April Reminder

[Chris Boyd]

Hello BIRGers. Reminder for April and May at La Boulanger in Cupertino at 3:30P April 14 The Clock of the Long Now--Time and Responsibility. The Ideas Behind the World's Slowest Computer  by Stewart Brand This is a book about the practical use of long time perspective: how to get it, how to use it, how to keep it in and out of sight, and how to make long-term thinking automatic and common instead of difficult and rare This is a potent book that combines the chronicling of fantastic technology with equally visionary philosophical inquiry.   May 12 The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World  by David Deutsch The quest to improve explanations is the basic regulating principle not only of science but of all successful human endeavor. This stream of ever improving explanations has infinite reach, according to Deutsch: we are subject only to the laws of physics, and they impose no upper boundary to what we can eventually understand, control, and achieve.   Let me know if you are interested in obtaining a copy of May 12 book from Kepler's for our next meeting  The discount price is $25.50 + tax. (15% off at list of $30--Amazon $17.00--Kepler's probably not a benefit except for expediency this time around).   Some of us may be going to Cafe Barrone after the meeting to check out Kepler's venue Three upcoming events that may be of interest:   Evening prior to April BIRG --Friday April 13, 7P at Ohlone CollegeThe James Randi http://dev.ohlone.edu/instr/psychology/speakerseries. Also listed at sfmensa.org   Saturday April 21 Berkeley SkeptiCal Conference 2012--Interesting line up of speakers http://www.skepticalcon.org/   June 22-24 SeticonII--(Mlodinow is one of the presenters) The second conference of Seti.  They are currently redirecting their signals in the direction of Kepler's recent discoveries of earthlike planets. http://seticon.com/ Chris Boyd