Last week, we menÂtioned The Future of the InterÂnet. This week it’s anothÂer course availÂable as a free podÂcast : Straight Talk About Stem Cells (iTunes).
The course was taught by ChristoÂpher Scott, the ExecÂuÂtive DirecÂtor of StanÂford’s ProÂgram on Stem Cells in SociÂety and the author of Stem Cell Now: An IntroÂducÂtion to the ComÂing MedÂical RevÂoÂluÂtion. OrigÂiÂnalÂly taught withÂin StanÂford’s ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies proÂgram, the course was designed with the genÂerÂal pubÂlic in mind. So it should be quite accesÂsiÂble. You can now downÂload three of the total five lecÂtures. Two more will be comÂing soon. (Get it on iTunes here.) Here is the origÂiÂnal course descripÂtion for the course.
BiolÂoÂgy’s Brave New World: Straight Talk about Stem Cells
No area of sciÂence holds such promise for treatÂing disÂease and improvÂing human lives as stem cell research. But no area of sciÂence causÂes such funÂdaÂmenÂtal ethÂiÂcal conÂcern and such feroÂcious politÂiÂcal conÂflict. In this short course, stuÂdents will learn the funÂdaÂmenÂtals of stem cell biolÂoÂgy, and study how these powÂerÂful cells could be used to make funcÂtionÂal organs, treat diaÂbetes or repair spinal cord injuries. With the sciÂence and techÂnolÂoÂgy firmÂly in hand, we will jourÂney into the deep reachÂes of the conÂtroÂverÂsy and examÂine the interÂnaÂtionÂal exploÂsion of stem cell research and how law and polÂiÂcy are affectÂing long-held AmerÂiÂcan domÂiÂnance in cell biolÂoÂgy. New sciÂence often proÂvokes a redeÂfÂiÂnÂiÂtion of ethÂiÂcal stanÂdards. Stem cells have reignitÂed the debate about the embryo, aborÂtion, and sciÂence run amok. We will leave the shrill rhetoric behind, disÂcussing the quesÂtion at the heart of the debate: How, as a sociÂety, do we balÂance our responÂsiÂbilÂiÂties to the unborn and the sick?
We have hit botÂtom in Iraq. And you know it because the debates over Iraq (whether the war was just, whether we planned it adeÂquateÂly, whether we have a meanÂingÂful exist stratÂeÂgy, etc.) have ground to a halt. The big defendÂers of the war effort have mostÂly gone silent, or they’re no longer takÂen seriÂousÂly, and what we’re left with is a deficit of ideas all around. There are those who talk about stayÂing in Iraq, but can’t articÂuÂlate a credÂiÂble stratÂeÂgy for movÂing forÂward. And those who talk about leavÂing, but can’t outÂline how we’ll leave Iraq in a moralÂly defenÂsiÂble posiÂtion. We hear a lot in the way of platÂiÂtudes, litÂtle in the way of subÂstance.
This Fresh Air interÂview (stream it here) with Thomas Ricks, author of the bestÂseller FiasÂco: The AmerÂiÂcan MilÂiÂtary AdvenÂture in Iraq, helps fill the idea void a bit. (His book, by the way, comes out in paperÂback latÂer this week.) HavÂing recentÂly returned from Iraq, Ricks talks about the real options now availÂable to the US, and what steps the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion will likeÂly take durÂing its last 18 months. Also, he disÂcussÂes how the AmerÂiÂcan milÂiÂtary has changed its m.o. in Iraq. Gone are the days when polÂiÂtics dicÂtatÂed a sunÂny outÂlook and no real plans. Now, adults are runÂning the show, and they’re getÂting a good deal more realÂisÂtic and pragÂmatÂic. But even they recÂogÂnize that this newÂfound wisÂdom is comÂing perÂhaps too late.
RelatÂed Note: George PackÂer, the main jourÂnalÂist who covÂered the war effort for The New YorkÂer, has recentÂly rolled out a blog for the magÂaÂzine. It’s called “InterÂestÂing Times” and it’s sure to help fill the idea void as well. Give it a look here.
For a litÂtle weekÂend laugh, here is Stephen ColÂbert speakÂing at Book Expo AmerÂiÂca, pumpÂing his new book, I Am AmerÂiÂca (And So Can You!), sparÂring with Khaled HosÂseiÂni (author of The Kite RunÂner and A ThouÂsand SplenÂdid Suns), trashÂing CorÂmac McCarthy, and genÂerÂalÂly likenÂing books to cigÂaÂrettes. The clip gets betÂter as it moves along and ends with ColÂbert hitÂting his stride.
The most recent major forÂay into the world of culÂtureÂboxÂes comes in an entireÂly difÂferÂent size and marÂket niche: the Apple iPhone. It may look difÂferÂent, but it has all the hallÂmarks of a culÂtureÂbox. The iPhone wants to delivÂer video, audio and the best of the Web; it hopes to revÂoÂluÂtionÂize its marÂket; it requires monthÂly serÂvice fees and a hefty price-tag to use fulÂly.
Just like Microsoft and Tivo, Apple has had some strugÂgles in getÂting their new device to live up to its promisÂes. The batÂterÂies on many of the iPhones are not livÂing up to expecÂtaÂtions and some stanÂdard phone feaÂtures seem to be missÂing. The new phone purÂports to comÂbine the roles of iPod and cell phone more eleÂgantÂly than any othÂer device.
Music. Video. ConÂnecÂtion. The Tivo, Xbox and iPhone all want to sell us culÂturÂal serÂvices through an inteÂgratÂed sysÂtem of digÂiÂtal conÂtrol. Record or purÂchase conÂtent from the authoÂrized digÂiÂtal store and watch it on the authoÂrized device. All three comÂpaÂnies know that the sucÂcess of their prodÂuct depends on mainÂtainÂing a delÂiÂcate balÂance between defendÂing the walls of their digÂiÂtal kingÂdoms and allowÂing in enough outÂside conÂtent to remain flexÂiÂble in uncerÂtain marÂkets. All three boxÂes can be hacked and manipÂuÂlatÂed, of course, but their manÂuÂfacÂturÂers are countÂing on the vast majorÂiÂty of cusÂtomers to play along and pay along.
Just as the box-makÂers strugÂgle to cut deals with conÂtent proÂducÂers to make their digÂiÂtal offerÂings appealÂing to conÂsumers, the “traÂdiÂtionÂal” culÂture indusÂtries are desÂperÂateÂly strugÂgling to embrace new forms. The New York Times reviews videogames as well as plays, and just about every major media instiÂtuÂtion has launched some kind of blog, web video serÂvice or podÂcast so you can conÂnect with the critÂics on whatÂevÂer culÂtureÂbox you preÂfer.
CulÂture served up on boxÂes is very difÂferÂent from pubÂlic perÂforÂmance or ephemerÂal newsprint. We can save up hours and hours of it; we can carÂry it around or dupliÂcate it. When we build up a library of music and videos, we own culÂturÂal objects in a way that was nevÂer realÂly posÂsiÂble before, when the best we could do was own perÂishÂable physÂiÂcal media. We can replay, reforÂmat, share and colÂlate favorites, and we can use our rankÂings and ratÂings to find new works. A lot of the most excitÂing techÂniÂcal advances have had to do with conÂnectÂing culÂtureÂboxÂes, but that so far that conÂnecÂtivÂiÂty mostÂly goes to proÂvidÂing betÂter culÂture for solo viewÂing. The three devices disÂcussed here all hope to change that.
The reign of culÂtureÂboxÂes is in many ways the perÂsonÂal, digÂiÂtal verÂsion of someÂthing that hapÂpened in the late 18th cenÂtuÂry: The birth of the modÂern museÂum. The idea was to gathÂer art, knowlÂedge and hisÂtoÂry togethÂer and frame them appropriately—saving up culÂture for you in vast marÂble boxÂes. Today’s perÂsonÂal culÂtureÂboxÂes will nevÂer replace theÂater or museÂum-going, but they extend the same promise of culÂturÂal litÂerÂaÂcy (have you finÂished TheSopraÂnos yet?). These days the promise is affilÂiÂatÂed with brand name digÂiÂtal empoÂria.
Like the Xbox, Tivo, and iPhone, many of the first museÂums wantÂed to be everyÂthing for everyÂbody, offerÂing visÂiÂtors hisÂtorÂiÂcal relics, bioÂlogÂiÂcal specÂiÂmens and strange devices in a mishÂmash of art, sciÂence and hokum. No wonÂder the XboxÂes are on the fritz: they’re tryÂing to capÂture all our totalÂly conÂflictÂed interÂests in just one device. EvenÂtuÂalÂly we’ll figÂure out what digÂiÂtal conÂtent realÂly belongs in our pockÂet on a two-inch screen, what needs to stay in the livÂing room, and what to keep out of the box entireÂly. I should have some time to think about it while my Xbox gets repaired.
The online magÂaÂzine Slate runs most of its arts and culÂture stoÂries in a secÂtion called “CulÂtureÂbox.” IronÂiÂcalÂly, it’s takÂen the conÂsumer elecÂtronÂics indusÂtry sevÂerÂal years to catch up, but now it seems like every new gadÂget is marÂketÂed as a culÂtureÂbox, from the shiny iPhone to the pioÂneerÂing Tivo to the hot-runÂning Xbox 360. ManÂuÂfacÂturÂers, adverÂtisÂers and proÂducÂers everyÂwhere are thinkÂing about how to sell us sleekÂer, betÂter boxÂes and the media that go with them.
The trouÂble is, nobody is quite sure what the culÂtureÂbox should look like or what it should do. We can all agree on video, audio and some kind of storÂage funcÂtion. But do we want our media pockÂet-sized or on a big screen? Is the goal to enterÂtain us on the comÂmute or to build up a library of cherÂished media objects? More imporÂtantÂly, when we say “culÂture” do we essenÂtialÂly mean teleÂviÂsion or the whole panoply of forms? Are culÂtureÂboxÂes just TV by othÂer means or are there genÂuineÂly new culÂturÂal forms on the horiÂzon?
Last week Microsoft announced that Xbox 360s are failÂing in unpreceÂdentÂed numÂbers: A draÂmatÂic examÂple of CulÂtureÂbox AnxÂiÂety SynÂdrome. The new genÂerÂaÂtion of videogame conÂsoles allow us to do so much more than blastÂing aliens—video on demand, HD and Blu-Ray DVD playÂback, online chatÂting and music library manÂageÂment are just a few of the roles these parÂticÂuÂlar culÂtureÂboxÂes want to serve. The comÂplexÂiÂty is clearÂly an overÂload: the New York Timesargues that the $1 bilÂlion Microsoft is setÂting aside for this probÂlem implies that between a third and half of Xbox 360 conÂsoles could get the culÂtureÂbox blues. Now a high-levÂel Xbox execÂuÂtive has announced his resÂigÂnaÂtion, though few peoÂple think it’s a punÂishÂment since the platÂform is genÂerÂalÂly sellÂing well.
PerÂhaps I’m only writÂing because I use all these gadÂgets and my Xbox recentÂly sucÂcumbed to “red ring of death” synÂdrome. IronÂiÂcalÂly, it only freezes up when I use it to load a videogame. But there is a broadÂer issue here: the transÂforÂmaÂtion of culÂture from someÂthing we expeÂriÂence in conÂcert halls, movie theÂaters and othÂer shared pubÂlic spaces into someÂthing that we do on the couch or on the go.
A quick heads up: You can read an excerpt from J.M. CoetÂzee’s upcomÂing novÂel, Diary of a Bad Year, over at The New York Review of Books. The entire novÂel will be pubÂlished in JanÂuÂary 2008. And, in case you weren’t already aware of it, CoetÂzee won the Nobel Prize in LitÂerÂaÂture in 2003. You can get more backÂground inforÂmaÂtion on the South African author here as well as reviews of his novÂels here.
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