Since we’re talkÂing a lot about podÂcasts these days, it seemed reaÂsonÂable to menÂtion that our forÂeign lanÂguage lesÂson podÂcasts got a litÂtle menÂtion on the latÂest episode (#77) of DigÂgnaÂtion, the weekÂly podÂcast put out by Kevin Rose, founder of Digg.com, and Alex Albrecht. Our podÂcast colÂlecÂtion now has 1877 “digÂgs,” and so it got their attenÂtion and gave them a good platÂform to goof on KevÂin’s comÂmand of AraÂbic. You can check out the episode here — iTunes, Rss feed.
It’s not quite “Car Talk,” but it’s not terÂriÂbly far away. PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Talk, a weekÂly pubÂlic radio proÂgram preÂsentÂed by two StanÂford phiÂlosÂoÂphy proÂfesÂsors, offers a “down-to-earth and no-nonÂsense approach” to phiÂlosÂoÂphy that’s engagÂing, if not enterÂtainÂing. The show, which can be streamed from the web site, tends to range wideÂly. In recent weeks, they’ve takÂen a look at neuÂroÂscience, AmerÂiÂcan pragÂmaÂtism, quanÂtum realÂiÂty, war crimes, belief in God, and dreamÂing, each time interÂviewÂing a leadÂing thinker in the field and also postÂing helpÂful, relatÂed inforÂmaÂtion on the The PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Talk blog.
To get a feel for how Ken TayÂlor and John PerÂry run their show, you may want to check out an episode that deals with intelÂliÂgent design, a theÂoÂry that has emerged out of AmerÂiÂca’s culÂture wars to comÂpete philoÂsophÂiÂcalÂly or ideÂoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly (dependÂing on how you see things) with evoÂluÂtion. Here, the hosts are joined by Daniel DenÂnett, the DirecÂtor of the CenÂter for CogÂniÂtive StudÂies at Tufts UniÂverÂsiÂty and the author of DarÂwin’s DanÂgerÂous Idea. TogethÂer, they tackÂle the essenÂtial quesÂtions: “Is there any reaÂson to
think the cause or causÂes of order in the uniÂverse bear an even remote analÂoÂgy to human intelÂliÂgence? Even if they did, would that mean these intelÂliÂgent causÂes had the benevÂoÂlence and sense of jusÂtice required of a ChrisÂtÂian God? Is this whole issue one of sciÂence, reliÂgion, or phiÂlosÂoÂphy?” You can catch the episode on iTunes or stream it through Real PlayÂer. (Also check out the resources at the botÂtom of this page.)
This is just a quick heads up that we have added audioÂbook podÂcasts to our largÂer podÂcast colÂlecÂtion. You’ll find here 40+ major litÂerÂary and philoÂsophÂiÂcal works. Mark Twain, ShakeÂspeare, Jane Austen, Friedrich NietÂzsche, Franz KafÂka, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe — they are all here, and the list will conÂtinÂue to grow. In the meanÂtime, if you would like to see a parÂticÂuÂlar text added to the list, feel free to let us know. AudioÂbook PodÂcasts ComÂplete PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion
Let’s go into ChristÂmas on the right note, with a free podÂcast of Charles DickÂen’s A ChristÂmas CarÂol. (Find it here on iTunes.) WritÂten in 1843, DickÂen’s tale remains one of the most popÂuÂlar ChristÂmas stoÂries of all time. It gave us the indeliÂble charÂacÂters of EbenezÂer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghosts of ChristÂmas Past, Present, and Future. And it inventÂed the notion of “christÂmas spirÂit.” This podÂcast is rather well read. If you’d like to read along with the actuÂal text, you can get a free etext here, courÂtesy of Project GutenÂberg.
Also, you can find othÂer free ChristÂmas stoÂries at LibÂrivox. On this page, you can stream mp3s of many difÂferÂent holÂiÂday tales.
For more free audio books, check out our Audio Book PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion. We now have over 40 clasÂsics listÂed and ready to downÂload. HapÂpy holÂiÂdays.
If you want to know what the world’s leadÂing thinkers are sayÂing, you’ll want to check out the UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel. OrgaÂnized by PrinceÂton, but accessÂing mateÂriÂals from othÂer major acaÂdÂeÂmÂic instiÂtuÂtions across the world, the UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel puts online imporÂtant speechÂes made by promiÂnent figÂures, often comÂing from the world of pubÂlic and interÂnaÂtionÂal affairs. In recent weeks, just to give a few examÂples, the ChanÂnel has feaÂtured Noam ChomÂsky talkÂing about the curÂrent criÂsis in MidÂdle East, ChrisÂtine Todd WhitÂman offerÂing her views on polÂiÂtics and the enviÂronÂment, Peter Singer disÂcussing the ethics of food, and Vaclav HavÂel and Bill ClinÂton talkÂing togethÂer about the chalÂlenges facÂing new democÂraÂcies. ConÂveÂnientÂly, all talks are availÂable in audio and video forÂmats, both on iTunes (audio — video) and as feeds (audio — video). The UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel offers a great way to pack your iPod with talks that deal with the pressÂing issues of our time.
This past week, TIME MagÂaÂzine named “you” — the one of many milÂlions of web users — the perÂson of the year. TIME’s curÂrent covÂer stoÂry
explains why the stoÂry of 2006 wasÂn’t one shaped by a “great man,” as
it usuÂalÂly is, but by a comÂmuÂniÂty of web users “on a scale nevÂer seen
before.” It’s a stoÂry, TIME says, “about the cosÂmic comÂpendiÂum of
knowlÂedge Wikipedia and the milÂlion-chanÂnel peoÂple’s netÂwork YouTube
and the online metropÂoÂlis MySpace. It’s about the many wrestÂing powÂer
from the few and helpÂing one anothÂer for nothÂing and how that will not
only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.”
If these grand decÂlaÂraÂtions hapÂpen to move you, or if you’re lookÂing
for some more elabÂoÂraÂtion on how TIME gave you this honÂor, you can
always lisÂten to TIME’s latÂest piece on iTunes which feaÂtures a roundÂtable disÂcusÂsion of their annuÂal ediÂtion.
Here is a quick tidÂbit for the readÂer who doesÂn’t like buyÂing books sight unseen. Each week, The New York Times posts on its web site the full text of the first chapÂter of books reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, or which othÂerÂwise appear on the NYT bestÂseller lists. You can find some of the recentÂly highÂlightÂed texts on The Times’ First ChapÂters page. Or for a comÂplete list, you can turn to this less designed page and work through a list of books arranged in clear, alphaÂbetÂiÂcal order.
More Free Texts: WithÂin our EduÂcaÂtionÂal Web Resources comÂpiÂlaÂtion, we have includÂed many othÂer sites that proÂvide access to free online texts. SimÂply look under the first secÂtion called “Online Texts & Text Search,” and you will be on your way.
As the celÂeÂbraÂtion of Mozart’s 250th birthÂday winds down, the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Mozart FounÂdaÂtion has offered up a nice gift to Mozart enthuÂsiÂasts by putting online the masÂter’s full body of work. This web site, called the Neue Mozart-AusÂgabe, lets visÂiÂtors explore over 600 indiÂvidÂual works, or 24,000 pages of music, which were forÂmerÂly availÂable only in print. You can access the site in EngÂlish, and you can peruse it as much as you like. The only caveat is that users must agree to use the colÂlecÂtion only for perÂsonÂal purÂposÂes and not to downÂload the works in wholeÂsale fashÂion. So far, the pubÂlic response to this offerÂing has been overÂwhelmÂing. In the first 12 hours after the launch, the online colÂlecÂtion received more than 400,000 hits. And over the next four days, it received more than 12 milÂlion. With trafÂfic levÂels easÂing up, now might be a good time to take a look.
Yes, we’re on a litÂtle bit of an iTunes roll here this week. But no one
seems to be comÂplainÂing. Next up from StanÂford, it’s The HisÂtorical Jesus. Like the ModÂern TheÂoÂretÂiÂcal Physics course that we preÂviewed earÂliÂer, this class was origÂiÂnalÂly taught in StanÂford’s ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies ProÂgram, and it’s also aimed at the genÂerÂal pubÂlic. Right now, you can downÂload the first of ten installÂments. New installÂments will come out once a week.
Here is a comÂplete descripÂtion of what ground the course covÂers:
“Who was the hisÂtorÂiÂcal Jesus of Nazareth? What did he actuÂalÂly say and do, as conÂtrastÂed with what earÂly ChrisÂtians (e.g., Paul and the Gospel writÂers)
believed that he said and did? What did the man Jesus actuÂalÂly think of himÂself and of his misÂsion, as conÂtrastÂed with the mesÂsianÂic and even divine claims that the New TesÂtaÂment makes about him? In short, what are the difÂferÂences — and conÂtiÂnuÂities — between the Jesus who lived and died in hisÂtoÂry and the Christ who lives on in believÂers’ faith?
Over the last four decades hisÂtorÂiÂcal scholÂarÂship on Jesus and his times — whether conÂductÂed by Jews, ChrisÂtians, or non-believÂers — has arrived at a strong conÂsenÂsus about what this undeÂniÂably hisÂtorÂiÂcal figÂure (born ca. 4 BCE, died ca. 30 CE) said and did, and how he preÂsentÂed himÂself and his mesÂsage to his JewÂish audiÂence. Often that hisÂtorÂiÂcal eviÂdence about Jesus does not easÂiÂly doveÂtail with the traÂdiÂtionÂal docÂtrines of ChrisÂtianÂiÂty. How then might one adjuÂdiÂcate those conÂflictÂing claims?
This is a course about hisÂtoÂry, not about faith or theÂolÂoÂgy. It will examÂine the best availÂable litÂerÂary and hisÂtorÂiÂcal eviÂdence about Jesus and his times and will disÂcuss methodÂoloÂgies for interÂpretÂing that eviÂdence, in order to help parÂticÂiÂpants make their own judgÂments and draw their own conÂcluÂsions.”
This is hot off the press, so to speak. Today, StanÂford postÂed a new podÂcast of a course called ModÂern TheÂoÂretÂiÂcal Physics: QuanÂtum EntanÂgleÂment. It’s intriguÂing on sevÂerÂal difÂferÂent levÂels. First, it’s in video. SecÂond, the course is preÂsentÂed by Leonard Susskind, who is genÂerÂalÂly conÂsidÂered the father of string theÂoÂry, a conÂtroÂverÂsial innoÂvaÂtion in physics that squares quanÂtum theÂoÂry with relÂaÂtivÂiÂty and explains the nature of all matÂter and forces. Now, when Susskind gets into quanÂtum entanÂgleÂment, he is sureÂly getÂting into some heady, cutÂting-edge stuff. But the good thing — and now for my third point — is that he has preÂsentÂed this course through StanÂford’s ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies ProÂgram (where I work, just to put my cards on the table), and it was geared toward the genÂerÂal pubÂlic. And, to boot, it was the most popÂuÂlar course in the proÂgram. You can find a slightÂly more involved course descripÂtion here.The podÂcast will be rolled out in weekÂly installÂments, and the first is availÂable startÂing today. Since this is a video podÂcast, you should be able to watch it on your Ipod’s video screen if you have one of the latÂest modÂels. Or you could always just watch it on your comÂputÂer screen, withÂin iTunes itself.
What’s the most popÂuÂlar podÂcast in the HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion secÂtion of iTunes? Ahead of all the podÂcasts from PrinceÂton, and all of those from Yale, and ahead of the UnderÂstandÂing ComÂputÂers course from HarÂvard, and even the psyÂcholÂoÂgy course from UC BerkeÂley, is an unexÂpectÂed podÂcast called Twelve ByzanÂtine Rulers: The HisÂtoÂry of the ByzanÂtine Empire. The course, which focusÂes on the Greek-speakÂing Roman Empire of the MidÂdle Ages, is taught by Lars BrownÂworth, who teachÂes high school at The Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York. And it gets rave reviews. “I’m disÂapÂpointÂed because I don’t think I’ll ever find a podÂcast that I enjoy as much as this one.” “This podÂcast has quickÂly become a hit with me and all of my friends, even those who don’t like hisÂtoÂry so much.” You get the gist.
The sucÂcess of this course makes us think that comÂpaÂnies that sell digÂiÂtal lecÂtures for a fee might not be long for this world. Take The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny for examÂple. They’re in the busiÂness of sellÂing polÂished, lecÂture-based coursÂes, which can often be very well done. And, yes, they offer too a course on the ByzanÂtine Empire that retails in audio downÂload form for $129. So what will the savvy conÂsumer do? DownÂload BrownÂworth’s course for free? Or pay $129? This is not a knock on what The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny is doing. I like their prodÂuct and can appreÂciÂate their need to sell prodÂucts to recoup their costs. But you can’t comÂpete with free. With so many uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes now tapÂing their coursÂes and allowÂing peoÂple to downÂload them to the ubiqÂuiÂtous iPod (see our full list of uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts), you have to wonÂder whether The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny is just anothÂer once viable busiÂness modÂel that is being steadiÂly comÂmodÂitzed by the InterÂnet.
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