EPISODE 250. JASON CONCEPCION. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. THE GREATEST LETTERS SEGMENT IN THE HISTORY OF PODCASTS. MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU. https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1746364475

Developers are constantly testing how online users react to their designs. Will they stay longer on the site because of this shade of blue? Will they get depressed if we show them depressing social media posts? What happens if we intentionally mismatch people on our dating website? When it comes to shades of blue, perhaps that’s not a big deal. But when it comes to mental health and deceiving people? Now we’re in ethically choppy waters. My discussion today is with Cennydd Bowles, Managing Director of NowNext, where he helps organizations develop ethically sound products. He’s also the author of a book called “Future Ethics.” He argues that A/B testing on people is often ethically wrong and creates a culture among developers of a willingness to manipulate people. Great conversation ranging from the ethics of experimentation to marketing and even to capitalism. https://podcastaddict.com/ethical-machines/episode/196738491…

We return to speaking to Joseph Haughney about his recollections of the Arpanet and its long-term impact. We ask other founders how they feel about what the internet has become. We also speak to internet early founder Hans-Werner Braun’s daughters about how they reconcile themselves to the world their father helped create. https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-6…

It is the late 1970s and early 1980s and the Arpanet is in decline. NSFnet is on the rise in its place. Why did the Arpanet get eclipsed by other networks, and is that OK? https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-5

Louis Pouzin is a French academic who some experts say deserves more credit for his contributions to the internet. But is that true, and should any one person be give all the credit? https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-4

It’s the 1970s and both the government and academia are doing everything they can to spread the word of the Arpanet. But as the Arpanet gains popularity everywhere after its 1972 coming-out ball in Washington, D.C., through its new phone book, it also faces detractors who don’t want it to be available to all. https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-3…

Many historians say the Arpanet (and ultimately the internet) was born on October 29, 1969. But is that really when the Arpanet began, and who should be given credit for this key moment in internet history? https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-2

After World War II, the U.S. had to change the way it communicated if it was going to keep up with the Soviets in the Cold War, especially once Sputnik was launched. It was the vision of a Missouri boy called Lick that would solve those communication issues and spark the creation of the internet. https://www.inc.com/computerfreaks#episode-1…

It’s back to the Oscars stage for Jon and Andy, to talk about this year’s nominees for Best Original Score, and it’s back to some age old questions: Do we want our music made out of notes or blobs? Does reading up about these scores get in the way of our curmudgeonly opinions? And, how much music should a musical’s music music? https://www.settlingthescorepodcast.com/68-2025-oscars-special/…

To start 2025, we’ve chosen another selection from Tony MacMahon’s and Tom Davis collections, featuring among others sessions from the 1973 Fleadh Ceoil in Listowel. In 1973, Tom was in Listowel and managed to record a variety of well-known musicians, including Joe Burke (1939-2021, this time on tin whistle) playing a haunting air An Droighnean Donn. A young Paddy Glackin teamed up with brothers Paddy and Michael Gavin for two lively reels. Likewise, a young John Regan was in great form playing a couple of classic tunes on the box. We are fortunate also that Tom was on hand to record the distinctive voice of Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh (of Altan fame), only a teenager at the time. https://www.itma.ie/playlists/padraics-picks-february2025/…

A Philosophy of Planetary Computation: From Antikythera to Synthetic Intelligence https://longnow.org/ideas/a-philosophy-of-planetary-computation/

In this special live episode, recorded at the Hay Festival, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Seán Burke to learn about medieval Irish folklore. We’re focusing on the lore and stories from Gaelic Irish culture. Gaelic culture remained the dominant set of cultural and societal beliefs on the island of Ireland well into the 17th century until it was destroyed by a succession of English invasions. But what were these beliefs and how did the Christianisation of Ireland from the 5th century onwards amalgamate pre-Christian stories into it? From fairy darts to banshees, through some unusual ways of warding off the evil eye, this is a jovial jaunt across some ancient myths and legends. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0frndnq…

In this episode, Greg Jenner is joined in 15th-Century England by Dr Lydia Zeldenrust and comedian Robin Ince to learn all about the early history of book printing. 2024 marks the 550th anniversary of the first book printed in English: a history of Troy, produced in 1474 by William Caxton. In the decades that followed, numerous printing shops would be set up across the country, and a huge variety of texts printed, including those that carried potentially dangerous ideas. Starting with the origins of printing in East Asia, this episode explores the first century of printing in England, looking at how books were produced and by whom, what sorts of texts were being printed, who was reading them, and how the state reacted to this new industry. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020xhm…

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Europe by Dr Mary Bateman and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about the legends of King Arthur. Most of us have heard of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. But where do these legends come from? Arthur first appears in the writings of a 9th-Century monk, but he’s not the king we know today: no Merlin or Lancelot, no Excalibur, and no Camelot. These elements were added later, as the legends were retold and rewritten across Europe. This episode traces the stories of Arthur and his knights from their early medieval origins, exploring the changes made as they were adapted over the centuries by everyone from French romance authors to Victorian poets, and taking in some famous medieval texts, including the Welsh Mabinogion and Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, as well as some lesser-known tales. Along the way, we also look at the places in modern Britain that still bear Arthurian names and the wacky artefacts that have been associated with the legendary king, and ask the crucial question: did King Arthur really exist? If you’re a fan of heroic quests, knights in shining armour and fantastical medieval stories, you’ll love our episode on the legends of King Arthur. If you want more from Mike Wozniak, check out our episode on Charles Dickens at Christmas. And for more lovely legends, listen to our episodes on Atlantis and Norse Literature. You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027sx8…

Julian Gough sums up his career as follows: “I just sit in my room and write.” Well, I think being an acclaimed children’s author, novelist, stage playwright, poet and top-ten Irish musician is a little more impressive than he’s letting on…... https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/julian-gough-the-egg-and-the-rock-ep249/…

She's the woman of the moment: after a sequence of acclaimed and award-winning poetry collections in both Irish and English, Clare poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa has delivered a sensational non-fiction book, "A Ghost In The Throat", nominated in two categories in the Irish Book Awards. In today's episode, Doireann joins Darach and Peadar to talk about her career. She chats about her first poems and the writers who inspire her, including her collaboration with Choctaw poet LeAnne Howe. She tells of the journey to publication and the delicate business of translation. And she talks about her love of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire which led to the book which has readers enthralled. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1605830400…

We've spoken about fairy forts before. However, in the context of our recent discussion of placenames and bearing in mind the widespread incidences of Ráth and Lios in towns across Ireland, we decided to bring an expert in. Sinéad Mercier, co-author of "The Men Who Eat Ringforts", drops in to tell Darach and Peadar all about these structures which link Ireland to its past. Is the word "fort" unnecessarily militaristic? If the deference for "fairies" has contributed positively to the preservation of archaeological and ecological phenomena, then why can't we just say "because fairies" in a planning permission objection? https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1613088000…

Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire is a lecturer in TU Dublin and a well-travelled chef and TV presenter. He's the world's leading expert in Irish food history, so why he agreed to appear on our podcast, we'll never know. Gearóidín and Peadar chat with Máirtín about the history of Irish ingredients, ancient cooking methods, and an absolute heap of cheese. Why is Irish food not held in the same regard as French, Spanish or even Danish grub? What did we eat before the noble spud arrived on our shores? Why do we eat so little seafood for an island nation? Why does Darach hate coddle? Is it because he's weird? It is, isn't it? Find out all this and more, as Máirtín takes us on a culinary journey a thousand years or more in the making. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1550793900…

Some people out there wouldn’t see a rabbinical calling and a love of Irish dancing and sean-nós singing as a likely pairing. Those people have not met Darach’s guest this week. Saoirse Cecelia Beyer is a New Jersey-based rabbi with a passion for traditional Irish singing and dancing styles which has taken her to fleadhs all over. In this week’s episode, she tells Darach about being a “purveyor of joyful Judaism”, learning conversational Connacht Irish but Donegal Irish songs, PG-13 humour in religious education and the significance of the chosen name Saoirse. She also offers an informed interpretation of controversial passages of Genesis and Leviticus which might surprise you. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1562893605…

When we in Ireland think of Irish-America, our minds tend to rush towards rivers died green, New York cops and maybe even a Massachusetts political dynasty. But there’s a lot more to the story than that. In particular, the Appalachian region, crossing multiple states, has its own culture and identity distinct from its neighbours in the South and Midwest, of which Irish music and language have made a significant contribution. In this week’s episode, Darach and Peadar chat to Rebecca Wells, a singer in Nashville, Tennessee. She tells the lads about her Appalachian roots, the influence of Irish music on bluegrass and other musical traditions, the overlap between accents and dialects and the way what you call a can of carbonated drink is an indicator of where you are from. She also tells the story behind her Twitter handle @faoiltighearna and her favourite Irish word. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1578009600…

Taylor Swift broke the Irish Internet today when she wore a geansaí. It launched a thousand versions of the same joke - she looked a bit like one of the Clancy Brothers. In today's BONUS episode we look at the history of the Aran sweater, what knitters know that the others don't, diddly-eye erasure and much more. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1595627400…

"Hamlet has been performed in Klingon" Aisling Carolan. For a poet, the fact that the Irish word tír (country) and the English word tear (a sad drop of water) sound the same is profoundly significant. For a linguist, however, this is a coincidence and a cursed one at that. How much weight should we attribute to similar sounding words with similar meanings in different languages? In this week's episode, we consider the theory, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, that Hebrew and Gaelic languages are linked… and that the source of this link is that the Gaels were a lost tribe of Israel. Some of this is down to soundalikes, but do grammatical parallels prove a deeper link? Darach and Clodagh are assisted in their work by crafty classicist/linguist/artist Aisling Carolan, who is determined to prove a link between Pokemon and Púca. Today's episode is swear-free. https://podbay.fm/p/motherfocloir/e/1538733632…

Are you here for an affair? Ah yes, an episode of Settling the Score, very good sir – this one’s about Simon and Garfunkel’s song score to Mike Nichol’s classic 1967 satire The Graduate. How was this movie pioneering in its use of music? Do these famous songs engender sympathy or skepticism for the characters, or both? And, it’s okay to ask: do these lyrics actually mean anything? https://www.settlingthescorepodcast.com/67-the-graduate/…

t’s all been leading to this: Episode 200. We turned to our Top Men to celebrate the milestone, the showrunner of House of the Dragon Ryan Condal and the writer showrunner of Veep Dave Mandel! Their movie props collecting podcast The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of just wrapped S7, so they were ready to go DEEP into all the incredible props, artwork, and writing that made Raiders of the Lost Ark one of the greatest films ever made. WHAT A PICTURE! https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1717977600…

TOMORROW is the season finale of Presumed Innocent. TODAY we have the director of FIVE of Presumed Innocent’s amazing episodes, Greg Yaitanes. Greg gives us behind the scenes details of working with Jake Gyllenhaal and the rest of the incredible cast, and then he joins the Escape Hatch Five Timers’ Club as we cover another entry in the Dad Movie Mt. Rushmore canon, Peter Weir’s 2003 nautical masterpiece, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World! Do not miss Greg’s insights as a director into this epic film. https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1721606400…

In this episode, Dara and Isy are joined by the astronaut Helen Sharman to learn about how humans learned to survive in space - with some diverting conversations about glitter, cat statues, hibernation, and shell suits. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026mrk

BWWWWAAAAHHHH! It’s finally time to talk about Inception. M.G. Sieger returns for his 3rd Nolan on the pod. https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1710115200

HEY! Did you watch Civil War? Wanna talk about it? We did, so we recorded a very special bonus episode on it. We invited our dear pal and media tech journalist Peter Kafka because he had thoughts! Plus, Jason completely takes over the pod for this ep, so don’t miss it! https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1713370797…

This is the One. We tackle one of the all time greatest works of art and the cornerstone of a beloved holiday tradition, as we watch Peter Jackson’s unmatchable translation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. And joining us is the greatest genre podcaster in the game, and Maiar level Tolkien expert, the co-host of the House of R podcast, Joanna Robinson. We simply walk into the deep details of the production that make this film a true one of a kind.. https://podbay.fm/p/escape-hatch-formerly-dune-pod/e/1734310800…

In this episode, Jake goes through some of the newer features of the View Transition API, along with some vaguer ideas that are planned for the future. https://offthemainthread.tech/episode/new-view-transition-stuff/