A chance to attend University

A nostalgia used to set in, whenever I see an university campus. This could be due to non-fulfillment of my desire to pursue higher education after completion of my BE course. Now, internet has given me an opportunity, though in a limited way. I chanced to see a news item that informed me of Open University in internet. Stanford University is uploading various lectures in video format.  It is uploading same videos in iTunes store.

I explored this Stanford University YouTube site. It has numerous lecture videos. As a start, I played the video on Solar Thermal Power. It was quite absorbing, though I could complete only 50%. My internet connection became slow and I got fed up. I will complete the lesson, when internet traffic is low.

The gist of half class gave me some useful information. Coal fired power stations emit 1,000kg of CO2 per MWh (Mega Watt Hour) and gas powered stations emit around 300kg of CO2 per MWh. Non-fossil fuel powered stations emit none. Of all the non=fossil fuels, Solar Thermal has a vast potential. Energy collectors of Solar Thermal stations are essentially four types. I do not want to bore you with details of these four types. Thermal efficiency of Solar Thermal station is still 40%. The energy collectors are open type and hence most of the energy radiate back into atmosphere. Scientists and Technologists are investigating the possibilities of reducing these losses. The lecture also showed some formulae, which excited me.

I felt virtually being in a lecture class. Of course there was no interaction, since it was not a real time lecture. I will explore other subjects of my interest as and when my internet speed supports me. The site does not require registration. It does not require subscription. It is free for everyone who has access to internet. Try it! It is worth a lot!