logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
58m 26s

Mixtape: Cassetternet

Wnyc Studios
About this episode
In 1983, Simon Goodwin had a strange thought. Would it be possible to broadcast computer software over the radio? If so, could listeners record it off the air and onto a cassette tape? This experiment and dozens of others in the early 80s created a series of cassette fueled, analog internets. They copied and moved information like never before, upended power ... Show More
Up next
Today
Red Herring
It was the early '80s, the height of the Cold War, when something strange began happening off the coast of Sweden. The navy reported a mysterious sound deep below the surface of the ocean. Again, and again, and again they would hear it near their secret military bases, in their h ... Show More
36m 4s
Jul 31
The Shoe Thrower
When no one seems to be listening, how far do you go to be heard? In December 2008, George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Baghdad for a press conference. And at the very end of his remarks, a shoe came flying past his head. It was “the shoe heard around the world,” and countles ... Show More
1h 17m
Jul 24
Return of Alpha Gal
Several years ago, in 2016, we told a story about Amy Pearl. For as long as she could remember, Amy loved meat in all its glorious cuts and marbled flavors. And then one day, for seemingly no reason, her body wouldn’t tolerate it. No steaks. No brisket. No weenies. It made no sen ... Show More
55m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2019
Making Media Personal: Mix Tapes
The development of the magnetic recording process changed the entertainment industry. In this episode, we look at the rise of tape, including the 8-track and the compact cassette. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
43m 38s
Feb 2023
Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt: A Conversation with Andrew Simon
Andrew Simon, a historian of media, popular culture, and the Middle East at Dartmouth College, discusses his new book Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt (Stanford University Press, 2022) , with Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel. Media of the Masses is an engagi ... Show More
1h 6m
Nov 2022
The Palestinian tapes, part 1
Mo’min Swaitat unearthed a vast trove of forgotten Palestinian music. Not only did it hold long-lost recordings of his own Bedouin family, but also a mysterious yellow cassette of protest songs set to an electro-disco beat. Mo’min became captivated by the yellow tape. It would op ... Show More
33m 23s
Apr 2022
Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt | Andrew Simon
<p>Andrew Simon talked about his latest book "Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt." <i>Media of the Masses</i> investigates the social life of an everyday technology—the cassette tape—to offer a multisensory history of modern Egypt. Over the 1970s and 1980s, cas ... Show More
52m 39s
Oct 2018
The Strange Story of the GhostNet
<p>The rise of the Internet Age allowed billions of people to access virtually endless stores of information, but it had a dark side -- one of which was the rise of a new kind of army: Groups that used viruses and software the way other militaries use missiles, spies and bombs. J ... Show More
53m 30s
Nov 2014
Break The Internet
In 1999, most of America's tech hysteria centered around Y2K. But at that same time, a teenager in Canada named Mike Calce was messing around in chat rooms, meeting hackers, and learning tricks. At 15, he decided to put his knowledge to the test. To push up against the Internet's ... Show More
16m 51s
Dec 2018
The Media Show Revolutions: Radio
As part of our series of audience events exploring the media revolution, how the radio industry is being disrupted by new technology. From podcasts to music streaming, the choice of what to listen to has never been greater - but where will the revolution go next?Amol Rajan is joi ... Show More
28m 10s
Feb 2022
Mixtape
Our story tonight is called Mixtape and it’s a story about a box of memories tangled up with songs. It’s also about the messages we send with the tracks we pick out, new batteries in an old Walkman, and finding the music that helps you find yourself. Purchase Our Book: https://bi ... Show More
37m 12s
Oct 2013
33 - Cassette
Cecil finds an old cassette tape of himself at age 15, and he is surprised at what it contains. Plus, a new exhibit at the Museum of Forbidden Technologies, Children's Fun Fact Science Corner, and an important message from new station management. Weather: "Big Houses" by Squall ... Show More
30m 14s
Jul 2025
How to recapture the joy of the early internet | Michael Sun
Before algorithms ruled our feeds, the internet was a mess — glitchy, chaotic and full of unexpected magic. Internet culture writer Michael Sun reflects on the wild digital world of the 2000s — and makes a funny, wry case for why we need to reclaim its spontaneity, weirdness and ... Show More
12m 5s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami