The University of the Third Age in Wollongong kicks off term four in October with a fabulous mix of guest lectures which are all free and open to the public. Climate change and sustainability feature prominently but there's also a session on one of music's modern-day greats, Bob Dylan.
Kicking off the program on Monday, 13 October, at 11am, local 'storm chaser' Michael Thompson will present a lecture that concentrates on the characteristics and behaviour of thunderstorms, lightning and hail. While Michael plans to cover some very basic physics he won't go too deeply into the science behind thunderstorms.
Drawing on his 30 years of experience chasing and recording storms mainly across eastern Australia and two trips to the USA, he will use a series of photographs and video recordings to illustrate the various features of the storms that spectacularly feature in the world of meteorology.
On Monday, 20 October, Professor Tim McCarthy will present a lecture on sustainable buildings that promote the wellbeing of their occupants. Recently retired from UOW, where he was the Director of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, Tim will explain how Wollongong became home to three of the most sustainable buildings in Australia, all located on UOW’s Innovation campus, including the award-winning Illawarra Flame House and the Desert Rose House.
Tim will explain what makes these buildings special is that they are not only ecologically super sustainable, but they also promote the wellbeing of their occupants. His talk will cover the principles of universal design, indoor environment quality and promotion of healthy spaces. He will also cover tips on making existing buildings cosier, cooler and more energy efficient.
On Thursday, 23 October, Dawn Epton will present a talk with the title “Why Bob Dylan Matters” – a title she's borrowed from a book written by Richard F. Thomas in 2017. Dawn will cover Dylan’s boundless artistry, his uncanny ability to sing with the times, and the rawness of the poetry in his songs, while alluding to his lyrical genius.
Dawn will assert that at one and the same time he uncovers the truth of the human condition while perhaps perversely concealing his own. She will expand on how Dylan came to be one of the most influential and iconic figures in modern music and culture, with a career that has spanned six decades and an impact that reaches far beyond songwriting. And then there is his Nobel Prize for Literature. That’s why he matters.
On Monday, 27 October, Dr Paul Hardisty will present a talk on the threats that climate change is posing for the world’s coral reefs and oceans. Paul was CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science from 2017 to 2023 and is now a full-time writer, having produced two fictional books with climate change themes (The Forcing and The Descent) and a recent non-fiction book titled In Hot Water, which has been shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Award.
Paul will introduce the Great Barrier Reef as "one of nature’s most spectacular treasures and outline the challenges that it has faced historically". He will discuss whether our reefs will be able to develop an in-built resilience to warmer waters or whether they may simply die. Paul will also advocate for the need to listen to the scientists who have worked tirelessly to study the effects of a changing climate on our reefs, and the need for us all to consider the personal and political will that may be required if we are to save these marine eco-systems.
All sessions are on Monday or Thursday mornings between 9:30 and 12:00 at the Salvation Army Auditorium at 13 Burelli Street, and non-members are always welcome to come and try (for free) the friendly learning experience of U3A. For more U3A Wollongong activities, visit wollongong.u3anet.org.au