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
2013 Winter Music Preview (Monday, December 24, 2012) — On this edition of the program, All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton invite a gaggle of other NPR Music peeps on the show to share some of the records they’re most looking forward to in 2013. Hear new music from Low, fierce world rhythms from Red Baraat, a traditional latin love song from Ileana Cabra, a marriage of hip-hop and new jazz from Jose James, trippy electronica from FaltyDL, rapper Earl Sweatshirt and more!
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, January 04, 2013) — This week, John Homans talks about What’s a Dog For?; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Allan Kozinn discusses Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 01-03-2013 Books (Thursday, January 03, 2013) — Stories: 1) Change Is The Only Constant In Today’s Publishing Industry 2) E-Books Destroying Traditional Publishing? The Story’s Not That Simple 3) Listen Up! Audiobooks For Every Taste 4) ‘Fifty Shades’ Is The One That Got Away. At Least From Me 5) Death Of The (Predatory) Salesman: These Days, It’s A Buyer’s Market
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
How does the Radio Data System work? (Friday, January 04, 2013) — The Radio Data System, or RDS, allows your radio to display information like song titles and radio station call signs. Find out how the RDS works in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
How can you measure the height of a tall tower? (Wednesday, January 02, 2013) — So which building really is the world’s tallest? Why don’t all the experts agree? In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall reveals three common techniques for measuring the height of tall objects like towers.
How do they get the lead in a wooden pencil? (Monday, December 31, 2012) — Today’s pencils are manufactured very differently than the original versions; but they still use a material called graphite, which isn’t lead at all. How does the graphite get in the pencil? Find out in this episode.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
The Great Barrier Reef (Friday, January 04, 2013) — The Great Barrier Reef, which is actually made up of thousands of individual reefs, is a wonderland of marine life. Take a swim near this amazing ecosystem — and meet some of its many inhabitants — in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Culturetopia from NPR
In Which We Make New Resolutions And Face Old Ones (Friday, January 04, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about their pop culture resolutions for the New Year. They also go back and face last year’s resolutions. Who followed through on their goals? Next, they make predictions for pop culture in 2013. Will television be as violent? And which movies will win major Oscars? All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy this week.
Film Junk
Episode 399: Django Unchained and Best of 2012 (Tuesday, January 01, 2013) — We review Django Unchained and count down the best and worst movies of 2012 plus we also discuss Les Miserables, This is 40, Headhunters, Klown, Head Games, Sleepwalk with Me and Searching for Sugar Man.
Freakonomics Radio
How Did “Freakonomics” Get Its Name? … and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions (Wednesday, January 02, 2013) — Levitt and Dubner answer your questions about driving, sneezing, and ladies’ nights. Plus a remembrance of Levitt’s sister Linda.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Secret World of Massage (Wednesday, January 02, 2013) — There is always a swirl of confusion and misconceptions around massage. Tracy has insider knowledge; Holly has a standing appointment. They’ll talk about the different types of massage and the ways it’s been misrepresented in modern culture.
Science Talk from Scientific American
Creativity’s Dark Side: Dan Ariely on Creativity, Rationalization and Dishonesty (Tuesday, December 25, 2012) — Dan Ariely is professor of behavioral economics at Duke University. He talks about the subject of his most recent book, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone–Especially Ourselves.
Sound Opinions
The 2012 Sound Opinions Mixtapes (Sunday, December 30, 2012) — Jim and Greg give you a soundtrack to kick off 2013 when they reveal their annual Mixtapes. Plus they remember the musical greats we lost this year.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
I Was a Teenage Teenager: The Science of Teen Angst (Thursday, January 03, 2013) — The teenage brain is a wonderful thing, full of intense rewiring and rapid shifts in priority. In this episode, Julie and Robert reminisce about the teenagers they were and just what was going on in their brains to fuel all that odd, erratic behavior.
New Year’s Life Hacks (Tuesday, January 01, 2013) — Want improved focus this year? A better creative flow or stronger decision-making skills? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie run through some simple, scientifically-backed ways to maximize your new year.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Unearthed in 2012: Part 2 (Wednesday, January 02, 2013) — In the second part of this annual episode, we cover historical discoveries made in 2012, from evidence of vampire burials in Bulgaria to discoveries of ancient temples and more. Tune in to learn more about the exciting archaeological discoveries of 2012.
The Bone Wars: Part 1 (Monday, December 31, 2012) — In this two-part podcast, we explore the rivalry between paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. Marsh was a farmer’s son and Cope grew up in a wealthy household. The two started out as friends, but their friendship soon soured.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
What was America’s first terrorist threat? (Thursday, January 03, 2013) — From the moment it was established, the United States had headaches with terrorism of the pirate variety. For decades, the federal budget even include bribe money to pay them off. Learn all about this early threat on this episode of Stuff You Should Know.
How Bigfoot Works (Tuesday, January 01, 2013) — For centuries North American tribes have told stories of a hairy wild giant in the wilderness, and once Europeans arrived they claimed to see it, too. Chuck and Josh examine the claims of believers and the rebuttals of skeptics in this evenhanded episode.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Solid as a Rock (Monday, December 31, 2012) — Is reality an ethereal, mathematical poem… or is it made up of solid, physical stuff? In this short, we kick rocks, slap tables, and argue about the nature of the universe with Jim Holt.