Monday PM   

An overview of what AI is, how it came to be, and where it may be going. Making sense of the flood of media attention on the topic and trying to put it in perspective. How it might affect us and our grandchildren. The cases for both existential worry and optimism. A little bit about how it works, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it might evolve.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

SUGGESTED BOOKS: The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (2005), Ray Kurzweil, ISBN 9780143037880 (broad scope and fairly detailed); The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI (2024), Ray Kurzweil, ISBN 9780399562778 (also broad scope, but more philosophical than earlier work)

As a filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock was adept at telling stories about intimate personal relationships and the larger geopolitical issues of his time. In this two-week online workshop, the third installment of our “Best of Hitchcock” series, we’ll consider four Hitchcock films from the early 1940s that demonstrate his uncanny ability to portray both domestic drama and international intrigue. Student  should watch the films on their own; in class, we’ll look at brief film clips and discuss key themes and motifs. Join us for another lively trip into the fascinating, suspenseful, unsettling world that Hitchcock created on film.

New remote workshop. Format includes lecture and discussion.

One of the positive aspects of Hollywood’s Studio System was the ability to pair different performers from opposing studios to create wonderful films. Many of these pairings were extremely positive but sometimes the chemistry was magic! It wasn’t always romantic, but there was definitely something between those two. We’ll look at seven films during this time period and explore what made them so special. Included will be films of Astaire/Rogers, Tracy/Hepburn, and five other couples, some you may guess, and maybe one or two who will surprise you. Class will run long to allow for discussion.

New in-person course. Format includes film and discussion.

Have you ever wondered who writes presidential speeches? This course traces the evolution of speechwriting from George Washington’s administration to today. Yes, Hamilton helped draft Washington’s Farewell Address, but no, Lincoln did not scribble the Gettysburg Address on an envelope. We will study the writing process presidents used and examine drafts from FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter, and George H.W. Bush. We will view clips from speeches and from former White House speechwriters describing the process.

Through close study of the U.S. Supreme Court this course investigates the profound effect of the Supreme Court on American Society. We will closely examine landmark cases of the court, and demonstrate the effects of those decisions. Emphasis on the current term of the court, issues like the shadow docket, court doctrines, and proposed reforms for the Supreme Court.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

Perhaps the biggest surprise after death is discovering we aren’t in fact dead. Now what? In this class we will consider the metaphysics and epistemology of the afterlife (ie, How can we know anything about this at all?) before looking at three sets of instructions: The Egyptian Book of the Dead, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and The Sufi Book of Life After Death.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

Women have participated in the demand for change in patriarchal societies and against authoritarian regimes. What have been their major avenues for participation and what can we learn from their experiences?

 New remote course. Format includes lecture and discussion.