Ockham's Razor - Program podcast
By ABC Radio National
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Podcast Description
William of Ockham was an English monk, philosopher, theologian, who provided the scientific method with its key principle 700 years ago. 'What can be done with fewer assumptions is done in vain with more,' he said. That is, in explaining any phenomenon, we should use no more explanatory concepts than are absolutely necessary. Simplicity should never be despised. Thoughtful people have their say, without interruption, on important science-related topics.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
250 years of veterinary education | This year is the 250th anniversary of veterinary education. Dr Andrew Turner, formerly Chief Veterinary Officer for the state of Victoria, takes us on a historical journey, right back to the beginning. | 2/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
How Australia changed old money for new | On 14 February 1966, Australia changed to a decimal currency. Writer and social historian Robin Robertson takes us back to that time with some amusing anecdotes of how the population felt about this change. | 2/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Distillation | Trevor McAllister, a retired chemist from Melbourne, discusses the history of whiskey distillation in Ireland. | 2/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Problems with desalination plants | According to journalist Ken Davidson from Melbourne, desalination plants are not only outrageously expensive, but also threaten the environment and our health. | 1/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Measures of leadership: Reflections on Robert S. McNamara | Professor Mark Dodgson from the University of Queensland Business School, talks about the career and personality of Robert Strange McNamara, who also served as US Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. | 1/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Nuclear power - exploding the myths | Terry Krieg, a retired school teacher from Port Lincoln in South Australia, looks at some of the myths surrounding the use of nuclear power. | 1/14/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Dirt | Jill, Duchess of Hamilton, wonders why dirt has such a bad name and the word is often used in a derogatory and negative way. In this talk she puts in the good word for dirt. | 1/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
There's a quiet revolution going on in the social sciences | Professor Ian Wilkinson from the University of Sydney Business School talks about building models, using a computer, to manage future possible events in science and the social sciences. The co-author of this talk is Dr David Earnest from the Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA. | 12/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Why is science such a worry? | Dr John Kirk, a former CSIRO plant biochemist from New South Wales, asks what it is that science asks us to believe about the nature of physical and biological reality. Are there some beliefs which science tells us we should abandon? And is science, with its discoveries and resulting technologies, and its particular way of looking at the world, really - as some environmentalists seem to believe - the ultimate source of the environmental problems of the planet? | 12/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
I am a mutant | Dr Alan Baxter from the Comparative Genomics Centre at James Cook University in Townsville, Northern Queensland, discusses his life as a mutant. | 12/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
Science and communication in the information age | Denis Cryle, who is Professor in Communication and Media Studies at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, tells us how the technology of communication has changed over the years. | 12/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
A question of collaboration | Sydney author Peter Macinnis is fascinated by the 19th century. Today he discusses the science and technology predictions of that era and tells us his vision of the future. | 11/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Lathered up about CO2 | Howard Morrison is an energy consultant, a hands on adviser to architects and engineers and today he joins the debate about how we can reduce our CO2 emissions. He also questions the efficiency of our energy system. | 11/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
Epileptic seizures - turmoil hidden from view | Melbourne author Suzanne Yanko has written a self-published book called Epilepsy in the Family. She talks about different types of epilepsy, in particular, complex-partial seizures and how they often go unrecognised, despite the strange sensations experienced by those who have temporal lobe epilepsy. | 11/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
Mulling up Cannabis and psychosis | Psychiatrist Dr Matthew Large, Clinical Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, responds to an earlier Ockham's Razor talk by author Dr John Jiggens, which was broadcast on 28 August, 2011. | 11/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 15 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Insightful and Thought Provoking
Ockham's Razor covers a wide range of fascinating topics and obtains world-renowned experts to discuss those topics. The topics are also presented in a manner that the average layperson is included in the conversation. More programs, please!
Episode 4 : Prof. Aiken
What a load of bunk. The man opens with the admission that he is not a scientist, and that he is not trained to evaluate claims of global climate change, then goes on to demonstrate that his admission was grossly over-esimating his abilities. Ignoring or ignorant of the preponderance of evidence, I was disturbed to realize that a PodCast that categorizes itself under "science & medicine" gave airtime to such an ignorant political idealogue. At this rate I expect to hear Ben Stein on Evolution, Dick Cheney on Morality, or President Akhmadinadjad on Liberalism. People should accept that the uninformed opinion is of little worth, but is often shouted the loudest. This podcast certainly gives them a rooftop to shout from. I will continue to listen, as some podcasts have a rough start, and may reevaluate in the future. Please make room for people who ARE experts on the topics that they espouse.
Not What I Expected
I was expecting interviews with Scientist, but it appears that this is just a platform for individuals to read their opinions. This is fine but I prefer more of an interview than a speech.
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- Free
- Category: Science & Medicine
- Language: English
- © Copyright 2012, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
