Read and discuss topics from a broad cross-section of the world press, academic blogs, and policy think tanks to gain a better understanding of issues in current events and foreign policy. Moderator Jim Munroe supplies core materials for discussions and welcomes additional materials from participants. All points of view are welcome, especially constructive and civil rebuttals. Because the world is in such flux, topics are not finalized until four to six weeks before the first meeting. No class Feb 16. Limited enrollment. Jim Munroe has moderated current event discussion groups since 2007. He retired after 25 years of service at Los Alamos National Labs. His work in nuclear non-proliferation included extensive travel in the former Soviet Union and the newly independent states.

Back by popular demand! In 2017, Jason Zuffranieri got the call inviting him to participate on the legendary television program, Jeopardy! Three weeks and 19 wins later, he would see what a lifetime of preparation and loyal viewing would lead to. Even in his wildest dreams he never imagined how things would turn out. This session describes the process before, during, and after playing on Jeopardy! Zuffranieri answers any burning questions you have about the show and its iconic host, Alex Trebek. Jason Zuffranieri came to Albuquerque in 2002 from his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. After working at Sandia National Labs, he moved into teaching, and has been at Albuquerque Academy for seven years as a math instructor and coach of math and science teams. Zuffranieri has won multiple national championships for sudoku puzzles and has played trivia games since he was a child.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the future. Fossil fuels are a finite energy source and will eventually run out. EVs can be powered by solar, wind, hydro-power and even oil or coal. EVs are non-polluting and efficient. Batteries are getting better each year. Roland Penttila covers how EVs work, talks about his own Tesla, and shows some new calculations to consider in owning one. Roland Penttila is a retired civil engineer who added amateur historian to his other hobbies and is now fully engaged in learning more and more about the city and state he adopted in 1998. His new obsession is his 2020 Tesla Model Y.

In his earliest days in office, President Joe Biden signed numerous executive orders and made detailed legislative proposals to deal with our country’s unprecedented and simultaneous crises: the Covid-19 pandemic; an economic recession with crippling unemployment and worsening inequality of wealth and income; continued systemic racial and ethnic inequity; and extreme political polarization amid assaults on our democracy. This lecture focuses on what progress has been made on all fronts since Biden took office, as well as the prospects now for further progress. A former US senator and national chair of the Democratic Party, Fred Harris is a widely published author and professor emeritus of political science at the University of New Mexico, where he continues to teach in the Fred Harris Congressional Internship Program. He has produced 20 nonfiction books, including, as co-editor, Healing Our Divided Society, a fiftieth-anniversary update of the 1968 Report of the Kerner Commission, of which he is the lone surviving member.

Food impacts our health from birth until death. It can improve quality of life at any age. Examine how food impacts key aspects of aging, including bone health, cognitive health, cancer, and overall longevity. Bryn Smith, RD, reviews what key micro and macro nutrients and foods impact each of these areas and shares small changes you can make to safeguard your aging. Bryn Smith is a registered dietitian at Dietitians ABQ and received her degree from UNM. She has a background in corporate wellness and nutrition and lectures at Sandia National Laboratories, UNM, and in the larger Albuquerque community. As a dietitian, Smith believes in the power of food to nourish the mind and the body. She works to improve people's relationship with their food to help them obtain recognizable health benefits.

Diabetes can rightly be called the new plague of the 21st century. Approximately 1.4 million people develop diabetes in the US every year, with the most dramatic increase in cases of type 2 diabetes -- also known as diabetes mellitus or adult diabetes. While type 2 diabetes has become a major public health concern, our presenter details straightforward lifestyle changes you can make to prevent or even reverse it. Peter Pribis, MD, DrPH, is an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics in the Department of Individual, Family, & Community Education at UNM. He is also a registered dietician, and has authored many articles and peer-reviewed articles for publication, in addition to a book chapter and cookbooks. He is an enthusiastic advocate of the benefits of healthy nutrition and promoter of evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

Coronary artery disease is the number one cause of death in the United States for both women and men. The internet is full of sometimes misleading information regarding the causes, types, prevention, and treatments. Our presenter dispels the myths, defines the terms in understandable language, and outlines the medically accepted prevention and therapeutic treatment strategies available in 2021. At the conclusion, you will have the facts and be able to better communicate with your own physician. Neal Shadoff, MD, is a retired Duke-trained cardiologist with 38 years of practice experience. He has collaborated on more than 50 medical research trials and has published articles in medical journals and textbooks. The guiding principle of his career was that the secret to best taking care of patients is caring about the individual patient.