Category: Speaker

Peter Worden

February 25, 2018

Camp Quest West is a week-long sleep-away summer camp serving kids ages 8 – 17. We advocate science, critical thinking and humanist values and promote creativity, community and inclusivity. Camp Quest West is a chapter of Camp Quest Inc. and is ACA accredited. We have two locations: Nevada City, CA and Wrightwood, CA. Campers experience a traditional summer camp (hikes, swimming, canoeing, archery, team games, arts and crafts, skits, bonfires), eight different critical thinking activities and lots of singing. Every adult at camp is a volunteer. Some of us have so much fun we think maybe we should have to pay to work as a camp counselor. (See https://www.facebook.com/CampQuestWest/)

Camp Quest West – Fun, Friends, Freethought – Peter Worden from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Prof. Peter Stone

February 18, 2018

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was one of the most influential public intellectuals of the 20th century. A leading philosopher, humanist, atheist, and peace activist, he has receded from the public eye since his death almost fifty years ago. Peter Stone, who teaches political science at Trinity College Dublin, will argue that Russell is more relevant than ever today. He will illustrate Russell’s importance by discussing Russell’s many connections to other leading people of his day—philosophers, politicians, artists, and others—and what we can learn from them.

 

Six Degrees of Bertrand Russell – Prof. Peter Stone from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Prof. Tom Leddy

February 11, 2018

“Aesthetic Atheism” is Professor Tom Leddy’s term for a philosophical position that is atheist in that it denies the existence of God, souls and immortality, but is open to valuing religious experience as a kind of aesthetic phenomenon. This theory draws from his readings of such philosophers as Plato, Kant and Nietzsche. He argues that religious experience can be best described as an experience of the sublime. He has written about this theory on his blog: http://aestheticstoday.blogspot.com/2016/06/table-of-contents-for-aesthetic-atheism.html.

Thomas Leddy is Professor of Philosophy at San Jose State University where he has taught since 1983. He received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1981. He is author of “The Extraordinary in the Ordinary: The Aesthetics of Everyday Life” (2012) and edits a popular blog on aesthetics, Aesthetics Today: http://aestheticstoday.blogspot.com/

 

Aesthetic Atheism – Prof. Tom Leddy from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Dr. Masuma Ahmed

February 4, 2018

Times are changing. The immigrant contributions to the innovations and the making of American history are increasingly getting ignored. In response, the immigrants and women are marching across America for their voices to be heard for equality and social justice. New York City is no exception. It is a hub of 8.5 million immigrants with 8.5 million stories. You, I, and everybody else except the Native Americans are immigrants to this country. Immigrants come in many different shapes, forms, traditions, and cultural backgrounds. Can ‘ART’ be a part of the immigrant voice in America?

Dr. Masuma Ahmed is a New York City based artist, creative writer, scientist, and a high tech entrepreneur. Her creative work is a fusion of Eastern and Western traditions blending modern and traditional art techniques and themes. She had basic art training at Bangladesh National Art Institute and Yale University. She received her Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University, and was a faculty member in the Yale Physics Department. Later, she joined the high tech industry, working for Telcordia, Lockheed Martin, and Comcast as a Senior Program Director and Chief Architect. She also had a 3D technology start-up. Currently, she is engaged in capturing the voice of New York City and its immigrant fabric through her site, ‘New York City Rainbow Faces,’ www.facebook.com/nycrainbowfaces .

Immigrant Voices from New York City through Art – Dr. Masuma Ahmed from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Sudhanshu “Suds” Jain

January 28, 2018

Sudhanshu “Suds” Jain designed integrated circuits for 25 years. In 2008 he decided that the impending Climate crisis was far more important than designing the next switch chip for computer networking and he “retired” from Broadcom Corporation to become a “professional volunteer”. He coached a FIRST Lego League robotics team for 5 years, and he co-founded the high school team at Wilcox High School 3 years ago (which he still coaches). He currently serves on the City of Santa Clara planning commission.

He also serves on the board of Acterra.org. He has performed free home energy audits with Acterra’s Green at Home program. He has also installed solar panels on low income housing with Grid Alternatives. He’s active with Citizen’s Climate Lobby which advocates for a Carbon Tax with 100% revenue recycling (dividends to consumers). Since Sept. 2011, he’s been teaching a “Climate Change Science” class to middle school students at Discovery Charter School. Sudhanshu holds BSEE and MSEE degrees from MIT.

The local chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which Suds leads, meets monthly at Humanist House. They welcome new members to help them create the political will for a revenue neutral carbon pollution tax.

The Science of Climate Change and the Carbon Tax – Sudhanshu “Suds” Jain from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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