Welcome to Podcast Friday!, a weekly compilation of some of the more interesting podcasts from around the web, listed right here for your listening pleasure!
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All Songs Considered from NPR
Premieres From Leonard Cohen, Lower Dens, Lambchop, And Oh, Robin’s Back (January 17, 2012) — To celebrate the return of producer and co-host Robin Hilton, this week’s All Songs Considered is the first proper episode of all-new music this year. On this episode, three guys who have never had trouble cranking out songs — Leonard Cohen, The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt and Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner — unveil cuts from their new albums. Also: a sneak preview from Lower Dens, an under-the-radar band from Baltimore that’s also readying a new release.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (January 13, 2012) — This week, Patricia Cohen discusses her new book about the science of middle age; Alexander Star talks about Friedrich Nietzsche’s impact on American readers; Julie Bosman with notes from the field; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
Hell-Raising Heroines, Diaries Of New Yorkers, more (January 09, 2012) — Stories in this episode: 1) Imprisoned In A Mysterious Mistaken Identity 2) Growing Up Muslim And Midwestern In ‘Dervish’ 3) Hell-Raising Heroines: Three Ladies With Spitfire 4) Diaries’ Reveals New York Through The Ages 5) Left-Handedness: No Longer Suspect; Still A Mystery 6) What’s In Store: 3 Tales Of A Terrifying Future.
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Are all blood types needed for donation? (January 18, 2012) — In this episode, Marshall explains how proteins determine your blood type — and why blood types must match for blood transfusions to be successful.
What is an IP address? (January 16, 2012) — Every computer that’s connected to the Internet has its own unique “address.” Tune in as Marshall explains how IP addresses work ( and how many of them exist) in this episode.
Why can you hear the ocean in a seashell? (January 13, 2012) — There are various theories about why you can hear ocean-like sounds when you hold a seashell up to your ear. Marshall Brain explains what you’re probably hearing in that seashell — and why you don’t need a shell to hear it — in this episode.
Culturetopia from NPR
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Is PBS The Next HBO? Plus Tomorrow’s Rediscoveries (January 13, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Glen Weldon and Stephen Thompson look at PBS and where they might go after the successes of Downton Abbey and Sherlock. Then, who might be rediscovered any day now? These topics, plus What’s Making Us Happy this week.
NOVA on PBS
Archeology in the Deep (January 18, 2012) — Brenden Foley hunts ancient shipwrecks for a living. But he’s not after sunken treasure–he’s after information. Foley is a marine archeologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He’s taking a new approach to the field. Instead of just focusing on a handful of shipwrecks, he wants to take a broad look, finding and cataloging wrecks in the Mediterranean that date to a wide timeframe. In this podcast, he talks to us about his work.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Play it Again, Sam (January 18, 2012) — Do you have a movie that may as well be permanently implanted in your DVD player? Or a game that you have to play over and over? Tracy and Holly share their fave replayables, and discuss what makes some media so very addictive.
Gossip (January 16, 2012) — OMG, did you hear the dirt on Tracy and Holly? Oh, for real – they are totally talking smack about gossip and acting like it’s totally OK to talk about other people. Seriously!
Science Talk from Scientific American
A Second Science Front: Evolution Champions Rise to Climate Science Defense (January 16, 2012) — Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, long the nation’s leading defender of evolution education, discusses the NCSE’s new initiative to help climate science education
Anna Deavere Smith: Let Me Down Easy (January 14, 2012) — Actor, playwright and journalist Anna Deavere Smith talks about the health care crisis and her play about people dealing with illness, health and the health care system, Let Me Down Easy
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
The Science of Arguing (January 19, 2012) — Why do we argue? How much bickering is ego sparring and to what extent our evolutionary heritage involved? Join Julie and Robert as they dive into the science behind arguing, from the argumentative theory of reasoning to the health benefits of squabbling.
The Magic Eight Ball of Your Existence (January 17, 2012) — Imagine a computer model of the entire world, one on which world leaders can test their decisions and gauge the ripple effect of their actions. Is such a simulation possible? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss plans for a Living Earth Simulator.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Fridtjof Nansen and the Fram: Part 2 (January 18, 2012) — Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen was an expert skier, zoologist and artist: By combining these skills, he became one of Norway’s earliest heroes. Listen in as Deblina and Sarah look at the life and times of Fridtjof Nansen in the second part of this episode.
Fridtjof Nansen and the Fram: Part 1 (January 16, 2012) — Fridtjof Nansen was an artist, skier, zoologist and one of Norway’s earliest heroes. The first part of this episode covers his early adventures, while part two covers his humanitarian career. Tune in to learn more about his first major expeditions.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
How Mexican Wrestling Works (January 19, 2012) — Perhaps it’s the colorful masks or the high-flying, rapid-fire acrobatic moves. Whatever it is, there’s something uniquely and particularly entrancing about Mexican wrestling, called lucha libre. Learn more about lucha libre in this episode of SYSK.
Are contrails actually chemtrails? (January 17, 2012) — You know those trails that jets leave in the sky? While science has explained why they happen, plenty of conspiracy theorists believe there’s more to it. Join Josh and Chuck as they channel the guys from Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know in this episode.