• Sunday, January 22, 2:00 pm

Annual Meeting followed by

The Arab Spring:

Religion and the Forces of Democratization

                                        Professor Juan Campo,

                                            Department of Religious Studies, UCSB  

     Since the beginning of 2011, there have been constant political changes in Northern Africa and the Middle-East. Starting with Tunisia, regimes have been toppled in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Syria is in turmoil as well. Professor Campo is an expert on Middle-Eastern questions. He will speak on the local and global implications caused by these upheavals.

• Sunday, February 12, 2:00 pm:   
  

The Alpha and Omega of the Universe    

                                                 Professor James Isenberg,

                                            Department of Mathematics, University of Oregon

       From the dawn of human consciousness, people have wondered about the origins of the universe and have speculated about how it might end. Such thoughts raise mind-warping questions about the meaning of time and space and challenge our ability to perceive and model reality on such a grand scale. 

        Present day cosmologists now claim to be zeroing in on a model of the alpha and omega of the universe, which they call the "Concordance Model". It is recognized, however, that this model contains significant gaps. Professor Isenberg will present a short history of ideas concerning the history of the universe, from the Babylonians to the Concordance model, and discuss the evolution of scientific thoughts on space, time and cosmology.

• Sunday, March 18, 2:00 pm:

          Ravel's Bolero: A Catalogue of Musical Color    

                                                                  Adrian Spence,             

     flutist and director of the Camerata Pacifica        



                 

The protests at Tahrir Square, Cairo

A transcription for string quartet of the Bolero

by Maurice Ravel