Exercise your ears: the 58 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 612 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 (25,869) 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 in China 59 mins – “Helen Toner, the director of strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), shares her observations from the last few years of talking with AI scientists and policymakers in the US and China. Helen and Julia discuss, among other things: How do the views of Chinese and American AI scientists differ? How is media coverage of China misleading? Why the notion of an “AI arms race” is flawed; Why measures of China’s AI capabilities are overstated; Reasons for optimism and pessimism about international cooperation over AI” At the link right-click “Download Audio MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimers Research 29 mins – “Dr. Keith Pannell sits down with Dr. Moss, a nationally and internationally recognized expert on acetylcholinesterse inhibitors and their use in the facilitation of memory, especially in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Astronomer Royal 27 mins – “Dr. Keith Pannell speaks with cosmologist, astrophysicist, Astronomer Royal, Master of Trinity College and President of the Royal Society Martin Rees about among other things our existence in the universe.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Atrial Fibrillation Screening 21 mins – “Current evidence is sufficient to justify a national screening programme, argues Mark Lown, but Patrick Moran thinks there are too many unanswered questions and evidence from randomised trials is needed to avoid overdiagnosis…” At the link find the title, “Should we be screening for AF? Feb 2019,” right-click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Awakened Family 30 mins – “In her second SuperSoul Conversation, New York Times best-selling author Dr. Shefali Tsabary discusses the revolution of conscious parenting, creating an awakened family and raising confident children. Dr. Shefali shares teachings from her book “The Awakened Family.” She provides daily tools for parents on how to manage expectations, avoid the pressure to succeed and embrace the child they have rather than dream of the child they want. Dr. Shefali challenges myths of traditional parenting and provides skills that allow children to grow into their own authentic selves.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Battery Research 27 mins – “Dr. Pannell sits down with Professor Kimberly See of Caltech. She went from playing in the streams of Colorado and snapping pictures of leaves to cutting-edge battery research that goes beyond tradional lithium-ion.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bedbug Control 13 mins – “We eradicated bedbugs so thoroughly in the 50s that generations who came later suspected they weren’t anymore real than jackalopes and snipes. But since we banned DDT, the pesticide that kills bedbugs best, they’re back again. And they’re terrible.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Bestsellers on Wattpad 12 mins – “When a publishing imprint announces its launch, any excitement is usually linked to the founder’s literary reputation. The rule holds true in the recent of case of Wattpad Books, the first direct publishing division for a company that calls itself “a global multiplatform entertainment company for original stories.” The web-based publisher, largely of genre fiction, has nurtured the careers of hundreds of authors and shepherded nearly 1,000 titles into print and on screen. Novels born on Wattpad have grown into hits online and later found homes at traditional publishers, such as Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bug Hunting Careers 145 mins – “The increasing feasibility of making a sustainable career out of hunting for software bugs…” At the link left-click “Download options,” right-click “Audio” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cancer Genomics 27 mins – “Dr. Pannell discusses cancer and the genome with expert Dr. Scott Ness of UNM. An in-depth interview about cancer genomics and the science behind personalized medicine.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Chagas Disease 27 mins – “On this edition of Science Studio we meet two UTEP professors, Igor Almeida, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences, and Katja Michael, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry. They have received $6 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve treatment and develop new diagnostic tools to assess post-therapeutic outcomes for patients with Chagas disease..” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Circadian Rhythms 29 mins – ”Have you ever noticed you tend to feel energized and drowsy around the same times every day? Your 24-hour internal clock, that’s running in the background of your brain, cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals and it’s known as your circadian rhythm. Dr. Seung-Hee Yoo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of McGoven Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Russ Chianelli speaks with her as they discuss her field of study in circadian rhythms.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Crisis 50 mins – “On this episode of StarTalk Radio, we investigate ways to combat the climate crisis. We’ve assembled a team of experts to help us understand what really needs to happen to save our planet. Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with former Vice President, Nobel Prize winner, and environmental activist Al Gore, journalist Andrew Revkin, climate scientist Kate Marvel, and comic co-host Chuck Nice. Find out why Al Gore deemed it was time to make a sequel to his Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. You’ll hear more about the sequel, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power which was released in 2017. We discuss why the solutions to solving climate change are still complicated. You’ll learn how to deal with climate deniers. We explore the shared tactics of the fossil fuel industry and the tobacco industry when it comes to releasing information to the public. Andrew explains the importance of telling the truth when science reporting….” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cruise Ship Pollution 29 mins – “Growing up watching “The Love Boat,” some of us thought of a cruise as a romantic and exciting way to see the world. New research out of Johns Hopkins University and Stand.earth, however, indicates that cruises don’t just “set a course for adventure,” they deliver high quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into the air and delicate ocean habitats. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Kendra Ulrich, a Senior Shipping Campaigner at Stand. She tells us about the hazards presented by these moving “cities on the sea” that float into some of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems, the diesel fumes that harm the lungs of the ship’s crew and passengers, and the greenwashing that the cruise-lines have used in response to allegations of environmental irresponsibility. It could be enough to make Julie McCoy, Gopher and Isaac stage a mutiny.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cyanide Antidote 29 mins – “Dr. Steve Patterson is a professor of the Center for Drug Design at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Patterson’s research is particularly interested in creating an antidote for cyanide. Current treatments for cyanide poisoning are slow acting and can have serious life-threatening side effects. His research team is developing a series of antidotes that use an enzyme that converts cyanide to a non-toxic substance. His results have shown that these antidotes are more effective than current treatments available. Dr. Patterson continues to work on expanding this series of antidotes, to improve their efficacy in reversing cyanide.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
DNA Research 28 mins – “Kent Gates, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri, visits us in-studio to enlighten us on his latest research on DNA. It’s a very fundamental piece of research about how we can control the degradation of our own DNA.” At the link right-click the “Listen” mark and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Disaster Research 28 mins – “While host Keith Pannell was on the road, he visited with Dr. Duane Gill, Professor and Head of Sociology at Oklahoma State University. His areas of specialization include disasters and contaminated communities. Dr. Gill has conducted research understand social and psychological impacts of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska and the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in coastal Alabama. Dr. Gill was part of a research team employed by the Gitga’at First Nation in British Columbia to assess potential impacts of an oil spill associated with the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project. He discusses his recent studies on natural disasters and the impacts communities can face in terms of social impact.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Drug Price Increases 66 mins – “Robin Feldman of the University of California Hastings College of Law and author of Drug Wars talks about her book with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Feldman explores the various ways that pharmaceutical companies try to reduce competition from generic drugs. The conversation includes a discussion of the Hatch-Waxman Act and the sometimes crazy world of patent protection.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
E Scooters 29 mins – “The first time you saw a fleet of rent-able electric scooters huddled together on a city sidewalk, what was your reaction? Annoyance at yet another silly transportation trend, hope for a greener way to get around, or perhaps a burning desire to jump aboard? This week on Sea Change Radio, we hear from Carter Rubin of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). We discuss why some municipalities like San Francisco have banned these E-Scooters, the safety concerns surrounding them, and their estimated carbon footprint. Can electric-assist scooters be an integral part of our clean transportation future, or are they just faddish fun?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Earth Cooling Ideas 7 mins – “In this perspective-shifting talk, Danny Hillis prompts us to approach global issues like climate change with creative scientific solutions. Taking a stand for solar geoengineering, he looks at controversial solutions with open-minded curiosity.
Earthquakes in San Francisco 20 mins – “The earthquake risk in California is real, and tall buildings present a particular hazard because they concentrate people and activities, they support critical economic activities, and their scale can pose threats to nearby people and structures. In December of 2018, San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management released a study of tall buildings focused on damage minimization and quick restoration of functionality. In this podcast we learn about the recommendations in this study from Brian Strong, San Francisco’s Chief Resilience Officer and Director of its Office of Resilience and Capital Planning, the office that oversaw this study.” At the link find the title, “Earthquake Resilience for San Francisco’s Tall Buildings, Mar, 2019,” right-click “Listen to this episode now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Einstein 50 mins – ““I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious,” said Albert Einstein. We beg to differ. On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Harrison Greenbaum, and astrophysicist Janna Levin celebrate the life and legacy of Einstein himself, accompanied by Neil’s interview with director Ron Howard, who directed the National Geographic Genius series that explored Einstein’s life. Ron shares why he agreed to sign on to this Einstein project after rejecting multiple scripts for Einstein movies. Find out what Ron found most interesting about Einstein besides his discoveries. Harrison tells us about his close family connection to Einstein. You’ll also find out why Ron thinks making shows and movies based on true events, like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, is liberating. Explore Einstein’s theory of general relativity and how it re-shaped the universe around us. Investigate Einstein’s use of Gedankenexperiments – “thought experiments.” We reflect on Einstein’s annus mirabilis, or “miracle year” of 1905, in which he came up with the theory of special relativity, the E = mc2 equation, and his Nobel-prize winning work on the photoelectric effect. Learn about Einstein’s complicated relationship with the atomic bomb. You’ll also hear about what Einstein called “the happiest thought of his life.” We look at the different types of genius, ponder if genius like Einstein’s could happen in today’s world, and reflect on the importance of collaboration. Janna explains the peculiar rhythm of conversation that occurs when physicists are working together. Lastly, you’ll find out how relativity played a factor in Neil meeting his wife. All that, plus, we investigate the relationship between genius and mental stability.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
El Paso Water Supply 28 mins – “Dr. Keith Pannell sits down with former EPWU Director and now Director of Water Initiatives at UTEP Ed Archuleta to dicuss El Paso’s water supply.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
El Paso Zoo 27 mins – “Dr. Pannell discusses the importantance of local zoo’s in our environment with El Paso Zoo veterinarian and director Steve Marshall and Victoria Milne. They talk about the survival of certain rare species and what you can do to help.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Electronics Research 29 mins – “Lane Martin is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Martin’s work focuses on developing materials that will change the way we live. In particular, he works on the synthesis, characterization, and utilization of advanced functional electronic materials. Ultimately his research is aimed at enabling dream applications in areas ranging from new modes of computation, memory and data storage, energy conversion, sensing and transduction, actuation, and much more.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Emancipation Proclamation 13 mins – “The Black Loyalists were a group of Colonial slaves who fought for their freedom alongside the British. Learn all about this nearly forgotten group in today’s Short Stuff.
Emu Wars 13 mins – “Did Australians really wage war on a group of emus? YES. Learn all about it in today’s short stuff.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Forest Composition Around Mayan Ruins 27 mins – “Dr. Pannell sits down with Professor David Cambell of Grinnell College. His research is in the ecology and species composition of tropical and subtropical forests in both the Paleotropics and Neotropics. Ph.D. 1984, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health; Department of Immunology & Infectious Disease.” At the link right-click “Listen” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Gay Priests 56 mins – “Gay priests are often rolled into the blame game in the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis. There’s a Vatican prohibition on gay men entering seminaries, even as the stories swirl about how many high-level clerics are sexually active. Meanwhile, the flock needs tending, and some of its most steadfast shepherds are gay, in a Church that can’t countenance them. Producer Sean Foley explores the psychological, historical, and pastoral paradoxes of clerical sexual identity at a pivotal time for the Church and the world.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Gene Therapy Trends 16 mins – ‘Those who have followed the gene-therapy field over the decades may be weary of forward-looking positive statements. However, over the past 3 years, six gene-therapy products have been approved for clinical use. This article describes challenges, risks, and advances in gene-therapy clinical research.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Google Ethics Panel and Dementia Music Box 40 mins – “Shut down of Google’s Ethics Panel – Google announces an advisory artificial intelligence ethics board and then closes it down within a fortnight, following a row over the choice of its members. BBC Technology reporter Jane Wakefield explains why the now ex-Advanced Technology External Advisory Council has been disbanded. – Do robots have morals? – Who is responsible for incidents involving autonomous machines? A paper considering the moral responsibilities of robots has been published, prompting these big questions. Yochanan Bigman, a postdoc at the University of North Carolina, discusses what they found. – The Music Memory Box for dementia patients A small box combining objects that are precious to a person with dementia and music from their past has reached its crowdfunding target. The ‘Music Memory Box’ includes a miniature Raspberry Pi computer and RFID sensors and is based on the idea that a sense of music often endures in a dementia patient long after many of their other faculties have diminished. Reporter Madeleine Finlay finds out more….” At the link right-click the box with three dots, then left-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Happiness 34 mins – “In a live appearance at UCLA’s Royce Hall, New York Times best-selling author, happiness expert and Harvard-trained researcher Shawn Achor says that pleasure isn’t the only thing that brings people happiness. How do you explain the joy felt during spiritually and emotionally challenging moments, such as when your legs are burning halfway through a marathon or when you cradle your 1-year-old in the middle of the night until she falls back to sleep? He offers a definition of happiness that encompasses all things that bring us deep, lasting joy. Shawn also explains how by making a single positive behavioral change, you can spark a powerful chain of happiness in your own life.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Hydrology 27 mins – “Dr. Keith Pannell sits down with Hydrologist Professor Jennifer Druhan to discuss the Critical Zone. Her recent work has involved integrating stable isotope systems in numerical models of reactive flow and transport for a variety of field and laboratory experiments.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Kidney Function Research 24 mins – “On this edition of Science Studio, Keith Pannell and Russ Chianelli speak with Dr. Rudy Ortiz from the University of California Merced. Professor Ortiz’s research focuses on the regulation of kidney function and metabolism in a variety of animal models, including seals and dolphins, with the intent that the data will have translative value to clinical medicine.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Krill Impact 56 mins – “Krill may be one of the most abundant forms of life on our planet… but it turns out we don’t know that much about them. For a create that underpins a massive ocean ecosystem and lives in our oceans in massive numbers, they’re surprisingly difficult to study. We sit down and shine some light on these underappreciated crustaceans with Stephen Nicol, Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania, Scientific Advisor to the Association of Responsible Krill Harvesting Companies, and author of the book “The Curious Life of Krill: A Conservation Story from the Bottom of the World”.
At the link find the title, “#521 The Curious Life of Krill,” right-click “Play Now” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Lake Peigneur Catastrophy 14 mins – “In 1980 something catastrophic happened to the quiet town of New Iberia, Louisiana. Their wide, shallow lake grew much deeper after it underwent an apocalyptic transformation.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Military Housing Problems 53 mins – “Shelley Kimball of the Military Family Advisory Network discusses the group’s recent report on the state of military housing.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mueller vs Watergate 15 mins – “While researching the Watergate Road Map, Benjamin Wittes discovered a letter written by the then-Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary Peter Rodino to the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In the letter, Rodino requested that any material relevant to the House’s impeachment inquiry be transferred to his committee. This morning, Wittes analyzed in a Lawfare article how the letter could instruct current Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler on what steps he can take to ensure his committee properly executes its constitutional obligation. In the latest edition of the Lawfare Podcast Shorts, you can listen to that article in-full, read by the author.” At the link right-click “Direct download: Shorts 1_31_19 mixdown_3.mp3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Neuroscience 49 mins – “ On this episode of StarTalk Radio, we try and solve some of the mysteries of the ever-evolving, ever-eluding human brain. Neil deGrasse Tyson is joined by first-time comic co-host Jackie Hoffman, and neuroscientist and StarTalk All-Stars host Heather Berlin, PhD, to help answer fan-submitted questions on an array of neuroscientific topics. You’ll learn how male and female brains differ. We explore the colorful world of psychedelic drugs. Find out why taking psychedelics is like putting your brain into a dream state. We discuss how psychedelic drugs allow unfiltered information from the world to enter your brain. Heather shocks Jackie by revealing that everyone is hallucinating most of the time as we try and break down the nature of our reality. We also discuss the idea that some people claim to see insight into the universe and beyond when experimenting with psychedelics. Next, investigate our reality and if it’s possible that everything we experience is a figment of our imagination. As part of the discussion we take a look back at movies like The Matrix and Total Recall. You’ll explore turning certain sensory information into different sensory information, like when a blind person turns visual information into audio information for the brain to process. You’ll also discover more about synesthesia. Finally, we explore the current state of mental health awareness. Dive into dreams as we break down the importance, or non-importance, of what your dreams are about. Neil and Heather point out the merit and flaws of Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams. You’ll find out what it means to “focus” on something. We ponder whether or not brain transplants will ever become a reality. We also wonder if you’ll be able to implant memories. All that, plus, we ask, “Do you need a brain to feel pain?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Oil Driller 29 mins – “Dr. Todd Halihan is a professor of geology at the Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Halihan’s particular interest is beneath our Earth’s surface. He has a background in both geology and physics, he’s also a professional driller and is a divemaster! Dr. Halihan has many areas of expertise which made for an insightful and entertaining program on Science Studio this week.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Parasite Research 28 mins – “Dr. Vernon Carruthers is a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Carruthers’ expertise on parasites seeks to understand survival strategies employed by microbial pathogens during infection. We discuss his recent studies and discoveries on parasites on this edition of Science Studio.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Periodic Table History 30 mins – “This week, we began a new season by welcoming Dr. Eric Scerri, author, chemist and a leading philosopher of science specializing in the history and philosophy of the periodic table. Dr. Scerri’s research includes chemical education and historical-philosophical questions such as the reduction of chemistry to quantum mechanics. He continues to work on the foundations of the periodic table, including whether it makes sense to speak of an ‘optimal’ table and the form such a table might take.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pigments 27 mins – “A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. Dr. Keith Pannell welcomes Professor Tim Hanusa of Vanderbilt University to discuss the history of color and pigments.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Plant Architecture 29 mins – “Dr. Andrew Doust is a professor of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. While host Keith Pannell was on travels, he had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Doust about his field of interest as well as his most recent research findings. Dr. Doust primarily studies the evolution of plant morphology. His lab projects include the evolution of plant architecture in grasses, developmental genetics of domestication evens in foxtail millet and other grasses, and evolution of fruit shape and of seed oils.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Psychedelic Drug Research 54 mins – “In his book “How to Change Your Mind”, Michael Pollan explores how psychedelic drugs have been used to enhance spiritual experiences and treat many conditions from depression to anxiety. He speaks to IDEAS producer, Mary O’Connell.” At the link find the title, “Michael Pollan on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs (Encore Sept. 25, 2018),” right-click “Download Michael Pollan on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Rare Earth Mining and Radioactive Wastes 24 mins – “A single factory in Malaysia supplies about 10% of the world’s rare earth oxides, used in everything from cellphones to lasers to missiles. Controversy over the final resting place for the slightly radioactive byproducts has pushed the plant to the brink of closure. Host Meagan Cantwell talks with freelance writer Yao Hua Law about calls to ship the waste back to where it was originally mined in Australia, and how stopping production in Malaysia would mean almost all rare earth production would take place in China. In another global trade story, host Sarah Crespi talks with freelance writer Sam Kean about close links between the slave trade and early naturalists’ efforts to catalog the world’s flora and fauna. Today, historians and museums are just starting to come to grips with the often-ignored relationships between slavers and scientists.” At the link right-click “Download MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Robin Roberts 34 mins – “’Good Morning America’ anchor Robin Roberts opens up about her brave battle with breast cancer and how she uses her diagnosis to help others. She shares her most valuable life lessons, including how to be true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. Robin also reveals the two most influential people she’s ever met” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
San Francisco Prosperity Impact 56 mins – “It’s fashionable to blame San Francisco’s homelessness crunch on the prevalence of “NIMBYs” — people who hear about the need for more housing and say, “Not in My Backyard.” On the latest episode of Recode Decode, UC Berkeley professor emeritus Richard Walker dismissed the notion that the answer is as simple as “just build more housing.”…Calling San Francisco’s treatment of its homeless citizens a “moral pustule on American society,” Walker said there are no simple solutions. However, he argued, the debate about NIMBYs and their supposed rivals YIMBYs (“Yes, in My Backyard”-ers) distracts people from the ways in which public housing, education, and health care have been decimated by tax cuts for the Bay Area’s tech millionaires and billionaires. “They developed this ideology, and when they’re the outsiders and when they’re the little guys and they say, ‘Yeah, of course, we’re doing this great stuff. We need to be rewarded,’” Walker said. “Okay, that’s fine when you’re a bunch of little guys. When you become the biggest corporate monopolists on Earth, the most valuable corporations on Earth, you can no longer say that. When you’re multi-billionaires, you can’t say that.” “The rich are not going to go away, just if you start to tax them fairly,” he added. “It’s all about marginal tax rates. It’s not like we’re gonna take all your money tomorrow, but if you don’t tax at high marginal rates, you get endless accumulation of capital in the hands of the well-to-do.” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sharon Stone 36 mins – “Academy Award-nominated and Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Sharon Stone opens up about her illustrious career, fighting to survive a brain aneurysm and the valuable lessons she’s learned along the way. Sharon is known for her iconic beauty and indelible roles in “Basic Instinct” and Martin Scorsese’s “Casino.” Sharon shares her thoughts on aging in Hollywood: “I don’t believe that being 19 or 20 or 25 or 30 or 35, that any of these moments are ‘the moment’ of ultimate beauty,” she says. In 2001, Sharon was knocked over with a pain so severe, she felt as if she had been shot in the head. After surviving the brain aneurysm, Sharon had to relearn how to walk, talk, hear and write. She says she lost her career, marriage and custody of her child in the process. Though it was the darkest period in her life, Sharon believes that starting over actually made her life richer and showed her how to stay in a place of gratitude.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Slavery in Canada 54 mins – “Why is it common knowledge that we saved runaway slaves from the United States, but few know that Africans and Indigenous peoples were bought, sold and exploited, right here? In part one of a two-part series, contributor Kyle G. Brown asks how slavery was allowed to continue for some 200 years, and be one of the least talked about aspects of our history….” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Smart Roads Research 28 mins – “Dr. Pannell sits down with Professor Tomas Torres of Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain to discuss among other things the development of smart roads.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Substance Abuse Research 29 min – “If you were an incoming freshman and saw a sign that said “Spit for Science,” what would you think? This week we visit with Dr. Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University, as she shares details about her research. She focuses on how genetic and environmental influences contribute to the development of patterns of substance use and related behaviors, such as childhood conduct problems and depression, and how we can use that information to inform prevention and intervention.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Surveillance Capitalism 48 mins – “Beginning with Google’s development of targeted online ads, the most successful companies in the world have been powered by “surveillance capitalism” — a term popularized by the guest on the latest episode of Recode Decode, Shoshana Zuboff. “All of the economic imperatives now that define surveillance capitalism are aimed at, how do we get better and better prediction products?” Zuboff told Recode’s Kara Swisher. “How do we win the most lucrative prediction products, so that not only are we predicting the future, but really increasingly, our prediction products are equal to observation.” There are just a couple problems: One, when customers are fully informed about how their data is being used, they don’t like it. So, companies like Google and Facebook have decided to “take without asking,” Zuboff said. And whoever has all that data has a tremendous amount of power — so much so that the same people who unwittingly provided more data than they realized to tech companies can then be manipulated toward commercial and political outcomes. “Right now, surveillance capitalists sit on a huge asymmetry of knowledge,” she said. “They have an asymmetry of knowledge, a concentration of knowledge unlike anything ever seen in human history … We have an institutional disfiguring of these huge asymmetries of knowledge and power which are antithetical to democracy.,” At the link left-click “Share,” right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Synthesis Reaction Research 29 mins – “Javier Read de Alaniz is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Associate Director of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at the University of California Santa Barbara. Dr. Alaniz is interested in a wide range of fundamental and applied chemistry that extends from the development of new synthetic transformations to the creation of a novel class of organic photochromic material. His particular interest, however, is in harnessing the synthetic utility of highly reactive intermediates for development of new bond-forming reactions used in synthesis and material science.” At the link right-click the “Listen” button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tech Worker Resistance 22 mins – “There’s a movement building within tech. Workers are demanding higher standards from their companies — and because of their unique skills and talent, they have the leverage to get attention. Walkouts and sit-ins. Picket protests and petitions. Shareholder resolutions, and open letters. These are the new tools of tech workers, increasingly emboldened to speak out. And, as they do that, they expose the underbellies of their companies’ ethics and values, or perceived lack of them. In this episode of IRL, host Manoush Zomorodi meets with Rebecca Stack-Martinez, an Uber driver fed up with being treated like an extension of the app; Jack Poulson, who left Google over ethical concerns with a secret search engine being built for China; and Rebecca Sheppard, who works at Amazon and pushes for innovation on climate change from within. EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn explains why this movement is happening now, and why it matters for all of us.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Time Discussion 56 mins- “We live our lives by the calendar and the clock, but time is also an abstraction, even an illusion. In this hour, TED speakers explore how our sense of time changes depending on who and where we are.” At th elink you can listen, but have to download individual segments; however, a copy of the entire podcast is included in this blog archive.
Vaccine Discussion 50 mins – “On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with first-time comic co-host Felicia Madison and returning friend of the show and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Laurie Garrett, to debunk disinformation and get straight to the facts about vaccines. As we watch the rise of anti-science movements, it’s important to set the record straight and what better way to do it than answer fan-submitted questions on the topic. Laurie explains why the rise of anti-science movements stem from a rise in distrust of government. You’ll find out if there are public health policy avenues that can help combat the growing anti-vaccine movement. Explore why seeing a disease in action might be the most effective way to show people why vaccines are vital to public safety. You’ll learn about “herd immunity” and why not getting vaccinated impacts far more than just the individual. Learn the dangers of a Measles outbreak. You’ll hear about a Measles outbreak that started at Disneyland and caused California to quickly re-think its laws on vaccines. We try and nail down the main reasons why parents are worried about getting their children vaccinated, and Felicia shares what her own worries were before she got her own children vaccinated.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
YouTube Diet Impact 14 mins – “This is On The Media, I’m Brooke Gladstone. We just heard Jay Fonseca urged the media to get out of their bubble. That’s what some concerned citizens are doing on YouTube, making content that the algorithm delivers to the opposite bubbles by design. Free of old school gatekeeping, YouTube hosts a wide political spectrum from the furthest right to the fringi-est left–reaching some of the youngest eyes and ears On The Media. Producer Micah Loewinger tells the story of three young viewers whose perspectives were changed and their identities shaped by their YouTube diets.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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Media Mining Digest 