Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, ice ages, landslides, floods, life evolution, plate motions—all of these phenomena have interacted over the vast expanses of deep time to sculpt the dynamic planet that we live on today. Planet Earth presents an overview of several aspects of our home, from a geological perspective. We begin with earthquakes—what they are, what … [Read more...] about Planet Earth…and You!
Physical Science and Engineering
Algae Biotechnology
For decades, researchers have been studying microalgae to understand their biological functions and how we can use technology to harness algae’s power to create a wide range of commercial products. In this course, we will cover how synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and metabolic engineering is used in algae biotechnology, and also examine the current state of algae … [Read more...] about Algae Biotechnology
Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy
An introduction to modern astronomy's most important questions. The four sections of the course are Planets and Life in The Universe; The Life of Stars; Galaxies and Their Environments; The History of The Universe. … [Read more...] about Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy
Machine Design Part I
“Machine Design Part I†is the first course in an in-depth three course series of “Machine Design.†The “Machine Design†Coursera series covers fundamental mechanical design topics, such as static and fatigue failure theories, the analysis of shafts, fasteners, and gears, and the design of mechanical systems such as gearboxes. Throughout this series of courses we … [Read more...] about Machine Design Part I
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells
This course consists of a general presentation of solar cells based on silicon thin films. It is the third MOOC of the photovoltaic series of Ecole polytechnique on Coursera. The general aspects of the photovoltaic field are treated in "Photovoltaic Solar Energy". And the detailed description of the crystalline silicon solar cells can be found in "Physics of Silicon Solar … [Read more...] about Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells
