Is Buddhism a philosophy, a religion or a type of psychology? We’ll explore the diversity of many schools and denominations of Buddhism that developed in Asia, noting a large variety of practices and teachings over its 2,600 year history, shaped by isolated geographies more than imperial decrees or inquisitions. What is different, and what do […]
This week is our next installment of Atheist YouTube! We'll be watching the video "Can we build AI without losing control over it? | Sam Harris" from the channel TED. Here's the description they gave for this video: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scared of superintelligent AI? You should be, says neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris -- and not […]
Is Buddhism a philosophy, a religion or a type of psychology? Is Buddhism atheist? Or is it compatible with atheism? We’ll explore the diversity of newer movements that identify with the Buddha’s teachings, including Buddhist Modernism, Vipassana, Thai Forest Tradition, Ambedkarism and Secular Buddhism. This week's speaker will be Topher. After the talk, we'll have […]
Honesty is one of the 24 character strengths identified by positive psychology research, categorized as part of the Virtue of Courage. But sometimes it is more virtuous and courageous to lie, mislead, or leave out facts. When is lying the ethical, kind, and brave thing to do, and how can we hold ourselves to account […]
This week is our popular Speed Talks event! Three to five speakers get 5-8 minutes each to expound their ideas, followed by our group discussion period where the community react to the ideas presented, discuss their own thoughts on the topic, and ask questions of the presenters. If you have an idea for a […]
Let's plan what we'll be doing for the next quarter! Is there a topic you'd like to give a talk about? Come have a voice in what we do next quarter! Even if you don’t want to volunteer to give a talk, your voice is valuable so that we know which talks to schedule! You […]
Drawn from Michael Bronski's book, "A Queer History of the United States". As it turns out, we've been here through the entire history of our country. Let's review some of that history and appreciate those who have come before us. This week's speaker will be Jack. After the talk, we'll have a group discussion to […]
100 day challenges are a useful way to explore activities and/or to develop new habits. This particular challenge combines noticing various things that we appreciate in our surroundings, and taking a short time each day to draw them. This is not a challenge about being a "good artist" but rather a way to encourage the […]
Inspired by a video of a lone dancer at a music festival. He's a weirdo, a lunatic, someone with a broken view of the world. But then a leader appears, someone who recognizes the possibility of joy, and joins with the first person. Suddenly, the rest of the crowd sees that this isn't some kind […]
In school we learn about Martin Luther King, Jr., and that might be it for Black history. You probably know of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks. There are many other Black women activists who have shaped politics, protest, and public thought who are lesser-known. I'll share with you highlights of the lives and […]