Forums

Trends in Modern Culture

11 a.m., June 14, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss two videos on our concerns about trends in modern culture.

In the first 15:30 minute video, How governments turn against us without breaking the law, Cyanne Loyle describes how governments stop using the law to protect their citizens, and start using it to punish them instead? This practice, known as Lawfare, can be hard to spot. Understanding that laws are not inherently neutral, but rather made to benefit their makers, is the first step to recognizing and fighting against lawfare in your own country.

Cyanne E. Loyle is the Board of Visitors Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the Pennsylvania State University and a Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Her book, Escaping Justice: Impunity of State Crimes in the Age of Accountability, is about how powerful nations violate human rights yet often escape punishment for those crimes. She has been invited to present her work to the U.S. State Department, U.S. Department of Defense, the United Nations, and the World Bank. She co-hosts the Democracy Works podcast.

Preview her talk at https://youtu.be/uTHzHSEZNWU.

In the second video, Tarmo Jüristo likens what social media is doing to society today with the collapse of
institutions 500 years ago caused by the printing press. Drawing on ideas from philosophy and social analysis, he invites viewers to consider how ruins are not just remnants of decay but mirrors of collective memory, identity, and the stories we tell about what endures and what is lost.

Tarmo Jüristo is an Estonian civil society activist and the founder of SALK, a significant liberal political organization in Estonia. He is known for his insights on liberalism and societal issues, often discussing the influence of historical events on contemporary politics.

How history teaches us to deal with societal collapse | Tarmo Jüristo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPjghax6uA 18:30 minutes

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Manzanita Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022.

Attend Online
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/2026-06-14/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

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

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How the Supreme Court of the United States Works

11 a.m., June 7, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss How the Supreme Court of the United States Works.
This Sunday we will watch two videos on the Supreme Court.
The first video, How the Supreme Court is fast-tracking Trump’s cases on its ‘shadow docket’, describes the emergency docket, and why it’s used and what are the concerns it raises.
The second video is What Really Won the Trillion-Dollar Supreme Court Case. In November 2025, Neal Kumar Katyal was asked to do what no litigant had done before: convince the justices of the Supreme Court to strike down a sitting president’s signature initiative. The initiative that imposed tariffs justified by an economic emergency. SCOTUS had not previously questioned what is and is not an emergency. Neal Katyal describes his trepidation and the help he got to prepare himself and his team to face the court.
You can watch the 7-minute video on the shadow docket at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE67nk0w6ZU and the 18-minute video on the Katyal’s trial preparations at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3M3WaixeOw .

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Manzanita 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.

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

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-06-07/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

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

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Harari and Tegmark on Humanity and AI

11 a.m., May 31, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss Harari and Tegmark on Humanity and AI.
This Sunday we will watch and discuss Harari and Tegmark on Humanity and AI, a video in which Yuval Noah Harari and Max Tegmark discuss human agency, governing AI and the future of humanity with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua at Bloomberg House in Davos on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum.
Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli Historian, Philosopher, and the Bestselling Author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI. His many published works examine themes of free will, consciousness, intelligence, happiness, suffering and the role of storytelling in human evolution.
Max Tegmark is a Swedish-American physicist, machine learning researcher and author. He is a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He co-founded and leads the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit focused on reducing global catastrophic risks from advanced technologies.
Francine Lacqua is an Italian and British journalist, television anchor and editor-at-large for Bloomberg Television. She anchors “The Pulse with Francine Lacqua” every weekday, and features program “Leaders with Lacqua” where she interviews top leaders in business, politics and finance.
You can pre-watch this 32-minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGAA59JTBtg

Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Grant Park Community Center, Classroom 2, 1575 Holt Ave Los Altos, CA 94024-6921.. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

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

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-05-31/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

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

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California Primary Election

11 a.m., May 24, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss the California Primary Election. There are, fortunately, no proposition on the California Primary Election ballot which ends June 2, but it’s huge.
We will not cover every office on the ballot but Carl will give a presentation on the major candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Alex will present the candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in district 17, candidates for the State Senate in district 10, and candidates for the State Assembly in district 26. Presentations will include funds raised, if available, and major endorsements.
After these presentations, we’ll open the floor to comments on other offices, districts, and general Q&A about the election.
Data on candidates are available on Ballotpedia.org.

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

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-05-24/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

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

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Language

11 a.m., May 17, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss Language.
Language is a distinctly human ability that allows us to communicate with more precision than any other animal.
This Sunday we will watch two TED talks on this wonderful talent.
In the first video, The Origin and Evolution of Language, Michael Corballis discusses the evolution of speech centers of our brains from the grasping centers of monkeys and the probable development of language.
Michael Corballis was an Emeritus Professor of cognitive neuroscience and psychology at the University of Auckland. His research spanned brain asymmetry, handedness, mental imagery, memory, and the evolution of language. He is the author of over 400 papers and 14 books.
You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5cklw6d6Q

In the second video, Both Not Half: How language shapes identity, Jassa Ahluwalia describes growing up torn by two identities. His mother was British and his father Punjabi and he grew up immersed in both languages.
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia is a British actor, writer, filmmaker, and radio presenter known for roles in BBC Three’s Some Girls, ITV’s Unforgotten, Ripper Street, and Peaky Blinders. Of British-Indian heritage and fluent in Punjabi, he created the #BothNotHalf campaign on mixed identity, delivered a TEDx talk, and fronted the award-winning BBC One documentary Am I English?.
You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP0bAQ8J6C0

Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022-3742. Lunch will be served after the forum. We suggest a $10 donation.

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

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-05-17/

RSVP on Meetup:
: https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

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