In 2006, docÂuÂmenÂtary filmÂmakÂer Jehane NouÂjaim (ConÂtrol Room) made a wish at the TED conÂferÂence (see below) — for world peace. For NouÂjaim, peace starts with culÂturÂal exchange, with getÂting to know one anothÂer. And since we all can’t travÂel, anothÂer way to achieve this is through film and its abilÂiÂty to “take you into new worlds” and “across borÂders.”
Two years latÂer, NouÂjaim’s wish may come true, and the uniÂfyÂing powÂer of film will be put to the test. May 10 marks Pangea Day, a day when peoÂple from around the world (from MumÂbai and Cairo to Kigali, Rio and LA) will come togethÂer and watch the same films made by varÂiÂous interÂnaÂtionÂal filmÂmakÂers. “Watch parÂties” will be held worldÂwide, and the event will be broadÂcast via webÂcast and mobile phone. Below, we’ve also postÂed a movie trailÂer introÂducÂing the conÂcept of Pangea Day. For more inforÂmaÂtion, click here. (Thanks Natasha for the heads up.)
Last week, AlexanÂdra Juhasz conÂtributed a guest piece reviewÂing her experÂiÂmenÂtal efforts to make YouTube an effecÂtive teachÂing tool. And it didÂn’t take long for the web to take notice. Soon after we postÂed her review, The Wired CamÂpus (ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion) took an angle on the piece. Next, the venÂerÂaÂble Ars TechÂniÂca used the post as a springÂboard for its own sumÂmaÂry. And finalÂly, that stoÂry soon reached the homeÂpage of Digg.com, which inevitably meant that AlexanÂdra’s piece got picked up by umpteen smallÂer blogs. It’s always fun to watch the ripÂple effects of the web go through their motions.
The UniÂverÂsiÂty of PennÂsylÂvaÂnia has done it. They’ve creÂatÂed a robot that you can kick apart, and it knows how to reassemÂble itself. Eerie stuff. Give it a few decades, and these guys (the robots and the stuÂdents) will be runÂning the show. (Video added to our YouTube playlist)
Across the pond, Apple is runÂning a series of ads fashÂioned after the “Mac v. PC” comÂmerÂcials that have run so sucÂcessÂfulÂly in the States. Although the vocabÂuÂlary and accent are natÂuÂralÂly difÂferÂent, the gist of the British ads is essenÂtialÂly the same. Yes, Apple’s schtick transÂlates well, and I’m declarÂing the third one my favorite. (See the series of comÂmerÂcials below.)
As our readÂers from LonÂdon will know (fact: we have more readÂers from LonÂdon than any othÂer one city), the actors in Apple’s ads are hardÂly unfaÂmilÂiar. The two — David Mitchell (PC) and Robert Webb (Mac) — star in the award-winÂning EngÂlish sitÂcom, Peep Show, which is just about to begin a new seaÂson. (Watch secÂond clip below. Note that it feaÂtures adult lanÂguage and themes.)
On the AmerÂiÂcan home front, the Iraq war has entered its apaÂthetÂic phase. The war conÂtinÂues to grind on, but the misÂsion gets far less news ink than before, and the debate over the war’s merÂits and tacÂtics rarely gets hashed back through. That’s perÂhaps because many have decidÂed to menÂtalÂly park the issue until a new adminÂisÂtraÂtion takes over next year. Or because declinÂing home prices and risÂing food and gas costs have elbowed the Iraq issue aside. UndeÂterred, Phil DonÂahue and Ellen Spiro have co-directÂed a new docÂuÂmenÂtary called Body of War. Being released in US theÂaters this month, the docÂuÂmenÂtary (feaÂturÂing music arranged by Eddie VedÂder) tracks the daiÂly life of Tomas Young, a solÂdier shot and parÂaÂlyzed durÂing his first week of fightÂing in Iraq, and it gives you a rare glimpse into the difÂfiÂcult road that Young and othÂers have had to travÂel. All of this makes tanÂgiÂble someÂthing that the corÂpoÂraÂtized media hasÂn’t covÂered much — the real human costs of this war. To date, 4,361 AmerÂiÂcan solÂdiers have died in Iraq; over 30,000 have been injured in hosÂtile action; and suiÂcides of returnÂing vets have reportÂedÂly risen to alarmÂing rates. Below, we have postÂed the trailÂer for the film. In addiÂtion, I’d point you to this recent podÂcast by Bill MoyÂers (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), which introÂduces you to Tomas Young, Phil DonoÂhue, Ellen Spiro and the film they made.
The New York Times is runÂning an interÂacÂtive feaÂture that will give you the backÂstoÂry behind Ansel Adams’ iconÂic phoÂtos takÂen at Yosemite NationÂal Park. Just click on the indiÂvidÂual images on this page, and you’ll get a difÂferÂent stoÂry. (Also see the Times’ accomÂpaÂnyÂing piece: What Adams Saw Through His Lens.)
SurÂvivÂing memÂbers of the GrateÂful Dead announced ThursÂday that they will be donatÂing their archives to UC SanÂta Cruz. This podÂcast (Feed — Web Site), feaÂturÂing Bob Weir and MickÂey Hart (among othÂers), gives you insight into the thinkÂing behind this move…
HorÂror/sÂci-fi fans, here you go… Scott Sigler’s new and very well-reviewed thriller, InfectÂed, can be downÂloaded for free via podÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web site). Or you can get it in hardÂback for $16.47, which I’m not disÂcourÂagÂing you from doing.
With the links above, you can downÂload more free books from Sigler. But, I warn you that the books conÂtain a good dose of graphÂic lanÂguage.
SpeakÂing at Brown UniÂverÂsiÂty earÂliÂer this week, Thomas FriedÂman had to deal with some unforÂtuÂnate extra-curÂricÂuÂlar activÂiÂties. As he took the stage, two stuÂdents callÂing themÂselves the “GreenÂwash GuerilÂlas” launched pies (video here) at FriedÂman and largeÂly missed. But they did leave behind some pamÂphlets spelling out their motives. AccordÂing to The Brown DaiÂly HerÂald, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning jourÂnalÂist for The New York Times deserved this disÂrupÂtion because of “his sickÂenÂingÂly cheery applaud for free marÂket capÂiÂtalÂisÂm’s conÂquest of the planÂet” and “for helpÂing turn enviÂronÂmenÂtalÂism into a fake plasÂtic conÂsumer prodÂuct for the privÂiÂleged.” SomeÂwhere the giants of revÂoÂluÂtionÂary rhetoric are griÂmacÂing and wonÂderÂing what hapÂpened to their once well pracÂticed art.
Now that I’ve got your attenÂtion, I want to point you to a talk that FriedÂman gave last year at StanÂford — Green is the New Red, White and Blue (iTunes). The talk takes you into the heart of FriedÂman’s comÂplex thinkÂing about the enviÂronÂment (and all that the Green GuerilÂlas oddÂly take issue with). And it’s preÂsentÂed with the same intelÂliÂgence that you’ll find on disÂplay in the secÂond most downÂloaded podÂcast on iTunes U: The World is Flat. (This secÂond talk was preÂsentÂed at MIT, and it’s only exceedÂed in popÂuÂlarÂiÂty by Randy Pausch’s soulÂful lecÂture, “RealÂly AchievÂing Your ChildÂhood Dreams,” which we feaÂtured on MonÂday.) FriedÂman’s thinkÂing in the StanÂford podÂcast (give it a lisÂten, you’ll be betÂter for it) lays the founÂdaÂtion for his new book due out in August — Hot, Flat, and CrowdÂed: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew AmerÂiÂca.
Here is a quick “lifeÂhack” for you. You can now learn forÂeign lanÂguages and stay curÂrent on polÂiÂtics all at once. How so? By takÂing advanÂtage of a smart podÂcast conÂcept being used by French and GerÂman broadÂcastÂers. Radio France InterÂnaÂtionale (RFI) issues a daiÂly proÂgram called Le JourÂnal en français facile (iTunes — feed — web site), which delivÂers the nightÂly interÂnaÂtionÂal news in slow and easy-to-underÂstand French. Along the same lines, the GerÂman media comÂpaÂny Deutsche Welle (which puts out many great lanÂguage and music proÂgrams) also has its own nightÂly news proÂgram — Langsam gesprochÂene NachrichtÂen (iTunes — feed — web site). It’s essenÂtialÂly the same conÂcept: inforÂmaÂtive news preÂsentÂed in very simÂple GerÂman, and, in this case, it’s spoÂken very slowÂly.
Now, what’s very nice about these proÂgrams is that they also proÂvide a writÂten tranÂscript of the spoÂken word. So you can read along as you lisÂten and make sure that you’re realÂly comÂpreÂhendÂing. (See tranÂscripts in French and GerÂman). Even coolÂer, with the GerÂman verÂsion, if you have a video iPod, you can read the tranÂscript on your litÂtle portable screen. (See direcÂtions).
FinalÂly, check out this offÂbeat sugÂgesÂtion sent our way by a readÂer: NunÂtii LatiÂni (mp3 — web site) is “a weekÂly review of world news in ClasÂsiÂcal Latin, the only interÂnaÂtionÂal broadÂcast of its kind in the world, proÂduced by YLE, the Finnish BroadÂcastÂing ComÂpaÂny.”
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
