10/4 & 10/11/2017 Space- To Infinity and Beyond* 

Session 1:         Life, The Universe, and Everything            October 4^th

This class will update us on what astronomy and other sciences have discovered and theorized about the possibility of life on other worlds, in our own solar system and beyond. We’ll learn how scientists theorize life’s start on Earth, how these theories might apply to other known planets or their moons, and all the many factors involved in planetary and stellar development and their influences on life.

 Session 2:  Rockets, Space Travel, and Space Warps     October 11^th

 It seems like countries big and small are getting into rocketry these days. Private corporations are flourishing by developing new systems in a field once considered the province of just a few. We'll hear about the history of "Rocket Science" and examine new space travel developments, including a guess about what might happen far into the future. Special attention will focus on what it takes to put humans in space for short or long journeys, and how relativistic effects theorized by Albert Einstein make the passage of time a very complicated affair.

Questions or information:  Call Mary Ann Cassani    815-409-1807

 Our Presenter: Patrick Frendreis

 Patrick Frendreis worked for 12 years with the Chicago City Colleges (Harry S. Truman College) as tutor and Assistant Manager of Truman's Academic Tutoring program.  

He then spent two years at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago as the Public Performance Specialist, writing and developing science demonstrations.

 For the last 25+ years Patrick has concurrently worked at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago as the Planetarium Theater Technician, maintaining and installing planetarium theater equipment, programming visuals and writing scripts for the live constellation shows, as well as serving as a part-time Professor of Astronomy at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL.  

In a 2015 article about Frendreis in the Kenosha News, he revealed that as a kid, every month In Boy's Life, the Boy Scout magazine, they had an article about different constellations, and

I got interested in that. I'd go to the library and pick up some books, plus I had a grandmother who was just into spoiling all of her grandchildren, and she kept buying me telescopes. I still have at least one of the telescopes that she bought me when I was in high school. And she would take me out to places like the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. 

Frendreis shared more of his thoughts: The universe is just so big and vast, and there are things out there that are not like things here on Earth, although things here on Earth are to some extent part of the universe. It never ceases to amaze me. Also, as a teacher of astronomy, just when we think we know everything and we're saying, "This is the way it is," then someone else comes along and says, "Well, let's change that" model or particular theory. And, as with anything, it's just this never-ending, cool thing to be looking at—the universe. How can you beat the universe?

Register Now! 

Refund policy: refunds will be issued only if the cancellation is received 2 weeks prior to the event deadline stated for each event. 

For cancellations please call the Vanessa at the A.L.L. Office at 262-595-2793. 

If you pay by credit card, your credit card will be refunded.

If you pay by check you will be issued a university refund check.