From the Chicago Humanities Festival: Yale psychology prof Paul Bloom, author of How Pleasure Works, talks about the experience of art in the age of mechanical and digital reproduction and/or forgery, and how art works.

From a Texas musical engineer’s DIY talk show: Mike Dean (producer for Kanye West and Scarface, pioneer of the Dirty South sound, and former Selena sideman) talks shop. As a friend put it: "Some pretty inscrutable tech talk here, but a generally interesting study in the nerdiest corners of rap-nerd talk." Listening to professionals interview their peers is always interesting, because what they choose to emphasize will always be different from what a journalist does. Plus: news of a Kanye + Jay-Z collaboration.

From SXSW: tech blogger John Gruber, writer/engineer Michael Lopp, and Chicago’s own Jim Coudal talk writing, editing, and thinking.