Filmed in 1986, Meetin’ WA is a short (26 minute) film that not many have seen. What you get is Godard, one of the driÂving forces behind La NouÂvelle Vague, in conÂverÂsaÂtion with Woody Allen. The tradeÂmark Godard approach to film, the expectÂed dose of Woody Allen neuÂroses — they’re all there. Hat tip to MetafilÂter for bringÂing this one to light.
Replaceable You (and Other Free Stem Cells Courses)
Here’s anothÂer free, downÂloadÂable course comÂing out StanÂford, which will tell you how regenÂerÂaÂtive medÂiÂcine can keep your body parts almost new. You can access it here on iTuneÂsU, and below we have postÂed the course descripÂtion. If stem cells hapÂpen to pique your interÂest, then you may want to explore these two othÂer relatÂed StanÂford coursÂes: Straight Talk about Stem Cells and Stem Cells: PolÂiÂcy and Ethics. Also rememÂber that you can downÂload at least 200 free uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes here.
ReplaceÂable You: Stem Cells and TisÂsue EngiÂneerÂing in this Age of EnlightÂenÂment
“The good part about getÂting oldÂer is that we gain some wisÂdom and patience. The bad part is that our bodÂies (knees, hips, organs, and more) start to wear out. But what if our bodÂies could be “reproÂgrammed” to grow new parts? The new field of regenÂerÂaÂtive medÂiÂcine is tryÂing to do just that, and it takes advanÂtage of the process of regenÂerÂaÂtion, which is nature’s soluÂtion for repairÂing damÂaged tisÂsues.
Although humans canÂnot re-grow their limbs like salaÂmanÂders and newts can, the capacÂiÂty to regenÂerÂate injured or disÂeased tisÂsues exists in humans and othÂer aniÂmals, and the molÂeÂcÂuÂlar machinÂery for regenÂerÂaÂtion seems to be an eleÂmenÂtal part of our genetÂic makeÂup. The preÂvailÂing opinÂion is that the genes responÂsiÂble for regenÂerÂaÂtion have for some reaÂson fallÂen into disÂuse, and they may be “jump startÂed” by the selecÂtive actiÂvaÂtion of key molÂeÂcules. Using this knowlÂedge, sciÂenÂtists are develÂopÂing new strateÂgies to repair and, in some casÂes, regenÂerÂate damÂaged or disÂeased tisÂsues in both young and old patients. In this course, we will explore the excitÂing field of regenÂerÂaÂtive medÂiÂcine and learn a litÂtle about what makes stem cells so speÂcial. We will also disÂcuss some of the recent disÂcovÂerÂies that can potenÂtialÂly allow us to be fit and healthy well into old age. Here, you will learn what is mereÂly sciÂence ficÂtion and what, remarkÂably, has become sciÂence fact in our new medÂical age.”
Jill Helms
AssoÂciate ProÂfesÂsor, DepartÂment of PlasÂtic and ReconÂstrucÂtive Surgery
Jill Helms joined the StanÂford facÂulÂty after eight years at UC San FranÂcisÂco, where she was the DirecÂtor of the MolÂeÂcÂuÂlar and CelÂluÂlar BiolÂoÂgy LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry in the DepartÂment of OrthoÂpeÂdic Surgery. Her research focusÂes on the parÂalÂlels between fetal tisÂsue develÂopÂment and adult tisÂsue regenÂerÂaÂtion. She received a PhD in develÂopÂmenÂtal neuÂroÂbiÂolÂoÂgy and a clinÂiÂcal degree and spends the majorÂiÂty of her time in clinÂiÂcalÂly relatÂed research.
Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia: Diving at the ’36 Games
ProÂduced at the request of the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Olympics ComÂmitÂtee (and not at the behest of the Nazi proÂpaÂganÂda machine), Leni RiefenÂstahl’s 1938 docÂuÂmenÂtary, Olympia, is conÂsidÂered one of the more imporÂtant sports docÂuÂmenÂtaries of the 20th cenÂtuÂry. Below, we have postÂed a well known sequence that recalls the divÂing comÂpeÂtiÂtion at the ’36 Berlin Games.
Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Other Goodies From Our Readers
Over the past week, we’ve disÂcovÂered a numÂber of good items being put togethÂer by some of our readÂers.
The first is a new popÂuÂlar podÂcast called “Robots” (iTunes — RSS Feed — Web Site). AssemÂbled by a group of grad stuÂdents assoÂciÂatÂed with the Swiss FedÂerÂal InstiÂtute of TechÂnolÂoÂgy in LauÂsanne (EPFL), each episode focusÂes on a speÂcifÂic topÂic (e.g., robot socÂcer) and feaÂtures interÂviews with high proÂfile guests in robotÂics and artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence. Also, each episode highÂlights news and views from peoÂple buildÂing and proÂgramÂming robots inside and outÂside uniÂverÂsiÂties.
Next, you may want to swing over to Nigel Beale’s site and lisÂten to his radio program/podcast called The BibÂlio File. The site housÂes about 100 audio interÂviews with varÂiÂous authors. PerÂfect for the bibÂlioÂphile.
LastÂly, two quick menÂtions: Tom HanÂson, over at the “Open EduÂcaÂtion” blog, recÂomÂmends Zaid AlsagofÂf’s free e‑book called “69 LearnÂing AdvenÂtures in 6 GalaxÂies,” which essenÂtialÂly offers a “resource for teachÂers seekÂing to be techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly relÂeÂvant.” And then, along simÂiÂlar lines, you can find at SmartTeaching.org a helpÂful post called “100 AweÂsome ClassÂroom Videos to Learn New TeachÂing TechÂniques.”
Keep them comÂing.…
Top Ten Psychology Videos
PsyÂchÂCenÂtral has postÂed its list of the ten best psyÂcholÂoÂgy videos availÂable on the web. Below, we have postÂed links to the videos themÂselves. But if you want a quick descripÂtion of each clip, then defÂiÂniteÂly read through the origÂiÂnal post. Thanks to Kottke.org for bringÂing this to light.
1. An UnquiÂet Mind: PerÂsonÂal ReflecÂtions on ManÂic-DepresÂsive IllÂness
2. The StanÂford Prison ExperÂiÂment
5. Trapped: MenÂtal IllÂness in America’s PrisÂons
6. Teen Brain
7. DepresÂsion: Out of the ShadÂows
8. Thin
9. I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help: Research on Poor Insight and How We Can Help
10. The PsyÂcholÂoÂgy of GlobÂal WarmÂing
The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook
Edward GibÂbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – It’s a major work of the EnlightÂenÂment, a book that shaped how we modÂerns write hisÂtoÂry (and, for that matÂter, how we aspire to write in the EngÂlish lanÂguage), and it’s now availÂable as a free podÂcast thanks to LibÂrivox. Or at least VolÂumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are. (Click on each link to downÂload the full zip files, which include many hours of audio. And please note that the remainÂing volÂumes are forthÂcomÂing.)
PubÂlished first in 1776, just as the US declared its indeÂpenÂdence from EngÂland, GibÂbon’s Decline and Fall looked to offer an empirÂiÂcal explaÂnaÂtion for why Ancient Rome fell as a powÂer, and he genÂerÂalÂly pointÂed to a decline in civic virtue among its citÂiÂzenÂry (why bothÂer fightÂing the Empire’s wars when you can get merÂceÂnarÂies to do it?) and to the rise of ChrisÂtianÂiÂty (why worÂry about Rome when a betÂter life, an eterÂnal afterÂlife, awaits you?).
In part, GibÂbon’s work has endured because it speaks to quesÂtions that modÂern powÂers have on their minds. What brings Empires down, and what (implicÂitÂly) allows them to endure? These quesÂtions have a cerÂtain amount of relÂeÂvance these days in an anxÂious US. And indeed GibÂbon’s name was immeÂdiÂateÂly invoked in a podÂcast that asked whether AmerÂiÂca, today’s empire, is on the brink. (Click to lisÂten.) The parÂalÂlels between GibÂbon’s Rome and the conÂtemÂpoÂrary UnitÂed States have also been directÂly explored by the proÂlifÂic, young HarÂvard hisÂtoÂriÂan, Niall FerÂguÂson. You may want to check out his OctoÂber 2006 piece in VanÂiÂty Fair, Empire Falls. And dependÂing on what you think, you can give time to his two books on Empire — the first (and betÂter) one focusÂes on the British Empire, and a secÂond one devotes itself to the US.
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Live Streams of the Olympics
A quick fyi, you can catch live streams of the Olympic Games via the web.
If you live in the US, you can watch at NBCOlympics.com,
If you live in the UK and Europe, you can get the stream at BBC TV Olympics
If you live on ChiÂna’s MainÂland, you can see the games at CCTVOlympics.com
And for AusÂtralian fans, watch here: https://au.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/
or https://www.abc.net.au/olympics/
via Actionooz
Archaeologists Uncover Shakespeare’s First Theater
The BBC reports: “An archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal dig has recovÂered what is thought to be the remains of the theÂatre where ShakeÂspeare’s plays were first perÂformed.” Get the rest of the big stoÂry here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry
An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube
Michael Wesch, a proÂfesÂsor of culÂturÂal anthroÂpolÂoÂgy, has become someÂthing of an interÂnet pheÂnomÂeÂnon, havÂing proÂduced two wonÂderÂful videos that help demysÂtiÂfy the world of Web 2.0. (DefÂiÂniteÂly check them out here and here). Now he has a new video getÂting some play. Below you can watch a talk he recentÂly gave at The Library of ConÂgress, where he uses video to disÂsect the new mediÂasÂcape that we’re livÂing in, and how it’s changÂing our relaÂtionÂships … for betÂter or for worse.
via John BatÂtelle SearchÂblog
It Happened One Night: Frank Capra’s 1934 Classic
Today we present Frank Capra’s AcadÂeÂmy Award-winÂning comÂeÂdy from 1934, starÂring Clark Gable — It HapÂpened One Night. Grab some popÂcorn. Dim the lights (even if you’re at work). And enjoy:
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