Exercise your ears: the 43 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 559 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.
Ageing 34 mins – “With advances in medicine, science, and technology allowing humans to live longer than ever, can we finally crack the code of ageing and stop it altogether? On 4th August 1997, Jeanne Louise Calment died in a French nursing home. Born 122 years and 164 days earlier, Jeanne currently holds the record for the greatest fully authenticated age to which any human has ever lived. And with the ever-growing average life expectancy for humans showing no sign of slowing down, how close are we to cracking the code of longevity? Helping Nicola Davis delve into the age-old problem of ageing this week, prominent biomedical gerontologist Dr Aubrey De Grey reveals his unique, seven-step approach to the problem of ageing. We ask Harvard University’s Dr Justin Werfel why programmed death might be a good thing. And we hear how the University of Kent’s Dr Jenny Tullet is using roundworms to reveal clues about the genetics of ageing.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Aging Process 56 mins – “Barbara Ehrenreich explores the science behind how the body ages. She is interviewed by New York Times science reporter Natalie Angier.” At the link you can purchase a MP3 download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Amateur Radios 75 mins – “George visits with the Crew at Icom America for a fascinating tour of their new facilities. Up close interviews with different departments. Find out how they do what they do.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Apollo 11 Computer 48 mins – “The computer that got us to the moon. The size of a briefcase, there had never been anything like it. Apollo 11 was “the first time software ran on the moon”. This is the story of the world’s first digital portable general purpose computer. The work of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, helped give rise to the digital age. With Kevin Fong.” At the link left-click “Download” then left-click “Lower quality,” and “OK” from the pop-up menu.
Artilect Discussion 29 mins – “Ian Woolf reports the 2010 Ig Nobel prizes, Ian Woolf concludes his interview with Hugo De Garis about his vision of the impending war between those who would build massively intelligent machines and those who would stop them at all costs, at the Singularity Summit Australia, in Melbourne. Artilect Discussion with Marc West. [artilect – A biological intelligence augmented artificially, having super-biological mental capability.]” At the link right-click “MP3 Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Asset Allocation and Market Timing 36 mins – “This podcast covers three topics which are the source of many questions. Asset allocation starts with a recent interview from Vanguard titled, “Strategies for constructing globally diversified portfolios.” In the other two topics, Paul addresses a number of popular alternative investments. He references a recent study on long-term returns for private equity funds (1984-2016) and compares them to the S&P 500, small cap value, commodities and U.S. T-Bills and Government Bonds. Click to read, “ How Do Private Equity Investments Perform Compared to Public Equity?” Based on his 50 years experience, Paul discusses market timing, another way to invest defensively. If interested in how the Leveraged Global Opportunity Fund works, you can read about it on page 21 in the following pdf: https://www.merriman.com/Disclosures/ADV.pdf” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Astronaut Selection 29 mins – “Tim Peake is a 43-year-old former army officer and test pilot, who – in 2009 – became the first British citizen to be selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA). Tim beat over 8,000 applicants to be selected for one of only six places on ESA’s new astronaut training programme, meaning he’ll be the first Briton to fly into space without a private contract or having taken American citizenship. Ian Sample met up with Tim at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Billy Bob Thornton 34 mins – “Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning actor, director, screenwriter and musician Billy Bob Thornton opens up about his family, relationships and success, and shares his advice on how to keep the artist inside of you alive. Billy Bob explains how he dreams about the movies he wants to write, even if he knows they might fail. He says it’s more important for him to create films that satisfy the artist inside than to generate an impressive weekend box office. Billy Bob also describes the sadness that has never gone away since his younger brother Jimmy died suddenly of a heart condition. Billy Bob says he’s come to accept that he’ll only ever be “50 percent happy.” He also shares his poignant advice for anyone who has lost a loved one.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bioarcheology 30 mins – “In 2014, the United Nations estimated that 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a figure expected to increase to 66% by 2050. But life for Homo sapiens wasn’t always like this. Rewind 200,000 years and our early human ancestors were fully or semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, often living in small communities. But what happened between then and now? Why did humans choose to move to villages and then cities? And what has this dramatic change in lifestyle done to our health and our relationships with others? This week, Ian Sample is joined in the studio by Brenna Hassett, bioarchaeologist and author of Built on Bones: 15,000 Years of Urban Life and Death, to explore the shift our ancestors took from hunter gatherers to city-dwellers, and the clues they left behind.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bioengineering Challenge 2019 29 mins – “Bioengineering Innovation Outreach Challenge 2019 prize winners by Ian Woolf, Professor Hala Zrieqat talks about the ARC Bioengineering Innovation Centre, Dr Gavinda Singh talks about his research in cancer cures and his mentorship, Team Team from Sydney Girls High School talk about their Epilepsy brainwave monitoring solution, Team Biochis from Mount Carmel Catholic School talk about their nutritional deficiency detecting watch, Team Discovery Channel from Fort St High School talk about implanting an epinephrine dispensor for allergic shock, PhD students Mathilde Longfield and Ben Ferguson talk about mentoring the high school students, Team Exothermics from Sydney Girls High School talks about making scorpion antivenom cheaper and easier to access, Team Tissue Box from Sydney Girls High School talks about her team’s water-proof hearing aid.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Black Holes 27 mins – “Using a global network of telescopes, scientists have managed to capture an image of a black hole for the first time. Hannah Devlin investigates why it’s more than just a pretty picture” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Blind Prisoners 19 mins – “Blind and visually impaired prisoners in the US state of Maryland have been awarded $1.4 million by the correctional service for discrimination. They successfully claimed they were not given access to information, jobs and courses to give them equality within the prison or during rehabilitation. Eve Hill, representing the group, says some have had to pay for sighted guide assistance, and others to perform sex acts to have information read to them. Tyrell lost his sight through a gunshot wound and says life was lonely and tough for him as a visually impaired prisoner. Benjamin Burrows, from Leigh Day solicitors, says he has represented visually impaired people in a number of cases here in the UK, and the picture is similar.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Bolivia’s Mennonites 27 mins – “In 2009, Mennonite women in a far-flung Bolivian colony reported mass rape. Now leaders of this insular, Christian community with its roots in Europe are campaigning to free the convicted men. More than 100 women and children were attacked in the colony of Manitoba, and their courage in telling their stories secured penalties of 25 years for the rapists. But within Mennonite circles, doubts continue to be aired about the imprisonment of the men. They too protest their innocence, claiming their initial confessions in Manitoba were forced under threat of torture. The culture of abuse in the old colonies – physical and sexual – has often been commented on. And it’s partly this that gave the impetus for the foundation of one of Bolivia’s newest Mennonite communities. Hacienda Verde has been hacked out of virgin forest, and is home to 45 families. These are people who were ex-communicated in their old colony homes, often because they would not live by the harsh rules of conservative Mennonites – rules that govern every facet of life, from the clothes and hairstyles that are allowed, to the rejection of any kind of technology.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Car Future 68 mins – “Benedict Evans of Andreessen Horowitz talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about two important trends for the future of personal travel–the increasing number of electric cars and a world of autonomous vehicles. Evans talks about how these two trends are likely to continue and the implications for the economy, urban design, and how we live.” At the link right click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change Solutions 69 mins – “Bjorn Lomborg, President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, talks about the costs and benefits of attacking climate change with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lomborg argues that we should always be aware of tradeoffs and effectiveness when assessing policies to reduce global warming. He advocates for realistic solutions that consider the potential to improve human life in other ways. He is skeptical of the potential to move away from fossil fuels and argues that geo-engineering and adaptation may be the most effective ways to cope with climate change.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Community Fiber on Reservations 34 mins – “Matt Rantanen, director of technology at the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association and director of the Tribal Digital Village Network, has been working for years to get tribal communities connected to broadband. In his conversation with Christopher, he talks about his experience with creative wireless solutions, the potential of the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) to get folks connected, and shifting attitudes around the importance of broadband. “We’re trying to help solve that rural connectivity problem. America’s got a lot of talented people that live outside the city centers, and they just don’t have access to the resources that they need — and a lot of those people are on reservations. So it’s really important to get those people connected.” Matt’s newest venture, Arcadian InfraCom, is creating new, diverse fiber paths thanks to innovative partnerships with tribal communities. Phase 1 of their plan, scheduled to be completed in 2022, will connect Salt Lake City to Phoenix and Phoenix to Denver, with add/drop locations within the Navajo Nation and throughout Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Court Packing 67 mins – “Court packing is becoming a rather unexpected litmus test in the Democratic primary. This is an idea that would not have dared speak its own name in any earlier election that I can think of, and is now resoundingly on the table. And that’s in no small part because, by any construction of constitutional norms or rules, Neil Gorsuch now sits in a seat at the Supreme Court that was actually stolen from Merrick Garland. For years, Democrats that I know tended mostly to just stew about that, but more and more they’re talking about taking some kind of action. Aaron Belkin is a scholar and advocate who designed and implemented much of the public education campaign responsible for helping end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 2011. Then he launched an advocacy group called Pack the Courts this past October. Now Aaron, I want to be clear that you come to this as you came to “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the trans ban—as a political scientist and advocate, not as a constitutional lawyer, right?At the link left-click “Share” on the sound bar, then right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Culture and Morality 67 mins – “Economist and author Arnold Kling talks about the economic impact of culture and morality with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Drawing on a recent essay on the importance of social interactions, Kling explores the role of culture and norms and their broad impact on economic life. At the end of the conversation, Roberts discusses the implications of human sociality for the way economics is taught and the way economists think about public policy.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Dark Matter Discussion 31 mins – “In 1933, Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky published a paper inferring the existence of what he called “dunkle Materie”, or dark matter. It was decades before this theory was taken seriously by the scientific community, but today the idea that the universe is filled with vast quantities of mysterious stuff that we can’t see and have never detected directly is considered mainstream science. But how has the world of science progressed in recent times? And does dark matter represent anything more than a proxy for our misinterpretation of the laws of gravity? To help reveal what we do know about dark matter, Hannah Devlin is joined in the studio by University College London astrophysicist Dr Andrew Pontzen. We also hear from Dr Peter Capak of the Nasa/JPL Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, who is part of a consortium hoping to probe the nature of dark matter by mapping 30 billion galaxies in 2019. And finally, from Dr Sarah Malik of Imperial College London, who is a part of a team at the Large Hadron Collider hoping to detect the undetectable.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Digital Transformation 45 mins – “In a recent Copyright Clearance Center webinar, Kiren Shoman, Vice President, Editorial at SAGE Publishing, outlined her vision of the evolutionary nature of digital transformation in academic publishing. Digital transformation isn’t a switch, Shoman observes, but an evolutionary, incremental process – a journey shaped both by strategic goals and customer need and demand. It was precisely customer demand that led SAGE Publishing to develop their SAGE Video series, which is marketed alongside textbooks to support diverse research and learning needs of students and researchers across disciplines, course levels and geographical location. “We have videos that are tutorials. They’re very simple. The faculty member is giving a tutorial, and they’re keeping it short and focused. And there are slides that they have alongside them, but they’re also speaking to the camera as if to the student,” Shoman explains. “And then we have what we call in practice, where we’re going into the field and where the job of that video is to try and enable a student to understand the environment, which is often a big part of a learning objective. “Being able to understand how as video is used [or whether it is] resonating particularly well in some subject areas, reinforces what we should be doing in the future,” she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. Kiren Shoman is responsible for SAGE London’s pedagogical publishing, covering textbooks, reference and video. As part of SAGE’s leadership, she is actively involved in SAGE’s Diversity and Inclusion agenda.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
DNA and CRISPR Cures 16 mins – “In a story of scientific discovery, chemical biologist David R. Liu shares a breakthrough: his lab’s development of base editors that can rewrite DNA. This crucial step in genome editing takes the promise of CRISPR to the next level: if CRISPR proteins are molecular scissors, programmed to cut specific DNA sequences, then base editors are pencils, capable of directly rewriting one DNA letter into another. Learn more about how these molecular machines work — and their potential to treat or even cure genetic diseases.” At the link left-click “Share” then right- click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Domestic Abuse 36 mins – “Domestic abuse accounts for 15% of all violent crime in the United States. Yet, it is rarely discussed in public. This silence, argues journalist Rachel Louise Snyder, has been a major obstacle in creating effective interventions for both victims and abusers. And the consequences, she says, can be deadly. For decades, researchers estimated that three women a day were killed as a result of domestic violence. New data shows that number has risen to four. Over the last 10 years Snyder has reported on the issue of domestic abuse, interviewing victims, abusers, law enforcement and researchers. She shares what she learned in a new book, “No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know about Domestic Violence Can Kill Us.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archhive.
Economics for 21st Century 64 mins – “Economist, blogger, and author Arnold Kling talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the state of economics in the 21st century. Kling argues that economics would be more useful if it took account of intangibles like culture, incorporated the role of financial intermediation in the economy, and modeled some of the the subtleties of the labor market–how wages are set and the role of team production.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Education Opposition 72 mins – “Bryan Caplan of George Mason University and the author of The Case Against Education talks about the book with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Caplan argues that very little learning takes place in formal education and that very little of the return to college comes from skills or knowledge that is acquired in the classroom. Schooling, he concludes, as it is currently conducted is mostly a waste of time and money. Caplan bring a great deal of evidence to support his dramatic claim and much of the conversation focuses on the challenge of measuring and observing what students actually learn.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Functional MRI 68 mins – “This month’s episode of Brain Science is an interview with Stanford psychologist Russell A Poldrack, author of The New Mind Readers: What Neuroimaging Can and Cannot Reveal about Our Thoughts. We talk about the principles of how fMRI works and how new methods are overcoming some of the problems from the early days in the field. Because Dr. Poldrack has been in the field since its infancy, he is uniquely placed to give us both an overview of the history and an analysis of its progress. We emphasize several important principles that must be honored in order to get results that are reliable and reproducible.” At the link right-click “FREE: audio mp3 (click to stream, right click to download)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Income Inequality 69 mins – “Brink Lindsey of the Niskanen Center and Steven Teles of the Niskanen Center and Johns Hopkins University talk with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about their book, The Captured Economy. Lindsey and Teles argue that inequality has been worsened by special interests who steer policy to benefit themselves. They also argue that the influence of the politically powerful has lowered the overall growth of the American economy.
IntechOpen 19 mins – “IntechOpen, founded in 2004, is a scientific community of authors and editors built by scientists for scientists to provide a collaborative environment for peer-reviewed academic research, according to Dr. Anke Beck who became CEO in August 2018. In its role as an Open Access publisher of books and anthologies, she says, IntechOpen seeks to level the research playing field and promoting an environment that is democratic and inclusive. “We focus on books where we believe there’s a greater space for ideas to flourish, and for collections of ideas to come together,” Beck tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “In a talk in Berlin at Academic Publishing in Europe conference, I referred to open access book publishing as the Cinderella of publishing because it opens that space where scientists can shed light on a given scientific problem in more detail,” she explains. “Book publishing, I think, serves much, much better the scientific discussion than scattered articles in a journal.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Internet History 26 mins – “Brian McCullough, host of the Internet History Podcast, talked about his book, How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone.” At the link you can listen, but have to pay for download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Irish Viewpoint 58 mins – “Caitriona Perry, former Washington Correspondent for RTE, Ireland’s public service broadcaster, talked about her book, In America, which chronicles her encounters with Donald Trump campaign supporters during the 2016 presidential election campaign.” At the link you can listen or purchase a download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Life Beginnings 39 mins – “The question of how life began here on Earth has been one at the forefront of scientific endeavour for millennia. And whilst huge advances – both theoretically and experimentally – have been able to bring pieces of this mysterious puzzle to light, the quest to understand where we came from, what we’re doing here, and whether life could exist elsewhere in the universe, is as elusive as ever. Joining Nicola Davies in the studio this week to delve into this and more is University College London’s Dr Nick Lane, who favours deep-sea vents as the birthplace of life. We also hear from panspermia advocate Professor Milton Wainwright, who favours more interstellar origins. And finally, we’re joined by chemist Professor Donna Blackmond, who probes a strange phenomenon of nucleic acids in the hope it might reveal clues about how life on earth began.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mankind’s Future 32 mins – “One of our most treasured traits, our ability to plan for the future, is a key factor in the success story of Homo sapiens. And because of this, we are fascinated with what the future might hold. Indeed, we may even be programmed to look forward in this way. That said, when it comes to complex beings, such as humans, predicting what might happen in the months and years ahead becomes an increasingly difficult task. But are there any certainties? And what can we do to try and keep them under our control? These are some of the questions we to put to the Future of Humanity Institute’s Dr Anders Sandberg, child psychologist and AI enthusiast Professor Alison Gopnik and geneticist Professor Robin Lovell-Badge.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Memory Operations 78 mins – “This month’s episode of Brain Science features Dr. Donald MacKay, author of Remembering: What 50 Years of Research with Famous Amnesia Patient H.M. Can Teach Us about Memory and How It Works. H.M. may have been the most studied patient in history, but MacKay’s work uncovers some surprising discoveries about the role of the hippocampus in language, as well as important implications for the aging brain.” At the link right-click “FREE: audio mp3 (click to stream, right click to download)” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mosaic Browser Creation 41 mins – “A young Marc Andreessen and a team of programmers at the NCSA on the campus of the University of Illinois create and publish the Mosaic browser, thereby creating the world wide web’s first killer app. Mosaic enjoys meteoric, overnight discuss. But the higher ups at the NCSA take the project away from the “kids” who created it. Examining Mosaic as the “trial run” for the product that would eventually be called Netscape Navigator. A young Marc Andreessen and a team of programmers at the NCSA on the campus of the University of Illinois create and publish the Mosaic browser, thereby creating the world wide web’s first killer app. Mosaic enjoys meteoric, overnight discuss. But the higher ups at the NCSA take the project away from the “kids” who created it. Examining Mosaic as the “trial run” for the product that would eventually be called Netscape Navigator.” At the link right-click “Download here” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Presidents Going to War 75 mins – “There is a fascinating and depressing positive correlation between the reputation of an American president and the number of people dying in wars while that president is in office. Political scientist Bruce Bueno de Mesquita of NYU and co-author of The Spoils of War talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how presidents go to war. Bueno de Mesquita argues that the decision of how and when to go to war is made in self-interested ways rather than in consideration of what is best for the nation. The discussion includes a revisionist perspective on the presidencies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and others as Bueno de Mesquita tries to make the case that the reputations of these men are over-inflated.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Protein Substitutes 31 mins – “Are alternative meats the key to a healthier life and planet? – Science Weekly podcast How do protein substitutes compare with the real deal? Graihagh Jackson investigates by speaking to dietician Priya Tew, the Guardian’s Fiona Harvey and author Isabella Tree. This podcast was amended on 18 May 2019. An earlier version incorrectly claimed that Vitamin B12 is also known as Folate or Folic Acid. Whilst Folate/Folic Acid is also a B Vitamin, it is not Vitamin B12.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Reproducibility Project 67 mins – “Brian Nosek of the University of Virginia and the Center for Open Science talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the Reproducibility Project–an effort to reproduce the findings of 100 articles in three top psychology journals. Nosek talks about the findings and the implications for academic publishing and the reliability of published results.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Syrian Refugees P1 52 mins – “The Syrian war has created one of the largest human displacements in history – with millions of people on the move seeking safety. For over five years, British-Lebanese journalist Zahra Mackaoui has been following the stories of a group of Syrians, who have scattered across the world in search of safety. She hears about the challenges they have faced, the choices they have made and how they have managed to survive and on occasion, to thrive.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Syrian Refugees P2 51 mins – “For over five years, British-Lebanese journalist Zahra Mackaoui has been following the stories of a group of Syrians, who have scattered across the world in search of safety. She originally met and interviewed them in the early years of the long-running civil war in Syria. Zahra travels to rural Sweden to meet Doaa Al-Zamel, who survived the sinking of a boat in the Mediterranean by floating on an inflatable ring. Her story has now been optioned for a film by Steven Spielberg. Also in Europe, Fewaz and his family have found refuge near Bremen – and though he is grateful for Germany’s hospitality, he is finding it difficult to integrate. She ends the series with Faysal, who escaped to Turkey before returning to his home city of Kobani in Syria. The war there has finished but danger remains – and he himself was critically wounded.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Tech Transfer 30 mins – “Politico reporters Cory Bennett and Bryan Bender discussed their investigation piece “How China Acquires ‘The Crown Jewels’ of U.S. Technology” and congressional efforts to tighten controls through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS).” At the link you can listen or purchase a download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Tribalism 31 mins – “In 2014, the United Nations estimated that 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a figure expected to increase to 66% by 2050. But life for Homo sapiens wasn’t always like this. Rewind 200,000 years and our early human ancestors were fully or semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, often living in small communities. But what happened between then and now? Why did humans choose to move to villages and then cities? And what has this dramatic change in lifestyle done to our health and our relationships with others? This week, Ian Sample is joined in the studio by Brenna Hassett, bioarchaeologist and author of Built on Bones: 15,000 Years of Urban Life and Death, to explore the shift our ancestors took from hunter gatherers to city-dwellers, and the clues they left behind.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu
Video Games Appeal 74 mins – “Books and Ideas 68 is an interview with psychologist Dr Pete Etchells about his new book Lost in a Good Game: Why we play video games and what they can do for us. We explore both the myths and the science behind video games and consider why the effects of video games are actually quite difficult to study. It seems strange that many people in this field don’t play games themselves. Most of the bad things you have heard about video games do not stand up to the basic standards of good science. Whether or not you enjoy video games yourself this is a fascinating interview.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Wisdom 48 mins – “We usually get wiser with age, but that doesn’t mean we have to grow up to wise up. This hour, TED speakers explore what it means to find wisdom at every stage of life.” At the link you can listen by clicking “Listen to full show”; however, a copy is also included in this blog archive.
Yaba Addiction 27 mins- “[Yaba, otherwise known as the madness drug or Nazi speed, is a combination of a number of stimulants. The two main substances that make up the drug are caffeine and methamphetamine, otherwise known as crystal meth. Yaba is a drug in tablet form, and it is most often red in color with the letters WY imprinted on it.] Thousands of Bangladeshi addicts are hooked on Yaba – a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine. It’s a powerful drug that gives big bangs for small bucks. The Yaba epidemic has ripped through the population of Bangladesh, urban and rural, poor, middle-class and rich. This is a drug that’s manufactured in industrial quantities in the jungles of neighbouring Myanmar. As the economy of Bangladesh has boomed, drug lords have worked to create new markets for their product. And the Rohingya crisis – when nearly a million fled Myanmar for Bangladesh – has created further opportunities for the traffickers, as desperate refugees have been employed as drug mules. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, declared a ‘war on drugs’ last May. Thousands have been arrested. But critics see a disturbing trend – hundreds of suspected Yaba dealers have been killed by law enforcement.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
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Media Mining Digest 