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- Osher Online - "Studies Show..." (Or Do They?): Under the Hood of a Scientific Study
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132401
Dates: 10/1/2026 - 11/5/2026
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: John Hendrickson
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
What really changes when we read beyond the abstract? In this interactive course, we will open real research papers (many in health and nutrition) and explore what scientists actually look for. We will explore how small design choices can dramatically shape a study’s meaning, and why headlines rarely tell the full story. No technical background is required – just curiosity. By the end of the course, we will never read “studies show…” the same way again.
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- Osher Online - A Cosmic Grand Tour: The Realms of the Universe
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131001
Dates: 9/29/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Andrew Fraknoi
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
In this course, we will explore the three fascinating realms of the cosmos: nearby planets and moons; the stars; and the galaxies (the great island of stars that turn out to be the building blocks of the universe.) Our discussion will be in everyday language, without any math, and will be accompanied by remarkable color images from the latest space probes and the world's largest telescopes, including the latest breathtaking images from the James Webb Space Telescope.
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- Osher Online - Apple at 50: How it Revolutionized Computing and Transformed Daily Life
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130401
Dates: 9/29/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Leander Kahney
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
This course traces Apple’s fifty-year history and its massive impact on personal computing, design, product culture, platforms and ecosystems, and daily life. Each session focuses on a different decade in Apple’s history, from the birth of the PC in the late 1970s to the latest Apple silicon, VR headsets, and future iPhones. We will learn how Apple reshaped not just technology, but how people live, work, and communicate.
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- Osher Online - Art Detectives: Forgery, Provenance, and the Science of Authentication
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130501
Dates: 9/28/2026 - 11/2/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Christine Maasdam
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
The public often sees the art world as the domain of wealth, trendsetters, and high rollers, yet deception lurks behind the façade. After weapons and drugs, art is the third most lucrative illicit trade, with reports suggesting that more than half of artworks are fake or misattributed. In this course, we will ask: When is a copy simply a copy, and when is it a forgery? What techniques do master forgers use? Does a collector hold true title, and how important is provenance? What can science tell us about art authenticity? We will uncover riveting stories of criminal art activity, gallery closings, and master forgeries.
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- Osher Online - August Wilson and His American Cycle -- The First Five: 1904 -1957
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130601
Dates: 10/7/2026 - 11/11/2026
Times: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Ladrica Menson-Furr
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
August Wilson was the first African American playwright to have a Broadway theater bear his name, a fitting tribute to a dramatist who brought African American culture and lived experience to the stage. In this course, we will read, watch, and examine the first five plays in Wilson’s American Cycle, a ten-play series representing each decade of the African American culture’s 20th century. We will explore Wilson’s life and the influences behind his work while focusing on Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Seven Guitars, tracing his powerful interpretation, celebration, and perseveration of African American culture.
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- Osher Online - Biology & Society
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130701
Dates: 10/1/2026 - 11/5/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Eric Simon
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
This course introduces the scientific study of life, with an emphasis on real-world applications and the societal, social, ethical, and legal consequences of biological advances. We will place key biological principles within the context of issues that affect individuals and society, highlighting the connection between biology and everyday life. Designed for non-scientists with little or no recent college-level science experience, the course encourages discussion and reflection. Many topics are at the leading edge of scientific discovery, and we will examine the ongoing ethical and legal debates surrounding how and whether these advances should be applied.
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- Osher Online - Cults and New Religious Movements in America
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131101
Dates: 10/6/2026 - 11/10/2026
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Kate Davis
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
America has provided fertile ground for new and alternative religions to sprout and grow. Some prosper and eventually become accepted as part of the normal religious landscape, some wither away and are forgotten, and some detonate, creating public scandal and in the worst cases, national tragedy. This course will examine New Religious Movements, popularly known as "cults", within the US context. We will examine these religious movements both from insider perspectives and outsider perceptions. We will analyze the history, practices, and beliefs of these organizations to better understand them and deconstruct misconceptions. This course covers the 18th and 19th centuries.
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- Osher Online - Early 20th Century Avant-Garde: From Rebellion to Abstraction
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131201
Dates: 10/8/2026 - 11/12/2026
Times: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Lauren Weingarden
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
Journey into the vibrant world of early 20th century art and witness the birth of abstraction. This transformative period reshaped the cultural landscape, from the bold colors of Fauvism, the fractured forms of Cubism, to the dreamlike realms of Surrealism. Each session focuses on the movements’ leading artists including Matisse, Kandinsky, Picasso, Mondrian, Duchamp, and Dali. We will explore their aesthetic goals and the social and cultural currents that influenced them.
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- Osher Online - Great Artists in American Roots Music
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131301
Dates: 9/28/2026 - 11/2/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Taylor Ackley
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
From its emergence amid rapid cultural change in the early 20th century, country music has resonated with people who feel left behind by a shifting world. A key genre of American roots music, it captures hardships of modern life while intentionally evoking emotional response. Whether facing troubled relationships, unemployment, homelessness, loneliness, or spiritual bereft, there is a country song for you. This course traces the history of country and American roots music through the stories and artistic developments of influential performers. Each session highlights key figures including the Carter Family, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, and Dolly Parton.
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- Osher Online - Living off the Laughter: History of Comedy in America
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131601
Dates: 10/14/2026 - 11/18/2026
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Eddy Friedfeld
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
This course is a history class with a laugh track. We will analyze the significant periods and players of the 20th and 21st Centuries against their historic context and legacy, using humor as the platform. We will discuss how comedy was shaped by and responsive to American society, and how comedians influenced and shaped American life. We will cover Silent Films, Vaudeville, Radio, Screwball and Romantic Comedies, Comedy Teams, and the Golden Age of Television. We will study how America laughed in each generation, and how the change in American character and persona shaped how they laughed and what (and whom) they laughed at.
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- Osher Online - Mexico City: Empires, Revolutions, and Everyday Life
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131801
Dates: 9/29/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: William Beezley
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
Mexicans celebrate a remarkable diversity of peoples, music, food, festivals, and historical traditions, expressed through fiestas that bring communities together across the calendar year. In this course, we will explore Mexico City as a cultural and historical crossroads shaped by centuries of continuity and change. We will trace the legacies of Indigenous civilizations, the transformations of Spanish colonial rule, the struggles for independence and revolution, and the emergence of modern democratic politics, culminating in the 2024 election of Mexico’s first woman president. We will see how culture, power, and celebration remain deeply intertwined in the life of this extraordinary city.
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- Osher Online - Post War Architecture: The Innovative Architects of the Midcentury Modern Period
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131901
Dates: 10/7/2026 - 11/11/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Eleanor Schrader
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
A low-angle, black and white shot of a modern building with many horizontal lines against a sky with wispy clouds. From sleek new industrial materials to innovations in housing, mid-20th-century designers faced the challenge of shaping an aesthetic that reflected the ideals of post-World War II America. In this course, we will explore the optimism that defined the relationship between design and lifestyle during this period, particularly through the emergence of open living spaces in architecture. We will examine the influence of the Case Study Program and the work of leading designers, including Charles and Ray Eames, John Lautner, Eero Saarinen, E. Fay Jones, and Donald Wexler, while considering these developments within the broader context of rapid social and cultural change.
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- Osher Online - Power and the People: The Evolution of the U.S. Federal Judiciary
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132001
Dates: 10/15/2026 - 11/19/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Lauren Andersen
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
The American Experiment began with the Declaration of Independence and led to the creation of the federal judiciary, one of the country’s greatest experiments. In this course, we will trace the evolution of the courts from their English roots to their formal establishment in the Constitution. We will explore how the Supreme Court, lacking the power of the purse or military, derives its authority from its ability to connect with the people of the US and protect democracy. We will examine creation of the federal judiciary and the power of the Marshall Court, the Court’s evolution through the New Deal, the Vinson Court, the Warren Court’s “Rights Revolution,” and the role of today’s US Supreme Court.
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- Osher Online - Sacred Mountains of the World
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132101
Dates: 10/5/2026 - 11/9/2026
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Jonathan Duncan
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
People throughout time and across cultures have looked to the mountains as powerful symbols. The Buddhists of the Himalayas, the Inca of the Andes, the Inuit of the far north, and the Romantics of Europe all created unique stories of what mountains mean and how they are to be approached. This course will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of the beliefs, traditions, and mythologies that have been inspired by the world’s mountains. Through richly illustrated lectures, short readings, and open discussion, this course will open a window into the world’s sacred mountains and encourage exploration of our relationship with the Earth’s high and wild places.
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- Osher Online - Some Assembly Required: The Story of the North American Kit Home
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132301
Dates: 9/30/2026 - 11/4/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Nigel Tate
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
In this course, we will step inside the fascinating world of kit homes and explore their history and cultural impact across North America, especially during their peak from 1905 to 1945. We will learn how to identify these mail-order houses and understand their cultural impact. We will dig into the industry’s rise and decline, industrial developments of kit homes, and their connections to race and gender in the early 20th century. By examining both the kit home industry and the people who lived in them, we will uncover why they remain an important part of the architectural and cultural landscape.
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- Osher Online - The Birth of the Beat Generation
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130801
Dates: 9/29/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Kurt Hemmer
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
In this course, we will examine the dramatic circumstances that gave rise to the Beat Generation in the 1940s. Together, we will examine three famous Beat works: Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. We will focus on historical events involving Beat writers, important passages of Beat literature, and the literary movement that spawned the 1960s counterculture.
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- Osher Online - The British Family in Film: Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU130901
Dates: 9/28/2026 - 11/2/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Bernard (Butch) Epps
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
This course examines royal succession through acclaimed British films that explore power not as ceremony, but as moral and political crisis. We will trace the monarchy’s evolution from personal rule to institutional authority, beginning with the Plantagenet struggles in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968). We will then examine the moral costs of kingship and the performance of national leadership through two Shakespeare adaptations: Chimes at Midnight (1965) and Henry V (1989). The course will conclude with the Tudor rupture: A Man for All Seasons (1966) and the consolidation of legitimacy Elizabeth (1998).
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- Osher Online - The History & Experience of Route 66
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131401
Dates: 10/5/2026 - 11/9/2026
Times: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Peter Dedek
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
Route 66 is as much an idea as it is a place. Since its creation in 1926, America’s most famous highway has evolved from a 2,400-mile transportation corridor into a powerful symbol of nostalgia, travel, and the American road. Today, it functions as a kind of pilgrimage route, marked by neon signs, roadside attractions, and preserved motels, cafés, and gas stations. In this course, we will explore the history, cultural meaning, and enduring appeal of Route 66. Together, we will examine its origins, rise and decline, late-20th century revival, the role of nostalgia and car culture, preservation efforts, and the possible futures of this iconic highway.
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- Osher Online - The Invisible Thread: 3,500 Years of Global Supply Chain
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131501
Dates: 10/19/2026 - 11/23/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Scott Jones
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
We often only notice the global supply chain when it breaks. Yet, for millennia, the movement of goods has been the silent engine of civilization. In this course, we will track the evolution of trade from an executive’s perspective. From the sunken treasures of Bronze Age merchant ships to the high-tech intermodal systems of today, we will explore the vessels that carried the world’s wealth and the complex networks that keep our modern shelves stocked.
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- Osher Online - The Magic Behind Film Scores: The Role of Music in Great Movies, Part II
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU131701
Dates: 9/30/2026 - 11/11/2026
Times: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Mike Agron
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
This course continues our journey into how music becomes the emotional engine of film. This is not film school—it is a celebration for film lovers who want to experience how music shapes story, character, and unforgettable moments. We will explore how instrumental scores and songs with lyrics work together to drive narrative, define identity, and capture cultural shifts. We will focus on films where songs take center stage, from iconic franchise themes to pop- and rock-driven storytelling. Spanning genres and eras, we will see how composers, songwriters, and performers expanded the language of film music.
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- Osher Online - The Search for an American Sound
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132201
Dates: 10/12/2026 - 11/16/2026
Times: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: Emanuel Abramovits
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
Since the 1890s, when Americans were beginning to develop their own traditions in classical music, composers have recognized the dilemma of creating the American sound. We will explore how classical musicians, and Broadway and Hollywood composers, most of them Jewish, followed parallel paths in creating sounds that reflect these lands and its people. Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, William Grant Steel, Florence Price, Alex North, Elmer Bernstein and others will be the protagonists of this lecture.
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- Osher Online - Winning the White House: The Evolution of the Presidency
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Fee: $75.00
Item Number: F26COU132501
Dates: 9/29/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Remote
Room: Zoom
Instructor: John White
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
Harry S. Truman once described the presidency as “the most peculiar office in the world.” In this course, we will explore how the Founding Fathers left the office for future presidents to define, creating conditions for a dramatic expansion of executive power. We will examine how the presidency has come to dominate the three co-equal branches, with Congress and the Supreme Court at times ceding authority. We will consider how and why this shift occurred, how This peculiar office is won or lost, how they have exercised power, and how the rise of the administrative state has reshaped the balance envisioned by the framers.
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