Steven Gimbel

Gimbel is a wonderful guide to a whole breadth of science in this course, from physics to psychology to sociology to artificial intelligence. The physics parts are the best, of course, but there is a unifying theme throughout the course--the study of something starts with studying an isolated thing, one atom, one human being as if the explanations were all there, but soon has to move to understanding the relationships between things, and then--beyond that! This is the kind of course the teaching company does so well, and Gimbel does a great job here. You don't have to be a science geek to enjoy and learn from this. Highly recommended.… (mehr)

Gimbel, despite being out of breath much of the time, is a pleasant guide to the intersection of philosophy and physics, which it turns out are pretty "entangled". This course is a good companion if you're reading any other books about physics at the same time, as it reinforces some of the fundamentals. Gimbel's humor is a bit stretched, but never annoying. He's also generous in pointing out good books about people and concepts (especially quantum physics' as he goes along. These 12 lectures are just enough to get the right points across. Trying to stretch it into a longer course would have been counterproductive. I'd definely watch Professor Gimbel again.… (mehr)

I was interested in this series because, as a humorist, I was curious if there was anything to learn in the art of making something funnier.

I got far more than I expected.

Dr. Steven Gimbel not only explored the nature of our understanding of reality viewed through the prism of humor, but also threw in our current understanding of neurology, the history of all the major philosophers who put in their two cents' worth with their theories of humor, and a lesson on finding meaning in life, and experiencing life meaningfully, but pulling together all these threads in a grand summation at the end.

While it might seem as though each separate lecture stands on its own, they truly do build on each other to form a narrative that comes together in the last lecture.

This course is full of fun and insights, and it's not the levity you might assume it to be at first blush. Dr. Gimbel is funny, sharp, and fantastically well organized in his presentations. Additionally, he delivers them with the perfect blend of inflection, enthusiasm, and humor. This is the rarest of rarities: he has both style and substance, and they're both outstanding.

I truly feel like I became a better human being for having experienced this.… (mehr)