Best Elena Gilbert Podcasts (2024)

1
3x08: How the Originals Became Vampires 1:31:16

5h ago1:31:16

1:31:16

Down in the caves, Alaric works on deciphering the runes and figures out that the drawings tell the story of the Originals. Elena decides to go right to the source: Rebekah. After a mean girl power struggle, Rebekah invites Elena over for a fashion show, some snooping, and eventually a bit of storytelling. Through flashbacks, Rebekah tells Elena ho…

1
3x07: Lexi, Mason, and Grams Come Back from the Other Side 1:31:49

6d ago1:31:49

1:31:49

It’s the Night of Illumination and the ghosts are back to celebrate. Damon gets a visit from our absolute fave, Mason Lockwood, or so he assumes, even though the ghosts aren’t visible. So he immediately goes to Bonnie to get her to fix the problem, and her first step is to do a spell that reveals “veiled matter.” As the spell is cast, we see it rea…

1
3x06: The First Day of Senior Year 1:37:41

2d ago1:37:41

1:37:41

It’s the first day of senior year for the Mystic Falls teens, which means they finally have to go to class and Rebekah gets a chance to show off crazy stunts at cheerleading practice. While the girls are dealing with an assortment of boyfriend problems, Matt is talking to Vicki on the other side, and Tyler is enjoying his new hybrid lifestyle. It a…

1
Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert, "The Secret Life of Data: Navigating Hype and Uncertainty in the Age of Algorithmic Surveillance" (MIT Press, 2024) 39:27

3d ago39:27

39:27

What is data, and why does it matter for us to care about the data traces we leave behind? What are the implications for our lives of how this data is used by other people in other times and places? In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, authors Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert introduce their new book and talk about how we can rethink our relationshi…

1
Donna Drucker, "Contraception: A Concise History" (The MIT Press, 2020) 23:53

5d ago23:53

23:53

The beginning of the modern contraceptive era began in 1882, when Dr. Aletta Jacobs opened the first birth control clinic in Amsterdam. The founding of this facility, and the clinical provision of contraception that it enabled, marked the moment when physicians started to take the prevention of pregnancy seriously as a medical concern. In Contracep…

1
3x05: Klaus Compels Stefan to Turn His Humanity Off 1:43:58

17d ago1:43:58

1:43:58

To pretend like everything is normal, Caroline forces everyone to participate in senior prank night, but the night immediately takes a turn when Klaus arrives. Desperate to make a hybrid, Klaus feeds Tyler his blood, snaps his neck, gives Bonnie twenty minutes to figure out how to save him, and compels Stefan to feed on Elena when the clock runs ou…

1
Ann Johnson and Johannes Lenhard, "Cultures of Prediction: How Engineering and Science Evolve with Mathematical Tools" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:01:58

24d ago1:01:58

1:01:58

A probing examination of the dynamic history of predictive methods and values in science and engineering that helps us better understand today's cultures of prediction. The ability to make reliable predictions based on robust and replicable methods is a defining feature of the scientific endeavor, allowing engineers to determine whether a building …

1
Anna Abraham, "The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:09:54

21d ago1:09:54

1:09:54

A nuanced, science-based understanding of the creative mind that dispels the pervasive myths we hold about the human brain—but also uncovers the truth at their cores. What is the relationship between creativity and madness? Creativity and intelligence? Do psychedelics truly enhance creativity? How should we understand the left and right hemispheres…

1
3x04: Katherine Tracks Stefan in Chicago 1:15:50

24d ago1:15:50

1:15:50

While looking for the Original witch’s necklace for Klaus, Gloria gets glimpses of Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie getting ready for the Founder’s Cookout. She of course has no idea who the girls are, but unfortunately, the images are enough for her to realize that Stefan is hiding something, so she decides to use some “old school voodoo” (torture) to …

1
3x03: Stefan and Klaus in the 1920s 1:23:28

1M ago1:23:28

1:23:28

To get in touch with a witch that can help with the hybrid plan, Klaus brings Stefan to Chicago, which also happens to be where Stefan spent most of his ripper days. At the witch’s bar, Gloria’s, Stefan finds a photograph of him and his bestie from the 1920s. Through 20s flashbacks, we see why Klaus wanted Stefan to come along with him in the first…

1
More Than A Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech 47:14

1M ago47:14

47:14

Today’s book is: More Than A Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech (MIT Press, 2024), by Meredith Broussard. When technology reinforces inequality, it's not just a glitch—it's a signal that we need to redesign our systems to create a more equitable world. The word “glitch” implies an incidental error, as easy to patch up as it …

1
3x02: Elena, Alaric, and Damon Go to Tennessee 59:20

1M ago59:20

59:20

With Klaus and his partner-in-crime off to the Smoky Mountains to create more hybrids, Elena, Alaric, and Damon go on a road trip to try to bring Stefan home. Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Jeremy asks Matt to help him with a seance to contact Vicki. Tyler spends his day looking for Caroline after she snuck out right after their hookup but eventually …

1
Elena Kochetkova, "The Green Power of Socialism: Wood, Forest, and the Making of Soviet Industrially Embedded Ecology" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:05:42

1M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

In The Green Power of Socialism: Wood, Forest, and the Making of Soviet Industrially Embedded Ecology (MIT Press, 2024), Elena Kochetkova examines the relationship between nature and humans under state socialism by looking at the industrial role of Soviet forests. The book explores evolving Soviet policies of wood consumption, discussing how profes…

1
3x01: Elena Turns 18 + A Drop in the Ocean 1:31:30

2M ago1:31:30

1:31:30

Months have passed since Stefan went off with Klaus, and it’s now Elena’s 18th birthday. That of course means Caroline is going to throw her a party, even though all Elena wants is to know that Stefan is alive. And while Elena has spent all summer trying to figure out how to get Stefan to come home, Caroline and Tyler have become besties, Jeremy is…

1
Iris Moon, "Melancholy Wedgwood" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:12:18

2M ago1:12:18

1:12:18

Melancholy Wedgwood (MIT Press, 2024) is an experimental biography of the ceramics entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood that reveals the tenuous relationship of eighteenth-century England to late-capitalist modernity. It traces the multiple strands in the life of the ceramic entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795) to propose an alternative view of eightee…

1
Choosing Delena's Best Kiss & Other TVD Questions 1:22:16

2M ago1:22:16

1:22:16

Because we love you guys so much and wish we could make you all cohosts, we decided to turn the mic over to you and answer all of your questions about The Vampire Diaries! Your questions covered everything from whether we think Damon and Liz would have been a good ship to what we would change about the ending of the show to what we think of Bonnie’…

1
Catherine D'Ignazio, "Counting Feminicide: Data Feminism in Action" (MIT Press, 2024) 53:42

2M ago53:42

53:42

What isn't counted doesn't count. And mainstream institutions systematically fail to account for feminicide, the gender-related killing of women and girls, including cisgender and transgender women. Against this failure, Counting Feminicide: Data Feminism in Action (MIT Press, 2024) brings to the fore the work of data activists across the Americas …

1
How Does the Humanity Switch Work? 1:13:48

2M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

As promised, we’re finally devoting an entire episode to the humanity switch. We look at all of the reasons why characters like Stefan, Damon, and Enzo turn their emotions off and how they eventually get them back on. We also realized that so many iconic moments come from a vampire’s no humanity arc, like Damon killing Matt to get Elena to turn it …

1
Matthew Berland and Antero Garcia, "The Left Hand of Data: Designing Education Data for Justice" (MIT Press, 2024) 52:54

2M ago52:54

52:54

Educational analytics tend toward aggregation, asking what a “normative” learner does. In The Left Hand of Data: Designing Education Data for Justice (MIT Press, 2024, open access at this link), educational researchers Matthew Berland and Antero Garcia start from a different assumption—that outliers are, and must be treated as, valued individuals. …

1
Tiziano Bonini and Emiliano Trere, "Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight against Platform Power" (MIT Press, 2024) 39:38

2M ago39:38

39:38

What are the tactics needed for a world of platforms and algorithms? In Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight against Platform Power (MIT Press, 2024), Tiziano Bonini, Associate Professor in Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Siena, and Emiliano Treré, a Reader in Data Agency and Media Ecologies at Cardiff University…

1
Why do people hate Matt Donovan? 1:00:00

2M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

For every character there is to love on The Vampire Diaries, there are a few to hate. While the list mostly includes annoying villains, useless supernaturals, and guest stars there are two characters in the main cast that are well known for annoying the fan base. You already know we’re talking about Matt Donovan and Elena Gilbert. But is Matt hated…

1
The Scientific Attitude 47:56

2M ago47:56

47:56

Listen to this interview of Lee McIntyre, Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science (Boston University) and Senior Advisor for Public Trust in Science (Aspen Institute). We talk about his book The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience (MIT Press, 2019). Lee McIntyre : "Scientists have…

1
Jaakko Stenros and Markus Montola, "The Rule Book: The Building Blocks of Games" (MIT Press, 2024) 25:48

3M ago25:48

25:48

How games are built on the foundations of rules, and how rules—of which there are only five kinds—really work. Board games to sports, digital games to party games, gambling to role-playing games. They all share one thing in common: rules. Indeed, rules are the one and only thing game scholars agree is central to games. But what, in fact, are rules?…

1
The Vampire Diaries Season 2 Recap 1:51:22

3M ago1:51:22

1:51:22

Before we get into Season 3 in a few weeks, we of course have to recap Season 2! This week, we’re looking back at the main characters, the villains, and all of the great Season 2 side characters. We’re also going to talk about all of the highs of the season, like best performances, favorite songs, best three episode run, and favorite Delena and Ste…

1
100 Vampire Diaries Trivia Questions 1:23:41

3M ago1:23:41

1:23:41

Put on your PJs, grab your Brothers Bond Bourbon or your Fresh Vine Wine, and get ready to slumber it with the Rippah Girls! This week, we're having a girls night and playing TVD Trivia hosted by Producer Shea. With 90 questions created by Shea and 10 listener-submitted questions, we'll see who really knows The Vampire Diaries the best. You can eve…

1
Diana Chapman Walsh, "The Claims of Life: A Memoir" (MIT Press, 2023) 1:15:54

3M ago1:15:54

1:15:54

The engaging memoir of a legendary president of Wellesley College known for authentic and open-hearted leadership, who drove innovation with power and love. The Claims of Life: A Memoir (The MIT Press, 2023) traces the emergence of a young woman who set out believing she wasn’t particularly smart but went on to meet multiple tests of leadership in …

1
One Year of The Rippah Diaries 1:14:30

3M ago1:14:30

1:14:30

It’s officially been one year of The Rippah Diaries, or at least it will be on April 20th. Close enough for us. This week, we’re talking about the past year of the pod, what inspired us to get started, and some of our opinions that have changed with this rewatch of Season One and Two. We’re also going to turn the mic over to you guys and read some …

1
2x22: The Season Two Finale 1:26:14

3M ago1:26:14

1:26:14

With the werewolf bite getting worse, Damon is ready to give up, but of course, Stefan can’t help but try to save him. The spirits in the old witch house reveal that Klaus will have the cure, so Stefan goes to strike a bargain while Alaric watches a sickly Damon. All goes well until Sheriff Forbes shows up with absolutely no plan and lets Damon out…

1
2x21: Klaus Breaks the Sun and Moon Curse 1:14:34

4M ago1:14:34

1:14:34

Now that Jenna has woken up, Elena explains to her that she’s in transition and Jenna realizes that she’s the vampire Klaus plans to sacrifice with the doppelgänger. With the addition of Jules as the werewolf, Klaus has all three goddesses needed to begin the ritual. With the sacrifice underway, Bonnie and Jeremy spend most of the night looking for…

1
Matthew H. Hersch, "Dark Star: A New History of the Space Shuttle" (MIT Press, 2023) 36:30

4M ago36:30

36:30

In Dark Star: A New History of the Space Shuttle (MIT Press, 2023), Dr. Matthew Hersch challenges the existing narrative of the most significant human space program of the last 50 years, NASA's space shuttle. He begins with the origins of the space shuttle: a century-long effort to develop a low-cost, reusable, rocket-powered airplane to militarize…

1
Thomas S. Mullaney, "The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:43:19

4M ago1:43:19

1:43:19

The fascinating, untold story of how the Chinese language overcame unparalleled challenges and revolutionized the world of computing. A standard QWERTY keyboard has a few dozen keys. How can Chinese—a language with tens of thousands of characters and no alphabet—be input on such a device? In The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information…

1
2x20: Stefan and Elena Go for a Hike Before the Sacrifice 1:31:49

4M ago1:31:49

1:31:49

It’s finally the full moon, which means Klaus is planning to break the sun and moon curse tonight. Elena and Stefan are willing to go along with the sacrifice and hope that Elijah’s magical elixir will bring Elena back to life, but Damon is not on board with that plan. In classic Damon fashion, he lashes out and feeds Elena his blood, almost guaran…

1
2x19: Joseph Morgan Face Reveal! 1:29:59

4M ago1:29:59

1:29:59

Elena and the newly undaggered Elijah spend the day together so Elena can prove she’s trustworthy and so Elijah can tell her about the last time Klaus tried to break the sun and moon curse in the 1400s. Through flashbacks, Elijah tells the story of how he and Klaus met Katherine, and he makes three huge reveals about Klaus and the curse. We also se…

1
Brandon R. Brown, "Sharing Our Science: How to Write and Speak STEM" (MIT Press, 2023) 54:16

4M ago54:16

54:16

Listen to this interview of Brandon Brown, Professor of Physics at the University of San Francisco. We talk about factoring in both message-sender and -receiver to your writing for STEM. Brown is the author of Sharing Our Science: How to Write and Speak STEM (MIT Press, 2023). Brandon Brown : "I've seen so many different scientists and communicator…

1
Peter D. McDonald, "Run and Jump: The Meaning of the 2D Platformer" (MIT Press, 2024) 22:06

4M ago22:06

22:06

How abstract design decisions in 2D platform games create rich worlds of meaning for players. Since the 1980s, 2D platform games have captivated their audiences. Whether the player scrambles up the ladders in Donkey Kong or leaps atop an impossibly tall pipe in Super Mario Bros., this deceptively simple visual language has persisted in our cultural…

1
2x18: The 60s Decade Dance 1:32:58

4M ago1:32:58

1:32:58

It’s time for another decade dance: the 60s. Klaus continues to possess Alaric’s body, and with help from Katherine, he is ready to act as our favorite history teacher and taunt Elena. As always, Elena tries to pretend everything is normal, which of course means she and Bonnie and Stefan are finally going to school. Klaus, teaching history as Alari…

1
Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, "The Inhumans and Other Stories: A Selection of Bengali Science Fiction" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:02:25

5M ago1:02:25

1:02:25

Kalpavigyan—science fiction written to excite Bengali speakers about science, as well as to persuade them to evolve beyond the limitations of religion, caste, and class—became popular in the early years of the twentieth century. Translated into English for the first time, in The Inhumans and Other Stories (MIT Press, 2024) you'll discover The Inhum…

1
Benjamin J. Pauli, "Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis" (MIT Press, 2019) 38:59

5M ago38:59

38:59

Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli’s book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis…

1
2x17: Isobel Returns + Klaus Finally Arrives 1:23:13

4M ago1:23:13

1:23:13

After stopping by the Gilbert house to ruin Jenna and Alaric’s relationship, Isobel convinces John that she’s trying to help Elena. John is blinded by love and believes her, but Elena and Stefan are skeptical. Rightfully so, because Isobel immediately meets up with Katherine to tell her that she made a deal with Klaus to save Katherine’s life in ex…

1
Murray Dick, "The Infographic: A History of Data Graphics in News and Communications" (MIT Press, 2020) 1:10:07

5M ago1:10:07

1:10:07

Infographics and data visualization are ubiquitous in our everyday media diet, particularly in news—in print newspapers, on television news, and online. It has been argued that infographics are changing what it means to be literate in the twenty-first century—and even that they harmonize uniquely with human cognition. In this first serious explorat…

1
Thomas Metzinger, "The Elephant and the Blind: The Experience of Pure Consciousness: Philosophy, Science, and 500+ Experiential Reports" (MIT Press, 2024) 51:34

5M ago51:34

51:34

What if our goal had not been to land on Mars, but in pure consciousness? The experience of pure consciousness—what does it look like? What is the essence of human consciousness? In The Elephant and the Blind. The Experience of Pure Consciousness: Philosophy, Science, and 500+ Experiential Reports (MIT Press, 2024)," influential philosopher Thomas …

1
2x16: Caroline Serenades Matt 1:20:25

5M ago1:20:25

1:20:25

Now that Katherine has manipulated her way out of the tomb, she’s sticking around the Salvatore house to flirt with Stefan and Damon and antagonize Elena. And with Elijah now out of the picture, Stefan decides Team Save Elena should try to get Luka and Dr. Martin on their side, so he and Bonnie meet with the Martins at the Grill to plead their case…

1
Sten Grillner, "The Brain in Motion: From Microcircuits to Global Brain Function" (MIT Press, 2023) 1:22:56

5M ago1:22:56

1:22:56

C. S. Sherrington said “All the brain can do is to move things". The Brain in Motion: From Microcircuits to Global Brain Function (MIT Press, 2023) shows how much the brain can do "just" by moving things. It gives an amazing overview of the large variety of motor behaviors and the cellular basis of them. It reveals how motor circuits provide the un…

1
Jacob Ward, "Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications" (MIT Press, 2024) 51:09

5M ago51:09

51:09

In Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024), Jacob Ward explains why the privatization of British Telecom signaled a pivotal moment in the rise of neoliberalism, and how it was shaped by the longer development and digitalization of Britain’s telecommunications infrastructure. When Margaret Tha…

1
2x15: How Stefan Met Lexi 1:16:06

5M ago1:16:06

1:16:06

As Elena reads the Gilbert journals, she finds out about Stefan’s revenge on the founding families in 1864. Now that the truth is out, Stefan tells Elena about his ripper era and how Lexi brought him out of it. Meanwhile, Damon is desperate to get a chance to "talk" with Elijah—we all know what that really means. Andie gives Damon the perfect oppor…

1
2x14: This One’s for the Stelena Shippers 1:26:31

5M ago1:26:31

1:26:31

In a rare cute Stelena episode, Stefan and Elena decide to avoid Uncle John and go spend the day at the Gilbert family lake house. While Stelena have their romantic getaway, everyone back in Mystic Falls is scheming. First we have Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy plotting to get information from Luka about the sacrifice by putting him in a witchy tranc…

1
Richard A. Detweiler, "The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs: Lives of Consequence, Inquiry, and Accomplishment" (MIT Press, 2021) 1:07:43

6M ago1:07:43

1:07:43

We speak with Richard Detweiler about his new book The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs: Lives of Consequence, Inquiry and Accomplishment (MIT Press, 2021). This multi-year project, which entailed interviews with a national sample of over 1,000 college graduates aged 25-64, provides convincing evidence of the benefits the liberal arts in enabling indivi…

1
2x13: Werewolves Kidnap Caroline 1:29:21

6M ago1:29:21

1:29:21

All of the worst characters come out to play in this episode. Uncle John returns and immediately stirs the pot with Jenna and tries to parent Elena. Meanwhile, Tyler confronts Caroline about lying to him about how many vampires there are and who killed Mason. Trying to do damage control, Caroline sends Stefan to talk to Tyler to help him cool off. …

1
2x12: Damon's Existential Crisis 1:18:26

6M ago1:18:26

1:18:26

With Rose’s werewolf bite getting worse every minute, Damon asks Elena to play nurse while he tries to get a cure from Jules. Despite Elena's do-gooder efforts Rose hallucinates, attacks her, and escapes to cause chaos at one of the town’s many events. Just to lighten things up for a minute, both Matt and Tyler kiss Caroline, setting up a classic l…

1
Marco Armiero et al., "Mussolini's Nature: An Environmental History of Italian Fascism" (MIT Press, 2022) 1:09:57

6M ago1:09:57

1:09:57

In this first environmental history of Italian fascism, Marco Armiero, Roberta Biasillo, and Wilko Graf von Hardenberg reveal that nature and fascist rhetoric are inextricable. Mussolini's Nature explores fascist political ecologies, or rather the practices and narratives through which the regime constructed imaginary and material ecologies functio…

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Elena Gilbert Podcasts

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