View the course trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EimqY7-0yRs&t=33s How can the traffic collapse of the global multimillion cities be prevented? One way out could lead upwards: Urban air transport. By 2030, it is estimated that around 60 percent of humanity will live in cities. If it is possible to shift some of the traffic from the roads to the air, researchers believe this could help to further ensure the basic human need for mobility. But there are still some technical, social, and legal preconditions to be met. The course gives a first introduction to the relatively new field of Urban Air Mobility, explaining the technical background as well as giving an overview of all other necessities such as air traffic management, public acceptance, and ecological sustainability. This course is primarily aimed at master's students and PhD candidates and young professionals interested in exploring new fields in aerospace.

The goals of this course are to develop the student’s critical thinking skills, global awareness, and ability to work as an integral part of a team in an increasingly complex global job market. The course provides a foundation in such skills as team building, collaboration, and elevated empathy using real-world scenarios from some of world’s most effective collaborative projects including the Earthrise-2068 Project. Living on the International Space Station was a powerful, transformative experience—one that could hold the key to solving our problems here on Earth. On space walks and through windows, course instructor Ron Garan was struck by the stunning beauty of the Earth from space but sobered by knowing how much needed to be done to help this troubled planet. And yet on the International Space Station, Garan, a former fighter pilot, was working work side by side with Russians, who only a few years before were “the enemy.” If fifteen nations could collaborate on one of the most ambitious, technologically complicated undertakings in history, surely we can apply that kind of cooperation and innovation toward creating a better world. In this course Garan will convey what it was like learning to work with a diverse group of people in an environment only a handful of human beings have ever known. But more importantly, the course will address how we can apply the orbital perspective here at home, embracing new partnerships and processes to promote peace and combat hunger, thirst, poverty, and environmental destruction. This course is a call to action for each of us to care for the most important space station of all: planet Earth. The course will also involve participation in the Earthrise-2068 project. Working with people from around the world, students will help craft a vision of our future in the year 2068. Students will also help craft a crowdsource strategy for both the co-envisioned future of the world in 2068 and a roadmap to get there. Students will also participate in the crafting of a “call-to-action” to be delivered at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017.

Develop a greater appreciation for how the air, water, land, and life formed and have interacted over the last 4.5 billion years.

In this course we will examine the incredible variety of life that inhabits this planet including microorganisms, plants, and animals. For each of the major groups we’ll learn about their characteristics, functions, and how they came into existence as well as some of the roles they play in the natural world, and how they’re relevant to people. We’ll also take a close look at us humans and consider what we know about our origins and what might become of us in the future.

Variability is a fact of life in manufacturing environments, impacting product quality and yield. Through this course, students will learn why performing advanced analysis of manufacturing processes is integral for diagnosing and correcting operational flaws in order to improve yields and reduce costs. Gain insights into the best ways to collect, prepare and analyze data, as well as computational platforms that can be leveraged to collect and process data over sustained periods of time. Become better prepared to participate as a member of an advanced analysis team and share valuable inputs on effective implementation. Main concepts of this course will be delivered through lectures, readings, discussions and various videos. This is the fourth course in the Digital Manufacturing & Design Technology specialization that explores the many facets of manufacturing’s “Fourth Revolution,” aka Industry 4.0, and features a culminating project involving creation of a roadmap to achieve a self-established DMD-related professional goal. To learn more about the Digital Manufacturing and Design Technology specialization, please watch the overview video by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser: https://youtu.be/wETK1O9c-CA

Did you know that particle accelerators play an important role in many functions of todays society and that there are over 30 000 accelerators in operation worldwide? A few examples are accelerators for radiotherapy which are the largest application of accelerators, altogether with more than 11000 accelerators worldwide. These accelerators range from very compact electron linear accelerators with a length of only about 1 m to large carbon ion synchrotrons with a circumference of more than 50 m and a huge rotating carbon ion gantry with a weight of 600 tons! There are also a growing number of synchrotron light sources in the world. The light in these sources are created by electrons that are accelerated to almost the speed of light. This light can reveal the molecular structures of materials and also take x-ray pictures of the inner structure of objects. Synchrotron light sources are very important in life sciences, material sciences and chemistry. Another type of accelerators are used in spallation sources, like the European Spallation Source in Lund, Sweden. Here protons are accelerated to very large energies. They produce neutrons when they are smashed into a disc of tungsten. These neutrons are used for finding the inner structure of objects and atomic structures of materials. Finally there are many accelerators for basic physics, like the large hadron collider in Cern. This course takes you on a journey through the technologies used in particle accelerators: The microwave system which produce the electromagnetic waves that accelerate particles; The magnet technology for the magnets that guide and focus the beam of particles; The monitoring systems that determine the quality of the beam of particles; Finally the vacuum systems that create ultra high vacuum so that the accelerated particles do not collide with molecules and atoms. Exciting right! The course is graded through quizzes, one for each of the four modules. Throughout the course there are also a number of training quizzes to offer you support. The four modules in the course are: RF-systems, Magnet technology, Beam diagnostics, and Vacuum techniques. In total there are 48 lectures, where each lecture is a 2-4 minutes long video presentation. Some of the lectures are followed by short texts with complementary information and all will hopefully be an exciting collection for you to engage with. Have fun!

How did life emerge on Earth? How have life and Earth co-evolved through geological time? Is life elsewhere in the universe? Take a look through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through the lens of the modern Tree of Life! This course will evaluate the entire history of life on Earth within the context of our cutting-edge understanding of the Tree of Life. This includes the pioneering work of Professor Carl Woese on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus which revolutionized our understanding with a new "Tree of Life." Other themes include: -Reconnaissance of ancient primordial life before the first cell evolved -The entire ~4-billion-year development of single- and multi-celled life through the lens of the Tree of Life -The influence of Earth system processes (meteor impacts, volcanoes, ice sheets) on shaping and structuring the Tree of Life This synthesis emphasizes the universality of the emergence of life as a prelude for the search for extraterrestrial life.

In the Capstone project for the Internet of Things specialization, you will design and build your own system that uses at least 2 sensors, at least 1 communication protocol and at least 1 actuator. You will have a chance to revisit and apply what you have learned in our courses to achieve a robust, practical and/or fun-filled project. We absolutely encourage you to design whatever you can think up! This is your chance to be creative or to explore an idea that you have had. But if you don’t have your own idea, we provide the description of a surveillance system, for you to build. We will participate in the Capstone with you by building a surveillance system that features an off-grid solar powered workstation that will serve as a hub to multiple surveillance sensors. You will be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have gained in this course through delivery of industry-appropriate documents such as System Design documents and Unit Test reports. Additionally, you will be asked to describe and show case your project as a short video presentation – appropriate for demonstrating your knowledge and technical communication skills. Learning Goals: After completing this Capstone, you will be able to: 1. Design systems using mobile platforms. You will gain experience in documenting and presenting designs. 2. Develop systems that interface multiple sensors and actuators to the DragonBoard™ 410c system and develop the necessary software to create a fully functional system. 3. Specify unit tests and system tests, run tests and prepare Test Reports as are commonly done by those working in this industry. 4. Gain experience (and feedback!) in making technical presentations.

Black Agricultural Solutions to Food Apartheid is a series where we dive deep into the historical, ancestral, and spiritual connections that Black people have to land and agriculture. Throughout this course, we encourage participants to learn about their ancestral foodways, agrarian practices, and spiritual connections. These sessions share wisdom and highlight the importance of food sovereignty, rebuilding community, and land based living. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the spiritual and ancestral relationships that many Black people have to a higher power, land, plants, and each other. Participants will walk away from this series with an understanding of the many benefits of gardening and farming, including but not limited to social capital, collective agency, physical wellbeing, deepened spiritual connections, community resilience, economic autonomy, organizing, mobilizing, and improved mental and emotional health. Participants will leave this session with the desire to learn more about their own familial relationships to food and land, as well as a greater understanding of Black agriculture.

This course arms you with basic utility industry safety knowledge. You will be educated about personal protective equipment, fire safety, hazardous materials and their symbols. You will gain insights to recognize the importance of a safe work environment. This course is for individuals considering a career in the energy field (who have a high school diploma, at minimum, and basic knowledge of mathematics), and existing energy sector employees with less than three years of experience who have not completed similar training and would benefit from a course of foundational industry concepts. The course is a combination of online lectures, videos, readings and discussions. This is the third course in the Energy Production, Distribution & Safety specialization that explores various facets of the power sector, and features a culminating project involving creation of a roadmap to achieve a self-established, energy-related professional goal. To learn more about the specialization, check out a video overview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yh9qIYiUDk.