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All Songs Considered from NPR
Electronic Edition: James Blake And Brian Eno, DJ Koze, Bonobo, More (Wednesday, March 20, 2013) — Fresh from their musical trek to Austin, Texas for this year’s South by Southwest music festival, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by Sami Yenigun and Otis Hart, who share some of their favorite electronic, house, and dubstep discoveries.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, March 22, 2013) — This week, Jamie Quatro talks about I Want to Show You More; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Carlene Bauer discusses Frances and Bernard; and Gregory Cowles has best-sellers news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 03-21-2013 Books (Thursday, March 21, 2013) — Stories: 1) ‘Drunken Botanist’ Takes A Garden Tour Of The Liquor Cabinet 2) ‘FDR And The Jews’ Puts A President’s Compromises In Context 3) Revisiting Iraq Through The Eyes Of An Exiled Poet 4) Lack Of Conscience Gets A Comeuppance In ‘The Accursed’ 5) Reminder: Our Memories Are Less Reliable Than We Think
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Can you explain the diameter measurements used in bullets? (Friday, March 22, 2013) — Bullets are measured by calibers, which indicate their diameter in inches. Find out more about bullets and measurement in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
How are movies stored on DVD discs? (Wednesday, March 20, 2013) — How can you store an entire movie on one little DVD disc? It’s all about compression! In this episode, Marshall explains the technical details and standards of video compression.
What do those diamond-shaped signs on buildings mean? (Monday, March 18, 2013) — The National Fire Protection Agency, or NFPA, uses these signs to indicate hazardous materials stored in an unknown building. Listen in to learn how the signs work — and how they help firefighters — in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Dublin, Part Deux (Friday, March 22, 2013) — In this episode, Rachel and Kathryn return to Dublin, Ireland — a city too big for just one episode. Listen in to learn more about Dublin’s place in Irish history, from its remarkable architecture to the world-famous Trinity College.
Culturetopia from NPR
Kickstarter TV And Comedy Contests (Friday, March 22, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon discuss crowd-funded art. They’ll talk about the Veronica Mars movie which raised more than 3 million dollars on Kickstarter and they’ll weigh the pros and cons of a patronage model. They’ll also discuss Vulture’s Ultimate Sitcom bracket, in which ‘The Simpsons’ emerged victorious over ‘Cheers.’ The gang clashes over what’s the right criteria in judging the best sitcom. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 409: Upside Down and Stoker (Monday, March 18, 2013) — We resist the pull of Upside Down and talk Stoker plus The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Schindler’s List, Death Valley, You’ve Been Trumped, Kick-Ass 2 trailer, and more Kickstarter talk.
Freakonomics Radio
How Money Is March Madness? (Thursday, March 21, 2013) — The NCAA basketball tournament grabs a lot of eyeballs, but turning them into dollars hasn’t always been easy — even when the “talent” is playing for free.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Hello Kitty and the Culture of Cute (Wednesday, March 20, 2013) — You can get Hello Kitty everything. Everything. Tracy and Holly talk about the famous cat’s beginnings, staying power and her many Sanrio friends. Just how did a feline with no film or television origin get so popular in the first place?
Why are we friends? (Monday, March 18, 2013) — Most of your friends probably like the same things you do and have similar views on religion and politics. In this episode, Tracy and Holly discuss the benefits and challenges of diversifying your pal portfolio, and why sloganism is bad.
Science Talk
CSI: 19th Century France and the Birth of Forensic Science (Friday, March 15, 2013) — Reporter and storyteller Steven Berkowitz talks to science journalist and author Douglas Starr about his book The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions with David Bowie producer Tony Visconti (Sunday, March 17, 2013) — Bowie is Back! Jim and Greg talk with longtime Bowie producer Toni Visconti about “Space Oddity,” glam, and swinging London. Then they review David Bowie’s new album The Next Day, re-igniting their decades-long debate over the pop chameleon’s musical legacy.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Talking ‘Space Chronicles’ with Neil DeGrasse Tyson (Friday, March 22, 2013) — In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson chats with Robert and Julie about his new book “Space Chronicles” as well as mad science, philosophy, dark matter and humanity’s future amid the stars.
SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Part 2 (Thursday, March 21, 2013) — Is there life out there in the cosmos and if so how do we find it? How might it find us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert discuss the history of SETI as well as what classic TV shows our alien neighbors might be listening to.
SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Part 1 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013) — Is there life out there in the cosmos and if so how do we find it? How might it find us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert discuss the history of SETI as well as what classic TV shows our alien neighbors might be listening to.
Wind Beneath Surgical Wings, Part 2 (Monday, March 18, 2013) — Can science give us the wings we’ve always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this second part of this series, Robert and Julie continue exploring of posthuman philosophy and the possibility of winged humans.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
The Famous Speech Chief Seattle Never Made (Wednesday, March 20, 2013) — The Suquamish chief is best remembered for a speech he gave upon discovering that Governor Stevens wanted land to build a railroad. However, the speech’s origins are nebulous (and in some quotations completely fabricated). Tune in to learn.
The Life of Johnny Appleseed (Monday, March 18, 2013) — The image of Johnny Appleseed walking around in rags, barefooted with a bindle, planting apple trees and moving on is actually pretty accurate. Join Holly and Tracy to learn how John Chapman struck out for the frontier and became an American legend.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Gesundeit! How Allergies Work (Thursday, March 21, 2013) — About 30-40 percent of humans suffer from some sort of allergy. The big joke, though, is that every sufferer is the victim of mistaken identity. Allergies are the result of a hypersensitive immune system mistaking a harmless protein for a foreign invader.
How Apartheid Worked (Tuesday, March 19, 2013) — After WWII, the government of South Africa turned inward to focus its attention on domination of the white minority over the non-white majority. It took an internal struggle and the voice of the world to finally end the terrible practice of “apartness.”
WNYC’s Radiolab
REBROADCAST: Emergence (Tuesday, March 19, 2013) — This spring, parts of the East Coast will turn squishy and crunchy — the return of the 17-year cicadas means surfaces in certain locations (in patches from VA to CT) will once again be coated in bugs buzzing at 7 kilohertz. In their honor, we’re rebroadcasting one of our favorite episodes: Emergence.