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
New Music From Tom Waits & Keith Richards, Ra Ra Riot, Villagers, More (Tuesday, January 08, 2013) — On this edition of All Songs Considered we’ve got a bunch of new-year premieres for you, including a special collaboration between Tom Waits and Keith Richards. The two veteran musicians recorded a song together for a new compilation album called Son Of Rogue’s Gallery, and we guarantee it’s not at all what you’d expect. Do the word’s “sea chantey” mean anything to you? Also on the program: A curious and captivating new song from Ra Ra Riot; the ghostly and gorgeous voice of Lisa Germano; a stunning sophomore release from the Irish band Villagers; the trippy Canadian rock group Elephant Stone; Dutch pop singer-songwriter Blaudzun; the infectious, ’60s-inspired psych-pop duo Foxygen and the electronic dance band STRFKR returns with a moodier new record called Miracle Mile.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, January 11, 2013) — This week, Bill Keller discusses three new books about nuclear weapons; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Susan Chira talks about Susanna Sonnenberg’s She Matters; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 01-10-2013 Books (Thursday, January 10, 2013) — Stories: 1) Richard Blanco Will Be First Latino Inaugural Poet 2) Become A Successful Chinese Bureaucrat, In 5 Easy Steps 3) Mapping A History Of The World, And Our Place In It 4) ‘What It Takes’ Author Remembered As An Engrossing Figure 5) ‘A Life In Friendships’ Is A Life Well-Lived
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
How does a magneto work? (Friday, January 11, 2013) — A magneto is a kind of electrical generator used in small gasoline engines in lieu of a battery. Find out how magnetos work in this episode of BrainStuff.
Why does a manual transmission make a whirring noise? (Wednesday, January 09, 2013) — When manual transmissions are put in reverse, they produce a loud, whirring noise. What’s the culprit? Gears. Marshall Brain explains how helical and spur gears work in manual transmissions in this episode.
What is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? (Monday, January 07, 2013) — The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the world’s largest emergency oil stockpile. But why do we have it? Where do we keep it? Find out why the United States created this reserve and where the oil is stored in this episode.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Uluru/Ayers Rock (Friday, January 11, 2013) — Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a vibrant red rock formation in the heart of Australia. Find out why it’s a great place to visit — and to catch a sunset — in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Culturetopia from NPR
Downton Abbey And The Right Of Redemption (Friday, January 11, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk Downton Abbey. Along with special guest Barrie Hardymon, they talk about the first episode of the new season, and what does and doesn’t work about the show overall. Next, they talk pop culture redemption. How does an actor move on from a former role or win the audience back after a bad personal decision? All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 400: The Top 100 Spectacular (Monday, January 07, 2013) — In celebration of 400 episodes, we are joined by card-carrying contrarian Reed Farrington to count down our top 100 movies of all time.
Freakonomics Radio
How to Live Longer (Wednesday, January 09, 2013) — Why do Hall of Fame inductees, Oscar winners, and Nobel laureates outlive their peers?
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Grammar Sticklers: Why so mean? (Wednesday, January 09, 2013) — As members of an editorial team, both Tracy and Holly love grammar and punctuation, but neither of them understands why people sometimes shame others for the occasional typo or mistake. What is it about minor errors that makes people so crabby?
TV Pregnancy: Why so stupid? (Monday, January 07, 2013) — Anyone who has had a child will tell you that in reality, the happy event is NOT the way you see it on TV. When so many people have first-hand knowledge of birth, why does television always gets it so wrong? Tune in to learn more about TV and pregnancy.
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
A Sound Opinions Genre Dissection: Shoegaze (Sunday, January 06, 2013) — Jim and Greg dive into the influential UK genre known as shoegaze. It might have made your ears bleed, but you loved every second of it! But first, they play “Ask the Critic” and answer some listeners’ nagging questions.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Labyrinths (Thursday, January 10, 2013) — Having escaped from the confusion of the Minoan maze, it’s time to walk the serene, calming paths of the Chartres Labyrinth. Why is this experience so different? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the calming effects that labyrinths have on the mind.
Mazes (Tuesday, January 08, 2013) — Enter the Minoan maze and wander its endless halls. Feel your heart race. Feel your limbs quiver as the minotaur’s roar echoes through the walls. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the world of mazes and how they affect the brains of humans and rats.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
The Bone Wars, Part 2 (Wednesday, January 09, 2013) — In Part 2 of this podcast, we examine the tactics rival paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh used in their battle to achieve preeminence. Ultimately, the men took their war to D.C. and the press. In the end, did either win?
Double Agent: James Armistead and the American Revolution (Monday, January 07, 2013) — James Armistead was a slave in Virginia, but got his master’s approval to enlist when the Revolutionary War came. Armistead worked as a spy, and his story is one of many free and enslaved African-Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Why do men have nipples? (Thursday, January 10, 2013) — They’re always right there, taunting you: why do you have me, they ask? Why do men have nipples? It turns out there’s a good answer why and nipples on men aren’t entirely useless after all. Join Chuck and Josh for this heady investigation.
Can you outrun an alligator in a zig-zag? (Tuesday, January 08, 2013) — You’ve heard the warning before: If you’re being chased on land by an alligator, run in a zig-zag. Of course, the average person should be capable of outrunning an alligator. Josh and Chuck take the opportunity to explore alligator safety anyway.
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.