Radiolab and Bolero

I stood in the middle off the G-Terminal at ORD the other day listening to podcasts.

Contrasting with the bustle of busy, annoyed, stressed, and sweaty travelers, RadioLab podcasts explore deep concepts and have some of the most creative uses of sound I hear in my day-to-day life.

Unraveling Bolero is a great example. While it is typical in most respect, certain elements came together and it struck me as one of the most beautiful and terrifying episodes I've heard.

You can listen to it here.

Libyan economy Versus Egyptian economy

Since I've been exercising more lately, I have more chance to listen to my podcasts, even if some of them are a month or more older by now.

Planet Money, from NPR, is one of my favorites. Perhaps the most educational one I caught recently looked at the public uprising in Egypt versus the one in Libya.  Why did the Egyptian army stay out of it, while the Libyan army opened fire?  Because the Egyptian army needs the people; the Libyan army does not.

The cast is an excellent introduction to the concept of a Rentier State and a the resource curse that can plague a third world nation.

The cast is from before the US and NATO go involved in the conflict, but that action has not impacted the relevance of the cast.  It's well worth the 20 minutes.  You can catch it here.

Stop Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients from wandering off

Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients can have a break with the present.  They can be convinced they are decades younger than they are and have to do something or go someplace they used to do or go 25 years ago.  The can slip out of their assisted living facilities and head out into the world, unprepared for the weather or dangers they face, especially since they can be in their own separate reality at that point.  How do stop this?

One solution would be to put better locks on the assisted living facility, and increase security.  But then you start turning it into a prison.  A facility in Germany came up with a better idea.

They built a bus stop to nowhere right outside.

To go about their important business, the patients first are convinced they need to catch the bus.  When someone now wanders off, staff don't have to chase them through the town. 

Because the patient will usually be waiting for the bus.  At that bus stop.  And the bus will never come.

I heard this story on WNYC's Radiolab podcast.  It's 15 minutes along and it is a fascinating, sad, hopeful, and well told story that is more than work the quarter hour.  You can read more and listen to it here.

Musicians hear better due to better internal CoDecs

Monday afternoon, All Things Considered featured an interesting story about how musicians hear better than non-musicians, not because of their ears (hardware) but because of the way the brain processes the audio (software CoDec (well, kind of -- it's my analogy, not NPR's)).

Musical training can improve your hearing, according to several studies presented in Chicago at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

The studies found that serious musicians are better than other people at perceiving and remembering sounds. But it's not because they have better ears.

Sounds come in through the ears. But they travel through the nervous system and get interpreted by the brain.
That means your hearing can change even if your ears don't, says Nina Kraus, who directs the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University.

"Your hearing system becomes tuned by the experiences that you have had with sound throughout your life," Kraus says.

...More

You can read the entire transcript here or listen to the report here.

I like to think of hearing as a processing issue in many cases.  Here's why.

I began noticing some years back, that sometimes I had trouble understanding what someone said.  I would ask them to repeat themselve, and while I was asking that, I suddenly understood what they said.

Or I'll hear something and not understand it a first.  If I think about the sound for a moment, I'll be able to understand it.

Have you noticed similar experiences?

What that tells me, is that my ears are delivering the appropriate data to my brain, but sometimes my brain simply requires more time to decode those sound waves into something that actually has meaning.  It just takes a few more CPU cycles.

To extend the metaphor a little further, it's like those grainy videos they show on CSI.  You'll see just pixealated blobs.  That's what my ears deliver to my brain. Then they press the "enhance" option on their keyboard, and suddenly the video is perfectly clear.That's what my brain does to the data my ears deliver.  Except that with hearing, this actually happens.

Musicians have better trained their brains than I have.  Their brains do a more efficient job of processing audio than mine because they live it.

And that's a fascinating process.

Cuba's singing capitalitsts and useless analogies

Similes are, of course, comparisons using "like" or "as." The point of these comparisons or analogies is to help the listener understand a new concept buy referencing another one.

But they are culturally dependent. And sometimes utterly useless.

During a story on singing street vendors in Cuba, they interviewed a woman who sells Tamales from a cart.

She said:

Tamales are like coconuts.

?!?!

Tamales have hard shells?

Tamales give milk?

You can add shredded tamale to birthday cake?

You get tamales from tall trees?

Tamales play a prominent role in cartoon violence?

Tamales are used euphemistically to describe women's physiques?

If you have a Professor nearby, you can convert tamales into radio parts?

How exactly are tamale's like coconuts?

They spoil easily. I don't stop doing my pregon until I have sold everything because I will not try to sell the leftover tamales the next day.

Hm. Coconuts spoil easily? Is this something I should already know? It's not on my syllabus.

It's easy to forget how culturally specific our analogies and references can be. It's something I need to keep in mind for my own presentations.

You can read/listen to the story here.

Radiolab on the Obama Effect

I love the WNYC Radiolab Podcast. I wrote about their fascinating piece on sleep here. This weekend, I caught their shorter piece on the Obama Effect. It's about 18 minutes long and is worth listening to.

They start off reporting on a preliminary study that gave a test to a number of participants. Those conducting the study tested several groups of participants. The test, given three times, found that on average grades by African Americans improved as Obama's prominence rose.

When tested after Obama was nominated, African Americans scored higher than when tested prior to the nomination. Scores rose even higher for those taking the test after Obama became President.

In this podcast, they also talked about a study related to putting.

When scientits told participants the putting test was an intellectual test about problem solving, white particpants scored significantly higher than African American participants.

They then gave the same exact test -- with the exact same scoring criteria -- to a different group of participants. The only difference was that this time, they said it was a measure of athletic skill. In this case, African American participants scored significantly higher than white participants.

Radiolab also discuss similar studies relating to performance difference by gender.

The conclusions they come to are that lower performance is attributable not to talent, skill, or knowledge, but to self doubt. And it highlights the impact the perception of cultural stereotypes can have on people.

These are very sensitive and controversial matters, obviously. But it is a fascinating way of viewing test scores and other topics.

Listen to the Radiolab podcast here, or download it through your iTunes.

I try to live my life by the mantra, "Attitude is everything. And attitude is a decision." It's similar to the other common motivational slogan, "If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."

Sayings like that may appear trite, but the do point to the importance of believing in yourself, regardless of what a test proctor, or other people may say. And that's a powerful tool.

Sarah Vowell in Seattle: Clear but not generic

Tonight I barreled through a sudden downpour to Town Hall in Seattle. It's only a few blocks from my apartment, but I was dripping wet when I got there. Layers of water droplets stuck to my glasses leaving me with the vision of a myopic bat. I went in, picked up my package at the will call window, wandered down to the bathroom to find some paper towels for a my glasses, my face and my hair.

Once I my head was downgraded from "creating its own precipitation" to "thoroughly moist" I took a look at my package. In the middle of the book was my ticket for the evening. And the book itself? Sarah Vowell's newest sarcastic tale of lesser known history, "The Wordy Shipmates."

You may know from Sarah Vowell from work on NPR's This American Life. She reads her wonderful essays with that trademark voice that has the gravel on someone who has been around the world, and the tone of a 12 year old girl. Or you may know here from her books, like The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Assassination Vacation, or Take the Cannoli (my review is here). Or you may know her from appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brian, or the The Daly Show with Jon Stewart. Or you may know here from her role at Violet in The Incredibles.

If you don't know her work, it's worth checking out.

She took the stage dressed in a black top and olive cargo pants (very Seattle appropriate) and got right down to business. The pages of the book reflected off her glasses, blocking her eyes. She looked up from time to time to add context to what she was reading (since we hadn't read the earlier passages) or to provide additional historical content. Then she took questions.

Town Hall set up microphones for people to ask questions. Surprisingly very few people got up to stand in line. I expected dozens of people to crowd the aisles, waiting for their chance to talk to the fascinating Ms. Vowell. But they didn't . There were hundred of people in Town Hall, but just two or three got up. I guess Seattle produces extraordinarily shy crowds.

The first question concerned how the Cherokee owned slaves. Sarah's expression seemed to scream, "Are you kidding me?" and she joked about the tone that set for the questions. As she began speaking, her answer started as a ramble, but gradually coalesced into a discussion about the humanity of the Cherokee, and Sarah made some fascinating points.

That was the pattern her answers took that evening. It was interesting to see that process, where she starts out speaking in a first draft, gradually revises and refines it over the next few moments, and ends up with the finished product.

Some might suggest an author should already be prepared for all the different questions they are likely to get, however, I don't think that's possible. The variety of things people asked Sarah about included slavery, the Forest Service, National Parks, historical markers, historical holidays, the sex habits of the Puritans, FDR's fireside chats (and the nature of fear), and more. Sarah spoke intelligently on all these questions.

But at no point were there long lines to ask questions. I don't think there were ever more than two people on deck. When it looked pretty clear, I stepped up to the mike.

I asked about her writing process. Specifically, I was curious how she balances her different roles as a historian, humorist, journalist, etc, and whether those roles come into conflict while she's working on here material.

Sarah said she doesn't think about those roles. She just thinks of herself as a writer. The content determines the tone of her writing. Sarah said she "tries to be clear, but not generic."

Now, I don't know if she's used that phrase before, or if it came to her while she was speaking. So it's entirely possible Sarah would cringe to see that phrase quoted here and in this post title. Or maybe she wouldn't.

Regardless, that's the writing tip I took out of this event. Strive to always be clear, and never be generic.

After questions, Sarah stayed behind to sign books. Again I was surprised by how few people lined up for her autograph. Given the hundreds of people who bought their ticket to see her, or who bought Sarah's new book to get the free ticket, I expected a lot more of them to stick around for an autograph.

The line moved quickly, and Sarah spoke with each fan. She was friendly and professional. While she signed my copy, we chatted briefly about the deer problem in Helena.

So now I'm at home, dried off, and looking back on the evening. I've got a new book, learned something about writing, and got to meet someone whose work I appreciate, respect, enjoy, and laugh with .

I'd say it was good evening.

Book Review 24: American cinema, Andrew Jackson, and more

I first heard Sarah Vowell's deceptively young voice during an episode of This American Life and was immediately creeped out by the way this 12 year old was talking. Once I realized she was, in fact, a grown, adult woman, I enjoyed her essays much more.

Vowell, a regular fixture on public radio is enthralling whether she's reading a story on NPR, sharing an amusing anecdote on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, or providing the voice of shy super hero Violet Parr in The Incredibles.

Take the Cannoli is collection of essays that saw earlier life in newspaper and magazine columns, or as radio pieces. It's a quick and entertaining read that explores Sarah Vowell as she explores the country.

Most of the time when I read a book, I hear the characters' or authors' voices in my head. Since I have never heard most of them, the voice is almost always the same (a sad variant of my own). Reading Take the Cannoli, however, I hear Vowels's voice as she reads every quirky line.

Vowell's essays are mostly about her. Not in a self centered way, but in a personal discovery way. Whether she's writing about her father's cannon, her explorations of Sicily, the Goth culture, mix tapes, or the Cherokee Trail of Tears, Vowell seems to be learning that the world is more complicated that she thought, and that she herself is full of surprises.

In the first essay, Vowell talks about her father and his love of guns. She was never a fan of the weapons and describes her first experience firing a gun like this:

The sound it made was as big as God. It kicked little me back to the ground like a bully, like a foe. It hurt. I don't know if I dropped it of just handed it back over to my Dad, but I do know that I never wanted to touch another one again. And because I believed in the devil, I did what my mother told me to do every time I felt an evil presence. I looked at the smoke and said under my breath, "Satan, I rebuke thee."

Page 19

Her father would go on to make a cannon. She joined him on a trip into the mountains to fire the beast:

Dad shoots the cannon again so they can see how it works. The other hiker says, "That's quite a machine you've got there." But he isn't talking about the cannon. He's talking about my tape recorded and my microphone -- which is called a shotgun mike. I stare back at him, then look over at my father's canon, then down at my microphone, and I think, Oh. My. God. My dad and I are the same person. We're both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment. And since this whole target practice outing was my idea, I was not longer his adversary. I was his accomplice. What's worse, I was liking it.

Page 23

In one of her later essays, she tries to overcome insomnia. She tries a variety of methods, but in the end, comes to the conclusion that the night has its own value:

Being up in the middle of the night is kind of nice, actually. It's quiet and dark and the phone doesn’t ring. You can listen to records and weirder movies are on TV. I've never known another life and now I'm not sure I want to.

Page 209

In my senior year of High School, I made described something in a report by reference the longing for the green light from The Great Gatsby. I though I was mighty clever at the time. And I even got a few points from the teacher for making the reference.

That's why I particularly enjoyed Vowell making the same literary reference in her description of a Frank Sinatra picture.

It pictures a young, frail Frank Sinatra sitting cross-legged on the boardwalk in Hoboken. The boys gaunt face wears a mask of resolve. He leans forward, just slightly, as if he is on the verge of standing up, as if his gangly arms and legs are willing themselves to that place where his heart already is. It is difficult, after you see that haunting portrait, to imagine that young Frank Sinatra as anything other than Gatsby, staring at the green light at the end of the pier.

Page 78

As a professional, writer Vowell does not limit her English class references to just literature. She discusses the psychological implications of a person's preferred form of punctuation.

Dave is trying to decide whether he wants there to be a space before or after the ellipsis. He's unsure. Is the ellipsis approach powerful because of what is not said after the dot dot dot, or is it a cheap excuse for not being able to verbalize? Conversely, do we parentheticals want to communicate by cramming more in between what we are, officially, saying? Or is it because we can't decide?

Page 203

Personally, I prefer the semi-colon; I like to tie my thought together, I suppose.

Vowell does not appear to be a fan of the comma. Most of them are missing from the text. I didn't notice this at first. When I read the book and heard Vowell's voice in my head, the pauses and breaks all seemed natural. I didn't realize so many commas were missing until I started typing out the passages I quote in this post. I kept having to back space and delete commas that I thought should be there but weren't.

Vowell talks about her atheism, her experience in retracing the Trail of Tears, her anger at seeing President Jackson on the $20 bill, and more. The material is often heart-felt if not light hearted.

Not all the material is filled with deep self reflection and personal transformation. Essays like, "Chelsea Girl," "Michigan and Wacker," and "Your Dream, My Nightmare" didn't suck my in quite like the others, but they are still great reads. They are just a little more detached.

Rather than do a detailed analysis of each of the 16 essays in this book, I'll just say it has my recommendation. It's a fairly quick read and Vowell held my attention through out. I picked up this book knowing I would enjoy it, and I was not disappointed. Take the Cannoli is sarcastic, funny, entertaining, thought provoking, and touching.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Here are some of my other favorite passages:

I was a good daughter, a good sister, a good girlfriend, a good student, a good citizen, a responsible employee. I was also antsy, resentful, overworked, and hemmed in.

Page 60

I wonder how the teachers who were doing Huckleberry Finn the week of Littleton, handled the joking beginning, in which Tom starts his own gang and informs Huck and the other boys that their reason for being is "nothing but robbery and murder." Children's books can't say that anymore, even in jest. Which is too bad, because even though the two books' boy-talk brags about killing, when Tom and Huck witness an actual murder, it terrifies them, and Injun Joe the murdered is the object of their disgust and fear. Tom Sawyer articulates the difference between the language of child's play and the consequence of evil.

Page 119

Still, in post-Watergate, post-Vietnam America odds are that the more you shoot for Frank Capra, the more likely you are to end up with David Lynch. Once I notice that the town diner where we're having breakfast is about to celebrate something as corny as National Chocolate Ice Cream Day I start looking for lopped-off earlobes in my hash browns.

Page 120

The advantage is that twins share responsibilities. There is little or no pressure to become a whole person, which creates a very clear, very liberating division of labor. I did the indoor things, she did the outdoor ones. She learned to ride a bike before I did. I learned to read before she did. She owns at least three pairs of skis. I own at least three brands of bourbon. Driving was her jurisdiction. Criticizing her driving was mine.

Page 177

Before anyone breaks out the eyeliner, we all sit in a circle and go through my homework. The whole thing reminds me of graduate school seminars, except these people are smart and funny and have something interesting to say.

Page 214

Local blogger on the radio

Last week, I talked about The Rollerblog. Written by Seattle area blogger RollerKaty, it covers all things 70s related.

Big things have been happening over there this week. RollerKaty launched a redesign, and on Wednesday was featured on local radio. Her interview on KUOW's Sound Focus is available here.

It's definitely worth a listen. Congratulations, RollerKaty.

Roaches and Metropolis

On Thursday, KUOW aired an NPR story about robotic roaches. Scientists built a fake roaches and introduced them to actual roach communities, to see if they could alter the roaches natural behavior.

"I think it's a really fascinating idea to integrate robots within animal groups. In actual fact, I really feel that this is the future of doing this kind of research," said Iain Couzin, a researcher at Princeton University who studies how large-scale biological patterns can emerge from individuals' actions.

...More

They were able to influence the behavior of the entire roach community by altering the behaviour of the robots.

The story reminded me of the 1927 Fritz Lang movie, Metropolis.

In this film, commonly described as the first robot science fiction movie, society is divided between the working class and the upper class. The workers operate the machines below ground that drive the entire society. They pray with a priestess.

A mad scientist who has a vendetta against the person who owns the machines, extracts his revenge. He creates an android that looks exactly like the priestess. He kidnaps the priestess and replaces her with his own creation.

Instead of promoting peace and love, the android advocates the violent overthrow of the society, and calls on the working class to rise up, throw off their chains, and smash the equipment.

The workers, like the roaches in the study, do just that, even though it destroys their society. Their homes are flooded; their children are nearly killed.

The film is a fascinating story about coopting the influencers of public opinion for nefarious purposes.

Sleep 04: What is it?

I've been posting more about sleep these past few months. I suppose that means I should be getting more.

Regardless, WNYC's NPR program, Radio Lab, recently did a show that focused on Sleep.

Radio Lab is a fascinating series. They take a big topic like Morality, Mortality, or Sleep, and spend an hour exploring what it means from a scientific and metaphysical perspective. It's framed with two hosts chatting with one another about what they just learned about the topic. They ask questions and joke, but they do it all in a respectful and profession manner. It comes across as two guys, who love learning about things, having a conversation over a beer.

In Sleep, I found the animals stories fascinating. I learned that dolphins, for example, can put half their brain to sleep, while they other stays awake. This way they don't drown. Ducks can do the same thing. They tell the story of 4 ducks on a log. The two ducks in the middle go completely to sleep, with both eyes closed. The two on the ends, however, keep their outside eye open to watch for predators. When the do this, the half of their brain connected to the closed eye sleeps. After awhile, they get up, turn around, and let the other half sleep.

Somewhere in the evolutionary chain, land based mammals lost the ability to sleep just one hemisphere at a time. I don't know if that's a good thing.

You can download the audio from the entire show here. You can also just stream it. And, if you'd rather, you can download just individual segments.

If you like Radio Lab, you can also subscribe to the free, weekly netcast through iTunes.

It's fascinating stuff.