Forever Curious: An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Podcast
Does learning just stop when you hit 22 or 25? Of course not! So why should it stop at 50 or 70 or ever? The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington is for people who are truly lifelong learners. For those who are forever curious about the world around us, past, present, and future. This podcast, Forever Curious, will be full of discussions with experts, free lectures, conversations with OLLI-UW members and more. We hope you'll join us here, as we listen to lectures and go deep with our experts about academic areas of interest such as literature, science, ethics, and history. Learn for the joy of learning.
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Episode 12: Interview––Equity, Justice, & Climate Change
09/25/2023
Episode 12: Interview––Equity, Justice, & Climate Change
In the first half of this episode, our host Charlene and Dr. Heather Price, Chemistry Faculty and Climate Scientist at North Seattle College and co-PI of a National Science Foundation Climate Justice in Undergraduate STEM Incorporating Civic Engagement (C-JUSTICE), discuss the arc of climate justice as a focus of climate activism and why people who are retired or heading into retirement should care about climate change. Dr. Price explains that climate justice is both intra and inter-generational. Elders now, as part of the intra-generational equation, have significant power to alter the course of climate change by supporting organizations, letting elected officials know they care, and discussing climate change with friends and family. To find ways to support both climate change and climate justice, Dr. Price suggests advocating for the electrification of systems and supporting organizations such as Front and Centered and 350 Seattle – two examples of climate activists who work on climate action through a lens of social justice. In the second half of our episode, Dr. Price outlines actions individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint in daily life that address both climate change and climate justice, such as transportation choices, choosing different appliances, composting, supporting climate action litigation, and voicing support for improved building standards. These actions support both an individual’s need for an improved climate as well as the collective needs of the rest of the world. Dr. Price offers listeners a list of organizations that are taking on climate action and that listeners can learn from, get involved with, and support. Dr. Price is a climate scientist, climate justice activist, chemistry professor and researcher. She did her postdoctoral research with the UW Program on Climate Change. Dr. Price’s current research focuses on improving undergraduate STEM education through the integration of climate justice, equity, and civic engagement across the college curriculum. She is co-founder of TalkClimate.org and on the leadership team for Seattle's 500 Women Scientists organization. Links:
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Episode 11: Tikkun Olam
08/28/2023
Episode 11: Tikkun Olam
The Hebrew phrase “tikkun olam” translates to “repairing the world” and is a fundamental value to Bernard Osher, leader of the Osher Foundation. In the first half of this episode, Kelly Jane Rosenblatt, Program Director at the Bernard Osher Foundation, and Steve Thaxton, Executive Director at the National Resource Center for Osher Institutes, talk with our host and OLLI-UW Director, Natalie Lecher, about the foundation at the center of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) network. There 125 OLLI programs all over the United States, with at least one in each of the 50 states. The program began in 1977 when Bernard Osher decided to practice tikkun olam — not for the first time, nor the last — in a major way. As Kelly Jane Rosenblatt tells us, Osher has always been a supporter of education, first giving away scholarships. When this wasn’t enough to satisfy his philanthropic leanings, he and his wife began establishing lifelong learning programs. To keep the many scattered OLLI programs linked, they also created a National Resource Center which connects the many Osher chapters and provides them with resources. At 95, Bernard Osher is still an active participant in OLLI. Though a modest man, Osher believes it’s important to encourage others to be involved in philanthropy, so he speaks often on the subject of giving back. The National Resource Center is now located at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Director Steve Thaxton, who moved with the center when it moved to Chicago in 2014, says the Osher NRC is about helping the chapters thrive and grow. With over 150,000 people taking courses with Osher programs, the world repair is ongoing. And the Osher Foundation does more than OLLI — but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear about their other endeavors. In the second half of our episode, students of an Osher class in podcasting give their thoughts on why OLLI is so valuable to them. We hope you’ll take a listen and consider enrolling in a course that’s of interest to you! Learn more about the University of Washington’s OLLI program at .
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Episode 10: Interview––A Taste of OLLI
07/24/2023
Episode 10: Interview––A Taste of OLLI
In this very special episode of Forever Curious, we’re giving you a “taste” of OLLI! The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute truly is for the forever curious, and that’s on both sides of the teacher’s desk. What curiosity drives our instructors to gain the knowledge and life experience they share with their students? Hosts Charlene and Murray are chatting with several instructors in this “flight,” so get ready to swirl ideas around in your head, sniff the rich bouquet of knowledge, and choose which flavors you might want to experience more deeply! David Fenner is the winner of the University of Washington’s 2021 Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning award and is an affiliate faculty member at the Jackson School of International Studies. An expert on the Middle East, David has been a traveler and teacher his entire adult life. He shares his adventurous spirit with students, further inspiring a love of learning and curiosity about the lives of others. If you want to understand a place, Deborah Leblang can give you the full picture, inside and out. With a double interest in art history and architectural history, and an understanding of teaching via storytelling, Deborah’s classes give students insight into all the works of art, but also the “frames” they sit in and the choices the artists and exhibitors make. Ellen Berg has taken sociology “around the world,” as she says to host Charlene. With a fresh PhD in her 40s (as well as a recent divorce), Ellen found herself ready to start a new life. She began teaching, helping students find the connections between literature and film and sociology. Her low-pressure classes are a great way for students to learn more about their own culture from a new and creative perspective. Art historian Rebecca Albiani has been giving lectures at the Frye Museum for more than two decades. Rebecca is passionate about world art masterpieces, and her enthusiasm and expertise bring students in, giving them new ways of looking at art and deeper understanding of the pieces, the artists, and the contexts the works exist in. Sean Taylor started teaching with OLLI in 2010 — with Beowulf. Nothing like starting slow and easy, right? Telling and critiquing heroic stories are something of a theme for Sean; how do we define heroes? Who is a hero, and is that role appropriate for everyone? There’s still so much to learn, even from legends that are hundreds of years old, and Sean is a terrific tour guide through the “heroes” journeys. If you’re in the Western Washington area, be sure to check out these instructors and others at UW-OLLI and hear more episodes of Forever Curious at .
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Episode 9: Presentation –– Telescope Technology: Learn about the Webb
06/26/2023
Episode 9: Presentation –– Telescope Technology: Learn about the Webb
Dr. Bruce Balick’s long and distinguished history at the UW doesn’t go back quite as far as the Big Bang, but his impact on the University’s astronomy program is nearly as significant! In this episode of Forever Curious, we have the enormous pleasure to present Bruce Balick, Professor Emeritus in Astronomy at the University of Washington. In the first part of the episode, he chats with host Charlene about his path to a career that meant spending his life with his head in the stars. In the second part of the episode, we hear Dr. Balick’s lecture on the James Webb telescope and how our knowledge and expertise has increased since the early days of the Hubble. Be sure to listen to this fascinating discussion on telescopes, astronomy, and the power and joy of scientific curiosity. Dr. Balick joined the UW Astronomy Department in 1975. He eventually served as its chair, became active in faculty governance, and participated in the design of new instrumentation for Hubble. Since his retirement in 2014, Dr. Balick continues to publish research papers using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and to supervise astronomy undergraduates in research and public outreach. He is a coauthor on a research paper based on one of the newly released images from the James Webb telescope. And fortunately for us, he also gives lectures for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington! Learn more about the UW’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at our website, . If you’re not in western Washington, there may be an OLLI near you. Find an OLLI on The Bernard Osher Foundation website: .
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Episode 8: Presentation –– To Hell & Back with Jordan Ray Claytor
05/25/2023
Episode 8: Presentation –– To Hell & Back with Jordan Ray Claytor
What do you do with a kid who tries to capture every tiny animal that crosses his path? You take him to the Natural History Museum. A LOT. Fortunately for the critters, graduate student and OLLI instructor Jordan Ray Claytor quickly discovered that paleontology was more his passion, so he switched to fossils. As a paleontologist, Jordan studies at the intersection of a bunch of different sciences, he says, including biology, geology, and ecology. They’re trying to answer questions about life in “deep time.” What can fossils tell us about Earth’s organic past, and how can we apply those learnings to modern-day life? So, what CAN the fossil record tell us? Jordan’s fossils were living in Hell Creek in the Badlands of Montana, 66 million years ago. The planet was warmer then, and land masses were differently shaped than they are now. And this area hosted a whole lot of dinosaurs, including the T-Rex and triceratops. There were small mammals in the area as well, making the Hell Creek region one of the richest for study. Hell Creek isn’t famous just for its fossils. In fact, a rock layer discovered by a father and son in the 1980s indicated that the existing theory that dinosaurs had simply slowly gone extinct was probably wrong. Really wrong. Hear Jordan’s fascinating presentation about the discoveries of paleontology and how the study of the past can have genuine impacts (pun intended) on life today. Learn more about Jordan Ray Claytor here: If you love hearing about dinosaurs, digs, and DAWGS, be sure to listen to the amazing story of how UW professor Greg Wilson and his DIG team discovered a T Rex in Hell Creek, Montana, and how that T Rex currently resides at the Burke Museum on the Seattle campus of UW: . Learn more about OLLI/Osher at the University of Washington here: https://www.osher.uw.edu/
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Episode 7: Interview –– Our Extraordinary Bird Lady
04/24/2023
Episode 7: Interview –– Our Extraordinary Bird Lady
Master birder and nature author Constance Sidles has (no exaggeration) an encyclopedic knowledge of birds. She’s written for 65 different publications and is the CEO and Founder of Constancy Press, and she can answer questions about the ascending or descending call of the Swainson’s thrush at a moment’s notice and off the top of her head. Connie has taught many classes for the University of Washington’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), and she shares that expertise with students and with us, in this fascinating conversation. Oddly enough, Connie initially disliked birds thoroughly (a story that needs to be heard to be believed), but a bird feeder gifted to her started her lifelong love for and fascination with the birds of Seattle and beyond. The whole family embraced birding, and it quickly became a family obsession. This led to writing books and to nearly daily trips to an area called the Montlake Fill which was particularly good for birding. It was initially a landfill that closed in 1971 when it was returned to the University of WA. It’s a really interesting and unexpected discussion about a path that can take four minutes (for runners) or four hours (for birders). We hope you’ll take a listen to this conversation, then check out her books on Constancy Press (). Find out more about the OLLI program (and hear more episodes of Forever Curious) at our UW website: .
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Episode 6: Interview — Art in Context
03/27/2023
Episode 6: Interview — Art in Context
Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) Instructor Misha Berson has — in the understatement of 2023 — been busy. Writer and arts critic, journalist and long-time educator, author, singer, and jazz enthusiast … she’s done it all. She comes to OLLI - UW to share her passions with students. When writing, she says, she is often operating on a deadline and within word limits. But when she teaches a class on Stephen Sondheim, for example, she has the time to dive deep with students she knows are keen to learn. In this episode, host Murray Urquhart and guest Misha talk through the value of the arts and the value of reviews and discussion of the arts. Art works exist in context — the time they were first created, and the context of the current times when we consume them. How do we engage with art when the environments of the artist and the audience are separated by time, space, and experience? It’s a fascinating discussion. We hope you’ll have a listen and engage in one of the many lively conversations taking place at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington or wherever you are! Find more from Misha Berson on Crosscut () and of course, find more episodes of Forever Curious at the OLLI-UW website: osher.uw.edu.
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Episode 5: Interview — Faith, Spirituality, & Organized Religion
02/21/2023
Episode 5: Interview — Faith, Spirituality, & Organized Religion
Dr. David Smith is a popular lecturer in the OLLI - UW program, and if you haven't discovered his courses yet, you'll want to, after you hear this discussion with host Charlene Joy and a panel of OLLI - UW members. David grew up in a very religious, evangelical family, but life events and his own research and reflection pulled him in a different direction. He became a religious progressive skeptic, received degrees in religious studies, including a PhD in religious studies from Temple University. Why study religion if you don't follow a traditional faith anymore? For one, he wanted to find answers, since the ones he'd been raised on no longer held. And secondly, his own struggle to discover a spirituality that felt right gave him a passion for helping others break free from ideology and learn to think for themselves, and think "well." Civil discourse is another concern for David: How do we discuss highly emotional, highly sensitive topics while staying civil? Even more, why take on the topic, if the conversation is likely to be so emotionally fraught? Says David, people are struggling with big questions of life and faith, and while he may not be able to provide definitive answers, he is often able to help people see their faith more clearly. There are still lessons to learned from religious teachings, he says, if we cast an informed eye on them. The questions are deep and meaningful; the conversation open and forthright, taking on questions of anger, broken family relationships, loss, and grief. It's such an important discussion — we hope you'll listen, share, and discuss. Then check out David's and other experts' course offerings at OLLI-UW: . Forever Curious is produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.
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Episode 2: Presentation — How to Find & Hear Your Next Podcast Binge
02/21/2023
Episode 2: Presentation — How to Find & Hear Your Next Podcast Binge
If you want to listen to a podcast, do you have to "borrow" your neighbor's 14-year-old to figure out how? Look, it's totally fine. Technology moves at lightening speed, and needing a little help to figure out the latest-and-greatest is as normal as it gets. In this one-hour workshop by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Washington, podcast producer Shannon Perry takes us through how to find the right podcast app, how to zero in on your next binge through all the noise, and how to support the shows and creators you love. Without the assistance of a 14-year-old, if you don't have one handy. Learn about the many categories of podcast topics that are available, from science to politics, from beach vacations to beer brewing and just about everything you can imagine. Discover the features various podcast apps have to adjust your listening to your lifestyle (slow and savored, or one after another like eating popcorn?). Podcasts are popular because they're so portable — walk through the woods with your favorite author, or fold your laundry on an Arctic exploration. Your hands and eyes are free to carry on gardening or washing dishes or commuting to work, while your mind is happily occupied learning something new or listening to an engrossing audio drama. If this is useful, we hope you'll share our podcast with others! Find more information about OLLI on our website , and listen to the Forever Curious podcast here or on your favorite podcast app. Forever Curious is produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.
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Episode 4: Interview — You Heard the Lecture, Now Meet the Scholar Behind It
02/21/2023
Episode 4: Interview — You Heard the Lecture, Now Meet the Scholar Behind It
Brian Gutierrez, PhD, earned his doctorate in Literature, and he taught for many years in the English Department at the University of Washington. Now a Professional Programs Development Specialist, he helps professionals translate their work experience and industry expertise into academic curricula. As Brian tells us in this conversation with host Murray Urquhart, at this time in the UK, Gothic and ghost stories were all the rage. And Mary Shelley was eager to add a story to the shelves of horror. Brian tells us how she went from initial writers' block to a terrifying waking dream that evolved into Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Brian takes us on a journey through the culture, the ideology, and the philosophy of the time, especially the science, literature, and company Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was immersed in. If Frankenstein was thoroughly a product of its time, why does it still hold such fascination for current generations? And how did the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his nameless creature change and shift from Shelley's vision (pun intended!) to Boris Karloff and Herman Munster? Hear about the story filtered in part through the lens of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History. Modern versions of the novel can be a significant departure from Shelley's original story. Is it among the "overlooked and misunderstood"? Should we make the effort to go back and reclaim the story the way it was written? Learn the deep history and culture surrounding one of the most iconic — if not entirely understood — stories in English literature from an expert and engaging speaker! Then check out the other offerings by Brian and other subject matter experts at OLLI - UW: Forever Curious is produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.
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Episode 3: Presentation — Frankenstein: Revisited
02/21/2023
Episode 3: Presentation — Frankenstein: Revisited
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is renowned for its extraordinary lecture series, and this episode is no exception. In this talk, Frankenstein expert Brian Gutierrez, PhD, delves into the history behind the famous novel and how it continues to have resonance today. Brian Gutierrez has particular expertise in poets and writers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Gothic literature and drama was the most lucrative and popular literature of the time, making it fertile ground for stories such as Frankenstein. In June of 1816, a group of writers and poets whose names you would probably recognize were gathered together in Geneva and bored by the wet and wearisome weather. They decided a ghost story telling competition would be a great way to past time. Two centuries later, I think most of us would award Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) the Grand Prize. It turns out to have been a truly wonderful way to pass time, not only for them but for readers (and TV and film and theatre lovers) ever since, since 18-year-old Mary created the story that would become Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. There's so much more to the story and the culturally iconic monster than most of us know — but how did a teenager create such a timeless work of fiction? And how did her novel morph into the monster story we are familiar with today? Join Brian for this fascinating deep dive into the origins and evolution of one of the most re-made and re-told stories of all time. And be sure to tune in for the next episode, in which it's the lecturer's turn to reveal his own story and fascination with Gothic literature. Thanks to our generous sponsors: University of Washington Emerald Heights The Mirabella Foundation Heron's Key in Gig Harbor The Regency at Ten Trails Trilogy on Redmond Ridge Forever Curious is produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.
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Episode 1: Discussion — What is Osher and Why Am I a Member?
02/21/2023
Episode 1: Discussion — What is Osher and Why Am I a Member?
Welcome to Forever Curious, the podcast of OLLI-UW! In this episode of Forever Curious, we ask members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Washington why they joined and why they stay. And, as Natalie Lecher, Director of OLLI-UW asks, why listen to this podcast? As one member described it, OLLI is a “buffet” of learning, with all sorts of educational opportunities for folks over 50. And this podcast is a continuation of that learning, open to everyone around the globe who wants to listen. With OLLI, you can listen to lectures on a number of subjects, sign up for courses to take a deeper dive into various topics, and have amazing conversations with other lifelong learners. Want to learn how dinosaurs evolved into birds? Or understand the socio-political underpinnings of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein? Eager to know the fascinating lecturers and experts behind the stories? OLLI is the place! We know that continuing to learn throughout our lives is extremely good for our brains, as is joining in social events, and OLLI offers both. Find more information about OLLI on our website , and listen to the Forever Curious podcast here or on your favorite podcast app. Forever Curious is produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.
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Forever Curious with OLLI-UW
02/06/2023
Forever Curious with OLLI-UW
You didn't stop being curious at 18 or 22 or 30, right? Fortunately, we live in an age when learning opportunities and resources are all around us. One of the best is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (affectionately know as OLLI). ) invites adults over the age of 50 to come together to share intellectual interests and make new friends through a range of exciting programs. And now OLLI-UW has a new resource to share: the Forever Curious podcast. With lectures, deep dives with subject matter experts, insights from its member community, and information on all OLLI has to offer, the podcast is a great way to learn and explore, wherever you are. Learn more about OLLI-UW at . Subscribe and share and never miss an episode! Available wherever you get your podcasts.
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