Science & Technology   

Using the Great Courses offering Epic Engineering Failures and the Lessons They Teach, we will explore some of the more significant failures to see exactly what happened and why. We will learn that engineering does not function independently - that economic, political, and social influences are often included as factors causing failures. Finally, we will learn that failure is part of the process of technical advancement.

Explore new material concerning local geology and interesting or unique global geologic topics. Learn about igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; study minerals, crystals, agates, and zeolites (thomsonite); and mineral collection. Geologic features will include folds, faults, and jointing; geologic time; glaciers; volcanoes; earthquakes; plate tectonics; fossils; dinosaurs; asteroids; and extinctions. Class will include an optional half-day geologic field trip to examine local geology.