Introduction
How do we learn about the world of the ancient Romans and Greeks? This unit will provide you with an insight into the Classical world by introducing you to the various sources of information used by scholars to draw together an image of this fascinating period of history.
Episode 100: Indonesia: Pathways to a Future Historian Max Lane spies Indonesia's possible futures through the lens of its recent history and current political and economic climate. With host Jennifer Cook. Dr Max Lane -
Red Rover Robotics
This lesson will start with a brief history of robotics and explain how robots are beneficial to science and society. The lesson then will explore how robots have been used in recent space exploration efforts. The engineering design of the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will be used as prime examples. Finally, the maneuverability of their robotic arms and the functionality of their tools will be discussed.
One Year After the Garnaut Climate Change Review
Professor Ross Garnaut presented the final report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 30 September 2008, the morning of the largest ever one day points fall on the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, the histories of the financial crisis and climate change policy have been closely linked. Amongst much else, they have been linked by the challenge that Governments have faced, in Australia, in the United States and elsewhere, in formulating policy in the national i
Thailand in Crisis- Episode 2
Thailand in Crisis is a series of six vod and podcasts from The College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University. They are released each Friday, beginning 28 May 2010.
In the second episode of the series, host Nicholas Farrelly discusses military and security matters with Professor Des Ball from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at ANU and Dr Marcus Mietzner from the School of Culture, History and Language.
Among the topics they discuss are who killed the
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: The First Months
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was launched in 2005 to search
for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long
period of time. While other Mars missions have shown that water flowed
across the surface in Mars' history, it remains a mystery whether
liquid water existed long enough to provide a habitat for life.
After a year’s cruise and aerobraking to reach its science orbit in
September 2006, the MRO has begun to study the history of water on Mars
with a suite
Marie-Antoinette's Dress
Embellished with silk embroidery, ribbon appliques, spangles and glass stones, follow the journey of Marie-Antoinette's lavish dress from ROM's vault to the gallery. Discover the delicate conservation methods, innovative mounting techniques and the mesmerizing history of the woman who once wore this dress.
Geological Perspectives on Climate Change
Throughout Earth’s history, mass extinctions of species were closely
related to physical and chemical changes in the atmosphere and the
oceans. These variations were controlled by heat from the sun, the
distribution of oceans and continents, the extent of ice sheets;
volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts, air-borne particles, the
eruption of methane and greenhouse effects. Greenhouse episodes were amplified by carbon dioxide and methane
feedback effects from warming oceans and drying ve
Origin of the Elements of Life
Human beings are, by nature, curious about their beginnings. Often, such questions of "how we came to be" are confined to the origins of modern society, or the development of human beings as a species. In this lecture, Professor Timothy Beers will endeavour to take the discussion all the way back to the VERY beginning, to the origin of the primary elements required to construct life as we know it -- carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O).Over the past few decades, astronomers and physicists ha
The Eighth H.W. Arndt Memorial Lecture: Rehabilitating the Unloved Dollar Standard
The international dollar standard is an accident of history that greatly facilitates international trade and exchange. But erratic U.S. monetary and financial policies, have upset the U.S. and a world economy thus makes foreigners unhappy. Paradoxically, the asymmetrical nature of the dollar standard also makes many Americans unhappy because they cannot control their own exchange rate. Although nobody loves the dollar standard, it is a remarkably robust institution that is too valuable to lose a
The Next 100 Years - A Forecast for the 21st Century
In his book The Next 100 Years, George Friedman offers a lucid, highly readable forecast of the changes we can expect around the world during the twenty-first century. He explains where and why future wars will erupt (and how they will be fought), which nations will gain and lose economic and political power, and how new technologies and cultural trends will alter the way we live in the new century.
Drawing on history and geopolitical patterns dating back hundreds of years, Friedman shows that w
Waterwheel Work
Students learn the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They explore kinetic energy by creating their own experimental waterwheel from a two-liter plastic bottle. They investigate the transformations of energy involved in turning the blades of a hydro-turbine into work, and experiment with how weight affects the rotational rate of the waterwheel. Students also discuss and explore the characteristics of hydroelectric plants.
The Missing Dimension of Stateness
While Professor Francis Fukuyama’s changing evaluation of the arguments
of his one-time Neocon colleagues has illuminated major issues about
American policy and the war in Iraq, his general thinking about weak
states and foreign intervention has received less attention in
Australia. In this lecture he continues his review of policies and
practices on international aid and the rebuilding of weak, failing and
failed states. As Professor Fukuyama has argued, “state-building is one
Around 1919 & in Mexico City
Mexico furnished the era of social and cultural change that started ‘right around 1910’ with its first popular revolution. By 1919 Mexico City had become a refuge for the world’s radicals. To a despairing world, it offered a unique site to safely experiment with all sorts of enchantments.
In this culturally promiscuous capital not only the meaning of Mexico was at stake, but also the meanings of major modernist concepts –revolution, the popular, avant-garde, authenticity,
The National Interest, Strategic Non-violence, and the Independence of East Timor
Dr Fernandes provides a critical evaluation of what is often portrayed as a noble moment in Australia's history of overseas interventions. He shows that a series of Australian strategists and policymakers had argued that Australia's national interest required it to support the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. He shows how this conception of the national interest was challenged by a coalition of activists who maintained a long-running campaign of non-violent opposition to official policy. He
Virtual Learning Environments
Is the concept of 'virtual learning environment' just a popular label to describe any educational software? No, the concept includes several interesting features that justify the use of a specific label. We review these features in the first part of our contribution. Do these features guarantee pedagogical effects? No, we review in the second some potential contributions of virtual learning environments.Turning potential effects into actual outcomes is the challenge of designers.
Internet Scout Project
iEARN is an international nonprofit organization that connects over 15,000 schools in 100 countries through Internet networks. Using the Internet and other communications technologies, students and teachers conduct collaborative educational projects that meet curricular goals in Arts / Literature / Language Arts, Social Studies, and Math / Science / Environment. Participants choose from over 120 projects, which are designed and facilitated by teachers and students with the purpose of developing
Internet Scout Project
The University of South Carolina Library Web site offers the Online Science Books page. The site lists dozens of free online books from a variety of outside sources such as the National Academic Press, bibliomania.com, rheingold.com, and others. Books are categorized by various science subjects including astronomy, chemistry, environment, geology, marine science, physics, statistics, and biology. Included in these are a few science classics including Darwin�s The Origin of Species and Arist
1.9 Further reading
This unit looks at Babylonian mathematics. You will learn how a series of discoveries have enabled historians to decipher stone tablets and study the various techniques the Babylonians used for problem-solving and teaching. The Babylonian problem-solving skills have been described as remarkable and scribes of the time received a trainng far in advance of anything available in medieval Christian Europe 3000 years later.
1.8 Conclusion
This unit looks at Babylonian mathematics. You will learn how a series of discoveries have enabled historians to decipher stone tablets and study the various techniques the Babylonians used for problem-solving and teaching. The Babylonian problem-solving skills have been described as remarkable and scribes of the time received a trainng far in advance of anything available in medieval Christian Europe 3000 years later.
