Learn the fundamentals of knitting, including casting on, basic knit and purl stitches, increasing, decreasing, and binding off. Students learn by practice and may start a knitting project during class.
Over the centuries, humans have developed tools to see what was once invisible. Cameras, telescopes, microscopes, and MRI machines reveal what the eye cannot, transforming our understanding of the universe and the human body. Daniel K. Sodickson—a physicist and pioneer in biomedical imaging—traces the history of vision, from early eyes in ancient oceans to high-tech devices integrated with artificial intelligence, showing how imaging reshapes the way we see the world, others, and ourselves.
Archaeologist Mike Pitts, author of Island at the Edge of the World, challenges the myth of ecological collapse on Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Drawing on early records and recent archaeology, he reveals the Islanders’ resilience and reinterprets the iconic statues, surveying a unified culture shaped by powerful beliefs, rituals, and creativity. He refutes the long-held narrative of self-destruction and offers a deeper understanding of the island’s spiritual and cultural legacy that is rooted in Polynesian mythology and Pacific traditions.
Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Pierre-August Renoir.
A cascade of violence between England and France, the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) included some of the most significant battles in history. Military historian Michael Livingston examines how medieval Europe was consumed by two full centuries of war from 1292 to 1492 far beyond the borders of its main combatants and how this prolonged violence helped shape modern Europe’s political systems, military innovations, and national identities.
Alzheimer’s disease, and the dementias in general, are among the most-feared consequences of being lucky enough to survive into older age. Barry Gordon, a nationally recognized expert on memory and memory disorders, sheds light on these debilitating conditions and provides guidance on what you need to know to take the most informed and active steps if faced with one of them—whether personally or in a family member or friend.
Work on your own quilt project(s) in a focused way over 4 weeks with expert guidance. Topics include material selection, design, work planning, construction techniques, and finishing advice.
When Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, Walt Whitman declared it "the volcanic upheaval of the nation”—the inception of a war that would dramatically alter the shape and character of American culture. Scholar Randall Fuller of the University of Kansas traces the changes in his poetry from idealism to a realism that depicts a more chastened view of America as a place where enormous suffering had occurred.
