Osher Online Courses   

What really changes when we read beyond the abstract? In this interactive course, we will open real research papers (many in health and nutrition) and explore what scientists actually look for. We will explore how small design choices can dramatically shape a study’s meaning and why headlines rarely tell the full story. No technical background is required – just curiosity. By the end of the course, we will never read “studies show…” the same way again.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Johnnie Hendrickson, PhD, is a teaching professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University. He holds a PhD in chemistry and is the author of the textbook Chemistry in the World. His academic work centers on science communication and the reciprocal relationship between science and society.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

In this course, we will explore the three fascinating realms of the cosmos: nearby planets and moons; the stars; and the galaxies (the great island of stars that turn out to be the building blocks of the universe) Our discussion will be in everyday language, without any math, and will be accompanied by remarkable color images from the latest space probes and the world's largest telescopes, including the latest breathtaking images from the James Webb Space Telescope.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR Andrew Fraknoi, retired chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College, continues to teach noncredit astronomy courses at San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco. He is the lead author of OpenStax Astronomy, the most frequently used introductory astronomy textbook in North America. He appears regularly on the radio, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language, and was named California Professor of the Year. He writes science fiction, has published eight stories, and has an asteroid named in his honor, recognizing his contributions to the public understanding of science.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment Deadline September 13, 2026

This course traces Apple’s fifty-year history and its massive impact on personal computing, design, product culture, platforms and ecosystems, and daily life. Each session focuses on a different decade in Apple’s history, from the birth of the PC in the late 1970s to the latest Apple silicon, VR headsets, and future iPhones. We will learn how Apple reshaped not just technology but also how people live, work, and communicate.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: D. Griffin Jones is an independent blogger and podcaster for Extra Ordinary, and previously, Cult of Mac.  He has been an avid computer enthusiast and historian since 2002- his collection is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and devices, dating back to the early '80s.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

The public often sees the art world as the domain of wealth, trendsetters, and high rollers, yet deception lurks behind the façade. After weapons and drugs, art is the third most lucrative illicit trade, with reports suggesting that more than half of artworks are fake or misattributed. In this course, we will ask: When is a copy simply a copy, and when is it a forgery? What techniques do master forgers use? Does a collector hold true title, and how important is provenance? What can science tell us about art authenticity? We will uncover riveting stories of criminal art activity, gallery closings, and master forgeries.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Christine Maasdam holds a master’s in humanities and a bachelor’s in cultural geography. Maasdam studied art at The Courtauld Institute, the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, and the University of Glasgow. She trained in art crime investigation and is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection. She holds Sotheby’s certifications in art law and appraisal, serves as a museum education docent, and has volunteered on archaeological projects in Israel.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

August Wilson was the first African American playwright to have a Broadway theater bear his name, a fitting tribute to a dramatist who brought African American culture and lived experience to the stage. In this course, we will read, watch, and examine the first five plays in Wilson’s American Cycle, a ten-play series representing each decade of the African American culture’s 20th century. We will explore Wilson’s life and the influences behind his work while focusing on Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Seven Guitars, tracing his powerful interpretation, celebration, and perseveration of African American culture.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Ladrica Menson-Furr, PhD, is assistant dean of undergraduate programs and associate professor of African American literature. Menson-Furr is the author of August Wilson’s Fences and August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and has published on Zora Neale Hurston and Pearl Cleage. She has led academic programs in African American studies and served as a Provost’s Fellow and a Tennessee Board of Regents’ Maxine Smith Fellow.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

This course introduces the scientific study of life, with an emphasis on real-world applications and the societal, social, ethical, and legal consequences of biological advances. We will place key biological principles within the context of issues that affect individuals and society, highlighting the connection between biology and everyday life. Designed for non-scientists with little or no recent college-level science experience, the course encourages discussion and reflection. Many topics are at the leading edge of scientific discovery, and we will examine the ongoing ethical and legal debates surrounding how and whether these advances should be applied.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR Eric Simon, PhD, is a professor of biology at New England College and holds a PhD in biochemistry from Harvard University. An avid traveler and award-winning nature photographer, he leads educational trips to destinations such as Belize, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon River, and Patagonia. Simon is also the author of a best-selling series of college biology textbooks—used in over 40 countries—with more than 2 million copies in print.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026

America has provided fertile ground for new and alternative religions to sprout and grow. Some prosper and eventually become accepted as part of the normal religious landscape, some wither away and are forgotten, and some detonate, creating public scandal and, in the worst cases, national tragedy. This course will examine New Religious Movements, popularly known as "cults", within the US context. We will examine these religious movements both from insider perspectives and outsider perceptions. We will analyze the history, practices, and beliefs of these organizations to better understand them and deconstruct misconceptions. This course covers the 18th and 19th centuries.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Kathryn Phillips is the Schauffler Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Defiance College.  She received her PHD in Religious Studies from the University of California, Riverside. Her research is primarily focused on the use of Gender Studies in the historical approach to Christian Late Antiquity. She teaches a wide range of classes and loves teaching students about traditions they might be less familar with. She is also a Fellow in the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity at Defiance College, leading annual student research surrounding refugees to Rome, Italy. 

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

Journey into the vibrant world of early 20th century art and witness the birth of abstraction. This transformative period reshaped the cultural landscape, from the bold colors of Fauvism, the fractured forms of Cubism, to the dreamlike realms of Surrealism. Each session focuses on the movements’ leading artists including Matisse, Kandinsky, Picasso, Mondrian, Duchamp, and Dali. We will explore their aesthetic goals and the social and cultural currents that influenced them.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR:  Lauren Weingarden is professor emerita of art history at Florida State University. Her research explores the intersections of literature and visual art in 19th-century culture, with a focus on the American architect Louis Sullivan and French figures such as Charles Baudelaire and Édouard Manet. She has published extensively on these subjects and developed an interdisciplinary, embodied aesthetic model that invites viewers to re-experience artists’ responses to modernity’s fragmentation and the fleeting qualities of nature, a perspective that shapes her teaching on Impressionism.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

This course is a history class with a laugh track. We will analyze the significant periods and players of the 20th and 21st Centuries against their historic context and legacy, using humor as the platform. We will discuss how comedy was shaped by and responsive to American society, and how comedians influenced and shaped American life. We will cover Silent Films, Vaudeville, Radio, Screwball and Romantic Comedies, Comedy Teams, and the Golden Age of Television. We will study how America laughed in each generation, and how the change in American character and persona shaped how they laughed and what (and whom) they laughed at.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Eddy Friedfeld is a film and entertainment journalist and historian. Friedfeld co-authored Caesar’s Hours with Sid Caesar, Directed by James Burrows with James Burrows, and worked with Mel Brooks on All About Me. He was senior consultant for the Emmy-nominated Make ’Em Laugh and a consulting producer on Funny You Never Knew. He has produced tributes to major entertainers including George Carlin, Paul Newman, Dick Van Dyke, among others. He teaches at Yale, NYU, and the Tisch School of the Arts.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

Mexicans celebrate a remarkable diversity of peoples, music, food, festivals, and historical traditions, expressed through fiestas that bring communities together across the calendar year. In this course, we will explore Mexico City as a cultural and historical crossroads shaped by centuries of continuity and change. We will trace the legacies of Indigenous civilizations, the transformations of Spanish colonial rule, the struggles for independence and revolution, and the emergence of modern democratic politics, culminating in the 2024 election of Mexico’s first woman president. We will see how culture, power, and celebration remain deeply intertwined in the life of this extraordinary city.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: William Beezley is professor emeritus of history at the University of Arizona and a leading scholar of Mexican history and culture. Beezley received Mexico’s Ohtli Medal for promoting Mexican culture abroad. He has taught at several universities, held endowed chairs, served as a Fulbright Specialist, and been a visiting professor in Mexico. He directed the Oaxaca Graduate Institute and has appeared on PBS. His current research explores embroidery as a voice of Mexican women.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

From sleek new industrial materials to innovations in housing, mid-20th-century designers faced the challenge of shaping an aesthetic that reflected the ideals of post-World War II America. In this course, we will explore the optimism that defined the relationship between design and lifestyle during this period, particularly through the emergence of open living spaces in architecture. We will examine the influence of the Case Study Program and the work of leading designers, including Charles and Ray Eames, John Lautner, Eero Saarinen, E. Fay Jones, and Donald Wexler, while considering these developments within the broader context of rapid social and cultural change.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures and leads tours worldwide on art and architectural history. She was named a distinguished instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She completed graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby’s Institute in London and New York. She served as a design review commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and serves on the John Lautner Foundation board of directors.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

The American Experiment began with the Declaration of Independence and led to the creation of the federal judiciary, one of the country’s greatest experiments. In this course, we will trace the evolution of the courts from their English roots to their formal establishment in the Constitution. We will explore how the Supreme Court, lacking the power of the purse or military, derives its authority from its ability to connect with the people of the US and protect democracy. We will examine the creation of the federal judiciary and the power of the Marshall Court, the Court’s evolution through the New Deal, the Vinson Court, the Warren Court’s “Rights Revolution,” and the role of today’s US Supreme Court.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Lauren Andersen is the director of the Utah Judicial Institute. Andersen practiced appellate law in the state of California and presented arguments to the California Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court. During this time, Andersen closely studied the Roberts Court. She has lectured about the Supreme Court and the death penalty. Her opinions were quoted by The New York Times and the ABA Journal. She was previously the director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Utah.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

People throughout time and across cultures have looked to the mountains as powerful symbols. The Buddhists of the Himalayas, the Inca of the Andes, the Inuit of the far north, and the Romantics of Europe all created unique stories of what mountains mean and how they are to be approached. This course will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of the beliefs, traditions, and mythologies that have been inspired by the world’s mountains. Through richly illustrated lectures, short readings, and open discussion, this course will open a window into the world’s sacred mountains and encourage exploration of our relationship with the Earth’s high and wild places.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Duncan is a photojournalist, writer, teacher, and public speaker with more than 25 years of experience. His work has been published in National Geographic, The Himalayan Journal, Sailing, Rock and Ice, and by the University of Utah Press. He has taught at the Art Institute of Portland, Western Washington University, and Westminster University. His work explores humanity’s complex relationship with the natural world, often in remote landscapes and cultures.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

In this course, we will step inside the fascinating world of kit homes and explore their history and cultural impact across North America, especially during their peak from 1905 to 1945. We will learn how to identify these mail-order houses and understand their cultural impact. We will dig into the industry’s rise and decline, industrial developments of kit homes, and their connections to race and gender in the early 20th century. By examining both the kit home industry and the people who lived in them, we will uncover why they remain an important part of the architectural and cultural landscape.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Nigel Tate is an urban planning student at Michigan State University and an architectural preservationist and historian. Tate has studied kit homes for more than a decade, delivered talks across mid-Michigan, and created a guide to kit homes in Grand Blanc, MI. His interest began with a childhood discovery and has grown into ongoing research and advocacy focused on identifying and documenting these distinctive homes.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

The 1960s were a decade wrapped in myth and misunderstanding. In this course, we will cut through that haze by turning to something powerful and concrete: the speeches of the era. The times and the conditions demanded these significant speeches. Together, we will listen to the voices that moved a nation and shaped history. With recordings preserved through television, video, and YouTube, we will discover what these speeches still have to teach us today.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Arthur “Buck” Benedict is a former lecturer at Wharton and the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught public speaking for 16 years. He also created and taught speechwriting classes. He was awarded the first Excellence in Teaching Award at the Fels Institute and was nominated for the university-wide Provost Award for non-standing faculty.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

In this course, we will examine the dramatic circumstances that gave rise to the Beat Generation in the 1940s. Together, we will examine three famous Beat works: Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. We will focus on historical events involving Beat writers, important passages of Beat literature, and the literary movement that spawned the 1960s counterculture

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Kurt Hemmer is the editor of the Encyclopedia of Beat Literature and a professor at Harper College. Hemmer has produced award-winning documentaries on Beat poets with filmmaker Tom Knoff and published extensively on Beat writers. He organized the Jack Kerouac Centenary Conference and serves as president of the Beat Studies Association. He is currently working on a biography of Beat poet Gregory Corso.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

This course examines royal succession through acclaimed British films that explore power not as ceremony, but as a moral and political crisis. We will trace the monarchy’s evolution from personal rule to institutional authority, beginning with the Plantagenet struggles in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968). We will then examine the moral costs of kingship and the performance of national leadership through two Shakespeare adaptations: Chimes at Midnight (1965) and Henry V (1989). The course will conclude with the Tudor rupture: A Man for All Seasons (1966) and the consolidation of legitimacy, Elizabeth (1998).

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Bernard (Butch) Epps earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University, graduating cum laude as an award-winning film production major. He received his MFA from the UCLA School of Film and Television’s graduate Producers Program, where he specialized in story development and working with screenwriters. At UCLA, he served as academic liaison to the MFA Producers Program faculty, including studio heads, development executives, and industry professionals. Epps has taught film appreciation courses with a strong emphasis on story analysis.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

Route 66 is as much an idea as it is a place. Since its creation in 1926, America’s most famous highway has evolved from a 2,400-mile transportation corridor into a powerful symbol of nostalgia, travel, and the American road. Today, it functions as a kind of pilgrimage route, marked by neon signs, roadside attractions, and preserved motels, cafés, and gas stations. In this course, we will explore the history, cultural meaning, and enduring appeal of Route 66. Together, we will examine its origins, rise and decline, late-20th century revival, the role of nostalgia and car culture, preservation efforts, and the possible futures of this iconic highway.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Peter B. Dedek, PhD, is a professor of American history at Texas State University whose work explores the cultural history of the built environment and the stories embedded in historic places. Dedek brings together cultural, design, and social history to illuminate how people shape, and are shaped by the spaces they inhabit. He is the author of Hip to the Trip: Route 66 Centennial Edition and The Cemeteries of New Orleans: A Cultural History, and wrote Historic Preservation for Designers, a guide integrating preservation with design.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026

We often only notice the global supply chain when it breaks. Yet, for millennia, the movement of goods has been the silent engine of civilization. In this course, we will track the evolution of trade from an executive’s perspective. From the sunken treasures of Bronze Age merchant ships to the high-tech intermodal systems of today, we will explore the vessels that carried the world’s wealth and the complex networks that keep our modern shelves stocked.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Scott Jones brings a unique perspective to his lectures, combining 30 years of naval command, diplomatic service, and executive leadership in defense and maritime industries. Jones is a docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum, leading architecture and gallery tours. A retired Navy captain, he commanded three warships and a squadron, with assignments at the Pentagon and State Department. He later served as a senior executive for a defense corporation and a maritime shipping company and ran his own consulting business.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

This course continues our journey into how music becomes the emotional engine of film. This is not film school—it is a celebration for film lovers who want to experience how music shapes story, character, and unforgettable moments. We will explore how instrumental scores and songs with lyrics work together to drive narrative, define identity, and capture cultural shifts. We will focus on films where songs take center stage, from iconic franchise themes to pop- and rock-driven storytelling. Spanning genres and eras, we will see how composers, songwriters, and performers expanded the language of film music.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Mike Agron was born in Los Angeles’s entertainment scene. Mike Agron is a former high-tech executive and entrepreneur who now creates and delivers dynamic, story-driven seminars on music and entertainment. With a storyteller’s eye and a DJ’s ear, he has led 15 acclaimed seminar series, each spotlighting a different facet of music and entertainment.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026.

Since the 1890s, when Americans were beginning to develop their own traditions in classical music, composers have recognized the dilemma of creating the American sound. We will explore how classical musicians and Broadway and Hollywood composers, most of them Jewish, followed parallel paths in creating sounds that have been defined as evocative of these lands and their people. Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, William Grant Steel, Florence Price, Alex North, Elmer Bernstein, and others will be the protagonists of this lecture, supported with audiovisuals and anecdotes.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Emanuel Abramovits is a mechanical engineer and has been a concert promoter for over two decades. He is involved in events by international artists like Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Sarah Brightman, Roger Hodgson, ASIA, Journey, and Kenny G. Abramovits has designed and staged original orchestral events, including an Event of the Year winner and several world premieres. He served as the cultural director at Union Israelita De Caracas, releasing books and organizing film cycles, concerts, and art exhibits.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026

How does DNA reshape our understanding of ancestry, colonial society, and identity in the Americas? In this course, we will explore the science and methodology of genetic genealogy through the lens of first contact between European and Indigenous peoples. Using the New Mexico DNA Project as a central case study, we will examine how Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA can confirm, complicate, and challenge traditional research. Topics include Y-DNA Adam, Indigenous maternal haplogroups, the Spanish castas system, and colonial identity. We will consider the ethical and political implications of DNA testing and the limits of what genetic evidence can, and cannot, reveal about race and belonging.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Angelo Cervantes is an anthropological genetic genealogist and history researcher who has conducted archival work in Mexico and Spain. Cervantes teaches at the University of New Mexico and founded the Iberian Peninsula DNA Institute, offering DNA consulting and courses in anthropological genetics. He pioneered anthropological genetic genealogy through the creation of the New Mexico DNA Project, now a major Hispanic DNA database. He has appeared on PBS and frequently lectures on genetic genealogy in the US and Mexico.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026

Harry S. Truman once described the presidency as “the most peculiar office in the world.” In this course, we will explore how the Founding Fathers left the office for future presidents to define, creating conditions for a dramatic expansion of executive power. We will examine how the presidency has come to dominate the three co-equal branches, with Congress and the Supreme Court at times ceding authority. We will consider how and why this shift occurred, how this peculiar office is won or lost, how they have exercised power, and how the rise of the administrative state has reshaped the balance envisioned by the framers.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR: John Kenneth White is a political scientist specializing in American political parties and the US presidency. White is the author of several books, including The New Politics of Old Values, Still Seeing Red, Barack Obama’s America, Grand Old Unraveling, and Democracy on the Edge, co-authored with Matthew R. Kerbel. He taught at The Catholic University of America and writes a biweekly column for The Hill, a Washington, D.C. based publication covering the White House and Capitol Hill.

An online orientation will be held for all Osher Online courses on September 22 at 2:00 p.m. Additional details will be sent via email after registration closes.

Please note: this is an online class. Enrollment deadline September 13, 2026