Category: Speaker

Keith D. Swenson

December 4, 2016

Of all areas where science and the Bible have friction, the topic of origins is the war zone. Exactly why do evolution and abiogenesis kick up such emotion? Maybe it’s that by-your-bootstraps thing, auto-creation, the idea of organization “creating itself.” Even scientifically minded people struggle with that one. Consider how snowflakes form. Crystallization is palpable auto-creation, a spontaneous increase in order without intelligent meddling. It seems to violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics, but creationists use a flawed understanding of this law and then promulgate that misunderstanding and exploit it to support creationism. Keith D. Swenson has a degree in Physics and a Masters Degree in Computer Science. He will discuss the above topics, as well as (1) Why some people find it hard to accept evolution, (2) What the natural cognitive barrier is and why it exists, (3) The roles that misunderstanding randomness and entropy play, and (4) Several examples of how complex systems display auto-creation (such as snowflakes!).

Click here to see the slides that the speaker presented during his talk.

Humanist Community Forum (2016-12-04): How the Universe Allows Things to Create Themselves (Keith D. Swenson) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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(Note: People interested in the Family Program should contact Harrianne Mills at 650-257-0478.)

Timothy Savage

November 13, 2016

Timothy Savage previously worked as a journalist, corporate communicator, web geek and freelance writer for more than two decades before devoting himself full time to raising his son. He will be discussing his first published novel, “Davey’s Savior”. This book takes up themes of fatherhood and misplaced faith from a humanist perspective.

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-11-13): A Humanist Author’s Journey (Timothy Savage) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

(Note: Jonathan Karpf’s talk, “Where do new species come from?”, previously scheduled for this date, will occur sometime in 2017 instead.)

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Anne Shelly Baumgartner

November 6, 2016

An interactive presentation exploring the neural science behind Mindfulness, a current practice for relieving pain, anxiety, depression, and addiction, as well as increasing focused attention for students of all ages. Learn how to observe the inner world of thoughts, feelings, and emotions as scientists observe the natural world.

Anne earned her B.A. in science writing at U.C. Santa Cruz, and her M.A.s in education leadership and instructional technology at San Jose State University. Anne is currently the Intern Pathway Coordinator for the Teacher Education Department at the Lurie College of Education at San Jose State University and a Supervisor of Teacher Candidates.

 
RSVP: https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/234962763/
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Fred Colgan

October 30, 2016

Fred Colgan from InStove (www.instove.org) will be bringing a demonstration model of their newest stove – a 20 liter version of the larger units. This one is designed to be carried as checked baggage without oversize or overweight fees, so it works really well for taking stoves to projects around the world. Also, Fred’s wife, Lise, will share her Africa experiences from a woman’s perspective. InStove implements safe, clean, and highly efficient institutional cookstoves and allied technologies in an integrated approach to serving the world’s poorest communities.

You can RSVP for this Forum at https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/234317175/.
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Humanist Community Forum (2016-10-30): InStove (Fred and Lise Colgan) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Susan Gerbic

October 16, 2016

Susan Gerbic will be presenting on the fun and follies of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia project (giving an overview as well as a few key examples of recent work). Ms. Gerbic will also be keen to answer all your Wikipedia questions. You should leave this lecture knowing a lot more about the 10th most popular website, and how important its use is to educating the world.

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-10-16): Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (Susan Gerbic) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.