October 31, 2016
Best of Luck with the Wall

A voyage across the US-Mexico border, stitched together from 200,000 satellite images.

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October 28, 2016
3 Rules for Rulers

CGP Grey simplifies the lessons from The Dictator’s Handbook to present an incredibly depressing yet ultimately pragmatic picture of how leadership – be it of a country or a family – is achieved and sustained. Our robot overlords can’t get here soon enough.

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October 27, 2016
We've Reached the End of White Christian America

The United States is no longer a majority white, Christian country, and that is already beginning to have profound social and political implications. At 45 percent of the population, white Christians are a shrinking demographic — and the backlash from many members of the group against the increasing diversification of America has been swift and bitter. “People fight like that when they are losing a sense of place, a sense of belonging, and a sense of the country that they understand and love,” says Robert P. Jones, the author of 'The End of White Christian America,' in this animated interview. “How do they reengage in public life when they can’t be the majority?”

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October 26, 2016
Tom Hayden: The Battlefield of Memory

Tom Hayden speaks about why we must challenge the Pentagon on the battlefield of memory at the 2015 Vietnam: The Power of Protest conference in Washington, D.C.

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October 25, 2016
The Most Efficient Way to Destroy the Universe

What if there is a way to destroy the universe so fundamentally that life as we know it will be impossible forever?

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October 24, 2016
Introverts vs Extroverts

Which personality trait is better?

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October 21, 2016
Where Do the Calendar Months Get Their Names?

The answer is, ancient Rome! But the specifics are a bit complicated.

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October 20, 2016
Affect vs. Effect

Comma Quenn explains “Affect” is a verb, and “effect” is a noun—except when it’s the other way around.

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October 19, 2016
Proposition 13: Mad as Hell

In bold documentary style, Retro Report looks back at the major stories that shaped the world using fresh interviews, analysis and compelling archival footage. Produced by Retro Report for The New York Times.

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October 18, 2016
The Best Last Best Plane Ride Ever

On October 15, 1986, the New York Mets came back from a three-run deficit in the ninth and beat the Houston Astros in 16 innings to win the pennant. This film recreates the Mets' infamous postgame celebration, from champagne in the jacuzzi to the destruction of a perfectly good Ozark Airlines DC-10. Starring the voices of Lenny Dykstra, Dwight Gooden, Kevin Mitchell, and Darryl Strawberry.

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October 17, 2016
Thousands of Books Reshelved

In preparation for the reopening of the New York Public Libary's Rose Main Reading Room, watch 52,000 books being shelved...in just two minutes.

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October 14, 2016
Why is Trump Such a Weirdo About Dogs?

Keith Olbermann wonders why when it comes to canines, Donald Trump is bizarrely ignorant — and strangely obsessed.

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October 13, 2016
Where Does Complexity Come From?

This video is about the difference between complexity and entropy, and how complex things like life can arise from disorder. Thanks to Google Making and Science for supporting this series, and to Sean Carroll for collaborating on it!

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October 12, 2016
Calculating Ada: The Countess of Computers

Ada Lovelace was a most unlikely computer pioneer. In this film, Dr Hannah Fry tells the story of Ada's remarkable life. Born in the early 19th century Ada was a countess of the realm, a scandalous socialite and an 'enchantress of numbers'. The film is an enthralling tale of how a life infused with brilliance, but blighted by illness and gambling addiction, helped give rise to the modern era of computing.

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October 11, 2016
How British and American Spelling Parted Ways

These days, when we want to know how to spell a word, we have an accepted authority to look to: the dictionary. But that wasn’t always the case. Here's how Brits and Americans came to look to two different authorities.

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October 10, 2016
Why Don’t Americans Use Bidets?

A mini-shower for your nether region, bidets are a popular way worldwide to keep said regions tidy, and there are plenty of extremely inexpensive options for easily outfitting any standard toilet with one. So why has this popular bathroom fixture not caught on in the United States? Old prejudices, (surprisingly new) habit, and comfort-level. (Note: Toilet paper wasn’t commonly used in the United States until the 20th century)

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October 7, 2016
The Origin of Dogs

How and when did wild wolves turn into domestic pets? Science tells us that humans were behind the domestication of what is now man’s best friend—but the timeline of the transformation has always been mysterious. In this video, Atlantic science writer Ed Yong explains the surprising origin of dogs in light of new research.

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October 6, 2016
The Forger

As a teenager, Adolfo Kaminsky saved thousands of lives by forging passports to help children flee the Nazis. He spent his life helping others escape atrocities around the world.

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October 5, 2016
Theatre Masks (1956)

At the London Theatre Zoo, St Martin's Lane, Dyke Richens and Eric Gledhill demonstrate their mask making skills.

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October 4, 2016
Film Meets Art II

All art forms feed off from each other, and film is no different. More examples are shown here as an expansion of the first Film Meets Art video.

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October 3, 2016
James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley

James Baldwin debates William F. Buckley at Cambridge Union Society, Cambridge University, October 26, 1965. The topic of the debate was, “The American Dream is at the expense of the American negro.”

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