FanFare Podcast Posts

Search Engine: The Trial of the Driverless Car

pwnguin — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 20:48:42 GMT

In blue cities throughout the country, unions and politicians are fighting to ban driverless cars. We travel to Boston, where the fight has reached a fever pitch, and where the cars themselves will create some very unusual political alliances.

Search Engine: Are you a good driver?

pwnguin — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:34:37 GMT

The story of how a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. And, an answer to the question: are the robots actually safer drivers than we are?

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart: AI: What Could Go Wrong? with Geoffrey Hinton

jouke — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 17:12:30 GMT

As artificial intelligence advances at unprecedented speed, Jon is joined by Geoffrey Hinton, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and the "Godfather of AI," to understand what we've actually created. Together, they explore how neural networks and AI systems function, assess the current capabilities of the technology, and examine Hinton's concerns about where AI is headed.

I've seen interviews with Geoffrey Hinton before. But this was especially lucid.

Revolutions: 11.29-Liberty, Equality, Humanity

oakroom — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:19:12 GMT

Mike Duncan's account of the Martian Revolution comes to an end.

Old Gods of Appalachia: Episode 74: The Good Shepherd

Atreides — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:24:10 GMT

The days grow darker in Baker's Gap as allies from different generations meet face to face.

We learn more of the machinations of the Good Mother ministries and some background to the strange things going on around Baker's Gap.

CW: Gunfire, profanity, mentions of ritual sex magic, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, cult activity, kidnapping, hobbits, threat of harm to the elderly, depiction of the aftermath of a fist fight.

Old Gods of Appalachia: Episode 73: The Blood of Wolves

Atreides — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 20:50:53 GMT

Old enemies rise as older friends try to make peace.

The followers of the Good Mother (Season 2 a la Dead Queen!) examine their circumstances following the continual failure to bring about her return and eyeball a familiar (Cowboy!) face as a plausible alternative. Meanwhile, Archie and Cowboy talk out their grievances and why Cowboy disappeared for so long.

Incidentally, the great late Marcie Walker made it to '84, while her sister, Ellie, is still alive in '89, for those curious about the wonderful Walker Women of Baker's Gap.

Old Gods of Appalachia: Episode 72: Strange Visitations

Atreides — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 21:13:34 GMT

After a long time friend dies from a heart attack, Archie Stallard returns to Baker's Gap for the visitation where he encounters familiar faces from his past.

The year is 1989 folks! Archie was one of the group of boys who confronted the darkness of Death Island in the time of the Dark Queen in Season 2.

Old Gods of Appalachia: Episode 71: Season Five Prologue

Atreides — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 22:33:44 GMT

Old Gods of Appalachia returns with an enticing prologue for its newest season set during the Satanic panic era of the 1970s.

Thus begins Season 5 of Old Gods of Appalachia.

As common for the show, the season begins with a prologue that is essentially a soliloquy by co-creator Steve Shell. Since OGOA provides transcripts, you can read said soliloquy here. You can also listen to the episode here, or through your podcast provider.

At the end of the soliloquy, updates from both Steve and other co-creator, Cam Collins, including a note that this season will return to the prior format of seasons 1 and 3, versus the trial framed format from Season 4 which jumped back and forth concerning the trial of Jack.

Note: For those who subscribe to The Holler or Patreon, OGOA dropped a new episode in its line of stories referred to as Familiar and Beloved. We can either incorporate those into these posts or see about creating separate if folks are interested.

Welcome back, family!

Search Engine: How did the first democracy die?

pwnguin — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 19:09:42 GMT

The story of the first people who invented democracy, and what it did to them.

An interview / discussion with Loren J. Samons II, author of What's Wrong With Democracy?

Revolutions: 11.0 - Welcome to the Martian Revolution

whuppy — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:45:01 GMT

Mike Duncan is back! And his next project is future historical fiction! Chapter 11 will cover the centuries-hence revolution on Mars. When he first wrapped up the Revolutions podcast after his 103 part epic on the Russian Revolution, Mike recorded his takeaways from the podcast's run in a series of 12 appendices. Now he's using these takeaways to create a future history of Mars using a premise familiar to readers of Kim Stanley Robinson and The Expanse: People don't stop being people just because they've gone into space. Same sh*t, different century.

Today, Explained: Pennies don't make cents

Brandon Blatcher — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:36:40 GMT

Pennies cost more than a cent to make — and no one spends them. The New York Times Magazine's Caity Weaver explains why we can't get rid of them.

This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast

Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members

Photo by Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Books Could Kill: Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER]

bq — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:39:11 GMT

We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelgänger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy oof) — from feminist icon to crank conspiracist. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

This single episode has made my months-long Patreon subscription worthwhile.

99% Invisible: The Power Broker #03: David Sims

The corpse in the library — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:57:10 GMT

"This is the third official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. Blank Check podcast co-host and The Atlantic movie critic David Sims is our book club guest.On today's show, Elliott Kalan, Roman Mars, and David Sims will cover the first section of Part 4 of the book (Chapters 11 through the end of Chapter 15), discussing the major story beats and themes."

99% Invisible: The Power Broker #2: Jamelle Bouie

The corpse in the library — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 19:19:44 GMT

This is the second official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. New York Times political columnist Jamelle Bouie is our book club guest.On today's show, Elliott Kalan and Roman Mars will cover Part 3 of the book (Chapters 6 through the end of Chapter 10), discussing the major story beats and themes, with occasional asides from Jamelle Bouie guiding us through the politics of the era.

That was the official description. I add: are you already behind in your reading? Don't worry about it! Janelle Bouie hasn't read the book at all and he's a guest! This episode gives useful background and context for those of us who are catching up.

99% Invisible: Power Broker #01: Robert Caro

The corpse in the library — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:15:34 GMT

My goodness, that's certainly a special guest: Robert Caro! Let's discuss the book and the podcast, through the end of chapter five.

The Adventure Zone: The Adventure Zone Versus Dracula - Episode 2

The corpse in the library — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:28:41 GMT

The Dracula Hunters head into the town of Lumineax to gather information from some familiar faces. Brother Phileaux makes a confession. Lady Godwin tests her strength. Mutt confronts a frenemy.

Additional Music in this Episode: "I'm a Monster" by Nuno Adelaida: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nuno_Adelaida; and "Kindness" by Edoy: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Edoy/.

The Adventure Zone: The Adventure Zone Versus Dracula - Episode 1

The corpse in the library — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:24:15 GMT

Dracula has spread chaos in the realm of Angrave for too long, casting a dark shadow over the city of Lumineaux. Can a semi-retired monster hunter, a man of the cloth, and a muscled high-society woman team up to take him down?

Additional Music in this Episode: "Trio for Piano Violin and Viola" and "Erik Satie: Gymnopedie No 3" by Kevin MacLeod: https://incompetech.com/; and "Celosia" by sawsquarenoise: http://rolemusic.sawsquarenoise.com/;

Serial: The Retrievals - Ep. 1: The Patients (full season)

bq — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 06:26:29 GMT

Patients at a fertility clinic experience excruciating, unexpected pain. For months the reason for that pain remains hidden. Then they get a letter from the clinic.

The patients in this story came to the Yale Fertility Center to pursue pregnancy. They began their I.V.F. cycles full of expectation and hope. Then a surgical procedure called egg retrieval caused them excruciating pain.

Some of the patients screamed out in the procedure room. Others called the clinic from home to report pain in the hours that followed. But most of the staff members who fielded the patients' reports did not know the real reason for the pain, which was that a nurse at the clinic was stealing fentanyl and replacing it with saline.

From Serial Productions and The New York Times, The Retrievals is a five-part narrative series reported by Susan Burton, a veteran staff member at "This American Life" and author of the memoir "Empty."

Burton details the events that unfolded at the clinic, and examines how the patients' distinct identities informed the way they made sense of what happened to them in the procedure room. The nurse, too, has her own story, about her own pain, that she tells to the court. And then there is the story of how this all could have happened at the Yale clinic in the first place.

Throughout, Burton explores the stories we tell about women's pain. How do we tolerate, interpret and account for it? What happens when pain is minimized or dismissed?

99% Invisible: 562- Breaking Down The Power Broker (with Conan O'Brien)

The corpse in the library — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:25:14 GMT

The podcast 99% Invisible is reading The Power Broker next year. Let's do a readalong / listenalong! I know I've done this under the podcast and not the book, but the book weights three point five freaking pounds and I like the idea of discussing it in chunks. We could talk about the book and the podcast here.

Til Death Do Us Blart: Til Death Do Us Blart 2023

EndsOfInvention — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:36:05 GMT

Can't stop, won't stop, #Deathblart The Blart quintet are back for a ninth year. Nothing will stop them from their annual watch and review of BP:MC2, not an industry-wide strike, not a lack of enthusiasm for the film.

In this refreshingly straight-laced approach at the material, all five reviewers have remained (mainly) sober and checked in. This mentally sharp environment has allowed for a Griffin-Timbo mindmeld to explore the possible religious and philosophical ramifications of Paul fighting a bird in a fake garden setting to piano music. Travis is attempting to explain to his child that this movie IS a comedy. Guy is quick to defend the Toyota Yaris. And Justin has once again figured out a way to turn the watch into a joyful experience while watching shirtless in bed. Please enjoy, season greetings to one and all and do consider purchasing a shirt or poster this year because all the proceeds go to the First Nations Development Institute.

Current hosts: Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy, Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery