Monday Night's Meeting (May 12)

So, how did it go? There are some very positive comments in the "Talk About This Meeting" section, here: http://atheists.meetu...

Well done, Alex S!!!!!!

But, would someone who attended the meeting kindly provide a precis - as long or short as you like - for the benefit of us poor souls who can't attend meetings/couldn't attend this one?

Thanks!

Vonnie

Vonnie

I am glad we have had a largely positive response to the May meeting. I am presently putting together some minutes of the meeting from my notes and hope to have this up over the weekend.

By the way - did anyone see this http://www.abc.net.au...

All I can say is - lol.

Regards
Alex

A case of from the sublime to the ridiculous. Thanks for the link Alex.

I think we can expect the church to be attempting to head off many possible scientific discoveries however incredibly unlikely that they'll be established in a our lifetime. They've seen how successful it has been for other supernaturalists to take on scientific or pseudoscientific words and imagery and they've said to themselves ? "we can have some of that action".

With this one statement they probably gained a lot of credibility with the UFO set. Next will be Quantum theory transmuted into the "Akashic Field"; the Higgs Boson is bound to get a mention before the year's out; and surely its only a matter of time before the ex-nazi pope has his aura stroked, combed and fluffed. In fact didn't I read somewhere that some episcopalian proto-physicist has postulated that the universe is expanding because its only 6,000 years old and still has a settling in period to go through.

Hi again,, I just remember a point that Greg raised about having science clubs or some such thing to help promote a rational approach to life, the universe and everything.

This is the CSIRO thing I was mentioned

http://www.csiro.au/r...

http://www.csiro.au/s...

And this is the Philosophy 4 Kids thing. The NZ one and the US ones are a bit more organised than here.

http://www.p4c.org.nz...

http://members.iinet....

The other thing I was thinking about was perhaps we could organise a nationwide meet up like TAM in the US (for those who don't know about TAM here's a link http://www.randi.org/... ). A joint atheist, rationalist, skeptics, and secular Australian Amazing Meeting.

Lastly here's an article by Malcom Gladwell from the New Yorker a couple of years back. It talks about the essence of movement growth whilst dissecting Rick Warren's church. I saw it referred to on the friendly atheist's site. From a strategy point of view it seems like a manageable way to develop the rational discussion from a local through to national level.

http://www.newyorker....

Cheers all,
Wozzar

Hi Wozzar,
I was actually part of the Double Helix Science club (one of the ones CSIRO runs) as a kid. It was great! I used to get mags every month, and they were full of experiments, info and debates. I remember they even had a debate about Creationism vs. Evolution.

As part of the program when I was in my final year of high school I was offered to spend a week in a lab and then do a report on it. It was so eye-opening and interesting, and I think everyone should have this option as many students do not realise where science can take them and that it isn't just about nerds in lab coats.

By the way, I went on to do Science at Uni and am about to start a course in Science Journalism. I'm tired of the lack of reporting and enthusiasm for science in the wider media!

Hi Janette,

That's extremely good to know. I would loved to have had something like this when I was at school, and there may well have been something but I certainly didn't know about it if there was. That's probably half the problem I suspect teachers and student probably just don't know what there is available. I believe that if the Philosophy for kids programme and the Double Helix club were more widespread the need for an atheist club would be moot. I don't have kids and I'm not a teacher but I want to try to find ways to get these programmes into a far greater level of public awareness. Any ideas? My first thought is related to my shop I'm opening. I want to invite the people that run these separate events to come and do talks for teachers and parents once I have a venue they can do it in.

I'm even more grateful to know that you're about to study Science Journalism ? we need so much more of you out there! Where are you doing this? How long is it?

Cheers
W

By the way, I went on to do Science at Uni and am about to start a course in Science Journalism. I'm tired of the lack of reporting and enthusiasm for science in the wider media!

Good on ya! I hope you go well in it.

I think there used to be a science column in the Courier Mail or Sunday Mail up till about ten years ago. Nowadays, it seems the only time anything scientific appears in the newspaper is when it is sensational (like that 'hobbit' creature discovered in Indonesia) or some pseudo-scientific rot about spirituality or new-age stuff. It's not all dark, though. Some of the best scientific reporting I've come across was in the National Geographic magazines.

Anyway, best of luck with the science journalism.