By Jessica Merritt

For a number of years, the CIA has maintained a factbook with information about all of the countries of the world and has made some of this information available to the public in published books. The Fact Book has also been made available online, and there are plenty of cool things you can find in it. Read on to see what you can learn from this government reference.

Geography, Topography, and Cartography

These resources offer information about the area, elevation, and more in a country.

1. Google Earth: Google Earth now offers integration with the CIA Factbook, so you can look up information on the map.
2. Elevation extremes: Here you’ll learn about the highest and lowest points of a country.
3. Area: Here you’ll be able to find out about the sqare kilometers of each country, by total, land, and water.
4. Comparative Area: Use this reference to learn about the size of a country in relation to a US state.
5. Natural hazards: Find out about all of the different potential natural disasters a country faces.
6. Terrain: Learn about the topography of a country through this reference.
7. Capital: Here you’ll be able to identify the seat of a country’s government, with information about geographic coordinates, time zones, and more.
8. Geography notes: Find miscellaneous notes about a country’s geography here.
9. Reference Maps: The CIA Factbook offers downloadable JPG and PDF reference maps for all of the regions of the world.
10. Flags of the World: In the Factbook, you can find images of the flags of each of the countries in the world.
11. Climate: In this entry, you’ll learn about the different weather experienced throughout the world.
12. Current environment issues: Learn about the variety of environmental issues affecting countries around the world.

Government

Using these resources, you can learn more about the different governments around the world.

13. Constitution: Get information about the legislative documents of different countries.
14. Political parties and leaders: In this entry, you’ll learn about significant political organizations and their leaders.
15. Government type: Check out this reference to learn what type of government a country operates under.
16. Political pressure groups and leaders: Read this entry to learn about a country’s political pressure groups.

Useful Reference

Make use of these reference resources, which include codes and abbreviations.

17. Abbreviations: If you’re wondering what an abbreviation stands for, check out this appendix to see if it’s there. The reference offers abbreviations for a number of economic, social, and regional groups and beyond.
18. International Organizations and Groups: Get detailed information about many groups and organizations in the world through this appendix.
19. International Agreements: The Factbook offers objectives, participating parties, and other information about international agreements, such as treaties and protocols.
20. FIPS 10 Codes: Reference the FIPS 10 codes for different countries for use with sovereignty, dependencies, administrative divisions, and more.
21. ISO 3166 Codes: These codes offer a standardized representation of the names of countries.
22. STANAG 1059: These NATO codes identify countries, territories, and possessions.
23. Internet Domain Codes: This reference will let you know about the top-level domain for each country.
24. Hydrographic Data Codes: Get codes for the limits of oceans and seas, geopolitical data elements, and more through this reference.
25. Geographic Names: Get the entry name, latitude and longitude for a number of cities, capitals, regions, and other areas here.
26. Weights and Measures: Get conversion rates and more for measurements used around the world.

Education & Language

Find out more about the literacy and language of a country.

27. Language: This entry lists the different languages spoken within a country.
28. Literacy: Here you can learn about the levels of literacy around the world.

Technology

With these resources, you’ll get information about the technological advancements around the world.

29. Internet hosts: Find out how many different internet hosts a country has available.
30. Television broadcast stations: This entry offers information about the total number of broadcast and repeater TV stations in a country.
31. Internet users: Here you’ll learn about the number of users in a country that have access to the Internet.
32. Telephones: Find out the numbers for both main telephone lines and mobile cellular telephone subscribers in this reference.

Travel

Learn about the transportation available around the world, as well as embassy and consulate locations.

33. World Airports: Find out how many different airports a country has, available in downloadable ranked order.
34. US Diplomatic representation: This reference offers useful information for embassies and consulates around the world.
35. Railways: Here you’ll find information about the total route length of the railway network, as well as the different types of rails in the country.
36. Heliports: In this reference, you’ll find information about the total number of heliports in a country.
37. Paved and unpaved airport runways: Learn a bit about the quality of air travel in different countries from these resources.

Demographics

Here you can learn more about the people around the world.

38. Age structure: Learn how many people are in different age groups in individual countries and in the world overall.
39. Religion: This reference offers information about the different religions practiced within a country.
40. Death Rate: Study the rate of mortality around the world, affected by age disribution.
41. Birth rate: Find out just how fast a country’s population is growing by checking out these estimated birth rates per country, available in ranked order.
42. Sex ratio: In this reference, you’ll see the number of males for each female in different age groups around the world.
43. Infant mortality rate: Here you’ll learn about the death rate for infants one year and younger in world countries. This rate is often used as an indicator for the overall health of a country.

Current Events

These resources report facts on what is happening in the world today.

44. International disputes: This reference offers information about situations between different countries.
45. Refugees and internationally displaced persons: Here you’ll find information that highlights refugees and internationally displaced persons throughout a country, and where they came from.
46. Trafficking in persons: This reference provides numbers and information about modern day slavery and human trafficking.
47. Illicit drugs: This entry provides information about drugs produced in countries, both legal and illegal.

Business & Economy

Research the financial strength and situation of a country through these resources.

48. Agriculture Products: This reference lists the major agriculture products of each country.
49. Budget: Learn about the revenues and expenditures of countries around the world, and see special notes on their economic situation.
50. Industries: Find out the major industries of a country with this reference.
51. External debt: This entry explains how much public and private debt is owed to other countries.
52. Account Balance: Here you can take a look at the richest countries in the world, ranked by account balance.
53. Purchasing power parity: Find out the GDP at purchasing power parity for countries around the world here.
54. Currency code: This resource offers the national currency for exchange as well as the ISO 4217 alphabetic currency code for the country.
55. Unemployment rate: Here you’ll learn about the percent of the labor force without jobs, with notations for substantial underemployment.
56. Proved oil reserves: Here you can find out where all of the oil in the world is hiding.
57. Exchange rates: This reference supplies information about the official value for a country’s currency.

By Kelly Kilpatrick

Reading blogs doesn’t have to be an exercise in futility or a waste of time. Your blog addiction can serve you well by with these blogs that are sure to make you smarter. These blogs bring you information about politics, technology, art, literature, an international perspective on life and culture, and much more. Become a regular reader of these blogs and who knows how intelligent you will be in the end.

Politics

Whether you fall to the left, right, or down the middle, these political blogs will open your eyes and expand your mind.

1. Daily Kos. This popular progressive blog offers a daily dose of politics that will definitely improve your political intelligence.
2. The Daily Dish. Written by Andrew Sullivan, one of the first journalist bloggers, this blog offers a political view "of no party or clique."
3. The Corner on National Review Online. Get your politics from this blog with a conservative viewpoint courtesy of this popular online magazine.
4. Instapundit.com. Find politics and much, much more at this libertarian-leaning blog written by Glenn Reynolds.
5. Talking Points Memo. This blog, headed by award-winning writer Joshua Micah Marshall, offers a unique approach to political reporting that often goes deeper than some of the traditional news organizations.
6. Think Progress. Working to promote progressive ideas and politics with this blog, articles frequently include topics on issues as social and economic justice, global leadership, health care, and more.
7. The Huffington Post - The Blog. This popular site offers a blog that reflects it’s liberal approach to politics with articles that will keep you up-to-date.
8. The Daily Beast Blogs & Stories. Run by a good friend of The Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington, but with a polar opposite political approach, blogs on Tina Brown’s The Daily Beast bring political stories with a more refined, yet decidedly conservative touch.
9. OxBlog. Written by four former or current Oxford graduate students, this blog offers an international perspective to politics with a liberal perspective.
10. Little Green Footballs. This conservative political blog focuses on America and topics in the Middle East.

News

Get the latest news about the nation, the world, the economy, health, and even some off-the-wall news stories with these blogs.

11. AC360�. Read Anderson Cooper’s blog at CNN based on this popular news show to learn the news of the day.
12. NBC Around the World. Get the latest international news from this blog courtesy of NBC.
13. Nightline’s Daily Line. From the popular ABC news show, Nightline, this blog offers sneak peaks, recaps, and inside news from the show.
14. Wallstrip. From CBS news, this video blog takes a look at the companies doing well on the stock market each day and explains trends that may lead to the companies’ successes.
15. Technology News - CNET News. Get the latest news on the technology front from this blog.
16. Global News Blog - Reuters. Find some of the most comprehensive world news available on this blog from Reuters.
17. NPR: Planet Money. Keep up with the global economy with news from this blog.
18. The Medium. This blog from the New York Times Magazine brings the latest news from the world of online video.
19. A Better Life: Health and Medical News. From USA Today, this blog features all the latest news on health and wellness.
20. Oddly Enough - Reuters. These true news stories from around the world remind you to take life a little less seriously.

Higher Education

These blogs come from professors and universities and share a wealth of information that will surely expand your world and help make you smarter.

21. Lessig. Stanford Law School professor Lawrence Lessig pens this popular blog with topics ranging from the politics to technology to copyright issues.
22. Kellogg Insight. Read about the latest research of the professors at Kellogg School of Management on this blog.
23. Carpe Diem. Mark J. Perry writes about economics and finance with recent posts focusing on gas prices and auto affordability.
24. Concurring Opinions. Described as "a general-interest legal blog," the professors who contribute to this blog cover a wide variety of topics from tax law to technology.
25. The Becker-Posner Blog. These two well-respected law professors each offer their opinions on the same topic at this popular blog.  
26. Georgetown Law Faculty Blog. With several law professors contributing to this blog, you will find a wealth of information on current legal news that the professors find important enough to share.
27. Health Care Organizational Ethics. This Harvard professor writes about the state of health care on his blog, including topics such as personal responsibility, pharmaceuticals, and hospital ethics.
28. Mudd Manuscript Library Blog. Not only can you learn about upcoming exhibits at this Princeton Library, but you can also learn quite a bit about the pieces and their part in history as well.
29. Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog. Find out what these law professors have to say about current issues and public policy.
30. IvyGate. Whether or not this blog will actually make you smarter may be up for debate, but you can feel like you are a part of the Ivy League world with this blog that brings you news, gossip, and more from all the Ivy League schools.

Technology

From research to intellectual property to Internet security, these blogs will help you become smarter about technology.

31. Harga-Blog. Andrew Hargadon writes about technology innovation and management with an emphasis on sustainable technology.
32. Eric Goldman. This law professor writes about technology and marketing with topics including Internet law and news, copyright and technology, and more.
33. Karim R. Lakhani’s Infrequent Musings. Read about technological innovation from this Harvard professor on his blog.
34. Ed Batista. From Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, this leadership coach writes about leadership and management along with technology.
35. Open IT Strategies. With a focus on creating business models, Joel West writes about IT and business on his blog.
36. beSpacific. This "daily law and technology" blog frequently discusses topics of homeland security, e-government, cybercrime, and the Patriot Act.
37. Light Blue Touchpaper. From University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, this blog includes essays from researchers focusing on the most recent developments in computer security.
38. Financial Cryptography. Discussing issues surrounding security, software engineering, economic impacts, and more, this blog offers a very cerebral approach to the topics.
39. Freedom to Tinker. Published by Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy, this blog includes articles on Internet security, intellectual property, and many other technology topics.
40. Center for Internet and Society People and Blogs. A part of the Stanford Law School, this blog serves as clearinghouse of blogs with a focus on all things Internet.
41. iBlawg. Drawing from Duke Law School’s Intellectual Property program, this blog serves as a source of information for law and technology.

Sports

Anyone who can remember all the statistical information that an avid sports fan can definitely qualifies as smart. Read these sports blogs and exercise your brain.

42. The Wages of Wins Journal. A companion piece to their book The Wages of Wins, these three professors of economics examine the economics of sports.
43. SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated. Economics and sports meet in this blog that takes a look at how the two work together.
44. I’m Writing Sports. Written by a journalism student and aspiring sports writer, this blog features sports at both the professional and college level.
45. The Quad. Learn all about college sports in this blog from the New York Times.
46. Bleacher Report. Not only can you read this blog, but members can also participate in the editing process to ensure the best quality sports news articles.
47. Sports, Media & Society. Take a look at how media and society approach women in sports with this blog written by a sports journalist and professor.
48. Women’s Sports Blog. This blog with a focus on women’s sports includes news and information about women’s sports, including basketball, soccer, field hockey, and more.
49. View from North America. This blog covers North American sports with a heavy emphasis on college football.
50. Mechelle Voepel. This ESPN writer covers women’s sports among other things in this well-written personal blog.

International Perspective

Follow these writers to learn about life around the world with blogs that describe culture, technology, human rights, and more.

51. My heart’s in Accra. A part of Global Voices, Ethan Zuckerman blogs about Africa, development, and the media here.
52. Bankelele. Learn about Kenya, banking, finance, and more with this blog.
53. Adventures of Mr. Behi. Living in the Netherlands, this Iranian man blogs about his experiences of travel and meeting others in different countries.
54. El Oso. Get a Latin American perspective with this blog–it’s also available in Spanish.
55. solanasaurus. This Danish-Puerto Rican journalist shares her experiences as she lives and works in New York.
56. thebillblog. This British journalist focuses specifically on digital culture in his blog.
57. shioyama. Read in either English or Japanese at this blog that focuses on media, translation, and technology in Japan.
58. Within/Without. From Bangladesh but currently living in London, Neha Viswanathan shares her experiences of life across cultures.
59. Inba’s Corner. The beautiful posts on this blog will bring you the perspective of a modern woman in India as she lives her life.

Art

Whether you want to learn about art or just appreciate the beauty, these blogs will provide you with a healthy dose of art smarts.

60. Art News Blog. Get the latest news in the world of art from this blog.
61. Graphic Arts. This blog from Princeton shows photos of recent acquisitions as well as the history behind each piece.
62. New Art. The posts in this blog profile art by a variety of artists as well as some of the background of the artist and pieces.
63. Art Knowledge News. With updates about exhibits as well as information about art, artists, museums, and more, this blog will keep you up-to-date with what is happening in the art world.
64. art.blogging.la. While this blog primarily posts information on what is happening in the art circles of Los Angeles, it is worthwhile information if you are interested in art.
65. Art Esprit. This curator and gallery owner posts about fine art and crafts that she stumbles upon.
66. The Intrepid Art Collector. This blog updates you with information on the art market as well as art book and museum reviews.
67. Modern Art Notes. Modern and contemporary art are the focus of this blog where you can learn about art from a well-respected blogger.
68. Conscientious. This blog features contemporary fine-art photography with information about the photographers as well as reviews of photography books and magazines.
69. Edward_Winkleman. Described as "art, politics, gossip, and tough love," this blog will enlighten you on the art world in New York.

Literature

Get book reviews, learn about the latest in the world of literature, and more with these blogs.

70. The Feminist Spectator. Written by a professor at Princeton, this blog provides analyses of film, theater, and other performances with an emphasis on the feminist presence and how it relates to society.
71. Indiana University Press Blog. Learn about authors, watch interviews, and participate in the community through various methods all on this blog.
72. Yale Press Log. Get the latest information on books published by Yale University Press as well as interviews and more at this blog.
73. A Different Stripe. This blog from New York Review of Books Classics brings information on both classics and new works.
74. Blog of a Bookslut. Don’t let the name fool you, this is a blog about serious literature–it just doesn’t take itself too seriously.
75. So Many Books. This reader shares what she’s reading as well as a bit about reading and books in general.
76. 3000 Books. Reading an average of 50 books a year, this blogger shares reviews of all those books as she goes.
77. Blogging the Canon. Finding himself with the desire to read all the classics he felt he should have earlier in life, this 40-something blogger shares his experiences of reading the classics.
78. But what these unobservant birds. Find reviews, reading challenges, and more at this Canadian blogger’s place.
79. Stanford University Press Blog. Read about the books published by Stanford University Press, which are always of high intellectual quality with a social conscience.
80. Bookfoolery and Babble. From fiction to non-fiction, the book reviews on this blog are so well-written that you want to add them all to your reading list.

Science

From medicine to technology, these science blogs will have you learning plenty.

81. Family Medicine Notes. Learn from the experience of this physician who keeps notes of what he learns through his practice and offers advice as well as links to medical news.
82. Secrecy News. Sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists, this blog supports their mission of disclosing government secrecy of scientific research in the name of promoting good public policy.
83. Medgadget. Find out about the latest gadgets making their appearance on the medical scene with this blog.
84. Princeton AIDS Initiative. Learn about the science and policy of AIDS in a global context with this blog.
85. Environmental Sciences Information. Providing links to helpful resources, this blog from Princeton offers the latest news and information that may pertain to the environmental sciences.
86. Wired Science. Keep up with the latest science news with this hip blog that gives science a cool name.
87. Bad Astronomy. This astronomer embraces good science and works to keep out the bad stuff on his blog.
88. bootstrap analysis. Written by an "urban field ecologist," this blog brings you natural history, field work, environmental issues, cats, and even some politics.
89. Pharyngula. Written by a professor at University of Minnesota, Morris, this humorous blog covers science and much more.
90. The Corpus Callosum. This psychiatrist writes about the brain, social science, politics, and more on this cerebral blog.

Do It Yourself

Learning how to create what most people buy is a valuable lesson on using your brain and creativity. These blogs will help you do just that.

91. Make: Blog. Learn how to make some seriously cool stuff with this blog from the popular Make Magazine.
92. Instructables Community Blog. Find out how to make the world’s largest pinata or test your Instructables knowledge with a quiz on this blog.
93. Hacks Blog. Make a cake in a coffee mug, a Linux-controlled power switch, or play backed-up Wii games with the information here.
94. DIY City Blog. Independent artists with a DIY flair share their ideas that range from knitted hats to hand-made jewelry.
95. DIY Audio Projects. From vacuum tubes to subwoofers, this blog will help you build your own audio projects.
96. The Automata/Automaton Blog. If you are interested in making or collecting automata or mechanical toys, this blog will provide you with plenty of information.
97. DIY Woodworking, Home Improvement, and Art Projects. From building a guitar to installing a toilet, learn how to do it all here.
98. Gizmodo. Learn to see in 3D or read about the latest tech gadgets at this blog.
99. Hacked Gadgets. Learn to make your computer control an LCD display or create a beer cooler lock down on this blog.
100. Chic Knits. Get your knit on with this blog that offers suggestions, tips, photos, and more to help you knit stuff worth wearing.

By Kelly Kilpatrick

Even if you can’t attend an Ivy League college, you can still take advantage of the intellectual and professional resources that many have to offer through the colleges’ websites. Here, we’ve put together a list of 100 great video lectures you can watch to learn from some of the leading experts in fields as diverse as astronomy and economics.

Science

Check out these video lectures and courses to learn about biology, astronomy, physics and more.

1. ASTR 160 - Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics: Professor Charles Bailyn teaches this course in astrophysics that focuses on black holes, dark energy and extra-solar planets. [Open Yale]
2. PHYS 200 - Fundamentals of Physics: Those who have a good background in math and physics can get a great review from this course offered by Professor Ramamurti Shankar. [Open Yale]
3. Jane Goodall: Reason for Hope in a Complex World: Known for her work with chimpanzees, Jane Goodall is a leading authority on primatology and anthropology, and in this lecture she speaks on issues related to finding hope for our future. [Harvard @ Home]
4. String Theory, Black Holes, and the Laws of Nature: String theory provides promise in unraveling the mysteries that surround the laws that govern the universe and Professor Andrew Strominger discusses his insights into this theory and its relationship to black holes in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
5. Changing Habitats… Vanishing Species: Check out the video of this symposium at the Harvard Museum of Natural History that brings together a collection of scholars to discuss environmental changes, species loss and human impact. [Harvard @ Home]
6. Socks Before Shoes: Unraveling Cell Division: Professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard, Andrew Murray, explains the process of cell division in this video lecture and offers some insights into what might cause abnormalities. [Harvard @ Home]
7. A COMPLETE Search for New Suns: The COMPLETE project aims to map 1,000s of light years of star forming material in the Milky Way and you can learn all about it from Alyssa A. Goodman, Professor of Astronomy at Harvard in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
8. Evolutionary Dynamics: Recent advances in our understanding of evolutionary dynamics are discussed by Professor Martin Nowak in this course with regard to genes, behavior and much more. [Harvard @ Home]
9. Science in the News: Stem Cells and Cloning: Join Harvard medical students as they explore some of the moral and ethical issues that surround the use of stem cells in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
10. Unlocking the Promise of Stem Cells: Harvard’s newly opened Stem Cell Institute is introduced in this video lecture, providing information on how the institute plans to move research on stem cells from the lab to the clinic. [Harvard @ Home]
11. Observing the Birth of the Universe: Lyman Page, Professor of Physics, delivers this video lecture on the origins of our universe, using humorous and accessible means to explain complex concepts. [Princeton]
12. Sequencing the Human Genome: Want to learn more about the process of sequencing our genome from start to finish? This lecture from Craig Venter can help you to become more informed on the subject whether you’re interested for fun or scholarly exploration. [Princeton]
13. Einstein’s Biggest Blunder: A Cosmic Mystery Story: Alex Filippenko from the University of California, Berkeley delivers this lecture on one of the best-known thinkers and theorists of the 20th century. [Princeton]

Health and Medical

Here you can learn about cutting-edge innovations in the health and medical fields.

14. Living Healthier, Living Longer: Part I: This multi-part series on health begins with this lecture on the latest research in aging and men’s and women’s health issues. [Harvard @ Home]
15. Living Healthier, Living Longer: Part II: Part two of this lecture series addresses current research in cancer, nutrition, exercise and stress management. [Harvard @ Home]
16. Living Healthier, Living Longer: Part III: Check out this lecture for information on memory, sleep and alternative medicine. [Harvard @ Home]
17. Reproductive Health in the 21st Century: Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study has provided this lecture which addresses the social, ethical and scientific elements of issues in reproductive health. [Harvard @ Home]
18. Genetically Modified Foods: Worried about eating foods that have been genetically modified? This lecture offers you the chance to listen in on Harvard students discussing the myriad of ethical, health and historical issues involving altered foods. [Harvard @ Home]
19. Global Health: A Panel Discussion: This panel includes representatives from the government, the pharmaceutical industry, and educational and medical institutions to discuss global health issues like AIDS. [Harvard @ Home]
20. Reforming Our Health System: Why Neither Candidate Has the Answer: Get a different perspective on the issue of health care in America from this lecture offered by Marcia Angell. [Princeton]
21. Human Systems Explorer: Technology and healthcare meet in the development of the Human Systems Explorer. Listen to Dr. Michael Parker explains how it works in this online lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
22. Watch What You Eat: Ruth Reichl from Gourmet Magazine delivers this lecture on the realities of food consumption, especially in relation to eating meat and the commodification of animals. [Princeton]

History

Improve your knowledge of American, world and ancient history with these informative video lectures.

23. CLCV 205 - Introduction to Ancient Greek History: This course traces the development of Greek culture in regard to politics, the arts and philosophy from the Bronze Age to the late classical period. [Open Yale]
24. HIST 119 - The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877: Learn about this tumultuous period in American history from Professor David Blight in this course that explores the causes and consequences of the Civil War. [Open Yale]
25. HIST 276 - France Since 1871: Francophiles can indulge in these free video lectures that cover social, political and economic changes in France from 1871 into the modern age. [Open Yale]
26. Women and War in the Twentieth Century: Learn from top scholars about how women have played a role in the wars of the 20th century from guardians of the home to front line terrorists. [Harvard @ Home]
27. Brown v. Board: Looking Back, Looking Forward: Brown vs. the Board of Education was a historic case and this video lecture provides an insightful retrospective using a panel of several of the attorneys on the case as well as a discussion of desegregation and civil rights. [Harvard @ Home]
28. Benjamin Franklin: Scientist, Diplomat: Professor Dudley Herschbach discusses the inventions of Ben Franklin like the lightening rod in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
29. Oliver Cromwell: Commoner to Lord Protector: Oliver Cromwell played a big role in 17th century English politics and this lecture offers background on his rise to power as a military and political leader. [Harvard @ Home]
30. Interpreting the Past with Professor Laurel Ulrich: Check out this lecture to learn about revolutionary ideas in America and how it has affected everyday life. [Harvard @ Home]
31. Keynote Address: Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America: Part of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, this lecture explores one of the most historic debates that has ever taken place in American history. [Princeton]
32. America’s First Cause: Harvey C. Mansfield delivers this lecture on the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, focusing on his work Democracy in America. [Princeton]
33. How Obscenity Became the Litmus Test for the First Amendment: Fans of the First Amendment, the one regarding freedom of speech, will find this lecture by Rochelle Gurstein to be of particular interest. [Princeton]
34. Baptized in Blood: Moral Reflections on the American Civil War: Harry S. Stout, Professor of American Religious History at Yale University, explores some of the ramifications the American Civil War in regards to the religious legacy and just conduct during the battles. [Princeton]

Political Science

Whether it’s the history of politics or present-day issues you’re interested in, you’ll find interesting material in these lectures.

35. State of the Global Environment: Public Policy: Four Harvard professors discuss the role of scientists, artists and economists in global climate change in this video lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
36. Teaching American Politics: Being objective when teaching highly charged issues like politics can be hard, but this lecture gives some insights into ways you can deliver the material without a clear bias. [Harvard @ Home]
37. Women Without Money: Watch this video lecture for discussions on welfare reform, surrogacy, the global sex trade and more. [Harvard @ Home]
38. International Relations: New Approaches in a Complex World: Our world has gotten ever smaller with advances in technology, communication and travel. This lecture addresses the issues that have developed from the rise of China as an economic power. [Harvard @ Home]
39. A World in Conflict: Panel Discussion: In this discussion, you’ll hear opinions on September 11th in regard to dealing with legal prosecution, global strategic policy, ethics and war. [Harvard @ Home]
40. Perspectives on China: Reform and Sovereignty: Professor MacFarquhar delivers this lecture on the key elements of the politics, economics, history and future of China. [Harvard @ Home]
41. Border Connections: Mexico/U.S. Relations: Relations with Mexico are a hot-button issue, especially in regard to immigration. Dr. Jorge Castañeda addresses the changing relationship between the Mexico, the US and South American in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
42. A New American Empire?: Should the U.S. be able to regulate relations within other countries? Professor Rosen discusses the implications of this use of power in this video lecture from Harvard. [Harvard @ Home]
43. The Free Man and Free Government in Political Theory: Ellis Sandoz explores some of the basics of political theory in this focused lecture. [Princeton]
44. Compassionate Conservatism: Whether you agree with conservatives or not, this lecture will allow you to learn more about what makes the movement popular with so many people. [Princeton]

Engineering, Technology and Mathematics

From satellite security to cubic equations, these videos are helpful for those interested in a variety of fields.

45. BENG 100 - Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering: Learn the basics of biomedical engineering from Yale professor W. Mark Saltzman. It presents material in a way both those with a science background and those without can understand. [Open Yale]
46. The Fluid World: Flows, Films and Foams: Check out this lecture for a crash course in fluid dynamics from Howard Stone, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. [Harvard @ Home]
47. Hyper-Encryption by Virtual Satellite: This lecture addresses the failure of computer systems to provide network security and offers a solution in hyper-encryption. [Harvard @ Home]
48. Curtis McMullen: The Geometry of 3-Manifolds: An issue long a mystery in mathematics may finally have been solved by a Russian mathematician as this lecture discusses. [Harvard @ Home]
49. Solving Cubic Equations: Cubic equations may not be anything new but this lecture takes a modern approach to addressing them. [Harvard @ Home]
50. Bipedal bugs, galloping ghosts and gripping geckos: BioInspiration for Rapid Running Robots: Lovers of sci-fi and robotics will appreciate this lecture that provides some interesting information on the origins for plans of the most modern robotic designs. [Princeton]
51. Anytime, Anywhere: The Recent Revolution in Wireless Communications: With wi-fi all the rage, it can be tempting to simply take the phenomenon for granted. This lecture explains some of the details behind the emergence of this revolution in communication. [Princeton]
52. Perspectives on High Performance Computer Architecture: History and Challenges: Learn about the history and development of computer architecture and internal systems in this techie-lecture. [Princeton]
53. Rip, Mix, Burn, Sue: Technology, Politics, and the Fight to Control Digital Media: Like most people, you’ve probably used your computer to burn a CD before. This lecture explores some of the legal issues that surround the use of digital media. [Princeton]
54. Escher and the Droste Effect: Hendrik Lenstra, Professor of Mathematics, gives this lecture on the Droste effect, or the appearance of ever smaller pictures within a larger picture, giving a sense of infinite recession of space. [Princeton]
55. Matchsticks, Scramjets, and Black Holes: Numerical Simulation Faces Reality: Learn how the numbers translate to reality in this lecture from Elaine Oran, Senior Scientist for Reactive Flow Physics at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. [Princeton]

Finances

These lectures cover topics in economics and business to help you stay informed.

56. ECON 159 - Game Theory: This video course teachers the basics of game theory like dominance, backward induction, Nash equilibrium, evolutionary stability, commitment and much more. [Open Yale]
57. ECON 252 - Financial Markets: Check out this economics course from Professor Robert Schiller which aims to explain financial theory in relation to banking, insurance, securities, futures institutions and where these may be headed in the coming years. [Open Yale]
58. Understanding the Crisis in the Markets: A Panel of Harvard Experts: Get some insights into the factors affecting the market crisis affecting the world economy from leading experts in the fields of economics and finance in this online lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
59. The Business of Baseball: Whether you’re just interested in sports business or have a true love of the game, this lecture will give you some insight into the business workings behind baseball using the Boston Red Sox as an example. [Harvard @ Home]
60. Entrepreneurial Women: Pamela Thomas-Graham, President and CEO at CNBC, delivers a lecture that reflects on some of the issues women face in the business world. [Harvard @ Home]
61. Amazon.com: Customer Experience Matters: Learn from experience as Jeffrey Bezos delivers this lecture on business practices at his alma mater, Princeton. [Princeton]
62. Beyond Freakonomics: New Musings on the Economics of Everyday Life: Well-known author and professor at the University of Chicago, Steven Levitt, offers his insights on economics in this video lecture. [Princeton]
63. The Economics of Climate Change: Risk, Ethics, and a Global Deal: Climate change isn’t just a big deal for the environment, it impacts economics as well as this lecture discusses. [Princeton]
64. Philanthropy…It’s Definitely Not for Wimps: Reflections on Faith and Finance: Gain some insight into how religious philanthropy functions from this video lecture. [Princeton]

Social Sciences

These video lectures allow you to learn a little more about the inner workings of human society and the mind.

65. PSYC 110 - Introduction to Psychology: Get a better understanding of how your (or others’) minds work with this intro course from Professor Paul Bloom. You’ll cover topics like child development, communication, learning and much more. [Open Yale]
66. Women, Men, and Food: Putting Gender on the Table: This lecture explores the relationship between gender and food at all stages of production. [Harvard @ Home]
67. The City of Sardis: Approaches in Graphic Recording: For a thousand years the city of Sardis was a thriving metropolis forming a bond between Asia and Europe. This lecture explores how representations of this city have changed over time with special attention to archaeology from the site. [Harvard @ Home]
68. In the War Zone: How Does Gender Matter?: In Western society, war has been a traditionally male occupation. This lecture explores how defines gender roles, drawing on scholars from all over the world for insight. [Harvard @ Home]
69. Gender and Race: Together at Last?: Both people of racial minorities and women have experienced much discrimination over the centuries. This lecture explores how issues of race and gender have influenced the study of women’s history in the U.S. [Harvard @ Home]
70. Women and Economic Development: With special focus on the Self-Employed Women’s Association in India, this lecture illuminates women entrepreneurs’ challenges and successes, past and present. [Harvard @ Home]
71. On the Relation of Science and the Humanities: While often a clear line is drawn between the humanities and the hard sciences, this lecture explores how each relies on the other and are essentially interwoven. [Harvard @ Home]

Literature

Learn more about your favorite authors from these free video lectures.

72. ENGL 220 - Milton: Check out this course to learn about poet Milton, his contemporaries, poems and lasting influence on the field of poetry.[Open Yale]
73. ENGL 291 - The American Novel Since 1945: This series of video lectures will take you through a collection of American novels and will cover topics like the relationship between readers and authors and the place of the novel in history. [Open Yale]
74. ENGL 310 - Modern Poetry: If you feel you don’t know much about modern poetry, give these video lectures a chance. You’ll get help understanding poets like Yeats, Pound and Eliot. [Open Yale]
75. Fifty Years in Media: Changes in Journalism: The face of the popular media has changed a lot in the last 50 years due to technology and societal advancements. Listen as journalists from Harvard’s class of ‘55 talk about their first-hand experience dealing with these changes. [Harvard @ Home]
76. W.B. Yeats: Among School Children: Professor Helen Vendler gives this lecture, complete with analysis, on the Yeats poem "Among School Children."[Harvard @ Home]
77. Rediscovering Homer: Poetry and Performance: Learn more about the Iliad in this lecture series from Professor Greg Nagy. [Harvard @ Home]
78. Onetti and the Shadows of Faulkner and Borges: Those unfamiliar with Urayguan author Juan Carlos Onetti can learn more about his work and it’s place in literature from this lecture. [Princeton]
79. Moby-Dick: Polyphony: Learn how Biblical references and imagery are used in popular literature of the 20th century, namely Moby Dick, in this lecture. [Princeton]
80. Absalom, Absalom!: Lexicon: Robert Alter explores ideas of the Bible and American literature in this video lecture, part of a larger series. [Princeton]
81. Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language: Steven Pinker from MIT delivers this lecture at Princeton on the elemental components of our language and languages worldwide. [Princeton]
82. Jane Austen and War: Learn how Jane Austen was influenced by war in this lecture from Professor Claudia Johnson. [Princeton]

The Arts

Check out these videos for information on the arts including painting, music and film.

83. Manet and Cézanne: The ‘Heroics’ of Modernism: Gain a little insight into modern art history in this lecture from academic Carol Armstrong. [Princeton]
84. Create Dangerously - The Immigrant Artist at Work: This videotaped lecture is delivered by Edwidge Danticat, award-winning writer, and explores the role of Haitian artists. [Princeton]
85. Blue Notes and Butterflies: Black Women’s Vocality: Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin wrote a book on Billie Holliday and explores some of the issues from her book regarding black women vocalists in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
86. Bach Manuscripts: Recovery of the Hidden Archive: What would you do if you found over half a million records thought to have been lost of composer Bach? This professor explores just that, a find of a lifetime, in this lecture. [Harvard @ Home]
87. A Conversation with Mira Nair: Filmmaker Mira Nair, known for such movies as Monsoon Wedding, recounts her creative journey in this video. [Harvard @ Home]
88. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: Then and Now: Music aficionados can take in this lecture for free and learn about how the Ninth Symphony has remained important throughout the years. [Harvard @ Home]
89. Do Movies have a Future?: David Denby, from the New Yorker, gives this lecture on his projections for the future of the film industry. [Princeton]

Philosophy and Religion

Gain insights into spirituality and the workings of the human mind in these video lectures.

90. PHIL 176 - Death: Everyone has questions about their own mortality. This course aims to address some of the philosophical issues related to death and dying. [Open Yale]
91. PLSC 114 - Introduction to Political Philosophy: In this video lecture series, you’ll examine some of the major texts and thinkers who have influenced political theory and practice in Western tradition. [Open Yale]
92. RLST 145 - Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible): The Old Testament played an important role both in the thought of ancient Israel and on much later Western civilization. This course explores in detail the affects of the Bible, especially in relation to the Near East. [Open Yale]
93. Justice: A Journey in Moral Reasoning: Renowned professor Michael Sandel explores issue of political philosophy in this lecture and film that takes you inside a Harvard classroom to discuss issues of ethics and justice. [Harvard @ Home]
94. Manifestations of Shiva: If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about Hinduism, this lecture is a great place to start. You’ll learn about the mythology, imagery and pilgrimage sites that are associated with the god Shiva. [Harvard @ Home]
95. Islam and America: Islamic Scholars Respond: This series of lectures provides a background on the tenets and history of Islam, the relationship of Islamic nations with the West, and the long-term implications of 9/11. [Harvard @ Home]
96. His Holiness the Dalai Lama Visits Harvard: Whether you’re a Buddhist yourself or just have great respect for the Dalai Lama, you can listen to his speech delivered at Harvard in 2003 to a full house of students, professors and staff. [Harvard @ Home]
97. God and the Inner City: This documentary explores the battle for the souls of people in the inner city and focuses on several faith-based groups trying to help those who need it most in troubled areas in America. [Princeton]
98. The Rise and Fall of Italian Jewry From 1839-1939 and the Revival of Italian Judaism in Italy and Israel: Dan Vittorio Segre, an Italian professor, delivers this lecture on the history of Judaism in Italy from the 19th century until the horrors of the Holocaust and then into the post-war period. [Princeton]
99. God, Blood, and the Temple: Part one of a multi-part series on sin, Paula Fredriksen discusses some of the many aspects of sin in this lecture. [Princeton]
100. God, Nature, or Man: Whose Law for a Free People? The Experience of Islam: If you’re interested in learning a little more about Islam, watch this video lecture from Princeton that explores law in islamic faith and nations. [Princeton]