Video of Programs (search and sort)

Religion Without Religion
10/06/2024
Whitney Phillips

Presentation over Zoom by Whitney Phillips. This talk looks at the nationalist turn (known as MAGA) within the Republican and discusses what is strange about the Christianity there on display, centering, as it does, on fear and loathing of a liberal devil. Phillips is Assistant Professor of Digital Platforms and Media Ethics in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. She has published several books focused on politics and popular culture.

Using the Hero's Journey to Navigate Change and Challenge
09/29/2024
Ellie Jacques

The hero’s journey is a universal literary pattern that our favorite stories across time have followed. Popularized by Joseph Campbell in the 1940’s, the hero’s journey has been used by the likes of Tolkien, George Lucas, and Stanley Kubrick, to create some of the most iconic books and films in Western culture. Ellie Jacques is an educator from Southern Michigan. She recently served as Career Advisor at the largest public high school in Denver, Colorado, using the hero’s journey to help students explore future careers. 

Bioethics of Gene Therapy
09/22/2024
Rafael Escandon

Dr. Rafael Escandon provides a brief history of the scientific discoveries enabling gene replacement and gene editing to become useful and potentially transformative therapies. These profound innovations come with profound ethical considerations. Escandon has worked in global clinical research and development and patient advocacy in the biotechnology industry for nearly 30 years and is currently the Founder and Principal of DGBI Clinical Research and Ethics Consulting – a consultancy to patient advocacy groups and to the biotechnology industry.

Daniel Dennett and Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
09/08/2024
Gordon Orians

Presentation by Gordon Orians about the thinking of philosopher Daniel Dennett (who died recently at the age of 82). A vocal atheist and secularist, Dennett has been described as “one of the most widely read and debated American philosophers”. Dennett had a deep understanding of Darwin. His book, “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea”, asserts that, by upending Western ideas of causality (design without a designer) Darwin challenged our relationship with the biological world and how everything evolved. Gordon Orians guides our thinking about the deep implications of Darwin's basic idea. In the process, we may topple the pedestal on which we think we stand. Orians is Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Washington. He has served as its Director of Environmental Studies. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.

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