The Invisible Thread: 3,500 Years Of Global Supply Chain (OOL)
Osher Online | Registration opens Sunday, August 16, 2026 2:00 PM
We often only notice the global supply chain when it breaks. Yet, for millennia, the movement of goods has been the silent engine of civilization. In this course, we will track the evolution of trade from an executive’s perspective. From the sunken treasures of Bronze Age merchant ships to the high-tech intermodal systems of today, we will explore the vessels that carried the world’s wealth and the complex networks that keep our modern shelves stocked.
This program meets on Mondays, 10/19/26 through 11/23/26 at 10:00 am.
Each live session is 90 minutes
Monday, October 19
Monday, October 26
Monday, November 2
Monday, November 9
Monday, November 16
Monday, November 23
As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu. The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website.
Please save the link once you receive it. Multi-session courses will use this same link each week.
Scott Jones
Scott Jones brings a unique perspective to his lectures, combining 30 years of naval command, diplomatic service, and executive leadership in defense and maritime industries. Jones is a docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum, leading architecture and gallery tours. A retired Navy captain, he commanded three warships and a squadron, with assignments at the Pentagon and State Department. He later served as a senior executive for a defense corporation, a maritime shipping company, and ran his own consulting business.