(Online) Big History

OLLI instructor, Stephen Reid will introduce the class to the idea of Big History, which is an overview of the universe from the beginning, 13.6 billion years ago. The readings recount discoveries about the earth and Homo Sapiens from astronomy, geology, physics, archeology, and history. These books are intended for a general audience, so no background in any of these sciences is necessary. This is not strictly a lecture course, so reading and class participation is expected.  We will discuss selections from the following books:  
• A Most Improbable Journey
• A Short History of Nearly Everything
• Sapiens
Stephen taught in the CSU English Department for 42 years.  His specialties were composition, 19th century British literature, 20th century novel, and Western American literature. Stephen’s undergraduate degree was in Physics.  He currently reads a wide variety of non-fiction topics including memoir, wester American literatures, and contemporary science. 

Notes

• A current OLLI membership is required to register for all courses and lectures.
• If you do not have a current Spring 2021 membership, one will be added to your cart at check-out.
• OLLI membership fees and course tuition are critical to the Institute’s sustainability and are non-refundable.

Testimonials

“The course was well moderated with excellent references/books and discussions that were thought provoking. I learned a lot.”

“Good selection of reading materials. Stephen did a nice job of keeping things moving and kept things “fun.”