Online courses directory (417)

Each part of the world faces specific vulnerabilities to climate change and has different opportunities to mitigate the effects and build resilience in the 21st century. With the Paris Agreement at COP 21, the global community has signaled its intent to act. Indeed, without climate action, decades of development progress are threatened, meaning that we are at a ‘make it or break it’ point in time. This course presents the most recent scientific evidence, regional impacts and climate action strategies, and some opportunities for you to take action on climate change.

Моделирование биологических молекул - одна из бурно развивающихся областей современной науки. В курсе даются основы строения биомолекул, примеры применения программных пакетов для молекулярного моделирования, разъясняются подходы к математическому описанию молекулярных систем и разбирается программная реализация этих подходов на центральном и графическом процессорах.

Курс «Введение в биоинформатику» адресован тем, кто хочет получить расширенное представление о том, что такое биоинформатика и как она помогает биологам и медикам в их работе. The course is aimed at those who would like to have a better idea of what bioinformatics is and how it helps biologists and medical scientists in research and clinical work.

This course provides an introduction to the environmental aspects of sustainability, including renewable energy techniques, the impact of nonrenewable sources, air quality, storm water management, land use, and the built environment. Topics include climate change and greenhouse gases; wind, solar, water, and geothermal energy; bio-fuels; conservation techniques; global demand; legal and regulatory aspects; and job creation. After completing this course, students will be able converse knowledgeably about the broader context of sustainability and environmental impacts, social consequences and financial opportunities.

In this six-week course, you will learn the basics about our energy and climate obligations. You will also prepare yourself to continue learning as these issues evolve. You will evaluate demand-side (e.g. more efficient buildings and automobiles) and supply-side (e.g. solar and wind) strategies for more sustainable use of energy. The course will require fact-based analysis of our energy obligations and possible ways to meet them. Please also consider enrolling in Sustainable Energy Innovation which begins June 2.

Join us for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics! Mega-events like the Olympics are complex phenomena that combine decisions about a short-term festival with long-term social impacts. On the surface, the public spectacle is compelling but going inside the games reveals so much more about the event, athletes, and host city. We will explore the many dimensions of mega-events—history, culture, politics, business, law, sports management, health, and economics—and provide the tools and language to interpret and understand the 2014 Winter Olympics. Join us, and fans around the world, for a month of Olympic spectacle.

From understanding social identities to modeling the spread of disease, this eight-week course will span key science and survival themes using AMC’s The Walking Dead as its basis. Four faculty members from the University of California, Irvine will take you on an inter-disciplinary academic journey deep into the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead, exploring the following topics: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—is survival just about being alive? Social order and structures—from the farm and the prison to Woodbury Social identity, roles, and stereotyping—as shown through leaders like Rick and the Governor The role of public health in society—from the CDC to local community organizations The spread of infectious disease and population modeling—swarm! The role of energy and momentum in damage control—how can you best protect yourself? Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world—are squirrels really good for you? Managing stress in disaster situations—what’s the long-term effect of always sleeping with one eye open? Each week we’ll watch engaging lectures, listen to expert interviews, watch exclusive interviews with cast members talking about their characters, use key scenes from the show to illustrate course learning, read interesting articles, review academic resources, participate in large and small group discussions, and—of course—test our learning with quizzes. We recommend that you plan on spending about two (2) to four (4) hours per week on this course, though we believe the course is compelling enough you’ll want to spend more time. At the end of this course, you will be able to: Describe how infectious diseases—like a zombie epidemic—spread and are managed Apply various models of society and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to existing and emerging societies as a means for understanding human behavior Analyze existing social roles and stereotypes as they exist today and in an emerging world Debate the role of public health organizations in society Describe how mathematical equations for population dynamics can be used to study disease spread and interventions Apply concepts of energy and momentum appropriately when analyzing collisions and other activities that either inflict or prevent damage Summarize multiple methods for managing stress in disaster situations

This introductory course in biology starts at the microscopic level, with molecules and cells. Before we get into the specifics of cell structure and behavior, however, let’s take a cursory glance at the field of biology more generally. Though biology as we know it today is a relatively new field, we have been studying living things since the beginning of recorded history. The invention of the microscope was the turning point in the history of biology; it paved the way for scientists to discover bacteria and other tiny organisms and ultimately led to the modern cell theory of biology. You will notice that, unlike the core program courses you took in chemistry and physics, introductory biology does not have many mathematical “laws” and “rules” and does not require much math. Instead, you will learn a great number of new terms and concepts that will help you describe life at the smallest level. Over the course of this semester, you will recognize the ways in which the tiniest of molecules are involved…

Welcome to BIO101B, Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology.  This course is intended for the student interested in understanding and appreciating common biological topics in the study of the smallest units within biology: molecules and cells. Molecular and cellular biology is a dynamic field.  There are thousands of opportunities within the medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial fields (just to name a few) for a person with a concentrated knowledge of molecular and cellular processes.  This course will give you a general introduction of these topics.  In addition to preparing for a diversity of career paths, an understanding of molecular and cell biology will help you make sound decisions in your everyday life that can positively impact your diet and health. Note that this course is an alternative to BIO101A [1], and that you may choose to take either BIO101A or BIO101B in order to learn about Molecular and Cellular Biology.  These courses cover the same material, but in a slig…

This lab course supplements BIO302: Human Anatomy [1].  Although we cannot virtually replicate the lab experience, this “lab” will familiarize you with scientific thinking and techniques and will enable you to explore of some key principles of human anatomy. The material in this lab supplement relates to the material covered in the lecture and reading portion of the course.  While that portion focuses more on large-picture concepts, here we will focus more on visual understanding, manipulation, and practical use of your knowledge.  You will review the anatomy and histology of the organs by using images of models, microscopic slides, and videos on cat and sheep dissections.  Then you will be asked to assess your knowledge, which eventually can be put to practical or experimental use.  Working though this lab supplement, you will realize that you must memorize new terms and locate different structures and organs, which can only be achieved by repetition and practice. Note: This course makes use of…

This course will teach you the fundamentals of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is the study of energy and its transformations. Energy is a physical property that can be converted from one form to another in order to perform work. For example, a stone rolling down a hill is converting gravitational potential energy into the kinetic energy of motion. Thermodynamics can be applied to systems we use every daysuch as, for example, heat pumps and refrigerators, internal combustion engines, batteries, and both electrical and mechanical power generators. An awareness of thermodynamics will help you examine other concepts involving chemical processes more quickly and will enable you to understand why many physical phenomena (such as automobile engines or chemical explosives) work the way they do. The knowledge you will gain in this course also will help you determine how much work an object can put out and predict how to optimize an object’s operation. In this course, you will learn about the laws of thermodynamics…

This course will teach you the important role that metal ions play in key biological processes.  You will learn that many biological functions are performed at the cellular level by metal ions that are incorporated into the activation sites of proteins and enzymes.  For example, when oxygen is transported through blood in the human body, it is bound to iron ions that are incorporated into the hemoglobin protein.  In order to function properly, these iron ions must be high-spin and in their +2 oxidation state.  As you progress through this course, you will learn about these and other requirements and mechanisms that must be present in order to facilitate critical biological functions. You will begin this course by reviewing the basic principles of inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology.  Following a brief overview of the spectroscopy methods that scientists use in the study of metals that contain protein, you will explore the structures of the most relevant metal centers in biological…

Bioorganic chemistry studies the chemistry of organic biomolecules.  It is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry.  Please recall that organic chemistry investigates all molecules that contain carbon and hydrogen, and biochemistry focuses on the network of molecular pathways in the cell.  Bioorganic chemistry employs organic chemistry to explain how enzymes catalyze the reactions of metabolic pathways and why metabolites react the way they do.  Bioorganic chemistry aims to expand organic-chemical research on structures, synthesis, and kinetics in a biological direction. This one-semester course will cover several advanced chemistry topics and will discuss the chemistry behind biological processes.  The course begins by introducing you to the mechanisms behind the most common biological chemical reactions (Unit 1).  You will then take a closer look at the metabolic processes of biomolecules.  You will apply your knowledge of the structural feature…

This course details the quantitative treatment of chemical processes in aquatic systems such as lakes, oceans, rivers, estuaries, groundwaters, and wastewaters. It includes a brief review of chemical thermodynamics that is followed by discussion of acid-base, precipitation-dissolution, coordination, and reduction-oxidation reactions. Emphasis is on equilibrium calculations as a tool for understanding the variables that govern the chemical composition of aquatic systems and the fate of inorganic pollutants.

This course is offered through The MIT/WHOI Joint Program. The MIT/WHOI Joint Program is one of the premier marine science graduate programs in the world. It draws on the complementary strengths and approaches of two great institutions: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

There is one thing I can be sure of: I am going to die. But what am I to make of that fact? This course will examine a number of issues that arise once we begin to reflect on our mortality. The possibility that death may not actually be the end is considered. Are we, in some sense, immortal? Would immortality be desirable? Also a clearer notion of what it is to die is examined. What does it mean to say that a person has died? What kind of fact is that? And, finally, different attitudes to death are evaluated. Is death an evil? How? Why? Is suicide morally permissible? Is it rational? How should the knowledge that I am going to die affect the way I live my life?

This is an introductory course in biochemistry, designed for both biology and chemical engineering majors. A consistent theme in this course is the development of a quantitative understanding of the interactions of biological molecules from a structural, thermodynamic, and molecular dynamic point of view. A molecular simulation environment provides the opportunity for you to explore the effect of molecular interactions on the biochemical properties of systems. This course assumes that students have taken introductory chemistry, including basic thermodynamics, as well as introductory organic chemistry. An introductory biology course is not a prerequisite for the course, but students would benefit from some prior exposure to biology, even at the high school level. Required mathematical skills include simple algebra and differential calculus.

This course covers specialized and somewhat advanced topics in the fields of cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics. It does not cover organismal biology or taxonomy. The course is carefully planned to provide the background that biology students will need for advanced biology classes. Non-biology majors will also find this course useful as it explains many of the concepts and techniques currently discussed in the popular press. This course is built around six key concepts that provide unifying explanations for how and why structures are formed and processes occur throughout your study of biology. Because it is not possible to cover the breadth of modern molecular biology in one semester, an understanding of these key concepts will provide a basis for extension of your knowledge to biological systems beyond the specifics covered in this course. One of the major goals of the course therefore is for you to not only learn the definitions of the concepts but also learn to recognize when they are operating the process being studied.

This course will begin with brief overview of what important current research topics are in oceanography (physical, geological, and biological) and how acoustics can be used as a tool to address them. Three typical examples are climate, bottom geology, and marine mammal behavior. Will then address the acoustic inverse problem, reviewing inverse methods (linear and nonlinear) and the combination of acoustical methods with other measurements as an integrated system. Last part of course will concentrate on specific case studies, taken from current research journals. This course is taught on campus at MIT and with simultaneous video at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

This seminar will be a scientific exploration of the food we eat and enjoy. Each week we shall have a scientific edible experiment that will explore a specific food topic. This will be a hands-on seminar with mandatory attendance of at least 85%. Topics include, but are not limited to, what makes a good experiment, cheese making, joys of tofu, food biochemistry, the science of spice, what is taste?

This course is the second in a series of two courses in kitchen chemistry. The prerequisite to Advanced Kitchen Chemistry is ES.287 Kitchen Chemistry, which is also on OCW.

This class analyzes complex biological processes from the molecular, cellular, extracellular, and organ levels of hierarchy. Emphasis is placed on the basic biochemical and biophysical principles that govern these processes. Examples of processes to be studied include chemotaxis, the fixation of nitrogen into organic biological molecules, growth factor and hormone mediated signaling cascades, and signaling cascades leading to cell death in response to DNA damage. In each case, the availability of a resource, or the presence of a stimulus, results in some biochemical pathways being turned on while others are turned off. The course examines the dynamic aspects of these processes and details how biochemical mechanistic themes impinge on molecular/cellular/tissue/organ-level functions. Chemical and quantitative views of the interplay of multiple pathways as biological networks are emphasized. Student work culminates in the preparation of a unique grant application in an area of biological networks.