Education just rocks. For me, life is best when I am learning new things. It is why medicine is so fulfilling. Learning happens on a daily basis.
The blogging disease has pushed out TV, except the occasional TIVO’ed News Hour. Jim Lehrer introduced me to one of the most remarkable educational websites ever. And it is free, not even a registration is required.
Salman Kahn is a wiz-kid from MIT and Harvard whose goal is to educate the world through technology.
He uses a magical electronic blackboard attached to youtube videos of around 10-15 minutes to explain anything from arithmetic to advanced physics. For grins, I watched a video entitled Derivatives 1. In this intriguingly simple ten minute video, Kahn starts with the simple slope of a line and ends up getting me to understand the complex concept of derivatives. Despite not seeing a calculus book in 25 years, I got it, and was proud of myself for understanding. These are good sensations.
The number of topics are incredible: banking, financial, chemistry, physics, mathematics and even history. That one person can know all this material well enough that he can so clearly explain complex topics in 10 minute videos, boggles my mind.
Even cooler than his magical skill of teaching and encyclopedic knowledge is the lack of corporate sponsors or business plan. He is doing it just because it helps people.
Now that is good for the heart.
JMM