Higher education for seniors through the internet?

Question

A little while ago someone posted a question asking whether any senior citizens planned to improve their educations through online sources.

I read a lot of QA over in the astronomy section. After I considered the question a bit I visited Astronomy to reassure myself online information sources allow us to really do some serious learning.

Here are a couple of questions that jumped out at me:

"Why are objects tilted when I look through the eyepiece on my telescope?"

"Are the planets in space like earth as far as having a cold North Pole and Hot South Pole?"

Good for a laugh or two this cold night. And the first one has a lot of potential for deep philosophic ponderings tomorrow while I try to build up the will-power to get out from under the covers.

Shouldn't anyone who can answer that second question be awarded an online degree?

Shadow: Nothing to keep you from it. A man ought to do what he thinks is best.

?: I agree, for my own life. Another degree would be meaningless. But each to his own.

SusanS: Just a smile of a question on my part. The asker wondering whether planets elsewhere had a cold north pole and hot south pole same as ours. I'm still chuckling about it.

But the one about objects being tilted when he looks through the eyepiece of his telescope [I suspect it has to do with the design of the instrument] honestly applies to something significant about life, it seems to me.

We humans do a lot of looking through telescopes at things we hear, read and see on a TV screen. Seems to me they're almost always tilted one way or another.

But my attempts at humor almost always fall flat, though my cats laugh politely.

Thanks for the replies
J

Answer 1

I would love to go back and get an addional degree. As long as my mind and body stay active, I can have a better quality of mental awareness and interest . There are many things I would like to learn about.

There may be distortion in the mirror in the telescope too. Sometimes the lambda in the parabolic mirrors are not correctly matched.

Answer 2

I wish I had seen your question sooner....last night my husband and I stood outside looking at the Moon and Mars. He pointed out that it looked like Mars was circling the Moon; the way Mars and the Moon had moved throughout the evening made it look like Mars was moving counter-clockwise around the Moon...;)

On the serious side: I'm not yet a senior, I'm 49, and I do take classes online. These are not towards a degree...but they are still important in my opinion. I'm even considering going for a degree. I know that many people think that getting a degree when we are older is pointless, but I think taking classes and learning is something we should do throughout life.

Jack; the poles on other planets question made me chuckle-and also made me want to tell the questioner to go turn on the Discovery Channel. Ooo, better idea, we could send the Questioner to McMurdo Station and ask for reports on how warm it is now that it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.... ;)

I'd love to see the answers to the tilted view question, that one befuddled me a bit. I do see your point about tilted views. Personally, I tend towards the Don Quixote type of tilting; but you make a good point about perspective.

You know, if Yahoo Answers did partner with a College, and offer degrees for good answers, I bet more people would participate. >grin< I think you are lucky to be surrounded by such polite cats.....we all need an appreciative audience at times.

Answer 3

Education ? I 'm personally getting a substantial amount of education in areas I'm interested in via the internet. I have enough useless paper work laying around that I have no need/want for a paper saying someone thought I learned something. To each their own, my degree was satisfactory when I needed it, don't need paper no more.

Answer 4

What good is a degree without the ability to put it to good use? The ability to answer these questions won't really help a person to get through life OR hold a job! They might be good as conversation pieces at receptions & parties! IMHO. Maybe I'm just not getting the gist is the question.

Answer 5

Obviously the quality of the online education would determine what site you get it from. Y.A. would not be my choice.
I have seen one polar ice cap on Mars through a telescope when it was very close to earth. It was lovely.

Answer 6

Yes, I can go free now and finish the degree I started years ago, then could no longer afford. I only went to educate myself. I enjoy it even more now.

Answer 7

I think it would be a good way to occupy ones time as we grow older. Never can have too much education.

Answer 8

I am 63 and still pondering what I want to be when I grow up.