Great Courses: Understanding the World's Greatest Structures

[Bolo Boffin]

Last edited Fri Mar 30, 2012, 03:48 AM - Edit history (1)

Just saw this course on sale at The Teaching Company:

http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1153

Your world is filled with structures that have stood the test of time. That give character to the cities and landscapes in which they're located. That are visited by millions of people each year. And that capture our wonder for the marvels of engineering innovation and progress.

But while structures such as the Giza pyramids, Brunelleschi's dome, and the Brooklyn Bridge are visual spectacles in and of themselves, they are just as important for the way they were designed as for the way they look. These and other structural masterpieces were, first and foremost, novel creations born from the most progressive engineering concepts and tools of their day. They represent uniquely effective solutions to perplexing structural concerns. And they serve as landmark moments in the millennia-long history of engineering.

Now, experience the engineering genius that makes these works possible with Understanding the World's Greatest Structures: Science and Innovation from Antiquity to Modernity—a marvelous learning experience that takes you around the world and reveals the stories behind the most famous bridges, churches, skyscrapers, towers, and other structures from thousands of years of history. Delivered by award-winning Professor Stephen Ressler of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a civil engineer and a nationally honored leader in engineering education, these 24 lectures take you on a fascinating and richly illustrated tour that deftly blends history and science to create an unforgettable survey of our world's most remarkable structural masterpieces, one informed by the fundamentals of structural engineering and their underlying scientific principles.

I know, I know. A West Point lecturer. How "government science" can you get? Still, some here might be interested enough to look into it. It's heading toward my mailbox as we speak.

ETA: I thought this course might be interesting to those who wish to discuss WTC controlled demolition theories of groups lik AE911Truth and the like. The World Trade Center towers and their collapse is treated in one of the lectures. I've not gotten to that one yet because Roman concrete domes are rather fascinating, too! But I'll report back when I do.

[flying rabbit]

1. Have you ordered from them before?

I have one of their catalogs, and some of their stuff looks damned interesting.

[Bolo Boffin]

2. Oh, yes.

I've gotten their calculus course - which is nothing really strenuous, just basic concepts - and I've also gotten their high school courses for my niece and nephews. I've also gotten a nice one on nutrition. I've really enjoyed the ones that I've seen. The ones on the brain are probably next on my list.

[Bolo Boffin]

3. Finally started digging into this course.

I'm on lecture 7 right now. Ressler promises to get to the WTC towers and their collapse in a later lecture, but right now he's making a late 19th century British textile mill as impressive as the Brooklyn Bridge, structure-wise. Really good stuff here.