(Advanced) How Bacteria Talk

Bonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry - and our understanding of ourselves.

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How bactaria talk

(Higher Level to Advanced) Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

Renowned educationalist Sir Ken Robinson critiques the dominant model of education.

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RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

(Advanced) Whither Music?

Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) 

Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer and pianist.

In the 1970s he did set of interdisciplinary lectures at Harvard University in which he borrowed terminology from contemporary linguistics to analyse and compare musical construction to language. The title of the lecture series "The Unanswered Question" was taken from a symphonic work by American composer Charles Ives.

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The Unanswered Question

(Advanced) The Precariat

precarious |priˈke(ə)rēəs|
adjective
1 not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse : a precarious ladder.
2 dependent on chance; uncertain : she made a precarious living by writing.

DERIVATIVES
precariously adverb
precariousness noun

ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer’ ) + -ous .

Kim Hill interviews Professor Guy Standing, author of The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. Standing describes the new make up of global society as it has emerged in the last 30-40 years. One of the consequences of what is often called "neo-liberal" policy (the policy of corporatisation) is what he calls the emerging Precariat class which consists of many different social groups who have in common the experience of being unable to find a secure foothold in society.

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The Precariat

(Mid Level) Copycat

Finding himself at a loose end, Casino Roy did a Facebook search for people with the same name as him. He then replicated their profile pictures, turned the results into his own profile snap then sent each namesake a friend request.

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Copycat

(Mid Level) Letter Writing

This is very general advice. I'll keep looking for something with a bit more detail.

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Letter Writing

Now here's an example of a semi-formal email. It's crisp and friendly. He's quite a big shot and it's partly a letter of refusal (well it's more open-ended than that) so he has to weigh his words carefully. He knows he's dealing with a sensitive artist! How important is the word "unfortunately" in this letter? What about the word "any" in the same sentence - what purpose does it serve? Do you think he succeeds in not sounding like a jerk? What's his secret?

(Mid Level) A Letter of explanation

What is the apparent purpose of the letter? What is its real purpose?

Is it formal, informal or does it mix registers?

Look for formal or upper register language - how would this be said in plainer English? What are the purposes of adopting this register?

Which features could be described as narrative? How are fantasy and reality fused? How is characterisation achieved?

What techniques of tact are employed?

What subtleties might an adult reader discern that Emily may not?

How is Emily likely to respond to this letter?