documentary – An Autonomous Agent

NOVA – Life’s Rocky Start

anautonomousagent — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 15:01:33 +0000

Life’s Rocky Start gives a decent educational account of the importance of minerals to both the formation (assuming life originated on Earth) and the progressive development of life. It is one of the few documentaries I have seen that properly shines light on the importance of meteorites to the understanding of planetary formation. The documentary starts by visiting Marrakesh, Morocco to show how meteorites are obtained in the infamous Northwest Africa region. I only wished it developed more on this meteorite theme.

The Coming War on China – John Pilger

anautonomousagent — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 02:31:45 +0000

John Pilger’s upcoming film The Coming War on China (Consider supporting via the link on his Indiegogo page)

The link on YouTube keeps getting removed. Once an official version is posted I’ll update this post with a fresh link. Until then…

The Scientist – Raphael Mechoulam

anautonomousagent — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 02:13:07 +0000

The Scientist details the life and work of Raphael Mechoulam, the grandfather of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). He stands in that class of wonderful thinkers which includes people like Albert Hofmann, Alexander Shulgin, among others.

The Philosopher’s Stone – LSD documentary

anautonomousagent — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 01:08:13 +0000

A wonderful collection of talks given at the 100th birthday celebration of Albert Hofmann in 2006.

The Philosopher’s Stone – LSD documentary : Part 1

The Philosopher’s Stone – LSD documentary : Part 2

Dirty Pictures (2010) – Alexander and Ann Shulgin Documentary

anautonomousagent — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 17:59:04 +0000

Excellent documentary about Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin and his work!

Millennium – David Maybury-Lewis

anautonomousagent — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 04:13:05 +0000

Millennium is a powerful and inspiring documentary series with David Maybury-Lewis.

Metamorphosis – Ayahuasca Documentary

anautonomousagent — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 02:15:33 +0000

Documentary of an ayahuasca ceremony in Peru at the Blue Morpho Ayahuasca center.

Metamorphosis – Ayshuasca Documentary by Keith Aronowitz

Thorium – Kirk Sorenson

anautonomousagent — Mon, 11 May 2015 01:20:18 +0000

Kirk Sorenson does an excellent job describing the current state of the American nuclear energy program and its future. He sees hope from the current enthusiasm of the Chinese, who are developing extensive nuclear reactor technology. Perhaps their focus will encourage the rest of the world. The nuclear energy field has been plagued by misconceptions for decades. There is a definite need for someone to stand up and cut through all the ignorance surrounding this important subject.

There are probably hundreds of new reactor designs. Kirk’s favourite is the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR). He talks extensively about its benefits, its problems, its safety, and how it can be put into operation. Hopefully, people will see his arguments as valid and convincing. Read more on his blog: Energy from Thorium. Gordon McDowell’s videos present the ideas of Sorenson in a clear and concise manner and there are numerous lectures and talks given by Sorenson on YouTube.

I would also recommend James Mahaffey’s book, Atomic Awakening.

Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

anautonomousagent — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:08:00 +0000

In the documentary Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death the BBC takes a detailed look at one of the worst humanitarian disasters and ruthless killing of natives done during the imperial colonization era.

White King — King Leopold II of Belgium; Red Rubber — book by E. D. Morel; Black Death — Congolese killed number in the millions.

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)

anautonomousagent — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 02:26:00 +0000

Aaron Swartz was a critical protagonist and fighter for open access. Sadly, for Swartz, centralized sources of power detest such proponents of freedom. These power hungry institutions are constantly trying to win legal control over various aspects of the internet. Restriction and control of the internet inevitably results in clever ways around such imposed sanctions. Why then, do they keep trying?! Money, as usual, is the answer. And it is the responsibility of all freedom supporting internet users to demand and fight for such rights as seem necessary to uphold the open and free internet. I hope that one day the US constitution includes internet access rights.

Swartz’s vision of the internet as a way to empower the individual is a powerful force for democracy and societal progress. I suggest watching the documentary and biography, The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz.

Swartz ran into trouble when he tried to show the world how academic journal producers restrict access to their publications. They lockup knowledge and scientific discoveries inside virtual safes, where any combination of $$$$ will unlock the door. It is a shame. Academic knowledge should be shared and free to access; for a good example go to arXiv.org, also The Social Science Research Network.

P.S. I found out the other day that one of the coauthors of RSS was Aaron Swartz — when he was only 14 years old, wow! What would I do without RSS feeds!? They provide such a convenient and “simple” stream of articles, news, and updates. He was brilliant.