Category: Video+discussion

The Internet Can Make the World a Better Place

Jennifer Pahlka, founder, Code for America

11 a.m., November 2, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a couple of videos highlighting some of the simple, but perhaps overlooked, benefits of the internet. The talks don’t address political, environmental, or existential problems but show how the internet can make life better.

In the first video, How web video powers global innovation, Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation — a self-fueling cycle of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print. But to tap into its power, organizations will need to embrace radical openness.

After a long career in journalism and publishing, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2002 and positioned TED as a global media initiative devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading.’
In the second video, Coding a better government, coder and activist, Jennifer Pahlka, shows that that apps, built quickly and cheaply, are a powerful new way to connect citizens to their governments — and their neighbors.

Jennifer Pahlka is the founder of Code for America, which matches software geniuses with US cities to reboot local services.

You can preview these videos at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation (18 minutes), and
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_pahlka_coding_a_better_government (12 minutes).

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035-4323. Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call: here.

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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/311813102/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20251102/250b797b-63a6-419b-a033-f2408abe2dda/the-internet-can-make-the-world-a-better-place

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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Exposing The Dark Side of America’s AI Data Center Explosion

Future Microsoft data center, north of State Route 237

11 a.m., October 26, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a 31-minute video from September 2025.

The explosion of AI, artificial intelligence, across every industry has seen hundreds of water- and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US. Already, one-third of the world’s internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia.

However, until now, there has been no official record of the number of data centers in America, who owns them, or how much electricity they consume.

In an exclusive deep dive into the industry, Business Insider reporters cracked the code and, for the first time, revealed the true cost of the data warehouses feeding our growing appetite for cloud computing and AI. We travelled to Virginia to meet people living in the shadow of 80-foot-high boxes that emit a constant drone, and to the drought-ridden state of Arizona, where some data centers are using as much as a million gallons of water a day to help cool their computer servers.

Business Insider also discovered that the power needs of data centers have forced some states to withdraw from their carbon emissions targets. Power companies are even looking to extend the life of coal and gas plants to help meet the unprecedented demand.

BUSINESS INSIDER is a New York-based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. It publishes original reporting and aggregates material from other outlets. The outlet has been nominated for several awards, but has also been criticized for using factually incorrect clickbate headlines to attract viewership.

Ironically, In 2023, Business Insider shifted its organizational model, adding multiple AI products in 2024, and reducing its staff by nearly 40% between April 2023 and May 2025.

The image illustrates the future Microsoft data center, north of State Route 237, between Zanker Road and Coyote Creek. https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/05/pge-microsoft-san-jose-tech-economy-power-energy-electric-build-ai-jobs/

You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Sequoia Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call: here.

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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-10-26/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/311628318/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20251026/28ee4c08-31d8-43f1-9404-fea83e8626d1/exposing-the-dark-side-of-americas-ai-data-center-explosion

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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

What You Need to Know about California Proposition 50

Virtual Town Hall on California’s Proposition 50

6 p.m., October 8, 2025

Learn why Proposition 50 will have a huge impact on separation of church and state, and many other aspects of fair and equitable government.
That’s why FFRF Action Fund and Equality California invite you to this special online town hall, “What You Need to Know about California Proposition 50.” (More info here. Register to attend here.)
Hear from a distinguished panel:

  • Rep. Jared Huffman (CA), chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, on why Proposition 50 is critical to secular voters.
  • Oklahoma state Rep. Mickey Dollens, FFRF regional governmental affairs manager, on how Proposition 50 impacts communities across the country.
  • Tom Temprano, managing director, Equality California, on what is happening on the ground in California.

This educational forum will focus on why Proposition 50 matters for fair representation and the protection of the separation of state and church, LGBTQ+ rights, and what voters need to know.
There will be ample opportunity for questions and answers, so bring your toughest and most thought-provoking questions. The virtual town hall is open to all FFRF Action Fund and Equality California advocates, reflecting the national importance of this measure.
See more about this important conversation by clicking here.
Register to attend by clicking here.

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RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/311418633/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20251008/b0f6ddb0-3be6-4eb0-8cb2-1290e0c8877d/what-you-need-to-know-about-california-proposition-50

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1975426770091508162

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Prop 50, Explained — Inside California’s Redistricting Push

Maya C. Miller of CalMatters

11 a.m., October 5, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video exploring Prop 50.

This November, California voters will decide whether to approve Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would amend the state’s constitution to temporarily suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and replace its maps with new, partisan-drawn districts.

This forum will be a presentation of the 17-minute video, Prop 50, Explained — Inside California’s Redistricting Push, in which Norm Leahy, the senior editor of Ballotpedia, interviews Maya C. Miller of CalMatters. It will be followed by discussion.

Supporters of Prop 50, led by Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic allies, argue the change is needed to counter mid-decade redistricting efforts in states like Texas and Florida. Opponents — including Republicans, good governance groups, and even former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — say the measure undermines reforms voters approved more than a decade ago. Maya C. Miller of CalMatters joins the show to explain how Prop 50 made it onto the ballot, what the campaigns for and against are emphasizing, and what polling suggests about its chances this November.

Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007.
CalMatters is a nonprofit news organization covering California state politics and policies, launched in 2015. Founders cited the decline in coverage of state politics as a major motivation leading up to its founding.

You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6dieCtcMbc

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in Milpitas Library Group Study Room A, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call: here.

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/311331607/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20251005/a39f6443-e8f4-4eab-85e8-0bd2c73457d6/prop-50-explained-inside-california-s-redistricting-push

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Humanist Watch Party for California Freethought Day

President of Black Nonbelievers, Mandisa Thomas, speaks to the crowd at California Freethought Day

12 noon-5 p.m., October 12, 2025

Humanists at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto invite you to a Watch Party for California Freethought Day. The day is sponsored in part by the American Humanist Association.

California Freethought Day combines the fun and atmosphere of a fair with the education and activism of a conference. It’s a festival of freethought.

Join us to celebrate freedom of speech and thought, civic engagement, enthusiasm for science, social justice, and the separation of church and state.

The live event will be outdoors at the California State Capitol Building and livestreamed to UUCPA’s Room 4-5.

This 24th year will feature speakers, entertainers, podcasters, authors, awardees, scholarship recipients, and more.

  • Jonathan Lopez as “Hellen Heels”
  • Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist
  • Bongo Furies, Frank Zappa Cover Band
  • Nick Fish, President of American Atheists
  • Karma Waltonen, Writer and Atwood Scholar
  • Corey Wright, Shiny Happy People Season 2
  • Liana Pilar de Leo, Scholarship Winner
  • Haram Doodles, Ex-Muslim Cartoonist
  • Thomas Smith, Host of Serious Inquiries Only
  • Erica Lee, Congressional Candidate
  • Lydia Smith, Podcaster
  • Andy Swan, as Uncle Sam

See the full agenda: https://freethoughtday.org/main/
We’ll be sure to have pizza, fruit, and cookies.

Attend in Person:

Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 East Charleston Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Room 4-Room 5, across the patio from the sanctuary.
https://www.uucpa.org/events/humanist-watch-party-for-california-freethought-day/

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Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20251012/ca2a8264-136f-4ba8-8e4d-45ab118637c3/humanist-watch-party-for-california-freethought-day

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508