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
Remembering Mom And Dad’s Record Collection (Wednesday, June 06, 2012) — If you grew up with parents who love music, chances are you raided their record collection at some point. What did you find? Was there an artist or album or song that shaped your tastes in music today, or something you still carry around with you years later? On this edition of All Songs Considered, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton reflect on their own parents’ record collections and share stories from NPR Music listeners. Throughout the summer, All Things Considered is asking people to share memories of their mom and dad’s record collections, via the comments section or on the All Songs Considered blog.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, June 08, 2012) — This week, Richard Ford discusses his new novel, Canada; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; Mark Hyman talks about the rising cost of youth sports; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
The First Lady Cultivates ‘American Grown’ Gardening (Monday, June 04, 2012) — The First Lady Cultivates American Grown Gardening, 2) Libraries Grapple With The Downside Of E-Books 3) A Portrait Of The Cartoonist And Her Mother 4) I Am The Cheese: A Nightmarish Nail-Biter 5) Cowslips To Kingcups: Finding Joy In The Garden
History, Heartbreak and How A Daily Show Writer Grew Up Funny (Monday, June 04, 2012) — Stories in this episode: 1) Lessons In Counterterrorism From The Octopus, 2) History, Heartbreak And The Chemistry Of Tears, 3) Three Pilgrimages To Gain A Sense Of Direction, 4) In One Person: A Tangled Gender-Bender, 5) How A Daily Show Writer Grew Up Funny
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
How do stabilizer bars work? (Friday, June 08, 2012) — Stabilizer bars are designed to keep your car from rolling when you make sharp turns. Learn more about how these bars work in this episode of BrainStuff.
How does disk defragmentation work? (Wednesday, June 06, 2012) — The term ‘disk defrag’ usually refers to the Windows utility known as the disk defragmenter. But what exactly is this thing, and how does it work? Tune in as Marshall Brain explains disk defragmentation in this podcast.
Is it true that a diesel engine can operate underwater? (Monday, June 04, 2012) — Under certain circumstances, diesel engines can operate while submerged in water. Find out what it takes to waterproof an engine — and why diesel engines are better candidates than their gasoline counterparts — in this episode of BrainStuff.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Glacier National Park, Montana (Friday, June 08, 2012) — Why is this park called a best-kept secret? What makes it so beautiful? Why do you need to see it sooner rather than later? Join Kathryn and Sara as they explore one of the most unique parks in the United States.
Culturetopia from NPR
Pop Culture Happy Hour: An Exploration Of Strange Creatures (Friday, June 08, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes talks with Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon and Trey Graham about all different kinds of aliens — how they differ, how dangerous they are, and what we’re really talking about when we talk about them. From Prometheus and the Alien franchise and District 9 to Marvin the Martian, Star Wars and even Alf. Then, the gang talks about some examples of things they like outside the usual realms of tastes. All that plus, What’s Making Us Happy.
Film Junk
Episode 371: Moonrise Kingdom (Monday, June 04, 2012) — We march to the beat of Moonrise Kingdom and discuss the possibility of The Expendables on TV, plus Snow White and the Huntsman, The Quick and the Dead, Contraband, I Shot Jesse James and more.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Cliffhangers, Yes or No? (Wednesday, June 06, 2012) — Is this really a valid way to keep an audience interested, or is it just lazy writing? From old-school cinema serials to modern day season enders, PopStuff takes a look at the pros and cons of the now-common “To be continued…” phenomenon.
Internet, You So Crazy (Monday, June 04, 2012) — We all know the Internet is awash with garbage, but there are also some hilarious and creative gems floating around the ether. When Tracy and Holly separate the wheat from the chaff, what Web memes and other delights do they fall in love with?
Science Talk from Scientific American
The Transit of Venus, Part 2 (Thursday, May 31, 2012) — Mark Anderson, author of the book The Day The World Discovered the Sun, talks about the transit of Venus coming up on June 5th or 6th in different parts of the world and how it will be of use to astronomers searching for exoplanets
The Transit of Venus, Part 1 (Wednesday, May 30, 2012) — With a transit of Venus coming up on June 5th or 6th in different parts of the world, Mark Anderson, author of the book The Day The World Discovered the Sun, talks about the great efforts to track the transits of Venus in the 1760s and the science they would produce.
Virus Victors: People Who Control HIV (Tuesday, May 29, 2012) — Bruce Walker, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, M.I.T. and Harvard, talks about his article in the July issue of Scientific American magazine called “Controlling HIV,” about rare individuals who never develop AIDS after being infected by the virus.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions with Screaming Females (Sunday, June 03, 2012) — The aptly named punk trio Screaming Females visit the studio. Plus Jim and Greg explore Alan Lomax’s online archive of roots music.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
The Sound Aquatic (Thursday, June 07, 2012) — Underwater operas? Submerged speaker systems? Mysterious deep sea noises and the monsters who make them? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the rich world of underwater sound.
Asteroid Gold Rush (Tuesday, June 05, 2012) — Is there really gold in them there asteroids? Yes, and one private space company already has a three-step plan to suck them dry. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the near and long-term future of asteroid mining.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Nikola Tesla and the War of the Currents, Part 2 (Wednesday, June 06, 2012) — By 1887, Nikola Tesla secured seven patents for components of his alternating current system. In 1888, George Westinghouse offered to hire Tesla to develop the AC system, and that’s when the Current War really got underway. Part 1 of this episode is available here.
Laura Bridgman’s Education (Monday, June 04, 2012) — Laura Bridgman was the first deaf-blind person to be educated — a feat accomplished by Samuel Gridley Howe in the 1830s. People from around the world came to see her, including Charles Dickens, who wrote about her in his “American Travels.”
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Fractals: Whoa (Thursday, June 07, 2012) — In the 1980s, IBM mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot gazed for the first time upon his famous fractal. What resulted was a revolution in math and geometry and our understanding of the infinite, not to mention how we see Star Trek II.
How Moss Works (Tuesday, June 05, 2012) — Think you have moss figured out? You probably don’t. Join Josh and Chuck as they explore some of the surprising aspects of these most ancient and important plants on the planet.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Shorts: Grumpy Old Terrorists (Monday, June 04, 2012) — While working on The Bad Show, producer Pat Walters ran across some recordings that spooked him–partly because they seemed like they had to be a big joke…and partly because, at the same time, they sounded so deadly serious. In this short, Jad & Robert try to decide how to feel.