University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Join Sameer Patel for To the Stars, featuring Anton Webern's Passacaglia for Orchestra, and Johannes Brahms's Symphony No. 3. Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39116]

Human beings show a range of emotional attachment, affection, and infatuation often referred to as “love”. Love promotes long-lasting and secure relationships that involve nurturing and support. Biological mechanisms underlying such behavior involve ancient neuropeptides and their receptors in the brain. These systems are also involved in reproduction, ranging from mating and pair-bonding, to giving birth and lactation. They shape the earliest experiences of all mammals and their mothers. The concept of love and how we experience it are affected by culture and its diverse societal norms. This symposium will explore the evolutionary roots of human love, compare human love to corresponding emotions in other animals, consider human conditions that prevent the expression of such feelings, and examine the key role of love and affection for our development and daily lives.  Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40506]

Human fathers exhibit hormonal shifts in testosterone, prolactin, and oxytocin, enabling flexible responses to parenting. In species with costly paternal care, these shifts balance mating and parenting efforts, suggesting evolved neuroendocrine capacities that support fatherhood. Today, fathers collaborate with mothers worldwide, though their roles vary across cultures and family systems, much as they likely did evolutionarily. Using research from the Philippines, Congo-Brazzaville, and the U.S., alongside cross-cultural data, this talk examines how men’s hormonal physiology adapts to parenthood and influences family behaviors and bonds within diverse ecological and cultural contexts. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40387]

Astronaut and photographer Don Pettit took these stunningly beautiful photos of the Caribbean with its incomparable island blues and clouds on October 3, 2024, aboard ISS 72. Also full of incomparable beauty are Bach’s Motets. The voices soar with joy and reverence, especially in this recording by Solomon’s Knot, a British ensemble. Here we present “Lieber Herr Gott, wecke uns auf” (Dear Lord God, wake us up) by Johann Christoph Bach, the older cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach. The Bach family was indeed full of musical genius. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40594]

Author, screenwriter, philanthropist, journalist and broadcaster Mitch Albom is an inspiration around the world. He is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than 40 million copies in 48 languages worldwide. He has written eight number-one New York Times bestsellers — including "Tuesdays with Morrie," the bestselling memoir of all time. As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Albom joins host Dean Nelson for this far-reaching conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40219]

This film explores the dynamic fusion of science, art and historic collections, set against the stunning backdrop of La Jolla’s hidden underwater world of giant kelp forests. Five artists talks about their unique perspectives captured in the exhibition "Ebb and Flow: Giant Kelp Forests through Art, Science and the Archive," at UC San Diego's Geisel Library. Produced by Mary Ann Beyster, with assistance from filmmaker Eladio Arvelo, the film reveals the profound beauty, healing power and global significance of the vital kelp habitat.

Series: "Arts Channel " [Science] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40547]

The titi and owl monkeys of South America live in socially-monogamous groups where the male and female establish a pair bond and share parental duties. Why do males of these species mate in a monogamous relationship presumably foregoing other reproductive opportunities? And why are titi and owl monkey males such good fathers, investing heavily in the care of offspring that they cannot be certain they sired? Relying on ecological, behavioral and genetic data collected during 28 years from wild populations in Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. This lecture will discuss the role of food distribution, mate guarding and infant care in the evolution of pair-bonds, monogamy and paternal care. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40382]

Director Pamela Yates joins UCSB professor Giovanni Batz for a conversation about Borderland | The Line Within, a powerful documentary exploring the human cost of U.S. immigration policy. The film examines the “border industrial complex”—a vast system of surveillance, detention, and deportation—through the personal stories of immigrants resisting systemic injustice. Highlighting voices like Mayan activist Kaxh Mura’l and DACA recipient Gabriela Castañeda, Yates reveals how the border extends far beyond geography. This discussion sheds light on the role of storytelling in challenging structural violence and advocating for dignity, justice, and human rights. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40532]

Anthony Lim, M.D., J.D., explores how small, intentional steps can lead to lasting behavioral change. Lim breaks down a simple, four-step framework to help people achieve their goals, whether it's improving health, forming better habits, or making positive life changes. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40602]

On this flight aboard the International Space Station, we look out at a SpaceX Dragon at night. In the background, we see mysterious views of Earth's lights, lightning and moon rise. Astronaut Don Pettit took these dream-like time-lapse photos of city lights and clouds – each 30 second exposures – creating these fantastical images. The music is Bach’s Et Misericordia (“and mercy”), in a stunning performance by Solomon’s Knot, a British ensemble – recorded live at BachFest in Leipzig, June 2016. The musical joy and reverence match the view of Earth.

Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40631]