Heads-up for 30 November 2010

Africa Past & Present
Popular Politics in Southern Africa
Historian Paul Landau (University of Maryland) on rethinking the broad history of Southern Africa from 1400 to 1948. His new book re-asserts African agency by seeing Africans in motion, coming out of their own past. Drawing on oral traditions, genealogies, 19th-century conversations, and other sources, Landau highlights the resilience of African political cultures and their adeptness at incorporating diverse peoples.
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SALT - Seminars About Long Term Thinking (The Long Now Foundation)
Lera Boroditsky
How Language Shapes Thought
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Wise Counsel Podcast
Monica Ramirez Basco, Ph.D. on Procrastination
Procrastination, defined by putting things off, falling behind, and then feeling badly, is a normal behavior but one that can cause real problems when taken to extremes. It can present as a symptom of depression or anxiety or perfectionism. it's remediation can help create a sense of relief or respite from these other conditions. A first step in addressing problematic procrastination is to raise awareness that procrastination is occurring so that it becomes more of a conscious choice rather than a simple reflex. Next, it is helpful to understand the motivations that cause the behavior, which vary across different people. Some people procrastinate as a simple short-term means of avoiding having to do tasks they find aversive. Others avoid due to social evaluation fears or self-doubt. Others procrastinate due to poor organizational skills and difficulty accurately estimating the time it will take to accomplish a goal. Procrastination can also occur as a practical means of social manipulation (such as when delay in cleaning one's room will cause another to do it for you), or as a result of existential paralysis over not being able to complete tasks with a (self-imposed) required level of skill or quality. Its important to pick a single instance of procrastination to address rather than try to stop the pattern globally. Keeping change goals small and manageable makes it possible to maintain motivation to change and to measure change as it occurs.
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Omega Tau Podcast
/49/ Chip Production and Waferscanners
In this episode we take a look at microchip production, with a special focus on waferscanners. To do this, we talked with Wilbert Albers of ASML, the leading waferscanner manufacturer in the world. In the episode, we talk about the overall chip production process (from silicon sand over wafer cutting to lithography and etching), and then we talk about the challenges of building high-precision, high-throughput waferscanners.
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The Total Football Soccer Show
El Clasico: Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid. Dominación
After the Thanksgiving hiatus, we're back with an Extra Time review of the incredible El Clasico game, in which Barcelona embarrassed Real Madrid 5-0, and shocked those of us (Albert) who expected more from Madrid. The podcast was recorded immediately after watching the game. At time of posting, Albert is yet to satisfy the terms of his bet with Taylor.
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