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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
The early part of the 20th century was a time of revolutionary change in physics. The atomic theory was approaching full acceptance. A new theory, quantum mechanics, drastically changed our concept of how physics works at the atomic and molecular scale. Special relativity changed our concept of space and time, and general relativity changed our concept of gravity and the large-scale structure of the universe. Albert Einstein was involved in all these things and was the leader in the development of special and general relativity. This course will discuss his life and science. The science portion of the class will be directed at lay people and presented in a non-mathematical way. Nevertheless, it will require a willingness to think hard about some strange and non-intuitive concepts.
On Campus Session
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Join me in reliving my experience on a space themed voyage in Antarctica with fellow space enthusiasts. The video and photos include comments by our speakers on board. The space legends included: William Shatner, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astronauts: Jose Hernandez, Scott Kelly, and Charlie Duke, along with Ann Curry and Celine Cousteau. We explored several islands via wet and dry landings. Of course, we could never get tired learning about and watching those adorable penguins amongst the icebergs surrounding us.
Stevenson Oaks
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
Celestial navigation is the primary method for determining position on earth by reference to the stars, planets, sun, and moon. Various methods have been developed throughout history, from very primitive observations to sophisticated modern techniques.
This course will provide an overview of the principles of celestial navigation. We will cover the history of these methods and demonstrate determining latitude by the sun and by Polaris (north star) progressing to accurately locating both latitude and longitude with the modern sextant. While you most likely won't be able to go take a celestial fix after this class, you will have a good overview of how it is done.
On Campus Session
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
There are dozens of dream theories and diverse views on the interpretation, meaning and significance of dreams. These range from the mundane to the spiritual. We will briefly review the most common theories before exploring a new theory of dreams from the philosophical perspective of Absolute Idealism. This new theory touches on abnormal psychology, consensus reality, imagination, personal identity, philosophy and spirituality. Only GENERAL interpretation issues will be discussed. Specific interpretive details or methods will NOT be included.
On Campus Session
- Section Code: F26SSFSN060A
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Instructor: William Greer
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Dates: 4/23/2026 - 4/30/2026
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Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: Th
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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Supercells are the least common type of thunderstorm, yet they are responsible for the most violent of tornadoes and severest of hailstorms. We will examine how these unique storms develop, how to recognize them, and most importantly, how to survive them.
On Campus Session
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Every disease, every medical condition (except trauma) has a genetic component. Sequencing DNA for these genetic components is revolutionizing diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, inter alia. Course will cover novel technologies (e.g., CRISPR enabled gene editing & therapy) and pharmaceuticals (e.g., mRNA vaccines, cancer immunotherapies). Course is designed for non-geneticists interested in gaining general understanding of current and anticipated benefits from DNA sequencing and medical genetics research.
On Campus Session
- Section Code: F26SSFSCT066A
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Instructor: Hank Fitzhugh
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Dates: 3/11/2026 - 4/8/2026
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Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Sessions: 4
Days: W
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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The James Webb Space Telescope has been in development for decades and was just launched into a unique orbit around the Sun, beyond the Earth's orbit. This lecture will be an overview of the telescope's mission, its development and construction, its launch, and orbital insertion around the Lagrange 2 point.
Trinity Terrace
- Section Code: F26SSFSCT038A
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Instructor: Randy Smith
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Dates: 5/6/2026 - 5/6/2026
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Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Trinity Terrace
Room: Longhorn Room
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
Introduction to the robotic NASA missions gathering data; answering old questions and inspiring new ones on both the Moon and Mars. These missions have been occurring prior to NASA astronauts - and perhaps space tourists - traveling to those destinations. Also, an intro to crewed missions by just a few of several hundred Commercial Space companies which have sent, or will send, their rockets, capsules, software, experiments, space stations, greenhouses, people, and/or more, to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond.
Stevenson Oaks
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
Over the past two million years, the earth has oscillated between cold periods (ice ages) and warmer interglacial periods. These oscillations are related to variations in the earth's orbit around the sun that are known as Milankovitch cycles, but the relationship is more complex than some people may expect. This lecture will discuss the ice ages and how they were triggered by the Milankovitch cycles.
On Campus Session
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
119 lives were lost on the Guadalupe River July 4th, 2025, including 27 campers from Camp Mystic. Were at least some of these deaths preventable? We will look at this event in detail and determine who, if anyone, could have done more to save lives. It's important to examine this because a flood of this magnitude will happen again.
The Stayton
- Section Code: F26SSFSN062A
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Instructor: Buddy McIntyre
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Dates: 3/30/2026 - 3/30/2026
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Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: M
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Building: The Stayton
Room: Dining Room: 11th Floor
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This course is full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, click the Add to Waitlist button.
This course is based on the book, "Why We Sleep?" by Matthew Walker. We will discuss the nature of sleep and why all creatures require it to maintain health. Participants are invited, but not obligated, to read his book. Topics will include the nature of sleep, how sleep deprivation impacts our weight, immune system, and cardiovascular system. We will also consider how sleep changes over our lifespan.
Trinity Terrace
- Section Code: F26SSFSN057A
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Instructor: Tinker Goggans
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Dates: 4/15/2026 - 4/15/2026
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Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Trinity Terrace
Room: Longhorn Room
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In this class, we teach people what to do when they come across community cats, including what to do when they find kittens, feral cats, and friendly strays. Our main focus will be TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), which has been a city ordinance since 2013. Our goal is to educate people about community cats so that there are managed, stable colonies, and fewer unwanted kittens trying to survive in a harsh environment.
On Campus Session
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This mini-course will present information on one of our most vital resources: water. The lecture is presented by two water industry professionals: Ron Tamada, retired environmental engineer and Mary Gugliuzza, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator for Fort Worth Water.
The first week includes a brief primer on water and water sources for humans, and water availability for North Texas. We will discuss the many responsibilities and activities of a water utility including treatment and distribution of drinking water, treatment of wastewater to protect the environment, and a look at how water is supplied to people. The second week will discuss current issues affecting water supply and address questions from the class participants. We will also discuss current developments affecting Fort Worth Water customers including understanding their water use and conclude with some challenges to adequate water supply for future generations.
On Campus Session
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- REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Fee: $0.00
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Instructor: Randy Smith
Capacity Remaining: 2
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Dates: 2/11/2026 - 3/4/2026
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
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Sessions: 4
Days: W
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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This course will teach you everything you've ever wanted to know about astronomy - or at least we'll cover the basics and try to explain what you are curious about. Topics will include an overview of Earth's night sky; our solar system - origin, geography of the components, and interesting things about our little piece of the universe; and the universe - origin, development of galaxies, stars, and elements.
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- REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Fee: $0.00
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Instructor: Buddy McIntyre
Capacity Remaining: -9
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Dates: 2/23/2026 - 3/2/2026
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: M
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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Many of us think climate change is a problem for far in the future. But it's not. We are all being affected now. If your health or property have not yet been impacted, then your homeowner's insurance has. In this class we will not only specifically explore how climate change is impacting our daily weather, but also examine indirect consequences such as its effect on homeowner's insurance, agriculture and our food supply.
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- REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Fee: $0.00
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Instructor: Edward Porter
Capacity Remaining: -4
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Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/3/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Sessions: 4
Days: Tu
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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This lecture will describe the major mechanism of the human brain that create the miraculous awareness of information we experience as consciousness. We will focus on the key roles played by some of the brain’s major components, including sensory inputs and the cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, mamillary bodies, cerebellum, and brain stem…and the key role played by dynamic tuning of different parts of the brain into each other. In addition, we will briefly touch on the electronic and quantum properties of microtubules, which play a major role in our unification of conscious awareness.
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- REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Fee: $0.00
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Instructor: William Greer
Capacity Remaining: 3
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Dates: 2/13/2026 - 3/6/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Sessions: 4
Days: F
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Building: Secrest Wible
Room: 119
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This illustrated course presents a novel philosophical theory about the nature of Reality, your role in it and why You are immortal. The course strives to be thorough, reasonable, satisfying, and independent of religious dogma. The main areas of discussion can be grouped as Reality, Science, Spirituality and Self. This theory is new, and not something you can research online--although it falls under Absolute Idealism.
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