tonight —
The Power of Belief
with Dr. Michael Shermer
Wednesday, February 7th, 7:30pm
“Some believe that science and religion are in conflict. The long history of this belief goes back as far as the heresy trial of Galileo for teaching scientific theory that contradicted religious dogma.” Michael Shermer will lecture this Wednesday as part of a year-long series of lectures on the relationship between science and religion, hosted by the Performing Arts Center at Moorpark College, CA.
This lecture is open to the public. Advanced registration not required.
KC Cole
Science and Sound:
KC Cole interviews Michael Shermer
On January 28, 2007, noted science writer KC Cole joined Michael Shermer for an engaging and wide-ranging discussion on KPCC radio 89.3 FM about popular perceptions and misperceptions of science & religion, science & politics, and science & society.
the Spring Season of Lectures at Caltech
Mark your calendar! The Skeptics Society is pleased to announce its Spring season of the Skeptics Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech. The next lecture will be by Dr. Randel Helms on February 18th. This continues the thirteen-year-long series, presenting over 200 lectures by some of the most distinguished experts in the world.
Unless otherwise noted, each lecture is on a Sunday at 2pm at Caltech, Pasadena, California. Admission is at the door: free for Caltech faculty, staff, and students; free for JPL staff; $5 for Skeptics Society members; $8 for non-members; $5 for other students.
The Bible Against Itself:
Who Wrote the Bible & Why it was Written
with Dr. Randel Helms
Sunday, February 18th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech
Before the sacred authors were declared sacred, they were fair game for attack or revision. If you open up the Bible and read it straight through, you will notice two things that should not be true if it had been written as a coherent whole and with a single purpose. First, the Bible is quite repetitious; second, the Bible frequently seems to contradict itself. Readers have often ignored these contradictions, apologists have long tried to reconcile them, and critics revel in them. Randel Helms chooses another course — to understand the contradictions by looking at the cultural and historical factors that produced them. Bible book authors were often motivated to write because they wanted to challenge or correct those who had written before them. Helms respectfully navigates a thoughtful passage through the books of the Bible to explain how and why they were written, and to reveal who the authors of the Bible were writing for or against.
Dr. Randel Helms is a Bible scholar and professor of English at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. He is the author of Gospel Fictions and Who Wrote the Gospels?
The Physics of the Buffyverse
with Jennifer Ouellette
Sunday, March 11th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech
In the tradition of the bestselling The Physics of Star Trek, acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ouellette explains fundamental concepts in the physical sciences through examples culled from the hit TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. The weird and wonderful world of the Buffyverse — where the melding of magic and science is an everyday occurrence — provides a fantastical jumping-off point for looking at complex theories of biology, chemistry, and theoretical physics. From surreal vampires, demons, and interdimensional portals to energy conservation, black holes, and string theory, The Physics of the Buffyverse is serious science for the rest of us.
Jennifer Ouellette writes the column This Month in Physics History for APS News, the monthly publication of the American Physical Society. Her articles have appeared in publications from Discover to Salon.
followed by…
Dr. Carlos Schenck (photograph by Thomas Strand). Schenck will be lecturing on May 13, 2007.
The Lucifer Effect:
Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
with Dr. Philip Zimbardo
Sunday, March 25th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me):
Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
with Dr. Carol Tavris
Sunday, April 29th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech
Sleep: The Mysteries, the Problems & the Solutions
with Dr. Carlos Schenck
Sunday, May 13th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech
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