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EdX New Science and Cooking Online Course


Wayne

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Harvard EdX will be offering an updated version of their Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science in mid-January.

It is free and does require a moderate time commitment through the six week course.

The attached link outlines the course and the course syllabus can be found through this link:

https://www.edx.org/course/science-cooking-haute-cuisine-soft-harvardx-spu27-1x

 

 

 

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I know it's stew. What KIND of stew?

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Thanks, Wayne. This looks great. I get occasional emailings from EdX but I hadn't seen this one. Do you know what the time commitment involves other than attending the lectures and participating in online discussions (if any)?

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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Can't answer that. At the minimum it would involve listening/watching the lectures and demonstrations and at the maximum performing the 'lab' portion of the course and engaging in any discussions with other participants. The nice thing about these courses is you're in control with respect to how much time you want to commit.

 

Even if you only watch the lectures it's more than likely better than watching the Food Network.

 

 

I know it's stew. What KIND of stew?

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I just enrolled. Perhaps when the course begins I'll post some feedback here.

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"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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56 minutes ago, nickrey said:

I did it in 2013 and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

 

I did the course in 2013 as well and agree.

I'm debating redo-ing it however it's a toss-up between it and two other courses and I've only the time to do justice to one.

 

 

I know it's stew. What KIND of stew?

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I believe it to be like most of the other courses I've taken where the lectures and demonstrations are pre-recorded and released at a certain time. So you wouldn't have to be present, but the courses go on a week-to-week plan, so you work around your schedule but are expected to complete lectures, assignments and quizzes weekly. 

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7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I signed up.  I never finished the course in 2015.

 

I think I signed up.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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6 hours ago, MelissaH said:

As did I. The challenge will be finding the time!

The challenge will be the damn math!   I recall now why I did not go very far with the first course. I took one look at the equations and realized they were as indecipherable as Japanese to me. There is a reason I majored in English.xD

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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3 hours ago, Anna N said:

The challenge will be the damn math!   I recall now why I did not go very far with the first course. I took one look at the equations and realized they were as indecipherable as Japanese to me. There is a reason I majored in English.xD

Don't feel too badly. 

 

When I was in my first year of culinary training, the chef-instructor one morning told us we would need to double the recipe we'd been given. A collective groan went up from my (mostly very young) classmates, who complained, "You didn't tell us we'd need our calculators today!"

 

I was genuinely shocked. I mean, seriously, children...if you can't multiply by two, just frikkin' measure everything twice, no?

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“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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  • 1 month later...

It started today.  First lesson is up!

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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Yep. I just got the introductory email today. It's a very interesting turnabout for me, as I taught online courses (in addition to f2f) for a good number of years.

 

I would very much welcome thoughts and opinions about whether it'd be worthwhile to purchase the companion textbook; I already own McGee, which is the other recommended reading.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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28 minutes ago, Smithy said:

It started today.  First lesson is up!

I know!  It was in my calendar staring at me but I still wasn't ready. The equations still scare me. 

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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47 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I know!  It was in my calendar staring at me but I still wasn't ready. The equations still scare me. 

I know there's a discussion forum associated with the class, but I thought it was clunky and difficult to follow the first time around. I wonder whether a discussion topic here would help us all. What do you think?

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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26 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I know there's a discussion forum associated with the class, but I thought it was clunky and difficult to follow the first time around. I wonder whether a discussion topic here would help us all. What do you think?

Sounds like a great idea! I just enrolled as well. Thanks to @blue_dolphin and @Smithy for the reminder!

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8 minutes ago, kayb said:

Got my intro email. Haven't looked at the first lesson yet.

 

Have and my head is spinning. Perhaps two fingers of scotch are in order. How many moles of scotch to how many moles of water do ya think?  For someone who really believed there were people who skinned moles to make moleskin you can see this is going to be challenging for me. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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