Jonathan Zittrain talks about the internet within the context of his book: The Future of the Internet -- And How to Stop It.
Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University

Paul Saffo discusses Embracing Uncertainty: Connecting Policy to Long-Range Forecasting.A movie star as governor? No way! Planes hitting skyscrapers? The stuff of horror films! Forecasters struggle to anticipate an ever-stranger geopolitical reality. In this moment of unprecedented uncertainty and change, says Saffo, it is tempting to conclude that forecasting is as dangerous as it is futile.In fact, connecting short-term policy to long-range forecasting is surprisingly easy - and absolutely crucial to meeting the challenges before us. All it takes is a simple shift in perspective and a few common-sense heuristics.Saffo is a legendary technology forecaster, with over two decades of experience exploring long-term technological change and its impact on business and society - The Commonwealth Club of California

Michael Gazzaniga was recently honored with the opportunity to give the prestigious Gifford Lectures--joining the ranks of renowned thinkers ranging from William James and John Dewey to Hannah Arendt and Carl Sagan. Fortunately, his series of talks have been posted on-line. So, without further ado, you can find all of the lectures below the fold...

Mystical Brain reveals the exploratory work of a team from the University of Montreal who seek to understand the states of grace experienced by mystics and those who meditate. Filmmaker Isabelle Raynauld offers up scientific research, which proposes that mystical ecstasy is a transformative experience and could to contribute to people's psychic and physical health, treat depression and speed up the healing process when combined with conventional medicine. In French with English subtitles.

Talking at the US State Department this summer, Hans Rosling uses his fascinating data-bubble software to burst myths about the developing world. Look for new analysis on China and the post-bailout world, mixed with classic data shows.

Marc Owens's augmented reality project "Avatar Machine" puts its users in VR helmets that display the world around them as though they were playing a third-person game, so that their own body is seen from behind. Owens theorizes that "The system potentially allows for a diminished sense of social responsibility, and could lead the user to demonstrate behaviors normally reserved for the gaming environment." (Avatar Machine (via Beyond the Beyond)

Interview with Bohm at the Nils Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, 1989.

Back in 2000, Tom Friedman recounts, the world began to shrink and flatten, under the influence of digital interconnectivity. Elaborating on his World is Flat thesis, Friedman describes how this new global order puts creative, entrepreneurial individuals in the driver’s seat, and poses distinct new challenges and opportunities.