Month: November 2020

Posted on

NBN Book of the Day - Jimena Canales, “Bedeviled: A Shadow History of Demons in Science” (Princeton UP, 2020)

Science may be known for banishing the demons of superstition from the modern world. Yet just as the demon-haunted world was being exorcized by the enlightening power of reason, a new kind of demon mischievously materialized in the scientific imagination itself. Scientists began to employ hypothetical beings to perform certain roles in thought experiments—experiments that can only be done in the imagination—and these impish assistants helped scientists achieve major breakthroughs that pushed forward the frontiers of science and technology.

Spanning four centuries of discovery—from René Descartes, whose demon could hijack sensorial reality, to James Clerk Maxwell, whose molecular-sized demon deftly broke the second law of thermodynamics, to Darwin, Einstein, Feynman, and beyond—Jimena Canales tells a shadow history of science and the demons that bedevil it. 

In Bedeviled: A Shadow History of Demons in Science (Princeton UP, 2020), she reveals how the greatest scientific thinkers used demons to explore problems, test the limits of what is possible, and better understand nature. Their imaginary familiars helped unlock the secrets of entropy, heredity, relativity, quantum mechanics, and other scientific wonders—and continue to inspire breakthroughs in the realms of computer science, artificial intelligence, and economics today.

The world may no longer be haunted as it once was, but the demons of the scientific imagination are alive and well, continuing to play a vital role in scientists’ efforts to explore the unknown and make the impossible real.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Posted on

In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt - Tracking the COVID Third Wave (with Tom Inglesby)

Andy calls up one of the country’s leading experts on pandemic preparedness, Johns Hopkins University's Tom Inglesby, to get the best possible view on the winter wave hitting the country. Johns Hopkins has been the gold standard for COVID-19 information and Tom also has a prominent role on the Biden-Harris COVID transition team. They discuss why Andy thinks the next three months are the most dangerous time in the whole pandemic and offer tips on how to get through it — both as individuals and as a nation.

 

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

 

Follow Tom Inglesby on Twitter @T_Inglesby. 

 

In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. Become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/ 

 

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

 

  • Livinguard masks have the potential to deactivate COVID-19 based on the testing they have conducted from leading universities such as the University of Arizona and the Free University in Berlin, Germany. Go to shop.livinguard.com and use the code BUBBLE10 for 10% off.

 

Check out these resources from today’s episode: 

 

 

To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to www.lemonadamedia.com/show/in-the-bubble shortly after the air date.

 

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

array(3) { [0]=> string(184) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/796469f9-ea34-46a2-8776-ad0f015d6beb/202f895c-880d-413b-94ba-ad11012c73e7/03c5a094-a07e-49dc-9f4e-ad11012fc1a2/image.jpg?t=1619029561&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }
Posted on

What A Day - Airborne In The USA With Dr. Abdul El-Sayed

The US is in an extremely dangerous period of the pandemic, with cases and hospitalizations at record highs, holidays fast approaching, and little in the way of a federal response. Our guest host for today —epidemiologist and former Detroit health commissioner Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — answers our questions about the current state of affairs, vaccine updates, Thanksgiving, and what gives him hope about a Biden administration. 

And in headlines: Hurricane Iota update in Central America, Apple faces privacy lawsuit in Europe, and Dolly helped get us the Moderna vaccine.

Show Links:

Listen to America Dissected crooked.com/americadissected

Shop the Crooked Store store.crooked.com

Posted on

The Daily Signal - Georgia Poll Watcher Explains State’s Recount of Votes for President

Georgia is on America's mind. At 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, the state is supposed to complete its recount of votes in the presidential election.


Brant Frost V, second vice chairman of Georgia’s Republican Party, joins the show to explain the state’s recount process and why he is suspicious of the recount in Fulton County, which includes the city of Atlanta. Frost also describes his own experience as a poll watcher and why Georgia appears to be turning a little more blue with each election.


We also cover these stories:


  • Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • Scott Atlas, a top adviser to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus, counsels families to gather for Thanksgiving if they can.
  • Joe Biden identifies who some of his top White House officials would be if he is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. 


Enjoy the show!



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Posted on

Brought to you by... - 60: The Levi’s That Came In From the Cold

At the start of the Cold War, Levi’s jeans represented everything communist governments were trying to stamp out. But Levi’s kept finding their way behind the Iron Curtain, especially into East Germany. There, people could see what they were missing just over the wall that separated them from the West. East German officials started to worry: Could a pair of pants bring down the government?

Posted on

Philosophers In Space - 0G125: Parable of the Talents and Process Philosophy/Theology, Part 2

God, and I cannot stress this enough, is Change. Shape, please please please shape God. In honor of Butler's original artistic vision, this material will be forever attached to the 2020 presidential election. We'll try to talk about process philosophy and process theology as well, but I hope we all get what this about. Good luck out there. Stay safe and sane. Process Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/process-philosophy/ Process Theology: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/process-theism/ Octavia in 2020: https://slate.com/culture/2020/09/octavia-butler-parable-of-the-sower-talents-pandemic.html?fbclid=IwAR2JHmLA1VTr_shzF_PmTF3UALe510V-RBzyT6UxeL5cof1mvR5n4BPUpGI Octavia Tried to Tell Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyLsqaFjl44&list=PLQ3e5menKWfc05UfwQOvtTG-qPwzOMJBx Editing by Luisa Lyons, check out her amazing podcast Filmed Live Musicals: http://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/ Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/ Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/ Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Recent appearances:  Aaron was recently on Cog Dis to talk Monster Island. Show some cult love! https://dissonancepod.libsyn.com/episode-547-aaron-rabinowitz-v4c-2019-part-9?tdest_id=124104 CONTENT PREVIEW: Parable of the Talents and Aspirational Acceptance, Part 3
Posted on

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - How Biden Administration Can Solve Social Issues, Save The Economy And The Planet

A wide range of experts explain how integrating sustainability measures into every aspect of American life and government will increase our ability to tackle military, economic, social, and environmental problems.

For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. 

For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.

Posted on

Consider This from NPR - Vaccine Trials Point To December Doses, ‘Light At The End Of The Tunnel’

Data from two leading COVID-19 vaccine trials indicate they may be between 90 and 95% effective. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientist in charge of the U.S. government's vaccine development program, Operation Warp Speed, tells NPR he's optimistic there is "a light at the end of the tunnel."

Dr. Anthony Fauci told NPR the results are worth celebrating — but that they should not be seen as a signal to pull back on public health measures. He also said the first vaccine doses may be available next month.

But it will still be months longer before any vaccine is widely available. Two former government health officials — Scott Gottlieb and Andy Slavitt — tell NPR that in the meantime, the pandemic is could kill 200,000 more Americans.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy