can a photograph tell us about our past? Historian Martha Sandweiss says images like the one of the railroads meeting at Promontory Summit “can describe, but they rarely explain.” How much can a photograph tell us about our past? You’ve probably seen the 1869 image of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads meeting at Promontory Summit. What you can’t see though are the Chinese laborers who laid more than 10 miles of track in one day. The historian Martha Sandweiss says photographs “can describe, but they rarely explain.” She’s coming to Utah, and joins us to talk about 19th century photography and what you can learn by what those photos show and don’t show.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pixar Story 40 mins – “Harness the power of frustrated people to shake up the status quo — just like Pixar did. This episode is made possible with the support of Bonobos, Accenture, Hilton and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Audio only)” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Planet Fire 54 mins – “People like neo-nazi Andrew Anglin and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have long tested the limits of permissible speech. On this week’s On the Media, hear from a lawyer who defends the First Amendment rights of society’s worst actors. Plus, a lawyer suing in defense of government transparency, a fire historian weighs in on the coverage of the California wildfires, and a Texas journalist who has reported on hundreds of executions.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Plant Reproduction 33 mins – “For about 375 million years, plants have been using pollen (aka plant sperm) to propagate their species. And the technique has stuck around because it works. Join Chuck and Josh for a cozy look at the ins and outs of plant reproduction..” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Policing the Police 16 mins – “California recently passed a law that eliminates some of the barriers to accessing records on egregious police misconduct and deadly use of force. With the floodgates open, journalists, like KPCC investigative reporter Annie Gilbertson, are elated and terrified. Just one police violation can come with hundreds of associated documents for journalists to comb through.So, instead of fighting tooth and nail for the scoop, over 30 media organizations across the state are teaming up to share resources, bodies and insight as they begin the arduous task of combing through the newly-available records. The coalition is called the California Reporting Project. Bob Garfield talked with Gilbertson about what the project is uncovering.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Population Decline 47 mins – “Ten billion people on earth by 2050. But what if that prediction is … all wrong? A pair of researchers argues the population is headed for a steep decline, and bring with it a whole new set of challenges.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Programmers Culture 47 mins – “Algorithms influence everything we do now. Who’s creating them? Understanding coders and why how they think is changing how we live.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Romanians 27 mins – “Romanians are the second largest foreign nationality in the UK. Why did they come and will they stay? One politician famously once said he “would not like to live next door to Romanians.” But now they work in the health service, they teach in British universities, pick fruit on farms and wash cars. Yet sensational headlines have described them as “criminal gangs” and “begging Roma.” Tessa Dunlop, a Romania-phile historian, uncovers a misunderstood, multi-layered immigrant community and asks why so many now call Britain home. The UK has a surprising historic link with Romania. 100 years ago, the British-born monarch, Queen Marie of Romania emerged as a big winner from the post WWI settlement, with her country doubling in size. As Romania celebrates this centenary back home, 30% of its workforce now live overseas, with nearly half a million in the UK. Arguably, their arrival in the UK was an important factor in the Brexit result. Tessa meets medical staff who treated her in hospital, fruit pickers, academics and those working below the minimum wage, to understand more about this community, what keeps them here and what stops them from going home.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Shoemaker–Levy 9 24 mins – “Yep. Podcats. Not a typo. This week we take a journey back to 1994, just after an astronomer named Heidi Hammel — as well as the entire scientific community at large — learned that a fragmented comet named Shoemaker-Levy 9 was going to crash into Jupiter at a speed of more than 130,000 miles per hour. “We have witnessed other impacts,” Heidi tells us. “What was really special about the Jupiter one was we had warning that it was going to happen.” This moment was huge for Heidi, who was just a young astronomer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the time. She was asked to lead the team that would analyze photos of the impacts taken by the still-relatively-new Hubble Space Telescope. Oh yeah, in this podcast episode Heidi also compares planets to cats and herself to a veterinarian so PODCATS!” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Smart City Problems 67 mins – “Robin Chase — cofounder of Zipcar and Veniam (building a dynamic communications network for the Internet of moving things) — lays out a near term future where communications and software platforms will deliver us smart cities, smart homes, and ubiquitous clean low-cost shared transport. On the one hand we have an environmental imperative to get co2 emissions under control, use assets efficiently, deliver thriving sustainable cities. On the other hand, at what cost to privacy?” At the link left-click the square with three dots, then left-click “download file,” and select “Save File” from the pop-up menu.
Tech’s Moral Void 54 mins – “Lawyers and doctors have a code of ethics. Teachers have them. Even journalists have them. So why not the tech sector, the people who create and design our very modes of communication? Coders and designers make products that allow to us communicate with each other, across cities and nations and borders. How we speak and how many we reach determines what we buy and sell, affects our health and economy, and — as we’ve come to realize — influences our democracy. Contributor Tina Pittaway explores whether the time has come for tech to reckon with its moral void.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Telemedicine via Internet 36 mins – “This week, we have another interview that Christopher recorded while he was at the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit in Austin, Texas. Dr. Robert Wack from Westminster, Maryland, where the town is partnering with Ting Internet, sat down for a conversation on telemedicine. As the United States’ healthcare system continues to degrade, hospitals, doctors, and other caregivers are looking for new and efficient ways to provide better care for their patients. Broadband is a tool that healthcare professionals are already using for preventative care, consultation, and treatment from a distance. Dr. Wack and Christopher discuss some of the innovations within the healthcare industry that use connectivity, data, and human engagement. These approaches reduce costs and help patients by reducing the stress that accompanies unnecessary trips to the emergency room or can identify when a patient requires medical intervention from the security of their home. Christopher and Dr. Wack also discuss some of the new challenges that accompany these innovations and strategies for bringing these programs to large groups of people, rather than focusing on small populations. Dr. Wack updates us on the progress of the network deployment in Westminster and discusses the community’s Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (MAGIC), the nonprofit established to optimize use of the fiber network they began developing in 2014.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tribal Rights 11 mins – “Still invisible and often an afterthought, indigenous peoples are uniting to protect the world’s water, lands and history — while trying to heal from genocide and ongoing inequality. Tribal attorney and Couchiching First Nation citizen Tara Houska chronicles the history of attempts by government and industry to eradicate the legitimacy of indigenous peoples’ land and culture, including the months-long standoff at Standing Rock which rallied thousands around the world. “It’s incredible what you can do when you stand together,” Houska says. “Stand with us — empathize, learn, grow, change the conversation.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Trump’s Boarder Wall Issue 47 mins – “President Trump declares a national emergency to fund that border wall. We’ll unpack the politics and legal hurdles. Plus, we’ll touch on former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s comments about President Trump and his interactions with the FBI.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Urban Growth 86 mins – “Paul Romer of New York University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about reforming cities to allow growth and human flourishing. Topics discussed include charter cities, the role of population density in city life, driverless cars, and various ways to help the poorest people in the world.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Wildfire Impact 35 mins – “Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do they become so powerful? More importantly, how do we fight them? Join Josh and Chuck as they take you to the frontlines of the fight against wildfires.,” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
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Media Mining Digest 