Great Science Stories

Thurs., April 9-May 14, 12-1:30 p.m.

Time: 12-1:30 p.m.

Location: Online

Cost: $70

With Johnnie Hendrickson, Ph.D., Teaching Professor, School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University

Science is full of surprises. Dyes, accidentally discovered, launched the modern pharmaceutical industry. A failed experiment opened the door to new physics. A geologist studying Earth’s age ended up taking on the oil companies to ban leaded gasoline. These stories remind us that discoveries are never just dry facts. They are moments of creativity, struggle, and chance, with consequences that ripple far beyond the laboratory.

In this course, we will explore the human side of science, situating breakthroughs in the context of their times and tracing how they reshaped both knowledge and society. Along the way, we will tour centuries of discovery across biology, chemistry, physics, and more, asking not just what was found, but how it was found, and why it still matters today.

Dr. Johnnie Hendrickson is a teaching professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University; he holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, and is the author of the textbook Chemistry in the World. His academic work focuses on science communication, the reciprocal relationship between science and society.

This class will not be recorded.

Class #: 24008

Registration opens for OLLI members on Feb. 3. Non-members may register starting Feb. 9.

Johnnie Hendrickson

Dr. Johnnie Hendrickson is a teaching professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University; he holds a PhD in chemistry, and is the author of the textbook Chemistry in the World. His academic work focuses on science communication -- the reciprocal relationship between science and society.