Mrs. Matthews Centers for the week of September 27
The students in Mrs. Matthews science class have been studying plants this week. They have been learning the parts of a plant, parts of a flower, parts of a seed, and various jobs a plant has. The students work through six centers throughout the week. The centers include (1) an art activity about pollination (2) an A.R. book about pollination (3) several interactive websites about the growth of plants and how plants respond to light and gravity (4) an art activity about the life cycle of a
The Honey Badger-Perhaps The Most Fearless Animal on Earth
The Guinness Book of World Records have named this species the most fearless animal on earth. Watch this video to see why. Is there anything that this animal does not eat? (03:20) Some scenes may be disturbing for younger viewers.
Changing Times at The Washington Post: Engaging Readers, Enhancing Content
At the Wharton-sponsored Future of Publishing conference held on April 30 in New York, one of the panels looked at the changing nature of content, specifically the increasing popularity of user-generated content spilling forth from an ever-growing variety of sources. The panel included Katharine Zaleski, executive producer and head of digital news products for The Washington Post and before that, senior editor in charge of special projects at The Huffington Post. Following her participation in t
Facts About the Pyramids of Egypt
The pyramids of Egypt were built originally as tombs for Pharaohs, but no one is sure exactly how they were built. Learn more about these wonders of the world with answers from an experienced history teacher. (1:19)
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution - Richard Dawkins #1 Bestseller Available Now
#1 Bestseller in Britain!
#1 Bestseller in Australia!
#1 Bestseller in Ireland!
#1 Bestseller in Canada!
Richard Dawkins gives an introduction to his new book "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution." He explains why this book was necessary, and what readers can expect from this highly-anticipated work. The book is available now in the UK, and will be released in the US on September 22nd!
Read the first chapter of "The Greatest Show" at http://richarddawkins.net/thegreatests
"Her Dilemma" by Thomas Hardy (poetry reading)
Hardy did put his heroines in difficult situations and inflict cruel and unusual punishments on them. Fundamentalists have to face the moral dilemma of whether lying is ever justified. This wouldn't be a controversial topic now but it was in Hardy's day. His novel Jude the Obscure met such public outrage that he never wrote another book. After that he put his creative energy into poetry instead.
Recently I saw a question put to those who say that lying is fundamentally wrong and never just
Thomas G. Andrews, KILLING FOR COAL: America's Deadliest Labor War
"'Killing for Coal' is a stunning achievement. Beautifully written and masterfully researched, it stands as the definitive history of the dramatic events at Ludlow and breaks new ground in our understanding of industrialization and the environment. If I were to pick one word to describe this book, I would say, 'powerful.'"
-Kathryn Morse, author of "The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush"
For more on the award-winning Killing for Coal, visit http://www.hup.harva
James M. Lang, ON COURSE: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching
"Briskly moving through the basics, [Lang] tackles the hard questions...with humor and insight...'On Course' is a vital resource for educators, even those who don't fit the first-year college-teaching market. My copy is dotted with notes about new ideas to try out in my lecture class this fall. Happily though, I took away from Lang's guidebook much more than techniques."
-Barbara J. King, Bookslut.com
For more on the book, visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674047419
Jon Latimer, 1812: WAR WITH AMERICA
"In this welcome British perspective to the canon of research on the War of 1812, Latimer convincingly debunks the popular myth that this was a second war of independence and a total victory for the United States...The financial deficiencies, administrative mishaps, and military mistakes on both sides are examined in thorough detail, making for a balanced and enlightening account."
-Library Journal
For more on the book, visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674034778
Barbara Dianne Savage, YOUR SPIRITS WALK BESIDE US: The Politics of Black Religion
"'Your Spirits Walk Beside Us' marks the beginning of a new history of African American religion, not as a sacred narrative, but as the exciting story of a powerful but ambivalent Christian legacy in African American life."
-Robert A. Orsi, author of "Thank You, Saint Jude: Womens Devotion to the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes"
For more on the book, visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674031777
Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., HEALING SPACES: The Science of Place and Well-Being
"Esther Sternberg is a rare writer--a physician who healed herself by going back to ancient truths known by the Greeks, and proving them. With her scientific expertise and crystal clear prose, she illuminates how intimately the brain and the immune system talk to each other, and how we can use place and space, sunlight and music, to reboot our brains and move from illness to health."
-Gail Sheehy, author of "Passages"
For more on the book, visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=978
Susanne Freidberg, FRESH: A Perishable History
"Freidberg-- tracking the movement of beef, eggs, fruit, vegetables, milk and fish from source to table- shows how technology, abetted by modern public relations, has changed the way we eat...Freidberg writes with wit and clarity, and her sense of humor extends to her choice of illustrations."
-Wall Street Journal
For more on the book, visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674057227
Last & Stevens, SHARKS AND RAYS OF AUSTRALIA, 2nd EDITION
The waters around Australia, the world's smallest continent, are home to the greatest diversity of sharks and rays on Earth. Fully 100 of these sea creatures (along with their little-known relatives, the chimaerids) have been named or described since the first edition of this book- the biggest revision of the Class Chondrichthyes since the time of Linneaus. This second edition of "Sharks and Rays of Australia" brings more than 300 of these species to life in newly commissioned, full-color illu
HUP Jackets: How Many Friends Does One Person Need?
Harvard University Press Art Director Tim Jones explains his jacket design for Robin Dunbar's latest book, How Many Friends Does One Person Need?
For more on the book: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674057166
Dual mosque attacks in Pakistan
More than 70 dead in Pakistan after two attacks on mosques. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
The Facebook Effect with Mark Zuckerberg
[Recorded: July 21, 2010]
The growth and impact of Facebook is mind blowing, even for an industry that considers "overnight success" to be a long-range goal. Founded in a Harvard dorm room on February 4th 2004 by 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook announced in July 2010 that had it reached the milestone of 500 million registered users. Facebook isn't just an American success story, most users are outside of the United States and half of them log on every day.
Facebook has already made an irr
Triumph of the MOS Transistor
[Recorded July 13, 2010]
The MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistor, the fundamental building block of digital electronics, is the base technology of late 20th and early 21st century. The story of its development is one of the key chapters in the history of the semiconductor and computing industries. After being the subject of extensive research and vigorous activity among semiconductor pioneers at companies like Fairchild, IBM, RCA, Bell Labs, Texas Instruments and Intel throughout the 1960
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
This slide show of the classic picture book, read by Peter T. Limey, has some page-turning rustling noise. Narration with Potter's illustrations.  (7:33)
Rebecca Watson and Sid Rodrigues get married at TAM 7!
Skeptics Rebecca Watson (SkepChick, Skeptics Guide to the Universe) and Sid Rodrigues held a "surprise" wedding at The Amaz!ng Meeting 7 in Las Vegas. Surprise guest: Mythbuster Adam Savage!
Ariane Sherine at TAM London
At TAM London in October 2009 I talked with Ariane Sherine, who organized the atheist bus campaign and the book "An Atheist's Guide to Christmas". Sorry about the background noise!
Ariane's website: http://www.arianesherine.com/
