King Philip's Autograph Session — A Restored Painting Provokes a Prank
A 400-year-old monarch comes out of retirement to celebrate his portrait’s restoration. And museum-goers want his autograph.
The Battle for Control — What People Who Worry About the Internet Are Really Worried About
While sophisticated arguments about how the Internet is changing our brains continue, a look back at the history of communications systems shows we’re really arguing about something more base.
"It Sounded Stupid When I Said It" — The Today Show Encounters the Internet ala 1994
How do you pronounce “@”? How do you read out an email address? These were tough questions in 1994, as this video reveals.
Why Is the Internet Considered to Be "Artificial"?
The artificiality of Internet inventions and experiences is about novelty, not artificiality. We’ve always been pretenders.
Two Publishers — One Old, One New — Square Off Without Knowing It
The publisher of Harper’s proves himself an anachronist, while O’Reilly scolds other publishers to wake up!
Year-End Picks for 2010: The Chefs Choose the Cream of the Crop
A week of picks from 2010, and gratitude to everyone involved.
Government Printing Office Introduces “Squeaks the Mouse,” Celebrating the Miracle of Print
In the Internet age, the GPO celebrates print with a comic book — a video worth watching for its throwback charm.
Information Brunching — “Amazon Singles” Finds Space Between Essays and Books
Amazon’s latest play is aimed squarely at academics. Will it revive the moribund monograph market?
State of the Art II — The Future of Technology in the Classroom
Harvard’s Paul Bergen: “The slow accretion of technology into the educational system is the result of the teacher and not the learner.”
It’s the End of the Book As We Know It — and I Feel Fine
As bookstores and books in general meet the fate of physical media everywhere, maybe we should celebrate.
Badminton, the Rant — “They’re Dropping Off Their Kids, They’re Leaving Skid Marks!”
In this clip, a mother (and sportscaster) recounts the devastating game of badminton and its effects on her life.
The Old Spice Guy Celebrates Libraries and the Words They Contain
The over-preening Old Spice Guy likes libraries, and celebrates them in a short, funny video. Too bad a parody from BYU is even better.
Conan Doyle Creates Holmes for Science, Then Descends Into Pseudoscience
The creator of the detective of the scientific age seems to have abandoned science as he aged.
Does Thinking Benefit More from Contemplation or Exchange?
Distractions spur thoughts, so why do we want deep, contemplative thinking?
SSP Attendees Visit the Internet Archive, a Cathedral of Universal Access
SSP Annual Meeting attendees tour the Internet Archive, and see what it really takes to make this modern Library of Alexandria.