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Onset of Civilization and Prospects for the Future I
October 12, 2005
Fred Spier anthropologist, University of Amsterdam
Jill Tarter radio astronomer, SETI Institute

Fred Speir and Jill Tarter examine the continuously unfolding story of cosmic evolution, the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came.

History | Science & Nature
Anthropology | Astronomy & Space | Humans & Nature
WGBH
Museum of Science, Boston
The Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It
Robert Zimmerman
01:24:20
The Hubble Space Telescope has produced the most stunning images of the cosmos humanity has ever seen. It has transformed our understanding of the universe, about its age and evolution, the life cycle of stars, and the very existence of black holes.
Eternally Green: Natural Burial and New Cemetery Landscapes
Mark Harris
01:05:00
Environmental journalist Mark Harris presents a history of the changes in American burial practices, from natural burials in the 17th and early 18th century, to the beginning of the funeral industry during the Civil War, to today's modern funeral with embalming (and its toxic chemicals), metal caske
The Gratitude Girls: 30 Days of Gratitude
Carolyn Buttram
00:58:29
Carolyn Buttram, Vanessa Lowry, and Robin Kirby, authors of the online book, 30 Days of Gratitude, explain how increasing gratitude can displace unwanted malice and other faults, thereby bringing peace and contentment to life. Their book can be downloaded at www.daysofgratitude.com.
Audio-only
Future of Farming (Part 1)
Lydia Ratcliff
00:09:08
Lydia Ratcliff, owner of the last working farm in Andover, Vermont, talks about the future of farming with ThoughtCast's Jenny Attiyeh.
Sarah Hrdy: Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
01:15:14
Anthropologist and primate sociobiologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy discusses her newest book, Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, in which she emphasizes the need to consider our Pleistocene ancestors' peculiar mode of child-rearing.
National Parks: America's Best Idea
Ken Burns
00:50:31
Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan discuss their new six-part PBS documentary series The National Parks: America's Best Idea.
Image of The Structure of Big History: From the Big Bang until Today
Author: Fred Spier
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press (1996)
Binding: Paperback, 120 pages
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