Category: Video+discussion

How Will the World Change?

Humanist Community Board of Directors

11 a.m., July 20, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we hold a short panel discussion about emerging technological innovations and their possible effects on culture.

The automobile, television, and smart phones have had a dramatic effect on people’s lives in the last century. The changes we can expect in the coming years due to AI, virtual reality, city planning, electric cars, and other advances promise to be even more dramatic. Dramatic, but hard to predict.

Nevertheless, four members of the Humanist Community — Michael Abramson, Carl Angotti, Alex Havasy, and Scott Wakefield — will take a stab at how emerging technologies might affect us. After they talk, we will open the forum to attendees and what you think we got right or wrong and what you think may have the biggest effect on our lives.

07/20/2025 How Will the World Change? – Humanists Board of Directors from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:

This Sunday, attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Huddle at the Google Visitor Experience, 2000 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043.

Free parking is available at:
Alta Garage, 1001 Alta Ave (~8 minute walk). EV charging is available at Alta Garage.
ADA parking is available at Alta Garage. Additionally, an ADA-accessible drop off zone is located at the western building entrance in front of the Google Store.

Public Transportation: The VTA Route 40 bus operates daily, and stops at Charleston & Huff.
Bicycle Parking: There are bicycle racks located outside of Gradient Canopy for your use. Please bring your own lock to secure your bike.
Rideshare: Using Uber or Lyft, set your location as Gradient Canopy, and you will be dropped off in front of the building, off Joaquin Rd.

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 number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-07-20/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/309828059/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250727/0fd3a5ce-341f-4450-912c-eb87ce555a7c/pro-bono-photo-serving-the-photo-needs-of-action-organizations-in-the-bay-area

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1946007363447910755

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

This is what a digital coup looks like

Carole Cadwalladr

11 a.m., July 13, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video of Carole Cadwalladr, who is a journalist who probes the nexus of politics and Silicon Valley power. A longtime feature writer for the UK’s Guardian and Observer, she now explores “How to Survive the Broligarchy” in her Substack newsletter. Her reporting has won a Polk Award and the Orwell Prize for political journalism; she was also a Pulitzer finalist for National Reporting in 2019 with the New York Times, investigating Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the misuse of data in the Brexit referendum and the 2016 US presidential election.

“We are watching the collapse of the international order in real time, and this is just the start,” says investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr. In a searing talk, she decries the rise of the powerful tech executives who are using their global digital platforms to amass unprecedented geopolitical power, dismantling democracy and enabling authoritarian control across the world. Her rallying cry: resist data harvesting and mass surveillance, and support others in a groundswell of digital disobedience. “You have more power than you think,” she says.

In April 2019, she gave a TED talk about the links between Facebook and Brexit, entitled “Facebook’s role in Brexit — and the threat to democracy”. British businessman, political donor, Arron Banks objected to her statement that Mr. Banks had told untruths about a secret relationship he had with the Russian government and initiated a libel suite the settlement of which is now to be taken to the European Court of Human Rights.

You can watch this 17-minute talk at: https://www.ted.com/talks/carole_cadwalladr_this_is_what_a_digital_coup_looks_like/

Attend in Person:

On the second Sunday of the month, like this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Orchard Room at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

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 number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-07-13

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/309098715//

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250713/b67c7100-723b-4785-a281-d707857207bb/this-is-what-a-digital-coup-looks-like

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1943077837453627751

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

How Oil Propaganda Sneaks Into TV Shows

Rollie Williams

11 a.m., July 6, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a half hour video from Climate Town. Rollie Williams shows how oil propaganda is inserted into movies and TV shows and becomes part of what is considered “common knowledge.”

Climate Town is a documentary-comedy show focused on addressing the climate crisis through highly researched and vetted climate communication.

Rollie Williams is a Brooklyn-based comedian and video editor, with a Climate Science and Policy degree from Columbia University. He is the creator and host of the digital comedy series Climate Town. In the past few years, the channel has amassed 520,000 subscribers, several millions views, a handful of awards, and has spawned an engaged Discord community of fun climate people.

Williams is also the co-creator and co-host of The Climate Denier’s Playbook podcast which is exactly what it sounds like. Formerly, Williams hosted the monthly comedy show ‘An Inconvenient Talk Show’ featuring comedians (SNL, The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and climate scientists (NASA, MIT, Harvard).

You can preview this 31-minute video here: https://youtu.be/wBC_bug5DIQ

Attend in Person:
On the first and fourth Sunday of the month, like this Sunday, attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

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 number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-07-06/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/308857186/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250706/ca8b1bde-db0e-442d-bffb-a8b977d24122/how-oil-propaganda-sneaks-into-tv-shows

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1941514224548917326

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

Humanists at UUCPA Humanist Conference Watch Party

AHA Conference (from 2014)

7 a.m., June 28, 2025

This month, the American Humanist Association is holding its 84th Annual Conference, entitled “Humanists Move America”.

The Humanists at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, UUCPA, invite you to a watch party, so we can participate in the conference together.

The conference is in Chicago, but the Humanists at UUCPA have reserved a room with a TV at the church. Unlike the legacy monthly Humanists at UUCPA meeting, this watch party will be in-person only.

Topic: Humanist Conference Watch Party
Format: In-person
Host: Humanists at UUCPA
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
Room 10 (the meeting room closest to the parking lot)
505 East Charleston Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306

Sessions
AHACON25 Schedule with links to speaker biographies:
https://www.conference.americanhumanist.org/schedule

7:00am-7:45am
Swipe Left, Swipe Right:
The Future of Mating and Marriage – A Humanist’s Perspective
with Darrel Ray

8:00am-8:45am
Hope or Havoc:
The Future of AI and Human Freedom
with Krystal Jackson

9:00am-9:45am
The Secular Case for Reparations
with Cynthia McDonald

11:00am-10:45am
Fighting Back in the Courts:
How AHA’s Legal Strategy Is Evolving for 2025 and Beyond
with Amitai Heller

12:00pm-12:45pm
From Representation to Power:
How Humanists Can Build a Political Movement
with Wil Jeudy, Sarah Levin, Karina Quintanilla, and Stephanie Vigil

1:00pm-1:45pm
Center for Freethought Equality Annual Meeting
with North Dakota State Senator Ryan Braunberger and former Colorado State House member Stephanie Vigil
Being a member of the humanist and atheist community is no longer an effective opposition issue in today’s politics.

Attend in Person:

If you can join us, 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.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-06-28

Visit the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto event page:
https://www.uucpa.org/events/american-humanist-association-annual-conference-watch-party/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/308524063//

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250628/8105192f-5f12-4b2e-87ac-28b771fb1f33/humanists-at-uucpa-humanist-conference-watch-party

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1934485328066474096

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

What Can We Do

Matt Schlegel

11 a.m., June 15, 2025

Join us either in person or over Zoom, as we welcome Matt Schlegel.

Humanity is now in the midst of the polycrisis, in which multiple crises confront us all at once – the climate crisis with extreme weather and fire events, acute land and marine biodiversity loss, domestic political turmoil, and increased geopolitical tensions. With so much happening simultaneously, it can be overwhelming. For those who do want to do something they often ask, “What can I do?” But is that the right question? Long time climate activist Matt Schlegel says a better question to ask is, “What can we do?” In this talk, Matt shares tips on how to start down the path towards finding or building a community of people who want to create a better, pro-social world that focuses not only on navigating the current crises but also directs energy towards building that better future for all life on our one shared planet.

Bio
Best-selling author Matt Schlegel is committed to developing highly effective, style-diverse teams and giving them the tools and strategies to navigate environments defined by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity), and tackle challenges that are seemingly impossible. Principal of Schlegel Consulting (https://evolutionaryteams.com/), Matt discovered a powerful system called the Enneagram and used it to develop a novel set of tools, strategies, and applications for team effectiveness that he uses in his consulting practice and shares in his book Teamwork 9.0. As the climate crisis becomes an ever more daunting problem, Matt uses the Enneagram tools to guide teams towards pro-social solutions that address the crisis. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattschlegel/

06/15/2025 What Can We Do? – Matt Schlegal from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

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 number to call: https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-06-15

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/308408584/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250615/75ae0a92-74c3-4a5a-bdf0-f7e88fb644bd/what-can-we-do

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1932283662063812655

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