We often take for granted the structures and products that we encounter and use regularly in our lives. In this course we will consider the processes that bring valuable natural resources (such as oil, rare earth minerals, offshore wind) to the marketplace, and important industrial techniques and instruments (automation & robotics, AI, others) that enable the manufacture of diverse products.

In past semesters, we’ve looked at bridges and buildings that go up and fall down, the manufacturing of Ritz crackers to automobiles to Legos to houses, and the many tried-and-true to modern technologies that make it all possible. We will continue considering the wide range of processes that we rely on to make our world what it is.

Format: Each course participant will be asked to “own an hour,” leading the group in learning about a topic. The leadership can take the form of arranging a talk by a guest speaker (in-person or Zoom), showing illustrative videos, telling the story through slides and commentary, posing provocative questions and leading the group discussion or other formats. It’s always best to reserve the last 20-25 minutes of the hour for discussion (the most popular part of the class for many LLC members). This is a hybrid class held in-person and on Zoom Videoconference.

Resources/Expenses: Though not required, participants can get valuable background from these titles: The Way Things Work by David Macaulay (a comprehensive guide that uses detailed illustrations to explain the inner workings of everything from simple machines to complex modern technology) and How It’s Made: The Creation of Everyday Items by Thomas Gerencer (focuses on the production of common items and products, providing insight into how they are manufactured).