The Pod Piper

1. Radiolab - "Shorts: Unraveling Bolero" Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I dug into the depths of the Radiolab archives this week and found this gem of an episode.  Seeking to wed art and science as they are wont to do, Jad and Robert dissect two phenomena separated by time and space in this exploration of the age old question: Does life imitate art or the other way around?  Furthermore, is it possible for a piece of music to unintentionally drive someone out of their mind...twice? If you're interested in creativity and the tie between artistic ability and the human psyche, this short from 2012 is essential listening. 2. Hidden Brain - "Schadenfacebook" We're all susceptible to the dangers of Facebook overexposure.  The average user would likely peg the social giant's main problem to be its function as a time wasting black hole of monotonous scrolling.  And while there is truth to that, the far more troubling bit is how the constant refre

Apologies for the gap in posts - I've been traveling for the past week or so and haven't had ready access to a computer.  Here is an appropriately lengthy edition of the best shows of the last fortnight. 1. Radiolab - "Nukes" After finishing a compelling series on police shootings, Radiolab takes on another weighty subject in this story surrounding the nuclear chain of command in the United States.  When one man in  a position of great responsibility  endeavors to probe his conscious, he is met with a resolute order to cease and desist. It's discouraging to hear about someone attempting to do the right thing only to be unjustly punished, but there is a little closure in this story that is highly appropriate for our politically tenuous age. 2. Planet Money - "BOTUS" I love it when Planet Money sets out on a project to illustrate some kind of financial principle or meandering curiosity about money.  This episode continues in the tradition of previo

Hello, folks!  In a week with one of the most highly anticipated podcast releases in the history of the medium, I couldn't help but turn the brunt of my attention to S-Town .  As is always the case, there were of course a lot of other high quality episodes that passed through my ears.  But this was by far the thing that consumed by attention and had me eagerly hitting the play button on every leg of my commute. Basically, it's all about S-Town this week.  Though what follows doesn't trade much in spoilers, I would definitely suggest listening to all episodes of the show (in sequential order by chapter) here:  https://stownpodcast.org/ Alright, let's start with the tension between building a story steadily and opening the floodgates to consumers in the style of Netflix to promote binge listening.  Unlike their previous smash hit Serial , which unfolded in weekly installments, the producing team from This American Life deemed it best to release all seven parts of S-Town