Shows
Weekends with Ben O’Hara-ByrneDebunking 5 myths about when your devices get wetGuest: Rachel Plotnick, author of License to Spill: Where Dry Devices Meet Liquid Lives.
2025-06-0617 min
The Colin McEnroe ShowThis show isn’t waterproof, but your raincoat might be: The history of waterproofing our tech and everyday productsHave you ever broken your phone or computer by dropping it in water or spilling a drink on it? This hour, we discuss the relationship between the ever-present technologies in our lives and the liquids that surround us. We'll learn about how waterproofing works, and what all of this can tell us about consumer responsibility and the role of technology in our world. Plus, a look at raincoats and weather-proof paper. GUESTS: Rachel Plotnick: Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in The Media School at Indiana University Bloomington. Her new book is License to Spill: Wh...
2025-06-0549 min
Science FridayAre Physical Buttons And Knobs Making A Comeback?In recent years, digital touchscreens have replaced many of the buttons and knobs that control various functions in cars. But when Host Ira Flatow went shopping for a new car, he noticed that physical controls seemed to be making a comeback. But will the rise of technologies like voice recognition and automation make cars more button-centric, or less? Ira talks with car ergonomics engineer James Forbes and buttonologist Rachel Plotnick about the advantages and disadvantages of the physical button or knob, and what might lead an automaker to choose one type of control over another.
Guests:
J...
2025-05-2120 min
Science FridayAre Physical Buttons And Knobs Making A Comeback?In recent years, digital touchscreens have replaced many of the buttons and knobs that control various functions in cars. But when Host Ira Flatow went shopping for a new car, he noticed that physical controls seemed to be making a comeback. But will the rise of technologies like voice recognition and automation make cars more button-centric, or less? Ira talks with car ergonomics engineer James Forbes and buttonologist Rachel Plotnick about the advantages and disadvantages of the physical button or knob, and what might lead an automaker to choose one type of control over another.Guests: J...
2025-05-2120 min
Something You Should KnowWater vs. Tech: How Moisture Ruins Your Devices & Why We Need StressKibosh, chicanery, affluent and Seuss (as in Dr. Seuss) are words a lot of people mispronounce. This episode begins with the correct pronunciation of these and other mispronounced words you may not be aware you are saying incorrectly. http://mentalfloss.com/article/32273/11-common-words-youre-probably-mispronouncingYou (or someone you know) have most likely dropped your phone in the toilet, spilled coffee on your laptop or had some other electronic device suffer “death by liquid.” Our electronic devices are very much NOT water-proof. Why is that? That horrible feeling you get when you get your devices wet is a...
2025-04-2855 min
Ways of KnowingMedia Objects 03: ButtonsWe increasingly interact with the world through the binary, on/off medium of buttons—from keyboards and appliances, to the digital interfaces of phones and tablets; but it didn’t have to be this way. “There is nothing natural or inevitable about buttons or the act of pushing a button. Various constituencies over the years—especially advertisers and manufacturers—have marshalled tremendous resources to make buttons popular and alluring,” Rachel Plotnick, author of Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing. With Cornell professor Roger Moseley.
Media Objects is produced in collaboration with Media Studies at Cornell Univ...
2025-02-1757 min
The Changelog: Software Development, Open SourceThe power of the button (Interview)Rachel Plotnick joins us for the first show of 2025 to discuss her book “Power Button” and the research she did, and why we love/hate buttons so much. We also discuss her upcoming book “License to Spill” as well as the research she’s doing on energy drinks.
Join the discussionChangelog++ members save 9 minutes on this episode because they made the ads disappear. Join today!Sponsors:Sentry – Use the code CHANGELOG when you sign up to get $100 off the team plan.
Notion – Notion is a place where any team can write, plan, o...
2025-01-091h 12Changelog Master FeedThe power of the button (Changelog Interviews #623)Rachel Plotnick joins us for the first show of 2025 to discuss her book “Power Button” and the research she did, and why we love/hate buttons so much. We also discuss her upcoming book “License to Spill” as well as the research she’s doing on energy drinks.
Join the discussionChangelog++ members save 9 minutes on this episode because they made the ads disappear. Join today!Sponsors:Sentry – Use the code CHANGELOG when you sign up to get $100 off the team plan.
Notion – Notion is a place where any team can write, plan, o...
2025-01-091h 12Changelog InterviewsThe power of the buttonRachel Plotnick joins us for the first show of 2025 to discuss her book “Power Button” and the research she did, and why we love/hate buttons so much. We also discuss her upcoming book “License to Spill” as well as the research she’s doing on energy drinks.
Join the discussionChangelog++ members save 9 minutes on this episode because they made the ads disappear. Join today!Sponsors:Sentry – Use the code CHANGELOG when you sign up to get $100 off the team plan.
Notion – Notion is a place where any team can write, plan, o...
2025-01-091h 12
Post ReportsLos Angeles is burningEarly Tuesday, wildfires started burning across Los Angeles County. The scale of the destruction is massive; entire neighborhoods are in flames, with longtime businesses, schools and houses of worship burnt to the ground.Today, guest host Rachel Siegel speaks with extreme weather and natural disaster reporter Brianna Sacks about what Los Angeles looks like as the wildfires rage, and the struggle to contain the flames. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Ariel Plotnick and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores with help from Lucy Perkins. It was mixed by...
2025-01-0819 minPost ReportsHow ISIS became ‘the easiest club’ to joinOn New Year’s Day in New Orleans, a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people, killing 14 and leaving many others injured. In the aftermath law enforcement found an Islamic State flag in the truck, and evidence that shows the man was inspired by the extremist group. This wasn’t the only Islamic State-inspired incident in recent months.Today on “Post Reports,” guest host Rachel Siegel speaks with national security reporter Joby Warrick about how people become radicalized by the Islamic State and what the New Orleans attack and the canceled Taylor Swift con...
2025-01-0628 minPost ReportsWhat we know about the attack in New OrleansEarly in the morning on New Year’s Day, a man drove a truck into a crowd of people celebrating on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. In the hours since, law enforcement has discovered key details that point to a possible motive, including an Islamic State flag in the attacker’s car. Guest host Rachel Siegel and Justice Department reporter Perry Stein break down what we know about the terrorist attack in New Orleans.We also talk about the investigation into a possible attack in Las Vegas with some eerie similarities, though no kn...
2025-01-0212 min
Autonocast#320: Pushing Buttons with Dr Rachel PlotnickWith some automakers moving away from touchscreens and back toward physical controls, and others pushing forward toward ever more minimalist user interfaces, the debate around controls in cars has never been more interesting. To help provide some historical context for this fascinating issue, Alex and Ed are joined by Dr Rachel Plotnick, the author of "Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing."
2024-11-2147 minPost ReportsShould our snacks have warning labels?The FDA wants to propose putting labels on the front of food and drink packages in order to flag whether they are high in added sugar, saturated fat or sodium. The effort aims to help people make healthier choices and to address the nation’s exploding rates of diet-related diseases. The proposal could come as early as next month, but a fight with the food industry is already heating up. At the same time, some nutrition experts and lawmakers worry the FDA options under consideration are confusing and won’t be clear enough to protect Americans’ health.So...
2024-09-2328 minSomething You Should KnowWhy We Love to Push Buttons & Why We All Need to Play GamesWe all have a sense of what romantic music is. But can that type of music really make you feel and act romantic? This episode begins with some interesting evidence on the power of music in the game of love. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100618112139.htmLook around you and notice all the buttons you could push. Buttons are everywhere. When you think about it, you can do almost anything with “just the push of a button.” And people like really pushing buttons – even when it is pointless. For example, pushing the elevator button after it is alread...
2024-07-0150 min
The Colin McEnroe ShowA look at buttons, couch potatoes, and the rise of the remote controlRemote controls date all the way back to the 1800s, but they only entered most households in the 1950s or later. What impact did this have on how we watch television, and how we use other devices in our homes? This hour we look at the history and the impact of the remote control, and discuss what the remote control of the future will look like. And we'll take a look at buttons, and how they shape our interactions with the technology in our lives. GUESTS: Caetlin Benson-Allott: Professor of English, Dire...
2024-06-2449 minPost ReportsWhat to know about inflation right nowToday, what’s really happening with inflation in the United States. And what the public perception of the economy could mean for the 2024 presidential election. Read more: While inflation in the United States is still higher than normal, a streak of discouraging data finally broke in a report released Wednesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation is now slowing — from 3.5 percent in March to 3.4 percent in April — after months of hotter-than-expected reports. But it’s too early to know whether this trend will continue. Economic...
2024-05-1621 minPost ReportsThe recession that wasn'tIt’s a new year and the economic forecast for 2024 is looking strong – but that doesn’t quite align with how many Americans feel. What does that mean for the president heading into an election year? Read more:After years of historic inflation, price hikes are finally getting back under control and wages are catching up. Unemployment is low. The looming recession that was threatened hasn’t materialized, and the Fed has signaled it’s done raising interest rates — and it might even lower them. But for many...
2024-01-0222 min
The Colin McEnroe ShowA look at buttons, couch potatoes, and the rise of the remote controlRemote controls date all the way back to the 1800s, but they only entered most households in the 1950s or later. What impact did this have on how we watch television, and how we use other devices in our homes? This hour we look at the history and the impact of the remote control, and discuss what the remote control of the future will look like. And we'll take a look at buttons, and how they shape our interactions with the technology in our lives. GUESTS: Caetlin Benson-Allott: Professor of English, Director of Film and Media St...
2023-11-0748 min
The Futures ArchiveS2E4: The DefibrillatorDo you notice the defibrillator on the wall or behind the cash register in the places you visit daily? Have you ever been called on to use one? On this episode of The Futures Archive Lee Moreau and Sara Hendren discuss the defibrillator, designing life-saving machines for everyday users, and the power of the power button. With additional insights from Christine Ball, Rachel Plotnick, and Lucienne Roberts.
2022-04-2845 min
This Is Not A PipeRachel Plotnick: Power Button"There is a whole host of things that have to happen after that button gets pushed. And I think it's extremely desirable to hide all of that."
2019-09-2600 min
Focus on FlowersRachel PlotnickHost Aaron Cain discusses several "pressing" matters with IU Media Studies Professor Rachel Plotnick, author of "Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing."
2019-05-2758 min
Innovation HubYou Really Push My ButtonsButtons make the world go round. How else would you tell an elevator to whisk you up to the sixth floor, or get a candy bar out of a vending machine? Buttons are the simple interface for how we interact with more complex technology. They cover up the wires and inner workings of your TV and microwave, and make tech accessible at, you guessed it, the push of a button. Rachel Plotnick, author of “Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, And the Politics of Pushing,” explains the origin of buttons, their role throughout history, and how they continue to e...
2019-04-0519 min
Thinking AllowedPush ButtonsPush Buttons: Laurie Taylor explores the pleasure, panic and the politics of pushing. The touch of a finger can summon a taxi, turn on a TV, call for an elevator or 'like' a Facebook post. But are buttons simply neutral and natural mechanisms which ease our daily lives? He's joined by Rachel Plotnick, Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Indiana University, Steven Connor, Professor of English at the University of Cambridge and Barbara Speed, Acting Managing Editor at the i newspaper. Revised repeat.Producer: Jayne Egerton
2018-10-0327 min
DENNIS ANYONE? with Dennis HensleyJack Plotnick & Seth Rudetsky (Disaster on Broadway): "We Haven't Had a Weird Thing In a While"After catching "Disaster" on Broadway, Dennis heads backstage to talk to the men behind the musical Jack Plotnick and Seth Rudetsky. They wrote the show together, Jack directs and Seth co-stars as the disaster expert who no one will believe. They talk about how they chose the 70's songs that made the show, deciding what characters will love and what characters will die, the night the reviews came out, their high and low points and in Jack's case, watching the show on opening night with Tina Fey sitting right behind him. Other topics include: capturing the sexiness of the 70...
2016-04-1834 min