Exercise your ears: the 43 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 779 for the week, to hear while your hands and eyes are busy. Get all the files as a group here, or double (ctrl-click) individual titles to get single podcasts and explore the source. A collection of (26,300) 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.
Alaska 60 mins – “Mark Adams shared his experience retracing the 1899 Harriman Expedition through Alaska and explored the differences in the region’s climate and environment, then and now. He’s interviewed by Washington Post reporter Libby Casey.” At the link you can listen and pay for a download; however a copy is also included in this blog archive.
Alexander Hamilton 62 mins – “Martha Nussbaum, Professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Alexander Hamilton. Nussbaum talks about the tension between acquiring power and living a life of virtue. Topics discussed include Hamilton’s relationship with Aaron Burr, Burr’s complicated historical legacy, and the role of the humanities in our lives.” At the link right-click “Download and select “Select Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
America’s Communications Association 30 mins – “Matt Polka of America’s Communications Association (ACA) and David Heimbach of Shentel Communication talked about issues facing their businesses. Topics included whether cable companies would continue providing video or move to broadband-only, extending broadband further in rural areas, 5G, and reauthorization of the law governing the fees and rules for broadcast TV to be sent to rural areas.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Basic Income Guarantee 64 mins – “Michael Munger of Duke University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the virtues and negatives of a basic guaranteed income–giving every American adult an annual amount of money to guarantee a subsistence level of well-being. How would such a plan work? How would it interact with current anti-poverty programs? How would it affect recipients and taxpayers? Munger attacks these issues and more in a lively conversation with Roberts.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Buchanan Book 59 mins – “Robert Strauss discusses his book, [Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents].” At the link in the Q&A section find the title, “Q&A with Robert Strauss,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Central Park Five P1 32 mins – “Hosts Shaka, Alexis, and Kittie discuss the final episode of Ava Duvernay’s WHEN THEY SEE US, which tells the true story of the Central Park Five! Join us for Ava DuVernay’s brand new mini series that tackles the hard hitting issues of the criminal system during the Central Park Five case. On the WHEN THEY SEE US AFTERBUZZ TV AFTERSHOW PODCAST, we’ll be discussing the dynamics and facts from an analytical standpoint as well as touching on the political undertones and conversations sparked by each episode. Subscribe, rate, and comment with your thoughts on the show! About When They See Us: When They See Us extends from 1989 when five Harlem teens were, according to Dominic Patten, “convicted first in the media and then twice in the courts for the brutal rape of a jogger in the NYC park to 2014 when Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise saw their names finally cleared. Having been vilified by New Yorkers back in the late 80s and forced to spend years in jail each, the five sued New York City and settled for just over $40 million about four years ago. Before you take another breath, take into account that sum that works out to around $1 million for every year they collectively spent tossed behind bars for a terrible crime they never committed.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Central Park Five P2 32 mins – “This special podcast episode features the first-ever conversation between Oprah and the five exonerated men who were once known as The Central Park Five. Their story is dramatically told in the Netflix series, “When They See Us,” a historical account of the five teenagers wrongfully convicted of sexual assault in Central Park in 1989. The four-part Netflix series focuses on the young men—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise—who were sentenced between five and 15 years in prison and juvenile detention centers. In 2002, all five men were exonerated of their crimes after DNA evidence and a confession from the lone attacker, Matias Reyes, proved their innocence.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cooperation 70 mins – “Are human beings naturally cooperative or selfish? Can people thrive without government law? Paul Robinson of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Pirates, Prisoners and Lepers talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts the ideas in his book. Robinson argues that without government sanctions or legislation, there is an evolutionary drive to cooperate even in life-and-death situations. In such situations private punishment and norms play a crucial role in sustaining cooperative solutions. The last part of the conversation deals with the criminal justice system and how attitudes toward the system affect society-wide cooperation and crime.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Evolution of Everything 70 mins – “Matt Ridley talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his latest book, The Evolution of Everything. Ridley applies the lens of emergent order to a wide variety of phenomena including culture, morality, religion, commerce, innovation, and consciousness.” At the link right-click “Download and select “Select Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Female Astronauts 30 mins – “As the space race heated up in the 1960s, 13 aviators passed the same tests as Nasa’s first astronauts, later going on to be called the Mercury 13. But because they were women, Nasa wouldn’t even consider them. One of those women was Wally Funk, who joins Nicola Davis and author Sue Nelson this week as they discuss what could and should have been” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Forecasting 60 mins – “Can you predict the future? Or at least gauge the probability of political or economic events in the near future? Philip Tetlock of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Superforecasting talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his work on assessing probabilities with teams of thoughtful amateurs. Tetlock finds that teams of amateurs trained in gathering information and thinking about it systematically outperformed experts in assigning probabilities of various events in a competition organized by IARPA, research agency under the Director of National Intelligence. In this conversation, Tetlock discusses the meaning, reliability, and usefulness of trying to assign probabilities to one-time events.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Internet Shaming 75 mins – “Author and journalist Megan McArdle of Bloomberg View talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how the internet has allowed a new kind of shaming via social media and how episodes of bad behavior live on because Google’s memory is very, very good. McArdle discusses the implications this new reality has on how we behave at work and how people protect and maintain their reputations in a world where nothing is forgotten and seemingly little is forgiven.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Investing Passively or Actively 48 mins – “Ken Fisher is probably the best known independent investment advisor in America. At $70 billion under management, with 2,500 employees and a net worth of $3.8 billion, according to Forbes, he is likely also the most profitable advisor in the industry. Fisher is considered the King of Marketing in the industry. He advertises on national TV and in almost every retail financial publication I read. Meb Faber, quoted in Guru Focus, said, “There’s no denying he’s a master of the direct mail and online lead generation process.” I have no problem with his marketing abilities, but I do strongly disagree with the way he manages investors’ savings. In this podcast I respond to Fisher’s chapter on small cap value in “The Little Book of Market Myths”. Using his written words and our statistics, I do my best to create a fair debate. The following links are referenced in my comments: Asset Class Comparisons: Who’s #1? and 2-4 Fund Combo Tables. In the end, the debate is really about the active vs. passive strategies. Addendum: Paul said that only 10% of fund managers underperformed the benchmarks (index). He meant to have said, “less than 10% are able to beat the benchmark.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Iroquois Forest Gump 54 mins – “At a time when most Europeans died within a day’s journey from where they were born, Pierre-Esprit Radisson criss-crossed the Atlantic 10 times, was adopted into an Iroquois family and was kidnapped by pirates. Historian Mark Bourrie documents the explorer’s adventure-filled life and counters stereotypes about the entire colonial epoch – especially Iroquois society – in his book, Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
JFK Tapes 60 mins – “Editor Ted Widmer talks about [Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy], which contains two audio CDs with recorded conversations from the oval office, cabinet meetings, and telephone calls during Kennedy’s presidency.” At the link in the Q&A section find the title, “Q&A with Ted Widmer,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Machine Learning 66 mins – “What is machine learning? How is it transforming our lives and workplaces? What might the future hold? Pedro Domingos of the University of Washington and author of The Master Algorithm talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the present and future of machine learning. Domingos stresses the iterative and ever-improving nature of machine learning. He is fundamentally an optimist about the potential of machine learning with ever-larger amounts of data to transform the human experience.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marine Accident Investigations 37 mins – “Digital Planet visits the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch for learn more about the technology used to investigate incidents at sea. Gareth Mitchell and Dr. Leigh Marsh look at voyage data recorders recovered from ship wrecks, location beacons, CCTV footage through to simulators that can recreate incidents at sea.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Marseille is Crumbling 27 mins – “In France’s second city, the collapse of two buildings killing eight people has prompted popular anger and political scandal. So why is Marseille falling apart? The accident sheds light on something that residents have been saying for years: Marseille’s city centre is falling apart. After decades of neglect by slum landlords, the poor, multi-ethnic area in the heart of the city is in a desperate state of disrepair. In a frantic attempt to avoid further disasters, the local government has evacuated thousands of residents from the area – and hundreds are still staying in hotels. This tragedy has morphed into a political scandal which is shaken Marseille to the core – and anger at the local authorities is still palpable.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Marxisim for the New Age 54 mins – “The absurdities and humiliations of late capitalism — social atomization, the gig economy, brutalizing inequality — have given new life to Karl Marx. While known best for his economic theorizing, Marx has found new favour for his rigorous humanism. Those most vulnerable to the vagaries of capitalism are seeing in Marx a framework for understanding their own humanity.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Mass Gatherings Medicine 12 mins – “A decade after H1N1 influenza threatened the 2009 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, Ziad Memish (Alfaisal University, and Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) discusses the future priorities for research and global collaboration in the emerging specialty of mass gatherings medicine.” At the link find the title, “Mass gatherings medicine, right-click “download audio” and select “Save Link As from the pop-up menu.
Material Well-being 77 mins – “Author, economist, and theologian Mary Hirschfeld of Villanova University talks about her book, Aquinas and the Market, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hirschfeld looks at the nature of our economic activity as buyers and sellers and whether our pursuit of economic growth and material well-being comes at a cost. She encourages a skeptical stance about the ability of more stuff to produce true happiness and/or satisfaction. The conversation includes a critique of economic theory and the aspect of human satisfaction outside the domain of economists..” At the link right-click “Download and select “Select Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Melinda Gates 37 mins – “Philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates discusses her new book, “The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World.” Believing that all lives have equal value, Melinda and her husband, Bill Gates, have donated more than $50 billion to improving equity, health and education in the United States and around the world. Through her work at the foundation over the last 15 years, Melinda has seen firsthand that empowering women and girls can bring transformational improvements in the health and prosperity of families, communities and societies. “How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings?” Melinda asks. “And especially for women because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in the blog archive.
Metadata Tools 29 mins – “Many are hearing about metadata in articles and blogs, but secretly admit that they don’t fully understand what it is. Digital Detectives co-hosts, Sharon D. Nelson, Esq., President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. and John W. Simek, Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, join Karen Massand, the President of Litéra, to take a look at metadata,…” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Mindfulness 29 mins – “The last time you went for a little walk around the neighborhood, did you take a few moments to drink in the natural beauty around you, even in the most unlikely of places, like a timid squirrel, a blossoming tree or a unique cloud formation or did you choose to zone out with a podcast, talk on the phone or text someone? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio wants you to try your best next time to be more attentive of your surroundings – and, who knows, it might just become a habit. We speak to author and nature meditation teacher, Mark Coleman, about his new book From Suffering To Peace, and the steps we can take to appreciate our environment in hopes that we can become happier, kinder and better stewards of our planet.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Monopolies 70 mins – “Matt Stoller of the Open Market Institute talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the growing influence of Google, Facebook, and Amazon on commercial and political life. Stoller argues that these large firms have too much power over our options as consumers and creators as well as having a large impact on our access to information.” At the link right-click “Download and select “Select Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mortician and Paramedic 29 mins – “Meet Matthew Sias: a small-town paramedic, deputy coroner and funeral assistant. Dr. Brian Goldman speaks to Sias about the tricky challenges when his different jobs collide.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Nancy Pelosi 57 mins- “On Thursday, the opening day of the 116th Congress, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was elected as the House Speaker for a second time. In this program from 2008, Pelosi discusses her career and her book, [Know Your Power].” At the link in the Q&A section find the title, “Q&A with Nancy Pelosi,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Network and Power 59 mins – “Hoover Institution senior fellow Niall Ferguson discusses his book, [The Square and the Tower], about the power of social networks throughout history and their influence today.” At the link in the Q&A section find the title, “Q&A with Niall Ferguson,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina 79 mins – “Pete Boettke of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the political and economic lessons he has learned as program director of research in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In this wide-ranging conversation, Boettke discusses the role of civil society, the barriers to recovery that have hampered New Orleans and what worked well as people and institutions responded to tragedy and devastation.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Opioid Addiction Treatment 47 mins – “We visit a med school that’s teaching a new generation of doctors to start with empathy as they rethink their entire approach to treating patients with opioid addiction disorders.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Permissionless Innovation 68 mins – “Michael Munger of Duke University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about permissionless innovation. Munger argues that the ability to innovate without permission is the most important concept of political economy. Munger defends this claim and explores the metaphor of emergent order as a dance, a metaphor coming from the German poet Schiller.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Pete Buttigieg on System Racism 50 mins – “Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his campaign for president of the United States.In this episode: Systemic racism and Buttigieg’s “Douglass Plan”; mobilizing black women voters; how to appeal to Trump supporters who wanted to “burn the house down”; reforming the Supreme Court; the “mystical fascination” with the Rust Belt; climate change and rural America; why Buttigieg hasn’t attacked tech as much as some of his opponents; should Americans have a right to be forgotten online?; recognizing gig workers as employees with the right to unionize; will more regulation make it harder to compete with China?; Buttigieg’s wealthy tech donors; being gay in the military; will voters care that he is gay?; his husband and LGBT visibility in politics; AOC’s “squad” vs. Nancy Pelosi; and Buttigieg’s favorite president, Abraham Lincoln.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Plan S P1 13 mins – “When the STM Association, the global voice of scholarly publishing, convenes its 2018 STM Week program in London, the focus of attention will come down to a single letter “S.” On December 4, CCC’s Chuck Hemenway moderates a panel discussion for STM Week’s session on Tools and Standards that will ask what lies ahead in the dynamic Open Access publishing environment in the wake of “Plan S”. Announced in September, Plan S has everyone in scholarly publishing talking. An initiative of national research funding organizations from across Europe, as well as private funders like Wellcome and the Gates Foundation, Plan S puts pressure on open access publishing business models by capping article fees, ending embargoes, and withdrawing support for hybrid OA journals. Throughout the fall, CCC has produced programs examining the implications Plan S presents for the future of scholarly publishing. This special podcast collects highlights from webinars and podcasts featuring editors, executives and analysts. Guests include Tim Britton, Springer Nature; Rob Johnson, Research Consulting; Malavika Legge, Portland Press; and Tasha Mellins-Cohen, The Microbiology Society.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Plan S P2 30 mins – “Good morning, everybody. Good morning, and welcome to our panel discussion entitled Get Smart About Plan S. I’m Chuck Hemenway with Copyright Clearance Center. Plan S was announced just a couple of weeks ago, and now everyone in scholarly publishing is talking about it here at the book fair. It’s an initiative of 13 national research funding organizations, and it puts pressure on open access publishing business models by capping article fees, ending embargoes, and withdrawing support for hybrid OA journals. Not only are publishers affected by Plan S ambitions, but authors as well. Authors and researchers are concerned that under Plan S, they may have limited choice about where they can publish their work, which could adversely affect their careers. Robert-Jan Smits, the European Commission’s open access special envoy and Plan S mastermind, says the S in Plan S stands for speed, shock, science, solution perhaps. And in the half hour ahead, we aim to have S stand for smart when it comes to the future of your OA publishing program.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Planning for the Unplannable 25 mins – “Hi impact, low probability events are a planners nightmare. You know that you need to think about them, but how can you prioritise which event – terrorist attack, natural disaster, disease outbreak, deserves attention – and how can you sell the risks of that, but not oversell them? Risky business is a conference where some of these kind of things can be discussed – how do we think about risk, how do we plan for it – at this year’s conference we heard from one of the men who rescued the boys from a cave in Thailand, the fireman in charge of Grenfell, and the medical teams responding to the three latest terrorist attacks in the UK. In this podcast we talk to Amy Pope, former advisor to the Whitehouse during president Obama’s tenure. There she was charged with thinking about these high impact, low probability events.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included this blog archive.
Poverty Control 78 mins – “Poverty activist, social entrepreneur and author, Mauricio Miller, talks about his book The Alternative with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Miller, a MacArthur genius grant recipient, argues that we have made poverty tolerable when we should be trying to make it more escapable. This is possible, he argues, if we invest in the poor and encourage them to leverage their skills and social networks. Miller emphasizes the importance of self-determination and self-respect as keys to helping the poor improve their own lives. Poverty activist, social entrepreneur and author, Mauricio Miller, talks about his book The Alternative with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Miller, a MacArthur genius grant recipient, argues that we have made poverty tolerable when we should be trying to make it more escapable. This is possible, he argues, if we invest in the poor and encourage them to leverage their skills and social networks. Miller emphasizes the importance of self-determination and self-respect as keys to helping the poor improve their own lives. [Also see www.fii.org]” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Presidential Author 54 mins – “Author Robert Dallek talks about his recently released historical narrative, “Camelot’s Court: Inside the Kennedy White House.” Dallek describes his book as taking an inside look at the brain trust surrounding President Kennedy’s administration.” At the link in the Q&A section find the title, “Q&A with Robert Dallek,” right-click it and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Refugee Children 52 mins – “What is it like to be taken away from your childhood home, to be brought to a strange new country where you are locked away? That is what happened to reporter Sahar Zand when she became a refugee from her home country of Iran at the age of 12. It was a devastating experience for Sahar, her sister and her mother. They had to leave after her father got into political trouble with the regime – but it was the three female members of the family who had to fend for themselves as they sought a new life. In this powerful and intimate documentary, she portrays the experience of being uprooted from home and the effects on one family. She recreates her uncomprehending flight from Iran; the many months of limbo in a refugee holding centre in Denmark; life on the run, and on the streets of European cities, always at the mercy of people smugglers. Sahar eventually found refuge in the UK where she has lived ever since – but the effects of that profound experience will never leave her. In discussion with her sister and mother, Sahar explores the complex and often painful role reversals, deceptions and sacrifices that the three of them experienced during those often desperate days.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Sharing Economy 70 mins – “Economist and author Michael Munger of Duke University talks about his book, Tomorrow 3.0, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Munger analyzes the rise of companies like Uber and AirBnB as an example of how technology lowers transactions costs. Users and providers can find each other more easily through their smartphones, increasing opportunity. Munger expects these costs to fall elsewhere and predicts an expansion of the sharing economy to a wide array of items in our daily lives.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Sports Salaries 64 mins – “Fifty years ago, many of the best players in the National Football League took jobs in the off-season to augment the salaries they earned playing football. Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal and author of Players talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how much football and so many aspects of sports–from tennis to golf to apparel to broadcasting to Olympics–has become incredibly more lucrative. Futterman shares the insights from his book and how all that money has changed sports, the athletes who compete, and the fans who watch.” At the link right-click “Download and select “Select Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Vaccination Politics 51 mins – “we’re talking about immunization with the essayist Eula Biss. When she was pregnant with her first child, Biss wondered what vaccination would mean for her baby and the world at large. Once again, measles has broken out across America and people are talking about immunization. The writer Eula Biss delved deeply into that dispute when preparing for the birth of her first child. She wondered what vaccination would mean for her baby and the world at large. In her latest critically acclaimed book, Biss explores the fear of vaccines and the broader concept of immunity. She joins us Friday to examine the tangled threads of anxiety, misconception, privilege, metaphor, and myths surrounding inoculation.” At the link right-click the play button and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
War in Middle East 30 mins – “Beginning in 2003, Elliot Ackerman served five tours as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan. He fought in the fierce battle for Falluja, for which he earned the Silver Star and a Purple Heart. Ackerman eventually left the Marines but he continued to return to his experiences in the Middle East as a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. In 2013, he traveled back to the region to find an intensifying conflict in Syria, an Islamic State on the rise, and war that just goes on and on. It’s the basis for his new memoir, “Places and Names: On War, Revolutions and Returning.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Worker Compensation 67 mins – “Economist and author Mark Warshawsky of George Mason University’s Mercatus Center talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his work on the role health care benefits play in measuring inequality. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Warshawsky shows that because health care benefits are a larger share of compensation for lower-paid than higher-paid workers, measures of inequality and even measures of economic progress can be misleading or distorted. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to how the labor market treats workers and the role of benefits in setting overall compensation.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Thanks for stopping by.