ApparÂentÂly, the Swedes call when they know you’ll be home. Worth a lisÂten.
Howard Zinn Dies at 87
Sad news. Howard Zinn, the AmerÂiÂcan hisÂtoÂriÂan best known for his book, A PeoÂple’s HisÂtoÂry of the UnitÂed States, died today of a heart attack at the age of 87. The Boston HerÂald has more on his life and passÂing here. If you’re familÂiar with ZinÂn’s biogÂraÂphy, you’ll know that he served in World War II and latÂer took a strong posiÂtion against the VietÂnam War. So, perÂhaps fitÂtingÂly, we feaÂture Zinn talkÂing above about wars and the role govÂernÂments play in manÂuÂfacÂturÂing them…
First Glimpse of Apple’s New eReader
WelÂcome the new KinÂdle comÂpetiÂtor. Above, you’ll find some of the first picÂtures showÂing the ebook capaÂbilÂiÂties of Apple’s new iPad. We should have more thoughts on the iPad comÂing latÂer today. PicÂtures come via gdgt.com, which has been proÂvidÂing excelÂlent live covÂerÂage of the Apple event.
A History of the World in 100 Objects
WorkÂing with the BBC, Neil MacÂGreÂgor, the DirecÂtor of the British MuseÂum, has launched a downÂright smart project. A HisÂtoÂry of the World in 100 Objects uses imporÂtant pieces from the museÂum’s colÂlecÂtions to recount the long hisÂtoÂry of humanÂiÂty. ThroughÂout the year, the seriÂalÂized radio proÂgram will air 100 episodes, each averÂagÂing 15 minÂutes, and they will covÂer two milÂlion years of human innoÂvaÂtion and artisÂtic creÂation. Below, I’ve includÂed a recent episode that revisÂits the OlduÂvai hand axe, a tool inventÂed some 1.2 milÂlion years ago that proved vital to human evoÂluÂtion and our migraÂtion out of Africa. You can access the full series in audio via iTunes, RSS Feed, as well as othÂer forÂmats found here. A big thanks to Stephen in the UK for flagÂging this proÂducÂtion for us.
The History of the Seemingly Impossible Chinese Typewriter
The ChiÂnese lanÂguage has tens of thouÂsands of charÂacÂters, and many have conÂsidÂered it nearÂly imposÂsiÂble to fit these charÂacÂters onto a sinÂgle workÂable typeÂwriter. But that hasÂn’t stopped invenÂtors from tryÂing … and, to a cerÂtain degree, sucÂceedÂing. StanÂford hisÂtoÂriÂan Thomas MulÂlaney is now writÂing the first hisÂtoÂry of the ChiÂnese typeÂwriter, and he has found eviÂdence for numerÂous patents and proÂtoÂtypes that incorÂpoÂrate the most comÂmonÂly used charÂacÂters. In addiÂtion to makÂing a politÂiÂcal impact in ChiÂna, these machines have also potenÂtialÂly influÂenced innoÂvaÂtions in modÂern comÂputÂing. You can read more about MulÂlaney’s work on StanÂford’s Human ExpeÂriÂence webÂsite, and also watch him disÂcuss his work in this YouTube clip.
Lessig on Political Corruption in America
PubÂlic conÂfiÂdence in the U.S. House and SenÂate is at an all-time low, and, after last week’s Supreme Court deciÂsion, it’s bound to sink even lowÂer. On JanÂuÂary 19th (the day before the deciÂsion), HarÂvard law proÂfesÂsor Lawrence Lessig returned to StanÂford and highÂlightÂed the degree to which “instiÂtuÂtionÂal corÂrupÂtion” — in the form of lobÂbyÂists and corÂpoÂrate influÂence — perÂvades ConÂgress, dicÂtates legÂisÂlaÂtion, and brings large sums of monÂey to camÂpaigns and, yes, even repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives’ perÂsonÂal bank accounts. (RoughÂly 50% of U.S. SenÂaÂtors become lobÂbyÂists, workÂing for indusÂtries they once assistÂed politÂiÂcalÂly, and earn subÂstanÂtial incomes.) The talk, accomÂpaÂnied by a rapid fire PowÂerÂPoint preÂsenÂtaÂtion, runs a solÂid hour and details varÂiÂous instances in which lobÂbyÂists have shaped unfathÂomably bad legÂisÂlaÂtion. HapÂpiÂly, the talk also ends with Lessig outÂlinÂing posÂsiÂble soluÂtions. PolÂiÂcy changes can offer some answers. But, a lot of it comes down to this: getÂting the pasÂsive privÂiÂleged to rein in a corÂruptÂed elite.
Note: To see Lessig’s immeÂdiÂate response to the SCOTUS deciÂsion, look here.
Richard Dawkins on the Awe of Life & Science
Here’s some vinÂtage Richard Dawkins. Back in 1991, the Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty biolÂoÂgist preÂsentÂed a series of lecÂtures for the RoyÂal InstiÂtuÂtion. In the very first lecÂture (preÂsentÂed above), Dawkins forces his audiÂence to conÂfront some big quesÂtions. (What’s the oriÂgin of life? Where do we fall in the scheme of life on planÂet Earth? What’s our role in the largÂer uniÂverse? etc.) And he reminds us that we’re extremeÂly privÂiÂleged to have the brains and tools (nameÂly, reaÂson and sciÂence) to make sense of the aweÂsome wonÂders that surÂround us. We’ve evolved and grown up, he says. We don’t need superÂstiÂtion and the superÂnatÂurÂal to explain it all. We just need ourÂselves and our faith in sciÂence and its methÂods. It’s clasÂsic Dawkins.
The 55-minute talk is now added to our YouTube favorites, and we’ve also added Dawkins’ YouTube ChanÂnel to our colÂlecÂtion of IntelÂliÂgent YouTube ChanÂnels.
Introduction to New Testament History and Literature: A Free Yale Course
Taught by Yale proÂfesÂsor Dale B. MarÂtin, this course offers an introÂducÂtion to New TesÂtaÂment HisÂtoÂry and LitÂerÂaÂture, and covÂers the folÂlowÂing ground:
This course proÂvides a hisÂtorÂiÂcal study of the oriÂgins of ChrisÂtianÂiÂty by anaÂlyzÂing the litÂerÂaÂture of the earÂliÂest ChrisÂtÂian moveÂments in hisÂtorÂiÂcal conÂtext, conÂcenÂtratÂing on the New TesÂtaÂment. Although theÂoÂlogÂiÂcal themes will occuÂpy much of our attenÂtion, the course does not attempt a theÂoÂlogÂiÂcal approÂpriÂaÂtion of the New TesÂtaÂment as scripÂture. Rather, the imporÂtance of the New TesÂtaÂment and othÂer earÂly ChrisÂtÂian docÂuÂments as ancient litÂerÂaÂture and as sources for hisÂtorÂiÂcal study will be emphaÂsized. A cenÂtral orgaÂnizÂing theme of the course will focus on the difÂferÂences withÂin earÂly ChrisÂtianÂiÂty (-ies).
You can watch the 26 lecÂtures from the course above, or find them on YouTube and iTunes. To get more inforÂmaÂtion on the course, includÂing the sylÂlabus, visÂit this Yale webÂsite.
IntroÂducÂtion to New TesÂtaÂment HisÂtoÂry and LitÂerÂaÂture will be added to our colÂlecÂtion, 1,700 Free Online CoursÂes from Top UniÂverÂsiÂties. There you can find a speÂcialÂized list of Free Online ReliÂgion CoursÂes.
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Jared Diamond Explains Haiti’s Enduring Poverty
Jared DiaÂmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning author of Guns, Germs & Steel (and ColÂlapse: How SociÂeties Choose to Fail or SucÂceed), offers some timeÂly thoughts on why Haiti, once a fairÂly prosÂperÂous counÂtry, has sunk into endurÂing poverÂty — a conÂdiÂtion not comÂparÂaÂtiveÂly shared by its neighÂbor on the same island, the DominiÂcan RepubÂlic. AccordÂing to DiaÂmond, Haiti’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal conÂdiÂtions offer a parÂtial explaÂnaÂtion. But you will also find clues in the counÂtry’s lanÂguage, and in the legaÂcy of slavÂery that has shaped Haiti’s ecoÂnomÂic relaÂtionÂship with Europe and the US. This interÂview — quite a good one — aired this mornÂing in San FranÂcisÂco. You can lisÂten to it below, or access it via MP3, iTunes or RSS Feed.
The Stanford Mini Med School: A Free Course Now Online
Image by King of Hearts, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
StartÂing this past fall, Stanford’s School of MedÂiÂcine and StanÂford ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies (my day job) teamed up to offer The StanÂford Mini Med School. FeaÂturÂing more than thirÂty disÂtinÂguished facÂulÂty, sciÂenÂtists, and physiÂcians, this yearÂlong series of coursÂes (three in total) offers stuÂdents a dynamÂic introÂducÂtion to the world of human biolÂoÂgy, health and disÂease, and the groundÂbreakÂing changes takÂing place in medÂical research and health care. 250 lifeÂlong learnÂers (like yourÂself) attendÂed the first course on StanÂford’s camÂpus this fall. And you can now access it on iTunes. We’ve postÂed the first two lecÂtures (in video), and eight more lecÂtures will soon be comÂing online. (Update: You can now find the videos on YouTube too.) Below, I’ve added the course descripÂtion for the fall course, and you can also find it listÂed in the BiolÂoÂgy SecÂtion of our ever-growÂing colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes. When the winÂter and spring coursÂes arrive, I’ll be sure to give you a heads up.
This Fall, the StanÂford Mini Med School will get startÂed with a jourÂney inside human biolÂoÂgy. We will start by familÂiarÂizÂing ourÂselves with the world of very small things. We will take a close look at DNA, stem cells, and microbes, and see how these and othÂer small playÂers form the buildÂing blocks of the human body. This will allow us to underÂstand how human organs develÂop (and can also regenÂerÂate), how our nerÂvous and immune sysÂtems work, and how disÂeases can afflict us. From there, the course will move beyond the indiÂvidÂual and take a more globÂal view of health. How do panÂdemics take shape? How does the enviÂronÂment affect our colÂlecÂtive health? And how can we finalÂly impleÂment a healthÂcare sysÂtem that makes sense for our nation? VarÂiÂous experts from the StanÂford School of MedÂiÂcine will address these and othÂer big picÂture quesÂtions durÂing the first course in the StanÂford Mini Med School.
For a descripÂtion of the curÂrent Mini Med School course (which we will evenÂtuÂalÂly post online) please
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