Make-your-own schoolhouse

This is from the fascinating article "The Make-Your-Own Schoolhouse" by Joshua David Stain in the NYT. 

Some key facts:

• "The schoolhouse [was] started by a pair of underemployed polymaths, where students can learn abstruse subjects like the secret lives of bacteria, taught by teachers with few teaching credentials. Tuition is $5 to $30, enrollment takes place online and PayPal is accepted."
• "Tuition is $5 to $30, enrollment takes place online and PayPal is accepted."
• ". . . [E]veryone has something to teach."
• "Their philosophy was simple: classes had to be fun, cheap and academic." 

The motivation:

“We are just curious about learning things,” said Jonathan Soma, a founder of the Brooklyn Brainery, who works as an information technology temp to supplement his income. “We figure, there must be other people like us out there.”

Other classes that have been taught: build your own telescope! An introduction to every language in the world. 

Excitement matters more than rigor. Woowwww, nice! Read the article here.