Fear is one of the most powerful and universal human experiences—but what actually happens in our bodies when we become afraid? Dr. Westley Youngren explores the science of fear, from the neural circuits that detect threats to the surprising reasons we sometimes seek out fear for fun. Join us as we explore the biological and social phenomenon of fear and discover why being scared can be both terrifying and fascinating!
AI is all around us—recognizing faces in photos, transcribing speech, answering questions, writing essays, generating code, and much more. But rapidly improving AI is poised to play a much bigger role in all our lives.
In this lecture, Melanie Mitchell, a complexity scientist at the Santa Fe Institute and a highly regarded expert in artificial intelligence, will describe how contemporary AI works, how “intelligent” it really is, and what our expectations—and concerns—about its near-term and long-term prospects should be.
The question may be met with chagrin by traditionalists, but to some, the identity of William Shakespeare is not positively decided. Dr. Felicia Londré, Ph.D, presents a thought-provoking analysis on the Shakespeare authorship question. This free lecture program is at 10:00 am on Thursday, October 29, 2026, on the campus of the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Location on campus to be announced on our website in August. In the meantime, please save the date.
Today our ESU Happy Hour takes us on a journey through the pivotal events that shaped America 250 years ago, this time in the great state of Virginia, where revolutionary ideas became constitutional action. On May 15, 1776, at the Fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg, delegates in Philadelphia proposed to transition Virginia from a British colony into an independent commonwealth, to establish a new state government, and urged the Continental Congress to declare full national independence from Great Britain.
Film buffs will be delighted as The Linda Hall Library presents this 1953 version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. This free morning showing of Shakespeare’s classic has an all-star cast including Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, and Deborah Kerr as Portia. Directed by the legendary Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
The Bach Aria Soloists ensemble brings a rare glimpse into the private lives of six women composers from the 11th century through modern times. The program “In Her Own Words,” pairs their groundbreaking music through their letters, journals, and published works with the spoken word by the captivating guest actor Cinnamon Schultz Paulette—a powerful celebration of these extraordinary creators. Experience history through the voices of leading women composers.
The British Are Coming! All ESU members and guests are invited to the 39th Annual British Faire sponsored by the Daughters of the British Empire in Kansas. Prepare to be transported across the pond to experience the charm and elegance of a traditional British Faire and Tea. This annual fundraising event benefits retirement communities and local charities.
Before they ever set foot in kindergarten, a child asks something on the order of 40,000 questions that demand a real explanation. Most get waved away or answered with whatever will end the conversation fastest. But the research is clear that children aren't asking for attention. They are hunting for how the world actually works, and they can tell the difference between a real answer and one that tries to end the conversation.
All ESU members and Friends of ESU are invited to this holiday classic produced by KCRep. This production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a blend of classic storytelling with lively and energetic performances by an all-star cast.
Christmas in America has a much richer and stranger history than the cozy images we know today. This festive ESU Happy Hour explores why early New Englanders outlawed Christmas, how rowdy wassailing gangs once filled the streets, and how German, Dutch, and English traditions eventually blended into the modern Santa. We’ll trace the journey from medieval St. Nicholas and Alpine mischief-makers to Thomas Nast’s German-American illustrations, the Civil War era’s sentimental reinvention of the holiday, and the 20th-century rise of Rudolph, department-store Santas, Coca-Cola branding, and iconic Christmas foods. With a pint in hand, you’ll learn how a mix of immigrant customs, reform movements, and cultural trends brought today’s version of American Christmas into being.
Today, we recognize A Christmas Carol as a morality tale about greed, with Charles Dickens becoming “The Man Who Invented Christmas” by discovering the Christmas spirit. But, in its 1843 context, Dickens’s novella is a deeply political response to the horrors of the Industrial Revolution, the exploitative rise of the British Empire, and the political reaction to the New Poor Law of 1834.
Do you love a good mystery? For five decades, Agatha Christie’s primary obsession was murder, but her interest in houses was a close second, particularly the English country house. Taken together, some of her most popular works offer a keen look at the changing fortunes of English country houses in the 20th century. Beloved by readers worldwide, Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the best-selling novelist of all time. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.
From Final Chapter to Immortal Memory With Author and Lecturer Flora Fraser