If you didÂn’t watch the seaÂson preÂmiere of The SimpÂsons this weekÂend, here is what you missed: The host of This AmerÂiÂcan Life, Ira Glass, makÂing a brief cameo appearÂance and pokÂing some fun at his ever popÂuÂlar show. Watch above.
MeanÂwhile, speakÂing of Ira Glass, be sure to get his thoughts on Why CreÂative ExcelÂlence Takes Time. He offers some excelÂlent advice for anyÂone workÂing in a creÂative field…
The New YorkÂer iPad app. It’s finalÂly out, and they have actor Jason SchwartzÂman takÂing the wraps off in a witÂty video. Give The New YorkÂer points for creÂativÂiÂty.
Now the big quesÂtion. Will readÂers pay $4.99 to have the pleaÂsure of readÂing each weekÂly issue on the iPad? That’s $234 over a year. Or will you be stickÂing with the print subÂscripÂtion that runs a coolÂer $1.00 per week? You’ll find me in the latÂter camp until they work out a more senÂsiÂble annuÂal pricÂing scheme — someÂthing that, accordÂing to recent reports, may be right around the bend.
WithÂout these guys, you wouldÂn’t have broadÂcast radio or TV. It’s hard to watch beyond the 1:30 mark. Thanks Ian for sendÂing along…
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Where do good ideas come from? Places that put us togethÂer. Places that allow good hunchÂes to colÂlide with othÂer good hunchÂes, someÂtimes creÂatÂing big breakÂthroughs and innoÂvaÂtions. DurÂing the EnlightÂenÂment, this all hapÂpened in Parisian salons and cofÂfee housÂes. NowaÂdays, it’s hapÂpenÂing on the web, in places that defy your ordiÂnary defÂiÂnÂiÂtion of “place.” In four aniÂmatÂed minÂutes, Steven JohnÂson outÂlines the arguÂment that he makes more fulÂly in his soon-to-be-pubÂlished book, Where Good Ideas Come From: The NatÂurÂal HisÂtoÂry of InnoÂvaÂtion. The video is the latÂest from the RSAnÂiÂmate series.
PS: Last week, I wrote a guest post on 5 capÂtiÂvatÂing RSA videos that mull over the flaws runÂning through modÂern capÂiÂtalÂism. You can find it on Brain PickÂings.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Ira Glass on Why CreÂative ExcelÂlence Takes Time
“RemixÂing” has figÂured cenÂtralÂly in the Web 2.0 vocabÂuÂlary. But, remixÂing isn’t new. It has a long hisÂtoÂry, going back as long as we’ve been makÂing art. Artists have always been colÂlectÂing mateÂrÂiÂal, comÂbinÂing it, and transÂformÂing it into someÂthing new. KirÂby FerÂguÂson’s new video, EveryÂthing is a Remix, teasÂes this apart as he brings you back to 1960s Paris and LonÂdon – to the cut-up litÂerÂaÂture of William S. BurÂroughs and the songs writÂten by Led ZepÂpelin with a libÂerÂal amount of borÂrowÂing. This video, the first in a series of four, appears on FerÂguÂson’s web site in a nice large forÂmat. Have a look and conÂsidÂer donatÂing to his EveryÂthing is a Remix project.
A quick fyi for the comÂic fan: A newish webÂsite, The DigÂiÂtal ComÂic Archive, opens up free access to pubÂlic domain GoldÂen Age Comics, which fell into kids’ hands from the late 1930s until the earÂly 1950s. You won’t find here the big name comics from the periÂod (SuperÂman, BatÂman, CapÂtain AmerÂiÂca, WonÂder Woman, CapÂtain MarÂvel, etc). But that shouldÂn’t stop you from givÂing the archive a good look. There are still a lot of goldÂen comics to rumÂmage through.
To get startÂed, simÂply regÂisÂter for an account and then start siftÂing and downÂloadÂing the texts. The downÂloadÂing part can be a litÂtle tricky in some casÂes. So please visÂit their FAQs if you run into any probÂlems. HapÂpy readÂing…
Back in 1999, ZDTV launched Big Thinkers, a weekÂly cable TV proÂgram that feaÂtured half-hour interÂviews with thinkers on the bleedÂing edge of sciÂence and techÂnolÂoÂgy. The show didÂn’t have the longest run. But it did manÂage to shine the spotÂlight on some imporÂtant minds – Michio Kaku (theÂoÂretÂiÂcal physiÂcist), SherÂry Turkle (MIT psyÂchoÂanÂaÂlyst), Lawrence Lessig (law proÂfesÂsor & free culÂture advoÂcate), and Esther Dyson (techÂnolÂoÂgy investor), to name a few. Big Thinkers was perÂfect Open CulÂture mateÂrÂiÂal before the days of Open CulÂture. So we’re payÂing a litÂtle tribÂute to the show. Above, you will find an episode dedÂiÂcatÂed to Daniel DenÂnett, the AmerÂiÂcan philosoÂpher and cogÂniÂtive sciÂenÂtist who has done extenÂsive research on the phiÂlosÂoÂphy of mind. Part 1 appears above, and Part 2 and Part 3 here. FinalÂly, you can watch othÂer Big Thinkers episodes (includÂing those menÂtioned above) on this YouTube chanÂnel.
As jourÂnalÂists try to find their footÂing in the new digÂiÂtal enviÂronÂment, News21, a Carnegie and Knight iniÂtiaÂtive, has startÂed “incuÂbatÂing” eight jourÂnalÂism schools across the counÂtry and helpÂing stuÂdents develÂop new forms of invesÂtigaÂtive reportÂing in mulÂtiÂmeÂdia forÂmats. Above, we have Spilling Over, a piece of digÂiÂtal reportÂing that lays bare the emoÂtionÂal toll the BP Oil spill has takÂen on a Louisiana comÂmuÂniÂty. The eight minute video report was assemÂbled by a News21 team at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of North CarÂoliÂna. NPR has more on the News21 project, and the News21 webÂsite feaÂtures othÂer stuÂdent projects. H/T to Mike S. for anothÂer superb find…
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