University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

This lecture by South African writer, playwright and academic Jane Taylor considers Ludwig Wittgenstein’s paper, “On Certainty” in which the philosopher engages with the taken-for-granted in everyday thought. Taylor notes, “In our contemporary context of the precarious, on one hand, and the political vehemence of conviction, on the other, it seems timely to pay attention to the faltering and tentative mode of regard and thought of one of the twentieth century’s most enigmatic thinkers.” Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Show ID: 35149]

This edition of Lost Voices from unsung entrepreneurs looks at Ng Poon Chew, an entrepreneur and social activist. Ng Poon Chew immigrated to the US in 1881 at the age of 14. He was an author, publisher and advocate for Chinese American civil rights. He published the first Chinese language daily newspaper to be printed outside of China. UC Santa Barbara theater student Martin Wong performs with the coaching of Fang He, IHC Research Fellow at UC Santa Barbara. Then, hear from today's co-sponsors: Impact, an affiliate marketer in Santa Barbara and Tapjoy, a mobile advertising platform. Series: "Innovator Stories: Creating Something from Nothing" [Show ID: 35445]

A much-abused wig, the ad-libbing of Michael Keaton, and the gender imbalance in 1980s film makeup departments arise in this conversation about Beetlejuice (1988) between award-winning makeup artist Ve Neill and Rachael Ball (Film and Media Studies, UCSB). In this video, Neill shares a series of illuminating and entertaining anecdotes from many of her iconic film projects including Mrs. Doubtfire, The Lost Boys, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Show ID: 35466]

Opera News has called UC San Diego Music Professor Anthony Davis A National Treasure, for his pioneering work in opera. His six operas include works centered on recent historical figures & events, including Malcolm X and Patty Hearst. Davis' latest opera The Central Park Five, an exploration of the wrongful conviction of five teenagers of color in NYC in the 1980s, premiered at Long Beach Opera in 2019 to international acclaim. In this conversation with UC San Diego Music Professor Emeritus Cecil Lytle, Davis explains the genesis of The Central Park Five, and the challenges that ensue when art collides with current events. Series: "Contemporary Composers (1900-Present)" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 35078]

Rossini's 1829 opera "William Tell" is rarely performed today, but its Overture lives on as one of the most popular works in the classical repertoire. The Overture is essentially an instrumental suite written in four parts and performed without pause. The best-known section is the last, the allegro vivace, famously used as the rousing theme music for "The Lone Ranger" radio and TV series (and notoriously so in "A Clockwork Orange). Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Show ID: 35398]

America’s pre-WWII anxieties, Depression-era economic disparity, and the potential for positive social movements arise in this conversation about Frank Capra (director) and Robert Riskin’s (screenwriter) film Meet John Doe (1941) between author Victoria Riskin (Robert Riskin and Fay Wray: A Hollywood Memoir) and film scholar Charles Wolfe. Riskin and Wolfe discuss the multiple endings shot for the film, and Riskin reads passages from her father’s England-based radio broadcasts amidst the Battle of Britain. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Show ID: 35397]

Scientific drill ships allow scientists access to some of Earth's most challenging environments, collecting data and samples of sediment, rock, fluids and living organisms from below the seafloor. Join Scripps paleontologist Dick Norris to learn about the long running international collaboration in scientific ocean drilling that has transformed human understanding of our planet. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Show ID: 35178]

A world leader in efforts to untangle the contributions of genes and environment in the expression of common diseases, much of Dr. Esteban Burchard's work centers on childhood asthma, for which he runs the worlds largest cohort of diverse patients in an effort to better understand the risk factors for the disease and the predictors of outcomes and responses to therapy. He has also made major contributions in the areas of health disparities, precision medicine, and the promotion of underrepresented populations in the health professions. As the child of a single mother growing up in one of San Francisco's poorest neighborhoods, Dr. Burchard's unique background makes him particularly sensitive to issues surrounding health equity. Esteban Burchard is Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine at UCSF and director of the UCSF Center on Genes, Environment and Health. Series: "A Life in Medicine: People Shaping Healthcare Today" [Show ID: 35380]

Microbiome expands the genetic and functional capacity of its human host. Susan Lynch explains that human microbiome develops early in life and that gut microbes shape immune function and relate to disease outcomes in childhood. She also explores next-generation microbiome therapeutics and research. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Show ID: 35240]

E-cigarettes have become popular and widely used so fast that the safety testing on them is practically non-existent. While researchers rush to define the toxicities and potential health effects of e-cigarettes, should we be advising everyone against these nicotine delivery devices? Or should we try to be positive and hopeful, in case e-cigarettes have fewer adverse health effects relative to conventional tobacco cigarettes, and thus advise current smokers to switch to e-cigs as a harm reduction strategy? Beyond that, what are the risks of the different e-cig flavors and types of devices? Is vaping caffeine and THC more or less dangerous than vaping nicotine? What are the specific dangers of e-cig use for children, teenagers and young adults? Laura E. Crotty Alexander, MD examines the evolution of e-cigarettes and and shares a physician's view. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Show ID: 34999]