See how a combination of labeled and unlabeled examples can be exploited in machine learning, specifically by using clustering to learn about the data before making use of the labeled examples.

Recommender systems are ubiquitous, from book and movie tips to work aids for professionals. But how do they function? Look at three different approaches to this problem, focusing on Professor Littman's dilemma as an expert reviewer for conference paper submissions, numbering in the thousands. Also, probe Netflix's celebrated one-million-dollar prize for an improved recommender algorithm.

In 1959, computer pioneer Arthur Samuel popularized the term "machine learning" for his checkers-playing program. Delve into strategies for the board game Othello as you investigate today's sophisticated algorithms for improving play, at least for the machine. Also explore game-playing tactics for chess, Jeopardy!, poker, and Go, which have been a hotbed for machine-learning research.

After a brief introduction on why an alphabetic approach makes an engaging way to explore human language, Professor McWhorter provides a close look at one of the ancient world's most influential languages: Aramaic. How did it achieve such prominence? What led to its decline? Where can you hear it today?

If you've ever jumped into frigid water, you quickly realize humans are definitely not adapted to life in the sea. What are we missing? In a word, it's blubber. In fact, blubber is such a successful insulator that marine mammals have evolved internal and external means for getting rid of all that heat, possibly even including planetary migrations.

For all practical purposes, terrestrial mammals live on a plane. Marine mammals, on the other hand, navigate a more viscous, three-dimensional environment with all its opportunities and challenges. We understand their propulsion mechanisms fairly well. But how do they control their buoyancy to position themselves in the water column? We don't yet have the answers.

Non-flowering plants have been on Earth longer than plants with flowers. Here, start with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Then turn to ferns and fern allies and discover tried-and-true methods for identifying them. Lastly, consider several phyla of gymnosperms and their species, including the Gingko tree.

Dive into the many classification systems botanists used (and still use) to name plants. Among these are the binomial system popularized by Carl Linnaeus; the phenetic classification system, which aimed at revealing relationships based on shared characteristics; and the three ways botanists determine the ancestral traits of plants.

Professor Kleier helps you to make sense of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG), which botanists now use to classify flowering plants. You'll learn how APG came about, what it does, and why it's so important to field botanists. Then you'll explore the six guiding principles for naming a plant species.

From roots and stems to leaf hairs and fruits, learn to determine the parts of plants so you can make your own identifications in the field. What are the two main types of root systems? What are the most common leaf arrangements? What are the three different symmetry types for flowers?

Embark on your in-depth exploration of the major plant families. First, learn to recognize the difference between monocots and eudicots. Then, explore the most ancient plant family in North America and four basal angiosperms. Among the plants you'll encounter are: water lilies, magnolia trees, pawpaws, and avocado trees.

In this episode, investigate monocot plants, which grow from bulbs and tend to bloom early in the spring. You'll cover the Easter lilies of the Liliaceae family, the purple heart of the Commelinaceae family, the corpse flower of the Araceae family, and the Arecaceae (or Palmae) family with its instantly recognizable palm trees.