Midcoast Senior College’s annual Winter Wisdom lecture series begins on Jan. 6. All one-hour programs take place on Zoom on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and are free.

The series will include a lecture/discussion led by Maine Sen. Angus King, who will discuss recent congressional legislation of interest to senior citizens.

Jan. 6: Musical Narrative and the 4 Chopin Ballads: George Lopez, Beckwith Artist-in-Residence at Bowdoin College, opens Winter Wisdom with a lecture/performance of Frédéric Chopin’s ballads.

Jan. 12: Maine’s First Ship: Reconstruction of the Virginia of Sagadahoc: Jim Parmentier, a research scientist and sailor, will discuss the current Virginia building project and the history of the ship, as well as plans for the Virginia replica.

Jan. 19: Maritime Maine and Hawaii: Christopher Timm, Interim Executive Director of Maine Maritime Museum, will explore the connections between these two states, told through the lens of the Museum’s collections.

Jan. 26: Recent Congressional Action and What It Means for Maine Seniors: Sen. Angus King will speak on recent legislation passed in Congress and its implications for Maine’s seniors.

Feb. 2: Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments: This discussion of a critical environmental problem will be led by Abby Barrows, a native of Stonington who has traveled the world to study marine and terrestrial environments and has directed global microplastic pollution research from her Deer Isle oyster farm.

Feb. 9: CRISPR Therapy: This session will illustrate the basics of how this technology works and the potential applications to modern medicine. Lecturer Lucy Liaw is a Faculty Scientist at MaineHealth where she heads a biomedical research laboratory focused on cardiometabolic disease.

Feb. 16: Longfellow Days: Longfellow Days events, a literary celebration organized by the Brunswick Downtown Association, are open to the public at no charge. Visit brunswickdowntown.org for more information.

Midcoast Senior College’s mission is to provide noncredit academic courses and other educational events for people 50 years and older to continue their lifelong learning. It is one of 17 senior colleges in Maine.

Winter Wisdom is sponsored by The Highlands Retirement Community in Topsham. For more information, visit midcoastseniorcollege.org.