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English
Description
Discrete mathematics is a subject that--while off the beaten track--has vital applications in computer science, cryptography, engineering, and problem solving of all types. Discrete mathematics deals with quantities that can be broken into neat little pieces, like pixels on a computer screen, the letters or numbers in a password, or directions on how to drive from one place to another. Like a digital watch, discrete mathematics is that in which numbers...
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English
Description
An introduction to basic engineering principles of Greek and Roman technology and the science behind them. The course gives a new perspective on one of the most productive periods in the history of civilization. In case after case, you will find that engineering solutions reached during this era would not be surpassed for another thousand years or more.
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English
Description
What is your definition of number? Defining the abstract idea of number is extremely difficult and today, we still struggle with the notion of what numbers mean. Numbers neither came to us fully formed in nature nor did they spring fully formed from the human mind. Like other ideas, they have evolved slowly throughout human history. Both practical and abstract, they are important in our everyday world but remain mysterious in our imaginations. If...
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English
Description
This course provides an in-depth examination of why and how life exists in our universe. Where else in our own solar system, or on which alien planets, could there be life? This course has been crafted to address some of the most fascinating questions about all types of life in our universe.
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English
Description
This course takes a mathematical approach to playing games and solving puzzles. In this course, you will be introduced to all kinds of games, from games of pure strategy (like chess) to games of pure luck (like many casino games) to games that mix strategy and luck (like blackjack, backgammon, and poker). You will analyze puzzles that have stumped people for centuries to modern favorites like sudoku and Rubik's Cube. You will improve your ability...
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Description
"Understanding the connections between music and mathematics helps you appreciate both, even if you have no special ability in either field--from knowing the mathematics behind tuning an instrument to understanding the features that define your favorite pieces. By exploring the mathematics of music, you also learn why non-Western music sounds so different, gain insight into the technology of modern sound reproduction, and start to hear the world around...
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English
Description
Game theory plays a crucial role in our lives and provides startling insights into all endeavors in which humans cooperate or compete, including biology, computer science, politics, agriculture, and, most importantly, economics. Game theory is used in economics, corporate decision-making, international diplomacy and military strategy, psychology, and evolutionary biology. Game theory is observable in everyday situations like buying a car, or deciding...
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Description
"The latest research shows that people almost never "rise to the occasion" when faced with a life-threatening challenge, regardless of how often we hear that phrase. Instead, as Professor Nancy Zarse explains in the 12 empowering lectures of Survival Mentality: The Psychology of Staying Alive, people generally revert to their lowest level of training and preparation. And Professor Zarse knows this firsthand. She brings not only her academic knowledge,...
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English
Description
Cosmology is the study of the origin and nature of the entire Universe and it is currently one of the most exciting of the academic disciplines. This course assumes no prior knowledge of astronomy, nor science beyond high school and touches upon many areas of cosmology using non-technical, everyday language to make difficult concepts accessible for all learners.
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English
Description
Course covers the making of our planet from the Big Bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth. Travel to the center of our planet and out again, charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor.
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English
Description
Who was the greatest baseball hitter of all time? How likely is it that a poll is correct? Is it smart to buy last year's highest-performing stock? These questions all involve the interpretation of statistics, and this film is an introduction to this vitally important subject in today's data-driven society. Explanations for terms such as mean, median, percentile, quartile, statistically significant, and bell curve, and scores of other statistical...
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English
Description
"What is our latest picture of some of the most inexplicable features of the universe? What still remains to be uncovered? What are some of the next avenues of exploration for today's chemists, physicists, biologists, and astronomers? ... This lecture series is a wonderful entrée to scientific pursuits that lie at the very heart of the history and nature of our universe."--Publisher.
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English
Description
Presents a collection lectures on topics that reveal the rich, wondrous structure of what we see around us. Patterns in nature are the source of our geometrical understanding of the world. Abstracting those patterns leads to concepts from classical geometry. Extensions of those and other ideas of form have created a landscape of mathematical ideas, including Euclidean geometry, non-Euclidean geometries, symmetry groups, and graph theory.
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English
Description
"The concept of human intelligence is sometimes controversial, but tow things are surely true. First no matter how "intelligence" is defined, you know someone who is not as intelligent as you are. Second, intelligence has something to do with the brain. New neuroscience tools, especially brain imaging, are revealing what a smart brain looks like and helping researchers understand the neural mechanisms of what makes one person learn faster, remember...