Heads-up for 15 September 2010

The China History Podcast
The Shang Dynasty
This week in part two of our dynasty overview, we examine the Shang Dynasty 1600BC to 1046BC. Chinese characters make their appearance for the first time. Artisans cast the most beautiful bronzes. Many consider this China's first real dynasty.
(review, feed)

Scientific American Podcast aka Science Talk
The End: Death, Endings and Things That Should End
Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina and issue editor Michael Moyer talk with podcast host Steve Mirsky about the September single-topic issue of Scientific American--endings in science. Plus, we test your knowledge of some recent science in the news
(review, feed)

Rear Vision
The Red Cross
The large number of wars, conflicts and more recently natural disasters means the International Committee of the Red Cross is still busy helping the wounded and the lost almost 150 years since it was formed.
(review, feed)

History 5 Fall 2010 (Berkeley) by Thomas Laqueur
Lecture 6: Cultural Diversity in Early Modern Europe
The reformation creates cultural diversity. A self conscious elite culture is created that will come to define itself against a popular culture which will become an object of study, admiration, or disgust.
(review, feed)

A History of the World in 100 Objects (BBC)
073 Inca Gold Llama
A simple, gold sculpture of a llama. Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum examines the animal that helped fuel the success of the great Inca Empire, which ruled over some 12 million people along the Pacific West Coast of America. He tells the story of the Inca, their culture and religion, as well as what happened to them when the Spanish arrived.
(review, feed)

Neuropod

Here is a quick review of the science podcast NeuroPod. Neuropod is a neuroscience podcast from Nature, produced in association with the Dana Foundation. Each month it brings about half an hour of news and updates in the field. (feed) This varies from research updates, to theory, to the history of the field.

What brought me to the podcast was the announcement that the September issue would have a major item about William James, the American philosopher who is here acclaimed as to be the founder of psychology. This was indeed an interesting listen and it is recommended to take it in conjunction with the In Our Times issue about William James.

I have already noticed when following psychology podcasts such as Shrink Rap Radio that psychology is closely looking at neuroscience. It is interesting to see that in turn neuroscience, or at least the podcast, is also acknowledging its connection to psychology.