Monthly Lectures   

CBD seems to be everywhere these days, from pills to creams to infused foods and drinks, you can even find CBD specifically for pets. Join us as we discuss trends in CBD use in older adults in the US, potential benefits and harms, and things to keep in mind if you choose to purchase or use these products.
 

The 1980s eruption of Mount St. Helens was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. It killed 57 people, caused more than one billion dollars in damage, and deposited ash across the United States and Canada. Almost everyone who was living in the Pacific Northwest in 1980 remembers where they were when they heard that Mount St. Helens had erupted.

The loss of life could have been much worse than it was. If the volcano had erupted 24 hours later, ten times as many people could have died. But why were people so close to such a dangerous volcano? Seattle author Steve Olson explains how the history, economics, and even culture of Washington State affected the human toll of that unforgettable day. Interweaving accounts of those who lived and those who died with the past, present, and future of the mountain, he provides new insights into what happened at Mount St. Helens and how to avoid such tragedies in the future.

Join us in this Zoom lecture as we learn what this form of geoengineering is and its effects. Dr. Robert Wood is Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. Prior to this, he worked as a research scientist for the United Kingdom Meteorological Office. Dr. Wood’s research work focuses upon understanding processes controlling clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere and the roles that clouds play in determining climate variability and change, the formation of rain, and how tiny aerosol particles (both natural and anthropogenic) interact with clouds and help determine their physical and radiative properties. Dr. Wood also conducts research to understanding the potential for deliberate brightening of marine low clouds to offset greenhouse warming by augmenting the natural aerosol population.
 

Join us for a captivating exploration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)! In this one-hour talk, we’ll demystify AI, explore how it’s transforming our world, and show you how to leverage its practical power — no technical experience needed. From revolutionizing healthcare to changing the way we communicate, we’ll dive into the exciting ways AI is shaping everyday life, along with the risks and ethical challenges it presents. You’ll also get hands-on with AI tools that can help you organize your tasks or add a creative touch to your hobbies. By the end, you’ll see that AI is not just for tech experts — it’s for everyone!
 

Join us as we learn from Dr. Boersma and her field work of over five decades working with penguins.
 

Take a fascinating, informative and entertaining journey with Bay Area broadcaster John Jensen as we explore the beginnings of the folk-rock movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s. You'll hear the early pioneers of traditional folk music like Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives and The Weavers, who were the forerunners when folk went mainstream in the late 1950s with the likes of The Limeliters, The Kingston Trio, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. You'll hear the moment when folk-rock burst on the scene with the groups who revolutionized this sound like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas and the Papas, The Lovin' Spoonful and many others. You'll hear rare songs, studio sessions and outtakes as this sound came into prominence.
 

We will cover the epidemiology of alcohol use, the neurobiological effects of alcohol and alcohol use disorder, the various treatments for alcohol use disorder, including medications, and some reasons why medications are underutilized.
 

In this lecture, we'll explore the One Health concept, including its historical roots, evolution of the concept in the face of mounting pandemics originating from animal hosts, and the structure of One Health governance in multilateral agencies such as the WHO. We will also discuss One Health research going on at the University of Washington, implemented around the globe.
 

Astronomy is one of humanity’s oldest sciences, and its greatest discoveries, advancements, and technological developments tell a remarkably compelling story about our universe - and ourselves. In this talk I'll share the cutting-edge science and human stories behind groundbreaking astronomical discoveries, examine how the pursuit of scientific research has evolved, and celebrate the many and varied heroes that have led the way in our exploration of the cosmos.
 

Astronomy is one of humanity’s oldest sciences, and its greatest discoveries, advancements, and technological developments tell a remarkably compelling story about our universe - and ourselves. In this talk I'll share the cutting-edge science and human stories behind groundbreaking astronomical discoveries, examine how the pursuit of scientific research has evolved, and celebrate the many and varied heroes that have led the way in our exploration of the cosmos.
 

For three decades in the nineteenth century, Great Britain and the United States maintained joint occupancy of the Oregon country, the region consisting of present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia. Britain's presence took the form of the Hudson's Bay Company, the dominant economic force in the region. As more and more American settlers entered the Pacific Northwest, however, the two nations struggled for control. This lecture will examine the interests of each nation, how the struggle nearly erupted into violence, and the process by which the border at the 49th parallel was established in 1846.
 

Join us as we learn about the latest work being done to understand crows in our midst. John Marzluff is a Professor Emeritus, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. John is interested in all the ways that birds affect people—how, for instance, birds influence art, or language. In addition to his research, he has written several popular science books about crows, including, most recently, Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans. In recognition of his work, he was recently named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and received the Washington State Book Award for general non-fiction.
 

Theodor Adorno once famously said that “To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric,” by which he meant that the horrors inflicted under National Socialism exceeded the possibility of representation, even through the evocative language of poetry. In both the East and the West, German artists who came of age after the war were faced with a dilemma. On the one hand they could participate in a self-imposed collective amnesia over “those things,” leaving the past in the past, as had artists associated with the timid, abstract style of German Informel. Or, they could seek new ways to render a tortured past open to scrutiny, grapple with its implications in the present, and perhaps arrive at some level of understanding. With a keen eye towards the intricacies of the postwar German context, this lecture explores the work of one such, Anselm Kiefer.
 

This lecture, which will be presented while the teacher is living in Southeast Asia, will introduce attendees to how our total environment affects the depth and quality of our lives.  The first half of the lecture will involve a group exercise and provide a holistic introduction to how the Power of Place affects us.  The second part of the lecture will delve into the Power of Place in Southeast Asia, specifically with regards to its sacred places and mythology. Attendees will never look at place the same again. For more info on the presenter please go to www.nomadicdevotion.com.
 

Explore how to capture and share the best souvenirs you can make of any travel oppor-tunity: your own photographs. With a bit of planning, an eye towards composition princi-ples, lighting and subjects on the road plus some thoughtful follow up once home, you can make the very most of what you bring home.

For all skill levels using any camera - including one that happens to make phone calls, for travel near and far.

Consent and Dissent by ordinary people (not blue bloods), to the forms and laws of their government, is the foundation stone of American democracy – laid out first by Jefferson in The Declaration of Independence, and importantly interpreted later by Thoreau in An Essay on Civil Disobedience, by Lincoln in his First Inaugural Address, and by M. L. King, Jr., in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail. All of this, laid out in black and white, will be rehearsed in this lecture. But the double meaning in my title is intentional: the relationship between Blacks and Whites in America has been a leitmotif in all of these documents, and an explicit theme in some – and this will also be explored.

Finally, as I write this, the election, its certification, and the inauguration, which offer Constitutionally provided opportunities for consent and dissent, are all 1-3 months in the future. The topic of this lecture has been chosen with that in mind, and with the hope that it will be a useful topic to think about as we move on from those events in the spring of 2025.