When debatÂing reliÂgion, you can take the low road (e.g., Ann CoulÂter’s recent flirÂtaÂtion with anti-semiÂtism) or the high road. Here’s Richard Dawkins, an avowed atheÂist and evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgist at Oxford, havÂing a high-mindÂed conÂverÂsaÂtion about the exisÂtence (or non-exisÂtence) of God with AlisÂter McGrath, who is ProÂfesÂsor of HisÂtorÂiÂcal TheÂolÂoÂgy at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty and also has a backÂground in molÂeÂcÂuÂlar bioÂphysics. We’ve postÂed the videoÂtaped debate below. (And, by the way, you can downÂload the video to an iPod by accessÂing the video here, lookÂing to the right where it says “DownÂload to Video iPod” and folÂlowÂing these instrucÂtions).
Information R/evolution: The New Video
EarÂliÂer this year, Michael Wesch, an assisÂtant proÂfesÂsor of culÂturÂal anthroÂpolÂoÂgy at Kansas State, released a smart video that immeÂdiÂateÂly went viral on the interÂnet. It was called Web 2.0… the Machine is Us/ing Us and it clevÂerÂly explained the often vague conÂcept of Web 2.0 and why it matÂters. Now Wesch has launched anothÂer video under the title InforÂmaÂtion R/evolution (see below). InfluÂenced by the recent book, EveryÂthing Is MisÂcelÂlaÂneous: The PowÂer of the New DigÂiÂtal DisÂorÂder, Wesch’s new clip offers a creÂative look at how the digÂiÂtal age funÂdaÂmenÂtalÂly changes our relaÂtionÂship to inforÂmaÂtion and how inforÂmaÂtion gets orgaÂnized. Have a look.
The Elegant Universe
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.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
- SciÂence PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion
- CutÂting-Edge Physics on iTunes
- Has Stephen HawkÂing Been Wrong For The Last 30 Years?
- EinÂstein’s E = mc2 Explained
- What Genius Looks Like at Zero GravÂiÂty
- William GibÂson, Father of CyberÂpunk, Reads New NovÂel in SecÂond Life
15 Ways to Avert a Climate Crisis
And now we bring you a pubÂlic serÂvice announceÂment.…
Below, you can watch Al Gore talk about tanÂgiÂble ways that you can be a good enviÂronÂmenÂtal citÂiÂzen. The first 5 minÂutes start with some wit and banÂter that would have served him well in 2000; the next 10 minÂutes get down to some busiÂness.
A few, quick relatÂed items: Google offers a free online copy of Gore’s major book on the enviÂronÂment, Earth in the BalÂance. PubÂlished first in 1992, the book demonÂstrates, among othÂer things, Gore’s susÂtained comÂmitÂment to this issue. Next, if you’ve nevÂer seen An InconÂveÂnient Truth, then you may want to give a lisÂten to Gore’s speech at StanÂford’s GradÂuÂate School of BusiÂness (lisÂten on iTunes here). It covÂers much of the same ground. FinalÂly, this all reminds me of a teleÂviÂsion exposĂ© that Bill MoyÂers aired a few months back. It’s called “Is God Green?,” and it takes a lengthy look at how conÂserÂvÂaÂtive evanÂgelÂiÂcal moveÂments in the US are increasÂingÂly takÂing globÂal warmÂing seriÂousÂly as an issue. (You can watch it here.) And if you know AmerÂiÂca, you know that’s essenÂtial for changÂing the nation’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal poliÂcies.
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The Digital Encyclopedia of Life
In 2003, the HarÂvard biolÂoÂgist E.O. WilÂson wrote a wideÂly read essay that called for an “EncyÂcloÂpeÂdia of Life.” Summed up simÂply, WilÂson had in mind “an online refÂerÂence source and dataÂbase” that catÂaÂlogued “every one of the 1.8 milÂlion species that are named and known on this planÂet,” not to menÂtion the many organÂisms that aren’t yet known. When fulÂly comÂpiled, the web-based dataÂbase would offer a “macroÂscope” of sorts, a way to do comÂparÂaÂtive biolÂoÂgy and ecolÂoÂgy on an unpreceÂdentÂed scale, allowÂing sciÂenÂtists to gain new insights into the immense bioÂdiÂverÂsiÂty of our planÂet.
WilÂson is still pushÂing this vision, and he laid it out most recentÂly at the TED Talks conÂferÂence in MonÂterey, CalÂiÂforÂnia. (Watch the video below.) The enviÂsioned encyÂcloÂpeÂdia will be a colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive enterÂprise, modÂeled someÂwhat along the lines of Wikipedia (see some demonÂstraÂtion pages here). And it’ll be accesÂsiÂble anyÂwhere, anyÂtime, to whoÂevÂer could benÂeÂfit from it. It’s expectÂed to take close to a decade to comÂplete the project, although some key comÂpoÂnents of the dataÂbase will be availÂable in 2008. (See this FAQ for more details.)
For more inforÂmaÂtion on E.O. WilÂson, I would encourÂage you to lisÂten to Bill MoyÂers’ proÂfile of WilÂson (iTunes — Feed — MP3) which recentÂly aired on PBS. You may also want to give some attenÂtion to Wilson’s latÂest book, The CreÂation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth.
The High and Low Road of the Atheism Debate
These days, there is no shortÂage of pubÂlic thinkers launchÂing a vigÂorÂous defense of atheÂism. Most recentÂly, ChristoÂpher Hitchens has come out with God is Not Great. And, holdÂing true to form, he has used this book and relatÂed media camÂpaign as an opporÂtuÂniÂty to fight out the ugly culÂture wars once again. All of the expectÂed ingreÂdiÂents are there — the blusÂter, bad behavÂior, and genÂerÂal unwillÂingÂness to engage in a civÂiÂlized and subÂstanÂtive debate. To get a quick taste of Hitchens’ M.O., just lisÂten to this NPR-ish interÂview. The longer the interÂview goes, the more he hits his stride.
On the upside, there is always Richard Dawkins. Yes, the man has strong opinÂions and can someÂtimes sound smug. But you can’t deny this: he goes out there, takes the debate seriÂousÂly, thinks through the angles, and answers critÂics’ quesÂtions with crisp, intelÂlecÂtuÂalÂly preÂcise arguÂments. It’s all a welÂcomed reprieve from the style of debate that we’ve become accusÂtomed to in the UnitÂed States. Below, you can get a litÂtle taste of what we’re talkÂing about, or click to watch the video here.
David Byrne and Daniel Levitin Have Music on the Brain
Seed MagÂaÂzine has an hour-long video conÂverÂsaÂtion with David Byrne (“RockÂ’s renaisÂsance man”) and Daniel LevÂitin (neuÂroÂsciÂenÂtist) about the conÂnecÂtions between music and cogÂniÂtion. Check out the highÂlights above or view the full interÂview here. Daniel LevÂitÂin’s This is Your Brain on Music came out last year, as did David Byrne’s ArboreÂtum.
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