1.3 Science from Aristotle to Galileo
Part 1.3. Describes briefly the Aristotelian view of the universe; the basis for natural science in Europe until the 15th century and its conflict Galileo's theories.
1.4 From Galileo to Descartes
Part 1.4. Outlines Galileo's revolutionary theories of astronomy and mechanical science and introduces Descartes' (the father of modern philosophy) ideas of philosophical scepticism.
2.1 Recap of General Philosophy Lecture 1
Part 2.1. A brief recap of the first lecture describing how Aristotle's view of the universe, dominant throughout the middle ages in Europe, came to be gradually phased out by a modern, mechanistic view of the universe.
2.2 Thomas Hobbes: The Monster of Malmesbury
Part 2.2. A brief introduction to Thomas Hobbes, 'The Monster of Malmsbury', his views on a mechanistic universe, his strong ideas on determinism and his pessimistic view of human nature: 'The life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short'.
2.3 Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton
Part 2.3. An introduction to Robert Boyle's theory of corpuscularianism and Isaac Newton's ideas on mathematics and the universe.
2.4 John Locke
Part 2.4. Introduction to the philosophy of John Locke, 'England's first Empiricist', he also gives a very simplistic definition of Empiricism; we obtain knowledge through experience of the world, through sensory data (what we see, hear, etc).
Teachers TV Peace Week
A week of programmes, commencing 15 December on Teachers TV, exploring the impact of the Middle East crisis on schools and young people living in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
2.6 David Hume
Part 2.6. Introduces 18th Century Scottish philosopher David Hume, 'The Great Infidel', including his life, works and a brief look at his philosophical thoughts.
2.7 Overview: Kant and Modern Science
Part 2.7. Concludes a historical survey of philosophy with Immanuel Kant, who thought Hume was wrong in his idea of human nature and how we gain knowledge of the world.
2.2 The Cain and Hopkins thesis
Britain was the first country to industrialise, and it acquired the largest empire ever during this same period. But its sphere of economic influence extended far beyond the boundaries of the formal British Empire. This unit focuses on the economics of empire, using a case study of one town, Dundee in eastern Scotland, to explore this huge topic.
Physics 21: Science from Superheroes to Global Warming
Have you ever wondered if Superman could really fly? What was Spiderman's spidey sense? How did Wonder Woman's invisible jet work? What does it really mean for something to be a scientific "fact"? Explore how science works and what constitutes "good" science through case studies drawn from a wide spectrum of people's experience, for example superheros, movies, and real world issues such as global warming. The case studies will provide the chance to act as science critics as the students develop
Introduction to the Global Catastrophes Risk Conference 2008
Nick Bostrom provides an introduction to the Global Catastrophic Risks Conference and briefly addressing some of the key themes running through it.
Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War
Washington stubbornly sticks to national security policies that don’t work, are devoid of moral considerations, sap the Treasury and rob future generations, says Andrew J. Bacevich. In a brief talk that leads to a candid and sometimes impassioned give and take with his audience, Bacevich describes a national security consensus
MIT’s Entrepreneurial Development and Impact Over the Past 50 Years
Ed Roberts reviews the effects of entrepreneurship within MIT and the relation of MIT entrepreneurship to larger communities.
Much of the research under discussion comes from a 2006 study of MIT alumni conducted by Roberts and Charles Eesley of the Sloan School. The study polled MIT alumni about companies they had
8 Summary
Energy from sources other than fossil and nuclear fuels is to a large extent free of the concerns about environmental effects and renewability that characterise those two sources. Each alternative source supplies energy continually, whether or not we use it. This unit considers one of these alternative sources, geothermal energy derived from the interior heat of the Earth, and the potential for this alternative to supplant fossil and nuclear fuel use to power social needs fast enough to avoid t
7 The pros and cons, and future of geothermal energy
Energy from sources other than fossil and nuclear fuels is to a large extent free of the concerns about environmental effects and renewability that characterise those two sources. Each alternative source supplies energy continually, whether or not we use it. This unit considers one of these alternative sources, geothermal energy derived from the interior heat of the Earth, and the potential for this alternative to supplant fossil and nuclear fuel use to power social needs fast enough to avoid t
4 Locating high-enthalpy geothermal fields
Energy from sources other than fossil and nuclear fuels is to a large extent free of the concerns about environmental effects and renewability that characterise those two sources. Each alternative source supplies energy continually, whether or not we use it. This unit considers one of these alternative sources, geothermal energy derived from the interior heat of the Earth, and the potential for this alternative to supplant fossil and nuclear fuel use to power social needs fast enough to avoid t
2: Work done by gravity
From the moment that Galileo dropped two cannonballs of different sizes and weights from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa mankind has been fascinated by the impact of gravity. This Unit looks at gravity, its impact on objects and how the energy involved in the movement of objects is dispersed or stored.
3: Work done against gravity – gravitational potential energy
From the moment that Galileo dropped two cannonballs of different sizes and weights from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa mankind has been fascinated by the impact of gravity. This Unit looks at gravity, its impact on objects and how the energy involved in the movement of objects is dispersed or stored.
Seasonal Migrations: Monarch Butterflies
Help track the monarch butterfly migration each fall and spring as the butterflies travel to and from Mexico. Report your own observations of migrating butterflies to this migration map. Through these interrelated investigations, students discover that sunlight drives all living systems and they learn about the dynamic ecosystem that surrounds and connects them. Guidelines, lessons, activities, reading connections, and interactive maps are included for each study.
