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
The Albums We Missed This Year (Tuesday, November 27, 2012) — With the year rapidly winding down, the NPR Music team has been haggling over which albums and songs to include on our various best-of lists. It turns out there was a lot of music released in 2012, and while we do our best to feature much of it on All Songs Considered, we’re really able to share only the tiniest fraction of what’s out there. So before it’s too late, we thought we’d take a moment to pause and check out some of the albums we missed.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, November 30, 2012) — This week, a big show for the Book Review’s big holiday issue, with discussions about our 100 Notable Books of 2012, a dictionary controversy, the Rolling Stones, Joseph Cornell, the Dallas Cowboys, Shakespeare apps and best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 11-29-2012 Books (Thursday, November 29, 2012) — Stories: 1) Librarian Nancy Pearl’s Picks For The Omnivorous Reader 2) Independent Bookstores Find Their Footing 3) Memoir Traces How Cartoonist Lost Her ‘Marbles’ 4) Uncovered Letters Reveal A New Side Of William Styron 5) A White Face With A Forgotten African Family
NPR: 11-24-2012 Books (Saturday, November 24, 2012) — Stories: 1) Book-Vending Machine Dispenses Suspense 2) ‘Unorthodox’ Book Of ‘Jewish Jocks’ Puts Stereotypes Aside 3) Hungry Hearts And Family Matters In ‘Middlesteins’ 4) A Readable Feast: Poems To Feed ‘The Hungry Ear’ 5) Anne Lamott Distills Prayer Into ‘Help, Thanks, Wow’
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Why do they add iodine to salt? (Friday, November 30, 2012) — Table salt contains iodine to help prevent thyroid problems and iodine deficiencies. Find out how table salt keeps your thyroid happy — and what iodine has to do with a nuclear attack — in this episode of BrainStuff.
How do kosher foods work? (Wednesday, November 28, 2012) — In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall Brain gives a detailed explanation of the Jewish dietary laws and preparations that make foods “kosher” and “pareve.”
How do carbohydrates work? (Monday, November 26, 2012) — We hear about carbohydrates in the news constantly — the complex carbs are supposed to be better than the simple ones, but why? In fact, what exactly is a carbohydrate? Listen in and learn more in this podcast.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
The Ngorongoro Crater (Friday, November 30, 2012) — The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania offers a safari experience like no other. Find out why this mini Serengeti is a great place to birdwatch in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Culturetopia from NPR
Pop Culture Happy Hour: This Is Your Life, And TV Pool Knockouts (Friday, November 30, 2012) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon talk about biopics. They share their thoughts on Lifetime’s ‘Liz and Dick,’ starring Lindsay Lohan, and talk about what makes a good biopic. They also follow up on their picks for the Fall TV Pool: what got cancelled and what’s doing well this season. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy this week.
Film Junk
Episode 395: Silver Linings Playbook (Tuesday, November 27, 2012) — We get charmed by Silver Linings Playbook and discuss Life of Pi, Holy Motors and The Queen of Versailles plus additional discussions about Sunset Boulevard, Touch of Evil, Cyborg, The Ipcress File, Anchorman, Three Kings and Spanking the Monkey.
Freakonomics Radio
Free-conomics (Wednesday, November 28, 2012) — Economists are a notoriously self-interested bunch. But a British outfit called Pro Bono Economics is giving away its services to selected charities.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
NaNoWriMo and the Culture of Creativity (Wednesday, November 28, 2012) — National Novel Writing Month is exactly what it sounds like: a month-long challenge to turn out a 50,000-word novel. Tracy’s done it; Holly hasn’t. Is it really the best way to spend your creative time? Listen in to learn more.
Why do TV shows get cancelled? (Monday, November 26, 2012) — We’ve all experienced the heartbreak of losing a show too soon. It’s common knowledge that bad ratings are the usual cause of cancellation, but there are many reasons ratings suffer. Tracy and Holly take a look at the factors that make shows disappear.
Science Talk from Scientific American
David Quammen: The Spillover of Animal Infections to Humans (Sunday, November 18, 2012) — David Quammen talks about his latest book, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. From his Web site: “The next big and murderous human pandemic, the one that kills us in millions, will be caused by a new disease–new to humans, anyway. The bug that’s responsible will be strange, unfamiliar, but it won’t come from outer space. Odds are that the killer pathogen–most likely a virus–will spill over into humans from a nonhuman animal.”
Sound Opinions
A Big Star Double Classic Album Dissection (Sunday, November 25, 2012) — Jim and Greg celebrate power pop innovators Big Star. Plus they review King Animal, the new record from grunge godfathers Soundgarden.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Why Fingerprints? (Thursday, November 29, 2012) — Why do we have fingerprints? Why are the human versions generally more complex than those of other animals? Join Robert and Julie as they delve into whorls and swirls, exploring the theories behind why we have these strange patterns on our fingertips.
Jive Turkey (Tuesday, November 27, 2012) — As another Turkey Day dawns on the US, Julie and Robert stop to consider the great bird itself. Join them as they dive into the history of this avian, discuss the origins of its name and how humans continue to bend the bird to their Thanksgiving desires.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
A Comanche Story: Cynthia Ann Parker, Part 1 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012) — A Comanche raiding party kidnapped Cynthia Ann when she was 9 years old. She lived with Comanche parents, marrying a war chief and having children. But her family never stopped searching for her. As word of her story spread, her son Quanah rose to power.
Gertrude Bell: The Uncrowned Queen of Iraq, Part 2 (Monday, November 26, 2012) — Part 2 of this series follows Gertrude Bell on her adventures after World War I begins. The British army asked her to help them retain their influence in the Middle East. But how did she get from there to helping found modern Iraq? Tune in to learn more.
The True Story of the Chevalier d’Eon: Part 2 (Monday, November 26, 2012) — Upset with the prospect of a demotion, the Chevalier d’Eon published his diplomatic correspondence. Worried that d’Eon might reveal the King’s Secret, Louis XV desperately negotiated d’Eon’s return — with one catch: the Chevalier had to become a woman.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
How Caving Works (Thursday, November 29, 2012) — Entrances to the underworld have been places of wonder for eons, and humans have ventured into caves to sleep, hunt, create art and explore. Thanks to the hobby of caving, that tradition continues today. Bonus: Chuck discusses his caving experience.
Why do leaves change colors in the fall? (Tuesday, November 27, 2012) — Ah, autumn – arguably the most beautiful time of the year, thanks to the vibrant colors trees put on display as they close up for the winter. Ever wonder why and how trees change color in the fall? Chuck and Josh have it down pat and explain it here.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Inheritance (Monday, November 19, 2012) — Once a kid is born, their genetic fate is pretty much sealed. Or is it? This hour, we put nature and nurture on a collision course and discover how outside forces can find a way inside us, shaping not just our hearts and minds, but the basic biological blueprint that we pass on to future generations.