Coffee & Wisdom, 2017
Reservations are required. See our Calendar of Events and Contact Us pages for information about registration status and how to register.
Snowball Earth
Friday, October 6, 2017
650 million years ago, the Earth repeatedly froze over. The equator was as cold as Antarctica is now, and the oceans were covered with “sea glaciers” thousands of feet thick. The talk is about how this happened, and the mystery of how photosynthetic life survived.
About the Speaker:
Michael Hay, Ph.D., has a position in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He specializes in the study of small-scale anisotropic ice flow, with the aim of being able to understand flow disturbances seen deep in ice sheets. (He is a returning speaker who gave an earlier talk on Glaciers and Climate Change in November 2016.)
Three Existential Problems Affecting Humanity’s Future
Friday, November 3, 2017
Darwinian theory assumes that all plant and animal life follows an evolutionary process based on random mutations, with selection for survivability. Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis asserts that these processes react in a highly complex interwoven scheme of self-regulating ecological niches. Yet humans have come to regard themselves as outside of and able to exert control over these processes. Nowhere has this become more evident than in the last 100 years of our existence. The concept that we are exerting influence capable of destroying earth as we know it, that we are creating artificial entities capable of exerting direct control over us, or that we are now moving to alter our own genetic makeup seems absurd. Yet, this is what is happening. This presentation describes 3 of these existential problems that affect our future on earth.
About the Speaker:
Dr. James Maynard, M.D., Ph.D., had a 28 year career with the Centers for Disease Control, traveled extensively abroad in the Middle East and Asia as an advisor and instructor for UN agencies, and had a second 18-year career as Senior Vice President at PATH, an agency providing technology assistance to the developing world. During these careers, he developed a keen interest in international affairs, politics and economics, advising the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He is an author on over 200 publications in refereed journals. For about nine years, he has taught many interesting and engaging TELOS classes. Our instructors page has more information about Dr. Maynard here.
Singapore Sling
Friday, December 1, 2017
Come join us on a guided tour of Singapore!
Rick Bodlaender will present a short history of Singapore followed by a virtual walk along Singapore River with a map for everyone to follow and see this very modern city and its numerous iconic structures.
About the Speaker:
Rick Bodlaender has been a student and pastime instructor at TELOS since 2005 when he retired from his overseas work in the Petroleum Industry. His story is best summarized in a first-person perspective.
“I arrived in Singapore in 1972 with a pack on my back, longer than acceptable hair, and limited means. Luckily, I found a job in Singapore with an American oil company. “Do you know what crude looks like?” No was my reply. “Good, you’re hired!” Little did I know, but that was the start of my career that spanned 33 years. Enjoyed every minute of it. A rare bird, a liberal Democrat in the oil fields, very unlikely to happen today. I still travel worldwide every chance I get. My son and his English wife, along with my two grandsons, still live in Singapore, which prompts my wife (born in Singapore) and I many visits.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to visit Singapore with Rick as your guide!
Reservations are required. See our Calendar of Events and Contact Us pages for information about registration status and how to register.