Funny and yet it counts as science.
Chris Hardwick and Rainn Wilson, star of The Office, “dive deep into the chemical guts of a common household product” to discover “What’s Inside.” For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/wiredscience (Source: BoingBoing)
Here’s a quick fyi: I’m making a small guest appearance on FORA.tv this week.
In case you’re not familiar with it, FORA.tv hosts a large and constantly growing collection of videos that feature important thinkers grappling with contemporary cultural, social and political questions. Or, put simply, it’s YouTube made intelligent. As you’ll see, their mission is rather similar to our own. So I was pleased when they asked me to be “a guest” for the week and highlight some of my favorite videos from their video trove. Here is what I selected:
Segments of FORA’s talks are also available by audio and video podcast. (Get more info here.) Also, on a related note, Princeton University spearheads a somewhat similar video service, except that it is more specifically dedicated to public affairs. It’s called UChannel. (Have a look here.) Finally, if you like what FORA and UChannel have to offer, you may also want to spend some time with our Ideas & Culture Podcast Collection. Our full podcast library is here.
First there was the folk Bob Dylan. Then came the electric Bob Dylan. And it all happened one night at the Newport Folk Festival. The date was July 25, 1965.
In the clip below, you can see how the transition was received. In a word, not well. Appearing in front of a folk audience that lamented the rise of rock, Dylan hit the stage with his electric band and played three songs, including “Like a Rolling Stone.” Much of the crowd reacted violently (you can hear it at the end of the clip), and Pete Seeger, the folk legend, raged backstage: “Get that distortion out of his voice … It’s terrible. If I had an axe, I’d chop the microphone cable right now.” After his short set, Dylan tried to exit the stage. But, as you’ll see, he was coaxed back, with acoustic guitar in hand, to give the people what they wanted — an excellent version of It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. For more on this controversy (which the music world eventually got over), check out Martin Scorsese’s documentary “No Direction Home” as well as this Wikipedia entry.
Times Online (the large UK-based news website) has posted today a feature that offers an introduction to podcasting. It explains the whos, hows, whats, etc. and provides some helpful links, including one to our collection of Foreign Language Lesson Podcasts.
Podcasting offers an amazing way to access free, high-quality media, across many topics, wherever and whenever you want it. And it’s something that even technophobes can easily figure out. For more information on how to work with podcasts, see our our Podcast Primer. We take you through podcasting step-by-step. Also check out our extensive Podcast Library, which gives you access to audiobooks, cultural programming, science podcasts, university courses and more.
The filmmakers who brought you Fargo, Barton Fink, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? have released their latest film based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. No Country for Old Men is, as The New Yorker puts it, “a return to the dark, simmering days of their best work, in Blood Simple and Miller’s Crossing,” which is another way of saying that the film is violent, but also extremely well made. So far, there’s been no shortage of positive reviews (look here for example). But, as always, you’ll find the occasional pan. Below, we have posted some scenes from the film, and we’ll leave you with this printed interview with Joel and Ethan Coen.
Gift buying season is now officially upon us. If books are part of your gift buying plan, then have a look at this list just published by The New York Times. The 100 books listed here include fiction, poetry and nonfiction. Among others, you’ll find Philip Roth’s latest book, Exit Ghost, and I mention it simply because you may want to listen to an interview with Roth that aired earlier this week (iTunes — MP3 — Feed — Web Site).
You should also spend some time looking at our list of Life-Changing Books, all of which were selected by our readers this fall. Definitely some good, time-tested reads on this list.
Finally, a quick heads up: Apple is running a one day sale, which gives up to $100 off some computers and $30 off iPod classics. Plus there’s free shipping on all products. If you have Apple products on your holiday list, then it may be worth your time. Again, the sale ends at midnight.
Robert Dallek’s latest book recounts in plentiful detail (752 pages) the odd working relationship that existed between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger (Nixon’s national security adviser and, later, secretary of state). They were partly allies, in many ways strongly dependent upon one another, particularly when it came to making American foreign policy. But they also distrusted one another, sometimes deeply, and they’d occasionally maneuver behind each others’ backs. Dallek’s book, Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power, has just come out in paperback, which brings us to this NPR interview with the author (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). Dallek, who has previously written extensively on Kennedy and Johnson, gives a good interview that outlines “Nixinger’s” substantive accomplishments and the many behind-the-scenes intrigues. Give a listen.
Of all the scenes that Hitchcock shot, this is the most well known. The iconic shower scene (1960), which runs about 2 minutes, took six days to film, used around 75 camera angles, and 50 cuts. After shooting this sequence, Janet Leigh apparently forever kept her showers to a minimum and, while showering, locked all doors and windows and kept the bathroom & shower doors open.
Valleywag, the blog that tracks Silicon Valley and things tech, posted an amusing comparison between the traditional book and Amazon’s new electronic reader (see yesterday’s post). It’s clearly meant to be more witty than serious, but it makes some obvious and valid points along the way. (See Valleywag article here)
Today, U2 is releasing a remastered version of the album that turned a popular band into a super band. Commemorating its 20th anniversary (how can it be that old already?), the Joshua Tree is being re-issued in four versions — 1) a remastered single CD, 2) a 2‑CD set that features the remastered album and b‑sides/rarities from the Joshua Tree recording sessions, 3) a 2‑CD/1‑DVD collectible box that includes a 56 page book; and 4) a double vinyl package.
The re-release of this album has a certain unwelcomed commercial feel to it. I’ll grant that. But, regardless, I’m buying it. The Joshua Tree loomed in the background during a great moment in my life. And just hearing it brings me back to the sounds and smells of that period. So, if I can hear it remastered and get more songs from the recording sessions, I guess I’ll take it.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with these bits of free U2 media. First, spend some time with “Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview” (iTunes - Feed — Web Site). Here Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone, leads a long and wide-ranging interview with Bono Vox. The second item is a video (below) featuring Bono singing and telling the story behind “Wave of Sorry,” one of the b‑sides from the new Joshua Tree release.
For more music podcasts, click here.
The Kindle, Amazon’s new eBook reader, is just now hitting the streets. The promo video below overviews its basic features, including the Kindle’s “paper-like” screen, ergonomic design, and free wireless access to content. As you’ll see, the $399 reader, which holds 200 books, promises to succeed where other digital readers have failed — to offer a satisfying reading experience and unlock the potentially large digital books market.
Not surprisingly, Amazon is backing the Kindle’s launch with a fair amount of marketing. Videos on the Amazon site feature Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize Winner, talking up the Kindle. Then, there are these comments by Michael Lewis, a bestselling author, “It’s so simple you could be a moron and it works.” “It takes no intelligence at all. Anybody who can read a book can function with this thing.” “It’s easier on the eye than the printed word.” “[A]fter about — I’m telling you! — 5 minutes, you cease to think, ‘I’m looking at a screen.’ It’s not like looking at a computer screen.”
A notable downside to the Kindle (one that’s pointed out by ZDNet) is the cost to access content. Books usually go for $9.99 or less, which is perfectly reasonable. But you’ll pay $9.99 to $14.99 per month for newspaper subscriptions, $1.99 to $2.99 for monthly magazine subscriptions, and 99 cents per month to subscribe to individual blogs. This is all pretty illogical, given that most of this content is otherwise free on the web.
If you get your hands on the Kindle, definitely let us know what you think.
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