Category Archives: English

Astrophysique, Certifiant, Débutant, English, Interactif, Mooc

Alien Worlds: The Science of Exoplanet Discovery and Characterization

Alien Worlds will explore the techniques that are used to discover and characterize the thousands of planets (called exoplanets) known outside of our solar system.

About this Course

Have you ever wondered about planets in other solar systems? Have you ever thought about the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe? For the first time in human history, we know that planets around other stars not only exist, but are common!

Alien Worlds focuses on the search and characterization of planets orbiting other stars (called extrasolar planets or “exoplanets”). Over the course of nine modules, we will learn some of the techniques used to discover the thousands of known exoplanets and will discuss how we can use basic scientific tools to characterize the sizes, masses, compositions, and atmospheres of exoplanets. We will also learn about the diversity of stars in the Galaxy to understand how stellar properties affect exoplanet detection techniques and influence planetary formation and habitability.

In addition to the exploration of exoplanets, students in Alien Worlds will gain a basic understanding of light, gravity and motion, and be introduced to some of the most extreme life on planet Earth. We will hear from experts at the forefront of exoplanet science and interact with other participants and instructors through social media and online tools. Students will leave Alien Worlds with a better understanding of their place in the Universe and the skills to comprehend the wealth of new discoveries surrounding the countless worlds around distant stars.

Certifiant, Débutant, English, Histoire, Interactif, Mooc

China

Please note that this course is self-paced and you can enroll at any time. The course itself is 6 weeks long and certificates are generated and distributed to learners who meet the 75% requirement every 4 months. The next scheduled dates for certificates to be released are April 24, 2014 and August 24, 2014. Please note that these dates are subject to change, but will maintain a schedule of every 4 months.

This course is presented in English with limited video subtitles in Chinese.

Modern China presents a dual image: a society transforming itself through economic development and infrastructure investment that aspires to global leadership; and the world’s largest and oldest bureaucratic state, with multiple traditions in its cultural, economic, and political life. The modern society and state that is emerging in China bears the indelible imprint of China’s historical experience, of its patterns of philosophy and religion, and of its social and political thought. These themes are discussed in order to understand China in the twenty-­first century and as a great world civilization that developed along along lines different from those of the Mediterranean.

ChinaX introduces new features to make the riches of Harvard’s visual collections and the expertise of its faculty more accessible to learners worldwide. We will engage intellectual and religious trends, material and political culture, the local diversity and the national unity, art and literature, and China’s economic and political transformation— past, present and future.

This is the first of ten ChinaX “Mini-­Courses” that collectively span over 6,000 years of history. Each mini-­course consists of 4 to 8 weekly “modules,” each with videos, readings, interactive engagements, assessments, and discussion forums.

Chinese (Mandarin), Débutant, English, Français, Ingénierie, Interactif, Mooc, Physique

Comment les choses fonctionnent.

Designed for non-science students, this course is a practical introduction to physics and science in everyday life. It considers objects from the world around us, identifying and exploring the scientific concepts upon which they’re based. Because it starts with objects and looks within them for science, it is the reverse of a traditional physics class. Instead of the usual principle-driven physics class, How Things Work is case-study physics.

In this pilot semester of How Things Work, we will explore the basic laws of motion in the context of six familiar objects or activities: (1) Skating, (2) Falling Balls, (3) Ramps, (4) Seesaws, (5) Wheels, and (6) Bumper Cars. Despite their simplicity, these topics will bring us in contact with some of the most important concepts in physics, including inertia, energy, and momentum.

This course is self-paced. You can begin anytime and proceed at whatever speed you like. Although it typically takes about six weeks, you can finish it in three months or three days. With students ranging in age from 7 to 80+, there is little reason to follow a conventional academic schedule. This course should fit your lifestyle, not the other way around.

Subtitles are now available in more than 13 languages, with many translations prepared by volunteers from the course. Those translations are complete in Chinese and French, and nearly complete in German, Hebrew, Japanese, and Spanish. Other languages include: Arabic, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Urdu.

Biologie, Certifiant, Débutant, English, Interactif, Mooc, Sous-titré Français

Ce que sait une plante (et d’autres choses que vous ne saviez pas sur les plantes)

For centuries we have collectively marveled at plant diversity and form—from Charles Darwin’s early fascination with stems and flowers to Seymour Krelborn’s distorted doting in Little Shop of Horrors. This course intends to present an intriguing and scientifically valid look at how plants themselves experience the world—from the colors they see to the sensations they feel. Highlighting the latest research in genetics and more, we will delve into the inner lives of plants and draw parallels with the human senses to reveal that we have much more in common with sunflowers and oak trees than we may realize. We’ll learn how plants know up from down, how they know when a neighbor has been infested by a group of hungry beetles, and whether they appreciate the music you’ve been playing for them or if they’re just deaf to the sounds around them. We’ll explore definitions of memory and consciousness as they relate to plants in asking whether we can say that plants might even be aware of their surroundings. This highly interdisciplinary course meshes historical studies with cutting edge modern research and will be relevant to all humans who seek their place in nature. This class has three main goals: 1. To introduce you to basic plant biology by exploring plant senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste, balance). 2. To introduce you to biological research and the scientific method. 3. To get the student to question life in general and what defines us as humans.

Sous-titres en Français.

Université de Tel-Aviv

Session : Du 26 octobre au 30 décembre.

Avancé, Big Data, Certifiant, English, Informatique, Interactif, Mooc

Data Mining

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOSrCRcM8Ok

At completion of this Specialization in Data Mining, you will know the basic concepts in pattern discovery and clustering in data mining, information retrieval, text analytics, and visualization, understand the major algorithms for mining both structured and unstructured text data, and be able to apply the learned algorithms to solve real-world data mining problems.

prochaine Session : Février 2015
Durée: 4 weeks
Quantité de travail estimée: 4-6 hours/week

Avancé, English, Interactif, Mooc, Psychanalyse / psychologie

Psychologie sociale

Scheduled to begin July 14, 2014, Social Psychology will feature a fresh line-up of special events, guest experts, and material intended to delight psychology lovers around the world.

Course Description from Professor Plous:

Each of us is dealt a different hand in life, but we all face similar questions when it comes to human behavior: What leads us to like one person and dislike another? How do conflicts and prejudices develop, and how can they be reduced? Can psychological research help protect the environment, and if so, how? This course offers an introduction to classic and contemporary social psychology, covering topics such as decision making, persuasion, group behavior, personal attraction, and factors that promote health and well-being.

Our focus will be on surprising, entertaining, and intriguing research findings that are easy to apply in daily life. As part of this focus, several homework assignments will encourage you to experiment with your life, observe the results, and analyze what took place. The course will also draw from the web sites of Social Psychology Network, the world’s largest online community devoted to social psychology. I hope you’ll join me for this course, have fun, and learn some useful information that enriches your life!

Avancé, English, Humanités, Interactif, Mooc, Psychanalyse / psychologie

La perception visuelle et le cerveau

The course will consider how what we see is generated by the visual system, and what visual perception indicates about how the brain works. The evidence will be drawn from neuroscience, psychology, science history and philosophy. Although the discussions will be informed by visual system anatomy and physiology, the focus is on perception.

Du 8 septembre au 10 novembre 2014
8 semaines d’apprentissage
3-4 heures de travail / semaine
Anglais / soustitres