From the macrocosm of human civilization, to the microcosm of a single human being, we are just beginning to realize our potential to harness the power of Sol.
Here Comes the Sun
Uplifting 48 min documentary on the migration to solar power:
The Sun
Visually appealing BBC documentary on solar weather, spots and flares
30 min
Eat the Sun!
‘It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.’
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War
Vanguard – World Without Water
28 min documentary:
Flow – For Love of Water
1 hr 24 min documentary on water privatization:
The western world has access to filtered water, but how filtered is it?
The Flouride Deception
30 min documentary:
In the face of this world crisis, innovative technologies are arising to present solutions. Check out this nano-engineed ultra-cheap water filter with an impressive (nasty) demonstration:
Historian and diplomat Joseph Nye gives us the 30,000-foot view of the shifts in power between China and the US, and the global implications as economic, political and “soft” power shifts and moves around the globe.
Bio
His description of soft power, hand movements, posture and unlabored breathing suggest he is also a practitioner of Tai Chi.
David McCandless turns complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut — and it may just change the way we see the world.
Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world’s emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there’s a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives.
‘We used to dial, now we speed-dial.
We used to read, now we speed-read.
We used to walk, now we speed-walk.
We used to date, now we speed-date.’
In this unmissable look at the magic of comics, Scott McCloud bends the presentation format into a cartoon-like experience, where colorful diversions whiz through childhood fascinations and imagined futures that our eyes can hear and touch.
‘Ellen Dunham-Jones fires the starting shot for the next 50 years’ big sustainable design project: retrofitting suburbia. To come: Dying malls rehabilitated, dead “big box” stores re-inhabited, parking lots transformed into thriving wetlands.’
Ellen cites striking statistics on suburban health, oil dependence, and surprising transportation costs, as well as an upsurge in public desire for urban lifestyles. She moves on to showcase inspiring examples of dead malls and parking lots being resurrected as thriving community hubs, gourmet grocery stores, and art studio collectives. Posse up!
‘Researcher Hans Rosling uses his cool data tools to show how countries are pulling themselves out of poverty. He demos Dollar Street, comparing households of varying income levels worldwide. Then he does something really amazing.’
Hans Rosling’s new insights on poverty
Humorously presented with vivid theatricality.
Artists (27)
Audio (5)
Places (5)
Sites (33)
Speakers (9)