University of the Air

We may think of the French horn as producing mellow romantic sounds for symphonies, but what happens when you add electronic sounds to this instrument's repertoire?

Its waves of working-class immigrants, self-made millionaires, and socialist reformers have shaped Milwaukee into a city where historic places are sometime obliterated, sometimes repurposed, and sometimes restored. From the Grand Avenue mansions of a hundred years ago to the unrest of the 1960s, follies and nautical disasters to surprising resurgences of woods and wildlife, Milwaukee is a treasure trove of stories. We’ll hear some of those stories from lifelong resident and author John Gurda

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan chronicled changing times, protests exploded from Selma to Watts, and LBJ embraced domestic reforms while escalating the war abroad. We explore the pivotal year 1965.

In the 2022 Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, the court ruled that there is no Constitutional right to abortion, reversing 50 years of protections extended by Roe v. Wade. Behind the headlines lie broader implications to that case that have to do with the way the Constitution is interpreted in other cases, including those involving gun ownership and public prayer.

Discover how the study of starlings' group behavior, singing, and emotions has implications for humans.

We explore the transition from Imperial China to modern China through the writings and customs of prominent writer Yu Yue and his descendants. Professor Rania Huntington discusses her own journey from Mazomanie, Wisconsin, to a career in Chinese studies and shares her personal connection to the Yu family's poignant writings about memory and loss.

Since the 2016 elections, claims of foreign interference have become common. As we approach the 2022 midterm elections, how can outside entities affect the US democratic process and how pervasive are those efforts? UW-Madison Journalism and Mass Communications professor Young Mie Kim will provide some answers.

Ancient monsters include a chimera with the heads of a snake, lion, and she-goat, a one-eyed cannibal, and venomous women whose gaze turns viewers into stone. Classics professor Will Brockliss links horrific creations of ancient Greece and Rome to our own fascination with monsters ranging from Godzilla to the Alien.

How far do First Amendment rights go on a college campus? Are the rules for free speech on a campus different from those in other places? UW political scientist Howard Schweber will walk us through some complexities of free speech--and we may be in for some surprises.

How might we redefine what counts as knowledge, whether in a science classroom, an educational TV program, or a prison?

Preschoolers often miss the lessons we think they learn from watching Clifford, Sesame Street, and other educational programs, while teens may use TV sitcoms to broach difficult topics with their parents. We explore the media's impact on us from childhood through adulthood.

We explore haiku, the shortest poetic form in the world. Whether crude, erotic or funny, we examine haiku as a fascinating and complex global phenomenon.

Whether it's golf, football, track and field, or any other sport, the pressure of competing with other players, the pressure of competing against oneself, and the narrow margin between victory and defeat can put enormous physical and psychological stress on a player. What are the ongoing difficulties for men and women participating in sports, and what are the best ways of preventing or coping with them? we'll get insights and answers from sports psychiatrist Claudia Reardon.

Preschoolers often miss the lessons we think they learn from watching Clifford, Sesame Street, and other educational programs, while teens may use TV sitcoms to broach difficult topics with their parents. We explore the media's impact on us from childhood through adulthood.

World War II in the Pacific was the culmination of the expansionist Japanese empire, an empire that was the product of just a few decades. How did the empire develop so quickly? What were its goals, and what made its strategists think that they could beat the world's most powerful nations? UW History Professor Louise Young will tell us about Japanese expansion and the Wartime Empire.