Speaker

Why is the 1954 Seattle Windshield Pitting Epidemic Pertinent to Today?

11 a.m., February 16, 2025

Join us, either in person or online, as Susan Gerbic recounts a textbook case of collective delusion.

Observations of windshield holes, pits, and dings started in Bellingham, Washington, in March 1954, then spread to thousands of windshields in nearby cities.
By April 17, the pitting suddenly stopped.
What can this textbook case of collective delusion tell us about ourselves, and the November-December 2024 United States drone sightings?

About our speaker
Affectionately called the Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic is the cofounder of Monterey County Skeptics and a self-proclaimed skeptical junkie. Susan is also founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project. She is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and writes for her column, Guerilla Skepticism, often.

02/16/2025 Why is the 1954 Seattle Windshield Pitting Epidemic Pertinent? – Susan Gerbic from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as 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 phone number to call: here.

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— Humanist Community (@HumanistCommSV) February 14, 2025

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

Bay Area Skeptics’ first SkeptiCamp

SETI Institute Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak

10 a.m.-5 p.m., February 9, 2025

Join us in person or online at the first SkeptiCamp hosted by the Bay Area Skeptics. SkeptiCamp is an informal, in-person, free conference where you can learn about science and skepticism, meet fellow skeptics, and enjoy the company of friends old and new. One of Humanists’ shared values is critical thinking.
Here are the presenters and their topics:

Patrick O’Reilly, “False Confessions”
Russell Wilcox, “Postmodernism and science education”
Susan Gerbic, “Psychics and wildfires”
Erica Byrne, Workshop on everyday skepticism
Seth Shostak, “Aliens!”
Norman Sperling, “The anti-horoscope”
Raleigh McLemore, “Skeptical humor”
Jay Diamond, “Skepticism and philosophy”

Attend in Person:
The Huddle, Google Visitor Experience, located in Google Gradient Canopy, 2000 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043

Free parking is available at:
Shoreline Amphitheatre Parking Lot C, which is located north of the Google Visitor Experience at 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy (~4 minute walk. Parking is not allowed on concert days, but, as of now, there are no concerts scheduled.)
Alta Garage, which is located at 1001 Alta Ave (~8 minute walk). EV charging is available at Alta Garage.
ADA parking is available at both Lot C and 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.

Food/Drink
There will be a 45-minute lunch break during SkeptiCamp. There is a restaurant on site for food and drink, but nothing very close in the surrounding neighborhood. The only external food and drink the Huddle allows is water bottles.

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.

See you Sunday at SkeptiCamp. And bring a friend!

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

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— Humanist Community (@HumanistCommSV) February 6, 2025

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

Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It?

11 a.m., January 26, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we welcome Carl Angotti to speak and lead a discussion.

Few countries face polarization as deep as America’s. Sometimes, conflicts seem insurmountable. We look at societal issues and political polarization, and it’s hard to see a way forward.

Democrats and Republicans used to disagree on policy issues — Disagreements are the normal, helpful tension that drives democracy. Today, each side of this polarity gap fears the other will destroy the nation if they achieve power. Partisanship becomes equated with patriotism, and destroying the other side becomes the ultimate goal. This is how democracies fall apart.

Join us for a lively discussion on how we might bridge the gaps between us and learn to see others as humans responding to experiences they have, not as gullible, stupid, irrational, or even evil.

Speaker Bio
Carl Angotti is the current Treasurer of the Humanist Community. He is a long-time member of the Community and has been active for over 30 years. He has spoken at several Forums in the past. Carl also characterizes himself as a member of the “Radical Middle” and wishes us to learn to break down the present political and personal barriers to the current divided political environment.
Carl consults in High Tech Product Development, and he holds an MBA from San Jose State University, an MSEE from the University of Southern California, and a BSEE from Carnegie-Mellon University.

01/26/2025 Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It? – Carl Angotti from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
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.

———-

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— Humanist Community (@HumanistCommSV) January 22, 2025

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

Share our event on Patch: https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250126/d681fc5b-107e-4039-8847-073bbb23a2ea/political-polarization-can-we-overcome-it

Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond

11 a.m., January 19, 2025

Join us for a combined meeting of The Atheist Community of San Jose and the Humanist Community, either in person or online, as we discuss how to approach 2025.

The change in our national leadership will likely bring with it a greatly increased influence of white Christian nationalism. Indeed, many in the new government may attempt to use the power and wealth of both the federal and state governments to enhance their religious views and embed them in our regulations and laws. Many secular values will continue to be under attack. As secular Americans, we can – and must – choose how we will respond to this situation, and what actions to take to encourage and expand the positive impact of non-religious Americans in these trying times.

How do you feel?

Are you discouraged and inclined to focus on your life and ignore the wider situation?
Are you angry and searching for effective ways to counter the current religious and political trends in the U.S.?
Are you looking for proactive strategies for continuing American progress in many realms even as Christian nationalists strive to turn back the clock?
How are you planning to strengthen yourself and our community to assure our effectiveness?

Judy Banister will lead us in a discussion of what our members are thinking and planning to defend ourselves, our views, and our practices. A special invitation goes to any other individuals or members of non-religious groups who are interested in this topic to join us.

Ms. Banister is on the Board of the Atheist Community of San Jose and a member of most of our local secular organizations. She became an atheist at age 18 and has never wavered from this clarity. Judy will present some strategic ideas for our secular community in these challenging times and help us all to explore your ideas for what we as individuals, families, and fellow nontheists can do in the coming months and years.

01/19/2025 Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond – Judy Banister from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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.

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— Humanist Community (@HumanistCommSV) January 14, 2025

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

ACSJ Presents: The Stone Age Brain Meets the Disinformation Age

3:30 p.m., November 10, 2024

The Atheist Community of San Jose invites the Humanist Community to an in-person presentation by Bertha Vazquez. Here is the description from their announcement at: https://www.meetup.com/acofsj/events/304311948/

We all like to think we’re rational and logical, but the truth is that our brains are riddled with cognitive biases and shortcuts that can lead us astray. These mental shortcuts, once essential for our survival, now make us vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. The abundance of information in the digital age exacerbates this problem, as we’re constantly bombarded with claims and counterclaims. To navigate this complex landscape, we must cultivate a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking. By recognizing our cognitive biases, questioning assumptions, and seeking credible sources, we can better protect ourselves from the dangers of misinformation and make informed decisions. Let’s explore together how we are successfully overcoming the shortcomings of our modern human brains as they have evolved over eons.

Bio:
Bertha Vazquez is a retired science teacher who taught middle school for 34 years in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She is the Education Director and the Director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science at The Center for Inquiry, an international nonprofit organization that promotes reason and science. She runs a teacher-led network of over 100 teachers who have presented over 400 professional development sessions for their fellow teachers in all 50 US States. Her multi-faceted approach to teaching climate science has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Earth magazine, and in a book and film series by Lynne Cherry titled, Empowering Young Voices for the Planet. Her efforts awarded her the 2008 National Environmental Education Charles C Bartlett Award, among others. She is the editor and contributing author of the book, On Teaching Evolution, published in 2021 and lead author of Corwin Press’ What Teachers Want to Know About Teaching Climate Change (February 2025). Ms. Vazquez has also worked in several translation projects, including the translation of Maria Jinich’s book into English, A Brief History of Four Billion Years of Evolution: Understanding Darwin. A regular contributor to Skeptical Inquirer magazine and speaker at skeptical and humanist conferences, Bertha is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Bertha Vazquez has presented several times at CSICon (including CSICon 2024) and the following review was published in the Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, March/April 2019:
“Watching her on stage at CSICon it’s clear that TIES (The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science) owes much of its success to the force of her presence and personality. Her enthusiasm for her subject is utterly contagious. Her drive to learn, discover, and share her knowledge is undeniable. She’s a true renaissance woman.”

This event will be held at the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Avenue # C-31 in Campbell, California. Go to the Mary Campbell Room number Q84, which is right next to the Community Center’s Campbell Parking Lot just off of Campbell Avenue.