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When a structure fails, the fallout can be frightening, disruptive, and even deadly. And yet, these disasters also teach us valuable lessons about the possibilities of engineering--and how to make our future projects safer. In the same way that a military defeat might provoke strategic changes and new approaches, engineering failures pave the way for improvement in the ways that we design, build, and maintain our technological systems. But first,...
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"Life in Our Universe reveals the cutting-edge research leading scientists to believe that life is not exclusively the domain of Earth. Taught by Dr. Laird Close, an award-winning Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Arizona, these 24 mind-expanding lectures offer an unparalleled look at the subject of life and the mysteries that remain. Supported by stunning visuals, this course shares some of the most intriguing discoveries...
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"There is something about ancient Egypt that fascinates almost everyone. Egyptian exhibits at museums draw the largest crowds, mummy movies pull in the largest audiences, and Egypt attracts the most tourists ... Treasures hidden in tombs seem always just around the corner; hieroglyphs, while beautiful, seem impossible to read; and the beautiful sculptures and paintings seem from a time incredibly long ago. In a sense, one goal of this course is to...
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"A major focus will be on the key painters of the Impressionist Movement: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, and Edgar Degas. We will also look at those artists whose work came out of the Impressionist Movement: Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and the Nabis."--Course guidebook, pt. 1, p. 1.
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"One of the most complicated and advanced computers on Earth can't be purchased in any store. This astonishing device, responsible for storing and retrieving vast quantities of information that can be accessed at a moment's notice, is the human brain. How does such a dynamic and powerful machine make memories, learn a language, and remember how to drive a car? What habits can we adopt in order to learn more effectively throughout our lives? And how...
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"For those who are not already familiar with the venerable publication Scientific American, it was founded in 1845 and is the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. Devoted to covering the advances in research and discoveries that are changing our understanding of the world and shaping our lives, Scientific American provides insights and illumination about the most important developments at the intersection of science and society....
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"Energy is, without a doubt, the very foundation of the universe. It's the engine that powers life and fuels the evolution of human civilization. Yet for all its importance, what energy really is and how it works remains a mystery to most non-scientists. For example: Where does most of our energy come from, and how is it sourced? How do energy technologies, both primitive and cutting-edge, generate power? How do we store energy--and will there be...
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"To understand the roots of personality is to understand motivations and influences that shape behavior, which in turn reflect how you deal with the opportunities and challenges of everyday life. That's the focus of these exciting 24 lectures, in which you examine the differences in people's personalities, where these differences come from, and how they shape our lives. Drawing on information gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, and genetics, Professor...
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"While it's easy to get caught up-and, rightfully so-in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full-rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional...
12) Understanding the world's greatest structures: science and innovation from antiquity to modernity
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"Understanding the World's Greatest Structures: Science and Innovation from Antiquity to Modernity -- a marvelous learning experience that takes you around the world and reveals the stories behind the most famous bridges, churches, skyscrapers, towers, and other structures from thousands of years of history. These 24 lectures take you on a fascinating and richly illustrated tour that deftly blends history and science to create an unforgettable survey...
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"Solving for Zero: The Search for Climate Innovation is a detailed roadmap for meeting the zero emissions target. Hosted by Bill Gates and based on his New York Times best-selling book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, the course focuses on revolutionary developments that give us good reason to believe we have the talent and technologies to escape the worst effects of climate change. More than a primer on climate change and proposed solutions, the...
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What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology. This is your chance to explore a canon of literary work that speaks volumes about the imaginative, emotional, and spiritual power of literature. As you delve into the depths of enduring...
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England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest takes you back to the rugged landscape of the premodern and early medieval British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton, of The Catholic University of America, surveys the forging of a great nation from the raw materials of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples. From Germanic tribes to Viking invasions to Irish missionaries, she brings to life an underexamined...
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"Creativity is a skill, one which all of us can cultivate. This course takes you on a deep dive into the human creative brain, where you'll learn about the synchronized brain activity that underlies creative thinking; key stages in the creative process; how to stimulate creative insight, imagination, and the flow state; the process of mastering a skill, the steps of design thinking, the rules of improvisation; and much more"--Publisher's website.
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"In many ways, insects are just like us. Elaborate mating rituals, a variety of parenting styles, and a plethora of jobs—from architects and engineers to farmers and ranchers. Like us, they’re able to share complex information essential for survival, significantly impact their environment, and recycle. But insects outdo us in so many respects. They are mostly terrestrial, but some can live underwater. Their six legs are great for walking or running,...
18) Norse mythology
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"Think you know Thor? Loki? The Valkyries? Think again. Packed with gods, anti-gods, magical figures, human heroes, religious practices, and literary devices, the 24 lectures of Norse Mythology lay bare the reasons for our enduring fascination with Norse myths. Jackson Crawford also connects the dots between the Icelandic sagas of human heroes and the culture and worldview of the pre-modern Scandinavian peoples."
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"Have you ever wondered what it means to be immortal? Or how you would act in a life-or-death situation? Or what would happen if you could travel back in time? If you've ever thought about questions like these, you're already familiar with the world of thought experiments. Thought experiments are 'what if' scenarios--hypothetical situations that invite us to look rigorously at how we think and view the world. In The Power of Thought Experiments, award-winning...
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"In Tibet: History, Culture, and Religion, Professor Constance Kassor, will show you the real, multi-dimensional Tibet and its people who live on the 'Roof of the World,' the highest and largest plateau on Earth. In 24 fascinating lectures, you will learn how Tibet's history was shaped by kings and kingdoms, power struggles, religion, traditions, and wars and peace. Today, geopolitical struggles, modernism, and the exile of its religious leaders form...