Science, Technology & Medicine   

Throughout history, people have fashioned materials into tools for sustenance, shelter, safety, and artistic creativity. Originally, cutting and chipping removed material from a simple wood or stone shape to produce a functional device. Then molding and forming processes, such as the potter’s wheel and bronze casting, expanded the complexity of shapes and materials. Now 3D printing, adding material bit by bit, extends manufacturing capabilities to previously impossible geometries and alters our thinking about design. We will discuss the evolution of 3D printing, the roles of local enterprises in its development, and its influence on shaping the future.

This course explores the basic principles of biological evolution, starting from Darwin's theory of natural selection and working up to modern advancements in developmental biology. Concepts covered will include both microevolution and macroevolution, with examples of evolution affecting both human and nonhuman organisms, and how evolutionary forces have shaped the history of life in the distant past and continue to do so even in the present day.

The iPhone is a communication device, and it is a portable computer in your pocket. Are you using your expensive device to make your life easier, or is the frustration level rising? The aim of this course is to develop your confidence in using your iPhone to assist you in your daily life. This course will explore the apps that Apple provides, such as mail, iMessage, Contacts, Photos, Camera, Notes, Weather, Maps, and others. For this course, you will need an iPhone running the most recent version of the operating system (likely to be iOS 17 released in Fall 2024). 

An immune system, the system that prevents diseases caused by infections (like influenza, Covid, polio, tetanus, and pneumonia), must function properly during aging to stay healthy. However, the immune system can also cause disease by reacting against one’s own body. Stress can also disturb the normal immune system function. Thus, the immune system can be our friend, but also our enemy. This course will teach participants how the different parts of the immune system function to prevent disease and the health consequences of when they don’t work properly.