SomeÂtimes order seemÂingÂly comes out of nowhere. It just mateÂriÂalÂizes. It hapÂpens in ant colonies, in cities, on the web, in the brain. This episode of Radio Lab (MP3 — iTunes — Feed) takes a fasÂciÂnatÂing look at how groups orgaÂnize and direct themÂselves withÂout the help of a leader, or some kind of cenÂtral comÂmand. The show includes conÂverÂsaÂtions with biolÂoÂgist E.O. WilÂson, econÂoÂmist James SurowiecÂki, and neuÂrolÂoÂgists OlivÂer Sacks and Christof Koch. Also includÂed in the mix is DebÂoÂrah GorÂdon, a StanÂford proÂfesÂsor who has spent years studyÂing ants, which are indiÂvidÂuÂalÂly incomÂpeÂtent but do remarkÂably comÂplex things as colonies. There’s more to ants than you’d first think, so we’ve also includÂed below DebÂoÂrah GorÂdon’s preÂsenÂtaÂtion at the TED Talks conÂferÂence. It’s called “How Do Ants Know What to Do?” And it’s added to our YouTube Playlist.
Although he hasÂn’t served in govÂernÂment for more than 30 years, HenÂry Kissinger still exerÂcisÂes more powÂer interÂnaÂtionÂalÂly than JimÂmy Carter, George HW Bush and Bill ClinÂton comÂbined. That’s a strong claim, and it comes from ProÂfesÂsor JereÂmi Suri, who has a new book out on the forÂmer SecÂreÂtary of State. In a wide-rangÂing and fast movÂing conÂverÂsaÂtion (MP3 — iTunes — Feed), Suri talks about Kissinger’s legaÂcy and how his realpoliÂtik forÂeign polÂiÂcy shapes AmerÂiÂcan deciÂsion makÂing down to this very day.
The truÂism goes that laws and sausages are the two things you don’t want to see being made. NevÂerÂtheÂless, if more of us paid attenÂtion to what our conÂgresÂsionÂal repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives are realÂly up to (and let them know when they screw up), we’d probÂaÂbly be a litÂtle hapÂpiÂer with how the sysÂtem works overÂall. Two thirds of AmerÂiÂcans think we’re on the wrong track (if recent polls are to be believed), and with the presÂiÂdenÂtial elecÂtions comÂing up there’s no betÂter time to start payÂing attenÂtion.
All that’s a long run-up to menÂtionÂing a new webÂsite iniÂtiaÂtive called Open ConÂgress designed to help the averÂage citÂiÂzen figÂure out what the heck is going on in WashÂingÂton. Track repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives and bills that you’re interÂestÂed in; interÂact with othÂer users who share your conÂcerns; sort through data by issue or indusÂtry. It just got a litÂtle easÂiÂer to make your vote count.
Open Source (iTunesFeedWeb Site) is back. The radio show hostÂed by ChristoÂpher Lydon hit some finanÂcial snags last sumÂmer and went off-air. Now, thanks to the WatÂson InstiÂtute at Brown UniÂverÂsiÂty, the proÂgram has found new life, and it’s already regainÂing some of its old momenÂtum.
Right before the New Year, the show aired a three-part interÂview with Harold Bloom, AmerÂiÂca’s most well known litÂerÂary critÂic. As always, Bloom doesÂn’t hesÂiÂtate to share his views here. But he saves his sharpest remarks for when he addressÂes the state of the humanÂiÂties in the AmerÂiÂcan acadÂeÂmy (MP3 — iTunes — Feed — Web Site). For Bloom, a longÂtime proÂfesÂsor at Yale, it’s not a pretÂty picÂture. The humanÂiÂties, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly the study of litÂerÂaÂture, has “comÂmitÂted suiÂcide” by “going in for politÂiÂcal corÂrectÂness to a simÂply sickÂenÂing degree” and “getÂting away from canonÂiÂcal stanÂdards [and] cogÂniÂtive and aesÂthetÂic stanÂdards.” The humanÂiÂties, Bloom sumÂmarÂiÂly says, “are not worth celÂeÂbratÂing until they estabÂlish themÂselves as a disÂciÂpline again,” and, until some resÂurÂrecÂtion takes place, they won’t have the instiÂtuÂtionÂal standÂing of the social sciÂences. These are strong words, but frankly they’re among his milder comÂments. Have a lisÂten, and find the comÂments menÂtioned above about 13 minÂutes in.
ForÂtuÂnateÂly, the conÂverÂsaÂtion does end on a posÂiÂtive note (at least sort of). Bloom gives a kind nod to the poetÂry writÂten by the young Barack ObaÂma (read it here), likenÂing his poems to the work of Carl SandÂburg and Langston HughÂes. It’s fairÂly high praise, espeÂcialÂly when you conÂsidÂer that he’s willÂing to call JimÂmy Carter the “worst poet in North AmerÂiÂca.”
Below find the two othÂer segÂments of the recordÂed interÂview with Harold Bloom.
And also see our earÂliÂer piece: The Art of ReadÂing a Poem (AccordÂing to Harold Bloom). Here you get to lisÂten to a class where Bloom gives a critÂiÂcal readÂing of a WalÂlace Stevens poem. This one is long on straightÂforÂward scholÂarÂship and short on polemics.
Below, we’ve listed some links that will hopefully pique your interest. Some were sent in by readers. Many thanks for them (and feel free to send good stuff our way. Contact us here.)
* NorÂman MailÂer Archive Opens: It took the UniÂverÂsiÂty of Texas two years to orgaÂnize 1,000 boxÂes of letÂters and unpubÂlished manÂuÂscripts writÂten by NorÂman MailÂer. And it’s now ready, just a short two months after the author’s death. Among othÂer things, the archive housÂes corÂreÂsponÂdence that shows a warmer side of a writer often known for his surliÂness.
* 2007 DarÂwin Awards Announced: Here’s a litÂtle dark humor. The DarÂwin Awards, which “comÂmemÂoÂrate those who improve our gene pool by removÂing themÂselves from it,” has released its awards for 2007. You can find some of the “honÂorÂable menÂtions” here.
* Islam, the West and the BhutÂto LegaÂcy: FolÂlowÂing the assasÂsiÂnaÂtion of Benazir BhutÂto, FORA.tv has assemÂbled a video chanÂnel “built around three pubÂlic talks she gave in the year before her recent return to PakÂistan. FifÂteen proÂgrams relatÂing to PakÂistan, Islam and approachÂes to extremÂism are now there, more will be added.”
* ClasÂsic Film Clips: Over on YouTube, one of our readÂers has assemÂbled a video colÂlecÂtion that feaÂtures segÂments from many clasÂsic films — Dr. Strangelove, MetropÂoÂlis, etc. It niceÂly comÂpleÂments our own colÂlecÂtion, to which you might want to subÂscribe.
* Lost Star Wars Intro: Here’s the lost intro that merÂciÂfulÂly nevÂer made it into the final film.
* Print PubÂlic Domain Books on Paper: This interÂmeÂdiÂary serÂvice makes it easy to print paper copies of free pubÂlic domain books found on the interÂnet. The books are free; the printÂing is not. But it nets out well overÂall. Via RedÂFerÂret
We love findÂing these vinÂtage media gems. Below, we have MalÂcolm X speakÂing at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty in 1964. In this clasÂsic speech, you get a good feel for MalÂcolm X’s presÂence and mesÂsage and also the social issues that were alive durÂing the day. You’ll hear X’s famous claim that libÂerÂty can be attained by “whatÂevÂer means necÂesÂsary,” includÂing force, if the govÂernÂment won’t guarÂanÂtee it. Then there’s his notion that “intelÂliÂgentÂly directÂed extremÂism” can achieve libÂerÂty more effecÂtiveÂly than paciÂfist strateÂgies (e.g., what MLK had in mind). You can lisÂten to the speech in its entireÂty here (Real Audio), someÂthing that is well worth doing. But we’d also encourÂage you to watch (see below) the draÂmatÂic closÂing minÂutes and pay some attenÂtion to the nice rhetorÂiÂcal slide — to how we get from HamÂlet’s doubts (“To be or not to be”) to takÂing up arms against state enshrined racism. This piece of video is added to our YouTube playlist.
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