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 The Knife, Four Tet And (Oh Yeah) My Bloody Valentine (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — We had this show all wrapped up last Friday. It was totally in the can! Then My Bloody Valentine dropped its highly anticipated new album over the weekend and threw our previously recorded show into total chaos! But hey, it was worth it. We (and all the other My Bloody Valentine fans out there) have been waiting more than 20 years for this! Hear a new cut from the album and tell us what you think in the comments section. Also on this week’s episode: Bob and Robin contemplate their own mortality while sharing some of the great music they’ve been listening to, including Youth Lagoon’s upcoming release, Wondrous Bughouse; a jubilant premiere from Cloud Cult; a dreamy sample from storyteller Grouper; the gorgeous instrumentals of Malian musician Ballaké Sissoko; and a track from another much-anticipated album, courtesy of Swedish electronica giants, The Knife. Plus NPR Music’s Sami Yenigun stops by to share a brand new track from “KH,” otherwise known as electronica heavyweight Four Tet.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, February 08, 2013) — This week, Karen Russell talks about Vampires in the Lemon Grove; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Adam Kirsch discusses two new biographies of Sylvia Plath; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 02-07-2013 Books (Thursday, February 07, 2013) — Stories: 1) Woody Guthrie’s ‘House Of Earth’ Calls ‘This Land’ Home 2) Sendak’s ‘Brother’s Book’: An Elegy, A Farewell 3) Why Traditional Publishing Is Really In A ‘Golden Age’ 4) Hollywood Hot Shots, Scientology And A Story Worth The Risk In ‘Going Clear’ 5) Raising A Glass To The Charms Of The Bar In ‘Drinking With Men’
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Could I see a flashlight beam from Earth on the moon? (Friday, February 08, 2013) — If you shone a flashlight beam from Earth, would you be able to see it from the moon? It depends. Find out why — and get a lesson in how light works — in this episode of BrainStuff.
How do trick birthday candles work? (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — Candles are simple yet ingenious light-producing devices, and it only takes one extra ingredient to turn them into trick candles. Find out how regular and trick candles work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
How does CCC, the new form of CPR, work? (Monday, February 04, 2013) — Continuous chest compression is an updated form of CPR that’s much easier to administer — and, studies suggest, more effective. In this episode, Marshall Brain explains how CCC works.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
The Taj Mahal: A Mughal Love Story (Friday, February 08, 2013) — When Mughal ruler Shah Jahan’s favorite wife died in childbirth, he ordered the construction of a stunning, white marble tomb in her honor. Join Matt and Rachel as they explore the history, legends and architecture of the Taj Mahal in this episode.
Culturetopia from NPR
Halftime Shows And Love Stories (Friday, February 08, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about all things Superbowl (well, aside from the game). They’ll discuss the commercials they loved and hated, Beyonce’s halftime show and the blackout. And, ahead of Valentine’s Day, they’ll talk about romance in pop culture and what they find actually romantic. Favorite examples come from ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Modern Family,’ Johnny Cash and the comic ‘Strangers in Paradise.’ All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 404: Bullet to the Head (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — We review Bullet to the Head and discuss the new Fast and Furious 6 trailer plus Groundhog Day, White Zombie, Fear and Desire, The Duellists and Searching for Sugar Man.
Freakonomics Radio
Sure, I Remember That (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — It is startlingly easy to create false memories, especially in politics.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Are Internet comments the worst ever? (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — The first rule of maintaining sanity online might be this: Never read the comments. Why do people express their opinions in negative ways on the Web? How do comments sections on news sites color a reader’s assessment of the information?
PopStuff’s Commentary Bonus Feature (Monday, February 04, 2013) — Commentary tracks can offer great insight to filmmaking, but bad ones can be an irritating snooze fest. Holly and Tracy talk about how DVD bonus content is now a part of the process of how a film is made, and give shout outs to some of their favorites.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions with The dB’s (Sunday, February 03, 2013) — The dB’s weren’t ever big sellers, but they’re power pop royalty. This week, the band’s live in the Sound Opinions studios. And later in the show, Jim and Greg review the new EP from Beyonce’s kid sister, Solange.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Multitasking Maniacs and the One Track Mind (Thursday, February 07, 2013) — Is multitasking a female super power, a learnable skill or pure myth? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert consider our multitasking world, our unitasking minds and the rare “super taskers” capable of doing it all.
Interrupting Cow: Multitasking, Interruptions and Distractions (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — All joking aside, the Interrupting Cow takes a real toll on your brain and your work life. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine just how interruptions and distractions impact our cognitive functions.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Nikola Tesla and the War of Currents Revisited: Part 2 (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — By 1887, Nikola Tesla secured seven patents for components of his alternating current system. In 1888, George Westinghouse offered to hire Tesla to develop the AC system, and that’s when the Current War really got underway.
Nikola Tesla and the War of Currents Revisited: Part 1 (Monday, February 04, 2013) — In 1857 Nikola Tesla began work on direct current motor issues. In 1884, he approached Thomas Edison with ideas about alternating current, but Edison championed direct current. Their disagreement led to one of history’s most famous scientific rivalries.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
TV Bonus: How Flesh-eating Bacteria Work (Friday, February 08, 2013) — Possibly the most horrifically-named disease anyone could contract, flesh-eating bacteria can lead quickly lead to amputations and death. Learn about how this disease works and how to prevent it in this episode with Chuck and Josh.
How Willpower Works (Thursday, February 07, 2013) — You use it to overcome your lower self (which wants you to eat cake until your vision blurs) in pursuit of the goals of your higher self (which wants you to avoid diabetes). Yet it was only the 1990s that researchers have begun to understand willpower.
How Garbage-powered Cars Could Work (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — We’re not so far off from being able to power cars using beer and banana peels, like Doc in Back to the Future. Rather than solving the energy crisis with Mr. Fusion, though, we’ll use the centuries-old technique of creating syngas through pyrolysis.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Speed (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — We live our lives at human speed, we experience and interact with the world on a human time scale. But this hour, we put ourselves through the paces, peek inside a microsecond, and master the fastest thing in the universe.