Science, Technology, Engineering & Math   

The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) might be just what you have been looking for, if you appreciate looking very closely at images and sharing them with others. IIIF, a set of open standards for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale, has been adopted by hundreds of institutions. From photos of cell structures in the Wellcome Collection to details of manuscripts in the British Library, IIIF can provide excellent zoomable images, facilitate sharing and annotating details while preserving connections to the original images. Students will explore how to access the vast variety of images accessible in IIIF, share them with viewers like Mirador, annotate them and include the results in presentations (like teaching at OLLI).

NOTE: All the materials used in the course are available at no cost online.

The existential crisis we face due to global climate change and the copious need for data center electricity has brought renewed interest in nuclear energy. Recent advances in fission reactor technology such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and in plasma and fusion reactor science (the “breakeven” experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) hold promise for achieving these needs. In this course students will learn: 1) the history and context for nuclear energy; 2) fundamental physics of radioactivity, fission and fusion; 3) how nuclear reactors work; 4) safety, risk and licensing; 5) recycling and radioactive waste disposal; 6) current developments for advanced fission and fusion systems; 7) sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues; and 8) resource and supply chain issues.

NOTE: A scientific or technical background is not required for this course. All are welcome! 

How do we know what we know about our universe with all its galaxies, stars, planets? How did it form following the Big Bang? How do all these old and new telescopes work? How do we measure time and distance? How do stars form and evolve? What are gravity waves and black holes? This course will examine these topics that have no practical use for most but are fun to learn about anyway. The course will be taught using PowerPoint presentations and other visual and audio material. As much time as necessary will be devoted to your questions. Not included in the course: space exploration, planetary geology, extraterrestrial life, astrology, constellations and star positions, or exoplanets.

The goal of this course is to foster an appreciation for the importance of plants in our daily lives. We will examine how plants contribute to our lives and well-being beyond the basics such as oxygen to breathe, food, shelter and clothing. The course will introduce some scientific concepts and terminology relating to plant structures and functions as well as economic and historical aspects of plant use. The format will be interactive lectures; plant material will be brought in periodically to demonstrate particular concepts. This course is a continuation of Plants and People, Part 1, and will cover topics not included in the first part such as medicinal and psychoactive plants, spices, fermentation and stimulating beverages. Students do not need to have taken Part 1

Northern Spain is a geologic wonderland that is easily explored because of its accessible coastline and mountain exposures. This course will focus on three areas, how they formed and how to visit them: 1) Los Picos de Europa, a National Park in Cantabria Province, where limestone peaks were formed during the Paleozoic Era and uplifted during the collision between Africa and Europe that also created the Alps. This province also contains an abundance of Paleolithic rock art. 2) The Dinosaur Coast in Asturias Province, where many types of dinosaurs roamed during the Jurassic Period. 3) The Basque Geopark in the Basque Country, where 60 million years of geologic history, including the end-of-Cretaceous mass extinction, are exposed along 20 km of spectacular coastline. 

Northern Spain is a geologic wonderland that is easily explored because of its accessible coastline and mountain exposures. This course will focus on three areas, how they formed and how to visit them: 1) Los Picos de Europa, a National Park in Cantabria Province, where limestone peaks were formed during the Paleozoic Era and uplifted during the collision between Africa and Europe that also created the Alps. This province also contains an abundance of Paleolithic rock art. 2) The Dinosaur Coast in Asturias Province, where many types of dinosaurs roamed during the Jurassic Period. 3) The Basque Geopark in the Basque Country, where 60 million years of geologic history, including the end-of-Cretaceous mass extinction, are exposed along 20 km of spectacular coastline.