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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240310T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240310T123000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20211129T205252Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240308T180002Z
UID:135468-1710068400-1710073800@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Café Inquiry - Media Reporting on Health and Science- In Person!!
DESCRIPTION:This event is held in person at 1005 Giddings Ave S.E.\, Grand Rapids. DON’T FORGET – Set your clocks ahead 1 hour the night before the meeting! We’re back on Daylight Saving Time!  \nMany of us learn about advances in science and health care from general media sources. That information is often accurate and helpful. But too often\, media reporting of scientific topics (even stories from “reliable” sources) can be inaccurate or misleading. Join us at the next Café Inquiry as we  discuss why science reporting is so fraught with problems and explore tools and techniques we can use to evaluate the veracity and relevance of what we read. This brief article from UC Berkeley suggests some ways to evaluate articles about scientific topics. This tutorial teaches you how to evaluate the health information you find on the Internet. This chapter from the guidebook for the Wondrium course\, The Skeptic’s Guide to Health\, Medicine and the Media\, provides a deeper look into the topic. Or if you have a Wondrium account\, the whole course is excellent! See you Sunday at 11 AM EDT! \nCafé Inquiry starts with a short introduction of the day’s topic\, followed by casual discussion. \nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated\, but not expected. \nAttendees 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. \nCafé Inquiry (Grand Rapids) meets each month in person on the second Sunday and online on the fourth Sunday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/ci-gr-2024-03-10/
LOCATION:Institute for Global Education at East Church UCC\, 1005 Giddings Ave S.E.\, Grand Rapids\, MI\, 49506
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ORGANIZER;CN="Frank Crownover and Jessica Wolin":MAILTO:cafeinquiry-grandrapids@michiganhumanists.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240310T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240310T150000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20180307T190546Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T210148Z
UID:135275-1710075600-1710082800@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Living Without Religion Support Group - In Person
DESCRIPTION:This event is held in person at 1005 Giddings Ave S.E.\, Grand Rapids.\n \nLiving Without Religion is a support group for those who are recovering or have recovered from religion. These people know your struggles\, and can offer support. We will share experiences\, resources\, and solidarity to help deal with all the problems related to leaving religion and moving onward in your life. \nIf you have left your religion\, are thinking of leaving\, or would like to support others in similar situations — this is the space for you. You are not alone in your search for a secular lifestyle. Questions and stories will be shared\, friends will be made\, and discussions will be had. \nLiving Without Religion is always free and open to anyone who meets the above criteria. \nLiving Without Religion (Grand Rapids) meets each month on the second Sunday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan Humanists expects all guests to engage in respectful discussion. 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. \nContact: Randy Kuipers\, livingwithoutreligion-grandrapids@michiganhumanists.org \n\n 
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/lwr-gr-2024-03-10/
LOCATION:Institute for Global Education at East Church UCC\, 1005 Giddings Ave S.E.\, Grand Rapids\, MI\, 49506
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ORGANIZER;CN="Randy Kuipers":MAILTO:livingwithoutreligion-grandrapids@michiganhumanists.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240314T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240314T200000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20210101T190145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T203857Z
UID:144195-1710439200-1710446400@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Skeptics in the Pub (Muskegon) -*NOTE* -  VENUE CHANGE
DESCRIPTION:  \nCarlisle’s Restaurant – 470 W. Western Ave. – Muskegon 49440 \nSkeptics in the Pub (Muskegon) meets at various pubs\, bars\, etc. This month\, due to a change in hours of our previous venue\, we’ll meet at Carlisle’s Restaurant in downtown Muskegon. Menu is available online . Join us this month and enjoy the fellowship and free-flowing conversation. Look for the Michigan Humanist table signs. And don’t worry if you don’t drink. Consumption of alcohol is not expected or required.\nSkeptics in the Pub\, “Critical Thinking with a Pint\,” is an opportunity for non-theists to converse in a casual\, fun atmosphere.\nLearn more about the international Skeptics in the Pub movement at skepticsinthepub.org. (We don’t invite speakers\, but rather follow our conversations wherever they take us. For a more structured discussion\, look for Café Inquiry events on our calendar.)\nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated\, but not expected\nDon’t drink? That’s okay! Many famous skeptics were teetotalers\, and there is no problem with that.\nDrinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. Science teaches us what alcohol does to the human body.\nYou will find the group at a table with little Michigan Humanists table signs.\n\n\nSkeptics in the Pub (Muskegon) meets each month on the second Thursday.\n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/ci-msk-3-2023-02-09-2024-03-14/
LOCATION:Carlisle’s Restaurant\, 470 W. Western Ave\, Muskegon\, MI\, 49440\, United States
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ORGANIZER;CN="Frank Crownover":MAILTO:frankob5@comcast.net
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240315T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240315T210000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20180307T190225Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T212015Z
UID:135286-1710525600-1710536400@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Skeptics in the Pub (Grand Rapids)
DESCRIPTION:*This month’s Skeptics in the Pub will be held at Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits. \nSkeptics in the Pub\, “Critical Thinking with a Pint\,” is an opportunity for nontheists to converse in a casual\, fun atmosphere. \nLearn more about the international Skeptics in the Pub movement at skepticsinthepub.org. (We don’t invite speakers\, but rather follow our conversations wherever they take us. For a more structured discussion\, look for Café Inquiry events on our calendar.) \nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated\, but not expected. \nDon’t drink? That’s okay! Many famous skeptics were teetotalers\, and there is no problem with that. \nDrinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. Science teaches us what alcohol does to the human body. \nYou will find the group at a table with little Michigan Humanists table signs. \nSkeptics in the Pub (Grand Rapids) meets each month on the third Friday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/sitp-gr-2023-01-20-2024-03-15/
LOCATION:Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits\, Kentwood\, 2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd SE\, Kentwood\, 49512
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ORGANIZER;CN="Jason Pittman":MAILTO:jpittman@michiganhumanists.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240322T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240322T213000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20211129T210351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T214234Z
UID:135317-1711132200-1711143000@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Skeptics in the Pub (Flint)
DESCRIPTION:Skeptics in the Pub\, “Critical Thinking with a Pint\,” is an opportunity for nontheists to converse in a casual\, fun atmosphere. \nLearn more about the international Skeptics in the Pub movement at skepticsinthepub.org. (We don’t invite speakers\, but rather follow our conversations wherever they take us. For a more structured discussion\, look for Café Inquiry events on our calendar.) \nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated\, but not expected. \nDon’t drink? That’s okay! Many famous skeptics were teetotalers\, and there is no problem with that. \nDrinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. Science teaches us what alcohol does to the human body. \nYou will find the group at a table with little Michigan Humanists table signs. \nSkeptics in the Pub (Flint) meets each month on the fourth Friday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/sitp-fl-2023-01-27-2024-03-22/
LOCATION:Grand Blanc Tap Bar & Grill\, 3021 E. Grand Blanc Road\, Grand Blanc\, 48439\, United States
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ORGANIZER;CN="Dean Tersigni":MAILTO:skeptics-flint@michiganhumanists.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240322T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240322T210000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20240219T214217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240322T143059Z
UID:145378-1711134000-1711141200@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Sci-Fi Book Club (Grand Rapids) CANCELED
DESCRIPTION:Please note\, this event has been CANCELED due to inclement weather. The next Sci-Fi Book Club is on April 26th (https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/sci-fi-book-club-grand-rapids-4). \nScience Fiction has long been a genre which has explored Humanist values. Join us as we read and discuss everything from classic sci-fi to newly published works. This month’s book is “The Space Between Worlds” by Micaiah Johnson. \nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated. \nSci-fi Book club (Grand Rapids) meets each month on the fourth Friday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/sci-fi-book-club-grand-rapids-3/
LOCATION:MI
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240324T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240324T123000
DTSTAMP:20260414T065958
CREATED:20211129T205252Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T190500Z
UID:135486-1711278000-1711283400@www.michiganhumanists.org
SUMMARY:Café Inquiry (Online) - Artificial Intelligence and "The Shortcut"
DESCRIPTION:This event is held online. (Click the button to join the Zoom meeting.) \nJoin us ONLINE at the next Café Inquiry as Phil Gleason leads a discussion centered around Nello Cristianini’s book\, The Shortcut – Why Intelligent Machines Do Not Think Like Us. Here is Phil’s summary of the topic\, with a couple of background links: \nIn The Shortcut\, Cristianini defines intelligence very broadly as “the ability to behave effectively in a variety of situations\, including new ones.” No single quality makes a system intelligent. Plants adjust to a wide variety of novel circumstances\, growing in cracks\, growing tall rather than spreading out\, etc. Intelligence is not necessarily comprehensible from a human point of view. Cristianini sees intelligence as a compensating reaction to novel changes in the environment\, no matter how slow\, or limited in scope. “Whether they are based on statistical patterns\, or on neural pathways\, or on chemical reactions\, the decisions made by intelligent agents do not need to involve sentience nor language\, nor a higher appreciation of art and science.” (P. 10) The shortcut in the title refers to machine learning\, and to the fact that machine learning systems do not generate explanations\, or “rules of thumb”. The machine learning system\, once it has learned a task\, is a black box that provides answers\, but cannot reveal to us any generalizations or guidelines about the task. So\, we’re entering a world in which what are essentially alien intelligences are used to provide important information. This view of general intelligence\, intelligence far different from a human account of reason\, is shared by biologist Michael Levin. Levin works on morphogenesis\, and has produced some startling results in how body shape is controlled during development. Levin’s conclusions track those of Cristianini and together they point to a very different view of artificial intelligence than we see in the press. Here is a link to a brief Wikipedia biography of Michael Levin\, and here is a 20-minute TED talk he gave about electrical blueprints for orchestrating life. This YouTube video features Levin discussing cognition\, diverse intelligence and collective intelligence. This special bonus link is to a podcast interview of Michael Levin by physicist Sean M. Carroll – complete with transcript! \nThis should be a somewhat different take on a subject that has been in the news a lot! Hope to see you ONLINE for the discussion! \nCafé Inquiry starts with a short introduction of the day’s topic\, followed by casual discussion. \nThis event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated\, but not expected. \nAttendees 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. \nCafé Inquiry (Grand Rapids) meets each month in person on the second Sunday and online on the fourth Sunday. \n— \nMichigan 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. \nMichigan 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. \nAny 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.
URL:https://www.michiganhumanists.org/event/ci-gr-2024-03-24/
LOCATION:Online Meeting – Link in Event Details
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ORGANIZER;CN="Frank Crownover and Jessica Wolin":MAILTO:cafeinquiry-grandrapids@michiganhumanists.org
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