Fall 2026 Osher Online Learning Courses
Course registration opens Thursday August 13
MONDAYS
Art Detectives, Forgery, Provenance, and the Science of Authentication
Instructor: Christine Maasdam
When: September 28 - November 2 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
The public often sees the art world as the domain of wealth, trendsetters, and high rollers, yet deception lurks behind the façade. After weapons and drugs, art is the third most lucrative illicit trade, with reports suggesting that more than half of artworks are fake or misattributed. In this course, we will ask: When is a copy simply a copy, and when is it a forgery? What techniques do master forgers use? Does a collector hold true title, and how important is provenance? What can science tell us about art authenticity? We will uncover riveting stories of criminal art activity, gallery closings, and master forgeries.
TUESDAYS
Apple at 50: How it Revolutionized Computing and Transformed Daily Life
Instructor: Leander Kahney
When: September 29 - November 3 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
This course traces Apple’s fifty-year history and its massive impact on personal computing, design, product culture, platforms and ecosystems, and daily life. Each session focuses on a different decade in Apple’s history, from the birth of the PC in the late 1970s to the latest Apple silicon, VR headsets, and future iPhones. We will learn how Apple reshaped not just technology, but how people live, work, and communicate.
THURSDAYS
Power and the People: The Evolution of the U.S. Federal Judiciary
Instructor: Lauren Andersen, JD
When: October 15 - November 19 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Live on Zoom
Cost: $90
The American Experiment began with the Declaration of Independence and led to the creation of the federal judiciary, one of the country’s greatest experiments. In this course, we will trace the evolution of the courts from their English roots to their formal establishment in the Constitution. We will explore how the Supreme Court, lacking the power of the purse or military, derives its authority from its ability to connect with the people of the US and protect democracy. We will examine creation of the federal judiciary and the power of the Marshall Court, the Court’s evolution through the New Deal, the Vinson Court, the Warren Court’s “Rights Revolution,” and the role of today’s US Supreme Court.
"Studies Show.." (Or Do They?): Under the Hood of a Scientific Study
Instructor: John Hendrickson, PhD
When: October 1 - November 5, 12pm-1:30pm
Cost: $90
What really changes when we read beyond the abstract? In this interactive course, we will open real research papers (many in health and nutrition) and explore what scientists actually look for. We will explore how small design choices can dramatically shape a study’s meaning, and why headlines rarely tell the full story. No technical background is required – just curiosity. By the end of the course, we will never read “studies show…” the same way again.