HarvardX

Description Causal diagrams have revolutionized the way in which researchers ask: What is the causal effect of X on Y? They have become a key tool for researchers who study the effects of treatments, exposures, and policies. By summarizing and communicating assumptions about the causal structure of a problem, causal diagrams have helped clarify apparent…

Description The weather forecasts we see every day are based on an army of meteorological sensing networks and intensive computer modeling. Before the rise of these technologies, predictions were made by methods like discerning cloud formations and wind directions. This course will explore the science behind weather systems by teaching the observational skills needed to…

Description In 1854, a cholera epidemic swept through the London neighborhood of Soho. In the course of about three weeks, over 600 people died. This incident was, tragically, not unusual in London or the rest of the 19th century world as a whole. The scourge of cholera seemed unstoppable and, even worse, unpredictable. But one…

Description Humans have been navigating for ages. As we developed the tools and techniques for determining location and planning a route, navigation grew into a practice, an art, and a science. Navigational skill has long been tied to commercial, economic, and military success. However, the ability to predict when and where one will reach a…

Description Humans have always sought to know their own future, be it the destiny of an empire or an individual’s fate. Across cultures and history, we find people trying to find their place in the Universe by attempting to gaze into the future. Join us for this one-week, immersive learning experience as we explore “pre-scientific”…

Description During each module of this course, chefs reveal the secrets behind some of their most famous culinary creations — often right in their own restaurants. Inspired by such cooking mastery, the Harvard team will then explain the science behind the recipe. Topics will include: How molecules influence flavor The role of heat in cooking…

Description In this course, which investigates physical transformations in food, we will be visited by world-famous chefs who use a number of different styles and techniques in their cooking. Each chef will demonstrate how he or she prepares delicious and interesting creations, and we will explore how fundamental scientific principles make them possible. Topics will…

Description Probability and statistics help to bring logic to a world replete with randomness and uncertainty. This course will give you tools needed to understand data, science, philosophy, engineering, economics, and finance. You will learn not only how to solve challenging technical problems, but also how you can apply those solutions in everyday life.With examples…

Description How can we eradicate malaria? Explore the scientific and technological underpinnings of malaria, as well as the historical, political, social, and economic contexts in which control, elimination, and eradication efforts unfold. Through foundational lectures and supplemental interviews, this course provides participants with a toolbox of knowledge and skills. Learners will be guided through the…

Description In this course, part of our Professional Certificate Program in Data Science,you will learn valuable concepts in probability theory. The motivation for this course is the circumstances surrounding the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Part of what caused this financial crisis was that the risk of some securities sold by financial institutions was underestimated. To…