Curated Video
Modernity and Imperialism
Author and independent scholar Pankaj Mishra talks about how modernity arrived in Asia, Latin America and Africa under the auspices of imperialism and exploitative capitalism while highlighting how it was also problematic for many people...
Curated Video
The Last Genius
Intellectual historian Darrin McMahon, Dartmouth College, talks about Einstein as the last true genius in history, the present, all-pervading genius culture and what that means for the future.
Curated Video
Experiencing East versus West
Historian Maria Mavroudi, UC Berkeley, talks about how we can make sense of both the distinction and the unity between West and East by taking into account different human experiences.
Curated Video
Lying and Politics
Historian Martin Jay, UC Berkeley, talks about the situations in which lying takes place in politics and might be justified and even expected in adversarial, diplomatic and other situations.
Curated Video
Better Science
Historian of science, Michael Gordin, Printceton University, talks about the demarcation between science and pseudcoscience and how very few fringe theories that are empirically wrong actually survive by letting the scientific process...
Curated Video
Fault Lines in China
Karl Gerth, Professor of Chinese Studies, UC San Diego. talks about the many fault lines in Chinese society, such as environmental degradation, that are well-known to everybody, including Chinese leaders and how solutions are not as...
Curated Video
Comparing USA vs. China
Political theorist John Dunn, University of Cambridge, compares and contrasts how well the USA and China have been governed from an economic and human rights perspective since 1979 up to the present day.
Curated Video
Technology to the Rescue
Historian David Cannadine, Princeton University, discusses how he expects that by taking advantage of technological advances in higher education a much broader audience will be able to take a more critical look at the simplistic...
Hip Hughes History
The Black Death Explained: Global History Review
Just how dark were the Dark Ages? How did the Black Plague kill up to 100 million people and change the face of the Earth?
Curated Video
Civic Virtue & Democratic Principle
“Civic Virtue and Democratic Principle” defines the terms civic virtue and democratic principles and discusses examples of each in terms of community and the classroom.
Curated Video
Citizenship and Personal Responsibility
This lesson explains how citizenship includes obligations by describing examples of how citizens exercise personal responsibility.
Mr. Beat
When Abortion Became Legal | Roe v. Wade
In the first episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat explains one of the most controversial cases in American history- Roe v. Wade. A young woman named Norma McCorvey was single, pregnant, and scared about her future. She wanted an...
Mr. Beat
Why You Get a Lawyer If You Can't Afford One | Gideon v. Wainwright
In episode 9 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man can't afford a lawyer, struggles to defend himself in court, gets convicted of a crime he didn't commit, writes a letter, and everything turns out all groovy.
Mr. Beat
The Federal Government Gets More Power | Gibbons v. Ogden
In episode 16 of Supreme Court Briefs, two dudes fight over whether or not one can operate his steamboat in New York. In the end, the federal government just gets more power.
Mr. Beat
Why You Can Buy The Next President | Citizens United v. FEC
In episode 10 of Supreme Court Briefs, a corporation argues it has the right to spend as much money as it wants on a political campaign because of the First Amendment.
Mr. Beat
The Difference Between Gambling and Gaming | FCC v ABC
In episode 31 of Supreme Court Briefs, a game show gives away money and stuff, and the FCC gets all upset and tries to stop it.
Mr. Beat
When Does a Police Officer Go Too Far? | Graham v. Connor
In episode 15 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man with diabetes is beat up by the police who think he is drunk and just robbed a convenience store. Spoiler alert- he didn't.
Mr. Beat
Broadcast Television on Your Phone? | ABC v. Aereo
In episode 14 of Supreme Court Briefs, a company trying to show broadcast television on phones and tablets gets sued by, you guessed it, broadcast companies.
Mr. Beat
Protecting Whistleblowers | New York Times Co. v. United States
In episode 24 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man exposes dark government secrets about the Vietnam War, and gets in big trouble from the government for it. Should whistleblowers be protected?
Mr. Beat
Ending School Segregation | Brown v. Board of Education
In episode 8 of Supreme Court Briefs, the Court unanimously has major issues with Plessy v. Ferguson, and ends up dramatically changing the future of the Civil Rights Movement by ruling segregation "inherently unequal.”
Mr. Beat
Is Prayer Allowed at Public School? | Engel v. Vitale
In the third episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat examines the first of many Supreme Court cases dealing with the separation of church and state- Engel v. Vitale.
The state board of education said that students were to open each...
Mr. Beat
Does Congress Have Implied Powers? | McCulloch v. Maryland
In the second episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat makes one of the most boring Supreme Court cases in American history somewhat more interesting. It was, after all, QUITE A FREAKING BIG DEAL. Washington, D.C. 1816 The United States...
Curated Video
The Sociology of Religion
Frans de Waal, Emory University’s award-winning primatologist discusses how the current anthropological thinking is that religious sentiment developed to control group behavior once societies reached a certain size.
Curated Video
The Role of Gesture
Linguist Carol Padden (UC San Diego) describes how recognizing the difference between gesture and sign language shouldn’t prevent us from investigating how gesture helps brings languages into being.