"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong" (Richard Feynman)
Most in the U.S., ethnocentrically think English is the most-widely spoken language. But if you think about it, that defies logic.
With just over 1.3 billion people (1,330,044,605 as of mid-2008), China is the world's largest and most populous country.
As the world's population is approximately 6.7 billion, China represents a full 20% of the world's population so one in every five people on the planet is a resident of China. (Matt Rosenberg, About.com).
If this is the case, there is no way English is the language with the most speakers. Check out the top 20 oral languages spoken on the planet.
An official update to the original "Shift Happens" video from Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, this June 2007 update includes new and updated statistics, thought-provoking questions and a fresh design. For more information, or to join the conversation, please visit http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com -- Content by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, design and development by XPLANE.
Check out this REMIX of Shift Happens 2.0 which is esp. compelling to students and teachers in US.
A student in the 2:30 section asked if you all could access all the TED Talks videos. Of course you can. Now when I mention things in class, it's your opportunity to find them yourselves. Be hungry. Make a note and GOOGLE it later. In any case, here is the link to all the videos. TED TALK VIDEOS. I love the great graphics and image design, not to mention the edutainment and graphics within the talks themselves!
NOTE: If you missed class, you must watch the following video shown on Thursday Oct 11. Others can also watch it again to question and analyze his points and project.
William McDonough: The wisdom of designing Cradle to Cradle Architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "All children, all species, for all time." A tireless proponent of absolute sustainability (with a deadpan sense of humor), he explains his philosophy of "cradle to cradle" design, which bridge the needs of ecology and economics.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: What kind of political structures have humans practiced in the past that would assist us in facilitating McDonough notion of "absolute sustainability"? How does the chapter on POLITICAL SYSTEMS (Chap 7 in Kottak) provide insights into not simply our past but perhaps what 's possible in the future of absolute sustainability? What can you imagine the future looks like as a political system for absolute sustainability?
Chapter 7 Political Systems Overview: This chapter discusses political organization in bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states, as well as some of the social and economic features commonly found in these types of societies.
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