# Great Courses Plus

• Quantum
Mentor

## Main Question or Discussion Point

Hi All

I recently joined up to the Great Courses plus:
https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/home

Mostly I do the courses on stuff I do not already feel I know reasonably well like history, philosophy, George Orwell etc. But just for the heck of it I started doing the course on Understanding The Quantum World by Professor Erica Carlson from Purdue University, who researches electronic phase transitions in quantum materials.

I was shocked how good it is. It hasn't much math, yet anyway, but already she has dispelled many common myths such that Einstein rejected probability in QM, which while a very common myth is of course not true - he accepted it eventually, but believing it incomplete and a deeper theory will explain it. There are other issues I will not mention because they are contentious with some experts here - but I agree with her view as people probably guess from my post here.

So just a post to let people know I think it's an excellent resource for people to start learning various areas, including QM, from well qualified experts.

Here is a bit of the flavour of the course:
https://nanohub.org/resources/22400

Thanks
Bill

Last edited:
Doc Al, berkeman and vanhees71

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Doc Al
Mentor
I've done a few of their courses (The Great Courses) and have (mostly) been impressed. I recall taking Ben Schumacher's Quantum course (some years back, when I should have been working) and thinking it was better than expected from a "pop" science course.

bhobba
the Great Courses plus
I scanned through the linked site looking for how much the subscription costs but I couldn't find it. How much do they charge?

Mentor
I signed out. Then on the site you get the option of start free trial:
https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/home

Two options - a monthly or quarterly plan at $25.00 or$18.65 pm respectively.

Remember it covers many topics not just science but math, literature - all sorts of stuff. I would put its usual level at about first/second year university level in the US system, upper HS/first year university in the Australian system. If you home school your kids it is a must have resource IMHO because it also has a program for young learners. Here in Aus get them to do a few subjects and two courses at the credit level from the University of Open Learning, which you can cover before undertaking the course, hence making it easier when they do the course, and you are automatically into some universities to do a bachelor of arts eg
https://www.mq.edu.au/study/other-study-options/open-universities-australia

But once you complete one semester they then have a program where, providing your results are good enough, you can transfer to anything.

Thanks
Bill

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I had never actually heard of this website before reading this thread. After browsing around on it for a bit I decided to sign up for the free trial. Thanks for sharing!