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Hi.
That's me David ***.
Wait, no,
That's me, on the right, holding the human brain.
I'm an Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and of
Computer Science, at Harvard University.
We are launching MCB80.1x, the first section of a full course in
introductory neuroscience, as an experiment in what online
education can be.
There are three key things that will be different about MCB80x: .
First, we try and take education out into the world... to see things you
can't easily see in a lecture hall.
We're going to go around Harvard and Boston and beyond, to places where
science is happening.
A second key part of our course, is a new model of interaction that we call
"guided interactivity".
In MCB80x, we're working to bring this interaction model to the internet.
We'll invite you to interact with rich simulations, seamlessly woven into the
flow of instruction.
It's like a choose-your-own adventure story.
The third pillar of our course is do-it-yourself science.
One of the most important elements of the internet today is participation.
The internet enables mass creation and discussion, on a global scale.
Our partners at Backyard Brains have designed inexpensive hardware that
allows you to perform easy neuroscience
experiments in your own home.
You can follow along with our experiments, but we'll also invite you
to film your efforts, including variants on the experiments we perform
in class,
and we'll post the results for everyone to see.
It's an experiment in large-scale participatory science.
We're trying out new stuff.
And we don't know which parts will work, and which won't.
Sometimes things won't work.
But with your help we'll figure out what's broken, what's not quite right,
and we'll iterate.
For now, since this is all still just an experiment, we've focused on
building just one small section, or "module", from the full course.
In this section --
MCB80.1x -- we'll explore the fundamental electrical inner-workings
of the neuron, which form the basis for neuronal signaling.
We'll learn how the machinery of the neuronal cell membrane gives rise to a
electrical potential,
how this electrical potential is used by cells to generate signals,
and how these signals travel across your body, enabling you perceive the
world and act upon it.
In future sections, we'll explore how groups of neurons work together to
form networks How much larger networks are organized to form the key
subsystems of the brain
... and in the final module, we'll explore neuroscience in the context of
society, including questions about what intelligence is, and what the
future holds.
Explore the mcb80x website and the content that is available to you.
Join us, we hope it will be an exciting educational experience.