EarÂliÂer this week, PBS’s NOVA aired a two-hour proÂgram revisÂitÂing the conÂtroÂverÂsial fedÂerÂal case, Kitzmiller v. Dover School DisÂtrict, which asked whether “intelÂliÂgent design” could be taught in AmerÂiÂcan schools alongÂside DarÂwin’s theÂoÂry of evoÂluÂtion. IntelÂliÂgent design essenÂtialÂly holds that “life is too comÂplex to have evolved natÂuÂralÂly and thereÂfore must have been designed by an intelÂliÂgent agent.” And, along the way, it effecÂtiveÂly attempts to make God’s role in creÂatÂing the world a sciÂenÂtifÂic fact, not an item of faith. You can see how the backÂers of intelÂliÂgent design ultiÂmateÂly fared. NOVA has made the proÂgram availÂable online for free. It’s dividÂed into 12 videos, and you can watch them here. For a comÂplete descripÂtion of the proÂgram, click here.
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple ComÂputÂer, delivÂered this speech at StanÂford’s comÂmenceÂment cerÂeÂmoÂny in June 2005. I someÂhow doubt that the gradÂuÂatÂing class could have truÂly appreÂciÂatÂed what Jobs is sayÂing here. (At that age, I couldÂn’t have.) But if you’re a litÂtle furÂther down the road, you’ll underÂstand that Jobs (who ironÂiÂcalÂly nevÂer gradÂuÂatÂed from colÂlege) points to a simÂple set of guideÂlines that can make the difÂferÂence between livÂing a fasÂciÂnatÂing and so-so life. SadÂly, these prinÂciÂples get lost all too often in the noise, inerÂtia and blur of everyÂday life.
By the way, the podÂcast verÂsion of this speech conÂsisÂtentÂly remains the numÂber #1 podÂcast on StanÂford’s iTunes site. You can downÂload it in video here, or audio here.
With last year being the 250th anniverÂsary of Mozart’s birth, there was no shortÂage of podÂcasts dedÂiÂcatÂed to Mozart’s masÂterÂpieces. First, Radio SweÂden (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) reisÂsued a digÂiÂtal archive of Mozart recordÂings by the RoyÂal Swedish Opera from the 1940s and 1950s. And, along very simÂiÂlar lines, DanÂmarks Radio (Feed — Web Site) issued podÂcasts of nine Mozart symÂphonies recordÂed by the DanÂish Radio SymÂphoÂny
OrchesÂtra. (You’ll find here symÂphonies numÂbers 15, 17, 23, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, and 41. Since the web site is in DanÂish, we’d recÂomÂmend accessÂing these high qualÂiÂty MP3’s through the rss feed listÂed above.) LastÂly, we should menÂtion here that, as part of last year’s fesÂtivÂiÂties, The InterÂnaÂtionÂal Mozart FounÂdaÂtion pubÂlished online for the first time the entireÂty of of Mozart’s musiÂcal scores.
Along with Mozart, you can find plenÂty of Beethoven. We have highÂlightÂed here before, but it’s worth notÂing again, Deutsche Welle’s podÂcastcolÂlecÂtion called BeethovenÂfest (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). You’ll want to give it a look, and also see the podÂcast colÂlecÂtion put togethÂer by the Boston SymÂphoÂny OrchesÂtra ConÂserÂvaÂtoÂry (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). This eduÂcaÂtionÂal series offers an extenÂsive overview and recordÂings of Beethoven’s work, as well as that of Arnold SchoenÂberg. You can also catch more Beethoven (as well as a litÂtle Mozart and Bach) with the podÂcast series called The ConÂcert (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), which feaÂtures recordÂings from the IsabelÂla StewÂart GardÂner MuseÂum in Boston.
SpeakÂing of Bach, you may want to give some time to these two podÂcasts: Bach PodÂcast from Magnatune.com (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) and Bach FesÂtiÂval of PhiladelÂphia(Feed — Web Site).
Let’s now leave you with a few othÂer good finds: WagÂnÂer Operas PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) lets you lisÂten in on recordÂings from the annuÂal Bayreuth FesÂtiÂval, plus more. An IntiÂmate Tour Through the Music of Yo-Yo Ma (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) offers essenÂtialÂly what the title says. FinalÂly, we’d recÂomÂmend ClasÂsiÂcal PerÂforÂmance (iTunesFeedWeb Site), which conÂsists of clasÂsiÂcal music perÂforÂmances from WGBÂH’s StuÂdio One in Boston; The New York PhiÂlaÂharÂmonÂic PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) which introÂduces you to the music and perÂformÂers feaÂtured in the conÂcerts of the New York PhilÂharÂmonÂic; and From the Top. Live from Carnegie Hall Video PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), a podÂcast that showÂcasÂes the top-notch skills and comÂpelling stoÂries of AmerÂiÂca’s best young clasÂsiÂcal musiÂcians.
MashÂable has postÂed a list of over 20 sites from where you can downÂload lots of e‑books, and it’s all apparÂentÂly legal. Here’s the list.
The popÂuÂlar sciÂence magÂaÂzine, SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan, has been around a long time, since 1845 in fact. That makes it the oldÂest periÂodÂiÂcal in conÂtinÂuÂous pubÂliÂcaÂtion in the UnitÂed States. Now, the magÂaÂzine that your great-great-great grandÂfaÂther read has launched a new webÂsite called 60 SecÂond SciÂence. Based on SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan’s daiÂly podÂcast that’s also called 60 SecÂond SciÂence (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), the new site gets updatÂed 12 times a day, and it feaÂtures its own audio/video podÂcasts, links to key SciÂAm artiÂcles and othÂer good stuff. Have a look, and don’t forÂget to check out our broadÂer colÂlecÂtion of SciÂence PodÂcasts.
It’s the numÂber one song on Rolling Stone MagÂaÂzine’s list of The 500 GreatÂest Songs of All Time. But could a magÂaÂzine with its name say othÂerÂwise?
As a quick PS, check out the new Bob Dylan PodÂcast (iTunes — Web Site). HostÂed by PatÂti Smith, this podÂcast looks at Dylan’s friends and earÂly influÂences, and also colÂlabÂoÂraÂtors disÂcuss their close relaÂtionÂships with Dylan, the stoÂries behind his greatÂest songs and othÂer memÂoÂrable moments of his career.
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