lectures & documentaries
In 2008, I discovered the Authors@Google series and made it my goal to view or listen to as many lectures and documentaries as I could online during the year. It was a really enjoyable pursuit! I kept a pretty thorough list as I went along, although I should have kept the links along with my notes (would have saved me two hours this morning of re-looking up the videos).
Have to thank saeriellyn who got me started with a helpful little link to The Business of Being Born, and Dmitry Davydov who spurred my enthusiasm on by constantly updating his Best Documentaries blog.
Here's the list of online lectures and documentaries from 2008:
Authors@Google
1. Sam Gosling: What Your Stuff Says About You
2. Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food (really enjoyed this!)
3. Randall Munroe: XKCD
4. Mary Roach: The Curious Coupling of Science & Sex
5. Peter Sagal: Naughty Things and How to Do Them (not as scandalous as it sounds)
6. AJ Jacobs: One Man's Year of Living Biblically
7. William Irwin: The Simpsons & Philosophy
8. Michael Kodas: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed
9. Steve Ettlinger: Twinkie Deconstructed
10. Mark Penn: Microtrends
11. Flash crowds and the use of technology to form social groups that have impact in the real world (can't find the link to the video, too bad, because I loved it!)
12. Daniel Radosh: Rapture Ready (the video appears to have been removed from YouTube)
Religious Topics
13. Strong City: The End of the World Cult
14. Lifting the Veil of Polygamy: Fundamental vs. Mainline Mormonism (well-done!)
15. Missionary Positions: The XXX-Church (made me think differently about this group)
16. The Bible Tells Me So: Gay Christians & Their Families
17. The Good Book of Love: Sex in the Bible
18. Westboro Baptist Church: The Most Hated Family in America
19. Baby Bible Bashers
20. John Freeman: Homosexuals and the Church (excellent!)
21. Daniel Radosh: Does Christian Rock Suck? (the video is now private)
22. Divorce Sharia Style
23. Bill Maher: Religulous (stupid film, but he interviews some of my friends in part 7)
History & Technology
24. The True Story of Black Hawk Down
25. Modern Marvels: Surveillance Tech
26. CBC Witness: Security Threat
27. Hippies: History Channel Documentary
28. The History of Hacking (learned a ton from this one)
29. Google: Behind the Screen
30. Sustainable Living: Off the Grid in Northern Canada
Law & Politics
31. Immigration: How Britain Lost Count (intriguing!)
32. Inside the Saudi Kingdom
33. A Victim's World
34. Pen1: White Skinhead Gangs in OC
35. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (one person can make a difference)
36. Covert: Jack Garcia's Years Infiltrating the Mafia
Entertainment
37. The MPAA System: This Film is Not Yet Rated (warning: some NC-17 content)
38. Paris Hilton: The Selling of Celebrity
39. Manufacturing Dissent: Exposing Michael Moore
40. The Making of an American Beauty
41. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhythms (examines violence, sexism, masogeny, etc.)
42. Second Life: Online Love & Adultery
43. Born Rich: Disconnection of the Young Rich
Medical
44. Abigail & Brittany Hensel: The Twins Who Share a Body (really helped my view of people with disabilities)
45. Amazon Women: Female Bodybuilders
46. The Business of Being Born (the one that started it all)
47. Brain Story: In the Heat of the Moment
48. Dr. Money and the Boy With No Penis (the nature vs. nurture study)
I have a couple dozen lectures and documentaries already bookmarked for watching in 2009. Looking forward to it!
Have to thank saeriellyn who got me started with a helpful little link to The Business of Being Born, and Dmitry Davydov who spurred my enthusiasm on by constantly updating his Best Documentaries blog.
Here's the list of online lectures and documentaries from 2008:
Authors@Google
1. Sam Gosling: What Your Stuff Says About You
2. Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food (really enjoyed this!)
3. Randall Munroe: XKCD
4. Mary Roach: The Curious Coupling of Science & Sex
5. Peter Sagal: Naughty Things and How to Do Them (not as scandalous as it sounds)
6. AJ Jacobs: One Man's Year of Living Biblically
7. William Irwin: The Simpsons & Philosophy
8. Michael Kodas: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed
9. Steve Ettlinger: Twinkie Deconstructed
10. Mark Penn: Microtrends
11. Flash crowds and the use of technology to form social groups that have impact in the real world (can't find the link to the video, too bad, because I loved it!)
12. Daniel Radosh: Rapture Ready (the video appears to have been removed from YouTube)
Religious Topics
13. Strong City: The End of the World Cult
14. Lifting the Veil of Polygamy: Fundamental vs. Mainline Mormonism (well-done!)
15. Missionary Positions: The XXX-Church (made me think differently about this group)
16. The Bible Tells Me So: Gay Christians & Their Families
17. The Good Book of Love: Sex in the Bible
18. Westboro Baptist Church: The Most Hated Family in America
19. Baby Bible Bashers
20. John Freeman: Homosexuals and the Church (excellent!)
21. Daniel Radosh: Does Christian Rock Suck? (the video is now private)
22. Divorce Sharia Style
23. Bill Maher: Religulous (stupid film, but he interviews some of my friends in part 7)
History & Technology
24. The True Story of Black Hawk Down
25. Modern Marvels: Surveillance Tech
26. CBC Witness: Security Threat
27. Hippies: History Channel Documentary
28. The History of Hacking (learned a ton from this one)
29. Google: Behind the Screen
30. Sustainable Living: Off the Grid in Northern Canada
Law & Politics
31. Immigration: How Britain Lost Count (intriguing!)
32. Inside the Saudi Kingdom
33. A Victim's World
34. Pen1: White Skinhead Gangs in OC
35. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (one person can make a difference)
36. Covert: Jack Garcia's Years Infiltrating the Mafia
Entertainment
37. The MPAA System: This Film is Not Yet Rated (warning: some NC-17 content)
38. Paris Hilton: The Selling of Celebrity
39. Manufacturing Dissent: Exposing Michael Moore
40. The Making of an American Beauty
41. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhythms (examines violence, sexism, masogeny, etc.)
42. Second Life: Online Love & Adultery
43. Born Rich: Disconnection of the Young Rich
Medical
44. Abigail & Brittany Hensel: The Twins Who Share a Body (really helped my view of people with disabilities)
45. Amazon Women: Female Bodybuilders
46. The Business of Being Born (the one that started it all)
47. Brain Story: In the Heat of the Moment
48. Dr. Money and the Boy With No Penis (the nature vs. nurture study)
I have a couple dozen lectures and documentaries already bookmarked for watching in 2009. Looking forward to it!