Webinars   

AI’s appetite for power is colliding with Earth’s grid – and the response is moving compute into orbit. So far SpaceX, Blue Origin, Google’s Project Suncatcher, Starcloud, Sophia Space, Ramon.Space, Axiom, Lonestar are racing to deploy orbital – and even lunar – data centers powered by abundant sunlight and cooled by the vacuum of space. Backed by Nvidia hardware and billions in new capital, these constellations could reshape AI, national security, and sustainability. Mike Kaplan will unpack the physics, economics, key players, and the deeper story of how space and Earth infrastructure are merging into one global system.

We demand perfection from new technology while tolerating catastrophe from the status quo. A self-driving car stalls in wet cement and it makes national news; that same day, roughly 115 Americans die in human-caused crashes and almost no one notices. Neurosurgeon Jonathan Slotkin argues that being safe and feeling safe are different problems that require different solutions. Drawing on thirty years of hard lessons from healthcare and  new safety data on autonomous vehicles,  he explores why objective safety and perceived safety diverge, why that gap can stall lifesaving innovation, and what it will take to close it.

Recommended Readings:

Jonathan Slotkin, “The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.” The New York Times, December 2, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/opinion/self-driving-cars.html

Jonathan Slotkin, MD and Eric Topol, MD, “An Open Letter from the Medical Community on America’s Road Deaths”, Opmed.doximity.com, May 14, 2026, https://opmed.doximity.com/articles/an-open-letter-from-the-medical-community-on-america-s-road-deaths

Healthy democracies require an appetite for critical thinking and a willingness to examine assumptions, embrace uncertainty, and find common ground. Kristan Uhlenbrock, Executive Director of the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, shares how the Institute approaches wicked problems at the intersection of science, policy, and human nature, from wolves and water to coal communities and pandemic response. She'll discuss what makes the Institute distinctive, how it measures impact, and what it means to engage in a more thoughtful, pluralistic civic conversation.

Enrollment for 2026 Medicare plans begins on October 15, so mark your calendar for this timely seminar. Then join Daphne for answers about all things Medicare. She’ll cover eligibility, special enrollment periods, dates, and deadlines; the various pieces and parts (A, B, D); Medicare Advantage (part C); common misconceptions; errors to avoid; and important new benefits you won’t want to miss. We’ll also talk about those omnipresent TV ads, letters, phone calls, emails and text messages you’ve been receiving to cut through the hype and get to the facts. Best of all, you’ll be talking with a gerontologist and experienced Medicare insurance professional who will provide you with objective, unbiased advice since her agency does not market in Virginia. Daphne Bernstein holds an advanced degree in gerontology and brings more than 30 years of executive experience in the senior healthcare and care continuum sectors. She is currently a consultant to those industries and is also a licensed insurance agent for Medicare plans in the states of Colorado and Texas. This course is being presented by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the College of William and Mary.

The words we use in our everyday lives can reveal our thoughts, feelings, and personality. Through the analysis of text, I’ll describe some of the ways we can tell if people are being authentic or deceptive, happy or depressed, and connected or disengaged with others. Recent breakthroughs in AI and big data methods are beginning to change the ways we do business, teach and learn new skills, and assess our psychological and physical health. It is a potentially threatening time but also very exciting.

Recommended Reading: The Secret Life of Pronouns, by James Pennebaker Bloomsbury, 2011. Website: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/pennebak

Jennie Magiera, Global Head of Education Impact at Google, will present key insights from her team's global work with educators and leaders on using AI to transform teaching and learning. She will detail Google's intentional approach to developing Gemini for Education, emphasizing collaboration and support for K12 teachers, Higher Ed faculty, and education leaders to ensure the impactful use of these new technologies.

The ocean covers 70% of our planet, and the deep sea makes up about 90% of the ocean, making this the largest living space on Earth. Despite darkness, intense pressure, and extreme cold, countless species of fishes, squids, corals, octopuses, sponges, jellies, and microbes thrive in the midwaters and deep sea. Scientists deploy a remarkable array of underwater tools to make discoveries, find new species, and learn more about the enormous impact of this remote habitat on the health and well-being of our planet. This webinar reveals what scientists are learning about this mysterious and important underwater realm.

What if many brain diseases are not inevitable consequences of aging, but the likely result of decades of accumulated environmental exposure, and therefore preventable? In this interview-format webinar with audience Q&A, neurologist Dr. Ray Dorsey, co-author of The Parkinson's Plan, will discuss the likely environmental causes of Parkinson's and other brain diseases such as intellectual disabilities, ALS, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer's. Participants will hear what the current evidence shows, what remains uncertain, and what practical steps individuals and communities can take to reduce risk.

Recommended Reading:
The Parkinson’s Plan
Ending Parkinson’s Disease

As wildfire behavior becomes increasingly complex and unpredictable, emergency response organizations must evolve beyond systems designed for a different era. This presentation explores how Colorado is leveraging emerging technologies—including real-time geospatial awareness platforms, unmanned aircraft systems, and data-driven decision support tools—to improve responder safety, coordination, and operational effectiveness. Drawing from the Colorado Team Awareness Kit (COTAK) program and the work of the Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting, attendees will gain insight into how innovation, technology, and organizational change are reshaping public safety and disaster response.