Café Inquiry (Online) – The Shark – Friend or Foe?

This event is held online. (Click the button to join the Zoom meeting.)

“New Jersey Coast Infested with Man Eating Monsters” says a headline from 1916 following 4 fatal shark attacks in 12 days along the New Jersey shore. Sharks have been around, largely unchanged, for at least 100 million years. They have been feared and hated in western cultures since ancient times, though there are cultures where they are admired and worshipped. Fear of sharks was fueled by the 1975 movie Jaws, and few people can listen to the famous theme without  a shudder. Winston Churchill once said, “You may rest assured that the British Government is entirely opposed to sharks.” Shark attacks are uncommon, but they do occur and they are terrifying. On the other hand many sharks are becoming endangered for a number of reasons including overfishing, especially for their fins. Are sharks dark menacing man-eaters whose only value is providing us with shark fin soup and movie entertainment?  Or are they an essential part of the oceanic ecosystem? We will explore this sometimes controversial topic at the next Café Inquiry online. For background, Save Our Seas Foundation provides this look at why sharks are a threatened species. The Shark Research Unit lists the ten most endangered shark species and seven research methods used to study sharks.  This Time magazine article examines whether or not the number of shark attacks is increasing. This CNN article takes a close look at shark fin soup. And…the original trailer for Jaws. Join us ONLINE for an in depth look at a fascinating creature!

Café Inquiry starts with a short introduction of the day’s topic, followed by casual discussion.

This event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated, but not expected.

Attendees are able to future propose topics which would align with Michigan Humanist’s purpose: from atheism, agnosticism, humanism, secularism, and freethinking to broader subjects in science and humanities, such as religion, philosophy, social issues, politics, evolution, morality, ethics, and psychology.

Café Inquiry (Grand Rapids) meets each month in person on the second Sunday and online on the fourth Sunday.

—

Michigan Humanists values the participation of all guests — requests for reasonable accommodation may be made by contacting the event host at least three days prior to the event.

Michigan Humanists expects all guests to engage in respectful discussion. Critiques on views and claims based on merit are allowed, but not attacks on individuals who hold other perspectives.

Any person engaging in disruptive behavior or harassment will be asked to leave, and may be banned from future events pending the severity of the action. Please speak to the event host or contact info@michiganhumanists.org if you feel these expectations are being violated.