From Walden to the White House
Source: The Sierra Club
In this blog entry, Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, explains why his organization is undertaking its first campaign of civil disobedience.
Culture & Society
The Emotional Lives of Animals
Source: PBS
Have you ever wondered if your pet has emotions? What connections do animals feel to people and to other animals? Read this excerpt from Marc Bekoff’s book The Emotional Lives of Animals. Then, explore the site for the PBS film Animal Odd Couples to learn about the special bonds animals form with unlikely partners.
Soccer Helping Young Refugees Find Footing in U.S.
Source: CNN
Refugees to the United States left their home countries under duress. This article and short video describe a program in California that uses soccer to help refugee children heal from their past and adapt to a new culture.
Joseph Kim: The Family I Lost in North Korea. And the Family I Gained.
Source: TED Talks
As a teen, Joseph Kim escaped alone from North Korea. Listen to his inspiring story as he remembers the family he lost and the family he gained in the United States.
In Search of America: One Nation, Indivisible
Source: Parade Magazine
For his book The Longest Road, Philip Caputo and his family drove across America to discover what binds us together. Read an excerpt from his book about what he discovers in Grand Island, Nebraska. Then, click on the link to view photos from life in this Midwestern town.
What Happened to the Two Other Men on Paul Revere’s Ride?
Source: How Stuff Works
Although their own “midnight” rides were as important as that of Paul Revere, the efforts of William Dawes, Samuel Prescott, and others have sometimes been forgotten. Read this exciting history of what happened that famous April night in 1775. You may not realize just how many people it took to spread the news that the British were coming.
The Day the Universe Changed
Source: BBC
With each new gadget, tech companies declare that everything has changed. Whether that’s true will remain to be seen, of course. Looking back, though, it’s far easier to see clearly what discoveries and inventions really did change everything. In this fascinating 10-part series, James Burke examines the advances that altered our world.
Why Seeing (the Unexpected) Is Often Not Believing
Source: National Public Radio
If you were walking in the park, talking on a cell phone, you’d notice a clown riding by on a unicycle, right? The surprising answer is, not necessarily. On this multimedia page, award-winning science reporter Alix Spiegel explores the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, in which we miss seeing something obvious but unexpected.
Wikipedia Bumps Women from “American Novelists” Category
Source: The Guardian
A scandal erupted when editors of an online encyclopedia removed the names of women from its American novelists page and put them into a separate all-women subcategory.
Mark Bezos: A Life Lesson from a Volunteer Firefighter
Source: TED
When ordered to “save” a pair of shoes from a fire, volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos felt terribly disappointed. After all, he had wanted to be a hero. Find out why he now thinks that we all should decide to get out there—and save the shoes.