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February 2012 |
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| Roundtable |
| Book Club |
| Third Sunday Roundtable |
| Reflections |
| Other |
Driving Directions
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Join our list to get occasional updates about meetings and important events. You can be removed from the list at any time without hassle.
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Skeptic Book Club
Carol Tokay will lead our discussion of: “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
by Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
Join us for our monthly book club discussion whether you've read the book or not.
Jan. 08, 2012, 4:00 to 6:00 pm
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No Meeting
There will be no meeting during the three day weekend which includes the Martin Luther King holiday.
The Annual Business meeting and election of officers will be held on January 22 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in Goins Cafeteria Annex at Pellissippi State Community College.
Jan. 15, 2012, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Annual Business Meeting
On Sunday, January 22nd, we will hold our Annual Business Meeting and Election of Officers from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, at Pellissippi State Community College, Goins Bldg., in the Cafeteria Annex.
We will review the past year, discuss how we want the RET program to proceed in 2012, and elect officers and board members for the coming months. We would very much Appreciate Volunteers to serve in these positions so we can insure that RET continues to be a vibrant organization for freethinkers in East Tennessee. Participation requires only a little of one's time. Please attend the meeting and bring your ideas to share!
Following the business meeting, if time permits, we will view a DVD presentation by Dr. Andy Thomson on "How Religion Hijacks Evolved Adaptations",
Jan. 22, 2012, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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The Silence of the Atheists
Topic: “The Silence of the Atheists”
For this Reflections meeting, we’ll all prepare by reading a short news article from the west coast: “Seattle Atheists’ Bus Ad Exaggerating Number of Nonbelievers?” [just copy & paste the link below into your browser]
http://www.christianpost.com/news/seattle-atheists-bus-ad-exaggerating-number-of-nonbelievers-64896/
Since RET has considered doing a similar “public awareness” campaign here in Knoxville, this article contains many points of interest for us.
We’ll examine and discuss the following issues:
• How are statistics regarding individuals’ religious beliefs gathered? Let’s compare sources of data.
• Is the American Religious Identification Survey 2008, led by Trinity College, a reliable source of data? If not, why?
• Why is there generally such a large discrepancy between those who identify as “non-believers or agnostics” versus those unafraid to use the “atheist” adjective?
• Can we join in solidarity with the Seattle Atheists who declare that “We are a silent group, and want to be silent no longer”?
• Does the fact that Seattle is considered one of the most unchurched areas in the country, whereas we’re probably among the most churched areas, increase our silence in our community, our work-places, our families?
There will be a pot-luck lunch before our discussion begins, so bring a dish, salad, fruit, finger-food, dessert, bottle or box to share… or JUST COME – there’s always too much food! (smiley face)
We hope you'll all join us at Schera & Ted’s home [9219 George Williams Road, near Cedar Bluff; call 690.8742 for directions].
Jan. 29, 2012, 1:00 to 4:00 pm
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Economics: What It Is and Is Not
RET member Randy Curlee will present fundamental concepts in the field of economics. Economics is a subject that often evokes strong sentiments. Positions on public policy, politics, and even ethics are discussed within economic frameworks. Some do not equate economics with science, while others look to vague interpretations of economic schools of thought to defend their own personal views or refute those of others.
This lecture will address what economics is and is not. We will discuss the main branches of economics—micro vs. macro, theoretical vs. empirical, positive vs. normative—and pose basic questions. What does an economic school of thought entail? What are the basic assumptions on which economics is built, and how have those assumptions changed over time? How is economics being integrated with other sciences such as psychology, sociology, and even medicine? How can economics contribute to the major issues of our day?
The meeting will take place in the cafeteria annex of the Goins Administration Building on the campus of Pellissippi State Community College.
Feb. 05, 2012, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Skeptic Book Club
February’s selection is "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely.
Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?
When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we are making smart, rational choices. But are we?
In this newly revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They are systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.
Join us at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 8029 Kingston Pike, for our monthly book club discussion whether you have read the book or not.
Feb. 12, 2012, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
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"Of mal air, antigens, vaccines, adjuvants, and the Homogenocene": Who would of Thunk It?"
Professor John Neff of the University of Tennessee Department of Pathology will
discuss the World Health Organization's recommendation of the first malaria vaccine [funded by the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation] for use in infants and young children, by 2015, in some sub Saharan African countries. This represents a remarkable breakthrough for treating the disease.
The meeting will take place in the cafeteria annex of the Goins Administration Building on the campus of Pellissippi State Community College.
Feb. 19, 2012, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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“Decision making in a world of information overload”
RET member Phil King will discuss the process of simplifying and organizing our lives for desired outcomes in world of rapidly expanding access to information.
In today's world, information comes to us at an ever-increasing rate. The richness of life and the success with which we maneuver through its pitfalls usually depend upon paying attention to detail. However, this very detail can mire us down into hopeless paralysis and inactivity. We must learn to simplify the situation, consider the many different ramifications of our actions, and then act decisively and confidently (without striving for perfection). So we need to simplify and organize information and activities for a desired outcome.
First, we have to define that outcome and know what our governing values are. Only then can we organize the available information and act in a concerted manner to achieve our goals. This is the path to being happier, more content, less stressed, and more successful.
During the process of defining and organizing, we may turn both to technology to help analyze the information at our disposal and to other people to help us achieve our goals. The latter task requires leadership skills, so we must assess the attributes of a good leader. Technology should be used only as a tool – as a means to an end – it should not become an end, in itself. Furthermore, we must have a vision and know how and when to say, “No.”
Mar. 04, 2012, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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