In this course, students will learn, understand and appreciate the basic properties and unique applications of light. This GE course is about optical phenomena. What is a double rainbow? What gives a peacock its fascinating color? Does optical fiber have anything to do with your smart phone? How do blue lasers help the CD industry to stay competitive? The wonderful optical phenomena in nature, milestones in optical discoveries over the century, and optical inventions that drastically shaped the modern world will be discussed, and students will acquire a qualitative appreciation of optics in everyday life through lectures and group presentations.