On March 11th, Japan sufÂfered a 9.0 earthÂquake, folÂlowed by a masÂsive tsunaÂmi. Just weeks latÂer, NOVA has proÂduced a 47 minute docÂuÂmenÂtary that does an impresÂsive job of explainÂing the sciÂence behind these twin geoÂlogÂic catÂaÂstroÂphes. The proÂgram folÂlows Roger BilÂham, a seisÂmolÂoÂgist at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of ColÂorado, who arrived in Japan two days after the quake. And what you get is a blow-by-blow account of the unfoldÂing events, couÂpled with some sound analyÂsis and stunÂning footage (like the ground splitÂting open and pushÂing water to the surÂface.) This is by far the most subÂstanÂtive treatÂment of Japan’s quake/tsunami that we’ve encounÂtered to date…
Our othÂer favorite is of course litÂerÂary critÂic ChristoÂpher Ricks’ nutÂty and wonÂderÂfulDylan’s Vision of Sin. Ricks and MarÂcus approach the artist through very difÂferÂent prisms — for a fun chance to comÂpare and conÂtrast, check out their recent joint lecÂture at the HeyÂman School for the HumanÂiÂties. (The video clocks in at over an hour and forty minÂutes, too long for some, not nearÂly long enough for the Dylan-obsessed.)
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
When you look up in the sky, what do you see besides the blue sky, clouds, the occaÂsionÂal bird and plane, the Sun, and the Moon? In this whimÂsiÂcal aniÂmatÂed video from NPR, we learn about the varÂiÂous insects – the wasps, aphids, beeÂtles, etc. – that inhabÂit the upper levÂels of the troÂposÂphere. What’s incredÂiÂble is that in the peak sumÂmer months, there are bilÂlions of these insects high in the sky, with some cruisÂing at an altiÂtude of 19,000 feet, equivÂaÂlent to the height of Mount McKinÂley!
For the botanists out there: the title of the video is a litÂtle misÂleadÂing, as the word bug actuÂalÂly refers to an insect of the order Hemiptera; to be preÂcise, we have to call it the bilÂlion-insect highÂway…
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
Since 1990, Dutch artist Theo Jansen has givÂen life to StrandÂbeests. They’re made of nothÂing more than a mass of yelÂlow plasÂtic tubes. But these kinetÂic sculpÂtures feed off of the wind. They roam the beachÂes on their own. And they evolve. Soon enough, Jansen says, you will see StrandÂbeests livÂing in herds, and who knows what the alcheÂmy of art and engiÂneerÂing will bring next.
This clip comes from a BBC proÂducÂtion, Nature Knows Best, that aired late last year. You can also catch Jansen introÂducÂing his self-proÂpelling beach aniÂmals at TED.
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!
Would the 1963 horÂror film DemenÂtia 13 be rememÂbered today withÂout the subÂseÂquent achieveÂments of its young direcÂtor, FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla? It’s hard to say. ConÂtemÂpoÂraries seem to have thought othÂerÂwise: The New York Times reviewÂer described the film’s direcÂtion as “stolÂid” and its cast as “unlucky,” and the proÂducÂer, B‑Movie king Roger CorÂman, furiÂousÂly took the reins from his proÂtege the minute he saw the first cut.
But DemenÂtia 13 was still the first full-length feaÂture of a man who would go on to direct three of the greatÂest films ever made, and so it’s temptÂing (and fun) to scour DemenÂtia 13 for earÂly manÂiÂfesÂtaÂtions of genius. Watch it and judge for yourÂself — and look out for the dolls.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
SciÂfoo is an annuÂal “unconÂferÂence” c0-hostÂed in MounÂtain View, CalÂiÂforÂnia by Google, O’ReilÂly Media and Nature pubÂlishÂing. It’s parÂticÂiÂpant-driÂven, cross-polÂliÂnatÂing, and highÂly unstrucÂtured, relyÂing more on brainÂstorms and erasable white boards than PowÂerÂPoint preÂsenÂtaÂtions and lecÂture halls. AccordÂing to Nature’s page for SciÂfoo 2011:
200 leadÂing sciÂenÂtists, techÂnolÂoÂgists, writÂers and othÂer thought-leadÂers will gathÂer once more at the GoogleÂplex for a weekÂend of unbriÂdled disÂcusÂsion, demonÂstraÂtion and debate.
SomeÂthing that should inspire teachÂers: A good chunk of these experts’ dream projects involved pushÂes for wideÂspread eduÂcaÂtion reform and disÂsemÂiÂnaÂtion of existÂing knowlÂedge, rather than financÂing for advances in their parÂticÂuÂlar speÂcialÂties. We parÂticÂuÂlarÂly liked skepÂtic Michael SherÂmer’s vision of worldÂwide critÂiÂcal thinkÂing proÂgrams that would teach stuÂdents “not what to think, but how to think.” (2:34)
For more inforÂmaÂtion on SciÂfoo Camp, click here.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
Not long after takÂing office, PresÂiÂdent ObaÂma hostÂed the first White House poetÂry jam – an evening dedÂiÂcatÂed to the spoÂken word and bringÂing versÂes to life. EsperÂanÂza SpaldÂing’s perÂforÂmance was a high point. And latÂer came James Earl Jones, arguably the best speÂcial effect in Star Wars, who recitÂed lines from ShakeÂspeare instead of Dr. Seuss (since Jesse JackÂson already covÂered that litÂerÂary terÂriÂtoÂry back in 1991). The readÂing comes from OthÂelÂlo. SpecifÂiÂcalÂly, we’re witÂnessÂing Othello’s address to the VenetÂian senÂaÂtors.
You can read OthÂelÂlo, along with the rest of ShakeÂspeare’s comÂplete works, at MIT’s webÂsite for free. Or you can downÂload the works as a free ebook via iTuneÂsU. We have more on that here…
Due to its stylÂisÂtic and linÂguisÂtic comÂplexÂiÂty, James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake ranks among the most difÂfiÂcult works of ficÂtion. And that is why virÂtuÂalÂly no filmÂmakÂer has ever tried to adapt Joyce’s final work for the screen. But after Mary ManÂning Howe adaptÂed pasÂsages from the book for the stage (lisÂten to her readÂing from Finnegans Wakehere), AmerÂiÂcan aniÂmaÂtor Mary Ellen Bute acceptÂed the chalÂlenge and turned ManÂning’s play into a film.
Bonus: You can read Roger Ebert’s 1968 review of Bute’s film here. He admits that he didÂn’t enjoy it too much, but conÂcedes this may have been because he hadÂn’t actuÂalÂly read the book.
By proÂfesÂsion, Matthias RaschÂer teachÂes EngÂlish and HisÂtoÂry at a High School in northÂern Bavaria, GerÂmany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on TwitÂter.
First thing you need to know: Before doing anyÂthing else, you should simÂply click “play” and start watchÂing the video above. It doesÂn’t take long for Robert SapolÂsky, one of StanÂford’s finest teachÂers, to pull you right into his course. BetÂter to watch him than lisÂten to me.
SecÂond thing to know: SapolÂsky is a MacArthur FelÂlow, a world renowned neuÂroÂbiÂolÂoÂgist, and an adept sciÂence writer best known for his book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. Much of his research focusÂes on the interÂplay between the mind and body (how biolÂoÂgy affects the mind, and the mind, the body), and that relaÂtionÂship lies at the heart of this course called “Human BehavÂioral BiolÂoÂgy.”
Now the third: Human BehavÂioral BiolÂoÂgy is availÂable on YouTube and iTunes for free. The course, conÂsistÂing of 25 videos spanÂning 36 hours (watch them all below), is othÂerÂwise listÂed in the BiolÂoÂgy secÂtion of our big list of Free Online coursÂes (now 1,700 coursÂes in total).
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!
“One More SatÂurÂday Night” for your SatÂurÂday night.
If this vinÂtage clip filmed in CopenÂhagen in 1972 reawakÂens your inner Dead Head, then you can always wade your way into the InterÂnet Archive’s GrateÂful Dead colÂlecÂtion, which hosts dozens of Dead shows from the 1970s through the 1990s. Some conÂcerts (usuÂalÂly recordÂed by memÂbers of the audiÂence) can be downÂloaded. OthÂer audio (usuÂalÂly takÂen from the soundÂboard) can be streamed. All togethÂer, you will find hunÂdreds of hours of free conÂcert recordÂings.
This past WednesÂday, YouTube streamed a webÂcast of the latÂest installÂment of the Unstaged conÂcert series. Arcade Fire kicked off the series last August in New York City. Now we cut to the Mayan TheÂater in Los AngeÂles, where Duran Duran took the stage. The 80s band is still around, still makÂing music. And they’re smartÂly colÂlabÂoÂratÂing with David Lynch, who creÂatÂed visuÂals that were douÂble-exposed over the live perÂforÂmance. HuffÂPo interÂviewed Lynch about the colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion (and more) here, and you can always head to YouTube to find videos of indiÂvidÂual songs played durÂing the show.
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