Science and Technology   

There are over 200 species of owls in our world and they have amazing abilities and fascinating lore. We’ll visit with some of North America’s species to learn their anatomy, characteristics, and importance in the natural world. And we’ll delve into some of the legends and lore associated with owls. It’s an “OwLLI” course, for sure!

This course covers our night sky, the constellations, our solar system, and aspects of the universe that puzzle and delight humans. The content also includes a look at some of the more “weird, wild and wonderful” of astronomy’s facts, and the role amateur astronomers play in increasing our knowledge of the heavens. Topics also include meteors, and the quest for finding other life in our universe.

This course will expose the scandal of a massive mountain of discarded clothing in Chile that is visible from space as well as the way our clothing discards are undermining the local clothing industry in Ghana West Africa. From production to disposal, the fashion industry has three major negative impacts on the world's water supply: high usage, high levels of chemical pollution, and high microfiber pollution.

Climate change is nothing new. A few thousand years ago, much of North America was covered in ice and glaciers. They are still retreating, the climate is warming once again, and the land is still rising now that it is relieved of some of the weight of the ice. This lecture explains how glaciers formed then and now, how they scar the ground beneath them, and how important they are to the water cycle.

It is the hidden force accelerating climate change, Methane accounts for around 1% of total greenhouse gases but around 21% of global greenhouse emissions. Even though much less methane is emitted than carbon dioxide, methane is 84+ times more potent than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years of its emissions. We'll examine ways that methane pollution is being reduced from cows and new and old wells.

Did you know? The e-waste output in one year weighed the equivalent of 350 cruise ships? Or if you piled a year of America's e-waste on an interstate highway it would be a pile that was 77 miles long. Yes, there are efforts to recycle old cell phones and TVs, but these efforts are falling far short of solving the problem. This is why e-ways is our biggest recycling challenge.

Electric vehicles will save owners big bucks because they don't burn fossil fuel. In addition, EV owners spend half as much on maintenance and repairs. But people worry how long that big battery will last and whether they'll be able to find a place to charge their car when they are on a trip. In this class we'll learn helpful tips from owners dealing with the unique challenges that come with EV ownership.

Forever chemicals are in the water supply and the air we breathe. We'll learn how PFAS came to be developed in the 1940s and found their way into a broad range of consumer products and what is being done to protect our health from this silent threat.

The states in the U.S. least affected by climate change include the New England and Midwest regions. Should Californians concerned about wildfires relocate there? By the end of the century parts of the US will no longer be livable. Curiously, these are the states where many people are moving. Discover what the scientists are learning about the climate factors that most effect our well-being. Perhaps it's best to stay where are in the foothills of Northern California.