September 18 - 24, 2016
1. Radiolab - "Update: Eye In the Sky"
This story originally aired last year and gave me the creeps. I'm all for crime prevention, and probably more in favor than most for compromising my individual liberties in favor of increased safety for all. But implementing a large surveillance system ripe with possibilities for corruption without first meticulously evaluating the implications of this technology seems worrisome at best. On the other hand, the narrative example from Juarez, Mexico clearly demonstrates the life saving potential of such a system. Shouldn't a decrease in death make this new world of crime prevention worth exploring, regardless of any hypothetical consequences? The update provides some info on a pilot program getting traction in Baltimore, thanks to the underwriting of funds from wealthy donors who heard about the story after it was initially aired on Radiolab. If this doesn't speak to the growing societal influence of podcasts, I don't know what does!
2. Song Exploder - "Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks"
If I had to fill a CD with songs to score my college career, Young Folks would definitely make the cut. The vibrant coolness encapsulated everything I wanted to be, and there was an air of academia that was largely the bands foreign nature. So imagine my surprise to hear that this song is about middle aged people! Contemplating a breakup pending the success of one last album is a tired trope, but nevertheless it increased the sense of drama unfolding as the track was dissected. Silly as it may seem, I was a little nervous to see if the track would come together. And when that oh-so-sweet whistling begins to pop when the song began to play in it's entirety, I felt the urge to exclaim "Well done!" and offer the band a congratulatory hi-five.
3. Hidden Brain - "Our Politics, Our Parenting (#44)"
In this season of increasing division (that is, the fall of an election year in the United States) we must grasp at anything that aims to bridge a gap between disparate forces. "Our Politics, Our Parenting" presents the idea that everyone really wants what's best for the country, with slightly different plans about how to get to that happy place. The analogy the episode creates to parenting is quite adept - indeed, wonderful children and horrible children alike can be the products of many different parenting styles. Of course, cynicism starts to creep in if you interrogate the assumption that people are naturally selfless and have the greater good in mind. Still, it's a nice ideal baseline to reference the next time your radical in-laws post some incendiary politicized remark on Facebook.
This story originally aired last year and gave me the creeps. I'm all for crime prevention, and probably more in favor than most for compromising my individual liberties in favor of increased safety for all. But implementing a large surveillance system ripe with possibilities for corruption without first meticulously evaluating the implications of this technology seems worrisome at best. On the other hand, the narrative example from Juarez, Mexico clearly demonstrates the life saving potential of such a system. Shouldn't a decrease in death make this new world of crime prevention worth exploring, regardless of any hypothetical consequences? The update provides some info on a pilot program getting traction in Baltimore, thanks to the underwriting of funds from wealthy donors who heard about the story after it was initially aired on Radiolab. If this doesn't speak to the growing societal influence of podcasts, I don't know what does!
2. Song Exploder - "Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks"
If I had to fill a CD with songs to score my college career, Young Folks would definitely make the cut. The vibrant coolness encapsulated everything I wanted to be, and there was an air of academia that was largely the bands foreign nature. So imagine my surprise to hear that this song is about middle aged people! Contemplating a breakup pending the success of one last album is a tired trope, but nevertheless it increased the sense of drama unfolding as the track was dissected. Silly as it may seem, I was a little nervous to see if the track would come together. And when that oh-so-sweet whistling begins to pop when the song began to play in it's entirety, I felt the urge to exclaim "Well done!" and offer the band a congratulatory hi-five.
3. Hidden Brain - "Our Politics, Our Parenting (#44)"
In this season of increasing division (that is, the fall of an election year in the United States) we must grasp at anything that aims to bridge a gap between disparate forces. "Our Politics, Our Parenting" presents the idea that everyone really wants what's best for the country, with slightly different plans about how to get to that happy place. The analogy the episode creates to parenting is quite adept - indeed, wonderful children and horrible children alike can be the products of many different parenting styles. Of course, cynicism starts to creep in if you interrogate the assumption that people are naturally selfless and have the greater good in mind. Still, it's a nice ideal baseline to reference the next time your radical in-laws post some incendiary politicized remark on Facebook.
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