1,229 search results

Can we be categorised by our DNA?
Science, Maths & Technology

Can we be categorised by our DNA?

...simple analogy to explain this continuity. While we think of colours as distinct, and assign them different labels such as red, green and blue, we look at a colour palette to understand the continuity of colours, and the difficulty of assigning discrete labels. In other words, we do not deny that the people of South Africa would on average have much darker skin compared...
Beyond the plate: Autism, food and sensory sensitivities
Health, Sports & Psychology

Beyond the plate: Autism, food and sensory sensitivities

...simple question – however, the seemingly obvious answer can tell us a lot about why some autistic people struggle considerably with eating particular foods, but can tolerate or enjoy others. Many autistic people have what we call sensory processing differences – that is, differences with how they experience smell, texture, taste and sight (amongst other senses),...
Why friendships are vital to your wellbeing
Health, Sports & Psychology

Why friendships are vital to your wellbeing

...simple pleasure of being in company with other people that you like. This can often lead to laughter and to taking part in activities that raise the spirits and provide a distraction from the more serious side of life. The give and take between partners in a friendship is an important element in its pleasure. People enjoy doing something for someone they like and the...
A very brief history of AI
Digital & Computing

A very brief history of AI

...simple program that recognises certain words and phrases entered by the user and uses it to generate one of a series of its own questions. It doesn’t matter if the user enters nonsense, ELIZA will still happily converse with them: [Chat] A quick play with ELIZA almost always reveals its limitations and after a short time, many people can begin to see how the program...
How do I pitch an idea to a science editor?
Science, Maths & Technology

How do I pitch an idea to a science editor?

...simple Avoid jargon. Using words such as ‘stakeholders’, ‘leverages’ and ‘sustainable dialogues’ in your pitch will alienate the editor. Who are you? If it’s your first time pitching to an editor, include a bit about yourself, your areas of interest and your expertise. Supply up to three links to your previous work or, if a new writer, briefly explain why...
Heroes and villains: the presentation of the outlaw in early twentieth-century American folk music
Health, Sports & Psychology

Heroes and villains: the presentation of the outlaw in early twentieth-century American folk music

...simple criminal’ – someone who refuses to abide by the norms of their own community. Such a figure is considered a ‘bad man’ by performer and listeners alike. Secondly, what Eric Hobsbawm (1981) calls the ‘social bandit’ – regarded as a criminal by the ruling class and its agencies, but who remains within the moral order of their own community and frequently...
An introduction to music theory
History & The Arts

An introduction to music theory

...simple multiple-choice questions...Gain an understanding of the basic building blocks of musical theory and notation. This free course, An introduction to music theory, will introduce you to music staves, clefs, rhythmic and pitch values, rhythmic metre and time signatures. This OpenLearn course provides an introduction to music theory pitched at a level equivalent to...
Level 1: Introductory 8 hrs
AI fluency
Digital & Computing

AI fluency

...code? Microsoft Copilot can generate these from a simple prompt. Let’s say you need some help with coding. You can ask Copilot: ‘Create a function to generate a Fibonacci sequence in Python.’ Copilot will then provide you with the code. If you have existing content that needs refining, Copilot can help rewrite, improve or optimise it, making sure your message is...
Level 1: Introductory 5 hrs