Exercise your ears: the 64 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 554 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 (26,028) 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.
Afghanistan War 47 mins – “There’s been blowback following almost every Western engagement with Afghanistan. What are the lessons of history as the U.S. considers pulling troops out this time?” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
AI and Morality 32 mins – “This week, Observer Magazine columnist and neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser visits old friend and former colleague John Morton – emeritus professor at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London – to discuss his modelling approach to the human brain. What can it tell us about the developing mind? Could it ever be replicated in silicon? And is true Artificial Intelligence (AI) even possible without crucial stages of development in early life?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alan Bennett 56 mins – “Much loved playwright, diarist, screenwriter, essayist and short-story author, Alan Bennett has beguiled audiences for more than 50 years since he first became an unlikely comedy star in Beyond the Fringe. His latest volume of diaries, Keeping On Keeping On, covers 10 years from 2005-2015 – a decade in which he premiered four shows at the National Theatre, published a bestselling novella and released film adaptations of The History Boys and The Lady in the Van. When Bennett came to the West Yorkshire Playhouse to talk to Charlotte Higgins at a Guardian Live event, he read from Keeping On Keeping On, chronicling the indignities of receiving treatment for cancer. He also discussed how he often takes his inspiration from moments recorded in his diaries, and why Brexit and Boris Johnson have made him bare his political teeth again.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Amandla Stenberg 20 mins – “In a live appearance at UCLA’s Royce Hall, actress, social media disrupter and feminist Amandla Stenberg talks about the importance of vulnerability and finding strength in your identity. She shares her journey of becoming comfortable with her authentic self and loving who she was born to be. Amandla—who portrayed Rue in The Hunger Games, Madeline in Everything, Everything and Starr in The Hate U Give—was declared “one of the most incendiary voices of her generation” by Dazed magazine. The Ms. Foundation for Women also named Amandla the Feminist Celebrity of the Year in 2015.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Audacious Project 6 mins – “Island and coastal nations need to protect their waters to keep the oceans healthy. But they often have lots of debt and aren’t able to prioritize ocean conservation over other needs. Mark Tercek and his team at The Nature Conservancy see a way to solve both problems at once: restructuring a nation’s debt in exchange for its government’s commitment to protect coastal areas. Learn more about how “Blue Bonds for Conservation” work — and how you can help unlock billions of dollars for the oceans. This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change. (Voiced by Ladan Wise)” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Audiobooks Increase 19 mins – “What are the chances you’ve listened to an audiobook lately? According to a new survey, about 50-50. The mainstreaming of audiobooks means important new business growth for book publishers. Smartphones, smart speakers and Bluetooth connections in cars are all helping drive the sound sensation for the book business. According to the Infinite Dial survey of consumer use of media and technology, 50 percent of Americans over the age of 12 said they listened to an audiobook in 2018, says Michele Cobb, APA executive director. That’s the highest share since the annual survey began in 1998, she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. And for the first time, more listening is now taking place in automobiles than in homes. “We have really been in a period of amazing growth and amazing pickup of the format for such a long time that it’s very exciting,” Cobb says. “We spent so long really fighting for our place in publishing, it’s been a nice change that we are being recognized for the amount of growth and the amount of excitement that we are generating.” At the link right-click “Download: and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Austerity Measures 63 mins – “Alberto Alesina of Harvard University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his research on fiscal policy and austerity. Alesina’s research shows that spending cuts to reduce budget deficits are less harmful than tax increases. Alesina discusses the intuition behind this empirical finding and discusses other issues such as Greece’s financial situation.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Authors and Algorithms 16 mins – “Agents and publishers want to find authors. Authors want to find readers. And readers, they want to find books. Helping make these discoveries happen is a powerful digital tool that evaluates writing styles and matches a work with books just like it. Inkubate is a data analytics platform expressly designed for authors to reach audiences with pinpoint accurate marketing. Research has shown that readers respond more to writing style than either genre or subject matter. The digital service at Inkubate “reads” a manuscript to find writing characteristics it has in common with other works. On social media platforms, authors then match their books with readers already inclined to like them. “We use very powerful algorithms to look for patterns within a manuscript,” explains Inkubate cofounder Jay Gale. “This allows us to hone on how an individual author uses the underpinnings of the construction of language. We then compare this to the pre-computed ‘fingerprints’ of thousands of manuscripts previously published in the marketplace, and we are able to measure the similarities to find the closest matches.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Autism and Vasopressin 29 mins – “A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial shows that intranasal vasopressin improves social deficits in children with autism; A phase 2 clinical trial of a vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist shows improved adaptive behaviors in men with autism spectrum disorder; Can manipulating a ‘social’ hormone’s activity treat autism? A role for central vasopressin in pair bonding in monogamous prairie voles. UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’ Landmark UN report calls for ‘transformative change’ as a million species risk extinction ‘Not adequate’: experts rate Australian political response to extinction crisis” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Billionaire Contributions 58 mins – “Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and other billionaires have figured out a pretty sweet deal, Anand Giridharadas says: They make gigantic piles of money, and have tricked politicians and the media into giving them an exceptionally loud voice in policy discussions. What’s their secret? Just give away a little bit of that money through philanthropic organizations that they control. “This is a refeudalization,” Giridharadas said. “If you watch Downton Abbey, you understand the idea. There’s a guy in a castle, and then no one else owns land in the show. “[Zuckerberg is] trying to get rid of all the world’s diseases, as if public education wasn’t a hard enough problem,” he added. “We have doctors. We have an entire public health infrastructure. We have the Centers for Disease Control. We have the NIH. But no, Mark is going to get rid of all the diseases, even though his own company is a plague, by any stretch of the imagination.” On the new podcast, Giridharadas characterized the power of Zuckerberg and his peers in policy discussions as the result of a “40-year war on the idea of government.” It’s fine for billionaires to have opinions on things like medicine and education — but, he asked, why should they be treated as sagacious experts when they come from a completely different arena?…” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Blindness and Depression 19 mins – William Phillips is a visually impaired cognitive behavioural therapy specialist who works to make CBT accessible to others with sight loss. He lays out how blind people can go about getting mental health support that suits them. There was a huge response to last week’s programme with Ashley Cox’s story about struggling to find a counsellor. We read a selection of your emails. Visually impaired actor Karina Jones stars in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current productions of As You Like It and Measure For Measure. She describes how they gave one of her characters a white cane, what reasonable adjustments are in place for her at the RSC and why she’s excited that blind people will see themselves represented on stage in the future.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blockchain Technology 19 mins -”Blockchain technology can be defined as an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties in a verifiable and permanent way. In Toronto, an innovation laboratory called Prescient expects to use blockchain so that writers, artists, and other creators can identify, control, and monetize their works. Roanie Levy serves as CEO and president of Access Copyright, a collective that distributes millions of dollars annually in licensing royalties to creator and publisher affiliates across Canada. She also leads Prescient, Access Copyright’s creator-focused innovation lab dedicated to exploring the future of rights management and content monetization through blockchain and other technologies. At Prescient, digital tools are in development to establish a reliable and authoritative connection for works of art and expression with their content creators and audiences. “Our deep understanding and experience in rights management really bring a unique perspective to the developing blockchain economy and what creators and rightsholders need from it. We see the opportunity to change the digital landscape for creators,” Roanie Levy says. “With the internet, creators and publishers were the recipients of the technology. We want to create a world where rightsholders are the architects of the emerging technologies and ensure that they can optimize the monetization of their content when it’s used in a digital space,” she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blockchain Technology 18 mins – “What if the next big thing turned out to be the next everything? It would need to be a technology so powerful yet so pliable that it could find a place in every industry, any activity, and all manner of creativity. Blockchain is “The Next Everything” asserts Stephen P. Williams. His latest book offers an explanation in layman’s terms of how the technology works and even suggests reasons why so many people struggle to understand it. “What I find most exciting is that blockchain is a distributed technology, which is a new way of looking at the world,” Williams tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “We generally respond very well to top-down, hierarchical systems– president, father, mother, teacher, each telling us what to do,” he explains. “Blockchain technology allows for a distributed system where everyone who participates in the system has an equal say in how that system works. This presents huge potential for designing new ways of doing business, of creating, of communicating.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. odcasts |
Book History 22 mins – “What is a book? For centuries, books have existed in a form that has come to be universally recognized. Few of us ever bothered to give the book, either as object or idea, very much thought, any more than we might ask, ‘what is a chair? ‘What is a book? The answer just seems so obvious. Yet poet, scholar, and book artist Amaranth Borsuk has taken up the challenge to offer much more than a simple definition. Her latest book, The Book from MIT Press, is a thoughtful interrogation of the book as object and idea. An Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell, Amaranth Borsuk concentrates her focus on what she calls ‘textual materiality,’ the surface of the printed page as well as the surface of language. “When we hear the word book, the object that we are all picturing, we imagine it to be universal. It’s a stack of pages that has been bound along one edge and enclosed between covers. We can picture that on our bookshelves, we can picture it on bookstore shelves when we go into physical brick and mortar bookstore. We have this object that has been so much a part of our lives that it seems to be the only thing that could answer to the name of book,” she explains. “But if you look at the history of how information has been distributed in different portable forms, there have been myriad other shapes the book has taken over time,” Borsuk tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “Our weddedness to that one form is a form that arises after about 2000 years of text proliferating in other media. So that book shape, which is known as ‘the codex’ to book artists and scholars of book history, is actually only one of many.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Crisis 62 mins – “Is it too late for us? Scientists have spent decades sounding the alarm on the devastating effects of climate change. And for decades, society decided to do pretty much nothing about it. In fact, over the past 30 years, we’ve done more damage to the climate than in all of human history! Now, there’s a real chance we may have waited too long to avoid widespread tragedy and suffering. In his book “The Uninhabitable Earth”, David Wallace-Wells depicts a catastrophic future far worse than we ever imagined…and far sooner than we thought. It is undoubtedly a brutal truth to face, as you will hear in this episode, but if there’s any hope to avert the worst case scenarios, we have to start now. Wells” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Climate Crisis 63 mins -”Gov. Jay Inslee is running a presidential campaign unlike any other. The Washington governor is basing his run on the fundamental organizing premise that the climate crisis is more important than anything else. It’s a unique strategy that comes at a time when more and more people are recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis. But while climate is moving up on the list of issues voters care about, Gov. Inslee is making the case that it’s not just ‘an issue – it’s ‘the issue’.
Concentration Camp History 59 mins – “There’s been a heated national debate over what to call some of the migrant detention centers along the southern border. Are these facilities deserving of the label “concentration camps”? Andrea Pitzer has a uniquely deep perspective on this, having written a global history of concentration camps titled “One Long Night”. This conversation details the lineage of concentration camps, from the late 1800s in Cuba to the death camps of WWII to their most modern iterations we are witnessing today.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Deep Learning 42 mins – “Jal Mehta (@jal_mehta) grew up in Baltimore the son of a school administrator and college professor. Now as an Assistant Professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Mehta is a leading advocate for deeper learning. Mehta observed that his mentor Richard Elmore was always the most knowledgeable person in the room in large part because he spent time in schools every week. Mehta followed suit and visited the best high schools in the country and co-authored a new book about his tours, In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School. In his frequent school visits, Mehta often finds a lack of powerful learning in the core curriculum. He observes that many of the structures of school work against deeper, more powerful engagement in core classes–the blocks are short and rushed, inauthentic and not relevant–and as a result, there is little critical thinking in most classrooms even in schools that come recommended. Mehta often finds the most powerful learning outside the core–in world languages, choir, theatre and extracurriculars. There, he frequently finds aligned, purposeful learning with a clear arch driven by performance feedback. A sociologist by training, Mehta said, “The best part of visiting schools and meeting with students is our opportunity to be anthropological observers.” When Mehta and his co-author Sarah Fine from High Tech High GSE visit a school, they request the opportunity to follow two students, one upper track learner and one lower track learner. (He regrets that those exist but because they do, they want to get the full picture). After polite chit chat and a few classes, Mehta said the tour guides open up about the school and begin to gain a real sense of what’s happening…. About your own search for deeper learning, Mehta urges, “Think of your students as apprentices,” try more whole-game learning. Make room for depth over breadth. And, give up some control.” At the link left-click the down-pointing arrow, then click “OK” from the pop-up menu.
Digital Data Use 61 mins – “You might think your tweets on Twitter belong to you. But in 2010, the Library of Congress acquired the entire archive of Twitter. Why would such a majestic library acquire such seemingly ephemeral material? Historian Abby Smith Rumsey, author of When We Are No More, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about this decision of the Library of Congress and the general challenge of how to cope with a world when so much of what we write and read is digital. Subjects discussed include what we can learn from the past, the power of collective memory, what is worth saving, and how we might archive our electronic lives so that we and those who come after us can find what we might be looking for.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As: from the pop-up menu.
Drug Stories 52 mins – “In a new book, science writer Thomas Hager recounts the fascinating backstories of ten drugs that have changed the way we live. Behind the search for new and better medicines there’s always been this hope for an effective drug without any risk.” At the -up menu. link right-click the play buttona nd select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Empathic World 34 mins – “This week, Observer Magazine columnist and neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser takes a look at the world of empathy, mirror neurons and Theory of Mind. Meeting King’s College London’s Professor Francesca Happé at the school gates, Daniel explores when and how children develop empathy, whether it can be taught, and how we can create a more empathetic society.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Europe’s Destiny 27 mins – “From a US president who is turning the world upside down – with a relish for dismantling global agreements – the message is clear: it’s America first. But where does that leave old European allies? Few expect the transatlantic relationship to go back to where it was before Trump. Europe, says Angela Merkel, now has to shape its own destiny. James Naughtie explores the uncertain future for America’s friends.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fake News Detection 34 mins – “This week, Observer Magazine columnist and neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser speaks to University College London’s Professor Nilli Lavie about perception. How do we perceive our visual world? Can this be affected by higher cognitive processes? And what can this all tell us about the phenomena of ‘fake news’?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Fentanyl Overdoses 52 mins [2 parts] – “More than 10,300 Canadians lost their lives to an apparent opioid-related overdose between January 2016 to September 2018, according to the latest data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). A record 3,286 of those deaths occurred in the first nine months of 2018 alone. Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances were involved in 73 per cent of apparent opioid-related accidental deaths. British Columbia has been the hardest hit, with almost 1,500 suspected drug overdose deaths in 2018. Fentanyl was blamed for almost 90 per cent of those deaths by the province’s chief coroner, and B.C. declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency in 2016. Dorscheid said he began to see a wave of fentanyl-related overdose cases starting about four to five years ago. Patients admitted to the emergency room either took much longer to recover than those who overdosed on other drugs — or didn’t fully recover at all….” At the link two parts can be heard, but not downloaded; however, both parts are included in this blog archive.
Fiber Optics in Minneapolis 33 mins – “We regularly share stories about new fiber optic networks from local communities, cooperatives, and even local independent Internet access companies. Once in a while, we like to get an idea of what practical matters affect deployment and this week, we brought Travis Carter on the show to share his experiences. Travis, CEO of US Internet, has been working within the city of Minneapolis as the company deploys a fiber optic network to serve residents, businesses, and other premises. Travis explains the way the company has changed and describes what it’s been like to go from an ISP that offered fixed wireless to one that also provides fiber optic in a large city. He offers some firsthand knowledge on the permitting process and shares the lessons he city staff have learned in working with a municipal structure. Travis explains how being part of the city’s long term vision for better connectivity has helped cut through some red tape that used to slow down the process. In addition to working with the city to deploy their infrastructure, Travis and his colleagues at US Internet need to achieve a balance of revenue and investment that keeps the company growing and viable. Christopher and Travis discuss some of the types of decisions that all private firms make, including customer service, hiring practices, and taking on debt.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Guide Dog Training 19 mins – “Two guide dog trainers from the Liverpool Guide Dogs Centre, Nina Swindells and Jan Johnston, tell presenter Lee Kumutat about Positive Reinforcement Training, which the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is in the process of introducing across its twenty training schools. Lee also speaks to David Grice, GDBA’s Head of Canine Behaviour and Training, about the rationale for the new methodology. Finally, we hear from visually impaired organist, David Aprahamian Liddle. In 2002, David got the opportunity to play the organ at Notre Dame Cathedral. David tells us about how he made a braille chart to remember the organ’s layout, the rehearsal and how he felt when he had finished his recital” At the link double-click “Download,” select “Lower Quality” then right-click “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Huawei 28 mins – “Huawei’s chief security officer talks about 5G, discusses U.S. efforts to persuade other nations to not use Huawei equipment, and allegations that Huawei will be used to spy on Americans.” At the link find the title, “Andy Purdy, Huawei (28 min. 24 sec. – May 13, 2019),” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Immigration Impact 66 mins – “Alberto Alesina of Harvard University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how people in the US and five European countries perceive the population and characteristics of legal immigrants. Reporting on research with Armando Miano and Stefanie Stantcheva, Alesina finds that individuals systematically overestimate the number of immigrants while underestimating their standard of living. His research also finds that support for welfare payments to the poor is related to the perception people have of the size of the immigrant population and their economic status. The conversation concludes with a discussion of why people’s perceptions are so inaccurate and the implications of perception for public policy.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Impeachment 60 mins – “Got impeachment on the mind? If you do, odds are there are two recent examples of the impeachment process you might be drawing from – Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. But what do you know about the first ever presidential impeachment? There is no better time to revisit the case of Andrew Johnson, the white supremacist President whose impeachment reveals a wild truth about the history of this country. Brenda Wineapple spent the last six years uncovering the details of an erratic and power hungry President thrust into power after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Hear her tell the story of how Johnson’s dangerous actions during Reconstruction presented an extraordinary moral dilemma for the nation and its leaders.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Invention Process 20 mins – “When you hear the word “invention,” what comes to mind? The lightbulb? Telephone? Maybe the airplane? These were groundbreaking inventions that fundamentally changed the way we live and communicate and travel—so much so that 100 years later, their creators are still household names: Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright brothers. But today, there are plenty of young inventors whose names you haven’t heard of—not yet, anyway. These are middle and high school students who have developed solutions to major economic and social challenges, ranging from health care and transportation to agriculture and the environment. This week’s guest on the EdSurge On Air podcast is someone who works with these students every day, helping each of them identify a problem and refine a solution—an invention. Leigh Estabrooks has seen students in New York City invent a tool that will prevent fires from igniting on the city’s subway tracks and students in North Carolina create a system that helps farmers identify disabilities in their livestock. Estabrooks is the invention education officer at the Lemelson-MIT program, which encourages young people to create and invent through two grant initiatives. But she says what’s even better than seeing all the inventions that come through each year is realizing that it’s not just the most gifted students who are getting patents for their work. All students—no matter their GPAs or ZIP codes or learning challenges—can be inventors. She knows, because she’s seen it.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Investing in Small Cap Value Funds 43 mins – “For many years I’ve sung the praises of small-cap value for all investors. Of course, that would be a relatively small percentage for retirees and a lot for first-time investors. I have used this table of 1-, 15- and 40-year returns for large-cap blend, large-cap value, small-cap blend and small-cap value so investors can easily compare the best and worst of times for these asset classes. Jeff Mattice, one of our readers, took a very interesting approach to comparing these asset classes. In this Table, he uses 8 periods, from 1 to 40 years, to compare a single accomplishment: What percentage of the time was each asset class number one for each period of time? I think most of you are also interested in how investments do in the worst of time. Jeff did the same analysis but focused on the percentage of time each asset class produced the worst returns. Join me and find out why I think this is the way it will likely be in the future.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Kidnap Incidents 76 mins – “Anja Shortland of King’s College London talks about her book Kidnap with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Kidnapping is relatively common in parts of the world where government authority is weak. Shortland explores this strange, frightening, but surprisingly orderly world. She shows how the interaction between kidnappers, victims, and insurance companies creates a somewhat predictable set of prices for ransom and creates a relatively high chance of the safe return of those who are kidnapped.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Lawyer Mental Wellness 36 mins – “Is practicing law bad for your mental health? In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk to Len Heath about lawyer mental wellness and why it’s an issue worthy of attention in today’s legal industry. They discuss what both the ABA and Virginia Bar Association are doing to address lawyer wellness and, as the president of the Virginia Bar, what wellness goals Len hopes to achieve while in office.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Audio As” from the pop-up menu.
Library Detective 12 mins – “As a librarian, Marcy Phelps was trained to find, manage and share information. As a detective, she is also after the facts – and on a mission to prevent fraud. A licensed private eye who earned Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Denver, Phelps works for asset management firms, commodity pool operators, M&A professionals, and others. While combing through databases and other online data dumps, she helps build a definitive dossier, documenting any litigation, bankruptcies and regulatory actions that could raise unpleasant questions for investors and even uncover unsavory characters. Her detective work isn’t all digital, though. “Most investigations involve online work. Even with surveillance, you can bet the investigator is doing some sort of online research beforehand. But there’s a limit to what you can find online, and in investigative work, what’s missing is where your risk is. You have to be very careful about that,” she explains. “That’s why we also may have to do courthouse record searching, because online is so incomplete, or we may have to do in-person or phone interviews for the human touch, the things you can’t find online,” she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. Online investigations are often just the starting point or maybe the first phase of a more complex investigation.” At the link right-click “Download: and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Medical Reversals 64 mins – “Why do so many medical practices that begin with such promise and confidence turn out to be either ineffective at best or harmful at worst? Adam Cifu of the University of Chicago’s School of Medicine and co-author (Vinayak Prasad) of Ending Medical Reversal explores this question with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Cifu shows that medical reversal–the discovery that prescribed medical practices are ineffective or harmful–is distressingly common. He contrasts the different types of evidence that support or discourage various medical practices and discusses the cultural challenges doctors face in turning away from techniques they have used for many years.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As: from the pop-up menu.
Memory Storage 34 mins – “This week, Observer Magazine columnist and neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser delves into the complex world of episodic memory. With King’s College London neuropsychologist Dr Charlotte Russell as his guide, Daniel explores how and where memories are stored, how reliable these memories are and whether computers – like our brains – show ‘graceful degradation’ of memory.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
MRI Explained 48 mins – “This week, Observer Magazine columnist and neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser delves into the world of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). How does it work? Where did it come from? And what can it tell us about the intricacies of the human brain? Visiting Dr Martina Callaghan at University College London’s Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, producer Max also finds out first hand what an MRI scan entails.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. Music and Technology, Sound Recordings 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason tells the story of how we first captured sound, giving birth to a global recording industry. While music has advanced in its complexity over the millennia, the means of recording it remained the same: it had to be written down. It took until the back-half of the 19th Century before credible attempts were made to bottle sound for the first time, and in 1877 Thomas Edison produced the Phonograph. Over the next century, major advances were made in recording formats, recording duration, and sound quality, from the Gramophone record to the cassette tape to the compact disc. But as this programme reveals, cost and convenience played a major role in this progress, rather than the quality of technology – sometimes the best inventions didn’t win out.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Music and Technology, Electronic Pioneers 51 mins – “For centuries music was made by strumming strings, blowing horns and banging drums – but at the turn of the 20th Century, the harnessing of electricity meant artists and inventors could create all-new tones and timbres. In this programme, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason tells the story of some of electronic music’s pioneers – from the eerie sound of the Theremin, to German avant-garde experimentation and the automatic music-making machines of Raymond Scott. While electronic music might be deemed to be a thoroughly modern genre, we remember its history goes back over a hundred years. The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music and Technology, Sound Recording 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason tells the story of how we first captured sound, giving birth to a global recording industry. While music has advanced in its complexity over the millennia, the means of recording it remained the same: it had to be written down. It took until the back-half of the 19th Century before credible attempts were made to bottle sound for the first time, and in 1877 Thomas Edison produced the Phonograph. Over the next century, major advances were made in recording formats, recording duration, and sound quality, from the Gramophone record to the cassette tape to the compact disc. But as this programme reveals, cost and convenience played a major role in this progress, rather than the quality of technology – sometimes the best inventions didn’t win out. The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music and Technology, The Future 50 mins – “In this final episode of A History of Music and Technology, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason discovers how rapid digital innovation is shaping the way we make, listen and interact with music. He reveals how artificial intelligence is taking human input out of musical composition and how virtual reality is reshaping the recording studios of tomorrow.But in an age where everyone can have access to music-making technology, how do you stand out? And has the internet made it too easy to copy what has come before us, rather than create something which is completely brand-new? The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music and Technology, The Synthesizer 53 mins – “The first synthesizer was so big, it filled an entire room, but during the 1960s inventors built downsized machines which would go on to revolutionise pop music. Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason charts the work of synth pioneers Bob Moog, Don Buchla and Dave Smith in the story of the most influential electronic instrument of all time. We learn how the synth came to sing with multiple voices, and how Japanese giants came to dominate the market – but arguably at a cost to creativity. The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music Technology, Electric Guitar 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason tells the story of the electric guitar, revealing how a frying pan, a railroad track and the paradise island of Hawaii all played a role in its evolution. He charts how the desire to get louder fundamentally altered the instrument’s sound – and while it has a reputation for turning men into semi-mythical figures, the programme reveals how women are now playing the lead when it comes to the electric guitar today.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music Technology, Hammond Organ 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason tells the story of Laurens Hammond and the musical legacy of the instrument which bears his name. The Hammond Organ is arguably the first mass-market electronic instrument and in this episode we head to the heart of the Hammond Organ story: Chicago. One of the most familiar and versatile instruments to emerge in the 20th Century, the Hammond Organ’s reach ranges from the gospel of African-American churches, to jazz and reggae, to the swirling sound of progressive rock.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music Technology, Samplers and Drum Machines 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason explores how samplers and drum machines created new musical genres. During the 1980s, samplers and drum machines fuelled a new wave of music from hip hop to house to techno. In this programme we hear from the inventors behind this landmark technology and reveal how it first found traction with millionaire rock stars, rather than hip young DJs, due to its huge expense. We learn how cheaper Japanese products – first deemed a commercial flop – were then re-discovered, re-used and abused by dance floor innovators who created new musical genres which could never have existed without this technology. The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music Technology, Studio P1 51 mins – “The recording studio has changed dramatically since the advent of sound recording – as has our understanding of the ‘perfect take’.In the first of two programmes about the history of the studio, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason explores the limitations of the acoustic era, and how the switch to electrical recording ushered in the age of more intimate recording, giving rise to the superstar crooner.We look at the how, after World War 2, a boom in independent recording studios run by army-trained communications engineers helped to drive the birth of rock n roll, and how technology developed during the war made it possible for musicians to start recording music that was physically impossible to play, using techniques pioneered by a man better known for his guitars – Les Paul.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Music Technology, Studio P2 50 mins – “Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason continues the story of the recording studio, exploring how bands such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys brought avant-garde production techniques into the mainstream during the 1960s. The programme also charts the role jazz and dub reggae played in advancing studio production, and how increasingly sophisticated studio technology slowed down the recording process. But the advent of portable tape recorders – and then digital technology – saw the studio begin to shrink in size, while at the same time expanding access to the recording process. With it came a boom in in alternative music which was previously ignored by the major record labels, and bedroom producers making music on home computers kick-started an explosion in electronic dance music. Today, digital studio technology has become so sophisticated that it can help even the shakiest of singers deliver the perfect performance. The series is produced in association with the Open University.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Napalm Survivor 50 mins – “He was known as “the little boy who lost everything”. In 1991, Amar Kanim’s disfigured face was shown on newspaper front pages around the world, an innocent young victim of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime. His entire family, it was reported, had died in a napalm attack. The British politician Emma Nicholson found him “alone in the world” during a visit to an aid camp. She took him to the UK. He was, the world assumed, an orphan. So who was the woman claiming he is her son?” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nigerian Prostitutes 27 mins – “During the Migrant Crisis thousands of Nigerian women were trafficked into Italy for sexual exploitation. In 2016 alone 11,000 made the perilous journey through lawless Libya and then in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean. Naomi Grimley asks what became of them when they got to Europe? Before these women left home, they were made to take part in a juju ceremony which might involve burning pieces of their clothing or public hair. Traffickers use this as a way of controlling their victims by telling them that if they don’t pay back their debts, terrible things will befall them. The psychological effects of these curses are huge, even for those who escape exploitation. Naomi Grimley speaks to some of the Nigerians who arrived in Sicily between 2015 and 2016. She also speaks to a clinical psychiatrist who helps bring them back to emotional stability. She visits a drop-in centre which encourages the women to integrate into everyday life in Palermo. And she hears from a tough-talking female prosecutor on a mission to “save lives.” Some of the stories are uplifting, such as Gloria who learns Italian in a local college. But others – like Pamela – are still on the streets, plying her trade on a country road outside Catania. And for the final part of this programme she heads north to Antwerp – a city with one of the highest proportions of Nigerian prostitutes in Europe. How are the authorities there trying to help these women and, crucially, stop the traffickers?
Nuclear Power 27 mins – “If you had a million dollars what would you do with it? OK, now what if it were $100 billion? Today on Sea Change Radio, we are talking with Amy Harder, environment and climate reporter for Axios, about where some titans of industry are investing their money and the environmental impact it might have. You might be surprised to learn, for example, that Bill Gates has been pouring some of his considerable wealth into the nuclear energy sector. Harder recently interviewed Gates about his estimated half a billion dollar investment into TerraPower. She tells us about that as well as the big bets that companies like Exxon Mobil are making on ethane, a petrochemical by-product that is used to produce plastic.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Prison Abolition 62 mins- “What if we just got rid of prisons? The United States is the epicenter of mass incarceration – but exactly what is it we hope to get out of putting people in prisons? And whatever your answer is to that – is it working? It’s worthwhile to stop and interrogate our intentions about incarceration and whether it enacts justice or instead satisfies some urge to punish. Prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba wants us to explore some truly radical notions that force us to inspect those instincts towards punishment. Hear her dismantle what she calls the current “criminal punishment system” and instead employ the ideology of restorative justice.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Puerto Rico Crisis 56 mins – “Last week the Governor of Puerto Rico resigned after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in two weeks of sustained protest. Leaked inappropriate texts between Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and his inner circle provided the spark, but corruption and deeper frustrations on the U.S territory kindled the fury of citizens into mass mobilization. This week journalist Julio Ricardo Varela explains the political history and dynamics of Puerto Rico and what pushed people to take to the streets and demand a change in leadership.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Quora Project 66 mins – “…Quora is a knowledge-sharing platform. And we basically want to connect people who have knowledge with other people who need it. And the product takes the format of questions and answers. So, anyone can come and ask a question, and then we try to show those questions to people who are going to be especially qualified to answer them; and then those people can write answers. And over time we try to build up this big data base of high-quality answers to questions that can be useful to everyone….” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Race Riots 56 mins – “”This was a war. This was meant to deter a certain group of people and to harm people.” Dhati Kennedy is a local historian and activist, and he’s referring to an anti-black uprising in early July, 1917 in East St. Louis, IL. Members of Kennedy’s family, including his father, survived the violence. No one knows how many African-Americans died in that uprising, but some believe the number is close to 100. Many more became refugees, their homes and businesses destroyed. The violence in East St. Louis wasn’t the first time this kind of insurrection took place in the U.S. — it also wouldn’t be the last. Between the abolition of slavery in 1865, and the civil rights movement in the 1950s, racist violence erupted in many other cities, including Colfax, LA (1873), Wilmington, NC (1898) and Tulsa, OK (1921). Often referred to as “race riots,” the conflicts amounted to a series of civic coups d’etat. They were, according to historians and community leaders, attempts by angry and embittered white residents to annihilate black political and economic gains and, in some cases, to overthrow elected officials….” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Restaurant Operations 64 mins – “Alex Guarnaschelli, Food Channel star and chef at Butter in midtown Manhattan, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about what it’s like to run a restaurant, the challenges of a career in cooking, her favorite dishes, her least favorite dishes, and what she cooked to beat Bobby Flay.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Robin Hood Principle 64 mins – “Nobel Laureate in Economics Angus Deaton of Princeton University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economics of trade and aid. Deaton wonders if economists should re-think the widely-held view that redistribution from rich nations to poor nations makes the world a better place. The conversation focuses on the challenges facing poor Americans including the rising mortality rate for white Americans ages 45-54.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sample Size 68 mins – “Statistician, blogger, and author Andrew Gelman of Columbia University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the challenges facing psychologists and economists when using small samples. On the surface, finding statistically significant results in a small sample would seem to be extremely impressive and would make one even more confident that a larger sample would find even stronger evidence. Yet, larger samples often fail to lead to replication. Gelman discusses how this phenomenon is rooted in the incentives built into human nature and the publication process. The conversation closes with a general discussion of the nature of empirical work in the social sciences.” At the link left-click “Share” then right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sierra Leone President 16 mins – “When Julius Maada Bio first seized political power in Sierra Leone in 1996, he did so to improve the lives of its citizens. But he soon realized that for democracy to flourish, its foundation needs to be built on the will of the people. After arranging an election, he voluntarily gave up power and left Africa. Twenty years later, after being democratically elected president of Sierra Leone, he reflects on the slow path to democracy, the importance of education for all and his focus on helping young Sierra Leoneans thrive.” At the link left-click “Share” then left-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Download audio” from the pop-up menu.
Sustainable Development Goals 10 mins – “In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly set out a collection of Sustainable Development Goals – known as “SDGs” – for reaching by the year 2030, The list begins with “No Poverty” and includes Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Affordable and Clean Energy. As Kolman tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally, creation of the global children’s book club even supports the SDG of Quality Education. “You can imagine you’re a young boy in Peru and you can read in Spanish about clean water and sanitation, or you’re a young girl in China and you can read in Chinese about gender equality,” he explains. “Every month we will announce books for the book club around one of the SDGs. We started in April and will finish next year in September, 2020, which is actually the fifth anniversary of the SDGs.” In 2030, the Earth is expected to be home to 8.5 billion inhabitants – a population rise of more than one billion from 2019. According to World Bank figures, more than a billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty over the past 25 years, and the global poverty rate is now lower than it has ever been in recorded history.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tariffs and Publishers 12 mins – “As Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer, explains, longtime ALA head Keith Michael Fiels retired nearly two years ago, after the 2017 Annual Conference. Mary Ghikas has led the organization since Fiels’s departure, but after more than two decades working at ALA, Ghikas herself is looking to retire in January 2020. “Ghikas is hoping to leave as her legacy a modernized, revamped organization,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. According to Albanese, ALA officials expect a strong showing of librarians for the conference, and if history is any guide, they have good reason to. The 2007 conference in Washington still holds the ALA attendance record, drawing 28,635 attendees and more than 950 exhibitors. Three years later, the 2010 show in Washington drew nearly 27,000, the third-most-attended ALA conference.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Trump Campaign 58 mins – “On Friday, former Trump adviser Roger Stone was arrested & indicted on charges of making false statements to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. In this 2017 interview, Stone discusses the 2016 election.” At the link find the title, “After Words with Roger Stone,” right-click it, and select “Save link As” from the pop-up menu.
Urban Planning 77 mins – “Urbanist and author Alain Bertaud of NYU talks about his book Order without Design with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Bertaud explores the role of zoning and planning alongside the emergent factors that affect the growth of cities. He emphasizes the importance of cities as places for people to work and looks at how preferences and choices shape cities. Bertaud also reflects upon the differing perspectives of urban planners and economists.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Weather Forecasting 47 mins – “What does it take to predict tomorrow’s weather today? We take a look at the fascinating story behind the history and science of the weather forecast.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Women in Saudi Arabia 47 mins – A Saudi teen who fled her allegedly abusive family is granted asylum in Canada. We’ll look at what’s changing and what’s not for women in Saudi Arabia.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
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Media Mining Digest 