In 1974, BBC-TV presented mathematician/poet/philosopher Jacob Bronowski’s The Ascent of Man, a 13-part series tracking Western civilization’s progress from wandering tribes to astronauts on the moon. This accessible, wide-ranging, and award-winning series dealt with human activities across science, the humanities, and human values. A 2007 DVD re-release claimed, “The series ‘withstands the test of time.’” Does it still, now -- 50 years after its first release? Let’s see, by watching and discussing the series together, in person. Whatever your interests or background, Bronowski will get you thinking about connections that cross the full range of human activities.
Instructor: Gale Rhodes
Where: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), University of Southern Maine, Portland campus, Wishcamper Center, room 211.
When: Fall term 2024, Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 AM, 9/18/2024 - 11/13/2024, no class on 10/16.
Class Format: In-person viewing of video programs, followed by discussion. (Disks of this video series cannot be presented on Zoom due to digital rights protection.)
Course Resources: All course materials are at this site. See menus on the right side of each page.
About the Instructor: Gale Rhodes’s website, One Culture, connects science with other ways of knowing. He has taught a variety of OLLI courses, after a career of teaching college biochemistry, structural biology, and interdisciplinary courses. His website includes resources for this and all his previous OLLI courses, as well as many tools and readings for anyone who yearns to see things whole.
This site is always under construction.
