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OLLI=Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Sonoma State University
"For those 50 years old or better"

PDFs of OLLI lectures will be posted here after each presentation
Click here for more information & to register for OLLI classes

Nicole' Future OLLI Courses through SSU

Fall 2023 OLLI...I'll be back to teach more geology courses

(more information will be posted soon)

OLLI Winter 2023
Climate Change: A Geological Perspective Planetary Evolution

3-week series on Fridays 1-3pm from February 3rd - February 17th
Via Zoom through SSU!

Ice Ages are rare in Earth history, yet the entire existence of Homo sapiens has occurred within the Quaternary Ice Age, which has lasted for ~2.6 million years. Glacial ice has retreated and expanded on both poles, forming Ice Sheets that completely change the land on which they form. This class will explore the evidence of the onset of the ice age, the cyclical nature of glacial and interglacial stages, and predictions of a near future without polar ice. We will consider the most recent interglacial stage and how humans have changed the environment in that time, then we will consider the proposed Anthropocene Epoch and how this time designation marks an unprecedented environmental shift in the climate. This class will help us all understand what climate change is, what changes have occurred in recent geologic history, and how humans are a driving force in climate change. An understanding of history can help inform how our actions will impact the future.

Course Materials & Resources

Course slides & handouts will be posted here

Recommended Geology Textbook: Geology is a very visual science & I've always really liked the illustrations that Stephen Marshak offers

The Common Descent Podcast! All about biology& geology & the science of evolution
You can listen to the Podcast (=audio, not video) on PodBean, YouTube, Stitcher, iTunes/Apple Podcast or whatever resource you associate with your favorite podcasts. They also have WordPress blog where they post links and details. If you are new to the Podcast world and have an iPhone just go to the Podcasts app (already downloaded on all iPhones = purple app with white symbol), click search, type in "The Common Descent" and chose an episode title.

Biological Evolution Resources

Past OLLI Course I have taught through at SSU

  • Fall 2017: The Dinosaur Revolution: Fossils Finds & Avian Genetics
  • Fall 2018: Catastrophism: How Natural Disasters Have Affected Earth and Human Evolution
  • Fall 2019: Geology of California
  • Spring 2020: Geology of the National Parks (sadly cancelled due to the pandemic but will be offered again Fall 2021!)
  • Spring 2021: Volcanic Cataclysms That Changed The World
  • Fall 2021: Geology of the National Parks
  • Summer 2022: How Geology Formed California
  • Spring 2022: The Story of Earth Conveyed by Rocks
  • Fall 2022: Age of the Reptiles - Evolution of Scales & Feathers During the Mesozoic Era
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