Great empires rise and fall, mostÂly in the MidÂdle East. Watch hisÂtoÂry play itself out on dynamÂic maps and timeÂline.
Thanks Bob. (Got a great find for readÂers? Send it our way.)
Great empires rise and fall, mostÂly in the MidÂdle East. Watch hisÂtoÂry play itself out on dynamÂic maps and timeÂline.
Thanks Bob. (Got a great find for readÂers? Send it our way.)
AspirÂing (or even casuÂal) filmÂmakÂers, get ready for One Day on Earth. On OctoÂber 10th, 2010, thouÂsands of peoÂple worldÂwide will shoot film and proÂduce a crowdÂsourced docÂuÂmenÂtary showÂcasÂing “the diverÂsiÂty, conÂflict, tragedy, and triÂumph that can occur in one 24-hour periÂod on Earth.” You’re invitÂed to take part in potenÂtialÂly the largest globÂal media event ever. The video above spells out the conÂcept, and you can learn how to take part here.
In 1900, New York City was headÂing into a cenÂtuÂry of unimagÂinÂable transÂforÂmaÂtion. And, thanks to The Library of ConÂgress (LOC), you can now revisÂit 43 videos showÂing the city layÂing the founÂdaÂtions for their burÂgeonÂing metropÂoÂlis. The clips, all black & white and silent, appear on iTuneÂsU, YouTube and the LOC web site. And I list iTuneÂsU first because it offers the easÂiÂest way to navÂiÂgate through the full colÂlecÂtion. Above, we feaÂture a scene showÂing New YorkÂers buildÂing the city’s first skyÂscrapÂers. The more you watch, the more of the perÂils you see. The colÂlecÂtion also includes scenes showÂing the FlatÂiron BuildÂing, the openÂing of the WilliamsÂburg Bridge, skatÂing on a lake in CenÂtral Park, and the excaÂvaÂtion of the tunÂnel that would evenÂtuÂalÂly enter Penn StaÂtion.
HavÂing recentÂly turned 60, ChristoÂpher Hitchens decidÂed it was time to write a memÂoir. Hence Hitch-22, his new book pubÂlished earÂliÂer this month. For a moment, the pubÂlicÂiÂty machine got rolling. (Above, we have him talkÂing with AnthoÂny Layser in a short video called “DrinkÂing with Hitchens.” Watch Part 2 here.) But, for whatÂevÂer reaÂson, things have now come to a halt. MulÂtiÂple speakÂing engageÂments on the West coast (my neck of the woods) have sudÂdenÂly been canÂceled, as True/Slant notes. And, rightÂly or wrongÂly, there’s now specÂuÂlaÂtion about HitchenÂs’s health. NeiÂther Hitchens nor his repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives have offered any offiÂcial explaÂnaÂtion. Dailyhitchens.com will inevitably keep monÂiÂtorÂing the sitÂuÂaÂtion.
Note: You can downÂload Hitch-22 (narÂratÂed by Hitchens himÂself) for free via Audible.com. Read more about their no-strings attached proÂmoÂtion here.
Who couldÂn’t use this? A basic introÂducÂtion to EinÂstein’s thinkÂing – one that assumes no priÂor knowlÂedge, just an open mind. In one short hour, RamaÂmurÂti Shankar (ProÂfesÂsor of Physics & Applied Physics at Yale) breaks down EinÂstein’s theÂoÂries and forÂmuÂlas for a lay audiÂence. If this whets your appetite, then you’ll want to downÂload Shankar’s free course called The FunÂdaÂmenÂtals of Physics. You can downÂload it here (iTunes — YouTube — Web Site), or find it in the Physics secÂtion of our big colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
ModÂern Physics: A ComÂplete IntroÂducÂtion
Bill Gates Puts Richard FeynÂman LecÂtures Online
LearnÂing Physics Through Free CoursÂes
RSA offers up anothÂer aniÂmatÂed video explainÂing what makes us tick. This time, they’re feaÂturÂing a lecÂture by Daniel Pink, the bestÂselling author of DriÂve: The SurÂprisÂing Truth About What MotiÂvates Us. RevisÂitÂing research also found in Dan Ariely’s new book, The Upside of IrraÂtionalÂiÂty, Pink driÂves home the point that traÂdiÂtionÂal motiÂvaÂtion schemes – nameÂly, bonusÂes – rarely achieve their intendÂed results. In fact, the bigÂger the bonus, the bigÂger the decline in perÂforÂmance. Or so studÂies show again and again. So what does motiÂvate us? The desire to be self-directÂed. The will to masÂter someÂthing. The hope to make a conÂtriÂbuÂtion. It’s all what Pink calls “the purÂpose motive,” and it’s the stuff that keeps this site movÂing along.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Dan Ariely on the IrraÂtionalÂiÂty of BonusÂes
BarÂbara EhrenÂreÂich on The PerÂils of PosÂiÂtive PsyÂcholÂoÂgy
Philip ZimÂbarÂdo on The Secret PowÂers of Time
Let Carl Sagan put everyÂthing – and I mean everyÂthing – in perÂspecÂtive for you …
(And see his relatÂed book, The Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space)
Thanks Zoran for sendÂing!!
Here’s where the legÂend of Bruce Lee all began (at least for AmerÂiÂcan audiÂences). Back in 1964, Lee, only 24 years old, was invitÂed to audiÂtion for The Green HorÂnet. And he nailed it, landÂing a starÂring role on the short-lived ABC teleÂviÂsion series. DurÂing these eight vinÂtage minÂutes, Lee gives you, the viewÂer, the theÂoÂry and pracÂtice of kung fu. It’s all rather enjoyÂable to watch, unless you’re the slow-reflexed man sharÂing the stage with him. The real action begins at the 4:05 minute mark.
Thanks to Maria PopoÂva, aka @BrainPicker, for givÂing us a heads up on this…
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!
Now time for some beach worÂthy books… FlaÂvorÂwire has pulled togethÂer a meta colÂlecÂtion of sumÂmer readÂing lists, aggreÂgatÂing books recÂomÂmendÂed by The New York Times, NPR, UC BerkeÂley, Details, BrookÂlyn PubÂlic Library and sevÂen othÂer sources. SomeÂwhere in this mix you’ll find that perÂfect read.
Try AudiÂble Now and Get A FREE AudioÂbook!
Details here.
EarÂliÂer this year, LeanÂdro CopÂperÂfield spent days re-watchÂing the films of Quentin TaranÂtiÂno and the Coen brothÂers. Then, using 500+ scenes from 17 movies, he develÂoped a monÂtage tribÂute simÂply called TaranÂtiÂno vs Coen BrothÂers. This pairÂing makes a cerÂtain amount of sense. Both have a wonÂderÂful knack for aesÂthetiÂcizÂing vioÂlence. But what’s the thread that runs through CopÂperÂfieldÂ’s latÂest short tribÂute, Kubrick vs ScorsÂese? PerÂhaps it’s quite simÂply the grandeur of their filmÂmakÂing. About KubrickÂ’s artistry ScorsÂese said, “WatchÂing a Kubrick film is like gazÂing up at a mounÂtainÂtop. You look up and wonÂder, how could anyÂone have climbed that high? There are emoÂtionÂal pasÂsages and images and spaces in his films that have an inexÂplicÂaÂble powÂer…” And, you can’t help but think that Kubrick looked at ScorsÂese’s work with a simÂiÂlar sense of awe.
ScorsÂese offers more thoughts on Kubrick in this 2001 episode of CharÂlie Rose. It’s worth a watch. For more great films, please see our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
via @BrainPicker and KotÂtke
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!
Meryl Streep has been nomÂiÂnatÂed for 16 AcadÂeÂmy Awards, and won two, over her brilÂliant actÂing career. She’s one of AmerÂiÂca’s greats. But it hasÂn’t gone to her head. Above, we have Streep givÂing the gradÂuÂaÂtion speech last month at Barnard (the womÂen’s libÂerÂal arts colÂlege affilÂiÂatÂed with ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty). And what comes across is someÂone who doesÂn’t take herÂself or actÂing too seriÂousÂly. SomeÂone who still gets a litÂtle charmÂingÂly nerÂvous speakÂing in front of crowds. And someÂone who recÂogÂnizes that we globÂalÂly – and women parÂticÂuÂlarÂly – have major chalÂlenges to conÂtend with. It’s worth a watch, along with one of my favorite comÂmenceÂment speechÂes: Steve Jobs at StanÂford, 2005.
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!