PioÂneerÂing guiÂtarist Bo DidÂdley passed away yesÂterÂday at 79. You can find a nice video tribÂute here. Among them, you’ll find this good old chestÂnut:
Great Stories from Everyday People
The name of the proÂgram is MornÂing StoÂries (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). The host is Tony Kahn. And the show is all about preÂsentÂing great stoÂries from everyÂday peoÂple — stoÂries that get at someÂthing deeply human, things that othÂer peoÂple can idenÂtiÂfy with, no matÂter what their age, backÂground, or nationÂalÂiÂty. (Hence the reaÂson why the show’s podÂcast has unexÂpectÂedÂly develÂoped a conÂsidÂerÂable folÂlowÂing in ChiÂna.)
I figÂured that there’s no betÂter way to introÂduce the show than to ask Tony Kahn to highÂlight some of his own favorite episodes. So that’s what I did, and here’s what he had to say. Once you get beyond lisÂtenÂing to his favorites, you can peruse the comÂplete archive here. Enjoy.
1. Over Here and Over There (mp3): MornÂing StoÂries ProÂducÂer and DirecÂtor catchÂes up with his friend FatiÂma, by phone from Brazil, and recalls her stoÂry of the hopes that once made her flee her homeÂland for AmerÂiÂca, and the fears that sent her back.
2. How Can You Say No? (mp3): JackÂie Lantry fights time and City Hall in ChiÂna to give her son a famÂiÂly, and Tony Kahn and Gary Mott disÂcuss their perÂsonÂal expeÂriÂences with adopÂtion.
3. FamÂiÂly Tree (mp3): Karen DilÂlon begins the podÂcast with a report on workÂing with grievÂing chilÂdren. KatÂriÂna MurÂray ends it with a mothÂer’s tale.
4. A LesÂson in ChiÂnese (mp3): A caller from Xian, ChiÂna teachÂes Tony the true meanÂing of “hapÂpiÂness,” “love,” and “volÂunÂteer job.” Also, Tony and Gary disÂcuss the true meanÂing of “wanÂton.”
Ira Glass on Why Creative Excellence Takes Time
Ira Glass, host of the beloved radio show This AmerÂiÂcan Life, offers a helpÂful reminder that excelÂlence doesÂn’t come autoÂmatÂiÂcalÂly. (See video below.) It takes work, years of it. And he revisÂits some of his earÂly radio work in order to prove it.
The Glass video has been added to our YouTube playlist.
Art by Committee: The Story Behind the Writing of “Shake Girl”
Here at StanÂford, a couÂple of our teachÂers (Tom Kealey and Adam JohnÂson) took a novÂel approach to runÂning a writÂing class. They wantÂed to see what hapÂpens when 14 stuÂdents colÂlecÂtiveÂly write, edit and illusÂtrate a graphÂic novÂel. (A graphÂic novÂel is a type of comÂic book that feaÂtures a lengthy and comÂplex stoÂryÂline.) Fast forÂward a few weeks, and you can see what the class proÂduced. Their novÂel, “a wildÂly ambiÂtious, emoÂtionÂalÂly searÂing stoÂry,” based on a series of true events, is called Shake Girl, and you can start readÂing it here. Should you want to learn more about the writÂing of this colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive novÂel, you can lisÂten to this podÂcast that gives you the backÂstoÂry and also read this secÂtion of the Shake Girl webÂsite.
Robot Conducts The Detroit Symphony Orchestra
File this under “RanÂdom” …
ConÂtribute to The PowÂer of Dreams Music EduÂcaÂtion Fund at www.detroitsymphony.com and click on EduÂcaÂtion or go here.
Maps Explaining Why Americans Know Less About the World
SpeakÂing at the TED ConÂferÂence, Alisa Miller (CEO of PubÂlic Radio InterÂnaÂtionÂal) explains why AmerÂiÂcans know less and less about the rest of the world. Along the way, she uses some eye-popÂping graphs to put things in perÂspecÂtive. Watch the video below or find it on our YouTube playlist …
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
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!
India’s Answer to M.I.T. Presents Free Courses on YouTube (in English)
Lots of newsprint has been dedÂiÂcatÂed to MIT’s OpenÂCourseÂWare iniÂtiaÂtive. And, of course, it’s underÂstandÂable. MIT’s project offers free access to mateÂriÂals from 1800 MIT coursÂes, many on the cutÂting edge of techÂnolÂoÂgy and engiÂneerÂing. It is all great. But sudÂdenÂly MIT is not the only tech powÂerÂhouse getÂting into the busiÂness of proÂvidÂing free eduÂcaÂtionÂal resources.
In India, there are sevÂen instiÂtutes dedÂiÂcatÂed to trainÂing some of the world’s top sciÂenÂtists and engiÂneers and makÂing the counÂtry an up and comÂing world powÂer. They are colÂlecÂtiveÂly known as the IITs, or the IndiÂan InstiÂtutes of TechÂnolÂoÂgy. And now some of the IIT coursÂes are being made availÂable in EngÂlish on YouTube for free. (The main page is here; the coursÂes are actuÂalÂly here.) Some of the titles feaÂtured here include: IntroÂducÂtion to ComÂputÂer GraphÂics, Core SciÂence MathÂeÂmatÂics, ComÂputÂer NetÂworks, IntroÂducÂtion To ProbÂlem SolvÂing & ProÂgramÂming, FluÂid MechanÂics, and EnviÂronÂmenÂtal Air PolÂluÂtion.
You can access the full list of IIT coursÂes here. And note that we have inteÂgratÂed many of these coursÂes into our colÂlecÂtion: Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties, which now feaÂtures more than 225 free coursÂes.
Ninja Fast Dictionary
Long ago, I got in the habit of using MerÂriÂam-WebÂster’s online dicÂtioÂnary. And I’ve sufÂfered through the painfulÂly slow page loads for the betÂter part of a decade. But then I stumÂbled upon a betÂter alterÂnaÂtive. NinÂjaÂWords is “a realÂly fast dicÂtioÂnary … fast like a NinÂja.” Give it a try. You’ll enjoy the speed.
PS AnothÂer cool option is Definr.com, which is fast and feaÂtures a handy auto-comÂplete funcÂtion. Thanks to a readÂer for flagÂging that one for us.
1001 Books to Read Before You Die
As I write, the most emailed artiÂcle on The New York Times offers a few reflecÂtions on Peter BoxÂalÂl’s book, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. The Times piece makes a couÂple of logÂiÂcal points: First, there’s no time to waste if you hope to read every book on the list. ReadÂing a book per month, you’ll get through 1000 books in a mere 83 years. So you had betÂter get startÂed now. SecÂond, this “best of” list is bound to be conÂtroÂverÂsial. (Do you realÂly need to read Anne Rice’s “InterÂview With the VamÂpire” before it’s lights out?) The 1001 books on BoxÂalÂl’s list can be preÂviewed here. The book itself, which runs 960 pages, is obviÂousÂly more than a raw list. Each entry is accomÂpaÂnied by an “authorÂiÂtaÂtive yet opinÂionÂatÂed critÂiÂcal essay describÂing the imporÂtance and influÂence of the work in quesÂtion.” And also there’s apparÂentÂly some nice illusÂtraÂtions. If you’re a bibÂlioÂphile, it’s worth a look.
For more great books, see the colÂlecÂtion of Life ChangÂing Books creÂatÂed by our readÂers.
HBO Revisits 2000 Election with “Recount”
On SunÂday night, HBO aired its new film “Recount,” which delved back into the conÂtroÂverÂsial FloriÂda recount that deterÂmined the outÂcome of AmerÂiÂca’s 2000 presÂiÂdenÂtial elecÂtion. Days before the film (watch the trailÂer here) hit the airÂwaves, CharÂlie Rose conÂductÂed an interÂview with Kevin Spacey (actor in the film), JefÂfrey Toobin (Senior Legal AnaÂlyst at CNN) and David Boies (who argued Bush v. Gore on behalf of Al Gore). In watchÂing the film and interÂview, my first reacÂtion was to think: yes, it’s been eight long years, but it’s perÂhaps not been long enough. PerÂhaps anothÂer eight years is what it takes before politÂiÂcal trauÂma can be transÂformed into pure enterÂtainÂment. Or maybe it will nevÂer quite get there. But that says nothÂing about the merÂits of the film or the interÂview below. If you missed “Recount,” it re-airs tonight on HBO.
Harvard Law Faculty Votes to Put Articles Online
The open access moveÂment keeps rolling along. See here.
Support Us
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Receive our Daily Email
About Us
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
Advertise With Us
