When stopping to smell the roses, have you ever stopped and wondered how our noses actually smell smells? This class will explore the science of scent, the chemistry of compounds, and the biology of bouquets. From the chemicals that transmit fragrance, to the olfactory receptors in our noses and the neural pathway of scent recognition, we will explore the wide world of biochemistry and the intricate processes that allow us to stop and smell the roses each spring.

Ever wonder where the sun came from and how it powers itself? Then this course is for you! This class will survey the life-cycle of stars- starting with captivating nebulae, trekking on into the mysterious power source of stars known as nuclear fusion, and finally exploring the end of stars, either exploding in supernovae, collapsing to dwarf stars, or forming black holes! Finally, we’ll discuss the many properties or our sun and how it sustains life on earth! This class will be open to lots of discussion and participation, so please bring any knowledge, questions, or particular interests and we can talk about them!!

There are countless questions that power the curiosity of people, young and old alike. In this course, we will aim to use science to answer these questions in a way that reinforces the power of knowledge and the fact that science can be fun! We will explain why the sky is blue, what is wind, and how airplanes are able to fly, among other phenomena. We hope to hold the attention of our students with relevant demonstrations and engaging lecture portions.

Ever wonder how the numerous drugs we take actually work? This class will take you through some of the best-selling and most utilized drugs in history, examining not only what they look like on a molecular level, but also how they interact with our bodies. We will see how these small compounds can have massive and lasting effects on us despite very simple, minute, and short-lived chemical interactions.