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Place, Memory, and Environmental Psychology
4/7/2026–5/12/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/7/2026–5/12/2026
Times: 1:00 PM–2:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Fernanda Blanco Vidal
Course Number: 159701
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
How much of what we are is related to the places we have lived and experienced? What is the importance of place in our most memorable experiences? Is it possible to find any memory that is not physically situated somewhere? This course is an invitation to reflect on these and other meaningful questions about the psychological and emotional relationships between people and their environments. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, including psychology, geography, architecture, and design, this course will introduce environmental psychology and its contribution to understanding how physical environments influence our behavior, cognition, identity, and memory. Using place-based methodologies, we will discuss concepts such as place attachment, place identity, and cognitive maps. We will reflect on issues of memory, meaning of home, trauma, displacement, and the power of nature in our psychological well-being.
Course meetins on Tuesdays, April 7 through May 12.
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From Leo XIII to Leo XIV: History of 20th and 21st Century Popes
4/7/2026–5/12/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/7/2026–5/12/2026
Times: 5:00 PM–6:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Oliva Espin
Course Number: 158601
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
The death of Pope Francis and the election of the first US-born Pope have been in the news repeatedly in the last few months, capturing the imagination of many people, including non-Catholics. Who are these men? What are their life stories? How were they similar to and different from each other? In this course, we will discuss the lives and dominant perspectives of the last ten Popes, exploring their most significant positions and their influence on world affairs.
Ciourse meets on Tuesdays, April 7 through May 12.
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A Beautiful Brain
4/9/2026–5/14/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/9/2026–5/14/2026
Times: 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Scott Fulton
Course Number: 158701
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
Most conversations about aging focus on lifespan, but brainspan (how long our mind stays sharp) matters more. In this course, we will explore how the brain ages and what science reveals about protecting memory, balance, and clarity. Topics include normal changes versus early dementia, neuroplasticity, nutrition, sleep, stress, social ties, and purpose. Each session blends accessible science with self-tests and take-home practices. We will also build a personalized Cognitive Health Scorecard to track habits and strengthen resilience.
Course meets on Thursdays, April 9 through May 14.
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Great Science Stories
4/9/2026–5/14/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/9/2026–5/14/2026
Times: 3:00 PM–4:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Johnnie Hendrickson
Course Number: 158901
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
Science is full of surprises. Dyes, accidentally discovered, launched the modern pharmaceutical industry. A failed experiment opened the door to new physics. Discoveries are never just facts. They are moments of creativity, struggle, and chance with far-reaching consequences. In this course, we will explore the human side of science, tracing breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, physics, and more. We will ask not only what was found, but how and why it matters.
Course meets on Thursdays, April 9 through May 14.
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California Uncovered: A Journey Through Time, Place, and Identity
4/10/2026–5/15/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/10/2026–5/15/2026
Times: 3:00 PM–4:30 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Anthony Antonucci
Course Number: 156401
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
California is more than a state. It is an idea, a dream, and a contradiction. It is where snow-capped peaks rise above sun-drenched deserts, and where misty coastlines and ancient forests stand alongside cities built on myth, ambition, and reinvention. In this immersive course, we will journey through California’s sweeping history—from its earliest Indigenous cultures and diverse ecosystems to its transformation under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule. We will uncover the people, events, and forces that shaped the Golden State into a global icon of migration, innovation, and cultural change. We will explore the missions, the Gold Rush, the railroad, Hollywood’s allure, and Silicon Valley’s disruptive genius, while also challenging myths and amplifying voices too often left out of mainstream narratives. We will gain a deeper understanding of what it has meant to be Californian across eras, enriching how we experience the state today.
Course meets Fridays, April 10 through May 15.
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The Lost Generation
4/15/2026–5/20/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/15/2026–5/20/2026
Times: 3:00 PM–4:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Ferda Asya
Course Number: 158301
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
This course explores the dramatic cultural shifts in thinking and living that reshaped America and Western Europe between the end of World War I and the Great Depression. Known as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the era of the Lost Generation, this period redefined values, norms, morals, and manners. We will immerse ourselves in the culturally and socially vibrant ambiance of 1920s Paris, where expatriate writers gathered in cafés and salons to challenge convention and invent new ways of living and writing. Through F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited and Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, we will examine how their lives and works reflected both the exhilaration and disillusionment of the age. We will consider how the legacy of this remarkable decade continues to influence literature and culture today.
Course meets on Wednesdays, April 15 through May 20.
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Music: Controversies and Curiosities
4/15/2026–5/20/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/15/2026–5/20/2026
Times: 5:00 PM–6:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Emanuel Abramovits
Course Number: 156301
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
Music has always stirred controversy—sometimes through bold originality, other times through scandal. In the Classical tradition, composers like Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Smetana pushed boundaries that shocked audiences and critics. On Broadway and in Hollywood, changing attitudes toward race, consent, gender, and sexuality have prompted debates and revisions of works such as Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific. Is political correctness a step forward in creating more inclusive art, or does it risk silencing important cultural heritage? Should works reflecting outdated views on religion, domestic violence, or prejudice be altered—or preserved as historical context? We will also explore plagiarism and musical borrowing in pop and film music, including controversies surrounding The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Peter Frampton. Filled with audiovisual examples, anecdotes, and humor, this course offers a lively dive into music’s most provocative debates and scandals.
Course meets on Wednesdays, April 15 through May 20.
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Writing the Personal Essay: Finding Your Story
4/18/2026–5/23/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/18/2026–5/23/2026
Times: 2:00 PM–3:30 PM
Days: Sa
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Lisa Stolley
Course Number: 159401
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
The personal essay, one of the oldest forms of creative nonfiction, blends storytelling, reflection, and analysis to give voice to lived experience. In this course, we will explore the personal essay as both art and self-expression. Through readings, discussion, and writing exercises, we will study elements such as narrative arc, scene-setting, and reflection. We will draft our own essays, discovering how this enduring form helps us find our voices and tell our stories with clarity.
Course meets on Saturdays, April 18 through May 23.
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Frank Lloyd Wright and Modern Architecture
4/21/2026–5/26/2026 (Online)
CLOSED
Dates: 4/21/2026–5/26/2026
Times: 7:00 PM–8:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Where: Online, Osher Online
Instructor: Jennifer Gray
Course Number: 158801
Sorry, registration for this course is now closed.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 1,000 buildings and helped define modern architecture. This course explores highlights of his practice, from Prairie houses to Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum, alongside lesser-known projects like affordable housing and city planning. We’ll examine how Wright’s work reflected cultural shifts in technology, science, and politics, offering a deeper understanding of his lasting influence on architecture and modern design.
Course meets on Tuesdays, April 21 through May 26.
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Fort Roberdeau—Defending the Lead Mine: An Untold Story of the Revolution
5/12/2026 (Online)
Member Fee: $15.00
Nonmember Fee: $30.00
When: 5/12/2026, 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Where: Online, Zoom
Instructor: Jared Frederick
Course Number: 153302
Join Dr. Jared Frederick for an engaging lecture on Fort Roberdeau, the Revolutionary War frontier outpost that created a foundation for industrial growth in central Pennsylvania. In this course, Frederick will explore the fort’s unique role in protecting lead mining operations, its connections to Native American history, and the challenges faced by settlers on the edge of the American wilderness. This course expertly brings together military history, local heritage, and dramatic stories of peril that defined the Revolutionary era.
This course is offered in a hybrid format. This is the online section.
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The Wildlife of Malaysian Borneo; Orangutans, Pygmy Elephants, and So Much More
5/14/2026 (Online)
Member Fee: $15.00
Nonmember Fee: $30.00
When: 5/14/2026, 1:30 PM–3:00 PM
Where: Online, Zoom
Instructor: Lawrence Ramsey
Course Number: 150101
Borneo is the world’s third-largest island and, like its large tropical companions New Guinea and Madagascar, it has an exceptionally rich flora and fauna with a large fraction of species found nowhere else. In this course, participants will photographically explore the marvelous variety of wildlife seen during a visit to a variety of lowland rainforest sites in Malaysia’s Sarawak and Sabah states. These sites range from a small offshore island to the most pristine remaining virgin rainforest in Borneo. These forests host a variety of primates, other mammals, numerous colorful bird species, and reptiles.
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Bitcoin and Other Digital Assets: Why Do They Matter?
5/21/2026 (Online)
Member Fee: $15.00
Nonmember Fee: $30.00
When: 5/21/2026, 10:00 AM–11:30 AM
Where: Online, Zoom
Instructor: Lawrence Pruss
Course Number: 154902
This course is rescheduled to Thursday, May 21, from 10 - 11:30 am.
Explore how money is going digital. This course explains Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and the blockchain technology behind them. Discuss how digital wallets work, why these innovations matter, and what they could mean for the future of finance.
This course is offered in a hybrid format. This is the online section.
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