Course Description

Symposia is one of OLLI’s longest running invited speaker series. Among its not-so-secrets of success is that each lecture is presented by a different speaker, often one taking an afternoon off from a busy professional schedule to talk with us about their work. Symposia fits in well with the lifestyle of busy OLLI members—because each week is about a different topic, missing a lecture does not mean losing course continuity. Our classmates often enjoy lunch together at Café at the Forest or a different restaurant, then satisfy their intellectual hunger by coming to the lecture.

Because our speakers have ever-changing schedules, the program is subject to change, but at press time these speakers and topics are scheduled. • Lecture (plus questions).

June 9 • What’s on the horizon for Cardiovascular Devices? David F Kong, MD, AM, DMT, FACC, FSCAI, is the Co-Director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. His research interest is in Cardiovascular Late Phase 3 Devices. This means the experimental devices of the clinical trials are almost ready to be submitted to the FDA for approval. Dr. Kong’s lecture title is The Rise of Techno-Cardiology: Implications for Patients, Practices, and Educators. We OLLI members are in the age group where devices can be lifesaving, and we’ll leave this lecture much better informed about the possibilities. (This lecture has been arranged by Mike Smith.)

June 16 • Keto Diets? Low Carb high-fat diets? Help! Low carbohydrate high-fat dieting and Keto diets are growing and are controversial. We are lucky because there is an international expert on those diets right here at Duke. Dr. Eric Westman knows all the controversies about the low carb diet community, and he will be sharing his insights with us today. (This lecture has been arranged by Tony Waraksa.)

June 23 • Fireflies? Lightning bugs? When you see those nighttime wonders (this date is pretty much the peak season for them) what you call them is a clue as to where you might have grown up. In any event, they are neither flies nor bugs, but flying beetles, and today Professor Clyde Sorenson of NC State will tell us more about them. We’re going to learn about their life cycles, and even how to decipher their flash codes. You might even find yourself out late tonight, enjoying in real life what you’ll have learned about this afternoon. (This lecture was arranged by Tony Waraksa.)

July 7 • "This is your captain speaking" We've all heard that during a flight, but this time, OLLI member and retired United Airlines Caption Bob Wilkerson won't be telling us the Golden Gate Bridge will be visible on the right side of the airplane. Instead, he's going to take us on a tour of the cockpit of the Boeing 777's he flew, and talk us through what it takes to prepare for a flight. Bob wants to save a big part of the session for questions from us, so his prepared remarks will not be as long as most speakers because he wants enough time to answer the questions you always wanted to ask the man who spent so many hours at the controls, getting us safely to our destinations. (This lecture was arranged by Tony Waraksa)

July 14 • Albert Einstein: Reluctant Superstar For many people, the name “Einstein” is synonymous with scientific genius and intellectual greatness. His insights into the ultimate unity of space and time, and his revolutionary concept of gravity certainly qualify him as one of the greatest minds of all time. But his passion for science was matched by his commitment to social justice, human rights, and worldwide disarmament. During the 20s and 30s, “Albert Einstein: Reluctant Superstar”, with George Capaccio’s portrayal of Einstein will offer us insights into the great scientist’s principled stand against injustice and the price he paid for his unwavering devotion to humanity.

July 21 • Take home some yoga for the summer. Today Carol Krucoff will be talking with us about what you might call practical yoga, yoga ideas you can take home and use the rest of the summer so when the fall term starts you'll feel more fit and flexible than you do right now.