Skillsoft has launched CodeX, a new virtual coding practice lab that provides coding exercises with embedded video content. It offers hardware labs for products from Cisco, Microsoft, VMware and CompTIA with tools such as Android Studio 2.3.3, Eclipse, Eclipse Neon, IDLE 3.4, IPython (Anaconda 4.4) and Microsoft Visual Studio.

I've got nothing against Dan Carlin's "Hardcore History," but it seems to eat up all the publicity for history podcasts. That's a shame, because the podcast format is a fantastic way to dive into a thirty-hour history of the French Revolution, or snack on a 12-minute account of how Warren G. Harding, betrayed by his corrupt Cabinet, publicly projected all his feelings onto his dog Laddie Boy.

If you're the type of person who shies away from sketching anything more involved than googly eyeballs or a stick figure on the back of a napkin, it might be more due to a lack of confidence in your artistic ability than some fundamental lack of talent. But nailing the basics can change your outlook on the seemingly Sisyphean task of learning the art of art (it just takes a bit of patience).

iOS/Android: Duolingo recently added a great Japanese curriculum to their app, and now they're following it up with another great course on Korean. It's a good time to be interested in East Asian languages!

Replace your annoying "Did you know?" factoids with even more annoying "Actually that's fake" corrections. Wikipedia features a massive list of common misconceptions about subjects such as history and science. I check it once a year to refresh my smugness.

If you're planning on cranking out the next great novel this November for NaNoWriMo, you might want to sharpen your craft first. These online courses will get your creative writing skills in ship shape.

Kids have a way of picking up information quickly (sometimes more quickly than we'd like...), but when explaining more abstract concepts like coding or computer programming, you might need something more than a lecture or some quick YouTube explainer. That's what programmer Tomek Kaczanowski learned as he explained the skill to a group of 6-year-old children, among them his own daughter.

MOOCs, or massive open online courses, can be very useful and a lot of fun. But why do them alone? Turn your next online course into a book club-style exercise.

It takes 10 years or 10,000 hours of practise to become a world-class musician, according to a few studies that are extrapolated as if they can explain success in every skilled profession (they can't). So what does it really take to become an Olympic calibre athlete? A new analysis gives us some clues.

As a fan of music, I'd love to learn how to make a song. Devoting time to learning music theory, however, isn't exactly on my list of priorities. Music lessons are intimidating, they're a little inconvenient, and definitely pricey.

Before my website became successful, I had an enjoyable career as a software developer. I wrote code to analyse, dig deep into, and share scientific data. I deeply enjoyed the professional work that I did. I also deeply valued the camaraderie and friendship with my coworkers. In fact, I only walked away from it for two reasons.

If there's one thing anyone can benefit from in life, it's always thinking of yourself as a student. It's okay if you don't know something as long as you're willing to learn it.

You'd probably think someone who talks to themselves out loud is a little "off", but they might actually be on to something. Talking to yourself is a great way to better understand what you're learning.

Dear Lifehacker, I understand how useful it is to have a mentor, or someone whose experience I can benefit from. Once I've found someone though, how do I ask them? Do you just email them and ask, or is there a better way to make your case? Sincerely, Desperately Seeking Senpai

Practise is an important factor in mastering any skill. You want the hours you put in to be as effective as possible so you can improve steadily. Here are four keys to making sure your practise is effective.

Whether you're an educator, or just have an interest in paleobiology as a hobby, this interactive fossil finding tool is incredible.

Your role at the doctor's office isn't over when you describe your problem. You have to understand what your provider is telling you — and that goes double if you're signing a form to say you understand the risks of a procedure or of being involved in a study.

Tinycards is an app from Duolingo that gives you flashcards for hundreds of topics. We really liked Tinycards when it launched on iPhone last year, and now the tool is available on the web.

I love books. I can't leave a bookstore without at least one. But I also have a tendency to buy books and not actually read them. Somewhere along the way reading fell by the wayside in favour of other forms of entertainment. To get back on track, I made some simple changes that have helped me with my reading habits thus far — no speed reading necessary.