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
Guest DJ Patti Smith (Tuesday, June 19, 2012) — On this edition of All Songs Considered, poet and singer Patti Smith joins host Bob Boilen to talk about her musical passions, including doing fancy dance steps with her siblings in South Jersey. She talks about meeting Jimi Hendrix as a young journalist and later recording in his dream studio Electric Lady Studios, where she and her band made their latest album, Banga. As Bob and Patti play songs from the album, she talks about what influenced Banga, why she loves singing and playing Neil Young’s songs, and what inspired her to write songs as disparate as a prayer to the Japanese people and Amy Winehouse.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, June 22, 2012) — This week, Linda Hirshman talks about Victory, her history of the gay rights movement; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; Lawrence Downes discusses the android Philip K. Dick; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
Food Trucks, Audio Books and Three Books That Should Be Movies (Thursday, June 14, 2012) — Stories in this episode: 1) Book Party For One: A Loner’s Summer Survival Guide, 2) Audiobooks That’ll Make The Family Road Trip Fly By, 3) What Animals Can Teach Humans About Healing, 4) Screen Time: 3 Books That Should Be Movies, 5) Food Truck Cookbook Tracks Best Meals Served On Wheels
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Do Power Balance Wristbands really work? (Friday, June 22, 2012) — Do Power Balance Wristbands really work? Find out in this BrainStuff podcast by Marshall Brain.
What does it mean when a car has dual overhead cams? (Wednesday, June 20, 2012) — A camshaft plays an integral role in the functioning of an engine. And dual overhead cams ramp up a machine’s performance even more. Find out how dual overhead camshafts work in this episode.
How do cats purr? (Monday, June 18, 2012) — Cats tend to purr when they’re happy, but pleasure isn’t the only reason for this behavior. And they aren’t the only animals who purr. Find out why and how cats and other animals purr in this episode of BrainStuff.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Sedona: Spiritual mecca of the Southwest (Friday, June 22, 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
Of True Tales, Fantasy Adventures And Happy-Making Things (Friday, June 22, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, with fearless leader Linda Holmes pounding the pavement at the annual Silverdocs documentary extravaganza, the rest of the PCHH gang (Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Barrie Hardymon) chat about some of their own favorite nonfiction feature films — true tales of obsessions, outrages and tragedies, as well as a few fun docs as well. Then a look at videogames past and present. All that plus What’s Making Us Happy this week.
Film Junk
Episode 373: Cosmopolis and Piranha 3DD (Monday, June 18, 2012) — We ride with Robert P. in Cosmopolis and throw Piranha 3DD to the sharks, plus we also discuss Rock of Ages, That’s My Boy, and the Lethal Weapon collection.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
PopStuff Goes to E3 (Wednesday, June 20, 2012) — Holly recently returned from the Electronics Entertainment Expo, and Tracy’s ready to grill her about all the things she saw. From Oswald hats to the latest from the Star Wars franchise, we’re ready to rehash. Buckle up and grab your S.M.A.R.T. gun!
Pixar’s Lady Business (Monday, June 18, 2012) — Until Brave, Pixar made movies with heart, but no female lead characters. How can it be that such a creative collective struggles with telling stories from a female perspective? Will Pixar give girls more screen time after Merida’s big debut?
Science Talk from Scientific American
Super-Earths: Bigger and Maybe Better (Thursday, June 21, 2012) — Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and the founder and director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative, talks about his new book The Life of Super-Earths: How the Hunt for Alien Worlds and Artificial Cells Will Revolutionize Life on Our Planet.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions on the Career of Willie Nelson (Sunday, June 17, 2012) — On the occasion of Willie Nelson’s 66th studio release, Jim and Greg review the American icon’s wide-ranging career with Texas music authority Joe Nick Patoski. Plus Spin writer David Bevan gives us the scoop on South Korea’s latest sugar-sweet export, K-Pop.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
The Science of Prometheus (Thursday, June 21, 2012) — In this episode, Robert and Julie suit up and venture into the dark and Gigery heart of Prometheus. They’ll examine the film’s futuristic science as well as some of its themes. And fear not! You’ll only encounter spoilers after the commercial break.
Fiction: Reality’s Secret Master (Tuesday, June 19, 2012) — Don’t underestimate the power of the storyteller. His tale may begin with whimsy, but by the end of it he’ll have changed the world you live in. He might even change who you are. In this episode, Julie and Robert examine fiction’s effect on reality.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Who wore the Pink Triangle? (Wednesday, June 20, 2012) — When Hitler came to power in Germany, gays and lesbians were continually persecuted. Soon, homosexual men also faced prison time. Thousands were eventually arrested, and many wound up in concentration camps, where they were labeled with pink triangles.
John James Audubon: American Woodsman, Part 1 (Monday, June 18, 2012) — Though John James Audubon was the son of a French planter, he cultivated the image of an American frontiersman. In this episode, New York Public Library curator Michael Inman joins us for a discussion of Audubon’s early life.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
10 Accidental Inventions: By the Numbers (Thursday, June 21, 2012) — Every once in a while Chuck and Josh do things by the numbers and here’s a good example. Turns out a surprising amount of ubiquitous items in our everyday lives were stumbled upon by accident. This episode explores a few of the more noteworthy ones.
How Icebergs Work (Very Cool) (Tuesday, June 19, 2012) — Icebergs: floating chunks of ice. True, but whoa there. Scientists are learning that there’s a lot more to icebergs. Appropriately enough, we’ve only come to understand the tip of the iceberg and recent research shows there’s plenty more to uncover.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Shorts: Unraveling Bolero (Monday, June 18, 2012) — In this podcast, a story about obsession, creativity, and a strange symmetry between a biologist and a composer that revolves around one famously repetitive piece of music.