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History & The Arts
What is poetry?
Have you always wanted to try to write poetry but never quite managed to start? This free course, What is poetry?, is designed to illustrate the techniques behind both the traditional forms of poetry and free verse. You will learn how you can use your own experiences to develop ideas and how to harness your imagination.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Forensic science and fingerprints
This free course, Forensic science and fingerprints, covers how science can make fingerprints easier to study, how they are used in court and some of the questions about the extent to which fingerprint identification is sound and scientific. Students will learn the principles used in classifying and matching fingerprints (often called marks).
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History & The Arts
Art and the Mexican Revolution
In this free course, Art and the Mexican Revolution, you will explore one of Diego Rivera’s key murals which was commissioned by the Mexican government in the period after the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. These monumental public artworks, designed to win over the Mexican peasantry and working-class to the new post-revolutionary state, brought Mexican mural artists international acclaim and Rivera was subsequently awarded important commissions in the United States. Yet, due to his commitment to a figurative form of propaganda, Rivera’s reputation suffered during the Cold War period and these Mexican murals are now largely left out of dominant accounts of twentieth-century United States art.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Can renewable energy sources power the world?
We ask the question ‘Can renewable energy sources power the world?’ as a response to the growing awareness that increased use of renewable energy technologies is making a major contribution to global efforts to limit anthropogenic climate change. The course begins by examining the environmental concerns that have caused a rise in interest in renewable energy, introducing the main sources and technologies, and describing global efforts to increase the share of renewables. The course then looks at each of the principal renewable energy technologies and the contributions they might make to global energy demand. Finally, several future energy scenarios are analysed to show how combinations of renewable energy sources and technologies could provide a major share of global energy needs.
Science, Maths & Technology
Blue Planet Live
In an exciting week of programmes, Blue Planet Live celebrates marine life and explores our oceans.
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History & The Arts
World Poetry Day
21 March is World Poetry Day. Take a look at a range of powerful poems in our poetry prescription tool, view our videos and try a range of free courses.
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Society, Politics & Law
How happiness is challenging GDP as the measure of a country’s health
The 2018 World Happiness Report found Finland as the worlds happiest country which proves income does not necessarily lead to happiness says Professor Paul Anand.
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Nature & Environment
Ocean Explorer
Take a journey into the Earth's oceans and discover whether you've got what it takes to become an oceanographer. Explore ocean depths, currents, temperatures and find out more about the future of our oceans.
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