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All Songs Considered from NPR
New Building, New Mix: Songs About Change (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) — As they filled up their moving boxes to relocate to NPR’s new offices, All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton sent out a plea to listeners for the best songs about how to deal with change: breakups and letdowns, graduation, big moves, etc. You responded in huge numbers, and we picked a few standouts to play on this week’s show. We’ve got classics from Led Zeppelin, The Animals and Neil Young and more modern favorites such as The White Stripes and Vic Chesnutt.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, April 19, 2013) — This week, Meg Wolitzer talks about her new novel, “The Interestings”; Rachel Shteir discusses three new books about Chicago; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Pamela Paul is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 04-18-2013 Books (Thursday, April 18, 2013) — Stories: 1) Friedkin, Who Pushed Film Forward, Looks Back 2) Following The Yellow Brick Road Back To The Origins Of ‘Oz’ 3) Diverse List Of Future British Literary Stars In Latest ‘Granta’ 4) A Real-Life Fight For Freedom In ‘Nine Days’ 5) Is The United States A ‘Dispensable Nation’?
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Why use a humidifier in your home in the winter? (Friday, April 19, 2013) — Lots of people use humidifiers in their homes, especially in winter. But why? Marshall discusses some advantages of using humidifiers (and disadvantages of not using them) and different types of home humidifiers.
How does rust work? (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) — In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall Brain explains the chemistry behind rust, or iron oxide, and the rusting process.
What is sodium nitrate? (Monday, April 15, 2013) — You’ll find sodium nitrate in lots of pink meats like hot dogs and salami, but why? And is it bad for you? Find out what’s up with sodium nitrate in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
Romantic Road Trips: South Beach Beyond the Bacchanal (Friday, April 19, 2013) — Miami’s South Beach is a great place to catch some rays and party to the max. But did you also know there are lots of museums, memorials and cultural activities going on? South Beach is home to the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world.
Culturetopia from NPR
Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Sense Of Place And A Nostalgic Quiz (Friday, April 19, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and producer Jess Gitner talk about sense of place on the occasion of NPR moving to its new headquarters. How do settings affect the culture we enjoy? And what does it take to capture sense of place in a TV show or film, aside from buildings and external details? They’ll talk New York, as portrayed in ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ to midwestern towns like Fargo and Pawnee, Indiana from ‘Parks and Recreation.’ They’ll also talk about sense of place in music. Next, Linda concocts an especially difficult quiz about television ratings from this same week 20 years ago. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 413: The Place Beyond the Pines and Trance (Monday, April 15, 2013) — We review The Place Beyond the Pines and Trance and discuss Jurassic Park 3D, Elysium trailer, The Net, Threads, G.I. Joe: The Movie, Animal Kingdom, Phil Spector, Shallow Grave.
Freakonomics Radio
Help Wanted. No Smokers Need Apply (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) — In many states, it is perfectly legal to not hire someone who smokes. Should employers also be able to weed out junk-food lovers or motorcyclists — or anyone who wants to have a baby?
Ink & Quill
InQ Episode 70: “A Discovery of Witches” (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) — All her life, Diana has stuck her fingers way deep into her ears, refusing to accept that she is a witch, and a powerful one of those. But the situation has changed. The discovery of a thought to be lost book is raising interest. On the one hand, there is Peter Knox, a powerful wizard that belongs to one of the oldest group of “peace-keepers” across species, who would love nothing more than to put his hands on the book. And on the other hand, Matthew de Clairmont, the vampire, whose charms Diana can’t resist… But what is it exactly that Matthew wants? As the plot thickens and mystery unveils more mysteries, Diana may be forced to start using her powers if she wishes not only to find out what happened to her parents and what secrets Ashmore 782 holds, but also and simply, to stay alive.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Greatest Hits: Weddings (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) — Love them or hate them, weddings are a part of our lives. But why are they so expensive, and why does everyone feel entitled to judge everyone else’s nuptials?
Greatest Hits: My Little Brony (Monday, April 15, 2013) — Tracy and Holly are a little late to the “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” party, but now that they’ve started watching the show, they totally see the appeal. Tracy may even be a pegasister. But what makes the ponies so popular with male viewers?
Science Talk
Mary Roach Cruises the Alimentary Canal (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) — Mary Roach talks about her new book Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, which traces what she calls “the whole food chute”.
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions with Roger Ebert (Sunday, April 14, 2013) — Jim and Greg remember a friend and critical hero: Roger Ebert. In 2006, the three critics sat down to talk music movies and Ebert’s own rock ‘n’ roll past.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
Talking ‘Gulp’ With Mary Roach (Thursday, April 18, 2013) — We all love Mary Roach, so in this episode Robert and Julie invite the Stiff author on the show to chat about her latest book Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal. Plus she’ll answer listener questions and discuss how to eat with your butt.
From Nose to Tail: Mysteries of the Mouth (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) — Food goes on quite a fantastic journey through the human body and Stuff to Blow Your Mind is here to guide you on the way. Join Robert and Julie as they begin at digestion’s basecamp: a world of smell, taste, saliva and gnashing teeth.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Loving v. Virginia, Part 2 (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) — Mildred and Richard Loving’s relationship went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court when they were arrested for breaking Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws. On June 20, 1963, Mildred wrote a letter to the ACLU asking for help. Tune in to learn more.
Loving v. Virginia, Part 1 (Monday, April 15, 2013) — Mildred and Richard Loving’s relationship went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court when they were arrested for breaking Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws. On June 20, 1963, Mildred wrote a letter to the ACLU asking for help. Tune in to learn more.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Uses of the Insanity Defense (Thursday, April 18, 2013) — The idea that a person who can’t understand the crime they’ve committed should be inculpable is a longstanding pillar of Western criminal law. Learn about some of the prominent and overlooked cases where the accused has plead insanity in this episode.
How Marriage Works (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) — You can tell a lot about a culture through marriage statistics: what age people get married, how many divorce, who is excluded from legal marriage. It forms a picture of how a society interacts with itself. Learn more about marriage in this episode.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Shorts: The Distance of the Moon (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) — What if the moon were just a jump away? In this short, a beautiful answer to that question from Italo Calvino, read live by Liev Schreiber.