January 1, 2017
Join our Meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HumanistCommSV
(Note: People interested in the Family Program should contact Harrianne Mills at 650-257-0478.)
pxtc8s4dzr
The search for life in the universe is one of the grand quests of current science, and there are multiple approaches that are likely to yield results within the next few decades. Depending on the nature of these discoveries, there may be a variety of impacts on society.
Morrison was one of Carl Sagan’s first graduate students, and he will also share some thoughts about Carl and his influence on science and science literacy. We can speculate on how Carl would respond were he alive today, when there are so many who are not simply uninformed, but who are actively anti-science.
Dr. David Morrison is the Director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. He was also the founding Director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) and a senior scientist in Astrobiology at NASA Ames Research Center. He received his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University in 1969 and has published more than 170 technical papers and a dozen books. Morrison is a passionate advocate for science education, and he has written extensively about the struggle against pseudoscience, such as the denial of evolution and global warming. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a member of the advisory council of the National Center for Science Education.
Humanist Community Forum (2014-11-09): Finding Life Beyond Earth (Dr. David Morrison) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.
Before the 2008 financial shock and stock market crash, our speaker, Martin Squibbs (Humanist Community member and leader) had little knowledge or understanding of our monetary, financial and investment systems. Since then, he has tried to learn about these areas as best he can. During this process, he discovered that consumer debt growth (considering households and government as consumers) can contribute directly, with some delay, to corporate profits and so to stock market value. After analyzing the USA ‘s macro economic history from 1950 to the present day, he concluded this has very likely been the case in the USA to a significant degree since 1980. Thus, he suspects, as we reduce our unsustainable levels of consumer debt growth, it is likely that corporate profits, earnings, and stock market value will be substantially reduced.
Click here for a PDF of Martin’s Presentation
Our criminal justice system – including our prisons and jails – is broken AND expensive. The United States, with less than five percent of the world’s population, has nearly 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population. California has one of the highest prison and jail populations in the US. Our recidivism rate at more than 67% is also among the highest.
Emily Harris, Statewide Coordinator of Californians United For a Responsible Budget (CURB ), will speak. CURB’s goal is to stop the expansion of the failed system and replace the brutal practice of putting people in cages for long periods with evidence-based treatment, rehabilitation and training programs to facilitate their reintegration back into society.