ArtiÂcle begins: “Prof Stephen HawkÂing has come up with a new idea to explain why the Big Bang of creÂation led to the vast cosÂmos that we can see today. Astronomers can deduce that the earÂly uniÂverse expandÂed at a mind-bogÂgling rate because regions sepÂaÂratÂed by vast disÂtances have simÂiÂlar backÂground temÂperÂaÂtures. They have proÂposed a process of rapid expanÂsion of neighÂbourÂing regions, with simÂiÂlar cosÂmic propÂerÂties, to explain this growth spurt which they call inflaÂtion. But that left a deepÂer mysÂtery: why did inflaÂtion occur in the first place?” The rest here.
Superstring Theory Explained Dynamically
“In clear, nonÂtechÂniÂcal lanÂguage, string theÂoÂrist BriÂan Greene explains how our underÂstandÂing of the uniÂverse has evolved from EinÂstein’s notions of gravÂiÂty and space-time to superÂstring theÂoÂry, where minusÂcule strands of enerÂgy vibratÂing in 11 dimenÂsions creÂate every parÂtiÂcle and force in the uniÂverse.” If you want to get deepÂer into Greene’s work on string theÂoÂry, I would recÂomÂmend referÂring back to this preÂviÂous post.
This dynamÂic preÂsenÂtaÂtion was made at the TED conÂferÂence. (PS You may also want to see BoingÂBoÂing’s new post: Top 10 TedTalks.)
No Ice at the North Pole
The chance of ice disÂapÂpearÂing this sumÂmer? 50/50. WorÂriÂsome, I’d say.
The Gas Mileage Illusion (and the Future of Electric Cars)
GivÂen the sudÂden nationÂal obsesÂsion with the price of oil & gas, it seems worth flagÂging this bit of video put togethÂer by two proÂfesÂsors from Duke UniÂverÂsiÂty. Some may find their perÂspecÂtive on gas mileage rather obviÂous, othÂers not. Either way, it can’t hurt to get their point across.
SepÂaÂrateÂly, here’s a quick piece on the state of elecÂtric cars and when they may be ready for prime time. You’ll learn here about the TesÂla RoadÂster, a high-perÂforÂmance elecÂtric sports car, that goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 secÂonds and gets the equivÂaÂlent of 256 miles per galÂlon. PretÂty impresÂsive, even if it costs $109k.
Great Literature in Three Lines or Less
Here’s 1984, Moby Dick, ParÂadise Lost, The Great GatsÂby and othÂer clasÂsics boiled down to three lines, courÂtesy of McSweeny’s.
How’s This for a Book Trailer?
A couÂple weeks ago we talked about a new trend in the book pubÂlishÂing world — creÂatÂing proÂmoÂtionÂal videos for new books and letÂting them go viral on YouTube and othÂer social video sites. Here’s one of the betÂter examÂples I’ve seen. 12 books by LemoÂny SnickÂet get proÂmotÂed at once. Lots of bang for the marÂketÂing buck:
Salman Rushdie’s Book Tour Rolls Through Google
Salman Rushdie’s latÂest book, The Enchantress of FloÂrence: A NovÂel, has hit the streets. And it comes just three years after his last one, ShalÂiÂmar the Clown, which makes him a good deal more proÂlifÂic than many of his conÂtemÂpoÂraries. (A piece in The Guardian — The Great AmerÂiÂcan Pause — notes that many celÂeÂbratÂed novÂelÂists have been pubÂlishÂing books a bit more leisureÂly, often once every 10, 12 or even 20 years.) DurÂing his book tour last week, Rushdie travÂeled to Google’s HQ, where, among othÂer things, he talked about how he used Google and othÂer online tools to do the hisÂtorÂiÂcal research for The Enchantress of FloÂrence. The talk runs a good 70 minÂutes, and it takes you through the process that brought his work from conÂcept to realÂiÂty. Watch the video below.
Want to know how to add YouTube videos to your iPod? Then check out our piece: 10 Ways to Make Your iPod a BetÂter LearnÂing GadÂget.
The Candid Side of George Carlin
A quick find … I wantÂed to flag a good interÂview with George CarÂlin where he talks canÂdidÂly about his evoÂluÂtion as a comÂic and the strange traÂjecÂtoÂry of his career. The conÂverÂsaÂtion was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York. You can downÂload it here: iTunes — Feed — MP3 — Blog Post.
Also see the 92nd Street Y’s colÂlecÂtion on iTunes here, which we menÂtioned in our earÂliÂer post today.
iTunesU Goes Beyond The Campus: Spotlight on the ResearchChannel
In case you haven’t been watchÂing … Apple’s iTuneÂsU has startÂed strikÂing out in new direcÂtions. When it launched a litÂtle more than a year ago, iTuneÂsU served up free eduÂcaÂtionÂal conÂtent excluÂsiveÂly from uniÂverÂsiÂties. Now, it has gone “beyond the camÂpus.”
With this move, Apple is now feaÂturÂing ediÂfyÂing mateÂrÂiÂal from such instiÂtuÂtions as The New York PubÂlic Library, the 92nd Street Y (nice lookÂing colÂlecÂtion here), the NationÂal SciÂence DigÂiÂtal Library, and the CenÂter for StrateÂgic and InterÂnaÂtionÂal StudÂies. Also in the mix, you’ll find podÂcasts from the ResearchChanÂnel. Based out of the UniÂverÂsiÂty of WashÂingÂton, the ResearchChanÂnel brings togethÂer conÂtent from leadÂing research and acaÂdÂeÂmÂic instiÂtuÂtions (see memÂber list here), and then disÂtribÂutes it to conÂsumers mostÂly through satelÂlite and cable, but also via the web. iTuneÂsU is a fairÂly new disÂtriÂbÂuÂtion chanÂnel. And even newÂer is YouTube. (See their chanÂnel here.)
What kind of conÂtent does the ResearchChanÂnel serve up? Here’s a samÂpling of the proÂgrams you’ll find: Dark EnerÂgy, or Worse: Was EinÂstein Wrong?; BioenÂerÂgy and BioÂfuÂels: An Overview; The PsyÂcholÂoÂgy of Blink: UnderÂstandÂing How the Mind Works UnconÂsciousÂly; The Teen Brain; and Mesopotamia to Iraq: PerÂspecÂtives on the MidÂdle East.
The ResearchChanÂnel, I should menÂtion, is not the only venÂture in this line of busiÂness. The UChanÂnel (forÂmerÂly the UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel), comÂing out of PrinceÂton UniÂverÂsiÂty, offers a rather simÂiÂlar prodÂuct: Web site — iTunes — Rss feed — YouTube . LikeÂwise, FORA.TV does a good job of aggreÂgatÂing smart video: Web site — iTunes — Rss feeds — YouTube.
For more smart audio conÂtent, check our Ideas & CulÂture PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
RIP: George Carlin on the Tonight Show (1966)
Here’s the obit. And here’s CarÂlin with JohnÂny CarÂson over 40 years ago, sportÂing a very difÂferÂent look. Rather remarkÂable to look at.
Also worth a look is his famous piece: SevÂen Dirty Words You Can’t Hear on TV because it formed the basis for a first amendÂment case that went to the US Supreme Court in the 1970s. ObviÂousÂly, givÂen the very nature of the conÂtent and case, you should know in advance that the video is not exactÂly “famÂiÂly-friendÂly” video.
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