STEM 4 All  

 I have been developing some STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) related courses  for a few different venues.  These include Life Long Learning programs (RISE and OLLI) as well as college/HS student programs. 

I have  tried to put relevant syllabuses online, and keep them updated, in part because they include links to many relevant online (and mostly free) materials -- so you don't need to attend the class to get some really great information and insight.

2025 Spring Classes --

2024 Fall Classes

2024 Spring Classes

• Dystopian spirals (again) Mondays, March 18-April 1 10-12AM Manchester

• Spies, Lies and Sunken Subs (again) - Tuesdays: April 16-May 7; 1-3pm Concord (NHTI)

• Fun with AI (page) - Fridays, April 12-26, 1-2:30 Manchester
  (and a focused page for short presentations including the song "I'm Just an Analog Girl in a Digital World")

2023 Fall Classes

Dystopian Spirals - How Tech is facilitating dysfunction, division and disaster
Nov 27-Dec4th, Manchester 3PM

TED talks - Mind, Body Spirit building on the NPR TED Radio Hour series.
      Oct 30 - Nov 13th, Manchester, 3PM

Paying Attention to AI, as it pays attention to us ...
A short program on AI's impact on reality that is a work in process, but with things moving as quickly as they are in this field, it seems appropriate to post some content here

2023 Spring Considerations

We the People, Slow Reading & discussing our founding documents:
The Declaration of Independence, The US Constitution, NH Constitution, Articles of Confederation, others?
-- This may require a continuing Special Interest Group (or become a Socrates Cafe)

2022 Fall Classes

  Things R Better Than You Think, Oct 28 & Nov 4, 2022  ; Virtual 

Based on Hans Rosling's "Factfullness" and related TED lectures (He has been one of the most popular, as you will see) [Targeting in person classes in Concord and Manchester]- 2 Classes

Net Persuasion --12/8/2022-12/15/2022 
      viewing & discussing the documentary "The Social Dilemma"

Retirement Living Options - Zoom 11/29/2022-12/13/2022  

2022 Spring Classes

  Things R Better Than You Think, April 11/18; Virtual [Video preview  Starts about 12:30 in video]

Based on Hans Rosling's "Factfullness" and related TED lectures (He has been one of the most popular, as you will see)

"60's: Spies, Lies and Sunken Subs"   May 2/9, OLLI Portsmouth  [Video Preview Starts about 39:00 in video]

We will look at the various stories surrounding the Russian K-129 sub, raised in part by the Glomar Explorer -- This story of intrigue and technology takes place from 1962 though 1975, with folks still publishing new information in 2017 --- a view of the cold war, silent service (subs), spies (military/NSA, KGB,  and CIA), cover stories, covert operations -- with questions that still have no answers today!  A delightful case study to encourage critical thinking. (And a brief flashback to the Cuban Missile Crisis)

2021 Fall Classes

Sept 13/20 (virtual) class - Things R Better Than You Think

  Sept 17-Oct 8 (virtual) Digital Tech: Pervasive, Invasive, Persuasive

2021 Spring Classes

April 14/21 (virtual) class - Things R Better Than You Think

April 27 (virtual) class -- Net Persuasion -- viewing & discussing the documentary "The Social Dilemma"

2020 Fall Classes

Virtual at OLLI -- Digital Tech: Pervasive, Invasive, Persuasive;  OLLI Nov. 10-Dec 1

2020 Spring Events

Digital Footprints, Free Speech, Privacy and Propaganda;   Concord OLLI May 15; Concord Goodlife Mar 10

Digital Tech: Pervasive, Invasive, Persuasive; RISE Nashua, Feb 13-Mar 12

"60's: Spies, Lies and Sunken Subs"   OLLI Portsmouth <covid canceled>

TED and Talks - Manchester with Bob Jones -- May 9-30 1-3 Manchester

Previous Offerings (if they look good, let Jim know in time to set up the class)

• Artificial Intelligence, Social Media and Politics, 2 days, 2 hrs in Concord w/David Hess

• Insects: The Real Rulers of the World - Leonora's Hands On (yuuccch)  -- 1.5 Hrs in Manchester

• Retirement Living Options - 4 days in Concord w/Steve Gilvar

  • • Prev: Fri Oct 12-Nov 2, 10-12 OLLI Manchester

• Evolution Then and Now (shorter version of 'Implications' class) - Concord, 2 days, 2 hrs a day

• 2038: Technology and Our Future - The Future is not what it used to be

  • • RISE - Sept 7 to Oct 5 2018, OLLI - Sept.4-Oct 2 2018 Concord, Prior: 2018 spring: OLLI Manchester

• Analytics, Social Media and Privacy

  • • OLLI Manchester --  2018 Dec 5 ; Concord (and Zoom to Conway) Feb 26, 2019

• Predictive Fiction - exploring the future via fiction 

• • at New Hampshire Telephone Museum in Warner, Sept 28, 2018

• AI Concepts and Impact -- NH Professional Engineering Oct. 9th

• •  Little Issues with Big Data and AI -- It's not just big brother that is watching, it's almost every web site, and the impact of predictive analytics + data synthesis + individualization is changing your world - resistance is futile?

    • 2017 Nashua (Huntington) Nov 3rd, 10-noon; OLLI Concord Nov 17, 1-3PM

• AI IEEE life member's focus 4:00 P.M. Wednesday, 14 March 2018 at the Lincoln Lab Cafeteria, Lincoln MA

• Bats: Scary or Best of Mammals - Leonora's insight -- 1.5 Hrs in Concord

• • previous: 2015 Nov 24 OLLI Manchester; 2015 June 1, 2015 Concord; 2014 Sept. 25  OLLI Manchester

    • • A Exploration with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

        • Philosophy, Psychology - what is real? how does the mind work? Do you know the way to San Jose?

        • An award winning book that is very, very tightly written

          • Previous: RISE Nashua: 2015 Mar 16 to April 20; OLLI Manchester: 2015 May 6 to June 10; OLLI Concord: 2014 Nov 14 to Dec 9

      •  "60's: Spies, Lies and Sunken Subs"  We will look at the various stories surrounding the Russian K-129 sub, raised in part by the Glomar Explorer -- This story of intrigue and technology takes place from 1962 though 1975, with folks still publishing new information in 2012 --- a view of the cold war, silent service (subs), spies (military/NSA, KGB,  and CIA), cover stories, covert operations -- with questions that still have no answers today!  A delightful case study to encourage critical thinking. (And a brief flashback to the Cuban Missile Crisis)

        • • Spring 2017, 5 Thursdays: 4/20-5/18 1:30-3:30 PM; The Huntington at Nashua, 55 Kent Lane, Nashua

          • Previous: 2016 fall: Concord OLLI;  OLLI Manchester, Spring 2013; Spring 2014 for RISE Nashua; OLLI  April 2014 Concord  -- 2015 short version for IEEE life members 2015 Nov 18th

• • • Bafflegab 101 - Many of the classes in this list reflect the underlying question of "how do we know what we know?" -- This class seeks to explore that more directly using a film that combines Quantum Physics, Meta Physics and New Age Spiritualism: "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" -- A view into some oddities of modern physics and assertions of how these might relate to reality -- an exercise in critical/skeptical thinking.

    • Spring 2017, 3/28-4/18; ; Granite State College Concord

      • previous: 2016 Fall: Manchester OLLI 

    •  "Implications of Evolution" -- with Leonora & Jim  -   A look at the "missing links" from Darwin's initial Theory -- including genetics, geological time frames, the fossil record -- Things that were predicted by his theory, confirm it, and could have invalidated it if it were wrong.

      • • Previous: 11/10 to 12/9/14 OLLI GSC Concord; 9/9/13 to 10/7/13 RISE ; 11/14-12/5/12  OLLI Manchester, 2017 4/20-5/18, The Hunt,  Nashua

• •  About Time -- In the beginning, before the Internet, TV, Radio, Candles ... folks had nothing better to do in their evenings than stare at the sky (Ok, maybe a few better things.) Days were easy to figure out- big orange thing that comes and goes. Where did we get Hours, eons, geological time, cosmological time? What do trains have to do with time zones and relativity, or vermilion pens with astrology, or Pope Gregory with leap years?

• • • previous: fall 2015 Oct 19 - Nov 16th RISE Nashua, Nov 10-Dec 8 OLLI Manchester

• • IT Came From the BLOG!

  • Jim is the lead Blogger for the Society on the Social Implications of Technology, the issues raised in this forum are thought provoking and change over time with new technology and new insights - considerations include Privacy, Security, Community, Education and more

    • • previous: 2015 Nov 23rd OLLI Concord 1-3PM

  • The Best of TED (based on TED.com videos, with Swede Nelson as co-conspirator)

    • • 2015 Fall: Manchester OLLI Oct 6 to Oct 27, 2015 Spring May 1st to May 29, 2014 Fall Manchester OLLI

  •  Cyberattacks -- Whose side is your computer on?

  • A little history, introduction to concepts, and a look at some of the first real nation-state attacks -- plus a bit on how you can avoid being a combatant  

    • • Previous: Extract for 2015 Sept. 18th program; OLLI Concord: 2015 March 27  GSC; 2013 Fall OLLI Manchester, Spring 2014 for RISE

  • Drake's Last Term - Get out your crystal ball to see where we are headed - working with insight from influential books such as Homo Deus, The Future, and Thank you for Being Late

• • • 2017 fall canceled ... poor title to engage folks re-packaged with additional resources 

• • Dinosaurs -- with Leonora as lead

    • • 2015 OLLI Manchester April 27

  •  "Technology Indistinguishable from Magic"  (AKA Five Impossible Things Before Lunch), A forward look at areas where emerging technology could well take us by surprise, raising questions that need to be considered - from machine intelligence to immortality

    • • • Previous: 3/2012 RISE; 2011 OLLI Manchester; 2009 RISE