ABR's Poem of the Week - #9 – Joel Deane ‘Following The Many Elbows Of The Yarra’

In ABR's first 'Poem of the Week' for 2016, Joel Deane discusses and reads his poem 'Following the many elbows of the Yarra'. You can find out more about 'Poem of the Week', and read 'Following the many elbows of the Yarra', by visiting our website: https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/

The Gist - Paleo and Palin

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker examines the benefits of eating the “Paleo” diet for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” She’s the author of The Confidence Game. For the Spiel, can Sarah Palin see syntax from her speech?  Today’s sponsor: Harry’s, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - Changing More Than a Mayor

On The Gist, Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn explains the likelihood that Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel will resign, and suggests a possible plan B for protestors. For the Spiel, what we do and don’t need to know about presidential candidates and their families.  Today’s sponsors: Texture, the mobile app that lets you tap directly into the world's most popular magazines using your phone or tablet. Dive deeper into Vogue, People, Esquire, Time—with interactive content for a richer reading experience. Try Texture for free at Texture.com/gist. Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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More or Less: Behind the Stats - WS MoreOrLess: Gravitational Waves

One of our 2015 ?Numbers of the Year? predictions might have come to pass. There is great excitement over rumours that one of the predictions Einstein made in his theory of General Relativity has finally been observed. But it?s not the first time it?s been reported that ?gravitational waves? have been discovered, and the last time proved to be an equipment test.

What is the total number of possible tweets that could be created from 140 characters? In a recent programme Professor John Allen-Paulos told us that when you take into account all of the symbols available, the total number of possible tweets is Googol^2.8 (which is a 1 followed by 280 zeros.) But has he missed some options?

Start the Week - Alaa Al Aswany on Egypt

On Start the Week Tom Sutcliffe talks to the Egyptian writer Alaa Al Aswany about his latest novel which charts the country's social upheaval through the prism of Cairo's elite Automobile Club of Egypt. The foreign correspondent Wendell Steavenson looks back at the Egyptian revolution as the crowds gathered in Tahrir Square in 2011. The political economist Tarek Osman explores how Islamism has spread through the Middle East, and what its future prospects mean for the region, while Professor Hugh Kennedy charts the rise of the Caliphate and how the so-called Islamic State uses the iconography of early Islam as propaganda.

The Gist - The Former Poet Laureate to Kim Jong-il

On The Gist, we bring you two favorite segments from the past year. First, a look at how propaganda thrives in North Korea from the perspective of Kim Jong-il’s former poet laureate, Jang Jin-sung. He’s the author of Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee—A Look Inside North Korea. For the Spiel, a rhyming response to Keith Ablow’s comments on Fox News.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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