Search Results for 'History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration'
History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Follow in the footsteps of history's most ambitious and influential explorers from antiquity through the space age in this captivating course taught by a top-rated professor.
Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers
Take an inside look at both the content and historical context of the world’s greatest war strategists, guided by a member of the elite U.S. Naval War College. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the subtleties and complexities of strategy, in war and otherwise.
The Genius of Michelangelo
Gain a comprehensive introduction to one of history's greatest artists with this groundbreaking and visually dazzling course that gives you a full portrait of Michelangelo as an ambitious businessman and an unparalleled artistic genius.
Rise of the Novel: Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
Take a literary journey over the course of three centuries to see how the novel was born and the many ways it shaped Western literature.
The 23 Greatest Solo Piano Works
Explore the greatest solo works ever written for the greatest instrument ever created in this exciting and fun course by famed musicologist Robert Greenberg.
Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome
Hannibal versus Rome: Watch the rise and fall of one of history’s greatest military commanders.
World Heritage Sites: Exploring the World’s Greatest Places
Encounter some of the most astounding treasures of our world, both man-made and natural, in this tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Future of Space Exploration
Rocket into the future of space exploration with this behind-the-scenes briefing from one of the aerospace engineers making it happen.
The Art of Investing: Lessons from History's Greatest Traders
An award-winning professor reveals the secrets of the most successful financial investors in history.
The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works
Experience the profound joy of landmark creations by Haydn, Beethoven, and others in this survey of orchestral works considered the greatest in Western history.
Experiencing Hubble: Understanding the Greatest Images of the Universe
Marvel at landmark images from the Hubble Space Telescope and better understand astronomy's latest and greatest discoveries in this visual feast of a course.
The World's Greatest Churches
Discover sublime masterpieces of architecture, art, and faith in this enthralling journey to the greatest Christian churches, basilicas, and cathedrals around the world.
Crashes and Crises: Lessons from a History of Financial Disasters
Learn the lessons of history’s greatest financial scams and disasters. An award-winning economist shows that forewarned is forearmed.
A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition
Investigate how history's greatest monster rose to power in a highly-educated, industrially developed country in this course taught by an Ivy League professor of History.
True Crime: Decoding the Evidence
Delve into some of history’s most notorious unsolved crimes with three experts who will guide you through the evidence and shed new light on old mysteries.
London: A Short History of the Greatest City in the Western World
Throughout its vast and riveting history, London played a critical role in shaping many of the most important political, social, cultural, and economic institutions and systems that you live with today.
World Heritage Sites II: 12 More of the World’s Greatest Places
Travel the world as you discover more of the most unforgettable works of architecture, archaeological ruins, feats of engineering, masterworks of art, and the greatest natural wonders of our planet.
The Power of Thought Experiments
Stretch your imagination in the company of great minds: Delve into the remarkable tradition of thought experiments.
The Architecture of Power: Great Palaces of the Ancient World
Explore the nature of political power and cultural tradition around the world through history’s most opulent, breathtaking palaces, accompanied by an expert guide.
Oceanography: Exploring Earth's Final Wilderness
Probe the ocean depths in this intriguing course that explores what we know about the world's oceans from the tidal zones to the deepest points on the ocean floor.
National Geographic Polar Explorations
Travel to the polar regions on an exquisite visual journey guided by five Arctic and Antarctic experts who reveal the science, culture, and history of these majestic locations.
The World's Greatest Paintings
Enjoy an unforgettable encounter with daring and sublime works of art in this compelling tour of some of the most significant paintings ever produced.
History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
Explore pivotal incidents of catastrophic failure in battle and consider how these errors changed the course of history in this fascinating 24-lesson series.
Great Thinkers, Great Theorems
Rub shoulders with towering mathematical geniuses of history in this fun and compelling course that takes you inside the mechanics of some of math's greatest and most awe-inspiring achievements.
The Art of Public Speaking
Learn how to prepare, craft, and deliver a great speech with this unique course that explores the principles of public speaking by examining the greatest speeches from history.
Why Evil Exists
Why do humans do evil? Is evil a spiritual or a cosmic problem? Why, in the end, does evil exist? Discover the answer to these and other provocative questions in Why Evil Exists.
The Persian Empire
Explore the secrets of one of the greatest empires in the ancient world from a fresh perspective: its own.
William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies
Explore 15 of Shakespeare's greatest plays and discover why the Bard of Avon is considered to be the greatest English language writer ever.
Museum Masterpieces: The National Gallery, London
Explore the halls of London's greatest museum with this exciting and visually sumptuous course by a acclaimed professor of art history.
Archaeology: An Introduction to the World's Greatest Sites
Produced in partnership with National Geographic, and led by a renowned archaeologist, explore over 20 of the most significant and enthralling archaeological sites on the planet.
The World's Greatest Geological Wonders
Tour Earth's great diversity and beauty in this awe-inspiring course that visits the most amazing natural wonders in the world and explains the geology that underlies them.
Solving for Zero: The Search for Climate Innovation
It’s the world’s greatest opportunity for innovation, and those game-changing inventions are at the core of Solving for Zero: The Search for Climate Innovation, a 10-part learning series highlighting lessons from the documentary, Solving for Zero, based on the best-selling book by Bill Gates. From nuclear batteries to hydrogen electric engines, delve deeper than ever into mind-blowing technology that can mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change. Because if there’s a will to innovate, there’s a way out for us.
The Long 19th Century: European History from 1789 to 1917
Take an unflinching look at some of history's major players during a complex and fascinating period of history.
Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft
Explore how to improve your writing by mastering the art of the sentence in this comprehensive course taught by an award-winning professor.
Books That Matter: Meditations
Dive into one of history’s most notable books and discover how to cultivate a meaningful life through Stoic philosophy.
Pilot Lecture: The Timurid Empire
Follow the dramatic story of the Timurid Empire and its founder, Tamerlane: the last great nomadic conqueror of the Eurasian steppe and one of history’s foremost military tacticians.
Understanding the World's Greatest Structures
Take a unique tour of our world's most remarkable and enduring structural masterpieces and learn why these architectural wonders stand the test of time.
Take My Course, Please! The Philosophy of Humor
Discover what humor is from the perspective of history’s great philosophers.
The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History
Uncover secrets and learn the truth behind some of the most persistent and provocative controversies of early Christianity in this gripping course by noted biblical scholar and New York Times best-selling author Bart D. Ehrman.
Exploring the Mayan World
Join a practicing archaeologist for a spirited virtual tour of the past, present, and future of Maya civilization in the northern Yucatán.
The Great Tours: Ireland and Northern Ireland
Explore the passionate history, world-renowned culture, breathtaking landscape, and welcoming people of the Emerald Isle.
The Big Bang and Beyond: Exploring the Early Universe
Taught by Professor Gary Felder of Smith College, this course covers the history of the early universe starting with the Big Bang and continuing to the formation of the first stars and galaxies hundreds of millions of years later. Professor Felder also looks ahead to the ultimate fate of the universe and to speculation on what may have happened before the Big Bang.
Conquest of the Americas
Explore the collision of three distinct peoples and cultures—Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans—in this eye-opening and engrossing course.
Great Heroes and Discoveries of Astronomy
Great Heroes and Discoveries of Astronomy takes you around the world and across time in search of the unsung heroes who evolved our understanding. Learn how Annie Jump Canon, Karl Lansky, Vera Rubin, and others sparked some of the great discoveries that have shaped astronomy over the past century through their groundbreaking new theories, serendipitous observations, and feats of engineering (on Earth and in space).
Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed
Uncover the fascinating rise and fall of the Maya and Aztec civilizations in this comprehensive course taught by the Director of the Maya Exploration Center.
The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History
Get a comprehensive and riveting overview of defining moments that profoundly changed the world.
Great Masters: Mahler—His Life and Music
Delve into the musical study of Mahler, who, along with being a composer, was the greatest opera conductor of his time.
02: The Scientific Voyage of Pytheas the Greek
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Meet the originator of scientific exploration, who trekked to the edge of the world so that he could see for himself what was there. Put Pytheas the Greek in the context of his time and place, sketching the Mediterranean as a cradle of civilization and examining how word of his voyage influenced later exploration.
15: Alexander von Humboldt-Explorer Genius
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Learn how the scientific explorer Alexander von Humboldt-sometimes called a “second Columbus” -taught us to see the world as an interrelated ecological unit. Trace his five-year exploration of the Americas with French botanist Aimé Bonpland, in which they covered 5,950 miles and catalogued 6,300 species of plants and animals.
14: Captain Cook Maps the World
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Look closely at Captain Cook, an explorer who in many ways epitomized the age of scientific discovery, which lauded exploration for the sake of knowledge. See how his methods and voyages embodied new attitudes toward foreign peoples, and why it's what Cook didn't find that helped give us the complete world picture we have today.
01: The Earliest Explorers
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Begin your study journey with the Vivaldi brothers' ill-fated journey to India. What drove the brothers-or drives any explorer-to take a risk and venture into the unknown? Consider that question as you look at theories on how the Pacific islands became populated starting with an epic movement 7,000 years ago.
22: Antarctic Rivalries
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Now, focus on the race to the South Pole and the bitter rivalries surrounding it. Witness how Norwegian Roald Amundsen outdistanced his rival, English explorer Captain Robert Scott, whose return voyage took a tragic turn. Then, follow the hardships of British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose expedition to cross the punishing Antarctic also met disaster.
12: Henry Hudson-Death on the Ice
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Switch gears from voyages of fruitful discovery to a tragic failure ending in mutiny, murder, and a mystery that endures to this day: Henry Hudson's 1610 voyage in search of the Northwest Passage to Asia, funded by two of the first multinational corporations.
08: Portugal's Great Leap Forward
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
How and why did tiny Portugal, a poor country, take to the seas, round the continent of Africa, hijack the Indian Ocean, and create a global empire? Find out here, with a look at Portugal's rise to superpower status, from Prince Henry the Navigator's call for exploration to Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to Asia.
04: Xuanzang's Journey to the West
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Alarmed at inconsistencies in the Buddhist texts available to him, Xuanzang embarked on an illegal holy pilgrimage to acquire authoritative teachings. See how, in the process of the monk's travels, he brought Buddhist traditions to the Confucian Chinese, achieved celebrity status, and became the central character in the greatest classical Chinese novel.
01: 1433-The Great Voyages of Admiral Zheng He
From: Turning Points in Modern History
Explore the idea of modernity and define “turning point.” Then, consider why Chinese admiral Zheng He's voyages promoting the power of China's authority did not continue as part of a larger campaign of discovery-and what the consequences might have been had he reached the Americas.
13: The Jesuits on a Global Mission
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Founded in 1540, the order of the Jesuits used global cultural exploration as a means to proselytize to local cultures across the world, from India and China to the Americas. Examine their controversial method of inculturation, and place the Jesuit project in the context of a larger intellectual shift towards cultural relativism.
23: A Deep-Sea Dive into the Mariana Trench
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Take a breathtaking look at a historic descent into the deepest place on earth-the Mariana Trench in the Pacific-by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh. But first, discover some of the highlights of ocean exploration in the centuries before this 1960 expedition.
20: Dr. Livingstone and Mary Kingsley in Africa
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
First, consider how the most famous PR stunt in the history of exploration-journalist Henry Stanley finding ailing Scottish explorer Dr. Livingstone in a remote town in Africa-reveals how Africa long remained the “Dark Continent” to the outside world. Then, turn to Mary Kingsley, an Englishwoman whose writing revealed West Africa to a European audience.
24: The Race to Outer Space
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Why have humans ventured beyond Earth? Does the future of space exploration lie with commercial interests? Is humanity's future in space? Consider these questions as you consider the past, present, and future of space exploration, starting with the moment Apollo 8's astronauts first witnessed earthrise on Christmas Eve 1968.
03: St. Brendan-The Travels of an Irish Monk
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Consider religious motivations for exploration. Men like the Irish monk St. Brendan-who sailed the Atlantic in a tiny leather boat-sought God and fled the world's corruptions, some searching for paradise and some merely for seclusion. Examine how legendary re-workings of such real adventures left a surprising legacy that would affect later exploration.
22: Western Voyages to Greenland and Vinland
From: The Vikings
The daunting climate and the ultimate paucity of marketable trade goods prevented Greenland from becoming a viable settlement, while Vinland settlements foundered due to hostile Algonquins and remoteness from the Scandinavian homeland. The American fascination with these voyages reveals a sentiment the Icelanders would have appreciated, a yearning for connection with an ancient past.
09: The Enigmatic Christopher Columbus
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Understand the complexities of Christopher Columbus who, in stumbling upon the Americas while attempting to reach Asia by heading West, touched off the massive Columbian Exchange of peoples, plants, commodities, and diseases. Dispel enduring myths, and explore Columbus's religious motives for launching what he called “The Enterprise of the Indies.”
05: Leif Eriksson the Lucky
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
While the story of Leif Eriksson and the Vikings is relatively well known, Professor Liulevicius takes you deeper into the question of why the Vikings, or Norsemen, explored, as evidenced by their broader culture of adventure and values that pressed them onwards in often violent ways.
11: The Ruthless Ambition of the Conquistadors
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Consider the most brutal of explorers, the conquistadors-Spanish military entrepreneurs including Cortés, Pizarro, and de Soto, who were not directly controlled by the monarchy, but royally sanctioned to seize wealth and lands in the New World. How did they topple civilizations using only a handful of men? What impact did they have on native societies? Find out here.
06: Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Although traders had traveled the Silk Road since the Roman Empire, there was little awareness of what existed at the other end-until Marco Polo's accounts of China opened Europeans' eyes to a mysterious, advanced civilization. Start with background on the medieval world, then look closely at Polo's travels and legacy.
17: Sir John Franklin's Epic Disaster
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Consider a tragic episode: the doomed expedition of Sir John Franklin, who disappeared in 1845 along with his crew while searching for the Northwest Passage. Compare theories on the fate of the men, and see how the mystery captured the imagination of Franklin's contemporaries, helping to create a culture of adventure.
10: Magellan and the Advent of Globalization
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Follow the path of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, whose expedition in service of Spain became the first to circumnavigate the world, inaugurating our ability to think globally and accomplishing what Columbus had promised to do-reaching Asia by sailing west from Europe. See how his journey bound together the world economy, creating consequences down to our own times.
16: Jefferson Dispatches Lewis and Clark
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
On President Jefferson's (originally secret) orders, the U.S. Corps of Discovery led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to chart the new territories gained by the Louisiana Purchase, while recording its people, flora, and fauna. How did they cross Native American-occupied lands peacefully? What was the expedition's political significance? Find out here.
18: Ida Pfeiffer-Victorian Extreme Traveler
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Meet Ida Pfeiffer, a Victorian women who defied expectations by traveling around the world twice and becoming a best-selling author describing her experiences. Follow her extraordinary journeys to exotic locales and learn how she deftly escaped some perilous situations-including cannibalistic Batak warriors in the jungles of Sumatra.
07: Ibn Battuta-Never the Same Route Twice
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Examine the life and legacy of Ibn Battuta, who left Morocco in 1325 to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, but discovered a craving for spiritual travel and returned home 24 years later after covering 75,000 miles in the network woven by Muslim civilization.
19: Japan Discovers the West
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Faced with Western imperialism after 200 years of self containment, Japan discovered the West through a series of exploratory diplomatic missions abroad to America and Europe towards the end of the 19th century. Which features of Western culture did they find worth emulating? Which unfamiliar Western practices did they reject?
21: Arctic Feats and Fates
From: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
Who was first to make it to the North Pole? Wade into the debate while examining the fascinating but lesser-known moments and figures of the race, including pilot Umberto Nobile flying a hydrogen-filled semi-rigid airship over the Pole in 1926, then crashing on a second trip, unleashing an international rescue operation.
24: The Great Blunders: Four Paths to Failure
From: History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
Review the conflicts in this course to determine the major recurrent errors leading to such blunders. Then, turn to the final case study: a location and culture encompassing modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan that has been the target of some of history's greatest conquerors and empires across more than 2,000 years....
04: The Saga of Arctic Exploration
From: National Geographic Polar Explorations
Over the centuries, hundreds of people have perished trying to find their way through the Northwest Passage and to the North Pole, while hundreds more have spent months or years trapped on ships in Arctic sea ice. Discover how explorers such as Henry Hudson, Sir John Franklin, and Roald Amundsen opened up this polar region to the world....
24: An English Masterpiece: Middlemarch
From: Rise of the Novel: Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
George Eliot’s Middlemarch is regarded by many as the greatest novel in the English language. A story about choices and human relationships, it explores the limitations that can shape a human life in unexpected—and sometimes tragic—ways. Bring your study of the novel to an end with a look at why this sprawling, emotionally rich story is so often considered the height of the novel form.
03: The Greatest Mathematics Book of All
From: Great Thinkers, Great Theorems
Begin your exploration of the work widely considered the greatest mathematical text of all time: Euclid's Elements. Discover why these 13 succinct books have been so influential for so long as you delve into the ground-laying definitions, postulates, common notions, and theorems from book I.
07: North America and Viking Explorers
From: The Middle Ages around the World
Peoples from Northern Europe also ventured far afield in the Middle Ages. Here, follow the voyages of the Vikings in their fast-moving ships and how they reached North America in the 10th century. Learn about the Viking settlements on Iceland and Greenland and their expeditions further west while seeking hospitable lands, leading to violent conflict with Algonquian tribes and later the Inuit.
02: Thucydides on Strategy
From: Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers
Take a systematic look at what makes Thucydides perhaps history's first great strategist. In his analysis of the Peloponnesian War, he examines the political origins of the war, the Spartan and Athenian leadership, and the social and moral implications of war-all in an effort to prevent future generations from repeating Athens' mistakes....
02: Explorers, Navigators, Pioneering Scientists
From: Oceanography: Exploring Earth's Final Wilderness
The early explorers of the ocean were interested in charting its islands, dimensions, and resources-and in using it as a highway for trade. Relive the exploits of these mariners, who included Europeans, Chinese, and Polynesians. Only later did scientific exploration of the ocean begin.
24: Charles Darwin Takes an Ocean Voyage (1831)
From: The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History
Encounter another book that shook the foundations of history: Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. The product of an ocean voyage in 1831, the work described the theory of evolution by natural selection, an idea that would revolutionize not only the science and culture of Darwin’s time, but of the 20th century as well.
13: Philosophical Satire in France: Candide
From: Rise of the Novel: Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
Together with Gulliver’s Travels, Candide ranks among the greatest satires ever written. This witty, overtly artificial novel takes jabs at both political and religious authority through a series of deliberately implausible events. Reveal the philosophy that underpins Voltaire’s work as you look at episodes from this influential story.
24: High Renaissance—Humanism Perfected
From: How to Look at and Understand Great Art
The Italian High Renaissance saw the full flowering of humanism and classicism. With reference to the era's thought and practice, delve into masterpieces by three of history's greatest geniuses: Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. Last, explore the composition of Raphael's School of Athens as it represents the sublime embodiment of High Renaissance ideals.
34: Renaissance Man and Man of the Renaissance
From: Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian High Renaissance
Dispel any doubts you may have about Leonardo’s status as Western history’s greatest Renaissance man. In this lecture, explore the political, cultural, and spiritual climate of the times that led to the possibility of such a comprehensive individual’s existence. In the process, you’ll get a window into the sources and reasons for Leonardo’s lasting genius.
45: Renaissance and Exploration: Motives
From: Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
The Age of Discovery can be thought of, in many ways, as a Renaissance project. Here, you’ll learn many of the values, motivations, and conflicts that fostered preconditions for European exploration, including a curiosity about the natural world, technological innovations, and the underlying quest for glory and riches.
06: Life Support and Futuristic Space Suit Designs
From: The Future of Space Exploration
As space voyagers venture farther and farther from Earth, they require advanced radiation protection, robust life support systems, and significantly improved spacesuits. Explore the innovative designs that will enable astronauts to thrive in truly alien environments. These technologies have potential applications on Earth, including radiation therapy, air purification, water recycling, and more.
46: Renaissance and Exploration: New Horizons
From: Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
How did Portugal and Spain set out to build overseas empires? Examine the first round of European expansion in the Americas and the Indian Ocean basin in the broader contexts of the Renaissance. Along the way, follow the journeys and discoveries of explorers like Christopher Columbus and Francisco Pizarro.
09: The Greatest Story Ever Told
From: My Favorite Universe
A synthesis of the greatest discoveries of physics, astrophysics, chemistry, and biology creates a coherent story of the birth and evolution of the cosmos.
14: Life's Greatest Crisis: The Permian
From: Introduction to Paleontology
What could have caused the Permian mass extinction, when around 90 percent of all species became extinct in the geological blink of an eye? Learn what paleontology reveals about the cascading series of events that led to runaway global warming and the greatest catastrophe faced on earth since the evolution of complex life....
17: The French Romantic Novel: Julie
From: Rise of the Novel: Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
Begin your exploration of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s novel Julie, or the New Eloisa by relating it to his brilliant social and political theories. Then, explore the searching examination of love and friendship that made this the most popular novel of the entire 18th century.
19: Literary Responses to the Black Death
From: The Black Death: The World's Most Devastating Plague
The events of the Black Death inspired some of history's greatest literary masterpieces. In this lecture, uncover the range of textual responses to the plague, highlighting William Langland's dream-vision poem Piers Plowman and Boccaccio's Decameron. Learn how the plague set Geoffrey Chaucer on the path to literary immortality.
23: Exploring the Land, Exploring the Universe
From: Experiencing America: A Smithsonian Tour through American History
Cross the expanse of the continent with Lewis and Clark, then leap into space with the Mercury, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. Discover how Smithsonian scientists will continue exploring the limits of the cosmos with the Giant Magellan Telescope.
24: Teaching and Civilization
From: The Art of Teaching: Best Practices from a Master Educator
Conclude the course by taking a giant leap back and viewing the art, craft, and importance of teaching from a historical perspective. Why is education so important to advancing civilization? Who are some of history's greatest teachers? And what is the moral and political significance of this honorable and ancient profession?...
30: Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933)
From: The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History
Professor Fears’s theme in this lecture is Adolph Hitler’s inauguration as chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. Once in power, this political leader would unleash both World War II and the Holocaust. So how—and why—did history’s greatest monster gain such a strong hold over the German people?
36: The Legacies of Leonardo da Vinci
From: Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian High Renaissance
What should we remember Leonardo for as an artist? As an inventor? As an engineer? As a scientific observer? In this lecture, take one last look at the legacy of Leonardo’s life and work, his relevance to today’s world, and why he remains—even today—one of Western history’s greatest individuals.
09: Exploring Aerodynamics
From: Do-It-Yourself Engineering
Start your project on fixed-wing flight the way the Wright brothers did: by building a wind tunnel. Use it to test different wing shapes at varying angles of attack, exploring the phenomena of lift, drag, and stalling. Your goal is to design a wing appropriate for a low-speed model plane, powered only by a few strands of rubber and flying without remote control....
22: The Horror Novel: Frankenstein
From: Rise of the Novel: Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
Few could have guessed that a horror story written by a teenage girl would become a powerful myth with global impact, but that is exactly what Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein did. Travel back to 1816, the “year without a summer,” to trace the origins and influence of this iconic novel as an exploration of philosophy, science, and the eternal human battle with mortality.
