What to do about the sancÂtioned disÂtorÂtion of our politÂiÂcal sysÂtem? It’s hard to be optiÂmistic when fixÂing the probÂlem would realÂisÂtiÂcalÂly require a conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal amendÂment. But that’s what Lawrence Lessig (HarÂvard law proÂfesÂsor and founder of CreÂative ComÂmons) is tryÂing to do. AppearÂing at Google (see below), Lessig describes how speÂcial interÂests corÂrupt our politÂiÂcal sysÂtem, and what we can do to stop it. But even Lessig will admit that it’s an uphill batÂtle.
That leaves us with the next best soluÂtion: turn a joke of an elecÂtion sysÂtem into a good joke. Enter Stephen ColÂbert. The comeÂdiÂan has creÂatÂed his own Super PAC (run by Jon StewÂart) that comes comÂplete with its own TV ads. The parÂoÂdy above — an attack ad on attack ads — makes its point pretÂty effecÂtiveÂly. You can watch eight more ColÂbert PAC comÂmerÂcials here, and make a donaÂtion to his PAC here. And, if you’re feelÂing genÂerÂous, you can show your supÂport for Open CulÂture here.
The James Bond movie franÂchise began in 1962, with the release of Dr. No, starÂring a young Sean ConÂnery. (Watch the origÂiÂnal trailÂer here.) And it didÂn’t take long for the proÂducÂers, Albert R. BrocÂcoli and HarÂry SaltzÂman, to realÂize that they were onto someÂthing. SpeakÂing in 1965, BrocÂcoli and SaltzÂman (above) specÂuÂlatÂed that they had creÂatÂed “a modÂern mytholÂoÂgy,” the SuperÂman of their age, and a long-lastÂing “enterÂtainÂment trend.” How right they were.
Fifty years have passed since audiÂences saw the first Bond movie. SevÂen actors have played James Bond in 22 films. And the next movie, SkyÂfall, will hit theÂaters in NovemÂber, with Daniel Craig playÂing the lead role. This marks a cause for celÂeÂbraÂtion (or at least a chance for HolÂlyÂwood to ring the regÂisÂter). In the very near future, you can buy the comÂplete James Bond Film ColÂlecÂtion (22 titles in total) on Blu-ray for $199.99, which works out to $9 per film and that doesÂn’t facÂtor in 130 hours of bonus mateÂrÂiÂal. The clip below will pitch you on the Blu-ray release that can be pre-ordered here. If you’re lookÂing for free James Bond media, don’t miss Ian FlemÂing (the creÂator of the James Bond litÂerÂary charÂacÂter) in conÂverÂsaÂtion with RayÂmond ChanÂdler in 1958 here.
Fans of Leonard Cohen, you’ve waitÂed patientÂly. SevÂen long years. Now it’s finalÂly here. Cohen’s new album Old IdeasoffiÂcialÂly hits the streets next week. But it’s now streamÂing online for free courÂtesy of NPR. It will only last a limÂitÂed time. So setÂtle in now and lisÂten to the ten tracks, which as Guardian critÂic KitÂty Empire puts it, are not about “death, betrayÂal and God, juicy as these are,” but rather “the stuff that has made Cohen indisÂpensÂable for six decades: desire, regret, sufÂferÂing, misÂanÂthropy, love, hope, and hamÂming it up.”
Two weeks ago, we feaÂtured HarÂvard Thinks Green, a series of six TED-style lecÂtures preÂsentÂed by HarÂvard experts, each focusÂing on the enviÂronÂment and strateÂgies for reversÂing cliÂmate change. One thing HarÂvard Thinks Green didÂn’t offer was a primer on cliÂmate change itself, a good sciÂenÂtifÂic explaÂnaÂtion of the underÂlyÂing probÂlem. Enter GlobÂal WarmÂing (YouTube), a 23-lecÂture course preÂsentÂed by David Archer, a proÂfesÂsor in the DepartÂment of The GeoÂphysÂiÂcal SciÂences at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of ChicaÂgo. The first half of the class explains cliÂmate physics and how the cliÂmate works; the secÂond half shows how human activÂiÂty and ever-increasÂing carÂbon levÂels disÂrupt the equiÂlibÂriÂum of the enviÂronÂment, creÂatÂing a very uncerÂtain future for genÂerÂaÂtions to come. The first, short lecÂture above outÂlines the scope of the class.
OrigÂiÂnalÂly preÂsentÂed at UChicaÂgo in Fall 2009, Archer’s course was geared to non-sciÂence majors and taught in conÂjuncÂtion with his textÂbook, GlobÂal WarmÂing: UnderÂstandÂing the ForeÂcast, which hapÂpens to be availÂable on AmaÂzon here. GlobÂal WarmÂing (YouTube) is now listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion, 1,700 Free Online CoursÂes from Top UniÂverÂsiÂties.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
In 2009, BrookÂlyn-based Web develÂopÂer Casey Pugh was lookÂing for a new way to explore the potenÂtial of crowd-sourcÂing when he hit upon an idea of galacÂtic proÂporÂtions. He took the origÂiÂnal 1977 Star Wars film (latÂer known as Episode IV: A New Hope in the chronoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly ordered six-part series) and chopped it into 15-secÂond pieces, invitÂing fans from around the world to choose a piece and re-creÂate it in whatÂevÂer mediÂum they liked: live-action, pupÂpetry, aniÂmaÂtion, you name it. Three years and one Emmy Award latÂer, Pugh and his team have put the best pieces togethÂer and (with the blessÂing of Star Wars creÂator George Lucas) released the finÂished film, Star Wars Uncut: The DirecÂtor’s Cut. It runs a fun two hours and five minÂutes. You can watch the comÂplete movie above and learn more on the offiÂcial webÂsite.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Michel FouÂcault (1926–1984) was an enorÂmousÂly influÂenÂtial French philosoÂpher who wrote, among othÂer things, hisÂtorÂiÂcal analyÂses of psyÂchiÂaÂtry, medÂiÂcine, the prison sysÂtem, and the funcÂtion of sexÂuÂalÂiÂty in social orgaÂniÂzaÂtions. He spent some time durÂing the last years of his life at UC BerkeÂley, delivÂerÂing sevÂerÂal lecÂtures in EngÂlish. And hapÂpiÂly they were recordÂed for posÂterÂiÂty:
These last lecÂtures are also availÂable on YouTube (in audio forÂmat).
One of FouÂcault’s more conÂtroÂverÂsial and memÂoÂrable books was DisÂciÂpline and PunÂish(1977), which traced the tranÂsiÂtion from the 18th cenÂtuÂry use of pubÂlic torÂture and exeÂcuÂtion to–less than 50 years later–the prevaÂlence of much more subÂtle uses of powÂer, with a focus on incarÂcerÂaÂtion, rehaÂbilÂiÂtaÂtion, preÂvenÂtion, and surÂveilÂlance.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
This video shows Yosemite NationÂal Park in all of its gloÂry. Watch as darkÂness descends over Half Dome after a gorÂgeous sunÂset. Then, lookÂing to the heavÂens, we observe the brilÂliant sky and the milÂlions of stars visÂiÂble. It’s Yosemite like you’ve nevÂer seen it before.
The video was creÂatÂed by ShelÂdon Neill and ColÂin DeleÂhanÂty, who share an interÂest in time-lapse phoÂtogÂraÂphy and found each othÂer via Vimeo. The result, after numerÂous visÂits to Yosemite, was this comÂpletÂed project. All time-lapsÂes were shot on the Canon 5D Mark II with a variÂety of Canon L and Zeiss CP.2 lensÂes. The music accomÂpaÂnyÂing the video is “OutÂro” from the new album HurÂry Up, We’re DreamÂing by elecÂtronÂic band M83.
One of the scenes from this video is of El CapÂiÂtan, a verÂtiÂcal rock forÂmaÂtion that’s twice the height of the Empire State BuildÂing. Wall: The JourÂney Up tells the heroÂic stoÂry of Steve Wampler’s quest to become the first perÂson with CereÂbral PalÂsy to climb El CapÂiÂtan. The inspirÂing video/film trailÂer is worth watchÂing.
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
FallingÂwaÂter was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. ConÂstrucÂtion began a year latÂer and was evenÂtuÂalÂly comÂpletÂed in 1939. Many conÂsidÂer FallingÂwaÂter one of Wright’s finest creÂations. Hence why SmithÂsonÂian MagÂaÂzine countÂed it as one of the 28 Places to See Before You Die. Now, thanks to the mini movie above, you can watch the buildÂing of FallingÂwaÂter take place right before your eyes, and then take a tour of the house. It’s all done in comÂputÂer graphÂics and runs 4+ minÂutes. And, as one readÂer tells us, the “video is as real as it gets.” You can learn more about the film and the house at this web site.
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