Month: January 2016

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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?

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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.

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African Tech Roundup - Why Is South Africa Looking To Regulate Services Like WhatsApp?

African lawmakers are struggling to come to grips with the opportunities and threats presented by various important innovations being spurred by technological advancement— this as they carry out the unenviable task of safeguarding public welfare. In this week’s episode of the African Tech Round-up, Tefo Mohapi and Andile Masuku discuss some of the more troublesome regulatory issues that are cropping up in countries like South Africa, Kenya and even Morocco— where VoIP apps have recently been banned unless they operate under telecommunications licenses. Also in this week’s show, a snippet from a conversation Andile Masuku had with Rohan George— a Nigerian-born, South African Art Director who is now based in Mexico. Find out what Rohan considers to be invaluable to helping empower youth in the developing world to solve some of the most critical problems facing society. Additional Music Credits: Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - Porter Ranch: Fossil Fuel Cover-ups

There's no two ways about it: oil spills and gas leaks are disastrous, causing massive amounts of ecological damage in a matter of days or hours. So how many occur each year? How many are actually reported, versus covered up? Listen in to learn more.

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They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Motley Fool Money - What Now for Investors?

The stock market enters correction territory. Is it time for investors to buy? Our analysts tackle that question, delve into GoPro's dramatic fall, and share some stocks on their radar. Plus, Thomson Reuters transportation editor Joe White shares some highlights from the North American International Auto Show and weighs in on the future of autonomous vehicles. For a free preview of our Supernova service, go to www.SupernovaRadio.Fool.com .

 

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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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