Category: Speaker

Dr. Masuma Ahmed

August 12, 2018

Wait, science is not a monster that we have to be afraid of, or have to avoid at all cost! Science is everywhere and even in our everyday lives. It’s in the water we drink. It’s in the air we breathe in. Science is about why, what, and how. Why do we need to drink water? What is water made of? How do we breathe in the air?

Science tells mystery stories. It unfolds the mysteries of where did we come from or how lives began or even why the empty space is not really empty. Science is also an art. With its unique brush strokes, science reveals the mysteries of our surroundings and the Universe we live in. Don’t we all love mystery stories and beautiful arts? So why not capture the beauty of science through our powerful paintbrush and verses?

Dr. Masuma Ahmed is an internationally recognized award-winning Bay Area artist who is originally from New York City. She is a physicist and high-tech entrepreneur turned artist and storyteller. By fusing science with art and poetry, Masuma not only brings unique perspectives to her works, but also demonstrates the power of arts and creative writings in capturing the intrinsic artistry and storytelling aspects of science. Her artworks, a blend of the digital media, mixed media, and traditional media have a very distinctive versatile flair. Masuma received her Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University and art training from Bangladesh Arts Institute and Yale University. Comments from her blog reviewers, ‘I am just amazed. How beautifully you fuse the science with poetry.’ ‘You easily blend science and emotion into an art form.’

Her blog: www.facebook.com/nycrainbowfaces; Email: masumaa@yahoo.com

Science through the Power of Arts and Storytelling – Dr. Masuma Ahmed from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Gregory J. Petrequin

August 5, 2018

The United States military can put religious pressure on active duty military personnel. Superior officers may push subordinates to attend and participate in faith-oriented events, often of the Fundamentalist Evangelical variety. It is illegal and unconstitutional of course, but this hasn’t stopped the abuse. In 2005, advocate Mikey Weinstein founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF, www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org) to fight such objectionable religious compulsion.

Today, the MRFF supports over 56,000 military personnel who have requested its legal help to combat the Fundamentalist Christian indoctrination they are pressured to attend. Most of these individuals are Christians, forced to participate in a shade of Christianity they don’t accept; others are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Humanists, and other believers and nonbelievers.

Gregory J. Petrequin is a retired Air Force Colonel and Master Navigator who served on active duty for 27 years. He was involved in combat operations, in the air and on the ground, in Iraq and the Horn of Africa. He has a BA degree, with honors, from San Francisco State University and three master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Air University. After retiring from the military, he was a production manager for Cintas Corporation, supervising a production plant and a team of 50 partners. He is now an ardent supporter and volunteer contributor for the MRFF.

Military Religious Freedom Foundation – A Different Fight – Gregory J. Petrequin from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Arthur Jackson

July 29, 2018

Arthur Jackson, author of “How to Live the Good Live: A User’s Guide for Modern Humans” (2011), and an activist in the American Humanist Association since 1962 and the Humanist Community in Silicon Valley since the late 70s, will share his empirically derived guidelines for ethical behavior to achieve and maintain an Enlightened Community.

The Eleven Ways of Wisdom – A Light at the End of the Tunnel – Arthur Jackson from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Matt Courtney

July 22, 2018

What could happen when hackers break into some of your online accounts and try to steal your identity? That’s exactly what happened to HCSV member Matt Courtney a few months ago when hackers hacked into his email and his phone account. He will tell the story of what happened, things he did right and things he did wrong. Then, Matt will go over what you can do to secure your online accounts and avoid getting hacked.

Matt has worked as a software engineer for over 15 years (and probably should have known better than to leave his accounts unsecured). He is an atheist, skeptic, and a member of the board of the Humanist Community of Silicon Valley. You have probably seen Matt running the video camera at the Sunday Forums.

Staying Safe on the Internet: My Experience with Identity Theft – Matt Courtney from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Alfred Jan

July 15, 2018

From ancient times to the present, one of the main philosophical issues concerning visual art is how to define it. Art-making is a quintessential humanistic activity, but can it be defined, and if so, how? In this presentation, Alfred Jan will offer some traditional versions and several contemporary attempts for the audience to consider: how to define visual art as a category rather than as a term of praise or approval.

Alfred Jan has an MA in Philosophy specializing in Aesthetics. As a critic, he published 500 reviews and articles in 20 different art magazines from 1982 to 1995. In the mid-1980s, he curated an exhibition called “Sculpture As Used in Performance” at the San Francisco State University Art Gallery. He has appeared on many panel discussions about art in Bay Area art departments and art schools, and taught “Introduction to Aesthetics” at DeAnza College in 1995. One of his reviews was analyzed in the textbook titled “Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary” by Terry Barrett.

How to Define Art – Alfred Jan from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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