All of this proÂvides a good excuse to post anothÂer favorite video of ours — CSN’s one-time bandÂmate Neil Young playÂing Ohio, a now canonÂiÂcal song from the protest moveÂment songÂbook. The hauntÂing clip was recordÂed live at Massey Hall in 1971, and appears on one of the finÂer acoustic guiÂtar LPs.
Noam ChomÂsky joined the facÂulÂty of MIT in 1955, and, soon enough estabÂlished himÂself as “the father of modÂern linÂguisÂtics.” (Watch him debate Michel FouÂcault in 1971.) DurÂing the 60s, he also firmÂly posiÂtioned himÂself as a leadÂing pubÂlic intelÂlecÂtuÂal takÂing aim at AmerÂiÂcan forÂeign polÂiÂcy and globÂal capÂiÂtalÂism, and we regÂuÂlarÂly saw him engagÂing with figÂures like William F. BuckÂley.
All of these years latÂer, it’s quite fitÂting that ChomÂsky, now 82 years old, would pay a visÂit to OccuÂpy Boston and delivÂer a talk in the Howard Zinn MemoÂrÂiÂal LecÂture Series. Why has our politÂiÂcal sysÂtem become more responÂsive to corÂpoÂraÂtions than citÂiÂzens? How has wealth become increasÂingÂly conÂcenÂtratÂed in the hands of an ever smallÂer elite — a pluÂtocÂraÂcy, to put it simÂply? And why do bilÂlionÂaire hedge fund manÂagers enjoy a lowÂer tax rate than maligned school teachÂers and pretÂty much everyÂone else? ChomÂsky explains how we got to this point, and what’s to be done about it. Find his talk in three parts: Part 1 (above), Part 2 and Part 3. via DanÂgerÂous Minds.
AccordÂing to UnitÂed Nations demogÂraÂphers, the world’s popÂuÂlaÂtion likeÂly topped 7 bilÂlion on MonÂday, and we’ll now steam forÂward, hitÂting 9.3 bilÂlion by 2050. 7 bilÂlion is a newsÂworÂthy mileÂstone, to be sure. But what does this numÂber realÂly mean? To put things in perÂspecÂtive, we’re feaÂturÂing a recent TED Talk by Hans Rosling, a proÂfesÂsor of globÂal health who presents data in imagÂiÂnaÂtive ways. His preÂsenÂtaÂtions can get wildÂly digÂiÂtal. (Just watch 200 CounÂtries & 200 Years in 4 MinÂutes). But not so in this case. The props are simÂple goods bought at IKEA, and they do more than an adeÂquate job explainÂing the past, present and future of globÂal popÂuÂlaÂtion growth.
AriÂzona State UniÂverÂsiÂty has launched a new conÂtest called 10,000 SoluÂtions open to anyÂone over 18, anyÂwhere in the world, and it offers a $10,000 prize. Entries can take on one of the eight greatÂest chalÂlenges facÂing the world, like susÂtainÂabilÂiÂty and the future of eduÂcaÂtion. What makes the conÂtest unusuÂal is that parÂticÂiÂpants are encourÂaged to colÂlabÂoÂrate and build on one another’s soluÂtions. ASU wants to creÂate an open soluÂtions bank that othÂers can use to genÂerÂate new ideas, and some stuÂdents at ASU have already met up in perÂson to talk over things they shared on the site. The school is proÂmotÂing 10,000 SoluÂtions as an experÂiÂment in colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive invenÂtion and the NationÂal SciÂence FounÂdaÂtion is fundÂing a team of ASU researchers to study the conÂtest and see how ideas are shared and develÂoped.
The conÂtest is off to a strong start, getÂting some high-proÂfile entries like this one from Dan Ariely.
While many of the soluÂtions share quesÂtions or ideas at the brainÂstormÂing stage, some groups are using the platÂform to proÂmote workÂing proÂtoÂtypes. This group of ASU stuÂdent engiÂneers is workÂing on a low-cost smartÂboard techÂnolÂoÂgy based on the Wii that could be set up anyÂwhere you can run a proÂjecÂtor.
ASU hopes 10,000 SoluÂtions will bring some fresh enerÂgy to probÂlems that often seem overÂwhelmÂing. If you have a minute to spare and a bright idea for makÂing the world a betÂter place, why not share it?
Ed Finn is an occaÂsionÂal conÂtribÂuÂtor to Open CulÂture. He recentÂly startÂed workÂing at AriÂzona State UniÂverÂsiÂty in UniÂverÂsiÂty IniÂtiaÂtives, an office focused on develÂopÂing new projects and thinkÂing big about the future of pubÂlic uniÂverÂsiÂty eduÂcaÂtion. 10,000 SoluÂtions is a project his team is helpÂing to launch this year.
There’s someÂthing hapÂpenÂing here
What it is ain’t exactÂly clear…
The intelÂlecÂtuÂals have paid a visÂit to OccuÂpy Wall Street (Joseph Stiglitz, Lawrence Lessig, Slavoj Zizek, etc.). And so have some iconÂic culÂturÂal figÂures. This week, Willie NelÂson and his wife wrote and read a poem supÂportÂing the surgÂing moveÂment.
Near 1:00 a.m., the fesÂtivÂiÂties were capped off at ColumÂbus CirÂcle with Arlo Guthrie and friends leadÂing a sinÂgaÂlong to the folk clasÂsic, “This LitÂtle Light of Mine.” As more culÂturÂal figÂures pay a visÂit, we’ll post them…
The monÂey quote from his appearÂance had less to do with ecoÂnomÂics per se and more with democÂraÂcy: “We have too many regÂuÂlaÂtions stopÂping democÂraÂcy, and not enough regÂuÂlaÂtions stopÂping Wall Street from misÂbeÂhavÂing.” No bullÂhorns, are you seriÂous?
You probÂaÂbly know Lawrence Lessig because of his work foundÂing CreÂative ComÂmons and proÂmotÂing “Free CulÂture.” (Watch his final speech on Free CulÂture here.) SevÂerÂal years ago, Lessig moved from StanÂford to HarÂvard, where he took up a new focus — govÂernÂment corÂrupÂtion. That’s what he grapÂples with in his new book, RepubÂlic, Lostand this relatÂed video. GivÂen Lessig’s focus on how corÂpoÂrate monÂey corÂrupts our politÂiÂcal sysÂtem, it’s not surÂprisÂing that he would have someÂthing to say about the potenÂtial of the Wall Street protests.
When SloveÂniÂa’s hip Marxist/Lacanian critÂiÂcal theÂoÂrist takes cenÂter stage at a Wall Street protest, it’s news for a culÂture site. No doubt. How can we not observe a rare moment of praxÂis? But, what it all means for the OccuÂpy Wall Street moveÂment, we’ll let you wresÂtle with that. Part 2 appears here. H/T BibÂliokÂlept.
We’re tackÂling anothÂer big quesÂtion today with the help of HarÂvard ecoÂnomÂic hisÂtoÂriÂan Niall FerÂguÂson. And the quesÂtion goes like this: Why has the West creÂatÂed so much prosÂperÂiÂty and staÂbilÂiÂty over the past sevÂerÂal cenÂturies, when the rest of the world did not? For FerÂguÂson, the “great diverÂgence” can be explained by six big ideas, or what he calls killer apps for the benÂeÂfit of his technophile TED audiÂence:
1. ComÂpeÂtiÂtion
2. The SciÂenÂtifÂic RevÂoÂluÂtion
3. PropÂerÂty Rights
4. ModÂern MedÂiÂcine
5. The ConÂsumer SociÂety
6. Work EthÂic
These apps, it turns out, are open source. AnyÂone can downÂload and use them. And that’s preÂciseÂly what Asia has done. The great diverÂgence is over (baby blue)…
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