BBC News – Sharing: Chimp study reveals origins of human fair play

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20973753
14 January 2013 Last updated at 21:04 ETBy Victoria Gill BBC reporter

Sharing plays an important role in a co-operative chimp society
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• Are humans born fair?
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The human tendency to share may have more ancient evolutionary routes than previously thought.

This is according to a study of the performance of chimpanzees in a test called the “ultimatum game”.

Traditionally, the game is employed as a test of economics; two people decide how to divide a sum of money.

This modified game, in which two chimps decided how to divide a portion of banana slices, seems to have revealed the primates’ generous side.

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was part of an effort to uncover the evolutionary routes of why we share, even when it does not make economic sense.

Scientists say this innate fairness is an important foundation of co-operative societies like ours.    …(more).

Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Online Robin Hood Aaron Swartz pushed to suicide by prosecutors?

RTAmerica

Published on Jan 14, 2013

At the age of 14, Aaron Swartz helped to develop RSS and created a company that later became known as the website Reddit. The Internet genius was found dead on Friday after he allegedly committed suicide and it is believed his alleged involvement in a hacking incident with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology pushed him over the edge. Swartz was seen as an online Robin Hood, but his legal troubles and his ongoing battle with depression lead him to end his life at the age of 26. RT’s Kristine Frazao remembers the Internet activist.

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

‘Idle No More’ aims to help indigenous Canadians – YouTube

RTAmerica

Published on Jan 9, 2013

In Canada, a movement known as Idle No More has been getting a lot of attention. The effort calls on people to protect the resources of the indigenous societies from proposed bill C-45 and has sparked protests across the country. Aura Bogado, blogger for The Nation, joins us with more on the efforts of the Canadian Parliament and why it’s important protect the indigenous.

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

The Escalator by PBS Climate of Doubt

John Cook

Published on Jan 6, 2013

The Skeptical Science Escalator (by Dana Nuccitelli) featured in the PBS documentary Climate of Doubt

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

“An Incredible Soul”: Lawrence Lessig on Aaron Swartz After Leading Cyberactivist’s Suicide. 1 & 2

democracynow

Published on Jan 14, 2013

DemocracyNow.org – Today we remember the pioneering computer programmer and cyberactivist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life Friday at the age of 26. As a teenager, Swartz helped develop RSS, revolutionizing how people use the internet, going on to co-own Reddit, now one of the world’s most popular sites. He was also a key architect of Creative Commons and an organizer of the grassroots movement to defeat the controversial House internet censorship bill, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the Senate bill, The PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

Watch Part 2 of this interview:

Swartz hanged himself just weeks before the start of a controversial trial. He was facing up to 35 years in prison sneaking into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and downloading millions of articles provided by the subscription-based academic research service JSTOR. We hear Swartz in his own words and speak to Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig, a longtime mentor and friend. “There are a thousand things we could have done, and we have to do because Aaron Swartz is now an icon, an ideal,” Lessig says. “He’s what we will be fighting for, all of us, for the rest of our lives.” Lessig also echoes the claims of Swartz’s parents that decisions made by prosecutors and MIT contributed to his death, saying: “This was somebody who was pushed to the edge by what I think of as kind of a bullying by our government.”

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Media

Freedom to Connect: Aaron Swartz (1986-2013) on Victory To Save Open Internet, Fight Online Censors

democracynow

Published on Jan 14, 2013

DemocracyNow.org – Cyberactivist and computer programmer Aaron Swartz took his life on Friday at the age of 26. We air an address of Swartz’s from last May where he speaks about the battle to defeat The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA — a campaign he helped lead. “[SOPA] will have yet another name, and maybe a different excuse, and probably do its damage in a different way, but make no mistake, the enemies of the freedom to connect have not disappeared,” Swartz said. “… Next time, they might just win. Let’s not let that happen.”

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Media

Noam Chomsky Lessons of Vietnam 1985 LOST LECTURE MUST LISTEN Part 1 of 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_805775&feature=iv&index=1&list=PLV6uKaCiJtJTSymN2mcv0Ma1tbRUNwigS&src_vid=l8NBbBMj_Xg&v=l8NBbBMj_Xg
Akshay Pahilajani

Published on Dec 26, 2012

Extremely interesting
Noam Chomsky Lessons of Vietnam LOST LECTURE given in March,1985
Must Listen
I’m sorry I couldn’t find the video for this. Thanks to
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/11419
And
http://chomsky.info/audionvideo.htm
for the audio.

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Bill Maher lays waste to Global Warming deniers

kubush

Uploaded on Jun 9, 2010

Bill Maher rips Global Warming deniers a new one.

Global Climate Change http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre130
Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Science, Religion & Human Nature – The Chomsky Sessions – (2)

Tannhauser108

Published on Sep 16, 2012

Z Video Productions. February 2010. Interviewer – Michael Albert, co-founder of Z Communications.This is the second session of a 5-part series.

Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120

Falkvinge: Aaron Swartz was a prodigy going up against powers

RussiaToday

Published on Jan 14, 2013

The family of American web wizard and information activist Aaron Swartz says he may have been driven to suicide by the ferocious prosecution process against him. Aged 26, the internet crusader faced decades in jail for downloading millions of academic papers, which he believed should be available to everyone. Rick Falkvinge, an IT entrepreneur and founder of the Swedish Pirate Party says the majority of all information should be free to whoever wants it.

Environmental Justice http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre145
Environment Ethics http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120
media