Science & Technology   

Curious about artificial intelligence and what it actually means for your life? This interactive workshop, led by Tina Miller, Executive Director of Creative and Communications in ASU’s Enterprise Technology division, offers an accessible, engaging introduction to AI’s transformative possibilities. You’ll get the latest on cuttingedge AI initiatives at ASU, explore how AI is reshaping higher education, and dig into generative AI in plain, easy-to-understand terms. You’ll leave with a clear sense of where AI is headed and practical resources to keep exploring on your own.

What does it mean to live without reliable access to safe, affordable water? In this engaging session, ASU professors Dr. Amber Wutich and Dr. Patrick Thomson introduce the concept of water insecurity and explore how it affects households and communities around the world, including here in Arizona. Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-world case studies, they'll discuss the social, economic, and health impacts of water scarcity and examine how people adapt to uncertain supplies. You'll come away with new insight into the human dimensions of water challenges and a clearer picture of what the future of water security may look like in a changing climate.

From Reefer Madness to licensed dispensaries on every corner, what a long, strange trip it's been. This course traces the full history of marijuana, from its numerous ancient medicinal applications through its demonization, its rehabilitation, and its current status as both medicine and big business. ASU professor Dr. Ken Sweat covers the history of our relationship with the plant, modern approaches to growing, processing, and consuming cannabis, and the ever-evolving politics and policies that govern it.

What does a vaccine actually do and what's really in it? This two-session course takes an evidence-based look at vaccine immunology, ingredients, and safety data, then examines the modern anti-vaccine movement: its origins in a fraudulent study, the financial incentives driving its key figures, and the cognitive biases that make misinformation so persuasive. Along the way, we'll explore VAERS (the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), vaccine court, herd immunity, and what the epidemiological data reveal about the real-world costs of vaccine hesitancy.

In today's media landscape, knowing who to trust has never been more important. While traditional outlets strive for balance and accuracy, social media algorithms serve us content that reinforces what we already believe — creating an incomplete information diet for making important life decisions. Meanwhile, legacy media faces growing financial pressures as search engines dominate the flow of online news. Join veteran journalist and journalism instructor Mark Scarp to learn how to distinguish reliable from unreliable sources, spot hidden agendas, and navigate a complex media world with confidence.

What keeps the planets in orbit? What makes an apple fall and a galaxy spin? Join us for a live, 25-minute interactive journey through the greatest gravitational discoveries in history, from Newton to Einstein and beyond. We’ll travel the cosmos to see how gravity shapes everything around us, followed by a lively Q&A and technology showcase.

Curious about cannabis science? This OLLI class at Grow Sciences offers an academically grounded, hands-on exploration of how cannabis goes from seed to shelf. The session begins with a seminar covering the wide range of products currently available, including their manufacturing processes, therapeutic applications, consumption methods, and bioavailability. You'll then join a guided tour of the complete cultivation and production lifecycle, from propagation and vegetative growth through harvesting, post-processing, and quality assurance. Designed to be interactive and inquiry-driven, this one-of-a-kind class offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the innovation, precision, and care that define the modern cannabis industry. *Note - the exact address for Grow Sciences is not published for safety reasons. We will meet at a nearby location and the coordinator will lead you to the warehouse. Cross streets are 43rd Ave. & Camelback Rd. Phoenix. Meet up instructions will be in the reminder email.

Your fingerprints can reveal far more than who you are. They may also reveal what you've eaten, what medications you take, and even clues about your health. The tiny traces left in a fingerprint can contain chemical evidence from everyday life, such as caffeine, nicotine, or medication residues. Researchers are also exploring whether fingerprints could help detect conditions like diabetes and tuberculosis. Join Dr. Jang, Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Forensics, for a fascinating look at the many surprising ways fingerprints are being used in health research, forensic investigation, and environmental monitoring.

The impact of artificial intelligence is accelerating faster than most people realize. Tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek have already changed how we work, communicate, and make decisions, and experts believe we may be just steps away from "artificial general intelligence" (AGI), an AI so advanced it could evolve and think far beyond human capability. But AI is just one piece of a much larger transformation reshaping our governments, social systems, and personal beliefs. What once seemed like science fiction is rapidly becoming reality. Join us to examine these startling changes and explore practical ways to adapt and thrive.

Robots and artificial intelligence are rapidly transforming how we work — reshaping the workplace, redefining job roles, and determining which careers remain secure. Author Harvey Hess, with 40 years of experience in the consumer product distribution industry, will explore the technologies driving these changes and what they mean for today's workforce. You'll get an overview of current and emerging AI tools and automation trends, learn where the greatest impacts are already being felt, and gain practical guidance for recognizing both the vulnerabilities and the opportunities ahead.

Space elevators are amongst the most promising space infrastructure concepts on the drawing boards today. Think of a space elevator as a vertical railroad into the cosmos. A tether stretching from Earth to an anchor point (counterweight) 60,000 miles in space, with elevator cars traveling up and down carrying cargo and passengers. Dr. Peter Swan, President of the International Space Elevator Consortium, will introduce you to this remarkable concept, covering its history, design, mechanics, potential benefits, future plans, and the obstacles still to overcome. Just as interstate highways and transcontinental railroads once transformed life on Earth, the space elevator may define the green superhighway to our future in space.

For most of human history, people lived under star-filled skies. Today, artificial lighting has dramatically changed the nighttime environment, washing out the stars for millions and affecting wildlife, energy use, sleep, and human health. Hosted by the International Dark Sky Discovery Center, this class introduces the growing dark sky movement and explores why communities are working to preserve natural darkness at night. Participants will learn how light pollution impacts people and wildlife, along with simple strategies for improving nighttime lighting at home and in their communities. After the presentation, attendees will take a guided nighttime walk through Fountain Hills to observe effective lighting practices, followed by stargazing and telescope viewing with the Center’s 27.5-inch telescope.

Undoubtedly, AI will become deeply integrated into medical education as well as clinical and research medicine. While there are many advantages, there are also challenges and details that remain to be refined. This talk will highlight controversies surrounding AI, including educational, ethical, and legal issues.

Nature has had millions of years to solve some of the toughest engineering problems on Earth and it's come up with remarkable solutions. Join ASU Professor and History Channel contributor Dr. Hamid Marvi as we explore how animals and biological systems are inspiring the next generation of robots. From snake-inspired machines that navigate sand and rubble to medical robots designed for minimally invasive surgery, bio-inspired robotics combines engineering, biology, and AI to create machines capable of extraordinary feats. We'll explore how studying animal movement and behavior is leading to breakthroughs in search and rescue, healthcare, and environmental exploration.

Is there life elsewhere in the universe? It's one of the most compelling scientific questions of our time. Join ASU Regents Professor Phil Christensen as we explore the quest for potentially habitable worlds, beginning with Earth's neighbor Mars, then venturing to the icy "ocean world" moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and finally to primitive asteroids that hold clues to the origins of our solar system. ASU has science instruments aboard many of these missions — including five built right here on the Tempe campus — each playing a critical role in expanding our understanding of the cosmos. The discoveries so far are remarkable. The ones still to come may be even more so.

Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare faster than our legal and ethical frameworks can keep up and the stakes couldn't be higher. In this timely presentation, Dr. Gary Marchant, Regents Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Law, Science and Innovation, examines how AI is reshaping medicine while raising urgent questions about safety, accuracy, bias, accountability, liability, and data privacy. Drawing on his extensive work in the legal and ethical challenges of emerging technologies, Dr. Marchant will discuss real-world examples and explore what it will take to ensure AI-driven medicine remains ethical, trustworthy, and patient-centered. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of both the extraordinary promise and the serious risks ahead.

We live in one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth, the Sonoran Desert. Despite extreme heat and scarce rainfall, an extraordinary diversity of plants, animals, and people have called this place home for thousands of years. But human development is changing the landscape faster than ever, making the work of organizations like the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy more important than ever. In this class, we'll explore the processes that shaped this desert, how ecosystems form and sustain themselves, how living things adapt to environmental challenges, and what it means for humans to leave such a deep mark in such a short time. Core principles of ecology from the rocks beneath our feet to the communities above them. Come alive in this local context.

Curious about cannabis science? This OLLI class at Grow Sciences offers an academically grounded, hands-on exploration of how cannabis goes from seed to shelf. The session begins with a seminar covering the wide range of products currently available, including their manufacturing processes, therapeutic applications, consumption methods, and bioavailability. You'll then join a guided tour of the complete cultivation and production lifecycle, from propagation and vegetative growth through harvesting, post-processing, and quality assurance. Designed to be interactive and inquiry-driven, this one-of-a-kind class offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the innovation, precision, and care that define the modern cannabis industry. *Note - the exact address for Grow Sciences is not published for safety reasons. We will meet at a nearby location and the coordinator will lead you to the warehouse. Cross streets are 43rd Ave. & Camelback Rd. Phoenix. Meet up instructions will be in the reminder email.

How can we travel back in time to observe the earliest stages of cancer? Cancer develops over years as cells in our bodies evolve, accumulating changes and competing with one another, yet much of this process unfolds out of sight, limiting our understanding of how cancers arise, progress, and respond to treatment. By reading the record left behind in our cells' genetic material, scientists are building statistical "time machines" that reveal events that could never be observed directly. In this course, we'll explore how present-day biological data can reconstruct the evolutionary history of cells as they progress toward cancer, what these methods are already teaching us, and how ongoing advances may transform our ability to understand and treat cancer in the years ahead. Please note: parking is not included in the cost of class.