You can’t get good democÂraÂcy withÂout sciÂence, and you can’t get good sciÂence withÂout democÂraÂcy. That’s why great politÂiÂcal and sciÂenÂtifÂic revÂoÂluÂtions have hisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly gone hand-in-hand. It’s an intriguÂing arguÂment that TimÂoÂthy FerÂris (UC BerkeÂley) makes in his new book, The SciÂence of LibÂerÂty, and debates in an interÂview with Michael KrasÂny, aired last week on KQED in San FranÂcisÂco. You can stream the interÂview below, or access it via mp3 or iTunes.
A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything
This imagÂiÂnaÂtive bit was a stuÂdenÂt’s final project for an art course. The flipÂbook, made entireÂly out of biro pens, was creÂatÂed with 2100 pages of drawÂings and took about 3 weeks to develÂop. NeedÂless to say, the stuÂdent got an A.
Thanks to @kirstinbutler for flagÂging this one.
Time Travel with Google Earth
Google EarthÂ’s hisÂtorÂiÂcal imagery feaÂture now includes aerÂiÂal footage of the afterÂmath of World War II, allowÂing users to comÂpreÂhend the extent of post-war destrucÂtion by comÂparÂing phoÂtos of cities as they are today to those of bombed out cities immeÂdiÂateÂly after the war.
Here’s WarÂsaw in 1935, devÂasÂtatÂed in 1943, and restored today. You can click here to see the picÂtures in a bigÂger size.
For more imagery, includÂing picÂtures of Stuttgart, Naples and Lyon, see the Google Earth blog.
Wes Alwan lives in Boston, MassÂaÂchuÂsetts, where he works as a writer and researcher and attends the InstiÂtute for the Study of PsyÂchoÂanalyÂsis and CulÂture. He also parÂticÂiÂpates in The ParÂtialÂly ExamÂined Life, a podÂcast conÂsistÂing of inforÂmal disÂcusÂsions about philoÂsophÂiÂcal texts by three phiÂlosÂoÂphy gradÂuÂate school dropouts.
Howard Zinn Dies at 87
Sad news. Howard Zinn, the AmerÂiÂcan hisÂtoÂriÂan best known for his book, A PeoÂple’s HisÂtoÂry of the UnitÂed States, died today of a heart attack at the age of 87. The Boston HerÂald has more on his life and passÂing here. If you’re familÂiar with ZinÂn’s biogÂraÂphy, you’ll know that he served in World War II and latÂer took a strong posiÂtion against the VietÂnam War. So, perÂhaps fitÂtingÂly, we feaÂture Zinn talkÂing above about wars and the role govÂernÂments play in manÂuÂfacÂturÂing them…
A History of the World in 100 Objects
WorkÂing with the BBC, Neil MacÂGreÂgor, the DirecÂtor of the British MuseÂum, has launched a downÂright smart project. A HisÂtoÂry of the World in 100 Objects uses imporÂtant pieces from the museÂum’s colÂlecÂtions to recount the long hisÂtoÂry of humanÂiÂty. ThroughÂout the year, the seriÂalÂized radio proÂgram will air 100 episodes, each averÂagÂing 15 minÂutes, and they will covÂer two milÂlion years of human innoÂvaÂtion and artisÂtic creÂation. Below, I’ve includÂed a recent episode that revisÂits the OlduÂvai hand axe, a tool inventÂed some 1.2 milÂlion years ago that proved vital to human evoÂluÂtion and our migraÂtion out of Africa. You can access the full series in audio via iTunes, RSS Feed, as well as othÂer forÂmats found here. A big thanks to Stephen in the UK for flagÂging this proÂducÂtion for us.
The History of the Seemingly Impossible Chinese Typewriter
The ChiÂnese lanÂguage has tens of thouÂsands of charÂacÂters, and many have conÂsidÂered it nearÂly imposÂsiÂble to fit these charÂacÂters onto a sinÂgle workÂable typeÂwriter. But that hasÂn’t stopped invenÂtors from tryÂing … and, to a cerÂtain degree, sucÂceedÂing. StanÂford hisÂtoÂriÂan Thomas MulÂlaney is now writÂing the first hisÂtoÂry of the ChiÂnese typeÂwriter, and he has found eviÂdence for numerÂous patents and proÂtoÂtypes that incorÂpoÂrate the most comÂmonÂly used charÂacÂters. In addiÂtion to makÂing a politÂiÂcal impact in ChiÂna, these machines have also potenÂtialÂly influÂenced innoÂvaÂtions in modÂern comÂputÂing. You can read more about MulÂlaney’s work on StanÂford’s Human ExpeÂriÂence webÂsite, and also watch him disÂcuss his work in this YouTube clip.
Jared Diamond Explains Haiti’s Enduring Poverty
Jared DiaÂmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning author of Guns, Germs & Steel (and ColÂlapse: How SociÂeties Choose to Fail or SucÂceed), offers some timeÂly thoughts on why Haiti, once a fairÂly prosÂperÂous counÂtry, has sunk into endurÂing poverÂty — a conÂdiÂtion not comÂparÂaÂtiveÂly shared by its neighÂbor on the same island, the DominiÂcan RepubÂlic. AccordÂing to DiaÂmond, Haiti’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal conÂdiÂtions offer a parÂtial explaÂnaÂtion. But you will also find clues in the counÂtry’s lanÂguage, and in the legaÂcy of slavÂery that has shaped Haiti’s ecoÂnomÂic relaÂtionÂship with Europe and the US. This interÂview — quite a good one — aired this mornÂing in San FranÂcisÂco. You can lisÂten to it below, or access it via MP3, iTunes or RSS Feed.
I Have a Dream
For MLK’s birthÂday, we bring back the full “I Have a Dream” speech, delivÂered at The LinÂcoln MemoÂrÂiÂal on August 28, 1963. SevÂenÂteen eloÂquent and brave minÂutes that changed the world and made it a betÂter place.
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