Science, Technology, Engineering & Math   

Several years ago a chaperone on a school field trip to SLAC (The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) asked if there was any danger from radiation on the tour. The answer was “No more than background.” Citing that obvious danger, the chaperone got back on the bus and refused to go in. That’s about as extreme an example of misplaced fear coming from a misunderstanding of physics concepts as one can imagine, and not all misunderstandings of physics concepts lead to fear, of course. Nonetheless, the word ‘radiation’ seems to generate fear more than any other. Some is justified. Much is not. The instructor will show what physicists mean by the word radiation and attempt to alleviate misplaced fear regarding 5G and nuclear energy, and instead instill fear regarding tanning salons. After that he will talk about other misunderstood physics concepts as time permits such as entropy, Schrödinger's Cat, and The Uncertainty Principle. We'll decide based on what most interests the class.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

Several years ago a chaperone on a school field trip to SLAC (The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) asked if there was any danger from radiation on the tour. The answer was “No more than background.” Citing that obvious danger, the chaperone got back on the bus and refused to go in. That’s about as extreme an example of misplaced fear coming from a misunderstanding of physics concepts as one can imagine, and not all misunderstandings of physics concepts lead to fear, of course. Nonetheless, the word ‘radiation’ seems to generate fear more than any other. Some is justified. Much is not. The instructor will show what physicists mean by the word radiation and attempt to alleviate misplaced fear regarding 5G and nuclear energy, and instead instill fear regarding tanning salons. After that he will talk about other misunderstood physics concepts as time permits such as entropy, Schrödinger's Cat, and The Uncertainty Principle. We'll decide based on what most interests the class.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing program, but most beginning users are either not familiar with or reluctant to use Word’s wide range of features. Students will learn basic features for formatting and editing Word documents. Some of the topics covered include short cut keys; navigating the ribbon, tabs, and dialog boxes; changing fonts, formatting paragraphs, and adjusting layouts; creating and manipulating tables; using the quick access toolbar; and basic editing features. Classes will include lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises. This course is for beginning Word users, but students must already know how to open, save, and close Word documents and have some familiarity using the program. Before each class, the instructor will email students Word files they must download and save to their laptops to use during class. Students must be able to readily access documents they have saved to their laptops. NOTE: This class is based on Microsoft Word for PCs Version 10 or later. Students must bring their laptops to class with Word files from the instructor’s emails already saved on the laptops and ready to use during class.

The existential crisis we face due to global climate change has brought renewed interest in nuclear energy as a means of reducing and/or eliminating carbon emissions (net zero CO2 emission goals). Recent advances in fission reactor technology such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and in plasma and fusion reactor science (the “breakeven” experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) hold promise for achieving these goals. In this course students will learn 1) an historical and contextual perspective for nuclear energy; 2) fundamental physics of radioactivity, fission, and fusion; 3) how nuclear reactors work; 4) safety and risk of nuclear power; 5) recycling, radioactive waste disposal, and life cycle considerations; and 6) current developments regarding advanced systems. We’ll also discuss the socio-economic and socio-political issues that have confronted, and will confront, future development of nuclear energy.

NOTE: This course is intended for anyone interested in the subject matter. A background in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics is not necessary or required. 

All around us things vibrate and wave. Some, like cars with bad shocks, shake slowly, while others, like piano strings, shake quickly. How do we describe the shaking? How do we describe sound, light, gravity, or the seismic waves that follow the shaking? How will the waves from the Cascadia Fault travel here? How do we make those ultrasonic images? What is ultrasound anyway? The course lectures include illustrations from internet resources, video clips, and animations. Everyone is expected to ask questions at any time during the class. Other resources are available at Learnernotes.org.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) promise to be the foundation for future transportation needs, helping to address the climate change imperative. However, the transition to EVs challenge many of our fundamental assumptions regarding how vehicles are fueled, maintained and driven, and present serious technological challenges to advance battery chemistry and technology toward the cost and energy density levels required for mass EV adoption. This course goes beyond the “EV overview” stage to focus more deeply into the scientific and technological aspects that will make the EV the “next big thing” in the transportation sector. Topics covered include a comparison with gas-powered vehicles in terms of maintenance, fuel cost, efficiency, and driving experience. In addition, we will explore EV battery attributes, chemistry and technology, providing a look forward toward new much cheaper and longer-range battery technologies. The course will be lecture-based and is intended for anyone interested in EVs.