A History of Ideas: Animated Videos Explain Theories of Simone de Beauvoir, Edmund Burke & Other Philosophers The UK’s Open University has become a dependable source of very short, online video introductions to all sorts of things, from weighty subjects like religion, economics, and literary theory to lighter, but no less interesting fare like the art and science of bike design. With breezy tone and serious intent, their animated “60-Second Adventures” make seemingly arcane academic ideas accessible to laypeople with no prior background. Now they’ve teamed up with writer and BBC broadcaster Melvyn Bragg of In Our Time fame for a series of video shorts that run just a little over 60 seconds each, with animations by Andrew Park of Cogni+ive, and narration by comedic actor Harry Shearer from Spinal Tap, The Simpsons, and, most recently, Nixon’s the One. Drawn from Bragg’s BBC 4 radio program “A History of Ideas,” the shorts introduce exactly that—each one a précis of a longstanding philosophical problem like Free Will vs. Related Content: 120+ Free Online Philosophy Courses
How to Let Your Life Speak, Discern Your Purpose, and Define Your Own Succe by Maria Popova What it takes to learn to listen to the timid wild animal that is the soul. “Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney,” young Vincent van Gogh wrote in a letter as he floundered to find his purpose. For the century and a half since, and undoubtedly the many centuries before, the question of how to kindle that soul-warming fire by finding one’s purpose and making a living out of meaningful work has continued to frustrate not only the young, not only aspiring artists, but people of all ages, abilities, and walks of life. How to navigate that existential maze with grace is what Parker J. In his own youth, Palmer had come to know intimately the soul-splitting rift between being good at one’s work and being fulfilled in one’s purpose. The life I am living is not the same as the life that wants to live in me. Illustration from 'Herman and Rosie' by Gus Gordon.
BBC Blogs - The Radio 4 Blog - Philosophy Animated 10 talks you won't be able to stop thinking about | Playlist | TED.com Now playing Here's a TED first: an animated Socratic dialog! In a time when irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned thinking finally lost its power? Watch as psychologist Steven Pinker is gradually, brilliantly persuaded by philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein that reason is actually the key driver of human moral progress, even if its effect sometimes takes generations to unfold. The dialog was recorded live at TED, and animated, in incredible, often hilarious, detail by Cognitive. Eastern Philosophy Explained with Three Animated Videos by Alain de Botton's School of Life “Among the founders of religions,” writes Walpola Rahula in his book What the Buddha Taught, “the Buddha…was the only teacher who did not claim to be other than a human being, pure and simple. […] He attributed all his realization, attainment and achievements to human endeavor and human intelligence.” Rahula’s interpretation of Buddhism is only one of a great many, of course. In some traditions, the Buddha is miraculous and more or less divine. Born the son of a wealthy Indian king and destined for greatness by a prophecy—or so the story goes—Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, discovered human suffering during brief excursions from his palace. Most of what de Botton does in his introduction to the Buddha will be familiar to anyone who has taken a comparative religions class. Daoism is often intertwined with Buddhism and Confucianism, but its own particular philosophy is distinct from either tradition. All of the videos here are part of the School of Life’s “Curriculum.”
Grandma's Experiences Leave Epigenetic Mark on Your Genes | DiscoverMagazin Why can’t your friend “just get over” her upbringing by an angry, distant mother? Why can’t she “just snap out of it”? The reason may well be due to methyl groups that were added in childhood to genes in her brain, thereby handcuffing her mood to feelings of fear and despair. Of course, it is generally not possible to sample the brains of living people. But examining blood samples in humans is routine, and Szyf has gone searching there for markers of epigenetic methylation. All the men had been at a socioeconomic extreme, either very rich or very poor, at some point in their lives ranging from early childhood to mid-adulthood. Timing, in other words, matters. Last year, Szyf and researchers from Yale University published another study of human blood samples, comparing 14 children raised in Russian orphanages with 14 other Russian children raised by their biological parents. “The thing I’ve gained from the work I do is that stress is a big suppressor of maternal behavior,” she says.
Three Minute Philosophy THREE MINUTE PHILOSOPHY is an animated web series designed to explain philosophical ideas in a way that even your Mum can understand them. Each video will explore the ideas of one or two philosophers and their impact on the tradition of thought in approximately three minutes. We're working chronologically here so if you're still holding out for Nietzsche then it's probably wise to defer your degree and take a holiday in Scotland or somewhere. Heraclitus and Parmenides Two guys who butted heads in really ancient Greece about the nature of time and physical reality. Plato Pretty much the most influential philosopher of all time. Empedocles Certifiable nutcase, wannabe cult leader, and unknowingly the precursor to the entire history of science until pretty much this day. Epicurus and Zeno Epicurus and Zeno were the competing leaders of the two most influential moral systems of all time, Epicureanism and Stoicism.
How the tech elite teach Stanford students to build billion-dollar companie Stanford is offering a class in startups taught by some of the most successful tech founders in the valley. The class was packed on day one, as famed investor Sam Altman revealed some of the secrets he teaches aspiring startups at incubator Y Combinator. You can watch the full lecture with Altman and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz below. The whole first lecture is worth watching, whether you’re itching to start your own company or just interested in tech culture. For your convenience, though, here’s the best advice in 11 quotes. 1. Both Altman and Moskovitz make a compelling case that startups are a very poor strategy for making money. In Silicon Valley there are much quicker paths to becoming a millionaire than risking 10 years of your life on an unproven idea. 2. Moskovitz echos the common theme that startup founders should be inescapably passionate about their idea. 3. 4. 5. Peter Thiel advises companies to try to create a monopoly. 6. This one is self-evident, if contentious.
2012 March 12 - The Scale of the Universe Interactive Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2012 March 12 The Scale of the Universe - Interactive Flash Animation Credit & Copyright: Cary & Michael Huang Explanation: What does the universe look like on small scales? On large scales? Tomorrow's picture: dust before galaxies Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD at NASA / GSFC& Michigan Tech.
Sea slug has taken genes from algae it eats, allowing it to photosynthesize How a brilliant-green sea slug manages to live for months at a time "feeding" on sunlight, like a plant, is clarified in a recent study published in The Biological Bulletin. The authors present the first direct evidence that the emerald green sea slug's chromosomes have some genes that come from the algae it eats. These genes help sustain photosynthetic processes inside the slug that provide it with all the food it needs. Importantly, this is one of the only known examples of functional gene transfer from one multicellular species to another, which is the goal of gene therapy to correct genetically based diseases in humans. "Is a sea slug a good [biological model] for a human therapy? The team used an advanced imaging technique to confirm that a gene from the alga V. litorea is present on the E. chlorotica slug's chromosome. It has been known since the 1970s that E. chloritica "steals" chloroplasts from V. litorea (called "kleptoplasty") and embeds them into its own digestive cells.
The Art of Manliness | Men’s Interests and Lifestyle A brilliant student, Jonathan sailed through grade school. He completed his assignments easily and routinely earned As. Jonathan puzzled over why some of his classmates struggled, and his parents told him he had a special gift. Our society worships talent, and many people assume that possessing superior intelligence or ability—along with confidence in that ability—is a recipe for success. The result plays out in children like Jonathan, who coast through the early grades under the dangerous notion that no-effort academic achievement defines them as smart or gifted. Praising children's innate abilities, as Jonathan's parents did, reinforces this mind-set, which can also prevent young athletes or people in the workforce and even marriages from living up to their potential. The Opportunity of Defeat I first began to investigate the underpinnings of human motivation—and how people persevere after setbacks—as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s.
Science Codex | Science news, science articles, all day, every day Watch a clever teacher annoy the back row of class to teach all students an A high school teacher wanted share an important life lesson with his students. But a dull lecture just wouldn't do. So he planned a simple interactive exercise. All he needed was some scrap paper for each student and a recycling bin at the front of the room. He set up the exercise by telling the class that they represent the country's population and everyone has a chance to get rich. "To move into the upper class, all you must do is throw your wadded-up paper into the bin while sitting in your seat." The results were about what you'd expect. The teacher explained: "The closer you were to the recycling bin, the better your odds. Understandably, the only students who complained about fairness were those in the back of the room. Students in the front of the room, however, focused only on the task at hand with little consideration for their advantage — their privilege. That's how privilege works. The teacher concluded with a statement that gets to the heart of the matter: Watch the full video: