PBS’s NOVA recentÂly aired a three-hour mini-series, The EleÂgant UniÂverse, that introÂduced TV viewÂers to string theÂoÂry — a radÂiÂcal “theÂoÂry of everyÂthing” that unites major laws of physics and offers a uniÂfied explaÂnaÂtion for everyÂthing that hapÂpens in the uniÂverse. The proÂgram was hostÂed by BriÂan Green, a string theÂoÂrist who wrote a runÂaway bestÂselling book also called The EleÂgant UniÂverse (you can read an excerpt here). The proÂgram makes difÂfiÂcult conÂcepts quite grasÂpable, partÂly with the help of dynamÂic comÂputÂer aniÂmaÂtion. And the best part is that you can now watch the mini-series any time you want online (just click here to get the videos). You can also access the comÂplete descripÂtion of the show here.
PS: Here is a great heads up from a readÂer. “A great comÂpleÂment to the EleÂgant UniÂverse is the OriÂgins series on NOVA, part of which is also availÂable online. It details the creÂation of life on earth.” The comÂplete colÂlecÂtion of NOVA episodes can be found here. Thanks Allen for the good info.
The MacArthur FounÂdaÂtion recentÂly announced its latÂest crop of “genius grant” recipÂiÂents. Each winÂner receives $500,000 “with no strings attached” and they can use the monÂey to live, to fund research, or to buy a very modÂest conÂdo in the Bay Area. As usuÂal, the recipÂiÂents come from a wide range of fields and backÂgrounds. ReviewÂing the bios and mulÂtiÂmeÂdia clips of these incredÂiÂbly giftÂed peoÂple, I can’t help but be remindÂed of a great Tom Lehrer quote: “When Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.”
Let me elabÂoÂrate on an item that we touched upon very briefly earÂliÂer this week. StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty has rolled out a new free course on iTunes (lisÂten here) that takes you inside the life and advenÂtures of HanÂniÂbal, the great CarthaginÂian milÂiÂtary tacÂtiÂcian who maneuÂvered his way across the Alps and stunned Roman armies in 218 BCE. PreÂsentÂed by Patrick Hunt, the author of the newÂly-released Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry, the class also gives you glimpses into cutÂting-edge trends in modÂern archaeÂolÂoÂgy.
“HanÂniÂbal is a name that evoked fear among the ancient Romans for decades. His courage, cunÂning and intreÂpid march across the danÂgerÂous Alps in 218 bce with his army and war eleÂphants make for some of the most excitÂing pasÂsages found in ancient hisÂtorÂiÂcal texts writÂten by PolyÂbius, Livy, and AppiÂan. And they conÂtinÂue to inspire hisÂtoÂriÂans and archaeÂolÂoÂgists today. The mysÂtery of his exact route is still a topÂic of debate, one that has conÂsumed Patrick Hunt (DirecÂtor of Stanford’s Alpine ArchaeÂolÂoÂgy Project) for more than a decade.
This course examÂines Hannibal’s childÂhood and his young solÂdierÂly exploits in Spain. Then it folÂlows him over the PyreÂnees and into Gaul, the Alps, Italy, and beyond, examÂinÂing his vicÂtoÂries over the Romans, his brilÂliance as a milÂiÂtary strateÂgist, and his legaÂcy after the Punic Wars. Along the way, stuÂdents will learn about archaeÂolÂoÂgists’ efforts to retrace Hannibal’s jourÂney through the Alps and the cutÂting-edge methÂods that they are using. Hunt has been on foot over every major Alpine pass and has now deterÂmined the most probÂaÂble sites where archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal eviÂdence can be found to help solve the mysÂtery.”
There was a lot of hand-wringÂing leadÂing up to MahÂmoud AhmadineÂjad’s appearÂance at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty on MonÂday. But, as it turns out, freeÂdom of speech seemÂingÂly worked as it was intendÂed. AhmadineÂjad entered the marÂketÂplace of ideas and quickÂly came out the wrong side of the exchange. (You can watch the full video of his appearÂance here or read the tranÂscript here.) The decidÂing facÂtor wasÂn’t so much the unbeÂcomÂing introÂducÂtion offered by Lee Bollinger, ColumbiÂa’s presÂiÂdent. It was more just a matÂter of givÂing AhmadineÂjad enough rope to hang himÂself (i.e., letÂting him doubt the exisÂtence of the HoloÂcaust and also gays in Iran) and then sitÂting back and watchÂing it hapÂpen.
Of course, the “marÂketÂplace of ideas” metaphor only goes so far when you’re dealÂing with interÂnaÂtionÂal polÂiÂtics. AhmadineÂjad’s speech wasÂn’t about winÂning a comÂpeÂtiÂtion at ColumÂbia. It was mostÂly about playÂing to an audiÂence at home, one for whom his rhetorÂiÂcal strateÂgies score points. But then there are the uninÂtendÂed conÂseÂquences to conÂsidÂer. Far betÂter than a disÂcredÂitÂed Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion ever could, AhmadineÂjad realÂisÂtiÂcalÂly softÂened up the AmerÂiÂcan pubÂlic to any milÂiÂtary plans that the US govÂernÂment has on the table. At the very least, this has to qualÂiÂfy for a DarÂwin Award. I’ll save furÂther analyÂsis for the punÂdits and talkÂing heads since I know that polÂiÂtics and politÂiÂcal opinÂions only go so far on this blog.
RelatÂed Note:
Last week, KQED’s Forum here in San FranÂcisÂco had a good conÂverÂsaÂtion about free speech in the uniÂverÂsiÂty. It touched on AhmadineÂjad’s appearÂance at ColumÂbia, but also Don RumsÂfeld’s inviÂtaÂtion to StanÂford’s Hoover’s InstiÂtuÂtion and LarÂry SumÂmers canÂceled inviÂtaÂtion to speak before the UC Board of Regents. LisÂten here: iTunes — Feed — Mp3 — Web site.
The digÂiÂtal music marÂket is big, and so far Apple has owned it. But now AmaÂzon may be quickÂly emergÂing as a viable comÂpetiÂtor.
TuesÂday, AmaÂzon launched AmaÂzon MP3, which gives you access to 2 milÂlion songs and more soon to come. AmaÂzon’s prodÂuct has sevÂerÂal nice advanÂtages over iTunes. Let’s list them briefly:
It delivÂers songs in MP3 forÂmat, not a proÂpriÂetary forÂmat, with the real plus being that you can play songs on any music playÂer — the iPod, the Zune, you name it.
There are no digÂiÂtal rights manÂageÂment (DRM) restricÂtions, so you can take the music you buy and download/burn it to CDs. And it doesÂn’t expire.
The songs have betÂter sound qualÂiÂty on averÂage.
And the prices are genÂerÂalÂly lowÂer. Many songs go for 89 cents; while many albums are in the $5.99 to $9.99 range, and the 100 best-sellÂing albums are all under $8.99.
Give AmaÂzon MP3 a hard look and, for more details, check out these reviews — here, here, and here.
RelatÂed Note: From Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, StarÂbucks will be givÂing away 50 milÂlion free digÂiÂtal songs to help proÂmote a new wireÂless iTunes music serÂvice that’s being rolled out in conÂjuncÂtion with the recent release of Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch. Songs by 37 artists will be feaÂtured. Artists include Paul McCartÂney, Joni Mitchell, Dave Matthews, John MayÂer, Annie Lennox and Bob Dylan. Get more info here.
HalÂberÂstam died in a car crash last spring and so, remarkÂably, a group of his friends are doing a pubÂlicÂiÂty tour for him. Authors like Joan DidÂion, SeyÂmour Hersh, Bob WoodÂward and Anna Quindlen are takÂing up legs of the gruÂelÂing pubÂlicÂiÂty trek in honÂor of HalÂberÂstam. AccordÂing to the New York Times they will be “offerÂing perÂsonÂal remÂiÂnisÂcences and readÂings” in an interÂestÂing comÂbiÂnaÂtion of festschrift and proÂmoÂtion. The tour will start on TuesÂday and run until OctoÂber 15th. In the words of Sy Hersh, “LisÂten, ain’t nothÂing like David — you don’t need this to keep David alive. You’ve got to marÂket a book, let’s marÂket a book, but he tranÂscends that. He was a great war reporter and a great baseÂball reporter, and the most loyÂal perÂson in the world.”
Here are a few facts to know about the advenÂturÂous Patrick Hunt. He’s a StanÂford archaeÂolÂoÂgist who has spent more than a decade tryÂing to unravÂel the mysÂtery of how HanÂniÂbal, the great ancient milÂiÂtary leader, crossed the Alps in 218 BCE with 25,000 men and 37 eleÂphants. (LisÂten on iTunes to the course he gave on this advenÂture, and get more info below). He has broÂken more than 20 bones while doing fieldÂwork, fought off kidÂnapÂpers, and twice surÂvived sunÂstroke-induced blindÂness. And now he has just pubÂlished an excitÂing new book called Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry. It’s pubÂlished by Penguin/Plume and starts shipÂping tomorÂrow. I asked Patrick what makes these disÂcovÂerÂies — rangÂing from the RosetÂta Stone to the Dead Sea Scrolls to Machu PicÂchu— so imporÂtant. Below he gives us a brief glimpse into what makes each disÂcovÂery hisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly sigÂnifÂiÂcant and fasÂciÂnatÂing. Read on, and check out his capÂtiÂvatÂing new book for the fuller picÂture.
Patrick Hunt: “First I should say that not every archaeÂolÂoÂgist would agree that these are the ten most imporÂtant disÂcovÂerÂies of all time. On the othÂer hand, the ten stoÂries retold in this book are often regardÂed as among the most excitÂing archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal disÂcovÂerÂies of the modÂern era (since 1750). And no one would deny that these ten vital disÂcovÂerÂies have forÂevÂer changed the world of archaeÂolÂoÂgy, transÂformÂing how and what we know about ancient hisÂtoÂry. Let me tell you a litÂtle about them.
RosetÂta Stone: This excitÂing disÂcovÂery in 1799 was the key to deciÂpherÂing EgyptÂian hieroÂglyphs and unlockÂing the hisÂtoÂry of the ancient world texts. It proÂvides a winÂdow into the real hisÂtoÂry of Egypt rather than an imagÂiÂnary one; all othÂer deciÂpherÂings of ancient lanÂguages since the RosetÂta Stone’s iniÂtial decodÂing in 1822 are based on its preceÂdents. (See phoÂto here.)
Troy: Its disÂcovÂery and excaÂvaÂtion beginÂning in 1870 proved once and for all that Troy was not just a myth based on Homer; Troy was a hisÂtorÂiÂcal site where real peoÂple lived and fought. Its earÂliÂest excaÂvaÂtor, the oft-maligned and often-unethÂiÂcal HeinÂrich SchlieÂmann has been mostÂly credÂitÂed — right or wrong — as being the “Father of ArchaeÂolÂoÂgy” and his techÂniques became the founÂdaÂtion of archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal research, howÂevÂer greatÂly improved, afterÂward.
NinÂeveh and the RoyÂal AssyrÂiÂan Library: This rivÂetÂing find beginÂning in 1849 by Austen HenÂry Layard, a sleuth of antiqÂuiÂty, evenÂtuÂalÂly unearthed a whole lost library of cuneiform texts, includÂing ones not only from ancient AssyrÂia but also from far oldÂer Sumer, Akkad, BabyÂlon and othÂer great civÂiÂlizaÂtions. This had a very sigÂnifÂiÂcant impact on world litÂerÂaÂture, introÂducÂing such semÂiÂnal works as the Epic of GilÂgamesh.
King Tut’s Tomb: The draÂmatÂic openÂing of this royÂal tomb in 1922 — sought for years by a deterÂmined Howard Carter — was the first time in milÂlenÂnia a pharaoÂh’s tomb had actuÂalÂly been found intact; its treaÂsure gave the world a unique opporÂtuÂniÂty to actuÂalÂly account for stagÂgerÂing EgyptÂian royÂal wealth. [Dan’s note: NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic has a nice web site on this archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal find.]
Machu PicÂchu: The remarkÂable high junÂgle mounÂtain disÂcovÂery in 1911 of the remote Lost City of the Inca by Hiram BingÂham made it posÂsiÂble for the world to finalÂly see an undisÂturbed Inca royÂal city mysÂteÂriÂousÂly abanÂdoned on a mounÂtainÂtop but neiÂther conÂquered nor changed by the coloÂnial world. (See phoÂto here.)
PomÂpeii: PreÂserved by the erupÂtion of VesuÂvius in AD 79 and not dug out for almost two milÂlenÂnia, PomÂpeii (probÂaÂbly acciÂdenÂtalÂly found by a farmer digÂging a well) is the sinÂgle most imporÂtant Roman site in the world; its artiÂfacts offer the largest and fullest record of life in a Roman city. PomÂpeiÂi’s misÂforÂtune is our great forÂtune. It preÂserves a city with thouÂsands of objects virÂtuÂalÂly unchanged. (See images here.)
Dead Sea Scrolls: Since 1947, when two Bedouin boys in the desert stumÂbled upon the first cave at QumÂran, these hidÂden desert texts have revÂoÂluÂtionÂized our perÂcepÂtions of earÂly JewÂish and ChrisÂtÂian reliÂgion; their findÂing has pushed back our knowlÂedge of bibÂliÂcal manÂuÂscripts by a thouÂsand years. This disÂcovÂery and the off-and-on secreÂcy of the finds reads like spy ficÂtion but is real instead. (See phoÂto here.)
Akrotiri on Thera: ArchaeÂolÂoÂgist SpyriÂdon MarÂiÂnatos had been laughed at by his peers for his theÂoÂries and was finalÂly vinÂdiÂcatÂed 30 years latÂer (cirÂca 1967). Like PomÂpeii, ash from the volÂcanic erupÂtion in 1620 BC preÂserved a whole Aegean city that might have been the source of the Atlantis myths but was cerÂtainÂly a wealthy city with fabÂuÂlous wall paintÂings depictÂing Bronze Age life. It gives us for the first time a whole new body of Minoan art and underÂstandÂing of MediterÂranean sea trade. (Images here.)
OlduÂvai Gorge: Since the 1920’s, the Leakey famÂiÂly doggedÂly perÂsistÂed searchÂing in East Africa for the most ancient human oriÂgins; draÂmatÂic unearthing of bones and tools in 1959 from OlduÂvai and othÂer sites in Great Rift Africa forÂevÂer showed the world how long — at least a milÂlion years — antecedents to human life have perÂsistÂed, finalÂly proÂvidÂing proof of DarÂwinÂian evoÂluÂtion from earÂliÂer priÂmate and hominid finds.
Tomb of 10,000 WarÂriors: This stagÂgerÂing tomb from around 220–210 BC, spreadÂing over hunÂdreds of acres, sinÂgle-handÂedÂly awakÂened WestÂern interÂest in ChiÂnese hisÂtoÂry and reviÂtalÂized ChiÂnese archaeÂolÂoÂgy. The opuÂlence and grandeur of an emperÂor’s tomb astonÂished the world. ArcheoÂtourism in ChiÂna has profÂitÂed immenseÂly from the acciÂdenÂtal 1974 find of a pre-Han tomb where lies the authorÂiÂtarÂiÂan emperÂor who forcibly unitÂed and rewrote ChiÂnese culÂture in many ways that still surÂvive today.”
RelatÂed ConÂtent: Above, I menÂtioned that you can lisÂten to Patrick Hunt’s StanÂford course on HanÂniÂbal on iTunes. The course is going to be rolled out in installÂments over the next sevÂerÂal weeks. SepÂaÂrateÂly you can lisÂten to a standÂalone lecÂture that he gave on HanÂniÂbal shortÂly before the start of the course. (LisÂten on iTunes here.) This lecÂture gets refÂerÂenced in the course at sevÂerÂal points. PatrickÂ’s work on HanÂniÂbal is sponÂsored by NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic SociÂety.
Mark this on your calÂenÂdar. Ken Burns, who has proÂduced some of AmerÂiÂca’s most acclaimed hisÂtorÂiÂcal docÂuÂmenÂtaries, will air his latÂest film startÂing SunÂday night on PBS. The War is a sevÂen-part, 15-hour docÂuÂmenÂtary that “tells the stoÂry of the SecÂond World War through the perÂsonÂal accounts of a handÂful of men and women from four quinÂtesÂsenÂtialÂly AmerÂiÂcan towns. The series explores the most intiÂmate human dimenÂsions of the greatÂest catÂaÂclysm in hisÂtoÂry — a worldÂwide catÂaÂstroÂphe that touched the lives of every famÂiÂly on every street in every town in AmerÂiÂca — and demonÂstrates that in extraÂorÂdiÂnary times, there are no ordiÂnary lives.”
AnothÂer quick obserÂvaÂtion to menÂtion: Most all of these rooms are paintÂed comÂpleteÂly white. For most of the world, that’s hardÂly strange. But if you live in NorthÂern CalÂiÂforÂnia, the site of one white room after anothÂer is fairÂly jarÂring. It’s pasÂtels here all the way. Source: Boing Boing
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