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| Roundtable |
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SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievabl
SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable by Bruce M. Hood
July 11, 2010, 4-6pm
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Darwin and the Golden Rule: Did Ethics (Morality) Evolve?
RET member Joe Barnhart will discuss whether ethics has any objective rooting or is the product of "might makes right".
Is "natural law" a wax nose for an ecclesiastical hierarch to shape at its discretion? Does social Darwinism follow from Darwinism? Joe will try to show why ethics has to be both subjective and objective.
Related issue: Is Ayn Rand right -- selfishness is a virtue? Is there a difference between selfishness and self-interest?
July 18, 2010, 10:30-12:30
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Journalism & News Sources
Journalism and News Sources
There have been many debates over the years regarding the quality of journalism and how it may have varied over the decades.
• What are the key attributes of your favorite journalists?
• Do you think of journalism as a profession and, if so, do you think most journalists conduct themselves professionally?
• What practices do you wish reporters would improve or follow?
• What about the relatively new practice of "embedding" reporters with troops in combat situations?
• What are your favorite sources for world news?
• Does the mainstream media meet your needs or do you prefer electronic, visual, or auditory complementary or primary sources?
Join us in dialogue about how we prefer to receive our news on July 25th, at the home of Schera Chadwick and Ted Lollis (9219 George Williams Road, 37922). Bring a light dish (or just come) from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Call 865.690.8742 for directions.
July 25, 2010, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
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Atheist Alliance International
Roundtable discussant: David Driscoll, Atheist Alliance International Ambassador for the Southeast
Mr. Driscoll is co-host of the American Freethought Podcast, www.americanfreethought.com, and host of the Secular Nation Podcast www.atheistalliance.org/podcast He will speak about the work of Atheist Alliance International and about freethinking topics of current concern.
Aug. 01, 2010, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Nazi Nexus: America's Corporate Connection to Hitler's Holocaust
Nazi Nexus: America's Corporate Connection to Hitler's Holocaust by Edwin Black
Aug. 08, 2010, 4-6pm
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CITY LIGHTS
Charlie Chaplin and the Making of a Classic: CITY LIGHTS
And now for something completely different . . . a treat for movie buffs!
U.T. Professor Charles Maland, Head of the English Department, teaches cinema
studies and other aspects of American cultural and intellectual history.
A leading expert on Charlie Chaplin, his most recent book is CITY LIGHTS,
one of the British Film Institute's Film Classics series. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
and MODERN TIMES (1936) are often considered to be Chaplins finest work.
Aug. 15, 2010
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Education (K-12)
The Decline, Fall, and Potential Resurrection of American Education (K-12).
Many failures of the American Education system have been detailed by numerous authors, including: Failure to Impose Discipline, Failure to Demand Respect (for Teachers & for Students), Failure to Teach Essential Subjects, Failure to Inspire Creativity & Innovation, Failure to Teach Independent and Critical Thinking Skills, etc.
Whether we accept all of these charges or not, I think most of us would agree that the educational system of this nation is not performing as it did historically, nor as well on an international comparative basis as it did previously. One wonders why and how this decline has occurred?
How did we become a "Nation at Risk" as we were labeled by numerous academic reports and authorities, including the National Commission on Educational Excellence in 1982?
How have modern practices of mainstreaming and inclusion impacted the classrooms? Why does there seem to be ever-increasing centralization of school districts' control, and always escalating costs per student? Did the "No Child Left Behind" policies impact students' performance positively or negatively?
Is the culture of virtual learning, computers, and new technology moving faster than the average teacher can keep up with? Does the existence and success of the Florida Virtual School, which began modestly in 1997 with only 77 students and served more than 71,000 students in 2008-09, light the path for a virtual future in American education, avoiding the burden of buildings and buses, desks and textbooks, teachers' unions and school boards?
We'll mull over the complex issues of how education has declined, and wonder aloud about some "what-if scenarios" that we think might make a difference. Join us at the home of Carol and Stephen Tokay at 8905 Garrison Drive, Knoxville, TN 37931. Phone them at 865.691.6816 for directions.
Aug. 22, 2010, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
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