Course

Since 1965, science fiction in books, movies, and TV series has undergone incredible growth and evolution. It now competes with conventional fiction in literary merit and imagination. We will discover where science fiction stretches scientific truth for a compelling story, and where stories simply assume the scientifically impossible. Using great works of sci-fi as examples, we will show how science fiction grapples with issues of great scope for humanity. After a historical review, we will focus on particular sub-genres: Aliens; exoplanets; robots/AI; space and time travel; and apocalypses.

Faculty Bio

Warren Wiscombe had a career in climate science for 30 years before retiring from NASA Goddard in 2013. He has taught science-focused courses for more than a decade.

This is a In-Person + Livestreamed Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 365 (3rd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time 
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, March 30, and ends on Monday, May 4
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (1–3 PM)
• All course materials remain in Member Dashboards through May 31