The Great Courses
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 6
Language
English
Description
This great naval battle resulted from conflict within republican Rome. Follow the intense rivalry between Mark Antony and Octavian for domination of Rome, leading to the fateful events of the confrontation, and observe how it marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 24
Language
English
Description
Will typing replace handwriting? Will e-books make printed books obsolete? Will speech-to-text software replace the need to physically write at all? Join Professor Zender as he speculates about the future of writing based on past developments, from the invention of movable type to new signs and spelling conventions inspired by the QWERTY keyboard.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 10
Language
English
Description
How do you handle patients in altered mental states, suffering from unusual thoughts and behaviors? How do you figure out their story and make an accurate diagnosis? Discover how, in cases like these, doctors rely more than ever on signs and clues from a patient's family and friends.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 24
Language
English
Description
What happens when you encounter a noteworthy structure that hasn't been included in this course and you want to know more about it? Professor Ressler devotes his final episode to answering this question; sending you out into the world with suggested strategies for understanding any structure: great or otherwise.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 22
Language
English
Description
Enter the brave new world of social robotics, where robots are built specifically to communicate with humans and other autonomous physical agents. With the help of the robot Baxter, discover how simple signals like spoken words, expressions, and body language can create a dynamic user interface between human and robot.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Because we are human, heartbreak or loss will come to us at some time in our lives. Author Kristine Carlson shares powerful stories of loss and grief, and the role her mindfulness practice played in her healing process. She explains how practicing mindfulness now can even help you better face difficult times in the future. Learn how to access peace, even when joy might not be present.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 6
Language
English
Description
Study what happens after you gather data. It must first be stored, then organized, integrated with data from other sources, and analyzed. Now you are ready to act on the information that the data provides. Determine how this cycle works in practice, and uncover some hidden pitfalls.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 18
Language
English
Description
Explore the tension between semi-autonomous military robots and our need to oversee their safety and control. In looking at military robots such as the Predator unmanned aerial system and the Phalanx weapons system, you'll learn about the unique trade-offs involved in the speed and accuracy of action, and the ability to distinguish friend from foe.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 20
Language
English
Description
Prague's political and religious history comes alive as the tour climbs Hradcany Hill to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. Explore the castle's large medieval complex, noting historical sites such as the Chancery and Imperial Court Council Rooms. Study the stunning interiors of the cathedral, and visit Prague's great monasteries.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 2
Language
English
Description
Every day, the sun delivers 14,000 times more energy than the human economy uses. Discover how solar energy in all its forms can be harnessed and used in efficient ways, in addition to the financial benefits that come from using it. Learn how you can use energy wisely in your home.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 7
Language
English
Description
Sourcing clean water and using it wisely are key to sustainable living. Consider how systems can be designed to sustainably provide water for drinking, washing, irrigation, and other uses, and find smart ways to get the same or better services using less. Also, examine ecological approaches to handling storm water.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 3
Language
English
Description
Here, learn everything you need to know about flaky dough, which can often be intimidating even for an experienced baker. First, gain confidence in making a buttery pie crust by learning how to mold it with your hands or pastry tools, how to blind-bake it, and even how to make an attractive latticed top. Then, explore some of the secrets to making tender, flaky biscuits and beautifully golden-brown scones (which have their own unique rules for baking)....
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 19
Language
English
Description
Examine how to capture the remarkable (and often overlooked) beauty in miniature subjects such as insects, flowers, eyes-even a pile of money. Learn the best equipment to use, lighting techniques to capture specific features of your miniature subjects, and common mistakes to avoid (such as not getting enough depth of field).
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 4
Language
English
Description
Visit the African Rift Valley, a mid-ocean ridge in the making. From the Red Sea to Mount Kilimanjaro, tectonic forces are splitting Africa apart, forming a new ocean in the process. This impressive valley is also the site of many fossil discoveries relating to early humans.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 18
Language
English
Description
More than three decades after the first cases of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were reported, the global health community is still dealing with a pandemic of 33 million infected people, of which about 3 million are children. Learn the scientific facts behind this virus and why it is so difficult to find a vaccine or cure.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 13
Language
English
Description
Tornadoes hit all 50 states of the U.S. and most inhabited regions of the world. Blowing as fast as 200 to 300 mph, they are the most awe-inspiring of extreme weather. But what exactly are they? And why are they more prevalent in some areas than others? Probe tornado facts and myths, and survey some of the deadliest tornadoes of our times.
37) Writing and Civilization: From Ancient Worlds to Modernity: The Origins and Development of Writing
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 2
Language
English
Description
Now that the significance of writing is understood, explore three popular beliefs or myths about where writing comes from and how it developed. Investigate the theories of monogenesis versus polygenesis, whether writing was only invented once or independently in locations around the world, and the reasons writing systems are resistant to change.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 21
Language
English
Description
Investigate what Einstein called his "greatest mistake"-his rejection of his own theory's prediction that spacetime should be dynamic and evolving. Chart the work of a group of scientists, including Alexander Friedman, Georges Lemaître, and Edwin Hubble, who advanced the realization that our universe is expanding from an apparent big bang.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 3
Language
English
Description
Witness a demonstration of the power of air pressure and the ability of changing pressure to produce clouds. Learn how fluctuations in air pressure play a role in all weather, propelling everything from the ferocious winds of a tornado to the incredible speeds of the jet stream.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 24
Language
English
Description
Conclude with George Crumb's passionate anti-war string quartet. Trace the backdrop of its writing in the political climate and policy decisions that led the U.S. into the quagmire of the Vietnam War. Observe how the attempted U.S. policy of containment unraveled tragically in the face of the implacable will of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong.