The Earth is under constant bombardment. Each year, many fragments of debris hit our planet. Fortunately for us, most are so small that they burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere. However, there are hundreds of larger asteroids orbiting near the Earth. Many scientists now believe that one of these hit the Earth 65 million years ago, killing the dinosaurs, along with 90% of all life on the planet. What is more, it is only a matter of time before the Earth is hit again.
Channel 4 is pinning its hopes on digital mavericks (that means you), the headline on today's Sunday Herald feature on 4iP. It's not a bad piece for setting out some of the context of '4 Innovation for the Public', the new element of Channel 4 for which I am its first (and currently only) Commissioner. It also sets out the importance we place on getting some great ideas turned into tangible mobile, web or game-space as soon as possible.
Ross picks up on the potential for what's to come in his blogged summary of Wednesday's briefing and stakeholder event in Glasgow, stressing the potential that starts in 38minutes for companies and individuals to club together with their skills and aptitudes, creating projects that with the traditional boundaries and disaggregation of the creative industries would not be possible: “There’s more insulation on Scottish agencies than on most hot water tanks”...
38minutes is an interesting example of what small amounts of money - or no amounts of money - can do while creating significant impact. A few people have sneered (via email or even to my face) about the perceived 'cheapness' of using Ning as a platform for connecting and collaborating, but the impact of this network, like all others, is not to be found in its code but in the people who choose to devote some time and effort to collaborating on it. And for that, 38minutes has been a roaring success.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland we see a fairly disaggregated creative economy, the elements of which have rarely connected with each other beyond cliquey friendships and haphazard arrangements.
In Dundee we have some of the world's greatest game-makers (most of the titles you play on the Wii, DS, XBox and PS3 come from here) and, like in Edinburgh, a spattering of incredibly talented graphic artists and new media workshops. In Edinburgh, alongside these you can find some of Britain's top creative talent from the PR, ad and marketing scenes, as well as world class Artificial Intelligence research and business coming from the universities. Meanwhile, Glasgow has tended to support a strong independent TV scene, spawning a multitude of new media companies covering every size of screen you can imagine.
38minutes.co.uk has not been marketed, sold or advertised. Initially, its Channel 4 members told seven people about it. One month on we're approaching 400 members, all of them top class new media producers from one of these sub-sectors, ready to collaborate on the next generation of public service... well, not broadcasting.
What we're after is anything that is not telly, but which helps change the lives of people in Britain, and which may have the potential to change the lives of people wherever else they may be. By not being about broadcasting, limited by the geography of transmission towers, 4iP could create projects that have a global impact on the way we use, adapt, share, manipulate data, create change and improve the world around us.
So, having already turned around a few ideas submitted through the online proposals system since our launch in Scotland this week, never has there been a better time to get to know your colleagues in the new media business, suggest your ideas and land a 4iP commission in the coming weeks and months. *
* Make sure you read the ethos of the fund before applying, and that you are or are prepared to start living, working or spending your production budget in Scotland, Northern Ireland or one of the other regions in which 4iP is working.
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As Albert Einstein lay on his deathbed, he asked only for his glasses, his writing implements and his latest equations. He knew he was dying, yet he continued his work. In those final hours of his life, while fading in and out of consciousness, he was working on what he hoped would be his greatest
The Mythbusters test the myth that you can extinguish a flame with a human voice, and they test various hypnosis myths.
Look behind the assembly lines and find out how Yogurt, Candles, Neon Signs, and Bookbinding are made.
Throughout history, one thing has never changed - time. It is something we rely on to plan our lives, and it is consistent, regular and ceaseless. But is it? High in the Alps, Michio encounters a mystery - tiny particles called muons which shouldn't exist. They don't last long enough to be detected on Earth - and yet here they are. The answer to this mystery lies in one of the greatest discoveries of all time - Einstein's theory of relativity. The faster you travel, the slower time ticks. So time is not fixed at all.
Adam Curtis takes on one of the politicians' favorite rhetorical toolsthe notion of freedomand finds that it has been bastardized by not only American neo-conservatives, but a bevy of academics and researchers. He explores the argument that contemporary Western society is on the verge of anism due to the paranoid theories developed to fight the Cold War. Rational choice theory, which sees humans as self-serving robots, has become the defining assumption for the power elites. In turn, we are nowhere near as free as we think we are.
Having appeared in the Wall Street Journal stateside a few weeks ago, little could I have known what sexy new role the financial press would take on as we struggle to understand what's going on around us. I don't know if my big bro Neil could've known either, but congrats to him on being made Editor of the WSJ.com Europe edition. Where would you start on innovating online publishing, as he's done in the Guardian these past 'n' years, when the thing you write about is collapsing around your ears? Looking forward to seeing the answer unfold in the coming months and years.
In this documentary, music makers hear from big name artists how hard it is to get into and get started in the industry of music
The idea of God's evil enemy has been around for thousands of years & it's still as powerful as ever. Where did Satan's story begin, where did he come from & how did he become the Prince of Darkness? This documentary seeks to answer these questions.
Harpist Catrin Finch goes on a music journey to discover the ancient and fascinating history of the harp in Wales and the world.
Narrated by Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker, BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES is an unsettling and inspiring look at todays popular music industry featuring interviews and performances by Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Branford Marsalis, ?uestlove and a wide variety of others. The documentary film has built a passionate following as the most important film a music fan will ever see (XM Radio) by providing a balanced overview of the state of the rock scene of America (The Wall Street Journal) and adding passion to the eternal debate about the industry (The New York Times). Last year, BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen walked away from traditional Hollywood distribution to instead pursue a large-scale grassroots release with B-Side Entertainment. Since its release in November 2006, the film has screened over 200 times in over 130 North American markets with hundreds of additional events anticipated worldwide during 2007. Use this site to learn more about the film, where you can see it, ways you can own it, and - most importantly - how you can get involved in sharing it with others.
Ray Santilli hit headlines with filmed 'evidence' of surgeons doing an autopsy on an alien. Under questioning by Eamonn Holmes, Santilli reveals the truth for the first time on camera.
Documentary that focuses on the period when the Egyptian Empire reached its apogee. In "The Last Great Pharaoh"...a new dynasty emerges. Threatened from abroad, Ramses II leads an army north to fight the Hittites at Kadesh. The battle becomes his crowning achievement and the basis for a new period of stability and wealth. Resources flood into Egypt. A new capital is built, artisans revel in an explosive period of building and The House of Life becomes the intellectual center for the empire. However, foreign powers once again threaten, and some provinces question their allegiance. After the long reign of Ramses II, the great tombs are systematically looted and civil war ensues. Though Egypt is once again divided, the period known as the New Kingdom has left a rich legacy that reverberates through the ages.
David Icke speaks to the constituents of Haltemprice and Howden about the 'Big Brother' election, forced by the resignation of David Davis, and the move towards the global Big Brother enslavement we are all facing. (Official Full Version)
Folk master Pete Seeger narrates Alan Lomax's documentary on the evolution and appreciation of American folk music. Special cameo performances include Woody Guthrie and Brownie McGhee, amongst many others. See more films at: http://www.weirdovideo.com
History's Turning Points: The Battle of Actium transports viewers to ancient Rome for a showdown of great importance. Via on-location dramatizations, the program re-creates the day Octavia defeated Antony, becoming Rome's first emperor.
There's no fiercer looking or more dangerous insect than the giant Japanese hornet. The film follows the life of a giant hornet queen as she emerges from hibernation and starts to build her colony in an old temple garden. At first she is vulnerable, fighting bad weather as she painstakingly constructs her paper nest. But as workers hatch, her empire gains strength and desperate for food the hornets start to search for their favorite meal honeybee grubs.