The Great Courses (Firm)
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
What would the Tower of Pisa be if it weren't leaning? Certainly not as attractive to tourists. That was the issue faced by the late-20th-century engineers who devised a way to reduce the tower's angle of tilt. Take a journey through the centuries to explore how various engineers tried to stabilize the leaning tower, but only succeeded in making the problem worse.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Before it was settled, around 65% of Iceland had vegetation. Now, only 0.5% of the country is forested. So, what happened to the forests? Get a closer look at the dangers of steep-slope erosion, as well as some of the natural difficulties currently challenging Iceland's century-long effort to reforest the country.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh's bomb demolished almost half of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. Explore details of the building's design and specific ways in which various structural elements responded to the blast. Is it possible that modest changes to the steel reinforcement might have allowed the building to survive with only localized damage?
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Whether you're on a mountain bike or hiking by foot, there are many spots in Iceland that offer visitors more remote, rugged experiences. Visit the Highlands, the focal point for wilderness tourism in Iceland; a nature reserve that serves as a reminder of the difficulty of Arctic living; the endpoint of the country's Northern Rift Zone; and more.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
One of the most epic engineering failures in history was the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940. Nicknamed "Galloping Gertie," the bridge undulated so strongly that thrill-seekers came from all over just to drive across it. Explore the inherent structural inefficiency of the suspension bridge, and why this bridge failed spectacularly only four months after its opening.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Beyond capturing the hearts and minds of photographers, geologists, and mountaineers, Iceland's glaciers are deeply rooted in the country's culture and history. First, look backward in time to learn how Iceland came to have so much, well, ice. Then, plunge into a world of ice tunnels, ice caves, and other extreme features.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
In 1978, a developer chose to build a hotel in Kansas City using a management technique called fast-tracking, in which construction begins before the design is complete. What can happen when each principal assumes that someone else has designed a critical structural connection? Explore the series of mistakes that led to the tragic collapse of two suspended walkways and the deaths of 114 people.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
When the Tay Bridge in Scotland was completed in 1878, it became the longest bridge in the world. Discover the behind-the-scenes details of the bridge design and construction, and how the failure of one single, simple connection triggered a chain of events that brought down a 4,000-ton structure.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Reflect on the legacy of President Kennedy as a flawed King Arthur in a mythical Camelot. After the shooting, the actions of Lyndon Johnson and Jacqueline Kennedy prepared America for the next chapter of history. The series ends by revisiting the beginning and the question that intrigues us still: Who was John F. Kennedy?
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Mighty glaciers have carved the landscape of western and eastern Iceland into beautiful, scarred fjords. First, visit Westfjords, where you'll find the oldest site in Iceland and one of the largest bird cliffs in Europe. Then, continue to Eastfjords: home to an artsy community in the heart of reindeer country and 286 square miles of forest.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
It's easy to imagine the technical difficulties that come with drilling an exploratory well miles below a floating platform on the high seas. Explore the step-by-step sequence of failures—flawed design decisions, careless oversights, deliberate procedural shortcuts, and prioritizing profits over safety—that led to the worst environmental disaster in US history.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Given its deep connection to nature, Iceland has often been at the forefront of conservation and sustainability—despite its early destructive history. Consider vital efforts of soil conservation and carbon neutrality, the powerful use of storytelling as a conservation tool, and ongoing debates over Iceland's whaling culture.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, was the costliest engineering failure in American history, and one of the deadliest. Discover the economic development decisions over two centuries that contributed to the disaster. And, learn how the disaster has stimulated a more sustainable approach to flood protection.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Iceland's natural and cultural history is unlike any other. The Great Tours: Iceland allows armchair travelers and trip planners alike to better appreciate its many wonders. Designed by Professor Jennifer Verdolin, these 24 visually stunning lectures take you from Iceland’s bustling cities to its remote towns, from the tops of its glaciers to the depths of its geothermal pools.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
On June 10, 2000, Londoners celebrated the opening of a state-of-the-art pedestrian bridge over the Thames River. Two days later, the Millennium Bridge was vibrating so intensely that it was closed and did not reopen for more than two years. Explore the phenomenon of synchronous lateral excitation and learn how engineers fixed "The Wobbly Bridge" and prevented similar failures in other bridges.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The waters hugging Iceland's coasts play an important role in the country's culture and economy. Investigate some of the many lakes, rivers, lagoons, waterfalls, hot springs, and geysers to be found. Among them are the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon; Gullfoss, the most visited waterfall in the country; and the thriving business of the Blue Lagoon.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Whatever your flavor of literature (folkloric sagas, crime novels, poetry, literary fiction), Iceland has something for every type of reader. Discover how a combination of historical pride and rich storytelling skills make Icelandic literature, both past and present, so revered around the world.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
You know that if you don't maintain your car, it can stop working. But we have often overlooked that lesson when it comes to bridges. Follow the fascinating case of the Mianus River Bridge and discover how lack of maintenance caused its collapse in 1983, although the bridge had just been inspected. What happened to those pin-and-hanger connections? And exactly, whose fault was it?
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Venture on to Iceland's north-central region for a look at some of the many can't-miss sights. Among these are three spots for great seal viewing, a canyon that's one of the 10 most dangerous spots in the country, the spectacular Goðafoss waterfall, and a magical yuletide wonderland that's perfect for Christmastime visits.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Go behind the scenes to discover what really happened in more than 24 epic engineering failures. Civil engineer and award-winning educator Stephen Ressler reveals the story behind each disaster by not only demonstrating the scientific and engineering issues involved, but also by examining the individual personalities and sometimes dysfunctional organizations that led to catastrophe.