A Podcast Playlist for 23 July 2011

The Economist
Saving the euro
Markets may have rallied, but the latest deal still doesn't get Europe out of the woods, say our correspondents
(review, feed)

BBC History magazine
BBC History Magazine - 22nd July 2011
George Bernard describes the reign of Henry VIII and Justin Champion talks Thomas Hobbes. To find out more, visit www.historyextra.com
(review, feed)

Social Innovation Conversations
Dr. David Shern & Fr. Larry Snyder - The Role of the Voluntary Sector in the Era of Health Reform
Despite falling to number 49 on the list of countries ranked by life expectancy, the United States still spends roughly twice as much on health care per capita as other top-ranked nations. In this panel discussion, Dr. David Shern and Father Larry Snyder discuss the role of the voluntary sector in this period of necessary reform, and what their organizations specifically are doing to improve the quality of American lives.
(review, feed)

Book Review
Janet Reitman's "Inside Scientology" and Adam Ross on His New Story collection, "Ladies and Gentlemen"
This week, Janet Reitman discusses her new book, "Inside Scientology"; Adam Ross describes the inspiration for his story collection, "Ladies and Gentlemen"; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
(review, feed)

Ciencia y Genios
La herencia y el sabio hortelano. Gregor Mendel.
El 8 de febrero de 1865, el monje agustino Gregor Mendel presentaba la primera parte de sus investigaciones ante sus colegas de la Sociedad de Historia Natural de Brünn (ahora Brno, en la República Checa). Su trabajo titulado Experimentos en la hibridación de las plantas sembró las bases del conocimiento actual sobre la herencia genética.
(review, feed)

New Books in Russia and Eurasian Studies
Lewis Siegelbaum, “Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile”
A recent editorial in the Moscow Times declared that in Moscow “the car is king.” Indeed, one word Muscovites constantly mutter is probka (traffic jam). The boom in car ownership is transforming Russian life itself, and for some not necessarily for the better. “The joy of personal mobility — that is, automobile ownership — has completely eclipsed the value of community life. But the joy of car ownership has long ceased being a joy and has instead become a burden, with traffic jams causing frequent delays, smog and even clogged sidewalks. We have created an environment that is environmentally, socially and economically harmful.”
(review, feed)

A Podcast Playlist for 22 July 2011

The Economist
Abhijit Banerjee on poverty
The professor of economics at MIT shares his radical ideas for fighting global poverty
(review, feed)

KQED's Forum
Egypt Update
It's been six months since protesters took to the streets in Egypt's Arab Spring. Although the country is considered a model for other nations in the region, a new wave of protests has erupted -- and the success of the revolution is in question.
(review, feed)

WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show
Who or Whom?
Today Patricia T. O'Conner was on the Lopate Show to talk about language and grammar and to answer listener questions on the topic, and Natalie from Westchester called to shared a trick she uses to figure out when to use "who" and when to use "whom" in a sentence. She explained: If you would answer the question with "he" or "she," you should ask the question with "who." And if you would answer with "him" or "her," you should ask the question with "whom." Which means "Whom does this shirt belong to?" is correct because the answer would be "It belongs to him (or her)." You would ask "Who is going uptown on the A train?" because the answer is "She (or he) is going uptown on the A train." Knowing the difference between who and whom confuses many people, and this is the simplest trick for figuring it out that I've ever come across. Thanks, Natalie from Westchester!
(review, feed)

ITV Tour de France Podcast
ITV TDF Stage 18 2011
One of the great stages in the Tour's history saw Andy Schleck ride away from the peloton and up the Col du Galibier to win Stage 18 and close to within 15 seconds of the yellow jersey
(review, feed)

A Podcast Playlist for 21 July 2011

The China History Podcast
Daoism - Part 1
In this week's episode Laszlo tackles Daoism, a philosophy, a religion and way of life that everyone has heard about but not everyone learned the backstory. This time we look at the history and the times that spawned this most fertile of philosophies. In later episodes we’ll dig a little deeper and look more at the religion and the philosophy.
(review, feed)

Scientific American Podcast
Nobel Laureate Peter Agre: From Aquaporins to Lutefisk
Peter Agre, 2003 Chemistry Nobel laureate for his work on aquaporins, the proteins that allow water into and out of cells, talks about his research, his upbringing and why he almost ran for the Senate, in a conversation recorded at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany
(review, feed)

Thinking Allowed
Privacy & Parenting by Mobile Phone
Why do we feel it so keenly when our privacy gets invaded? Christena Nippert-Eng talks about her new study of secrets and their betrayal. Also, Mirca Madianou on migrant Fillipina workers parenting their children by mobile phone.
(review, feed)

A Short History of Japan
You Bloody Ingrates; The Onin War and Revolting Peasants
The Ashikaga Shogunate stumbled and staggered through the 1400s. The Onin War (1466-1477)exemplifies so many of the changes, both positive and negative, that Japan went through. The provinces saw a rise in local military independence, the peasants’ life improved dramatically and the seemingly apathetic Shogun Yoshimasa wrote poetry as the capital burnt to the ground in an orgy of drunken violence.
(review, feed)

A Podcast Playlist for 20 July 2011

Omega Tau Podcast
Oracle Racing’s USA 17
This episode is a conversation with Mike Drummond, the Executive Designer for OracleRacing. We talk about the USA 17 yacht which won the 33rd America’s Cup. We talk about the characteristics of the boat, the design process and how the boat is driven during a race.
(review, feed)

History According to Bob
History of Tea drinking part 2
This show is part 2 of 3 on the history of tea drinking.
(review, feed)

Elucidations
Robert Stalnaker discusses conversational context
In this episode, Robert Stalnaker draws a distinction between two different meanings of the word 'context,' then explores some of its philosophical ramifications.
(review, feed)

ITV Tour de France Podcast
TDF Stage 16 2011
There was more Thor to marvel at on the road to Gap, and talking of gaps.....let the boys reveal all.
(review, feed)

A Podcast Playlist for 19 July 2011

Inspired Minds
John Malkovich - Actor, Director, Designer
Over the last 25 years, John Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures including, "Empire of the Sun," "The Killing Fields," "Dangerous Liaisons" and of course "Being John Mailkovich. " But it is about his role as a fashion designer, that he talks to Breandáin O'Shea in this week's Inspired Minds.
(review, feed)

New Books In History
Anthony Penna, “The Human Footprint: A Global Environmental History”
One of the most disturbing insights made by practitioners of “Big History” is that the distinction between geologic time and human time has collapsed in our era. The forces that drove geologic time–plate tectonics, the orientation of the Earth’s axis relative to the sun, volcanic activity–were distinct from the forces that drove human time–evolution, technological change, population growth. To be sure, they interacted. But the causal arrow always went from geologic change to human change. As Anthony Penna rightly points out in The Human Footprint: A Global Environmental History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), the causal arrow now goes in both directions.
(review, feed)

New Books in African American Studies
Deborah Whaley, “Disciplining Women: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Black Counterpublics, and the Cultural Politics of Black Sororities”
Deborah Whaley’s new book Disciplining Women: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Black Counterpublics, and the Cultural Politics of Black Sororities (SUNY Press, 2010) may be the first full-length study of a Black Greek-Letter Organization (BGLO) written by a non-BGLO member. But that’s not the only reason to read her book. Whaley takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study, which includes a personal rumination on her family’s relation to BGLO’s, interviews with sorority sisters, ethnographic participant observations, and literary and film analyses. Her foray into popular black culture is enriched by deep critical engagement with such texts as Spike Lee’s canonical film “School Daze” and the recent cinematic representation of Black Greek life “Stomp the Yard.” Whaley takes her subject matter seriously, but not so much so that her book lacks wit and charm. Indeed, her prose is just as pleasant, inviting, and engaging as she is in the interview. Check it out.
(review, feed)

The Partially Examined Life
Pat Churchland on the Neurobiology of Morality (Plus Hume’s Ethics)
What does the physiology of the brain have to do with ethics? What bearing do facts have on values? Churchland thinks that while Hume is (famously) correct in saying that you can’t deduce “ought” from “is,” the fact that we have moral sentiments is certainly relevant to figuring out what our ethical positions should be, and it’s her main goal to figure out what the mechanisms behind those moral sentiments are: What brain parts and processes are involved? How and when did these evolve? How did cultural factors come into play, building on top of our biological capacity to care for others?
(review, feed)

Mahabharata Podcast
Kurukshetra, Days 3 & 4
Episode 64 - The third and fourth days of the great war. It seems like the tide may be turning somewhat, since both days of fighting were dominated by Arjun and Bhimasena. Despite having the honor of receiving Krishna's teaching firsthand, Arjun still seems to be holding back somewhat. His lassitude gets so bad that Krishna finally gets annoyed with him, and takes matters in his own hands.
(review, feed)

A Podcast Playlist for 18 July 2011

Philosophy Bites
Peter Singer on Henry Sidgwick's Ethics
Henry Sidgwick, who died in 1900, is something of a philosophers' philosopher. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Peter Singer explains why he thinks this late Victorian Englishman is so important for the utilitarian tradition and why is ideas continue to have relevance. Philosophy Bites is made in assocation with the Institute of Philosophy
(review, feed)

Russian Rulers History Podcast
The Misery is Beyond Description
Nicholas I, keeps his reactionary position intact which causes Russia to lose the Crimean War, with the army suffering horrible losses.
(review, feed)

Ideas
The Hurried Child
Buying achievement. Rigid regimens. As a society, we are keeping children busy with the business of childhood. Tutoring and computer centers for children are a booming business, and have become America's top franchise of the decade. A new age of anxiety has invaded childhood. IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell examines the costs and consequences of the hurried child.
(review, feed)

EconTalk
Taylor on Fiscal and Monetary Policy
John Taylor of Stanford University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the state of the economy and the prospects for recovery. Taylor argues that the design of the fiscal stimulus was ineffective and monetary policy, so-called quantitative easing, has also failed to improve matters. He argues for a return to fiscal, monetary, and regulatory normalcy as the best hope for economic improvement. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the impact of the current crisis on economics education.
(review, feed)