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
Electronic Edition: Burial, The 2 Bears, VCMG, And More (February 15, 2012) — NPR’s Sami Yenigun and Otis Hart are back to talk beats, loops, drops and more with Bob Boilen. The latest Electronic Edition of All Songs Considered includes cuts from the new Grimes album, a surprise EP from Burial, a Burnt Friedman remix of South African dance music and premieres from Claude Von Stroke, Nina Kraviz and VCMG — a collaboration from two former members of Depeche Mode. Also on the show: Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard emerges with the side project The 2 Bears and the mysterious Spanish producer John Talabot unveils his first proper album. Plus, Sami and Otis discuss the homegrown sounds coming out of San Francisco and explain the logic behind limited-edition releases.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (February 09, 2012) — This week, Nicholas Confessore discusses Charles Murray’s provocative new book about white America; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; Francine Prose talks about “At Last” by Edward St. Aubyn; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
Living With Asperger’s, Surviving Slum Life in Mumbai, and more (February 09, 2012) — Stories in this episode: 1) ‘Best Practices’: Learning To Live With Asperger’s; 2) Is White, Working Class America ‘Coming Apart’?; 3) ‘Beautiful Forevers’: Surviving Slum Life In Mumbai; 4) Robert Harris, In ‘Fear’ Of A Financial Frankenstein 5) S’il-Vous-Plait: Raising Your ‘Bebe’ The French Way
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
What is superconductivity? (February 15, 2012) — Superconductive materials have no electrical resistance, but why is superconductivity a big deal? Marshall Brain explains the potential benefits and implications of superconductive materials, as well as how they work, in this episode.
What is a digital signature? (February 13, 2012) — A digital signature is a way to authenticate electronic documents. Find out what ‘authentic’ means in this context — and how encryption is involved in the authentication process — in this episode.
When you have an itch, what’s happening under your skin? (February 09, 2012) — Skin covers our bodies, so it’s very easy for this delicate organ to get irritated. In this episode, Marshall explains why our bodies respond to irritants with an itching sensation — and why we’re programmed to scratch.
Culturetopia from NPR
Culturetopia: The Letter “C” Edition (February 15, 2012) — This Week in Culturetopia: George Clooney; Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux; the new animated film “Chico and Rita”; a new play about colonialism called “The Convert”; modern artist Elizabeth Catlett.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Superheroes, Fried Chickens And Sacred Cows (February 10, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes joins Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon to touch on the Super Bowl, Madonna, Watchmen, Scarlett O’Hara, and … well, just about everything. Plus: the glorious return of a mom we all enjoy. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy this week.
NOVA on PBS
NOVA Minute: How to Speak Walrus (February 08, 2012) — Marine biologist Colleen Reichmuth says that few mammals can match the vocal talents of the walrus.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Road Trips (February 15, 2012) — Get in the car! Why does the thought of hitting the open road conjure up a sense of freedom for some, and dread for others? Tracy and Holly are ready to pack their bags and floor it on an adventure through the rules and thrills of the road trip.
Celebrity Couples (February 13, 2012) — Being famous puts a unique spin on romance, and a level of pressure non-celebs never have to deal with. Beyond nicknames like Brangelina, what is it that fascinates us about the loves of the famous, and which celebrity couples do Tracy and Holly love?
Science Talk from Scientific American
The Coming Entanglement: Bill Joy and Danny Hillis (February 15, 2012) — Digital innovators Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, and Danny Hillis, co-founder of the Long Now Foundation, talk with Scientific American executive editor Fred Guterl about the technological Entanglement and the attempts to build the other, hardier internet.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Absolute Disgust (February 16, 2012) — There’s plenty of stuff in this world to summon your disgust. But why do we feel this way? Is there logic behind repulsion, and if so what is your brain trying to say? In this episode, Robert and Julie enter a world of hacking coughs, dog feces and more.
Monogamy Shamogamy (February 14, 2012) — From black vultures to angler fish, the Earth is home to many monogamous species. Humans, however, don’t quite make the list. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore why humans have a hard time with the concept of monogamy. Are we hard wired to stray?
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning in Love (February 15, 2012) — Robert Browning’s early work wasn’t as well-received as Elizabeth Barrett’s poetry. Yet Barrett mentioned his work in one of her poems, and they started a correspondence that blossomed into love. However, Elizabeth’s father remained an obstacle.
Who was the real Lone Ranger? (February 13, 2012) — The Lone Ranger has traditionally been portrayed by white actors, but many believe this character is based on an African-American named Bass Reeves. A former slave, Reeves became one of the most successful lawmen in U.S. history. Tune in to learn more.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
How Autopsies Work (February 16, 2012) — In the 400th episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck take a trip through the morgue and look over the shoulders of the often controversial coroners and medical examiners that open cadavers to determine how someone died.
How Zero Works (February 14, 2012) — Few numbers have as storied a past as zero. Even fewer have had as great an impact on our ability to understand our universe. Yet zero is a relatively recent arrival in math. Find out all about this surprisingly fascinating number with Chuck and Josh.