Science, Maths & Technology
Golden Globe Ocean Race: The power of the wind at sea and man’s use of this power over time
Antoine’s epic journey will take him to some of the roughest seas on his route at 40oS. Why is it so rough there?
Science, Maths & Technology
Someone’s attacking our connection to the internet - part one
The innocent blinking lights on your router in the corner might not be so innocent after all...
Science, Maths & Technology
Modelling events in time
This free course develops ideas about probability and random processes. Sections 1 and 2 introduce the fundamental ideas of random processes through a series of examples. Section 3 describes a model that is appropriate for events occurring ‘at random’ in such a way that their rate of occurrence remains constant. Section 4 derives the main ...
Science, Maths & Technology
Metric spaces and continuity
This free course contains an introduction to metric spaces and continuity. The key idea is to use three particular properties of the Euclidean distance as the basis for defining what is meant by a general distance function, a metric. Section 1 introduces the idea of a metric space and shows how this concept allows us to generalise the notion of ...
Science, Maths & Technology
Rings and polynomials
This free course contains an introduction to rings and polynomials. We see that polynomial rings have many properties in common with the integers; for example, we can define a division algorithm, and this enables us to develop the analogue of the highest common factor for two polynomials. Section 1 explores the abstract definitions of a ring ...
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to the calculus of variations
This free course concerns the calculus of variations. Section 1 introduces some key ingredients by solving a seemingly simple problem – finding the shortest distance between two points in a plane. The section also introduces the notions of a functional and of a stationary path. Section 2 describes basic problems that can be formulated in terms ...
Digital & Computing
Getting started with a Password Manager
Overwhelmed by having 12,345 different passwords? Time to get in a manager...
Society, Politics & Law
The thorny issue of ‘driverless’ cars
How will the law accommodate changing technology for driverless cars? Who is responsible if the vehicle crashes?
Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to web applications architecture
This free course, An introduction to web applications architecture, provides an overview of the design and implementation of computer software that runs on web servers, instead of those running solely on desktop computers, laptops or mobile devices.
Nature & Environment
Happy GeoWeek!
GeoWeek is an initiative to promote active geo-science. Learn more about how to read rocks and discover the different types of rocks with our handy videos and tools.
Science, Maths & Technology
Surfaces
Surfaces are a special class of topological spaces that crop up in many places in the world of mathematics. In this free course, you will learn to classify surfaces and will be introduced to such concepts as homeomorphism, orientability, the Euler characteristic and the classification theorem of compact surfaces.
Science, Maths & Technology
IT: Information
In a world of 24-hour news and instant updates, this free course explores how information is gathered, stored and shared through technology. Learn about the evolution of IT in news reporting, compare different media sources, and develop a critical eye for trust and authenticity in the information you consume.