John CheevÂer’s stoÂry “Of Love: A TesÂtiÂmoÂny” hasÂn’t been antholÂoÂgized or reprintÂed since it was origÂiÂnalÂly pubÂlished in 1943. Now, you can find it online at Fivechapters.com. ThroughÂout the week, FivechapÂters will roll out the stoÂry in nice daiÂly installÂments, as is their genÂerÂal cusÂtom.
via LA Times Books
Now there’s a nice alterÂnaÂtive to the traÂdiÂtionÂal, expenÂsive art hisÂtoÂry textÂbook. The folks at smARThisÂtoÂry have creÂatÂed a free mulÂti-media web-book that offers a dynamÂic surÂvey of art hisÂtoÂry. The online resource comÂbines traÂdiÂtionÂal images with audio and videos, and the beauÂty is that you don’t have to read this web-book in a linÂear fashÂion. Rather, you can sort through things by time periÂod, style and artist and find the inforÂmaÂtion that you want. In case you’re wonÂderÂing about the credÂiÂbilÂiÂty of this resource, it doesÂn’t hurt to menÂtion that one of its founders, Beth HarÂris, is the DirecÂtor of DigÂiÂtal LearnÂing at the MuseÂum of ModÂern Art in New York City, and the othÂer, Steven ZuckÂer, is Dean of the School of GradÂuÂate StudÂies at the FashÂion InstiÂtute of TechÂnolÂoÂgy, part of the State UniÂverÂsiÂty of New York. Have a look.
In celÂeÂbraÂtion of its 25th year, the Harper’s Index–12,058 lines spanÂning 300 issues–is now open to all for searchÂing and browsÂing, with more than one thouÂsand linked catÂeÂgories. Some startÂing points: AdulÂtery, ChiÂna, Beer, VegÂetaÂbles, Sweets,AmerÂiÂcan Men, AmerÂiÂcan Women, Cats, Dogs, Frogs, Bears, and PanÂdas.
This chart comes from a new Pew Research CenÂter study that looks at the worldÂwide accepÂtance of evoÂluÂtion 150 years after DarÂwin’s On the OriÂgin of Species by Means of NatÂurÂal SelecÂtion. At least in the UnitÂed States, only a minorÂiÂty of the pubÂlic believes in evoÂluÂtion, largeÂly because evanÂgelÂiÂcal protesÂtants (a large porÂtion of the AmerÂiÂcan popÂuÂlaÂtion) resist DarÂwin’s thinkÂing far more strongÂly than othÂer world popÂuÂlaÂtions. (The chart makes that simÂple fact fairÂly clear.) A piece newÂly pubÂlished by the Pew CenÂter goes on to add:
Recent pubÂlic opinÂion polls indiÂcate that chalÂlenges to DarÂwinÂian evoÂluÂtion have subÂstanÂtial supÂport among the AmerÂiÂcan peoÂple. AccordÂing to an August 2006 surÂvey by the Pew Research CenÂter’s Forum on ReliÂgion & PubÂlic Life and the Pew Research CenÂter for the PeoÂple & the Press, 63 perÂcent of AmerÂiÂcans believe that humans and othÂer aniÂmals have either always existÂed in their present form or have evolved over time under the guidÂance of a supreme being. Only 26 perÂcent say that life evolved soleÂly through processÂes such as natÂurÂal selecÂtion. A simÂiÂlar Pew Research CenÂter poll, released in August 2005, found that 64 perÂcent of AmerÂiÂcans supÂport teachÂing creÂationÂism alongÂside evoÂluÂtion in the classÂroom.
For more inforÂmaÂtion, see the Pew CenÂter’s largÂer web colÂlecÂtion dedÂiÂcatÂed to the DarÂwin debate. Also see a new Gallup poll that puts AmerÂiÂcan belief in evoÂluÂtion at 39%.
via The DaiÂly Dish
Jared DiaÂmond became a houseÂhold name with his Pulitzer Prize-winÂning book Guns, Germs & Steel (2003). LatÂer, the UCLA geoÂgÂraÂphÂer climbed the charts again with ColÂlapse: How SociÂeties Choose to Fail or SucÂceed (2005). Now, based on this last book, he’s putting odds on whether the UnitÂed States will surÂvive this criÂsis, and he’s putting them only at 51–49. Not too great. And he goes on to say that our best chance of surÂvivÂing is if AmerÂiÂca’s wealthy elite sufÂfers far more than it already has. For more, lisÂten here.
via Big Think’s TwitÂter Feed. Get our TwitÂter Feed here.
It’s anothÂer good day for the open eduÂcaÂtion moveÂment. As part of an experÂiÂment, YouTube has partÂnered with a select numÂber of uniÂverÂsiÂties (StanÂford, UC BerkeÂley, Duke, and UCLA) to make lecÂtures, coursÂes and othÂer videos availÂable for free downÂload. This gives eduÂcaÂtors and lifeÂlong learnÂers the freeÂdom to watch eduÂcaÂtionÂal videos offline, whenÂevÂer and wherÂevÂer they want, includÂing airÂplanes or classÂrooms with limÂitÂed conÂnecÂtivÂiÂty. The videos (all high-resÂoÂluÂtion mp4s) can be watched on any comÂputÂer loaded with QuickÂTime and also on many portable devices, includÂing newÂer iPods. When I spoke with the YouTube team today, they flagged anothÂer perk: the videos are being disÂtribÂuted under a CreÂative ComÂmons license, which means that you can reuse them under cerÂtain non-comÂmerÂcial conÂdiÂtions.
For someÂone who has helped develÂop coursÂes appearÂing in StanÂford’s YouTube colÂlecÂtion, today’s news was cerÂtainÂly welÂcome. These coursÂes are not cheap to develÂop, and we do it as a pubÂlic serÂvice. So we’re always hapÂpy when we encounter new ways of getÂting the eduÂcaÂtionÂal conÂtent to a broadÂer audiÂence. This new downÂload capaÂbilÂiÂty does just that. It extends our reach just a litÂtle more, and it’s hard to quibÂble with that.
As a pracÂtiÂcal note, if you’re wonÂderÂing how to downÂload the YouTube videos menÂtioned above, here’s what to do. Find a video from StanÂford, UC BerkeÂley, Duke, or UCLA, look at the lowÂer left-hand corÂner of the video, click the “DownÂload this video” link, and you should be good to go.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
A quick fyi: Mark Glaser at PBS’s MediÂaShift has just pubÂlished a handy guide to e‑books. It covÂers the hisÂtoÂry of e‑books, the comÂpetÂing e‑book readÂers, the pros and cons of workÂing with e‑books, what Google and Apple are now doing in this space, and more. Good stuff.
SepÂaÂrateÂly, I also wantÂed to flag a colÂlecÂtion that feaÂtures e‑texts of 100 major litÂerÂary clasÂsics. You’ll find it over at universitiesandcolleges.org.
PerÂhaps you’ve ponÂdered your own morÂtalÂiÂty. But have you ever imagÂined perÂishÂing as you fall into a black hole? ProbÂaÂbly not. But if you’re intrigued by this admitÂtedÂly unlikeÂly sceÂnario, then watch the clip above. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astroÂphysiÂcist who heads up the HayÂden PlanÂeÂtarÂiÂum in NYC, breaks down the scene for you step-by-step and in a fairÂly humorÂous way. This talk is based on his well-reviewed book, Death by Black Hole: And OthÂer CosÂmic QuanÂdaries.
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