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Sorry for the late notice, but just heard about it myself. Details here. Tanner Irish is a bishop in the Episcopal church, and will be sharing her adventures as a liberal in Utah. Her lecture at 4 will be in the TSC Auditorium.

We’d like to try a reading group for Philosophy Club. Each month or so, someone will propose a short essay which we’ll read, and then discuss some evening at a fun place. To start things off, you all are invited to read Isaiah Berlin’s “Two Concepts of Liberty”. Then the plan is that we’ll meet to discuss it on Thursday, September 17th, at 7 p.m., at  the Bull’s Head Grill (west of the football stadium, in the “Blue Square” complex). Philosophy alum Dan Tate will be starting off our discussion.

It’s mainly about meeting people and having fun and interesting conversation – so don’t feel you need to have especially brilliant insights about the essay. All are welcome!

A fun and insightful lecture here about the value of recognizing the tragic pointlessness of all things – (h/t Mike Howsden) –

Interesting essay here (“Fearing Artificial Intelligence”) by Ali Minai:

Whatever happens, one thing is certain:  Intelligent algorithms will certainly transform human society in major ways. And one of these will be to challenge our bedrock notions of ourselves: As more and more abilities that we had considered essentially human – thinking, planning, linguistic expression, science, art – become automated, it will become harder to avoid the question if these too are, like routine tasks and calculations, just material processes after all.

Historian Sean Trainor talks about beards in the 19th century on the NPR show “Backstory” .  The distinction between beards and “whiskers” is new to me.  And I wonder too if the popularity of beards now has similar roots to the popularity of beards in the 19th century — a response to an increasingly effiminiate culture and an emphasis on equality that undermines mens’ sense of their unique masculinity.

Click here to find the episode.  Listen to the whole show (“American Apparel: A History of Fashion”) or down below you can just listen to the segment on beards.