It’s Podcast Friday! Each week we’ll compile some of the more interesting podcasts from around the web and list them right here for your listening pleasure!
This page features the Yahoo! WebPlayer, an easy way to bring audio and video into a website. All the podcasts listed below will open and play in the WebPlayer automatically. Cool!
Bits: Tech Talk from The New York Times
Photo Play and Power Shopping (November 30, 2011) — Steve Lohr of the Times discusses new tools that can detect excessive retouching to digital photos and Patrick Carter of Digital Folio explains how his company’s price-comparison application works.
Book Review from The New York Times
A biography of Vincent Van Gogh and the Big City Book Club (November 23, 2011) — This week, Deborah Soloman on a new biography of Vincent Van Gogh; Ginia Bellafante on the latest selection of the Big City Book Club; the Times’s national legal correspondent, John Schwartz explains his preference for audiobooks; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Brain Stuff
How do CD-R discs work? (November 30, 2011) — Unlike a regular CD, a CD-R has a special dye layer that allows you to imprint data on it. Discover the mechanics of CD-R discs in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Is the sound on vinyl records better than on CDs? (November 28, 2011) — The sound quality of vinyl records is sometimes better than that of CDs and DVDs — and sometimes worse. Learn more about the difference between the sound quality of records, CDs and DVDs in this episode.
Culturetopia from NPR
Culturetopia: Movie Movie Edition (November 30, 2011) — This (Movie) Week on Culturetopia: Making “My Week With Marilyn”; working sans sound in “The Artist”; a beauty queen caught in the drug trade in a new film from Mexico; holiday treats from Hollywood; Susan Stamberg visits The Muppets.
Music Popcast from The New York Times
Box Set Deluge (November 23, 2011) Box set deluge: Ben Ratliff and Jon Caramanica listen to and discuss some of the season’s most notable reissues.
NOVA on PBS
Sexual Cannibalism (November 29, 2011) — In this podcast, biologist Maydianne Andrade explains that sexual cannibalism-a gruesome mating behavior shown of Redback Spiders-is a prime example of how evolution works.
PopStuff
Thinking about Ink (November 30, 2011) — It’s an art, it’s a form of self expression and it also can be painful. Tracy and Holly discuss the fascinating world of tattoos, Tracy’s maybe possible secret ink and why Holly’s still too chicken to go under the needle.
Zombies: Why did it have to be Zombies? (November 28, 2011) — The undead are all the rage. No longer relegated to cult films, they’ve now got their own shows, merchandise and even 5k races. Tracy and Holly wonder what’s behind the zombie craze, and how long it will last.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind
The Hashtag Heard Round the World (December 01, 2011) — Waves of protest continue across the globe, but modern protesters benefit from social media technology. In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss history’s largest protests, the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street and the future of protest.
Why do we protest? (November 29, 2011) — Humans rarely seem to agree, but when we do the results can be staggering. How does the phenomenon called protesting actually work? In this episode, Robert and Julie examine the world of protest and share a few tips for surviving your next rally.
Stuff You Missed in History Class
The Empress of Austria and Her Cult of Beauty (November 30, 2011) — Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sissi, is often considered the public’s “favorite” member of the Habsburgs. She only reluctantly carried out her duties, but her murder created an outcry across Europe — and the story doesn’t end there.
Mug Shot! Alphonse Bertillon and Criminal Identification (November 28, 2011) — In the 19th century, Alphonse Bertillon standardized the mug shot and came up with a system of organizing police records; he also conceived a new way of identifying people. Tune in to learn more about the rise — and fall — of Bertillon’s system.
Stuff You Should Know
What Made The Donkey and the Elephant Political? (December 1, 2011)
Cash, Debit or Credit: Which Is Best (November 29, 2011)