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Salon: Past Events
Salon Information
Thu, 05/09/2024 - 12:00am — Daniel.CurtisSalon Program
Jefferson Center Salons present topics of interest to our community, and provide a forum for lively discussion afterward. Topics are selected by a committee of members. We serve refreshments contributed by volunteers and have a brief social time before the start of the program. Salons are typically held on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm at The Jefferson Center, 208 Oak Street, Suite 101 in Ashland. Guests of members and interested visitors are always welcome to join us. See the Future Salons list for information about upcoming events.
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| 05/19/2024 - 4:00pm | Publish and Perish? Galileo’s Dilemma |
Today Galileo is justly celebrated as a champion of experiment and observation in astronomy and physics. Mindful of the fate of others who defied the Catholic Church's anti-Copernican views, he was forced to recant, but his stature as a founder of modern science has endured. Naturally, the day-to-day events of Galileo’s life were likely more complicated. In Bertolt Brecht’s play “The Life of Galileo”, his forceful advocacy of observation plays off against more pragmatic concerns: how to land a good job, whom to curry favor with, and the art of self-promotion. This salon will use a crucial scene from Brecht’s play as a spur for discussion about Galileo’s life, the choices he faced, and how they might still resonate for us today. Barry Kraft, Jefferson center member, local actor, Shakespeare scholar, and all-around Renaissance man, will join us for the discussion, and will direct the play reading. In between short readings from this scene, we will consider some of the implications of Galileo’s approach to science and truth, his complex relationship with the Catholic Church, and how myths and facts about him have entered into modern intellectual and cultural life. |
| 04/21/2024 - 4:00pm | “Turning down the heat”: conversations across our ideological divides |
In our society, which is currently deeply polarized on political (and other) grounds, conversation across our ideological divide can feel impossible. Is this sort of talk worth pursuing? If meaningful interactions can take place, what would they be like? Bruce Borgerson, who is active with the national organization Braver Angels (http://www.braverangels.org), will join us as we discuss values and strategies for open conversations that bring people together, instead of rehearsing or sharpening our divisions. What can we learn from each other? How might we understand each other beyond stereotypes, form alliances where we can agree, and reduce the vitriol that poisons our civic culture? Please join us in The Jefferson Center to discuss this topic and related strategies on Sunday afternoon, April 21st, from 4 to 6 pm. Please note that this is the third Sunday of the month, not the regular second Sunday. |
| 03/16/2024 - 5:00pm | Spring Equinox Potluck (with Discussion) |
Are you ready to start a new cycle? Is your garden ready? The Spring Equinox traditionally marks this transition and has been celebrated throughout history by many secular and religious communities. Join us for the first of what might turn out to be an Annual Spring Equinox Potluck (with Discussion) on Saturday, March 16th, 2023, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please note the day, date and time for this event, which are different from those of a regular salon. We’ll gather in the friendly confines of The Jefferson Center, Suite 101, Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak Street, Ashland. |
| 02/18/2024 - 4:00pm | Evidence: How do we know what we know about anything? |
How do we (or should we) determine whether to take evidence seriously, since we cannot observe most of it directly ourselves? Charles Darwin, renowned for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection, was born 215 years ago this month. He was a keen observer of the natural world whose cautious and unhurried approach to gathering and synthesizing evidence remains a hallmark of scientific investigation at its best. How do observations “in the wild” (which constituted a large part of Darwin’s evidence) compare with data from controlled experiments? The Jefferson Center will host a roundtable discussion, facilitated by the Program Committee, focusing on the nature of evidence, and how we do and should use it. We’ll examine questions about what constitutes solid evidence. How do these issues play out today? Are we all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts (evidence), or is that reversed? Please note that the February salon will be held on the third Sunday of the month in order not to conflict with the Super Bowl. |
| 01/14/2024 - 4:00pm | Belief, Behavior, and The Questions of Megan Phelps-Roper |
Most of us use our beliefs as proxies for truth but we don't often consider the potential for those beliefs to take us down a 'bad path'. A vivid example is Megan Phelps-Roper, who went from being a purveyor of hatred as a spokesperson for the Westboro Baptist Church to a kind, insightful, and empathetic. person. She has summarized her transformation in the form of questions that all of us should be able to answer to justify our firmly held beliefs. Her questions include: Are you attacking ideas or attacking the people who hold them? Are you willing to cut off close relationships with people who disagree with you, particularly over small points of contention? In this salon, held in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland, we’ll explore Megan Phelps-Roper's questions as they apply to hateful social media attacks as an extreme example of a bad path. We will also apply them to the less harmful but nonetheless unexamined beliefs we might hold ourselves. |
| 12/17/2023 - 5:00pm | 2023 Jefferson Center Solstice Party and Potluck |
The Annual Winter Solstice Party and Potluck will be held on Sunday, December 17 at5 pm in The Jefferson Center Space, Suite 101 of the Historic Ashland Armory. Stay tuned for more details on this event. |
| 11/12/2023 - 4:00pm | Higher Education – Lower Expectations? |
Is higher education in trouble? What are the functions and values of traditional higher education – colleges and universities -- in an era with so many alternatives? How much should colleges cater to job requirements, the pursuit of bigger salaries, and garnering credentials? Should higher education aim to lead students toward the best in human achievement and creativity? Is it all wasted on the young, or is the cost simply too high? |
| 10/08/2023 - 4:00pm | Oppenheimer’s Dilemma |
“Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”, quoted Robert Oppenheimer years after leading development of the atomic bomb. Will someone in the future say the same thing about genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, geoengineering, or some other 21st century technology? Who is responsible to ensure responsible use of technology: Is it us? In this salon, we’ll ponder these dilemmas. What are the responsibilities of scientists, engineers, software developers, and other experts as they create new and transformational technology? What roles should other, perhaps less technically informed people and organizations have? How should the public be informed? We’ll use a few excerpts from The Day After Trinity, a 1980 documentary about Oppenheimer and the development of nuclear weapons, as a springboard for our discussion of these more general issues. The scientists interviewed in that film pose some pertinent and probing questions and observations. Discussion will be led by Tony Davis, Jefferson Center program committee member. Light refreshments will be served. |
| 09/10/2023 - 4:00pm | Atheism, Assumptions, and Prejudice |
It has been said that an atheist can never be President of the United States—because anti-atheism is so pervasive and strong. One prejudicial assertion is that atheists must be immoral because one cannot have morality without god. Do anti-atheist assumptions, prejudices, and discrimination exist in the Rogue Valley (and in the U.S.), and are people harmed? Do atheists have no morals? Are they incapable of experiencing awe and reverence? What do non-religious (or anti-religious) people think about faith, belief, and the source of goodness? Should non-religious people keep quiet about their ideas to avoid being stigmatized? |
| 06/14/2023 - 4:00pm | Summer Solstice Social Event |
This year, The Jefferson Center is returning to our tradition of holding a social event on or near the Summer Solstice. Members and friends of The Center will gather on Wednesday, June 14, at 4 pm at Clyde’s Corner, 4495 South Pacific Highway, Suite 580 in Phoenix (www.https://www.clydescornerphoenix.com/). Good company and good discussions will be plentiful. Please join us as we support a local business and enjoy their food and beverages. |