What we’re about
Curiosity Connections is a community of curious, fun-loving people who enjoy intellectual discussions and learning from one another. Like a salon, we come together to engage in open, respectful, thoughtful dialogue on a wide range of topics from current events to ancient philosophies. Our objective is to encourage meaningful conversations about interesting and thought-provoking material.
Curiosity Connections hosts a variety of events, some in person (IRL) and some over Zoom. We have a podcast club, which is just like a book club, except instead of reading books, we all listen to the same podcast and come together to discuss it at the event. The podcasts focus on probing interviews with recognized thought-leaders in the fields of science, philosophy, psychology, politics, business, and technology. Our virtual podcast events are typically held on Mondays and our in-person events, in San Francisco and Marin (Mill Valley), are usually held Thursday and Saturdays. (For IRL events hosted at a restaurant, we ask that attendees please order food or drinks to support the venue during the course of the meeting.)
We also have a book club, where we take time with our books to get the most out of them. Typically, we’ll read about 50 pages per week and discuss them at the meetings. Finally, we periodically have other events like meetings based on a TED talk rather than a podcast.
If you are a curious person who enjoys sharing and exploring ideas with others, we would love you to join us!
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Podcast Club ONLINE: DisinformationLink visible for attendees
This week, we are listening to TWO podcasts. Please listen to both.
The FIRST podcast is The Bill Press Pod, with guest Barbara McQuade (pictured above), a lawyer, law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and podcast cohost of #SistersinLaw. McQuade served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 2010 to 2017. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging Americaurs Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream.
The SECOND podcast is White House Chronicles, with host Llewellyn King, with guest Timothy Richardson, the Program Director of Journalism and Disinformation for PEN America. Richardson previously served as the Breaking News Editor at The Washington Post for 13 years, and he has written published articles about disinformation/misinformation and concerns regarding the press.
PLEASE NOTE: We require that attendees listen to BOTH podcasts below before attending the meeting to optimize discussion.
PODCAST #1 OF 2:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disinformation-epidemic-with-barbara-mcquade/id1171506369?i=1000712254164
or
https://billpresspods.com/listen-now (If using this link, please listen ONLY to the episode called "The Disinformation Epidemic," with Barbara McQuade)
(40 min.)
PODCAST #2 OF 2:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-house-chronicle/id1512781708?i=1000712788358
or
https://vimeo.com/1092947994
(29 min.)
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What are these podcasts about?
Both of this week's podcasts focus on disinformation, and to some extent, misinformation, particularly in the realm of politics in America today. While fake news and propaganda have been utilized for a very long time throughout the world, the scale and ability to spread disinformation and misinformation has recently taken off astronomically, particularly due to technology. In the podcasts, the guests discuss how and why we got here; some of the tactics used by those who disseminate disinformation; the effect of purposely broadcasting chaotic and mixed messages to the public; a few things we can do to combat disinformation; what the guests see as the most serious concerns arising from disinformation and misinformation; and more.ALSO, ALSO, ALSO, interesting and optional: Check out this 2 min, 45 sec YouTube piece on fake viral video of the recent LA protests, posted by DW, a German public broadcast service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F8fOJXZGW4. Thank you to the person who posted this link in the Chat during the after-hours of our last meeting! -- I'm sorry I can't recall who it was!
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3682869318?pwd=SC80SzI1S3JkeW1pbGhzcTNVQWVmdz09. Password for event might be W5hDy7
What's a podcast club?
It's like a book club for podcasts. Each week we discuss an interesting and currently-relevant episode from podcasters like Ezra Klein, Michael Shermer, or Russ Roberts. We start off as a large group and spend most of the time talking in small break-out groups, which we remix 3 times over the course of the evening. Our conversations are casual and open. We ask that everyone speak respectfully at all times, and we encourage free and concise discussion relevant to the week's podcast topic. To do this, we try to adhere to Grice's Maxims: https://bit.ly/2p4uSQmUltimately, the idea is to help each other think a little differently, learn a thing or two and have some fun.life
- A Brief History of Intelligence, Max BennettLink visible for attendees
Join us as we begin our online book club discussion of "A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains" by Max S. Bennett.
Assigned reading for this week: Introduction: The World Before Brains, and Breakthrough #1: Steering and the First Bilaterians. Please Note: Completion of the assigned reading is a prerequisite for attending. If you did not have the chance to do the reading, please join us another time.
What's this book about?
In A Brief History of Intelligence, Bennett bridges the gap between neuroscience and AI to tell the brain’s evolutionary story, revealing how understanding that story can help shape the next generation of AI breakthroughs. Deploying a fresh perspective and working with the support of many top minds in neuroscience, Bennett consolidates this immense history into an approachable new framework, identifying the “Five Breakthroughs” that mark the brain’s most important evolutionary leaps forward. Each breakthrough brings new insight into the biggest mysteries of human intelligence. Containing fascinating corollaries to developments in AI, A Brief History of Intelligence shows where current AI systems have matched or surpassed our brains, as well as where AI systems still fall short. Simply put, until AI systems successfully replicate each part of our brain’s long journey, AI systems will fail to exhibit human-like intelligence.About the author.
MAX BENNETT is an entrepreneur and researcher. He has cofounded multiple AI companies, holds several patents for AI technologies, and has published numerous scientific papers on the topics of evolutionary neuroscience and intelligence. He has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as well as the Built In NYC’s 30 Tech Leaders Under 30. Most notably, Bennett was the cofounder and Chief Product Officer of Bluecore, one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S., providing AI technologies to some of the largest companies in the world. Bluecore has been featured in the annual Inc. 500 fastest growing companies, as well as Glassdoor’s 50 best places to work in the U.S. Bluecore was recently valued at over $1 billion. Bennett graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, summa cum laude, with a degree in economics and mathematics.How this book club works.
Our book discussion will be spread out over several consecutive weeks, with two-hour meetings every Tuesday evening. This gives us time to explore the readings with the depth and care they deserve. Please bring your own thought-provoking questions and insights from the reading to share with the group. We like lively discussions that challenge our own ideas and allow us to learn from each other -- while enjoying camaraderie! All we ask is that everyone be treated as co-equals, both in respect and approximate speaking time. Feel free to post (in the Comments below) any additional resources you find -- including ones that challenge the author. We hope to see you at our Tuesday meetings!
