University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Gabriel Meléndez discusses Herbert J. Biberman’s 1954 film Salt of the Earth, a classic of Chicanx and feminist cinemas. With Stephen Borunda, Meléndez discusses the film’s historical context and the political controversies surrounding its production and release. Salt of the Earth offers a neorealist retelling of a fifteen-month-long strike against the Empire Zinc mining company, initiated in 1951 by Mexican-American miners and their families in Grant County, New Mexico. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36792]

A computational approach inspired by the growth patterns of a slime mold has enabled a team of astronomers and computer scientists at UC Santa Cruz to trace the filaments of the cosmic web that connects galaxies throughout the universe. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Science] [Show ID: 36784]

Actress and filmmaker Marielle Heller discusses adapting Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel, The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures, into a screenplay. With UCSB Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan, Heller addresses the challenges of constructing a realistic and honest coming-of-age narrative, told from the perspective of a teenage girl in 1970s San Francisco. The Diary of a Teenage Girl follows Minnie Goetz as she grapples with questions of sexuality, identity, and power in a moment of social and cultural upheaval. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36783]

An international team including researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute has completed the most comprehensive study of whole cancer genomes to date, significantly improving our fundamental understanding of cancer and suggesting new directions for its diagnosis and treatment. The Pan-Cancer Project has revealed causes of previously unexplained cancers, pin-pointed cancer-causing events, and identified mechanisms of cancer development. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36764]

Children's museums can be a challenging environment for parents who feel the urge to explain the science behind all the novel activities that dazzle youngsters. New research suggests that timing is key to supporting children's learning in these environments. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 36765]

The College Board has eliminated subject matter and essays tests. How will this impact college testing moving forward? Are we moving to a test free future? Is this a cynical, business move? How are AP courses changing how students apply to college? Steven Mercer and Adam Ingersoll examine the new landscape of college admissions testing. Series: "College Applications" [Education] [Show ID: 36773]

As a neurologist, Robert Knight has seen what happens when the brain crashes around violently inside the skull. And he’s aware of the often tragic consequences. Throughout his 40 years as an academic researcher and medical doctor, the University of California, Berkeley, professor of psychology and neuroscience has known students and friends whose lives and careers were derailed by head injuries from bicycle and car crashes. He’s held in his hands brains destroyed by accidental blows to the head. Not surprisingly, he cringes when he imagines his young grandchildren falling off a bike and hitting their heads. So, Knight invented a better helmet — one with more effective padding to dampen the effects of a direct hit, but more importantly, an innovative outer shell that rotates to absorb twisting forces that today’s helmets don’t protect against. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36761]

Moderator Emily Zinn sits down with director/executive producer Brad Silberling for a conversation about Netflix’s new holiday rom-com series, Dash & Lily. Their discussion explores how music, books, and location shooting come together to tell this heartwarming love story. Brad Silbering gives the audience an inside look into the production process and the joy of capturing Christmas in New York before the COVID-19 pandemic. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36757]

Charles Randolph discusses adapting the complex story of The Big Short into an Academy Award-winning screenplay. In conversation with UCSB Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan, Randolph recounts how he went about constructing a narrative is highly experimental but nonetheless cohesive and compelling. Recounting the events that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis, The Big Short conveys the complexities of modern finance through a wide range of innovative and humorous storytelling techniques. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36775]

At the height of World War II, a team of Soviet scholars embarked on an ambitious goal to collect recently written songs dealing with the Holocaust. Lost until the early 1990s, these songs were rediscovered and recorded with an ensemble of recognized soloists. Thanks to the painstaking labor of Anna Shternshis and the talent of Psoy Korolenko, audiences worldwide can now enjoy and reflect upon this treasure trove of songs that offer a precious glimpse into an unfolding tragedy and the artistic reaction to it. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36542]