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The game isn't over, but it's the fourth quarter and the Good Guys are down by two touchdowns. Awesome information technologies, naive idealism, corporate greed, and partisan politics have come together to threaten society... in particular, personal privacy and democratic elections. Our country faces hard choices as evidence mounts that the ad-driven personal data economy, hidden influencers, and social networks have collided with fundamental values of privacy, liberty, and fairness. The crucial questions are how information technologies such as social networking, facial recognition, and genetic databases will be used, and who will decide. This class will help you understand the nature of the problem, and the choices facing our policy-makers. Class discussion is encouraged. Note: This is an update to the class entitled The Politics of Technology, offered in Spring 2019.

In the time before time, there were stories around the campfire. Stories about gods, origins of life, the movement of the stars and the earth. Some of these stories are contained in the first 11 chapters of Genesis as religious people explored "who, where, what, why." We will explore these fascinating Bible stories to discover what they say and mean for us today.

Enhance your ability to identify and understand the common birds of our region. We will explore anatomy, reproduction, foods & foraging and the habitats in which to find the birds. The 2 sessions are entitled: 1-More Amazing Birds, 2-Hummingbirds. The course is geared toward beginning to intermediate level birders and is a follow-on from the fall class, although it is not necessary to have taken that class.

In this turbulent and divisive era, conspiracy theories are thriving. We crave explanations, preferably simple ones, for the awful things we see happening around us, and conspiracy theories offer just that. How to understand the latest conspiracy theory? This course will offer three ways, applied to a selection of popular theories purporting to account for the latest adversity or crisis. First, these theories will be understood as literary narrative, the same ways we approach novels, plays and the like. Second, these theories will be examined as a logical structure, to get at what they assert about how actors, organizations and institutions operate in the world. Third, the theories will be explored as a growing business that takes full advantage of the internet and social media platforms. In closing, we will wrestle with the ultimate question: But how do we know if they are, in fact, true? Participants should bring their own theories, an open mind and a sense of humor.

Who among us has not listened to and enjoyed at least a part of Handels masterpiece oratorio Messiah? This work, since its composition in 1741, is perhaps the most frequently performed piece of classical music in the world. But is it commonly known why Handel composed this work? Do we know why Messiah was premiered outside of London, the city where Handel lived? What was the reaction of those who attended the first performance in 1742? What happened to Messiah after Handel's death? These questions and many others will be discussed in this class. We will also listen to beloved selections from Messiah and explain some of the compositional techniques that Handel used that reinforce his reputation as the greatest choral composer of all time.

The counting numbers (1, 2, 3, ...) are pre-historic to most civilizations. We will look at the history (anthropology, and even archeology) of the numbers and numerals as they evolved in different cultures around the world. Plus, we will view the strange histories of the more "modern" numbers 0, -1, p, and i, which were all met initially with great resistance (not unlike Darwin's and Copernicus's theories).

Iceland, Hawai'i, and New Zealand; partners in defining Earth's plate tectonic and allied climate systems. Islands are fascinating fragments of oceanic and sometimes continental crust formed (and still forming) as a result of Earths mantle convection system and the resulting motions of the lithospheric (crustal) plates at its surface. With 3 very different plate motions, and equally different climates, 1000's of km apart, these three islands tell unique stories of plate interactions and the climate systems that result. Our course will first describe the basic system of plate tectonics, with details and evidence created since the breakup of the most recent supercontinent, Pangaea. Then we will look into the detailed tectonic and climate regimes of each of these islands and how they exemplify the scale and scope of global tectonics.

What is journalism in the age of Twitter and Instagram? What constitutes fake news? Has the process of reporting fundamentally changed? Let's explore the world of modernday reporting, news gathering and news consuming.

Is Bitcoin a digital payment tool or a potential investment? With Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency, "Libra," back in June 2019 and attempts by governments to manage or regulate this class of currency, it's time to understand how cryptocurrency works, what makes it possible and attractive to people. Join us to explore the world of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin in particular.

Mason bees are easy to raise, fun to watch and good for your garden. Join mason bee hobbyist Todd Brown for an introductory talk about mason bees. Learn about the mason bee life cycle, the 5 essentials for raising your own mason bees, how to build a mason bee box and managing your bees year-round.

Joyce had such trouble publishing Dubliners that, in a fit of emotion, he threw his next manuscript, Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man, into the fire presumably to free himself from the whole business. Luckily, his family saved Portrait from the flames and we can gather this winter to read it together!

The Sami are an indigenous, and once nomadic, people who live in the northern areas of Scandinavia and Russia in a land they call Sapmi. The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to the Sami's history and culture through music and art, stories and film. Students are encouraged to read Emilie Demant Hatt's account of her year (1907-08) living with the Sami, With the Lapps in the High Mountains. Suggested reading: By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends, collected and illustrated by Emilie Demant Hatt. Other reading material to be provided by the instructor. Special guest lecture by Demant Hart's translator, Barbara Sjøholm.

In this class we will undertake a reading of the dark age Irish epic Tain Bo Cuailnge, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, which recounts the single-handed defense of Ulster by the hero Cuchulainn against the army of Queen Medb of Connaught. By turns majestic, fantastical, or grotesquely funny, the Tain represents the crown jewel of The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. We will be reading Thomas Kinsella's translation (Oxford Paperback, widely available online). Students are asked to read up to page 58 for the first meeting (to the end of "The Pillow Talk").

Part 1: How I Learned to Love The Ring. Erica discusses the pros and cons of her extensive and intensive experiences performing Wagner's operas as a violinist at the Metropolitan Opera, where she played more music of Wagner than of any other composer. She includes personal anecdotes and historical photos of Wagnerians with whom she performed. Part 2: Wagner and Bernstein: Parallels and Contrasts. Richard Wagner and Leonard Bernstein shared a surprising number of common characteristics and experiences in their musical lives. Erica discusses the similarities and differences between these two geniuses, in the context of their impact on the musical world.

Bird Naturalist Candy Brown has been interested in all animals since she was young. Her husband, Todd Brown, is a gifted photographer and he takes pictures on their trips around the western U.S. While Candy shows Todd's photos in class, she will share natural history information about the wildlife. Included are 4 bear species from Alaska, baby red foxes from our state, animals from Yellowstone and wild mustangs from Wyoming, just to name a few.