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- A Journey from DNA to Development
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Item Number: W24STEM300A
Dates: 1/16/2024 - 2/20/2024
Times: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Scott Boyer
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 33
The primary goal of this course is to equip participants with the basic cell biology knowledge toolkit to better understand the small-but-mighty side of biology. For example, if a biotech company has a breakthrough technology that pops up in the news, participants can decipher the story with a deeper understanding and perhaps even healthy skepticism. The secondary goal is to have participants gain a deeper appreciation for the elegance (and complexity) built into each one of our thirty trillion cells. Even though the curriculum is designed to skim the surface on a range of topics in order to build a bigger picture, we can dive as deep as we want in class based on participant interaction and engagement. There is no prerequisite knowledge level.
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- AI and You
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Item Number: W24STEM302A
Dates: 2/1/2024 - 2/29/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Tysen Mueller, Tony Davis
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 1
Artificial intelligence (AI) has burst into prominence in the last few years. It is poised to transform our lives in many respects: how we use our devices; our interactions with businesses; our notions of trust, privacy, intellectual property, and decision-making; the nature of education and jobs; and ultimately, how it will feel to live in a world with artificial, autonomous agents. AI technologies can improve our lives but could also potentially reduce our personal choices and freedom. We’ll examine the technologies behind AI and how they might enhance our knowledge and creativity. We’ll also explore their broader effects, depending not only on technical issues, but on political, social, and economic power. Who controls how AI is used? Will it leverage the power and influence of those who already have it? Or can it be a force that empowers those not already in dominant positions? The course will be in lecture format, with abundant opportunities for class discussion.
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- Beginning MS Excel for PCs
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Item Number: W24STEM303M
Dates: 1/9/2024 - 2/27/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 8
Maximum Enrollment: 10
Building: Medford Higher Education Center
Room:Room 118
Instructor: Holly Campbell
Max Seating Capacity: 10
Seats Available: 7
Do you think spreadsheets are for accountants? We will de-mystify Excel spreadsheets and show how they can be used to plan and organize activities, keep track of expenses, and do simple analyses. The course will start with the basics, including an introduction to the Excel window and options in the Excel ribbon, creating and navigating spreadsheets, and saving workbooks. Students will learn techniques for entering and formatting numerical and alphabetic data, editing and moving data within spreadsheets and workbooks, and manipulating page layouts. Other topics include using basic arithmetic operations, analyzing data with simple functions such as SUM and AVERAGE, and the use of simple IF statements. This is a course for beginners, and students are not expected to have experience using Excel for PCs. This is a hands-on course. Students must bring their laptops to class to work on in-class exercises. Students who have taken the course before are welcome. NOTE: Students must have Excel for PCs (version 2013 or later) loaded on their laptop computers, PCs only. The instructor will email files to students with exercises to use during class and to practice techniques at home. Before each class, students must download the files from emails and save them on their laptops to use in class.
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- Earth's Climate: Past, Present and Future
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Item Number: W24STEM107
Dates: 1/9/2024 - 2/13/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: Karen Grove, Benjamin Santer
Max Seating Capacity: 299
Seats Available: 271
We know that Earth’s climate is changing, but how do we know that human actions are a primary factor today, given that climate has changed throughout geologic time? We begin by examining the many natural factors that control climate change on timescales ranging from millions of years to just a few years. These natural influences include external factors such as the position of the continents, the orbital parameters of the Earth/Sun/Moon system, and volcanic eruptions. We also consider variability arising from within the climate system due to phenomena like El Niños and La Niñas. We then shift focus from geologic timescales to the natural and human influences on the climate of the last 2,000 years. How have scientists identified human “fingerprints” in observations of climate change? Are droughts, heat waves, and wildfires being affected by climate change? The final course segment examines projected climate changes over the next 100 years, based on different emissions scenarios.
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- Experiments in Artificial Intelligence
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Item Number: W24STEM304
Dates: 2/15/2024 - 3/14/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 40
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: James Jarrard
Max Seating Capacity: 40
Seats Available: 7
The Fall 2022 launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI led to a rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence in various forms. This seminar will explore the current state of publicly available AIs and how attendees can benefit from and responsibly utilize various AI tools. The seminar will cover free services that attendees are encouraged to use. There will also be presentation and discussion of paid services. In addition to demonstrating practical applications, we will critically examine the social impact of this technology. As AI capabilities continue to grow, so do concerns about bias, transparency, job displacement, and other issues. NOTE: Students should have a basic understanding of computer operations (installing programs/apps, cut and paste text).
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- Exploring Your Immune System
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Item Number: W24STEM191
Dates: 1/9/2024 - 2/6/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: John Kalb
Max Seating Capacity: 299
Seats Available: 293
Let us explore the immune system together in a step-by-step fashion to untangle its many mysteries, components, and functions. Second only to the brain in complexity, this life-saving system protects us on a daily basis from a world of threats, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and toxins. Some of the topics we will cover include innate and adaptive immunity; the major organs, cells, and messenger molecules involved in immune function; and how the immune system distinguishes between “self” and “non-self.” Knowledge is powerful if it leads to appropriate action. The better we understand the workings of our immune system, the better we can support its function and not weaken it. This is especially important right now with all the confusion surrounding COVID-19 and the other infectious diseases out there. This introductory science-based Zoom course will use colorful and easy to understand slide presentations and lectures, and some discussion with questions and answers.
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- Going Viral
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Item Number: W24STEM200M
Dates: 2/8/2024 - 3/14/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 30
Building: Medford Higher Education Center
Room:Room 118
Instructor: John Kloetzel
Max Seating Capacity: 30
Seats Available: 24
“Going viral” implies explosive growth and spread—like bad news on social media… or Covid-19. Safe to say, viruses have been around way longer than people. They’re everywhere! But what ARE viruses? Are they mini-cells? Are they even alive? We naturally focus on those that infect humans, but they have ramifications far beyond us. They DO indeed infect us and can cause diseases, but we humans make use of viruses as well in basic research and even clinical practice. In this class we’ll look into the many ways viruses work in the biosphere—extending even to the “calling cards” of viral DNA that make up a significant fraction of our human genome. No previous science background is required. (Basic background on cells and microbes will be included.) The class is primarily lecture with directed discussions.
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- Hanford, Oregon's Nuclear Neighbor
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Item Number: W24STEM301
Dates: 1/11/2024 - 1/25/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 3
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: Jeff Wyatt
Max Seating Capacity: 299
Seats Available: 288
A few miles north of the central Oregon border on the Columbia River, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is home to the world’s largest and most complex environmental cleanup. This online Zoom course will trace the history of Hanford from the Manhattan Project featured in the movie “Oppenheimer,” through the expansion of plutonium production during the Cold War, and finally, to the shutdown of the nuclear reactors and the site’s transition to environmental remediation. The legacy of Hanford includes vast quantities of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste stored in 177 underground storage tanks, and many square miles of contaminated soil and groundwater. The course is intended for individuals intrigued by the history and science of America’s nuclear weapons program, as well as those concerned about its lasting effects on the Columbia River and the communities downstream and downwind of the world’s most costly environmental cleanup.
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- Organizing and Sharing Digital Photos Using iCloud
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Item Number: W24STEM136
Dates: 1/11/2024 - 2/8/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: Neal Strudler
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 29
This course is designed to help participants take, organize, store, edit, and share digital photos and videos. Emphasis will be on using Apple Photos on the iPhone, Mac, and iCloud. Participants will learn to manage iCloud settings; store and share photos and videos; perform basic edits; play and modify memories; set up albums and slideshows; search and organize photos by person, location, and activities; trim live photos, bursts, and videos; and remove duplicate photos. Privacy and security issues will also be discussed. Participants should be able to use Zoom for video conferencing and have a basic comfort taking digital photos, accessing the Web, and using online applications.
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- Physics and Animal Perception
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Item Number: W24STEM305A
Dates: 2/19/2024 - 3/11/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Tom Woosnam
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 27
“The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world,” writes Ed Yong in “An Immense World.” We will explore parts of the bubble Dr. Yong is describing. Courting peacocks create airflow patterns they can sense with their crest feathers. Butterflies taste with their feet. The naked mole rat is insensitive to the pain of acids and capsaicin. Treehoppers communicate by sending vibrations through the plants on which they stand, which can resemble the songs of birds, monkeys, or musical instruments. Black ghost knife fish produce their own electric fields, which they use to sense the world around them. Bumble bees can sense the electric fields of flowers. This class will examine such marvels through the lens of the physics that govern them. Yong’s book is recommended, but not required.
NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. |
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- Physics and Animal Perception
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Item Number: W24STEM305
Dates: 2/19/2024 - 3/11/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: Tom Woosnam
Max Seating Capacity: 299
Seats Available: 280
“The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world,” writes Ed Yong in “An Immense World.” We will explore parts of the bubble Dr. Yong is describing. Courting peacocks create airflow patterns they can sense with their crest feathers. Butterflies taste with their feet. The naked mole rat is insensitive to the pain of acids and capsaicin. Treehoppers communicate by sending vibrations through the plants on which they stand, which can resemble the songs of birds, monkeys, or musical instruments. Black ghost knife fish produce their own electric fields, which they use to sense the world around them. Bumble bees can sense the electric fields of flowers. This class will examine such marvels through the lens of the physics that govern them. Yong’s book is recommended, but not required.
NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. |
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- Physics for Nonphysicists: Quantum Theory
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Item Number: W24STEM102A
Dates: 1/22/2024 - 3/4/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 7
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: John Johnson
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 16
Quantum mechanics is correctly considered mysterious since it is like nothing we encounter in our everyday, macroscopic lives. For example, if you try to say, “an electron is like a _________,” you find nothing in your experience to fill in the blank. The best we can do is describe how it works. The course will cover the three major methods of calculating quantum mechanical effects, leading to the periodic table of the elements. The course will not discuss philosophical interpretations of quantum theory. A Nobel Prize-winning physicist once said that he didn’t understand quantum mechanics and, by the end of this course, neither will you. Some easy mathematics will be used in the course. The course consists of illustrated lectures including animations and video clips. Everyone is expected to ask questions at any time during the class. Course materials, including presentation slides, Internet links, a bibliography, and other relevant information, will be available at LearnerNotes.org.
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- Plants and People, Part 2
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Item Number: W24STEM306A
Dates: 1/19/2024 - 2/23/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Days: F
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 30
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room A
Instructor: Melissa Luckow
Max Seating Capacity: 30
Seats Available: 21
We often take plants for granted. To develop an appreciation for the importance of plants in our daily lives, we will examine how plants contribute to our lives and well-being, including the basics such as oxygen to breathe, food, shelter, and clothing. We will review scientific concepts and terminology relating to plant structures and functions with an emphasis on stems, wood, cork, and bamboo. Additional topics we will cover include fermentation, the production of wine and beer, and the distillation of liquors; the role of plant compounds as medicines and psychoactive/stimulating agents; and various types of plant fibers, natural dyes and tannins, and their uses. Finally, we will discuss how plants influence climate change and the consequences of current threats to plant biodiversity. The format will be interactive lectures; plant material will be brought in periodically to demonstrate particular concepts. NOTE: This course is a continuation of Plants and People (Part 1) taught in Winter 2023 and will focus on topics not covered in Part 1 of the course. It is not necessary to have taken Part 1 to understand the material in Part 2.
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- Submarines: Cold War to Recent Disasters
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Item Number: W24STEM307A
Dates: 1/11/2024 - 2/15/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Kevin McCarthy
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 26
Come take a ride into the Cold War depths of nuclear submarines. This course will provide an inside look into what it was like to serve on a nuclear submarine in the Cold War. After covering the basics of design, equipment, weapons, and staffing of US submarines, you will learn how submarines generate power and oxygen in order to stay submerged for months. We will also examine NATO and enemy submarines and delve into real world events and Cold War missions. The last session will cover the major submarine disasters and what caused them, including the two US nuclear submarines lost (USS Thresher and USS Scorpion) as well as Russian losses (K-219 and Kursk). A bonus topic will cover the recent submersible loss over the Titanic. No prior knowledge or reading is required.
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- The Elegance of Mathematical Proofs
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Item Number: W24STEM308A
Dates: 1/16/2024 - 2/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Irv Lubliner
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 30
Philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote, “The pure mathematician, like the musician, is a free creator of his world of ordered beauty.” While some might say that “mathematician” and “beauty” shouldn’t appear in the same sentence, there are many who appreciate the elegance of certain mathematical proofs, their simplicity and clarity, combined with clever reasoning, and perhaps a visually pleasing aspect. In a mix of lecture and discussion, we will look at accessible proofs that illustrate the beauty found in mathematics and the strategies math enthusiasts use to prove assertions. Here’s an example: A classroom has 25 students, seated in a 5-by-5 square array. To create a new seating arrangement, the teacher told students to move to a new seat, each of them moving to the one just in front, just in back, just to the left, or just to the right of their current seats. Prove that the task is impossible. All are welcome, and no prerequisite knowledge is required. Let’s have fun doing math together!
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- The Evolutionary Psychology of Morality
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Item Number: W24STEM140
Dates: 1/9/2024 - 2/20/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 7
Maximum Enrollment: 40
Building: n/a: online course
Room:Online (Zoom)
Instructor: Dave Ferguson
Max Seating Capacity: 40
Seats Available: 4
Historically, morality has been studied as if it were a human invention. This has been the approach of philosophical thinking and writing in the field of ethics for over 2,000 years. Recently, however, biologists have been studying morality as an adaptation, attempting to discover how morality functions and how it evolved. We will examine six types of moral adaptation, all of which share a commonality: they enhance survivorship and reproductive success. Genetically based traits that enhance survivorship and reproduction will pass on copies of genes that produce those traits in their offspring. Over time, the traits and the suite of genes producing them will increase. Seven sessions cover 1) evolution and misconceptions, 2) genes and behavior, 3) Jonathan Haidt’s six dimensions of morality, 4) kin selection and caring, 5) reciprocal altruism and fairness, 6) xenophobia and disgust, and 7) hierarchy and liberty. Classes will include readings, videos, and lectures.
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- Understanding Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
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Item Number: W24STEM309A
Dates: 1/9/2024 - 1/30/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 50
Building: Campbell Center
Room:Room D
Instructor: Sarah Aitken
Max Seating Capacity: 50
Seats Available: 30
Right now, one in three people reading this has prediabetes, and 90% do not know it. If nothing changes, by the year 2050, one in three people living in the US (including children) will have overt Type 2 diabetes. These statistics could change if we had a better understanding of our body’s physiology! That is what this course is all about. Your body is a miracle and is most likely functioning exactly as mother nature intended, although that may not work as well in 2024 as it did 300,000 years ago. In the four course lectures, you will learn what insulin resistance and diabetes are, why Type 2 diabetes is epidemic, and how the human body interacts with food. In addition, you will gain an understanding of the physical consequences of insulin resistance, what environmental factors play a role in it, what the signs of insulin resistance are, and the latest treatment guidelines from the USDA and the American Diabetes Association and how those guidelines came to be.
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