Category: Video+discussion

What We See

Kevin Toolis

Join the Humanist Community online this Sunday to watch and discuss three seemingly unrelated videos on things that make it difficult to see what’s real.

The Origin of Countless Conspiracy Theories (4:20 min.) presents the Ramsey theory, which tells us that however random a collection of elements is some non-random patterns will always exist in it, looking like secret messages.

In What the Irish Wake Teaches Us about Living and Dying (17 min.), Kevin Toolis talks about how we have a cultural inability to look at death that has actually increased our fear of death.

In 1984 by George Orwell, Crash Course Literature 401 (14:27 min.), John Green introduces us to the fictional totalitarian government that tries to control what people can think by modifying the language and remove words for unacceptable ideas.

You can watch The Origin of Countless Conspiracy Theories at
https://www.ted.com/talks/patrickjmt_the_origin_of_countless_conspiracy_theories.

You can watch What the Irish Wake Teaches Us about Living and Dying, at
https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_toolis_what_the_irish_wake_teaches_us_about_living_and_dying.

You can watch 1984 by George Orwell, Crash Course Literature 401 at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ipRaLa4Jw.

Attend in Person:

We have not been able to arrange a room to meet this week. We hope to see you in person next Sunday, because on the first and third Sunday of each month, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040.

———-

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

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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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
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Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Saving Democracy

Andrew Yang

11 a.m., July 28, 2024

Among the things we hope democracy provides are: a government that is open and not corrupt, a legislative body that represents the views of the voters, and verifiable elections. Today we will watch and discuss four videos that address these issues.

In Can Democracy Exist Without Trust? (13:47 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_krastev_can_democracy_exist_without_trust), Ivan Krastev describes why distrust is so common among voters and openness is such a problem.

In Why US Politics Is Broken – and How to Fix It (10:39 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_yang_why_us_politics_is_broken_and_how_to_fix_it), Andrew Yang describes a voting instituted in Alaska that promises better representation.

In We the People and the Republic We Must Reclaim (18 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim), Lawrence Lessig talks about the corrupting influence of money.

Finally, in E-voting without Fraud (6:45 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/david_bismark_e_voting_without_fraud), David Bismark presents an approach that allows one to check that a vote is correctly counted while preserving voter anonymity.

We have not been able to arrange a room to meet this week. We hope to see you in person next Sunday, because on the first and third Sunday of each month, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040.

———-

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

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.

———-

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

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-07-28/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/302441354/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1816706349004419472

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

My life while incarcerated at camps for Japanese-Americans

Yoshiko Kanazawa

11 a.m., July 21, 2024

Join Yoshiko Kanazawa this Sunday, either in person or online.

Ms. Kanazawa was incarcerated in government camps for almost three-and-one-half years during World War II. After the war, her family returned to Pasadena, California, where she completed high school. She received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA and a Master of Education from the University of Illinois.

She was silent about the injustice for most of her life, but now feels she must speak up to ensure that the government will never repeat that tragic part of history. For the past seven years, she has been serving as a docent at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and giving talks at area schools and community organizations. Yoshiko tells the story of her life while incarcerated in camps in Tulare, California, and Gila River, Arizona, and how those years affected her life.

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 for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. COVID protocols will be followed. 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

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.

———-

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

Add this event to your Google calendar:

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-07-21/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/302298979/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1813718323928186997

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

Into the Solar System

Nagin Cox

11 a.m., June 30, 2024

This Sunday we will take a look at some of the problems and inconveniences of our present and future exploration of the Solar system.

In a 14-minute, 2016 video, What Time is it on Mars?, Nagin Cox will discuss the adjustments she and her coworkers had to make to manage the United States rovers on Mars, where a Martian day is 40 minutes longer than on Earth. The rovers are powered by solar panels so their schedule is set by sunrise and sunset on Mars.

Then, in a 13-minute, 2015 video, How Humans Could Evolve to Survive in Space, Lisa Nip describes how we can use synthetic biology to allow us to explore space.

You can pre-watch these videos at https://www.ted.com/talks/nagin_cox_what_time_is_it_on_mars, and at
https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_nip_how_humans_could_evolve_to_survive_in_space.

No Place to Attend in Person This Week:

For the first time in years, we were not able to find a location to meet in person. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.)

———-

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

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.

———-

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

Add this event to your Google calendar:

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-06-30/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/301914267/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1806541718667575617

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

Ali Velshi: a Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy

Ali Velshi

11 a.m., June 23, 2024

This Sunday we will watch and discuss Ali Velshi: a Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy. An interview from the Commonwealth Club of MSNBC’s Ali Velshi by Rana Sarkar, the Consul General of Canada.

The interview covers three generations of Ali’s family’s commitment to public service and social justice from the apartheid regime in South Africa to Kenya to Canada and finally to the USA, describing the relative freedoms and restrictions encountered along the way. The interview is a reminder of the advantages we have living in a democratic and pluralistic society.

Ali Velshi is a Canadian Journalist, a senior economic and business correspondent for NBC News and an anchor for MSNBC.

You can watch this one-hour video at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/archive/video/msnbcs-ali-velshi-legacy-endurance-and-fight-democracy.

This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at Maker Nexus, 1330 Orleans Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1135. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.) Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. COVID protocols will be followed. 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

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.

———-

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

Add this event to your Google calendar:

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-06-23/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/301788589/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1804312388889702519

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