The Great Courses
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Step into the world's earliest permanent settlement - the river banks in Mesopotamia. The development of agriculture was a revolution because it allowed humans to live permanently in one place, which led to the invention of writing, the creation of laws, an increase in trade, and technological innovations such as the wheel.
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Understanding the US Government volume 15
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English
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Delve into the factors that underlie the extreme partisan polarization of current US politics. Define what polarization is, as distinct from partisanship. Focus on three main sources of polarization, and explore how and why polarization tends to self-perpetuate. Examine false assumptions about polarization, its dangers, and consider how possible reforms might break the cycle.
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Field Guide to the Planets volume 11
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English
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Does Jupiter have a greater similarity to the Earth or to the Sun? It depends on which characteristics you consider. Explore the many ways in which Jupiter is unique among the planets and consider what our solar system would be like without it. This gas giant might seem too far away to make a difference in your daily life, but without Jupiter, life on Earth might never have had a chance.
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The "beat" in the Beatles was about more than just the music. It was about the new group's look and attitude. Explore the Bohemian fringe known as the beatniks; follow John, Paul, and George as they search for the right drummer; and consider the importance of the Beatles' apprenticeship in Hamburg in refining their iconic sound.
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Who were the citizens of Athens? As you'll reflect on in this episode, perhaps as low as one-fifth of Athenian residents were citizens. Women, slaves, and resident aliens were excluded. Learn about the responsibilities of citizens, and the lives of those who could not participate.
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Agency A History of the CIA volume 20
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English
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Turn now to the final years of the Cold War and the CIA's adventures in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Also, investigate the agency's intelligence about the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union a decade later. Do covert operatives deserve credit for bringing these events about?
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In jazz and popular music, a lead sheet uses only a melodic line and chord symbols to indicate how to play the song. Listen to a jazz pianist improvise from lead sheets in three popular songs and investigate how chords are written on lead sheets as opposed to classical music scores. Hear the performer talk about the process of playing from lead sheets in spontaneous improvisation.
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Reveal what honeybees are really communicating with their waggle dance and why specific dances are used in specific circumstances. From waggle dances to pheromones, insects have developed unique efficiencies in their communication and actions, both at the individual and group level. Scientists have been taking notice-and mimicking the insects wherever possible.
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Years That Changed History 1215 volume 5
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English
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If you went back in time and asked anyone in 1215 what the most important event of the year was, most people in Europe would cite the Fourth Lateran Council. In this episode, Professor Armstrong surveys the history of Christianity and the events leading up to this pivotal ecclesiastical event.
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Using Slovenia as a model, explore some of the crucial questions concerning the evolution of world economies. Are economies becoming more similar? Or are they diverging? Is there even a clear-cut answer? The issues and debates that opened the course come full circle here; definitive answers remain elusive, but the tools provided open up a world of possibilities.
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Nuclear Physics Explained volume 7
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English
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High school chemistry introduces students to the atomic shell model, which describes the distribution of electrons around the nucleus. In this lecture, learn the analogous nuclear shell model and the magic numbers that constitute full shells of protons and neutrons within the nucleus. Also, discover how an entire nucleus can ring like a bell or spin like a top.
92) Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition: The Reason for the Seasons
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Contrary to popular belief, the seasons are not caused by changes in the distance between Earth and the Sun over the course of a year. Instead, the tilt of Earth's axis of spin relative to the axis of its orbital plane produces seasons.
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Unpack the term "Crusade" and situate it in its cultural context. When Pope Urban said it was the Christians' duty to take up arms against the "infidels," ordinary people were swept up in the idea that they were fighting to save Christianity and their own souls against the advance of Islam.
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Great Tours France through the Ages volume 18
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English
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Trace Burgundy's history as a politically independent duchy, and begin your visit at Dijon's Les Halles Centrales market, an exemplar of the lively culture of French street markets. Review Burgundy's dining specialties before traveling to Baune, with its medieval treasures and iconic wine auction. Learn about the region's famous citizens, from Louis Pasteur to Resistance heroine Lucie Aubrac.
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There's a business side to baseball that goes back to the amateur clubs of the game's earliest years. In this episode on the economics of America's pastime, explore early resentment about paying for tickets; the rise of advertising and promotions to increase fan allegiance; and the emergence of brand-empowering logos, colors, and nicknames.
96) Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition: The Inflationary Universe
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The remarkable large-scale uniformity and "flatness" of the Universe pose a problem for the standard Big Bang theory. A startling but powerful suggested explanation is that the Universe went through an initial period of exponential expansion, called inflation.
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Scientific Guide to Health and Happiness volume 23
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English
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Not too long ago, measuring health tenets with technology used to be the things of science fiction. Dr. Miller discusses the usage of personal monitoring devices, apps, fitness trackers, and genetic tests that are now widely accessible to all.
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Español
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Los acontecimientos de la peste negra inspiraron algunas de las mayores obras maestras de la historia. En esta conferencia, descubre la variedad de respuestas literarias a la peste, poniendo especial atención al poema onírico Pedro el labrador de William Langland y al Decamerón de Boccaccio. Aprende cómo la peste puso a Geoffrey Chaucer en el camino de la inmortalidad literaria.
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How to Paint volume 13
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English
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Continue your foray into oil painting, starting with the versatile, monochromatic underpainting technique known as grisaille. Create an underpainting from a reference image, utilizing paint that has been thinned to create a smooth surface for the overpainting. After your underpainting is complete and dry, progress to adding thin, luminous layers of color.
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Years That Changed History 1215 volume 4
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English
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Although the Magna Carta is revered today as a founding document of British law and a democratic sensibility, it's stunning to reflect on how easily it could have been forgotten. Shortly after it was officially accepted by both king and nobles, the pope annulled the document; yet that isn't the end of the story. Here, trace the Magna Carta's story across the ages.