WNYC-FM: Please Explain from WNYC New York Public Radio Podcast
By WNYC-FM
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Podcast Description
From WNYC, New York Public Radio: Please Explain, where Leonard Lopate and a guest get to the bottom of one complex issue. History, science, politics, pop culture or anything that needs some explanation!
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
Please Explain: Drones | Nick Paumgarten, staff writer for The New Yorker, explains what drones are, how they work, and the technological advancements that are making drones more prevalent in military and civilian life. He's the author of "Here's Looking at You" in the May 14 issue of The New Yorker. | 5/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Please Explain: Credit Ratings | This week we'll find out about credit reports and credit scores and how to manage them effectively. Jeffrey Blyskal, senior editor of ?Consumer Reports, joins us to explain how they work and what they mean.? If you have a question, call 212-433-9692 or leave a comment below.? | 5/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Please Explain: Bioluminescence | John Sparks, associate?curator and curator-in-charge, department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, and David Gruber, assistant professor at the City University of New York and a research associate at the museum, discuss the variety of bioluminescent organisms--from fungus to dinoflagellates to jellyfish--and explain the various ways they glow, the functions of bioluminescence, and how scientists study it. The exhibition Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence is on view at the American Museum of Natural History through January 6, 2013. | 5/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Please Explain: Lobbying | It's estimated that over $3 billion was spent on lobbying efforts last year. On this week's Please Explain, Alex Blumberg from NPR's Planet Money describes how lobbying works, the role that all that money plays in politics, and what kind of influence that money buys. Call us at 212-433-9692 with your questions, or leave them in a comment below! | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Please Explain: Movie Special Effects | Dr. Doug Roble, the Creative Director of Software at Digital Domain, the multiple Academy Award-winning visual effects studio in Venice, California, talks about the history of special effects in filmmaking and explains the art and science of creating them. ?? | 4/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 5 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Unprepared and miscatagorized
Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of WNYC in general. I think Radio Lab is one of the best podcasts anywhere on the web. That said; I think Please Explain is not up to snuff. All in all the subjects are interesting but the interviewer was unprepared and the final product was tedious to listen to. The first episode I heard was informative and interesting- but had nothing at all to do with it's category of Natural Science (march 21, 2008, Media Ethics). To be fair I tried a second (March 14, Proprioception) which was properly categorized but over and over again Mr. Lopate asked questions in his interview about the sense of balance which, while related to proprioception, or kinesthesia, is actually a separate system in the body. Once would have been enough for the subjects to explain that the systems were related but fundamentally different.... over and over he asked in different form, as if he didn't realize he'd already gotten the response. The subject was proprioception- he insisted on making the entire interview about balance. Bad interview. Hope this helps.
Great with politics, not so good with science
Leonard excels in his interviews regarding politics, social issues and history, but when it comes to science it's obvious he has little overall background knowledge. It's frustrating to hear him miss real opportunities to get past the basics and invite deeper insights from his guests. Perhaps worse is when something really good is emerging but is then brought back down to a basic level by the interjection of a poorly timed comment. Likewise, there never seems to be intelligent follow-up on a topic that's starting to get somewhere. His guests are too polite to brush away a trivial interruption. In an age where the general public needs to get itself up to speed on so many science topics, it's ashame that an otherwise great program misses the chance to really enlighten its devoted listeners.
Informative yet dreary.
I've been listening to this Podcast for over four months and find the random topics a refreshing change to my day when the newscasts are focusing on the Middle East. Everything about the sun, baking goods, dinosaurs, or my credit score have been touched. The host even asks intelligent questions to keep the discussions going. However, I also find the host gruff, and somewhat rude when speaking to callers. People will give compliments regarding the show and their words fall on deaf ears. Additionally, callers are often rushed and sometimes spoken down to. Even though I'm just listening to this man in my car, I would never want to have a conversation with someone like this AND enjoy it. Listen to NPR's 'Talk of the Nation' by Neil. He's polite and brings to the table a wide range of issues in our lives today.
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- Category: Natural Sciences
- Language: English
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