Things

Teotihuacan

2012-02-23T08:00:37Z

World Literature series #13: The Thousand and One Nights

2012-02-22T08:00:50Z

Concluding the World Lit series from Annenberg Learner is the collection of Arabic tales known as The Thousand and One Nights, which includes the stories of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad.

Click on the illustration of Shahrazad (or Scheherazade) below to watch the excellent video about The Thousand and One Nights at learner.org featuring comic book writer Bill Willingham (Fables). At their site you can also read excerpts from the collection and explore a map, timeline, and slideshow about it.

Red Blood Cells

2012-02-21T08:00:31Z

Here's a great video about how our blood acquires oxygen from our lungs to deliver it throughout our body. It also answers the question on why our blood isn't filled with nitrogen, by far a more abundant element in the air we breathe than oxygen.

Note: This video is from the fantastic Khan Academy collection of educational videos.

Renoir's La Loge

2012-02-20T08:00:04Z

Renoir, La Loge, 1874 from Smarthistory Videos on Vimeo.

Train Word Problem

2012-02-19T08:00:08Z

Note: This video is from the fantastic Khan Academy collection of educational videos.

Massachusetts 54th Regiment

2012-02-18T08:00:02Z

World Literature series #12: The God of Small Things

2012-02-17T08:00:38Z

Next up in the World Lit series from Annenberg Learner is the Indian novel The God of Small Things written in 1997 by Arundhati Roy. The novel shifts back and forth through time and tells the story of fraternal twins Rahel and Estha.

Click on the illustration of the twins' mother Ammu below to watch the excellent video about The God of Small Things at learner.org. At their site you can also read excerpts from the novel and explore a map, timeline, and slideshow about it.

7 Wonders of the Microbe World: Life on Mars

2012-02-16T08:00:36Z

Last up in the Open University's "Seven Wonders of the Microbe World" series is the potential for life on Mars.

Nike of Samothrace

2012-02-15T08:00:23Z

Nike of Samothrace, c. 190 B.C.E. from Smarthistory Videos on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:00:55Z

For a fun surprise, type this expression into a Google search:

sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5

(or just click here) and have a mathematically accurate Valentine's Day!