Class Masters Monsoon Mysteries
Patricia Ingalls
Lifelong Learning offers a new April class that explains summer weather events common in the Sonoran Desert—from the monsoon season, through the transition season, to the long, hot days of summer. For full details and to register, go to lifelonglearningatpc.org.
Arizona Weather—Update for Summer Season: Thursday, April 25, 1 p.m. This educational opportunity will reveal the dynamics that cause Arizona’s monsoons, including the life and death of a monsoon thunderstorm, the post-monsoon transition season, and the potential for hurricane remnants to hit the valley. The class includes a preview of what to expect during the 2024 monsoon season. Instructor Kevin Hillstrom, a PebbleCreek resident, is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) trained weather spotter and self-proclaimed “Weather Hawk.” A federal agency, NOAA provides daily weather forecasts, severe storm warning, climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration, and supporting of marine commerce. The agency extends its reach through science from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them.
PC Reads Selects Treatise on U.S. “Empire”
Patricia Ingalls
LifeLong Learning’s PC Reads is hosting a discussion of the book “How to Hide an Empire: History of the Greater United States” by Daniel Immerwahr. In crackling, fast-paced prose, the author reveals forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light.
In the years after World War II, Immerwahr notes, the U.S. moved away from colonialism. Instead, it put to use innovations in electronics, transportation and culture, devising a new sort of influence that did not require the control of colonies. Rich with absorbing vignettes, full of surprises, and driven by an original conception of what empire and globalization mean today, “How to Hide an Empire “is a major and compulsively readable work of history, according to Amazon Books.
The book was named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year (2019) by the “Chicago Tribune”; a “Publishers Weekly” best book of 2019; and 2019 NPR Staff Pick.
The free discussion takes place Thursday, April 4 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in LLL Center. Registration is required. For full details and to register, go to lifelonglearningatpc.org.
U.S. Border Patrol’s Speakers Scheduled
Patricia Ingalls
Representatives of Customs and Border Protection will speak on Monday, April 8, at 10 a.m. about the successes and challenges involved in managing the U.S. borders.
After the tragic events of 9/11, the U.S. consolidated various government resources responsible for customs, immigration, and border security into a single agency: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). With more than 60,000 employees, CBP is the world’s largest law-enforcement organization.
While working on the front line to deal with illegal immigration, the CBP is also tasked with countering other types of criminal activity, including smuggling and drug trafficking, across all U.S. borders. To combat that, the CBP has developed a multifaceted strategy that includes expanding collaboration and information sharing with other law-enforcement agencies, both domestic and international. The CBP has also adopted advanced technology and equipment, such as non-intrusive inspection systems, canine teams, and handheld devices, to detect drug smugglers attempting to cross into the United States.
Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. in the lobby of the Renaissance Theater and are $5 at the door. The lecture begins at 10 a.m. No registration is required. For full details, go to lifelonglearningatpc.org.
Wearable, Personal AI Progressing
Bill Nee
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. This month’s TED Talk connects how technology and design can be blended, using artificial intelligence as a driving force in device design. One product, as an example, is wearable, personal AI.
Imran Chaudhri is a designer, inventor, and innovator. He spent 22 years at Apple, creating several of the world’s beloved consumer products, like the Mac, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch, and iPhone. He is the named inventor on thousands of patents. His work helps define how the world interacts with technology, and he is driven by his insistence on putting the human experience front and center in the design process.
Chaudhri envisions a future where AI enables devices to “disappear.” He shows a sneak peak of this wearable, personal device and how it could change the way users interact with technology and the world around them. He believes it will be the next leap in device design.
To watch this 14-minute TED Talk, go to TED.com, then in the header, click “WATCH,” and under the category, select “TED Talks,” then click “Search for a talk” then input the title, “The disappearing computer—and a world where you can take AI everywhere,” scroll a little lower, and click on the talk you selected.