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History & The Arts
From the Sumerians to Shakespeare to Twain: why fart jokes never get old
How have fart jokes survived the times? Even the great William Shakespeare, used a flatulence pun in his play The Comedy of Errors...
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History & The Arts
Batman v Superman: Are superheroes always good?
The latest hit movie Batman v Superman deals with the dangers of too much power - a theme that was all to common to the Ancient Greeks whose heroes, such as Ajax and Achilles, could be egotistical and cruel.
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History & The Arts
10 things that ended in 2006 (when OpenLearn was born)
OpenLearn was born in 2006 but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) some things ended this same year. We look back as part of our ten year anniversary celebrations.
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History & The Arts
Exploring the English language
How has the English language changed over the course of the last 500 years? What are the social and political contexts that have affected how these changes have come about? This free course, Exploring the English language, will consider the development of the English language from the 15th to the 19th century.
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History & The Arts
Music and its media
This free course, Music and its media, examines some of the main ways in which music is transmitted. It considers how the means of communicating a particular piece can change over time; and how the appearance and contents of a source can reflect the circumstances in which it is produced. The course focuses on three examples of musical media that...
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History & The Arts
The Life of Saint David
This extract from Alban Butler's 18th Century work on the lives of the saints tells the story of Wales' patron saint.
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History & The Arts
Is New Day a false dawn for the print industry?
The Independent announced the closure of its print edition, but almost straight away Trinity Mirror said they'd launch a new paper. What's happening with the paper business?
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Languages
An introduction to grammar
What is grammar, and how does it help us communicate? Our short video reveals all...
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History & The Arts
Harper Lee's life was as surprising as any work of fiction
Harper Lee, who has died at the age of 89, had a life that was as curious as any plot from a novel. Writing in 2015, before the publication of Go Set A Watchman, Professor Richard Gray shared some of the story.
History & The Arts
Art and Visual Culture: Medieval to Modern
Have you ever wondered about the visual remains of past centuries that still survive in our cities and countryside today? Are you baffled by modern art? This collection provides you with insights into different aspects of art and visual culture between the Middle Ages and the present day. You will discover the wonders of medieval stained glass ...
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History & The Arts
History of reading tutorial 2: The reading and reception of literary texts – a case study of Robinson Crusoe
How have famous books been read and received by audiences in the past? This free course, History of reading tutorial 2: The reading and reception of literary texts a case study of Robinson Crusoe, is the second tutorial in a series designed to help users of the UK Reading Experience Database (UK RED) search, browse and use this resource, and ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Should we test drugs on pregnant women?
The idea might seem ridiculous. But as science writer Emily Anthes explains, there's a strong case for testing drugs on women who are pregnant.