Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of objects the size of atoms and smaller. In class, we will discuss insights that led to the development of quantum theory. We will address quantum concepts such as Wave-Particle duality, the Uncertainty Principle, and virtual particles. We will examine experiments that led to the discovery of subatomic particles, from the electron in 1897 to the Higgs boson in 2012. We will also explore the strange and counterintuitive behavior of quantum systems, including quantum entanglement that Einstein called "Spooky Action at a Distance."
Monday April 6 at 1:30 pm
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Flapper fashion wasn't just popular in the United States, instead it represented a larger phenomenon of women stepping out of and redefining traditional roles to live and thrive in a rapidly modernizing world. In Asia the "Modern Girl" stepped out into a complex society, trying to find a place between tradition, nationalism, colonialism, and consumerism. In this single-session class we will discuss how colonization and modernization created a unique opportunity for women to seek out higher education, involve themselves in work, and adapt traditional fashions to become the iconic figures we remember today.
Wednesday April 8 at 3:30 pm
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Art, artifacts, and family heirlooms are important to our lives and history. In this course, we will discuss how best to protect and clean your special objects. We will learn when to ask for help to conserve those pieces of art that are important to us.
Wednesday April 15 at 3:30 pm
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This transformative class explores the profound art of connecting with horses through presence, breath, and mutual understanding. Far beyond traditional horsemanship, this experience invites participants to develop a deep, intuitive relationship with these magnificent beings without the barrier of riding. Class members will each be interacting and connecting with horses (not riding them).
See video below of Guiliana discussing her upcoming Go Learn trip to Italy - Whispers of the Etruscans!
Friday April 10 at 10:00 am
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Curious about AI but not sure where to start? In this two-week, hands-on class, you'll discover how tools like ChatGPT, Claude.ai, and Gemini can act as a personal "life coach" to help you set goals, stay motivated, brainstorm solutions, and handle everyday challenges with more ease. Each session includes live demonstrations, guided practice, and plenty of time for questions, so you'll leave with practical skills you can use right away to enrich your daily life. NOTE: AI wrote this course description and advised on the course outline!
Tuesday April 7 at 9:30 am
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This class is an introduction to qigong and simple stretching patterns. Movements will be taught both as physical and energetic exercises and as methods for improving present moment awareness and mindfulness of subtle perceptions. No special clothing or experience is required, come as you are, and be ready to move about comfortably in your home space and have fun with others! This course is offered in conjunction with several other Osher Institutes across the country. We will be meeting over Zoom, and the class will include social time with other class members. The instructor will offer supporting resources of a suggested DVD available for purchase, free videos to view on YouTube, and ongoing virtual classes between Osher terms.
Tuesday April 7 at 10:00 am
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Join us for the April session of the Osher Booker Bookers Book Club series! The book this month will be THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai.
The Booker Bookers will read Booker Prize winners in monthly meetings from September 2025 through May 2026. Each session will feature a rotating discussion leader from among Osher members. The reading list is curated by Osher volunteer Lee Ann Troutman, featuring titles available at both the Anderson Foothill branch of the city library system and the Granite County Library. Come join the Booker Bookers!
Please note: This event is offered as a series and you'll need to register separately for any sessions you'd like to attend
Friday April 3 at 1:00 pm
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Join us at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts for a guided tour of this special exhibition, Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt. This print retrospective is accompanied by Marie Watt's monumental blanket stacks, hanging textiles, and sculptures that also bring these stories to life. After the one-hour tour, Osher members are invited to stay and enjoy lunch together. Lunch or refreshments can be purchased at the UMFA's cafe.
Friday April 17 at 11:00 am
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Photo Information: Watt, Marie, (Native American, Seneca, 1967), Companion Species (Mother), edition 7/20, 2017, softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint, 16 1/2 x 22 1/4 in. Sheet, 19 1/8 x 24 7/8 in. Frame, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer Marie Watt Photography Credit: Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
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Join us for a free, guided highlights tour of the Salt Lake County visual arts collection, featuring some of the key works in the collection by artists connected to Utah. The collection reflects the region's history, landscapes, and diverse communities, and is displayed in public buildings throughout the county, making it free and accessible to all. Each tour will explore artwork across all four floors of the government center--four floors in the North Building and four floors in the South Building--offering a broad look at the collection in each space. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a sack lunch.
Friday April 24 at 12:00 pm
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Did you know we start losing muscle as early as age 30 and this accelerates after 60? This loss impacts balance, mobility, bone density, and independence. The good news? Strength training can help reverse that trend. Join us for a dynamic session on how building strength supports better health, sharper cognition, and improved quality of life as we age. You'll learn science-backed strategies to safely get started (and stick with it!) - plus enjoy a short demonstration and time for Q&A.
Monday April 27 at 9:30 am
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Celebrate excellence in research with University of Utah Health at Vitae: Stories Behind the Science. This very special evening features top researchers giving TED-talk-style presentations, sharing their work on today's most pressing health issues. Discover their journeys and behind-the-scenes stories and connect with the minds that are shaping tomorrow. Speakers include professors from the Colleges of Medicine, Health, Pharmacy, and Nursing with specialties in obstetrics and gynecology, kinesiology, molecular pharmaceutics, biochemistry, toxicology, and biomedical informatics. Join the researchers and other guests at the S.J. Quinney College of Law auditorium with a reception to follow in their spectacular top floor location. Light drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Complimentary parking is available on site in the stadium parking lot.
Wednesday April 29 at 5:00 pm
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 4/15/26
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| Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
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Join us as we take a private tour of the Salt Lake City and County building, which is one of the city's most beloved landmarks. Completed in 1894, the building is Utah's finest example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. The building has served as a site of virtually every local government decision during this century.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 13
Friday April 17 at 11:30 am
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The mission of the Pioneer Theater Guild (PTG) is to foster and promote community interest in and financial support of the Pioneer Theater Company. Join the PTG at their luncheon at the Alta Club and have an actor from the PTC's production of COME FROM AWAY join your table. The event will begin with a visit with Amy Wadsworth (guild president) to learn more about the guild and its activities. Visit with your guest actor and hear other members of the cast talk about the production and their experiences. Guests at this luncheon will also be the first to hear about the exciting 2026-2027 season of the Pioneer Theatre Company!
Monday April 27 at 11:30 am – Only 2 seats left!
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How an Oil Refinery Works
By Alan Eastman, Osher Instructor, Retired Research Chemist, and Co-founder, GreenFire Energy
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Every day, thousands of Utahns drive past "refinery row," north of Salt Lake. They usually see the refineries as a more or less incomprehensible tangle of pipes that emit an unpleasant odor, and they often see a big pipe with a huge tongue of flame above it - but have no idea why it's there or what it does. This Lunch and Learn is designed to give Osher members an understandable explanation of what those pipes are, what they do, how they do it, and where their gasoline and diesel fuel come from. We will also discuss what all those trucks are doing as they drive from Duchesne to the refineries. We will be digging around in the Northeast Western South Dakota refinery of the Slippery Oil Company - see you there!
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
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Osher Is Built on Volunteerism!
Sign Up to Help Us Grow
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Do you love attending Osher Special Events each term? Are you curious about how we select and organize our many varied fun events and who is responsible for planning them? This single-session free class will give you a behind-the-scenes tour of how Osher staff and volunteers run this very special and unique aspect of our program. Volunteerism is the foundation of Osher and especially of Special Events. We've slowly been gearing up after Covid changed the way events were done in 2020. We're getting back to more in-person meetings at familiar venues and exploring new places too. Come learn how it's done and maybe even plan a new special event yourself for your fellow Osher members or share your ideas for fun places for Osher to visit.
Wednesday April 15 at 10:00 am
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Come join us for a hands-on session of special event planning! In this workshop, you will plan an event in real time with the help of the Osher team. We will have a list of event ideas for you to choose from before the workshop. Come to the workshop ready to fill out the Special Event Proposal Form. Our goal is to have you leave the workshop with your first event planned and ready to go!
Thursday April 2 at 10:00 am
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Did you ever wonder about how the Osher program operates behind the scenes? This single-session free class will introduce you to the magic of how Osher staff and volunteers recruit instructors, organize classes, and create four fascinating six-week terms each year. We will outline duties performed by the esteemed Osher Curriculum Committee. Our founder, Bernard Osher, intended his Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes to be member-driven and volunteer-led within a community of peers, ages 50 and better. Every single member, instructor, and volunteer brings their wealth of life experiences and knowledge to the classroom, building a very special community of curious adults who value education and class discussions highly. Come learn how it's done, share your ideas, and maybe even think about teaching a course yourself for your fellow Osher members.
Tuesday April 7 at 10:00 am
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New! Osher Special Events Club — Join the Conversation
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Osher members are invited to a new monthly gathering designed to spark ideas, build connections, and help shape future Osher special events.
Our next Special Events Club meeting will take place:
Monday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Natural History Museum (cafeteria)
For questions or more information, contact Sandi Greene: sandi@sandigreenecoaching.com
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This informal gathering is an opportunity for members to come together, share ideas, and collaborate on creative possibilities for future Osher events. Following our discussion, we’ll take a leisurely stroll through the Natural History Museum together. Future meetings may rotate to other Osher partner locations and wonderful places that Osher members can enjoy through their membership benefits.
Whether you love brainstorming, planning, or simply connecting with fellow lifelong learners, we’d love to have you join us. No registration needed, please just show up and have fun!
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Call for Submissions – Osher Reflections
Attention Osher Members! We are excited to announce that the 2nd Edition of Osher Reflections, our new literary and art publication, is now in the planning stage, to be available by December 2026. We are soliciting 22 stories and poetry for this edition. The selection of these stories/poetry will be done by a juried panel of five Osher members including Holly Webster, the editor. Guidelines for writing these submissions can be obtained by email: hollyfw@gmail.com .
We know there are many people in our Osher community with intriguing stories, and we look forward to reading them! We are hopeful for very modest donations to help publish this project, but it is not obligatory for submission of your writing. Donations can be made through the Osher website.
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Artwork: Song Bird by Marjorie Ann McClure
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Go Learn: Italy - Whispers of the Etruscans with Osher's own Guiliana Marple
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Guiliana is leading a trip to Italy this October 19-16th, 2026 and recently shared with Go Learn about how much the trip means to her and what to expect on this incredible journey. Her passion for this region, and its fascinating ancient culture is infectious!
Check out her interview below.
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Our previous newsletters and podcasts are saved in an archive on our main website, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.
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Stay Connected by Joining Us on Social Media
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The Osher Instagram and Facebook pages are a great way to stay connected. We highlight the accomplishments of Osher instructors and members. Special Events are updated, posted, and featured here too. Please like us to stay up to date and share with your friends who would enjoy all that Osher has to offer!
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
801-581-6461 | osher@utah.edu
osher.utah.edu
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Continuing Education at the University of Utah | 540 Arapeen Dr Rm 210 | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
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