Here’s a quick pubÂlic serÂvice announceÂment: UCSF, one of the leadÂing medÂical schools in the US, has launched a MemÂoÂry & Aging ChanÂnel on YouTube, whose purÂpose is to “eduÂcate patients, careÂgivers and health proÂfesÂsionÂals about the varÂiÂous forms of neuÂrodeÂgenÂerÂaÂtive disÂeases.” The disÂeases covÂered here include Alzheimer’s, FronÂtotemÂpoÂral demenÂtia and Creutzfelt-Jakob. We’ve added the colÂlecÂtion to our largÂer list of eduÂcaÂtionÂal video colÂlecÂtions on YouTube.
Magnetic Fields Made Visible
Video Lectures for the Science Mind
We talk a good deal here about free uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes and lecÂtures, and mostÂly we end up talkÂing about the humanÂiÂties. But here’s a good excuse to talk about the sciÂences, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly about comÂputÂer sciÂence. A project startÂed in SloveÂnia, Videolectures.net proÂvides “free and open access of high qualÂiÂty video lecÂtures preÂsentÂed by disÂtinÂguished scholÂars and sciÂenÂtists at the most imporÂtant and promiÂnent events…” Among the most popÂuÂlar lecÂtures, you’ll find lecÂtures along these lines: Fuzzy LogÂic, Where the Social Web Meets the SemanÂtic Web, and an InterÂview with Tim BernÂers Lee. But, you’ll also stumÂble upon a few non-sciÂenÂtifÂic talks givÂen by some well known names. Take for examÂple Noam ChomÂsky (Force, law and the prospects of surÂvival) and UmberÂto Eco (On The HisÂtoÂry of UgliÂness).
For more uniÂverÂsiÂty conÂtent, visÂit our UniÂverÂsiÂty PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion and our list of Free Online CoursÂes, which includes a good deal of sciÂenÂtifÂic conÂtent. Also see our SciÂence PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
Self-Regenerating Robots
The UniÂverÂsiÂty of PennÂsylÂvaÂnia has done it. They’ve creÂatÂed a robot that you can kick apart, and it knows how to reassemÂble itself. Eerie stuff. Give it a few decades, and these guys (the robots and the stuÂdents) will be runÂning the show. (Video added to our YouTube playlist)
For lots of good sciÂence podÂcasts, check out our list here.
MIT’s (Free) Introduction to Physics
WelÂcome to MIT. Here’s your introÂducÂtion to Physics.
Today, we present Physics I: ClasÂsiÂcal MechanÂics, a freshÂman course taught by WalÂter Lewin, the popÂuÂlar physics proÂfesÂsor who was recentÂly writÂten up in The New York Times. The course covÂers the founÂdaÂtions of modÂern physics, which takes you from Isaac NewÂton’s groundÂbreakÂing work to superÂnovas, and which covÂers such othÂer topÂics as FluÂid MechanÂics, KinetÂic Gas TheÂoÂry, BinaÂry Stars, NeuÂtron Stars, Black Holes, ResÂoÂnance PheÂnomÂeÂna, MusiÂcal InstruÂments, and StelÂlar ColÂlapse.
You can downÂload the course lecÂtures in video via iTunes or in varÂiÂous forÂmats here. (The course is also listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties, which now conÂtains over 200 free coursÂes.) For more lecÂture series by WalÂter Lewin, look here (ElecÂtricÂiÂty and MagÂnetÂism) and here (VibraÂtions and Waves).
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Explained
EinÂstein’s TheÂoÂry of RelÂaÂtivÂiÂty needs no introÂducÂtion. ActuÂalÂly maybe it does since we’re not dealÂing with light conÂcepts here.
RelÂaÂtivÂiÂty in a NutÂshell (MP3) offers a free, 30-minute introÂducÂtion to EinÂstein’s theÂoÂretÂiÂcal work. The lecÂture was preÂsentÂed by Richard WolfÂson of MidÂdleÂbury ColÂlege. And it’s couÂpled with a secÂond free lecÂture called EinÂstein’s MiracÂuÂlous Year. Both lecÂtures were proÂduced by The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny to comÂmemÂoÂrate the 100th anniverÂsary of EinÂstein’s work on relÂaÂtivÂiÂty (1905), and they tie into a largÂer comÂmerÂcial course taught by WolfÂson: EinÂstein’s RelÂaÂtivÂiÂty and the QuanÂtum RevÂoÂluÂtion: ModÂern Physics for Non-SciÂenÂtists. The TeachÂing ComÂpaÂny coursÂes are not free, but they’re well done. And if you buy the mp3 verÂsions when they’re on sale, you can often get the coursÂes at a good price. Also, you can freÂquentÂly find DVD verÂsions disÂcountÂed on AmaÂzon (see, for examÂple, here). And, even betÂter, you can someÂtimes rent them for free from your local library.
In the meanÂtime, if you’re lookÂing for a good selecÂtion of free uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes, visÂit our meta list of Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties. Also see our SciÂence PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Google Sky, Moon and Mars
Here’s what you get when Google engiÂneers put their heads togethÂer with astronomers from large obserÂvaÂtoÂries: With Google Sky, “you can search for planÂets, lisÂten to Earth & Sky podÂcasts, watch some beauÂtiÂful HubÂble teleÂscope images, or explore hisÂtorÂiÂcal maps of the sky from the comÂfort of your browsÂer.” The prodÂuct was rolled out just last week, and you can get more info on the new release from Google’s offiÂcial blog.
The new Sky prodÂuct sits comÂfortÂably alongÂside Google Moon and Google Mars, which have been around since 2005–2006. CreÂatÂed in conÂjuncÂtion with sciÂenÂtists at the NASA Ames Research CenÂter, Google Moon offers a colÂlecÂtion of lunar maps and charts and delves into the ApolÂlo misÂsions. The Mars prodÂuct, meanÂwhile, offers some of the most detailed existÂing maps of the red planÂet.
For more good sciÂence, see our SciÂence PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion here.
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