Podcasts: Backstory from NPR, Slate Magazine

If you’re looking for short, informative podcasts that satisfy your curiosity, here are a couple to try…

NPR | Present at the Creation

National Public Radio created the series “Present at the Creation” in 2002. It was a year-long look at unique American icons – Star Trek, Monopoly, the Hollywood sign, Batman, the hamburger, Perry Mason, “Home on the Range,” and much more.

Nominations to the series had to meet two of the following three criteria: 1) The work had to be widely recognized. 2) It had to have been created in order to express an idea or value. 3) It had to have moved people or inspired awe.

The series is long over, but you can get the podcasts – most of which are around eight minutes long – from the NPR site (www.npr.org) or from iTunes.

Slate Magazine | Slate Explainer Podcasts

The online magazine “Slate” has “The Explainer,” which has been turned into a podcast. Recent topics include:
– Did Heath Ledger dream before he died?
– Will the interest rate cut affect me?
– Do pilots practice crash landings?
– Witness Immunity 101

You can find the podcast on iTunes. Click on “Podcasts,” then search for “Slate”…