Galileo, Leonardo, Newton, and Tesla revered Archimedes of Syracuse—an engineer who defied the world’s most powerful army and a mathematician who knew more in 212 B.C.E. than all Europe would for the next 17 centuries. Novelist and science writer Nicholas Nicastro shines a new light on Archimedes’ life and work to reveal an ambitious, combative, and fiercely competitive man who is far from the aloof, physically inept figure of historical myth.

Situated between India, Persia, and the Greco-Roman world, the region of greater Gandhara (stretching through parts of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan) produced artwork that blended influences and ideas from many cultures. Art historian Robert DeCaroli examines the origins of the region’s material culture, explores the ways imperial and religious power were displayed, and traces the role of trade in the exchange of ideas. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

The radical innovations made by European and American painters and sculptors between 1900 and 1960 forever altered the way we think about visual art. In a richly illustrated 5-session series, art historian Nancy G. Heller discusses major works by the period’s seminal painters and sculptors, emphasizing their broader socio-political and aesthetic contexts. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

The British passed it off as an unhappy disturbance, but to city leaders the March 1770 confrontation with Redcoats that left five Bostonians dead was a horrid massacre. Historian Richard Bell examines why the complicated story of the “affray on King Street” is even more intriguing than Paul Revere’s famous engraving of it has led us to believe.

Galileo Galilei is one of the larger-than-life heroes of intellectual history. Astrophysicist Mario Livio traces his fascinating life, examining Galileo’s monumental and enduring achievements in astronomy, mechanics, and the development of the scientific method. Livio also analyzes Galileo’s complex and tragic interaction with the Catholic Church, which eventually led to the scientist being denounced as a suspected heretic by the Inquisition.

The year 1492 is a defining moment in history, marked by groundbreaking discoveries and artistic innovation that reshaped the world. From Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the achievements of Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer, discovery and innovation sparked a period of unprecedented creativity. Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines how the convergence of exploration, scientific progress, and artistic mastery shaped a transformative age of cultural and intellectual growth. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia marks the rise of the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia and its incorporation of Indic cultural influences into the architecture of one of the largest religious monuments in the world. Historian Justin M. Jacobs also explores how it became a center of Buddhist worship, a symbol of French imperial pretensions, and finally an icon of the modern Cambodian nation and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From its start in the early 1950s, the talk show has been one of television’s most durable formats. Pioneering programs like “Today,” “Person-to-Person,” and “Tonight” established the basic features that have guided the format, later embraced by Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart, among others. Media historian Brian Rose looks at the history of the television talk show and examines its changing appeal.