Exercise your ears: the 56 podcasts shown below present the best ideas, information and stories from a larger group of 730 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 (26,460 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.
Active Learning – 18 mins – “The lecture class is a staple of college education. But research shows it can be an ineffective way to learn. A growing number of colleges and universities are building “active learning classrooms,” which are designed to promote student interaction and to enhance their engagement. Proponents say these classrooms result in better grades and learning that sticks.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Afro Italian Senator 26 mins – “Dickens Olewe meets Italy’s first and only black senator, Tony Iwobi, and hears how a new generation of black Italians are fighting to claim their place in a society that’s still very white. Born and raised in Nigeria, Senator Iwobi moved to Italy as a young man and carved out a successful career in business. Now he’s immigration spokesperson for the right-wing Lega party and wants to stop the illegal flow of migrants coming to Italy from Africa. BBC Africa journalist Dickens Olewe follows Iwobi in the Senate in Rome and finds out what it’s like to be black in a party that’s widely perceived as racist. At a festival on the bank of the River Tiber, Dickens meets aspiring politician Paolo Diop from the Far-Right Brothers of Italy. Diop moved to Italy from Senegal as a baby and describes himself as “an Italian nationalist and an African nationalist” who wants to “make Africa great” by sending migrants home. We also meet the young black activists coming of age in the midst of the migrant crisis and the rise of the political right. Born and bred in Italy, they feel deeply Italian but are not always recognised as such – among them the rapper Tommy Kuti whose work explores his Afro-Italian identity, the founder of Milan’s Afro Fashion Week Michelle Francine Ngonmo and the writer Igiaba Scego, whose parents grew up in one of Italy’s African colonies.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimer Overview 53 mins – “In the 1970s, the founder of the National Institute on Aging convinced a nation that senility was really Alzheimer’s and could be cured. Research money flowed to one theory, leaving alternatives unexamined — today it’s come up short.” At the link you may listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Alzheimer’s Disease P1 and 2 62 mins tot – “Almost six million people in the United States have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. And with baby boomers getting older, those numbers are only expected to rise. This disease, despite being studied by scientists for more than 100 years, has no cure. In our two-part series we first dive into the personal lives of the people at the heart of this disease: the patients and their caregivers. Then we uncover why effective treatments for Alzheimer’s lag so far behind those for cancer, heart disease, and HIV. It turns out that for all the decades researchers have been at war with the disease, they’ve also been at war with each other.” (A 3rd short preview segment is also available.) At the link right-click the down-pointing arrows and select “Save Link(s) As” from the pop-up menu.
Alzheimer’s Overview 53 mins – “Drug studies for Alzheimer’s disease were long shots because the causes of neurodegeneration were so murky. Studies had among the highest failure rates of any condition. Even today — after 40 years and billions of dollars — researchers still can’t agree on what it is. “I don’t think anybody thought it would take this long and be this hard,” said Eric Siemers, who retired from Eli Lilly in 2017 after 20 years trying to create a drug for Alzheimer’s…” At the link you may listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Climate Change in BC – Intro 22 mins – “Meteorologists call British Columbia ‘the land of a billion micro climates.’ By 2050, the average temperature in BC will have risen by 2.5 C. But that doesn’t mean everything will just get hotter. We explore how BC’s climate will change in just 30 years.” At the link find the title, “Episode 1 – B.C. in 2050,” right-click “Download Episode 1 – B.C. in 2050” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change in BC – Agriculture 30 mins – “What do rising temperatures, changing rain patterns and shifting seasons mean for farmers? We learn about the challenges, as well as opportunities, facing producers.” At the link find the title, “Episode 3 – Agriculture,” right-click “Download Episode 3 – Agriculture” and select “Save Link As” from the popup menu.
Climate Change in BC – Cities 3 mins – “Vancouver says it will run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. We look at how climate change will re-shape our cities, and ask if we’re doing enough to mitigate its effects on our environment as well as our society.” At the link find the title, “Episode 4 – Cities,” right-click “Download Episode 4 – Cities” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change in BC – Fire and Forests – “‘There is no ‘no smoke’ option.’ By 2050, forest fires will be more frequent, and more devastating. This has profound impacts on one of our major resource industries, as well as wildlife.” At the link find the title, “Episode 5 – Fire and Forests,” right-click “Download Episode 5 – Fire and Forests” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change in BC – Global Village 27 mins – “By mid-century, life in B.C. will be transformed. But around the world hundreds of millions of people will be facing life or death decisions. In this episode, we hear what climate change means for the rest of the world.” At the link find the title, “Episode 6 – The Global Village,” right-click “Episode 6 – The Global Village” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change in BC – Personal Changes 60 mins – “In this bonus episode taped in front of a live audience at CBC Vancouver we ask “What would it take for you to change for climate change?”. Johanna Wagstaffe hosts a panel of environmental experts to tell us what kind of change is meaningful enough to alter the path as we head towards the year 2050. Hear why it’s not too late to rewrite our future.” At the link find the title, “Episode 7: A New Future,” right-click “Download Episode 7: A New Future” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Change in BC – Snow and Ice 25 mins – Without snow, everything changes. In this episode, we reveal the downstream effects of record-low snow packs, melting glaciers and rising sea levels in British Columbia.” At the link find the title,”Episode 2 – Snow and Ice,” right-click “Download Episode 2 – Snow and Ice” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Climate Resilience 6 mins – “In 2018 alone, there were 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the United States, with a total cost of at least $91 billion. These costs will likely rise due to climate change. Investing in climate resilience projects to help communities prepare for hazards such as sea level rise could reduce future costs. The federal government makes ad hoc investments but does not have a strategy for prioritizing projects with the most impact. We recommended that Congress consider establishing a federal entity to identify and prioritize these projects. The government’s fiscal exposure from climate change is a topic on our High Risk List. Infrastructure projects, like this system of levees and other barriers in New Orleans, could reduce risk from coastal storms and flooding—events that could be exacerbated by climate change.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Conflict Technology 41 mins – “Harnessing tech during conflict – Twitter and Facebook have removed accounts that originated in mainland China that it says undermines the “legitimacy and political positions of the protest movement”. Evronia Azer knows all about the double-edged sword when it comes to technology in the midst of conflict. On one side there are tools to mobilise protest, on the other are tools of state control and surveillance. She is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University in the UK where her research interests include data privacy and governance. She joins us on the programme Map Kibera – Ten years ago Digital Planet reported on the Map Kibera project, which was just an idea to provide information to OpenStreetMap about the Nairobi slum. This quickly turned into the Map Kibera Organisation which makes sure that Kibera is connected and is focussed on improving people’s lives in the slum. Digital Planet has been back to Kibera to see how the project has changed. First ever plant selfie – Hannah Fisher reports on a plant called Pete which could revolutionise field conservation by powering a camera to take selfies as he grows. London Zoo scientists have laid the groundwork for the world’s first plant selfie – a pioneering scientific trial in the Zoo’s Rainforest Life exhibit which will try out how microbial fuel cells power a plant to take its own picture. This they hope will lead to using plants to power camera traps and sensors in the wild allowing conservationists to monitor habitats remotely.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Consumption Reduction 94 mins – “Andrew McAfee of MIT’s Sloan School of Management talks about his book, More from Less, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. McAfee argues that technology is helping developed nations use fewer resources in producing higher levels of economic output. The improvement is not just a reduction in energy per dollar of GDP but less energy in total as economic growth progresses. This “dematerialization” portends a future that was unimaginable to the economists and pundits of the past. McAfee discusses the potential for dealing with climate change in a dematerialized world, the non-material aspects of economic progress, and the political repercussions of the current distribution of economic progress.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Cop Shooting 41 mins – “Tom was a cop; Jason was a teenager in a gang. One night in 1997, they had a violent encounter that Tom describes as “inevitable.” In our season finale, Tom and Jason relate the story of that night, and the series of events that unfolded in the years afterward. Big thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode: Jason Samuel and Tom & Christy Morgan. Antwan Williams, David Jassy and Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and a remixed theme song from listener Matt Glasbey. Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the entire fourth season, and Native, EPIX and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Culture and Behavior 70 mins – “Psychologist Michele Gelfand talks about her book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Gelfand distinguishes between loose cultures and tight cultures–the degree to which culture and regulation restrict behavior or leave it alone. Gelfand explores the causes of why some cultures are tighter than others and the challenges societies face when culture is too tight or too loose. She also applies these ideas of cultural tightness and looseness to corporate mergers and family life.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Death Row 41 mins – “Historically, death sentences in California have led to eventual execution by the state. But these days, public opinion and state protocol are in flux, and the future is uncertain for those on death row at San Quentin. Big thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode: Al aka Watson Allison, Abu Qadir Al-Amin, Lt. Sam Robinson and Lonnie Morris. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy and Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and a remix of our theme music from listener Ingibjörg Friðriksdóttir. Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Native, EPIX and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Democracy Discussion 54 mins – “Filmmaker, writer and activist Astra Taylor sets out to answer a question we rarely ask: what is democracy? Her conclusion: democracy doesn’t exist — at least, not quite. And yet, she says, it’s still worth fighting for. Taylor takes us on a walking tour in New York searching for the meaning of democracy. Part 2 of a two-part series.” At the link find the title, “Fighting for democracy from the bottom up – Astra Taylor, Pt 2,” right-click “Download Fighting for democracy from the bottom up | Astra Taylor, Pt 2” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Educational Podcasting 21 mins – “It’s well-known that podcasting is huge these days. But you might not realize how many educational podcasts are out there. By educational, we mean shows that focus on some super-focused topic, like a specific period of history or an academic discipline. For instance, there are at least 15 or 20 active podcasts about linguistics, and there are several podcasts out there about conversational Latin (and we were pretty sure that was a “dead” language that was no longer spoken). For this week’s EdSurge Podcast, we’re digging into this growing subculture of educational podcasting, and at how educators are using these podcasts in classes.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Electric Grid Protection 21 mins – “The nation’s electric grid is becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks—particularly those involving industrial control systems that support grid operations. Recent federal assessments indicate that cyberattacks could cause widespread power outages in the United States, but the scale of such outages is uncertain. The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in helping address cybersecurity risks in each component of the electric grid’s infrastructure. However, DOE has not developed plans for electric grid cybersecurity that address the key characteristics needed for a national strategy. We recommended that it do so.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Ex-con Job Finding 38 mins – “Getting a job after serving time is crucial to rebuilding your life, but a criminal record inevitably gets in the way. Four people share stories about how their time inside both helped prep them for jobs outside and impacted their getting back to work. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also download and remix our theme song (remixes are due Aug. 31, so get yours in soon!!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and Audible for sponsoring this episode.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Flagship School Problem 23 mins – “Across the country, a gap persists between the number of black and Latino students graduating from state high schools and the number enrolling in state flagship schools….” At the link you may listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Free Speech in Colleges 23 mins – “Every year in late September or early October, student groups are assigned blank panels to paint on the bridge to attract new members. At the start of the 2016 fall semester, this annual activity became another flashpoint in the nationwide debate over inclusivity and free expression on college campuses. Abeer Syedah was a senior and the president of the university’s student government at the time. Syedah, who describes herself as “a South Asian, American, Canadian, immigrant,” is one of the few women of color ever elected to head student government at the mostly white university. The morning after the bridge painting, Syedah remembers waking up to a bevy of messages and photos from students upset about the slogan that the school’s College Republicans had painted on their panel. It read, ‘Build the Wall.’…” At the link you may listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
GAO Podcasts 4 mins – “…Because people are getting information from Facebook and from Twitter and from YouTube, we’re doing all of those things as well so that you can find information about our work there. And we’re always willing to experiment and we’ve done that with the podcast, too. We have tried video podcasts and didn’t– they didn’t find as much of anaudience, so we’re sticking with the audio, and now we’re experimenting on a longer-form podcast. You know, a lot of podcasts can go 30 minutes, an hour. Ours have been only about five minutes to quickly give people alittle insight, but we’re going to delve a little deeper. We’re going to bring in the people who help do the work, who are out in the field, the auditors and policy analysts, and we’re going to start exploring a little bit more. So, that’s something that listeners can keep an ear out for because those are coming soon…” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Google Leadership Changes 46 mins – “This week Felix, Emily, and Anna discuss Larry and Sergey, aka The Boys, stepping away from Alphabet, Uber’s big safety report and Silver Lake’s investment in Manchester City soccer. And in the Slate Plus segment: Argentina.” At the link right-click “MP3” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Government Cybersecurity 5 mins – “To protect against cyber threats, federal agencies should incorporate key practices in their cybersecurity risk management programs. These key practices include: Designating a cybersecurity risk executive. Developing a risk management strategy and policies, Assessing cyber risks. Coordinating between cybersecurity and enterprise-wide risk management functions. All but one of the 23 agencies we reviewed designated a risk executive. However, none of these agencies fully incorporated the other key practices into their programs. We made 58 recommendations to federal agencies to help improve their cybersecurity risk management programs.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Head Injuries 27 mins – “The death last week of boxer Patrick Day, four days after he was stretchered out of the ring in a coma, is the latest reminder of how vulnerable sportsmen and women are to traumatic brain injury. During the latest Ashes series the Australian batsman Steve Smith was temporarily retired for one test after being struck on the helmet by a bouncer. The current World Cup Rugby has been affected too, with Welsh fly half Dan Biggar withdrawn from a game against Uruguay having received head injuries in two previous matches. In this edition of Discovery, Roland Pease talks to engineers at Imperial College and Loughborough University using the latest techniques to understand the dynamics of blows to the head, and to improve helmet protection. And to experts and Rugby players at Swansea University seeking to make precision measurements of real-life head movements with the help of gum shields stuffed with electronics.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Homeless Kids in School 53 mins – “Moving a lot is hard on school kids. And millions of children in the United States have unstable housing. A growing body of research finds that repeatedly uprooted children are more likely to struggle in school and more likely to drop out. But there are ways to help them succeed. This APM Reports documentary focuses on two groups of kids who often change addresses — homeless kids and children of migrant farmworkers — and explores efforts to help these students do well in school.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Illiberal Right 30 mins – “Throughout the impeachment hearings, Republicans have made a show of valuing the “will of the people,” arguing that impeachment would be inherently undemocratic because it would overturn election results. The logic is flawed, to be sure: elections don’t confer upon politicians the right to violate the constitution or otherwise break the law. And more to the point: Republicans have largely shown a disregard for majority rule — as evidenced by, for instance, rampant gerrymandering. So where do conservatives stand on democracy? How can we make sense of the current state of conservatism in general? One place we can begin is the pages of First Things, a right-wing ecumenical publication which published an explosive article last summer — one that launched a debate that, for a couple months at least, took over the right-wing intellectual landscape. To help make sense of the so-called Ahmari–French debate and the political questions for which it stands in, Brooke spoke with Matthew Sitman, associate editor of Commonweal Magazine and co-host of the Know Your Enemy podcast, which released a podcast about these questions this summer.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Immigrant Home Visitation Program 61 mins – “Home visiting, a two-generation program model that serves young children alongside parents and caretakers to promote their healthy physical, socioemotional, and cognitive development, has the potential to promote improved outcomes for children and families alike. Young children of immigrants and Dual Language Learners (DLLs), who make up one in four and nearly one in three young children in the United States, respectively, are important targets for home visiting programs as they are disproportionately more likely to face risk factors such as poverty and low parental education levels. This webinar marks the release of a policy brief that explores program and policy opportunities to improve home visiting services for immigrant and DLL families currently underparticipating in these programs due to a lack of culturally and linguistically responsive programming and other barriers. On the webinar, speakers provide an overview of the home visiting services landscape in the United States and discuss promising strategies to build effective partnerships with immigrant parents to support their young children’s school readiness and success. The conversation also examines opportunities for states to expand the participation of immigrant and DLL families in home visiting services.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Irrigated Agriculture Status 6 mins – “Nationwide, irrigation consumed 20-30 trillion gallons of water in 2015. Most irrigation is in the West, where water is relatively scarce and precipitation low. The 3 main irrigation technologies—gravity, sprinkler, and micro—can all be modified to be more efficient and save water. But in practice, farms may use such water savings to increase yield, switch to thirstier crops, or irrigate more land. To address water scarcity, federal policymakers could offer incentives to use more efficient technology or practices, in return for farmers’ agreeing to reduce water consumption. Irrigation and water scarcity across the contiguous United States” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Lead Paint Problem 29 mins – “One of the longest-running public health epidemics in American history involves a handful of baby teeth, a creepy cartoon character and The Young Lords. This is a story about a fight for accountability.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Liberia Drug Addiction 27 mins – “When Miatta was 14 years old, armed rebels stormed into her classroom and forcibly recruited her and her classmates. They were trained to use machine guns and then sent to the front line to fight in Liberia’s devastating civil war. Nineteen years later, Miatta is what many Liberians would call a Zogo. The Zogos are Liberia’s underclass: jobless, homeless and addicted to drugs. They’re a menace on the streets of the capital, Monrovia, where many make their living by snatching purses and phones from passers-by. In this Assignment, Lucy Ash follows a projects aiming to rehabilitate hundreds of Liberia’s Zogos – including Miatta.” At the link you can listen, but not download the podcast; however, the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Manufacturing 76 mins – “Economist Susan Houseman of the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research talks about the manufacturing sector with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Houseman argues that the data surrounding both manufacturing output and employment have been misunderstood and misinterpreted. In particular, she argues that conclusions about the growth of manufacturing are driven overwhelmingly by computer production while the rest of manufacturing has been stagnant. She also argues that productivity has a small role in reducing manufacturing employment. Trade has been the main cause of employment reductions. These claims go against the standard narratives most economists have been telling for the last 20 years.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Mental Illness Discussion 54 mins – “How can it be that psychiatry still doesn’t know what causes major mental problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia? Historian Anne Harrington and writer Marya Hornbacher explore psychiatry’s messy medical past and surprisingly uncertain present.”..At the link find the title, “What psychiatrists still don’t know about mental illness,” right-click “Download What psychiatrists still don’t know about mental illness,” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Microplastics 27 mins – “A Professor of Marine Biology who was not particularly academic at school, Richard Thompson went to university after running his own business selling greetings cards for seven years. When the rest of the world was waking up to the harm caused to marine life by larger plastic items, such as plastic bags, he searched for tiny fragments of plastic, some no bigger than a human hair; and found them in oceans and on beaches all over the world. He has spent decades studying the harm these micro-plastics might cause to marine life and is concerned. His work on plastics in cosmetics led to a UK ban on micro-beads in shower gels and exfoliating scrubs. And he advised government to ban single use plastic bags from supermarkets. Rather than demonize plastic, however, he believes we need to learn to love it more. Often plastic it is the best material for the job. Now we need to make sure that all plastic products are designed so that they can be easily recycled at the end of their useful life.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Nursing Home Abuses 6 mins – “To protect vulnerable nursing home residents from abuse, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with state agencies—known as survey agencies—that can cite nursing homes for incidents of abuse. Abuse citations doubled from 2013-2017. We reviewed a 2016-2017 sample of narratives substantiating abuse citations and determined that physical and mental/verbal abuse were more common than sexual abuse, and that perpetrators were often staff. CMS can’t readily access this information, which it could use to improve its oversight by focusing on the most prevalent problems. Our recommendations address this and other issues we found.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Old Age Wealth 6 mins – “Income and wealth inequality in the United States have increased over the last several decades. We looked at whether these trends continue for older Americans as they age. We compared income and wealth for all older households from 1989 through 2016 and found households in the top 20% saw disproportionately greater gains than other households. We also looked at income and wealth for a group of older Americans as they aged. We found disparities in income decreased, possibly due to the transition from working to retirement. Disparities in wealth increased, perhaps because of significant differences in the size of some assets, such as home equity.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Parkinson’s and Exercise P2 27 mins – “Can exercise help people living with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative condition, with symptoms such as loss of balance, difficulty walking and stiffness in the arms and legs. Jane Hill travels to the Netherlands to meet Mariëtte Robijn and Wim Rozenberg, coaches at Rock Steady Boxing Het Gooi and co-founders of ParkinsonSport.nl, a unique sports club ran 100% by and for people with Parkinson’s. It doesn’t take long before a transformation begins to take place in the gym. Boxing is popular in the US as well, says Professor Lisa Shulman, Director of the Parkinson’s Centre at the University of Maryland. She has been encouraging her patients to exercise for the last 25 years. Results from over 200 studies suggest that exercise is a good way to empower people as well as having physical benefits such as delaying disability. In Ghana many people receive a late diagnosis. Sheila Klufio a physiotherapist at Korle Bu Hospital in Accra works with people to help them deal with some of the more common symptoms such as freezing when walking so they feel more confident to go out. And it seems all types of exercise can help, Alan Alda and Michael J Fox both box, ballet dancing is popular, walking, cycling and Tai Chi have benefits and it’s never too late to start.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Parkinson’s Research P3 27 mins – “James Parkinson described a condition known as the “shaking palsy” over 200 years ago. Today there are many things that scientists still don’t understand explaining why diagnosis, halting the progression or finding a cure for Parkinson’s can seem elusive. But how close are researchers to developing better treatments? Better understanding seems to suggest that Parkinson’s is not one condition but several, with different causes and symptoms in different people. Many researchers think that early diagnosis and greater recognition of the non motor symptoms such as loss of smell, sleep disorders and depression is to be encouraged, while others say without effective treatments then there are ethical issues to consider. Jane visits a brain bank and sees the changes in a Parkinson’s brain that causes many of the symptoms and she takes a test which examines the sense of smell. Could this be a new tool to identify early stages of the condition? Plus repurposing of existing drugs, i.e. drugs that have been developed for one condition but being tested in another are having promising results in Parkinson’s and genetic studies are leading to a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in PD which in turn is leading to new therapies.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Persuasive Psychology 58 mins – “How good are you at limiting your screen time? Because of the way humans evolved, our brains are no match for the engineers, designers and companies that collectively create the devices and apps that demand our attention all day long, according to technology ethicist Tristan Harris. A former tech entrepreneur himself, Harris is now co-founder of Time Well Spent, a nonprofit movement to create an ecosystem that aligns technology with our humanity.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Plastic Pollution 27 mins – “A Professor of Marine Biology who was not particularly academic at school, Richard Thompson went to university after running his own business selling greetings cards for seven years. When the rest of the world was waking up to the harm caused to marine life by larger plastic items, such as plastic bags, he searched for tiny fragments of plastic, some no bigger than a human hair; and found them in oceans and on beaches all over the world. He has spent decades studying the harm these micro-plastics might cause to marine life and is concerned. His work on plastics in cosmetics led to a UK ban on micro-beads in shower gels and exfoliating scrubs. And he advised government to ban single use plastic bags from supermarkets. Rather than demonize plastic, however, he believes we need to learn to love it more. Often plastic it is the best material for the job. Now we need to make sure that all plastic products are designed so that they can be easily recycled at the end of their useful life.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Prison Life 33 mins – “Sleep, soundtracks and signing in prison — the Ear Hustle crew tackles questions from listeners about these topics and more, in this season’s “Catch a Kite” episode. Plus, we’ll share some of our favorite listener-generated Ear Hustle theme remixes. Spoiler alert: harps ahead. Big thanks to Tommy Wickerd, Angel Villafan, Jesse Ayers, Timothy Hicks, Juan Haines, Chapple & Tracy Sims, and Ray & Bertha Ford for helping us answer the excellent questions asked by listeners Mollie, Karen, Eddie, Neil, Valerie and Magi. Thanks also to Karen Kitto, Cynabel, Lynda MacNeil, KidMental, Anthony Barilla and Rudy Van for stepping up and remixing our theme song. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Rhashiyd Zinnamon and contributing listeners. Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode.” At the link right-click the down-pointing arrow and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Prodigy Rapper 39 mins – “Prodigy is supposed to fly back home right after a show in Vegas, but he never gets on the plane. As the world of hip hop mourns, there are still questions surrounding his death. We try to find answers, and go inside Prodigy’s memorial service to say goodbye to a rap icon.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Public School Financing 37 mins – “Paul Dorr is a master of tactics to defeat referendums intended to finance public schools. He believes schools run by government steer kids away from Christianity. His campaigns — most of them in the Midwest — have also created lingering bitterness within communities.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Rapper in Prison 29 mins – “It’s The Alchemist’s birthday, but thanks to the NYPD’s “Rap Intelligence Unit,” he and Prodigy are forced to celebrate in a jail cell, and soon after, P is headed upstate. But even Prodigy says prison changed him for the better.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Reading Problems 42 mins – “APM Reports correspondent Emily Hanford started wondering about how kids learn to read a few years ago while she was reporting on the large number of college students who aren’t academically ready. She was surprised to learn that 40 percent of college students have to take remedial or developmental classes before they even get into a college-level class. Many of the students she talked with told her they had dyslexia, but it had gone unaddressed for years. “Dyslexia opened up this Pandora’s box about reading that’s kept me going now for the better part of the last three years,” Hanford says. Emily Hanford – She’s since produced three audio documentaries about the way reading is taught in schools, including one about dyslexia, one about why so many kids in the U.S. struggle to read and one about a flawed idea in reading instruction that’s taken hold in many classrooms. Hanford’s documentaries have ignited a national conversation about how schools teach reading. We asked readers and listeners to send in questions so we could talk with Emily about her reporting on the reading science, what’s being taught in classrooms and what’s next. If you’re interested in learning more about the science of reading, Hanford recommends Ending the Reading Wars: From Novice to Expert as well as What Research Tells Us About Reading Instruction. In this episode, she mentions a report by Australian researcher Kevin Wheldall on the efficacy of some instructional reading programs and whether they are “conceptually consistent.” You can read the full report by Wheldall here. For more, check out the resources page for our documentaries Hard to Read and Hard Words. Also, be sure to check out the footnotes with links embedded in the web story of At a Loss for Words.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Reading Problems 52 mins – “For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don’t know there’s anything wrong with it.” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy is included in this blog archive.
Reading to Children 48 mins – “How many of us – parents and guardians – read out loud to our children? Reading charity The Book Trust has revealed that more than a quarter of parents are increasingly reliant on apps and devices to tell their children a bedtime story, so they don’t have to. And the National Literacy Trust, who work with schools and communities to give disadvantaged children the literacy skills to succeed in life, say more than 380,000 children across the UK don’t actually own a book. So is it a parent’s duty to read to their kids? Comedian and actor Ben Miller, author of children’s book ‘The Boy Who Made The World Disappear’, joins 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake to find out” At the link you can listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Resuscitation Issues 35 mins – “As a critical care doctor, Jessica Zitter has seen plenty of “Hail Mary” attempts to save dying patients go bad—attempts where doctors try interventions that don’t change the outcome, but do lead to more patient suffering. It’s left her distrustful of flashy medical technology and a culture that insists that more treatment is always better. But when a new patient goes into cardiac arrest, the case doesn’t play out the way Jessica expected. She finds herself fighting for hours to revive him—and reaching for a game-changing technology that uncomfortably blurs the lines between life and death.” At the link you may listen, but not download; however, a copy of the podcast is included in this blog archive.
Stillness Is the Key 82 mins – “Ryan Holiday talks about his latest book, Stillness Is the Key, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Holiday explores how stillness–the cultivation of serenity and focus–can affect how we live and how we perceive life. Topics discussed include the performance artist Marina Abramovic, Winnie the Pooh, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech. Holiday also explains how he keeps track of information and how his system makes it easier for him to write his books.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Uganda Civil War 50 mins – “Alan Kasujja tells the story of the guerilla war in Uganda which began nearly 40 years ago and led to the current President Yoweri Museveni taking power. After the fall of Idi Amin there was a power vacuum in Uganda which led up to a general election. The former President Milton Obote returned from exile and was declared the winner. But amidst accusations of gerrymandering and intimidation, opposition groups claimed the 1980 election had been rigged. A young politician, Yoweri Museveni, had promised to fight an armed uprising in the bush if Obote won, and in 1981 he began a protracted guerrilla war.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu.
Veterans Benefits 4 mins – “Wartime veterans with limited means age 65 or older and veterans with certain disabilities are eligible for VA’s pension benefit. Those who need help with daily activities, such as bathing, may receive higher payments. These veterans, with an average age over 80, are among the most vulnerable to financial exploitation. Scams that target them include selling bad investment advice and charges for services that should be free. VA does not centrally collect and analyze information, such as complaints made against companies, that could help counter these scams and help law enforcement. We made 4 recommendations, including that VA collect this information.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
Wildfire Disasters 6 mins – “In 2017 and 2018, wildfires in California killed 159 people and destroyed more than 32,000 structures, including many homes. In response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency put about $2 billion toward housing, debris removal, and other assistance. According to state and local officials, FEMA’s assistance helped their recovery efforts. For example, FEMA set up centers that helped survivors find services. Officials also reported challenges, such as removing debris after large-scale fires. FEMA reviewed its performance but could more broadly assess how its policies and procedures work for large-scale fires. We recommended such an assessment. The Tubbs Fire destroyed homes in Santa Rosa, California, in October 2017” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As” from the pop-up menu. PDF’s are also available at the link.
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Media Mining Digest 