Physics and History: Fractured in Modernity

Experimental physical science and modern universal history came into the world about the same time, around 1550, and developed symbiotically for 250 years or more. The lectures discuss their coevel origin, parallel development, and subsequent separation.

John L. Heilbron is an American historian of science best known for his work in the history of physics and the history of astronomy. He is Professor of History and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus (Vice-Chancellor 1990-1994) at the University of California, Berkeley, senior research fellow at Worcester College, Oxford, and visiting professor at Yale University. He edited the academic journal Historical Studies in the Physical and Biological Sciences for twenty-five years.

Mark Brown - The Journey Continues ft Sarah Cracknell

In December 2007, BBC radio began playing "The Journey Continues" by Mark Brown featuring Sarah Cracknell. The song consists of extensive samples from a composition by Elena Kats-Chernin entitled Eliza's Aria, well known to UK TV viewers as the music from the computer-animated 'For the Journey' commercials for Lloyds TSB bank. Release is scheduled for February 2008 on Positiva. The song peaked at #11 in the UK after being released.

The Anti-Capitalists: Barbarians at the Gate

The Mises Memorial Lecture, The Anti-Capitalists: Barbarians at the Gate, given by Larry Sechrest at the 2008 Austrian Scholars Conference, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn Alabama; 15 March 2008.(...)

Larry J. Sechrest is a Research Fellow at The Independent Institute, and Professor of Economics and Director of the Free Enterprise Institute at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington, where his undergraduate work was in history and philosophy with graduate work in economics and finance. He is a Foundation Scholar with the Foundation for the Advancement of Monetary Education in New York City and also serves as a Trustee of the Free Radical Foundation in Wellington, New Zealand and on the Board of Advisors of the Defense of Freedom Foundation in Newport Beach, California.

Steven Pinker: The stuff of thought

In an exclusive preview of his new book, The Stuff of Thought, Steven Pinker looks at language, and the way it expresses the workings of our minds. By analyzing common sentences and words, he shows us how, in what we say and how we say it, we're communicating much more than we realize. (...)

Steven Pinker is a prominent Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and author of popular science. Pinker is known for his wide-ranging advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.

Tech Talk: Linus Torvalds on git

Linus Torvalds visits Google to share his thoughts on git, the source control management system he created two years ago. (...) Linus Benedict Torvalds is a Finnish software engineer best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel. He now acts as the project's coordinator.

Total Lunar Eclipse - February 20, 2008

A total lunar eclipse occurred on the evening of Wednesday, February 20, and morning of Thursday, February 21, 2008. It was visible in the eastern evening sky on February 20 for all of North and South America, and on February 21 in the predawn western sky from most of Africa and Europe.

The total lunar eclipse is the first of the two lunar eclipses in 2008, with the second, the August 16, 2008 event being partial. The next total lunar eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010.

What is Anti-Americanism? The Case of France

Speaker: Sophie Meunier, research fellow in theWoodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University

Six Feet Under Last Episode

Six Feet Under is an American television drama created by Alan Ball that was originally broadcast from 2001 to 2005. It was produced by Alan Ball, Alan Poul, Robert Greenblatt and David Janollari. The series centers on a family-run mortuary, Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, and explores the lives of the Fisher family following the death of the family patriarch (the title being a colloquialism/euphemism for death, six feet being the traditional depth at which a body would be laid). The series is set in modern-day Los Angeles. (...)

The show received critical acclaim from The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The New York Times, among other media, and has garnered praise from fellow television producers and funeral directors. In total, Six Feet Under won three Golden Globe Awards and nine Emmy Awards. The series won the Golden Globe award for Outstanding Drama Series and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Griffiths in 2002. Frances Conroy went on to receive the award for Best Actress in a Drama for the Golden Globes in 2004. The show also won the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Ensemble for a Drama Series two years in a row (2003–2004).

Authors@Google: Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer discusses his book "Mind of the Market" as part of the Authors@Google series.

How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? Bestselling author Dr. Michael Shermer argues that evolution provides an answer to both of these questions through the new science of evolutionary economics. Drawing on research from neuroeconomics, Shermer explores what brain scans reveal about bargaining, snap purchases, and how trust is established in business. Utilizing experiments in behavioral economics, Shermer shows why people hang on to losing stocks and failing companies, why business negotiations often disintegrate into emotional tit-for-tat disputes, and why money does not make us happy. Employing research from complexity theory, Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems. Along the way, Shermer answers such provocative questions as: Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation? How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and what will happen if nations allow free trade across their borders.

IBM Linux ad: Prodigy

Linux advertisement from IBM, released in September 2003: "The Future is Open"

Both ads were produced by Ogilvy, but this year's version looks more like continuation of Stanley Kubrick's film "2001" than a series of ESPN highlights. Linux has morphed from being a starting player on the IBM team to being the franchise player. It is portrayed in the new ad as a young boy, a prodigy absorbing knowledge from a variety of masters, and making it available to everyone.

Sylvia Nasar, author of "A Beautiful Mind" advises young Linux that "One little thing can solve an incredibly complex problem." Muhammad Ali instructs him to "Speak your mind. Don't back down." John Wooden, the greatest basketball coach of all time, tells him "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that's teamwork.

Michael Shermer on Charlie Rose on Pseudoscience

Michael Shermer discusses Carl Sagan, science, pseudoscience, and the paranormal on PBS's Charlie Rose, during his book tour for Why People Believe Weird Things. (...)

Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating and debunking pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.

Shermer is also the producer and co-host of the 13-hour Fox Family television series Exploring the Unknown and since April 2004 has been a monthly columnist for Scientific American magazine with his Skeptic column.

The Greatest Action Story Ever Told

MADtv parody of The Terminator series featuring Jesus Christ.

Star Trek Moments: Best of Both Worlds Cliffhanger

"The Best of Both Worlds" is a two-part episode from the third/fourth seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. (...)

"The Best of Both Worlds" is a significant and highly regarded two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that was written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole. Part I first aired during the week of June 18, 1990 as the third season finale and ended as a cliffhanger and fandom speculation began to mount about the fate of Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D (...)

Borg drones start attacking them, but just before the away team is beamed back, they are horrified to see an assimilated Picard.

Although unable to save Picard, their actions force the Borg to drop to impulse and give the Enterprise a chance to use their weapon. Riker asks if the weapon is ready, and Geordi confirms. Shelby, though, wants to try to save Picard, though there are only minutes left and the Borg appear ready to return to warp. Suddenly they are hailed by the Borg ship. "Picard", now Locutus, appears on the viewscreen, and delivers an ultimatum:

"I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life, as it has been, is over. From this time forward, you will service us."

Faced with the prospect of losing his captain or risking the future of humanity, Riker orders Worf to destroy the cube - "Fire."

Silicon Valley Linux Users Group - Kernel Walkthrough

The Silicon Valley Linux Users Group hosts weekly sessions to walk through the code for the Linux Kernel, allowing newer users and developers to better understanding the operating system.

Rowan Atkinson LIVE: Fatal Beatings

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. Bean.

Atkinson has been listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy, and amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians.

(...)

A father of a child had been called for a meeting with a teacher who is about to tell a
tragic news regarding his son.