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This course will help you understand the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our world. Recently, tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek v3 have shown just how powerful AI can be. Experts in tech companies are even more excited because they believe we're just a step away from creating an "applied general intelligence" (AGI) – an AI so advanced it could evolve and think far beyond what humans are capable of. AI is only a small part of a bigger change happening globally, and it's starting to affect everything from our daily lives to governments, social systems, and even our personal beliefs. What once seemed like science fiction is now becoming a reality. This class covers these changes and explores possibilities for adaptation and management. While AI may be shaking up the way the world works, we can still find creative ways to handle these changes. However, doing so will require a lot more understanding and smart thinking than we currently have.

Deterring war and other levels of aggression between states in our highly interconnected and interdependent world is more complex than ever before. China and Russia not only have modernized and expanded their nuclear forces but have made common practice to challenge the interests of the U.S. and its allies around the globe. This class will explore the risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities associated with aggressive geopolitical competition and examines the strategy implications for nuclear weapons, cyber, and information warfare as well as the rapid onset of new technologies.

Dreamscape Learn is a collaboration between Arizona State University and Dreamscape Immersive, a former VR entertainment company. During your visit to Dreamscape Learn, you can look forward to being fully immersed in a narrative story-telling experience. Throughout the hour visit, guests will see both educational VR content used in courses for real students at ASU along with a fun, free-roam entertainment VR experience. Our mission is to merge the most advanced experiential pedagogy with the entertainment industry’s best cinematic storytelling to deliver unique virtual reality and 2D labs as well as full course experiences which are effective, readily scalable and emotionally engaging.

Join Al Dart, a registered professional archeologist, to learn about Native American ceramic styles that characterized specific eras in the US Southwest prior to about 1450. Mr. Dart will discuss how archaeologists use pottery for dating archaeological sites and interpreting ancient lifeways. You will gain an understanding of the importance of context in archaeology, how the things people make change in style over time, and how different styles are useful for identifying different cultures and for dating archaeological sites. His many illustrations include examples of ancient pottery types that were made throughout the American Southwest from about 2000 to 500 years ago.

Dr. Erica Williams, Clinical Professor and Director of Speech and Hearing Science at ASU, leads this discussion on hearing health, balance, and fall prevention, particularly with aging. Dr. Williams will cover how hearing and balance both function independently while also having close interactions with each other. General strategies for treatment will also be discussed.

Rugged, beautiful, and delicious. The Southwest is the ultimate playground, luring adventurers with red-rock canyons, Wild West legends, and culinary delights. The region is home to a wonderful and vibrant mix of Anglo, Latino, Hispanic, and American Indian traditions making it one of the most diverse and fascinating corners of the United States. The defining characteristics of Southwestern cuisine are a mystery to most Americans. Southwestern cooking has a vibrant mestizo heritage and includes some of the most intensely spiced dishes in the Americas. Join Chef Larry Canepa on a visual and tasty journey through Southwest culinary history.

Join Dr. Billie Enz, ASU emerita professor, in these two interactive sessions. We will discuss our intertwined memory systems, including sensory, working and long-term memory. We will also review factors that enhance and inhibit memory and review practical ways to strengthen our memory throughout our lives. Finally, we will clarify the differences between age-related memory loss and dementia.

NASA's Galileo mission provided valuable insights into Jupiter's moons, Io and Europa. Now, a new chapter begins with the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in October 2024. What can we expect from this spacecraft? Dr. David Williams, ASU Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and director of the NASA-supported Greeley Center for Planetary Studies, helps us offer some answers to this question. By revisiting Galileo’s discoveries, we look forward to Clipper’s exploration of "Ocean Worlds"—planetary bodies in our Solar System likely harboring salty, liquid water beneath their icy surfaces. This includes Jupiter's moons, as well as icy moons of Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and the dwarf planet Ceres. Clipper will also collaborate with the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission.

Have you ever written an email that you regretted? Responded too harshly or defensively? This is all too common in the workplace, and in life generally. How can we be strategic in our writing to mitigate conflict and move our goals forward? ASU Lodestar Center's Kristyn Carmichael brings her expertise as director of Mediation Training to answer these questions and more. There are techniques you can learn from conflict resolution experts to master emails and other written communication. You will feel confident to hit send on any email and know you are putting your best foot forward.

Join us for “Fortunato Film School" where ASU film professor Joe Fortunato will screen, discuss, and provide live commentary on the Steven Spielberg classic "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." It is often cited as the one of the most beloved films of all time! We will begin with a brief introduction on the background and making of the film. Then, we will screen the film together with live commentary provided, giving you insights into the filmmaking process, fun facts, and some guidance on how to "read" a film creatively. After the film, we will discuss what we've learned and debate if it lives up to its "great film" reputation (and even discuss what that designation means in the subjective world of creative art).

How can we be sure humans evolved from a branch of the great apes? If we evolved from apes, why are there still apes? How does one species give rise to another? Is evolution still happening? What is the “theory of evolution by natural selection,” where did it come from, and how sure are scientists about it? In this class, we will look at the evidence scientists use to understand evolution, speciation, and the variety of life. In addition to examining ancient evolution, we will explore some of the ways in which humans have continued to evolve since taking our modern form, all as part of the fascinating story of how life came to be on our planet as it is today.

We live in an age of constant "sharing," where our lives are often on display through social media and other platforms. In this environment, we rarely take the time to pause, listen, and ask meaningful questions. This class will focus on how we can become better listeners, ask better questions, and master the art of questioning as led by ASU's Kristyn Carmichael, Director of ASU's Lodestar Foundation Mediation Training program. By developing these skills, we can build stronger personal and professional relationships. Ultimately, learning to ask the right questions helps us move from just "sharing" our lives to truly "experiencing" them.

Dreamscape Learn is a collaboration between Arizona State University and Dreamscape Immersive, a former VR entertainment company. During your visit to Dreamscape Learn, you can look forward to being fully immersed in a narrative story-telling experience. Throughout the hour visit, guests will see both educational VR content used in courses for real students at ASU along with a fun, free-roam entertainment VR experience. Our mission is to merge the most advanced experiential pedagogy with the entertainment industry’s best cinematic storytelling to deliver unique virtual reality and 2D labs as well as full course experiences which are effective, readily scalable and emotionally engaging.