How we know what we know, part 5: The Age of the Earth

Ron Garret

11 a.m., November 8, 2020

At this Sunday’s Humanist Forum, Ron Garret will discuss “How we know what we know, part 5: The Age of the Earth”.

This is the fifth installment of the “how we know what we know” series. In this chapter we will look at how we know that the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and contrast this evidence with creationist claims that the earth is only 6000 years old. The talk will cover a variety of lines of evidence, including geology, radiometric dating, and how you can convince yourself that the earth is old using Google maps.

Ron Garret is a software engineer by trade. He is currently working on easy-to-use-cryptography software. He was a co-founder and CTO of Virgin Charter, and an early hire at Google. He was previously a rocket scientist. He also made a feature-length documentary about homelessness (graceofgodmovie.com). His blog can be found at blog.rongarret.info.

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Because of the coronavirus situation, this Forum will be held online.

If you don’t intend to ask any questions or make any comments during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://www.echoplexmedia.com/humanist

If you may want to ask a question or make a comment during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view, and possibly take part in, the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/314247393?pwd=d285R2VxWWdNcmk4NHdPaVNpWjc4dz09

(Note: this is a different link than has been posted here previously.)

If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your desktop computer, then joining the meeting via the above link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer, and then take you to the meeting.

You can also install the Zoom app on your smart phone, and then enter:

314247393

as the meeting number, and

255787

as the passcode, to get to this Zoom meeting.

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How we know what we know, part 5: The Age of the Earth – Ron Garret from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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What if a U.S. Presidential Candidate Refuses to Concede after an Election?

A discussion leader

11 a.m., November 1, 2020

At this Sunday’s Humanist Forum we will present and discuss a video of a TED Talk on “What if a U.S. Presidential Candidate Refuses to Concede after an Election?”.

In keeping with both the election and Halloween, we will watch and discuss a TED talk by Van Jones. The talk, “What if a U.S. Presidential Candidate Refuses to Concede after an Election,” shows how ill-prepared our system is for such an event.

You can see the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZWRhLW7Y8w.

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Because of the coronavirus situation, this Forum will be held online.

If you don’t intend to ask any questions or make any comments during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://www.echoplexmedia.com/humanist

If you may want to ask a question or make a comment during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view, and possibly take part in, the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/314247393?pwd=d285R2VxWWdNcmk4NHdPaVNpWjc4dz09

(Note: this is a different link than has been posted here previously.)

If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your desktop computer, then joining the meeting via the above link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer, and then take you to the meeting.

You can also install the Zoom app on your smart phone, and then enter:

314247393

as the meeting number, and

255787

as the passcode, to get to this Zoom meeting.

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RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.
To help our Forum series continue, please consider making a donation or becoming a member (http://www.humanists.org/blog/membership/) of the Humanist Community.

Do your online shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-6173979, and Amazon donates to the Humanist Community every time you do.

Two Videos on How to Disagree with Others in a Civil Way

A discussion leader

11 a.m., October 25, 2020

At this Sunday’s Humanist Forum we will present and discuss two short TED videos on how to disagree with others in a civil way.

The first is a Leah Garces talk, “A Lesson in Turning Adversaries into Allies,” (see https://www.ted.com/talks/leah_garces_a_lesson_in_turning_adversaries_into_allies) in which she recounts three lessons she learned in hatching an ambitious plan to end chicken factory farming with the last person she expected: a chicken farmer. This is a 13:26 minute talk.

The second is a talk by Julia Dhar, “How to Disagree Productively and Find Common Ground,” (see https://www.ted.com/talks/julia_dhar_how_to_disagree_productively_and_find_common_ground) in which she offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can start disagreeing productively and finding common ground — over family dinners, during work meetings and in our national conversations. This is a 14:48 minute talk.

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Because of the coronavirus situation, this Forum will be held online.

If you don’t intend to ask any questions or make any comments during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://www.echoplexmedia.com/humanist

If you may want to ask a question or make a comment during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view, and possibly take part in, the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/314247393?pwd=d285R2VxWWdNcmk4NHdPaVNpWjc4dz09

(Note: this is a different link than has been posted here previously.)

If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your desktop computer, then joining the meeting via the above link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer, and then take you to the meeting.

You can also install the Zoom app on your smart phone, and then enter:

314247393

as the meeting number, and

255787

as the passcode, to get to this Zoom meeting.

———-

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.
To help our Forum series continue, please consider making a donation or becoming a member (http://www.humanists.org/blog/membership/) of the Humanist Community.

Do your online shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-6173979, and Amazon donates to the Humanist Community every time you do.

Facing the Upcoming Elections

Paulo Chang

11 a.m., October 18, 2020

Paulo Chang is the Manager of the Precinct Operations Outreach/Training Division of the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. He will discuss changes in the electoral process and what special concerns he has and steps are being taken for this November election.

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Because of the coronavirus situation, this Forum will be held online.

If you don’t intend to ask any questions or make any comments during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://www.echoplexmedia.com/humanist

If you may want to ask a question or make a comment during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view, and possibly take part in, the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/314247393

Note: If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your desktop computer, then joining the meeting via the above link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer, and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your smart phone, and then enter 314247393 as the “meeting number” that you want to “join”.

———-

Facing the Upcoming Elections – Paulo Chang from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.
To help our Forum series continue, please consider making a donation or becoming a member (http://www.humanists.org/blog/membership/) of the Humanist Community.

Do your online shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-6173979, and Amazon donates to the Humanist Community every time you do.

Note: If you would like to speak at a Forum, or know of someone who you think might be willing to speak at a Forum, please send an email about your idea to the HCSV Program Committee.

Review of the November 2020 California State Propositions

Alex Havasy

11 a.m., October 11, 2020

Because of the coronavirus situation, this Forum will be held online.

If you don’t intend to ask any questions or make any comments during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://www.echoplexmedia.com/humanist

If you may want to ask a question or make a comment during this Forum, then please click the below link on Sunday around 11 a.m. in order to view, and possibly take part in, the Forum as it occurs (in real time):

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/314247393

Note: If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your desktop computer, then joining the meeting via the above link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer, and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your smart phone, and then enter 314247393 as the “meeting number” that you want to “join”.

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At this Sunday’s Humanist (Online) Forum, Humanist Community member Alex Havasy will present summaries of the 2020 California State Propositions that will be on the November ballot.

This will be a short (1 hour) Forum so that people can take part in the California Freethought Day 2020 online Meetup event at noon.

Due to the short schedule we may not have time to cover all the propositions in detail. But bring your questions and concerns about specific propositions so that we can discuss them.

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Review of the November 2020 California State Propositions – Alex Havasy from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.
To help our Forum series continue, please consider making a donation or becoming a member (http://www.humanists.org/blog/membership/) of the Humanist Community.

Do your online shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-6173979, and Amazon donates to the Humanist Community every time you do.

Note: If you would like to speak at a Forum, or know of someone who you think might be willing to speak at a Forum, please send an email about your idea to the HCSV Program Committee.