As the year winds to a close, Big Think has pulled togethÂer a list of their Most PopÂuÂlar Videos of 2010. PerÂhaps the biggest thinker on the list is Stephen HawkÂing, the renowned theÂoÂretÂiÂcal physiÂcist, who issues a stark warnÂing. “Our only chance of long term surÂvival, is not to remain inward lookÂing on planÂet Earth, but to spread out into space.” PopÂuÂlaÂtion growth, limÂitÂed resources, cliÂmate change – these presÂsures could driÂve the human race into extincÂtion withÂin two cenÂturies, and posÂsiÂbly even one. That makes space – planÂets beyond our own – the next great fronÂtier.
Denis Dutton (RIP) Talks Beauty @ TED
Denis DutÂton – the founder of Arts & LetÂters DaiÂly and phiÂlosÂoÂphy proÂfesÂsor at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of CanÂterÂbury in Christchurch, New Zealand – passed away today. He was 66 years old. In 2009, he wrote his most recent book, The Art Instinct: BeauÂty, PleaÂsure, and Human EvoÂluÂtion. Above, we have DutÂton speakÂing at TED, elabÂoÂratÂing on these themes in a great litÂtle talk called “A DarÂwinÂian TheÂoÂry of BeauÂty.”
Visionaries Imagine 2011 in 1931
Back in 1931, durÂing anothÂer periÂod of ecoÂnomÂic malaise, The New York Times asked some big thinkers what the world will look in anothÂer 80 years. (That is, in 2011.) Some proved to be fairÂly preÂscient. Take, for examÂple, William James Mayo (a founder of the Mayo ClinÂic) who said:
ConÂtaÂgious and infecÂtious disÂeases have been largeÂly overÂcome, and the averÂage length of life of man has increased to fifty-eight years. The great causÂes of death in midÂdle and latÂer life are disÂeases of heart, blood vesÂsels and kidÂneys, disÂeases of the nerÂvous sysÂtem, and canÂcer. The progress that is being made would sugÂgest that withÂin the meaÂsure of time for this foreÂcast the averÂage life time of civÂiÂlized man would be raised to the bibÂliÂcal term of three-score and ten [read: 70 years of age].
That’s not a bad guess, seeÂing that most WestÂernÂers now have a life expectanÂcy someÂwhere in the high 70s. But then, writÂing in the midst of the Great DepresÂsion, the indusÂtriÂalÂist HenÂry Ford made this preÂdicÂtion:
We shall go over our ecoÂnomÂic machine and redesign it, not for the purÂpose of makÂing someÂthing difÂferÂent than what we have, but to make the present machine do what we have said it could do. After all, the only profÂit of life is life itself, and I believe that the comÂing eighty years will see us more sucÂcessÂful in passÂing around the real profÂit of life. The newest thing in the world is the human being. And the greatÂest changes are to be looked for in him.
Has our ecoÂnomÂic machine realÂly been redesigned? And has our ecoÂnomÂic sysÂtem “passed around the real profÂit of life?” It’s hard to say an emphatÂic yes as we stumÂble into 2011. And I wouldÂn’t be surÂprised if Ford’s vision seems even more remote in 2012.
For more propheÂcies from 1931, please visÂit the AbnorÂmal Use blog that unearthed this fine treaÂsure…
via @eugenephoto
Dear Monsieur Picasso: A Free eBook
In the sumÂmer of 1955, FredÂerÂick BaldÂwin, a colÂlege stuÂdent at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty, set out on a pilÂgrimÂage of sorts, hopÂing to meet Pablo PicasÂso. BaldÂwin travÂeled first to Le Havre (preÂsumÂably by boat), then headÂed south, down to ValÂlauÂris and Cannes, until he evenÂtuÂalÂly reached PicasÂso’s home on the RivÂiera, known as VilÂla la CalÂiÂfornie. It took a litÂtle craftiÂness and moxÂie, but the young AmerÂiÂcan gained entrance into PicasÂso’s stuÂdio. And there he was, the great painter himÂself, wearÂing shorts, sanÂdals and not much else.
More than five decades latÂer, BaldÂwin has proÂduced an eleÂgant e‑book (availÂable for free right here) that uses phoÂtographs and text to preÂserve the memÂoÂry of this definÂing moment. After meetÂing PicasÂso, BaldÂwin became a proÂfesÂsionÂal phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer, workÂing for Audubon, LIFE, NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic, SmithÂsonÂian MagÂaÂzine, and The New York Times, among othÂer magÂaÂzines. And, latÂer, he looked to “repliÂcate the PicasÂso expeÂriÂence proÂfesÂsionÂalÂly,” always conÂtrolÂling his own agenÂda, nevÂer takÂing a job where he wasÂn’t makÂing his own deciÂsions. You can downÂload the 22 page e‑book, Dear MonÂsieur PicasÂso, right here. Find more great texts in our colÂlecÂtion of Free eBooks.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Free: The GuggenÂheim Puts 65 ModÂern Art Books Online
Five Minutes with Richard Dawkins
You’ll get the schtick pretÂty quickÂly. The BBC’s Matthew Stadlen spends five quick minÂutes with celebriÂties, thinkers and newsÂmakÂers. And, above, he gets down to busiÂness with Richard Dawkins, with the conÂverÂsaÂtion touchÂing on reliÂgion, the afterÂlife, spirÂiÂtuÂalÂiÂty, moralÂiÂty, hapÂpiÂness, and the whole point of life. OthÂer thinkers feaÂtured in the series include MarÂtin Amis, AC Grayling, Alain de BotÂton, BriÂan Cox, Sir TerÂry PratchÂett and othÂers.
via MetafilÂter
Out My Window: An Interactive Documentary
Out My WinÂdow — it’s a new interÂacÂtive docÂuÂmenÂtary, a film unlike any you have seen before. KateÂriÂna Cizek, the direcÂtor, put it togethÂer over the course of years, and the award-winÂning film uses its novÂel approach to explore life, as it goes on, withÂin highÂrisÂes — the most comÂmonÂly built strucÂtures durÂing the past cenÂtuÂry. CreÂatÂed with 360Âş video and high end web techÂnolÂoÂgy, Out My WinÂdow brings you to 13 difÂferÂent locaÂtions across the globe, movÂing from ChicaÂgo to SĂŁo Paulo, to BanÂgaÂlore and JohanÂnesÂburg. And the stoÂry doesÂn’t unfold linÂearÂly. You choose where and when you want the stoÂries (49 in total) to begin and end. The film is betÂter expeÂriÂenced than described. So my recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtion: Watch the trailÂer, or just jump into the interÂacÂtive docÂuÂmenÂtary and see for yourÂself.
Welcome to the Plutocracy! Bill Moyers Presents the First Howard Zinn Lecture
Howard Zinn, the PeoÂple’s hisÂtoÂriÂan, taught at Boston UniÂverÂsiÂty for 24 years, until he died earÂliÂer this year. In late OctoÂber, Bill MoyÂers delivÂered the first Howard Zinn MemoÂrÂiÂal LecÂture durÂing which, approÂpriÂateÂly enough, he focusÂes on the chalÂlenges facÂing our democÂraÂcy, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly AmerÂiÂca’s long drift toward pluÂtocÂraÂcy, where the rich get richÂer at the expense of the averÂage citÂiÂzen. The talk (folÂlowed by a Q&A sesÂsion) runs a good two hours, and MoyÂers himÂself starts speakÂing at the 6:40 minute mark. You can watch the video here, or read the tranÂscript here.
via MetafilÂter
The Blue Ocean in RED
DurÂing the past decade, Howard Hall has directÂed four IMAX films that take you deep under the sea, right into the homes of amazÂing marine life. Now, Hall has brought his act to Vimeo where he has postÂed a monÂtage of his favorite underÂwaÂter shots from the past year. Filmed with a RED One camÂera, this footage was takÂen in the waters of the MalÂdives, AlasÂka, CalÂiÂforÂnia, CosÂta Rica, and MexÂiÂco. And it’s all fairÂly stunÂning. I would highÂly recÂomÂmend watchÂing the video on Vimeo itself and sizÂing it to full screen. H/T to @eugenephoto.
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