Science, Technology, Engineering & Math   

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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. 

“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.

“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.

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. 

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.