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
Jack White’s On Bluesman Charley Patton, New Tegan & Sara And A Song For Mali (Wednesday, January 23, 2013)
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, January 25, 2013) — This week, Joe Queenan talks about his reading habits; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; J. D. Biersdorfer discusses new apps about famous wars; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 01-24-2013 Books (Thursday, January 24, 2013) — Stories: 1) New Reading Standards Aim To Prep Kids For College — But At What Cost? 2) A Historic Arrival: New York’s Grand Central Turns 100 3) Relationships And Rocket Ships In ‘Last Girlfriend’ 4) George Saunders On Absurdism And Ventriloquism In ‘Tenth Of December’ 5) ‘All We Know’: Three Remarkable But Forgotten Lives
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Why do tools have “drop forged” stamped on them? (Friday, January 25, 2013) — Tools that say “drop forged” have been created using a technique called drop forging. Find out how drop forging and several other kinds of forging work, and why drop forging is a sign of a sturdy tool, in this episode of BrainStuff.
How do mood rings work? (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) — Mood rings claim to reflect changes in your emotional state — and, in a way, they do. Discover the science behind mood rings in this episode of BrainStuff.
How do jet engines start? (Monday, January 21, 2013) — If you’ve ever watched a jet engine start, you’ve probably noticed that the blades begin to rotate slowly before spinning up to full speed — but why? Listen in as Marshall Brain breaks down the science behind jet engines in this episode.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
The Lost City of Palenque (Friday, January 25, 2013) — The lost Maya city of Palenque stunned the first outsiders who stumbled upon it in the rainforests of Southern Mexico. Take a virtual tour of this beautiful ruined city — and discover what makes it so cool — in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com
Culturetopia from NPR
Nerd Culture And The Return Of Regrettable TV (Friday, January 25, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about Noel Murray’s A.V. Club piece on nerds and autism in pop culture. They’ll discuss TV shows and movies that feature autistic characters, some more openly than others. They’ll discuss the changing perception of nerds and their rising cool factor. Finally, the long-awaited return of the Regrettable Television Pop Quiz. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 402: The Last Stand (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) — We face the return of Arnold in The Last Stand and discuss Terminator 5 news plus Seven Psychopaths, Les Miserables, Raw Deal, John Dies at the End, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Freakonomics Radio
Introducing “Freakonomics Experiments” (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) — Steve Levitt has a novel idea for helping people make tough decisions.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Snow Day! (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) — It’s no secret that Atlanta shuts down in even light snowfall. Tracy and Holly share the Southerner’s point of view on winter storms and wonder why people with little exposure to snow and ice are criticized for their ability to navigate it.
The Snobby Soapiness of ‘Downton Abbey’ (Monday, January 21, 2013) — It’s a ratings powerhouse, and even people who don’t watch it know enough about it to make jokes based on its plot lines. Is the story of the Crawley family so appealing to so many because it’s really just a soap opera wrapped in a high-class package?
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
Sound Opinions: The Best Satirical Songs (Sunday, January 20, 2013) — With tongues planted firmly in cheek, Jim and Greg share their picks for the Best Satirical Songs in rock ‘n’ roll. Later Greg and our own “Son of Jersey” Jim DeRogatis review the new record from Hoboken’s Yo La Tengo.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Wrestling with Kayfabe (Thursday, January 24, 2013) — Professional wrestling is somwhat of a cultural oddity, as it blurs the lines between reality, fiction, sport and theatre. Join Robert, Julie and “Art of Wrestling” podcaster Colt Cabana as they lock up with wrestling’s mind-twisting layers of fiction.
Cool Science You May Have Missed in 2012 (Tuesday, January 22, 2013) — A lot of cool science went down in 2012, but it’s possible you missed some of these smaller stories amid all the Mars landing and Higgs searching. In this episode, Julie and Robert take you on a journey full of immortal jelly fish and solar tornados.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
5 War Dogs of History (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) — Dogs have been used in war for a long time and are still used today. In this episode, Sarah and Deblina look at five war dogs known for their strength, loyalty and intelligence. Tune in to learn more about war dogs from World War I through Vietnam.
Ned Kelly’s Last Stand (Monday, January 21, 2013) — Ned Kelly’s cropped up in the news again, but who was he? The bushranger Ned Kelly became an outlaw in 1878, and his gang successfully conducted several raids. Tune in to learn why many Australians think of him as a folk hero in this classic episode.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Fecal Transplants: You Gonna Drink That Poop? (Thursday, January 24, 2013) — Medical ecology is concerned with understanding how microbes living inside us keep us healthy. The field’s first breakthrough is the fecal transplant, moving poop from a healthy person and into the gut of a sick person. It’s a real thing, and it works.
How the Frick Fracking Works (Tuesday, January 22, 2013) — Fracking, the process of breaking trapped resources like natural gas and oil from shale, has led to a revolution in energy production in the U.S. It’s also given rise to increasing worries that the process can have sweeping environmental impacts.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Shorts: The Bitter End (Tuesday, January 15, 2013) — We turn to doctors to save our lives — to heal us, repair us, and keep us healthy. But when it comes to the critical question of what to do when death is at hand, there seems to be a gap between what we want doctors to do for us, and what doctors want done for themselves.