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
Fall Music Preview 2012 (Thursday, September 20, 2012) — On this week’s show we’ve got a ton of premieres from Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Martha Wainwright, and Ty Braxton, who offers a cool new remix of Philip Glass. Robin and host Bob Boilen are joined by NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson and critic for The Record Ann Powers to talk about some of the many other releases they’re most looking forward to coming out this fall.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, September 21, 2012) — This week, Junot Díaz talks about This Is How You Lose Her; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; Alex Witchel discusses her memoir All Gone; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 09-20-2012 Books (Thursday, September 20, 2012) — Stories This Week: 1) Becoming ‘Anton,’ Or, How Rushdie Survived A Fatwa 2) In ‘Season,’ One Plantation’s Double Murder Mystery 3) Renaissance CSI: Machiavelli-Da Vinci Detective Duo 4) Embracing Diversity In A ‘Multi-Faith World’ 5) A Father’s Decades-Old Bedtime Story Is Back In Print
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
What do those plastic recycling symbols mean? (Friday, September 21, 2012) — A typical recycling symbol on plastic looks like a triangle made of arrows. There are seven different types of plastic indicated by the symbols. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the difference between each of these plastic types.
How does a direct-injection 2-stroke engine work? (Wednesday, September 19, 2012) — In a previous episode, Marshall explained how 4-stroke, direct-injection engines work. In this one, he takes a look at 2-stroke engines that utilize direct injection technology.
How does a Fresnel lens work? (Monday, September 17, 2012) — The thin piece of plastic called a Fresnel lens solves some of the problems inherent in traditional magnifying lenses. Learn more about the benefits and weaknesses of Fresnel lenses in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Robben Island Revisited (Friday, September 21, 2012) — We touched on Robben Island during our visit to Cape Town but there is so much more to cover. The island has been a leper colony, a prison, an insane asylum and is now a World Heritage Site and museum. It’s also full of wildlife, like seals and penguins.
Culturetopia from NPR
Breakup Culture And Fall Television Predictions (Friday, September 21, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon talk about fall television predictions for new shows, including ‘Nashville,’ ‘Revolution,’ ‘Last Resort,’ ‘Partners’ and ‘Vegas.’ Which will be successful and why? Also, they take on a listener suggestion and cover breakup culture: favorite breakup songs and unforgettable breakup scenes from TV and movies. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 386: The Master and TIFF 2012 (Tuesday, September 18, 2012) — We report back from the Toronto International Film Festival with reviews a plenty including To the Wonder, The Master, Cloud Atlas, The Bay, Room 237, The ABCs of Death and much more.
Freakonomics Radio
Why Online Poker Should Be Legal (Wednesday, September 19, 2012) — The data show that poker is indeed a game of skill, not chance, and a Federal judge agrees. So why are players still being treated like criminals?
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
The 2012 Fall TV Season (Wednesday, September 19, 2012) — It’s that magical time of year when we become obsessed with television anew. Which shows are returning? What new programs are we excited about? Tracy and Holly share their plans for autumn viewing and express some tentative hope for a few newcomers.
PopStuff Goes to Dragon*Con (Monday, September 17, 2012) — Join Tracy and Holly as they recount their time at Dragon*Con, which touts itself as “the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!”
Science Talk from Scientific American
The Flynn Effect: Modernity Made Us Smarter (Monday, August 20, 2012) — James Flynn studies intelligence at the University of Otago in New Zealand. And he features prominently in an article called “Can We Keep Getting Smarter?” in the September issue of Scientific American magazine. Back on July 10, Flynn visited the SA offices, where he chatted with a group of editors.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions Unearths Buried Treasures (Sunday, September 16, 2012) — Jim and Greg share some of their favorite music under the mainstream radar in the latest installment of Buried Treasures. Later, they review the debut album from indie supergroup Divine Fits.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Plastic Fantastic? (Thursday, September 20, 2012) — How much of your environment is made out of plastic? Where does it come from? Where does it go? How does plastic affect your iPhone’s weight? Join Julie and Robert as they discuss humanity’s relationship with plastic and the great Pacific garbage patch.
Sleep No More (Tuesday, September 18, 2012) — What if you could skip a night’s sleep without any side effects? It may sound impossible, but the age of sleep replacement drugs is just around the corner. Join Julie and Robert as they discuss the DARPA-funded meds that might let us dodge those 40 winks.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare: Part 1 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012) — Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy had a lackluster career – at least, that is, until he claimed the U.S. government was riddled with conspiratorial Communists. In this episode, Sarah and guest host Ben explore the hysteria-fueled rise of Joseph McCarthy.
Orson Welles and the War of the Worlds (Monday, September 17, 2012) — In 1938 Orson Welles produced a series of radio dramas, including one based on “War of the Worlds.” The broadcast caused a mass panic, since many believed it was a real news program. In this episode, we discuss why so many mistook the show as real.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Why does music provoke emotion? (Thursday, September 20, 2012) — A well-crafted piece of music can bring us to incredible highs and crushing lows, sometimes within the same song. Why does music affect humans this way? Join Chuck, Josh and special guest cellist Ben Sollee as they get to the bottom of music and emotion.
Are we all Martians? (Tuesday, September 18, 2012) — There’s a very good question that no one has yet satisfactorily answered: Where did life on Earth come from? Some look to the Red Planet as the source of life here, which, if correct, would make us all Martians. Is there anything to this out there claim?
WNYC’s Radiolab
Shorts: What a Slinky Knows (Monday, September 10, 2012) — “Hey kids,” said physicist Tadashi Tokieda, “Wanna see a magic trick?” He pulled out a Slinky and did something that amazed the kids, & their dad Steve Strogatz. Steve, along with Neil deGrasse Tyson, explains what the gravity-defying Slinky trick reveals about the nature of all things great and small (including us).