Mr. Deity

If you are a believer, you might have wondered at some point what was going through God's mind when he decided to create the world in which we find ourselves. What is the reason for the gratuitous evil all around us? Could God have saved us without having to sacrifice his own son? Did God really think things through? Do Evangelical Christians actually understand God's message? Did Nietzsche really kill God? Do prayers really work? Is God just fucking with us?

Wonder no more. In this funny set of video clips you'll finally catch a glimpse of the daily life of The Almighty. Being God is tougher than you realize, but it has its perks...

Yes, it's that time of the millenium ;)
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Subprime

If there is one thing that's true about the subprime mortgage crisis is that it affects people from all walks of life and economic status, and for a very simple reason: we all want to be able to improve our living conditions, and sometimes that means entering into deals that we can't live up to.

At some point, unfortunately, reality catches up with our decisions and makes those dreams vanish in the air, as this short and awesome animation shows... 

Click here to watch an amazing animation that explains very simply how this whole financial mess works and who it affects.

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Global Warming, It's All About Carbon

You probably know that one of the major reasons for the current trend of global warming is our perpetual and uncompromising willingness to discount the future for the sake of immediate gratification and profits.

What you might not know is that the other major reason is that in the chemical world, carbon is one major slut, always bonding into threesomes with the oxygen twins, and thereby producing the green-house effect. When this effect runs of control, it leads directly to global warming. Robert Krulwich explains.

And no entry on chemistry is complete without the elements song!
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Extreme Biking

This video has been making the rounds recently, and acquiring lots of publicity: some dude gets on a bike and does his damn best to imitate my biking skills. Will the grasshopper surpass his sensei?

Well, I gots to tell you... he does. Basically, everything you see after he rides his bike on two wheels with no one holding him by the neck like a rabbit is stuff I haven't quite been able to accomplish yet ;)

I wouldn't be surprised if we see him in an action movie one of these days...
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100 Greatest Discoveries - Medicine

When I think of what we know today and what our ancestors knew just a few hundred years ago, I can't help but be utterly impressed by the ingenuity, the sophistication and the speed with which generations of curious minds have successfully probed the mysteries of the natural world, and no other discipline reveals this success more clearly and tangibly than medicine.

Armed with ever-refined versions of the hyppocratic method of observation and trial and error, scientists have come to understand not only the anatomy and the physiological systems of the human body but multiple sources of disease and infirmity, as well as methods for improving patient care and even prevent disease.

In today's documentary, you'll learn about Andreas Vesalius' masterpiece, De Humani Corporis Fabrica, William Harvey's celebrated discovery of the circulatory system, blood groups, anesthesia, X-rays, Pasteur's germ theory of disease, vitamins, Alexander Flemming's discovery of penicilin, sulfa drugs, inoculation (and the human guinea pig on which the idea was originally tested), insulin, oncogenes and retro-viruses like HIV.

More importantly than the individual discoveries, I think, is the empirical nature of scientific inquiry, as well as the unforseen connections and contributions that different scientific disciplines can make to one another. Medicine as we know it today would not be possible without the aid of subjects that may superficially appear completely unrelated to it. Maybe one discovery you make one day might save millions of lives?

Check out the 100 Greatest Discoveries in Science.
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The Secret, Social Lives of Bacteria

You are not quite who you think you are, especially if you think you are human. As it turns out, depending on whether you count the number of cells in 'your' body or whether you count the number of genes, you're only about 1 to 10% human and 90 to 99% microbial. Yes, that might explain that strange smell...

In this truly fascinating and amusing presentation, Bonnie Bassler generously shares recent discoveries about the chemical nature of bacterial communication systems and how these are involved in phenomena as wide-ranging as bioluminescense in some octopus species, disease virulence, and antibiotic resistance.

These discoveries indicate the possibility of powerful practical applications, like a new generation of antibiotics, but they also reveal a powerful lesson about our own humanity: the rules of our own evolutionary game were laid down billions of years ago by unicellular organisms that stumbled upon emergent behavioral patterns dictated by chemical cues.

Check out the awesome Microbe Serenade for a little bacterial lovin', and a fascinating conversation in All In the Mind about the intelligence of bacteria.
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Prison Economy Spirals As Price of Cigarettes Surpasses Two Hand-Jobs

It's recession time, and just about everyone is being affected. You may be feeling the increased pressure and stress, but count your blessings you're not in prison: the price of cigarettes just went up to two handjobs...

If you are in prison, whatever you do, do not listen to Bernie Madoff!

Confused about how the subprime mortgage crisis got started in the first place? Check out this great animation that breaks it down for you.

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Bowling for Columbine

Ten years ago today, two teenage boys went to school and unleashed the fury of their hatred and frustration upon their unsuspecting peers and teachers, killing and injuring many of them before taking their own lives.

No one knows for sure why the massacre took place, and to my mind, no one captures the mystery behind the shooters and their inscrutable psychology better than Metallica in this prophetic song (written years before the shooting).

It's easy to cast blame and explain away the tragedy as the result of two deranged minds, but it would be well worth our time to explore our own role and some of the social conditions we ourselves have created to contribute to this mess.

Why is this a particularly American trend? Michael Moore explores this question, and Marily Manson dishes out some timely wisdom in this touching and amusing documentary.

I wonder if Evangelical Christians ever wonder what kind of music Hitler was listening to as a teenager :)
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What Makes Us Human? - Copycats

Homo sapiens are unashamed and relentless imitators. If there is one thing we're good at, it's copying the behavior and mannerisms of others. Just look at your clothes... you're probably not wearing a toga ancient Greek style, right? And yes, your obsession with texting and twittering probably also count as the infection of a recent cultural meme that has spread faster than wildfire.

This lack of originality may be annoying at times, especially when we consider the ubiquity of dumb trends and fashions, but when combined with memory and the accumulation of knowledge learned in the past, it becomes the fuel responsible for the unprecedented and unmatched mental evolution of our species (so do our big heads). Maybe you and I are not quite as creative and intelligent as Einstein, but we can make further contributions to our stock of knowledge by building on the foundations laid down by the man.

But how do we do it? How has the ability to represent the behavior of others in our minds evolved? What are the neural processes involved? Despite the similarities with other animals, what accounts for the uniqueness and the power of these faculties when deployed by humans? And most importantly, what do cheerleaders have to do with any of this? Today's documentary tries to answer these and similar questions.

More importantly perhaps, it also explores some of the natural implications of this instinct, including its darker side (think suicide bombers), how it is constantly being manipulated (think marketing and religion), and the evolutionary paradox to which it leads (think birth control and the modern lifestyle).

Special appearances by Steven Pinker, V.S. Ramachandran, Susan Blackmore, Nim Chimpsky, Kanzi the bonobo and the late Alex the parrot.

Check out this great entry with Robert Krulwich to learn more about mirror neurons.
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The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex

You've seen her have sex in a four-dimensional ultrasound video before, probably breaking an unprecedented world record.

In today's amusing talk, author Mary Roach shares a few teasers of absolutely fascinating and hilarious episodes related to the scientific study of sex and human sexuality, all of which are included in more detail in her latest book Bonk, The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.

After watching this presentation, you'll want to run to your local bookstore to get a copy of this book... and you'll never look at tooth brushes the same way again :)

Check out what happens when you stimulate an electric coil with some passionate love...
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The Black Hole

This short film is about a sleep-deprived office worker who accidentally finds a black hole, and then lets his greed get the better of him. It also proves that, powerful as black holes may be, duct tape could hold the universe together and fix just about everything :)

Yum... candy bar...
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Study: Children Exposed to Porn May Expect Sex to Be Enjoyable

Not only can porn turn you into an insensitive and racist bitch, it turns out it may also send your kids the wrong message: that sex is a fun and pleasurable experience. And, come on, who wants children to get that kind of unrealistic message?

I've always said it, kids need to learn that sex is an embarassing and humiliating experience... The only good thing about it is that it seldom lasts more than a minute... ;)

You're going to go play Grand Theft Auto now, aren't you? :)

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Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man

If there was one reason that could ever convince me to pick up smoking, it would have to be so that I can sound like Leonard Cohen. Still, it's not merely the voice that makes the man; behind the sound and the brilliantly poignant poetry hides an intellectual genius whose writing was compared to that of James Joyce and Henry Miller when he was only on his thirties.

Leonard Cohen's life is a long and prolonged attempt to find himself, always conscious and critical about the banality of consumerism and sensuality, and yet always fully immersed in the world of the sensuous, deriving interesting and cynical observations from the paradoxical combination of this existential dichotomy, and consistently setting them to minimalistic poetry that sometimes takes years to perfect.

The following movie is a documentary about the life and the artistic legacy Leonard Cohen has been creating for the past half a century, as well as a tribute to him, with a large number of artists, including U2, performing some of his most famous songs and revealing his incredible influence.

And if you must hear the man himself, here he is performing The Stranger Song:

Here is his classic Closing Time:

Dance me to the end of love:

A Thousand Kisses Deep:

And finally, if you just can't get enough of his music, here is a list with some of my favorite songs by Leonard Cohen:

After a very long hiatus, Leonard Cohen is writing music again and is on tour now (thanks to the douche bag manager who stole all his money). Go see him if you have the chance.

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Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness - Nietzsche on Hardship

Interpretations of Nietzsche's philosophy are almost as abundant as the number of people who read Nietzsche, so the most common idea coming out of Nietzschean readers and scholars is that Nietzsche is one of the most misunderstood philosophers of all time, and they are all right in their own wrong ways :)

However, there are some threads of his thoughts that are consistent enough to warrant some sort of consensus about his position on a number of philosophical issues, including his admiration for strength, nobility, daring, iconoclasm and the courage to face up to the harshness of reality instead of creating comforting illusions designed to hide or mask the possible pain associated with them. Conversely, and consistent with these attitudes, Nietzsche had no sympathy for weakness, intoxication, democracy, Christianity, moralistic self-flagellation, domestication and the taming of the instincts.

One thing is needful, he thought: to give style to one's character, to become the expression of our greatest vision. Greatness is not some gift bestowed upon some lucky and unaware recipient; rather, it is the expression of a unified will seeking to become a work of art and a self-propelled wheel through the torturous process of becoming and overcoming. Suffering and hardship, in this sense, are not to be avoided, for they are necessary conditions for the possibility of becoming the beings we aspire to be.

Click here to check out all the documentaries in this great series, which include philosophers like Socrates on self-confidence, Epicurus on happiness, Seneca on anger, Montaigne on self-esteem, Schopenhauer on love and sex, and even a surprise appearance by Diogenes the cynic and Dave Chapelle on consumerism and materialism.

Or watch the documentary series All Too Human, featuring episodes on Nietzsche, Sartre and Heidegger.
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Life in the Undergrowth 05

In the final episode of this wonderful documentary series, Sir David Attenborough explores the incredible superorganisms formed by bees, ants and termites, and reveals in the process a world full of conflict, power struggles and mutinies that counters the traditional understanding of these societies as harmonious and servile to the interests of the group.

To top it all off, a full-scale battle between termites and ants is depicted in all its dramatic force in stunning close-up photography. Any bets on who wins?

Click here to watch all the episodes in this amazing series.

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Extreme Farming

When you combine state-of-the-art technology with farming, you might think the end result is a farm full of genetically modified super cattle and other futuristic genetic advancements (like in this fascinating documentary with the lovely Olivia Judson), but there's also the fun side, and since not all farmers have a disturbingly intimate relationship with their sheep, here is another awesome alternative:

I know what you're thinking... Tetrix!!!

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The Call of Cthulhu

Before the day ends and our great overlord's wrath descends upon me with unimaginable fury for neglecting to call everyone to arms and celebrate its holiness' sacred day, let me humbly present a small offering of humility through the invocation of Metallica's instrumental anthem to the fiercest of deities, the Great Cthulhu.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster'd better watch out today...
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Sayonara Rush Limbaugh!

Rush Limbaugh, the fear and hatred monger rallying up the worst  in everyone through his irrational and vitriolic rhetoric, has finally decided to leave New York...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Rush Limbaugh Leaves New York
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

This just in: Limbaugh plans on moving and taking his show to San Francisco citing he just can't get enough man-on-man action... :)

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Cosmos: Heaven and Hell

We take the stability of our lives and our surroundings for granted much of the time, and we seem to share the collective belief that the universe is somehow uniquely suited and designed to sustain life. In fact, that's the lucky exception and not the general rule: we know of only one place, one tiny place in the entire universe where we would not violently die in a matter of seconds, and we happen to live in that small cosmic Alcatraz.

Still, there is no guarantee that we won't be pulverized any minute now by the collision of our planet with some massive celestial object, or by the eruption of a super volcano, or even by our own stupidity and lack of foresight.

In today's documentary, Carl Sagan explores the conditions that make our neighbor Venus one of the most inhospitable places in the entire solar system. Sagan then meditates on some of the lessons we could all learn about our own planet and the way we treat it. Our children will inherit this pale blue dot... are we leaving it a better place than we originally found it? Is the sum of our trivial satisfactions and luxuries worth the cost of the health and safety of future generations?

Maybe we could all learn a lesson from Moctezuma and shoot all the astrologers whose predictions turn out to be false, and while we're at it, why not also go after investment bankers too? :)

Check out more episodes from this great documentary series.
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The Four Horsemen Find Religion

In an unexpected development which is sure to shock their followers, renowned atheists Daniel Dennett (philosopher), Richard Dawkins (evolutionary biologist), Christopher Hitchens (social commentator) and Sam Harris (author), collectively known as The Four Horsemen due to their systematic attacks on religion and religious belief, will meet later today to officially and publicly announce their recent conversion to Christianity and Mr. Hitchens' conversion into Islam. Citing the previous errors of their ways, The Four Horsemen are expected to make a public plea for forgiveness and absolution later this afternoon.

I will keep you posted and will include the video footage of this announcement once it becomes available.
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