Past meetings and events
This is a list of our past meetings and events, at this stage incomplete. For our upcoming events, see the calendar page.
Last updated 25/7/11 by Richard[Incomplete -Who, summary, when, where, links, media]
2011
Quiz evening
Thursday 28 July, 5-6 pm, G25, Clock Tower East Wing
Bill Cooke on rationalism
Monday 25 July, 5-6 pm, Case Room 1, Owen G. Glenn building
David on the legalization of drugs (with ACT on Campus)
Thursday 21 July, 5-6 pm, G25, Clock Tower East Wing
How is religion affecting society?
Monday 18 July, 5-6 pm, Case Room 1, Owen G. Glenn building
Andrew on the origins of religion
Monday 27 June, 5-6 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Natasha on human mating systems
Monday 20 June, 5-6 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Louise Nicholson on science funding
Monday 13 June, 5-6 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Howard Carmichael on quantum theory
Thursday 2 June, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
Wayne Stewart on Bayesian analysis
Monday 23 May, 5-6:30 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
RSS Quiz on science, literature etc
A quiz organized by Yvette et al on science, philosophy, arts etc. We had three teams, with “Team Hillcrest” taking out top place with their superior knowledge.
Thursday 26 May, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
RSS laser strike III
Monday 23 May, 7:30-9:30 pm, Megazone Ponsonby
Is there an afterlife?
Monday 23 May, 5-6:30 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Video we watched: Part of “Is there an afterlife?” debate between Hitchens, Wolpe, Harris, and Artson Shavit. Further reading: “Afterlife” at SEP
Christina Stringer on fair trade (with Oxfam on Campus)
Thursday 19 May, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
Niki Harre on the psychology of climate change
Monday 16 May, 5-6:30 pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Film night (watching Pi)
Thursday 16 May, 6:30-9 pm, Psychology staff room, HSB
John Ip on counterterrorism and the law
Thursday 12 May, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
Roger Davies on the physics of climate change
Monday 9 May, 5-6pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Student Forum (interclub forum with AUIS and REAL)
Thursday 5 May, 6:30-8pm, OGGB3, Owen G. Glenn building
Video (Q&A only)
Human evolution
Thursday 5 May, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
Tim on mass extinctions
Monday 2 May, 5-6pm, Case Room 4, Owen G. Glenn building
Garry Tee on the history of mathematics
Thursday 28 April, 4-5pm, OGGB5, Owen G. Glenn building
Peter on the future of copyright
Wednesday 27 April, 6-7pm, Eng. 3401, Engineering building
Robert Nola on naturalism
Wednesday 20 April, 4-5pm, lecture room 029, Clock Tower
Malcolm Campbell on “is history a science”
Monday 18 April, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
Richard on animal eyes and vision
Monday 11 April, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
Blair on whether endurance running is an adaptation
Thursday 7 April, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 1
Rochelle Constantine on cetacean societies
Monday 4 April, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
Wikipedia
Tuesday 29 March, 12-1pm, Pat Hanan room, Arts 2
Chris Tucker on the epistemology of perception vs. religious experiences
Monday 28 March, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
On Christopher Hitchens
Wednesday 23 March, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
We discussed two videos by the journalist and author Christopher Hitchens – specifically one called “Why women still aren’t funny” and another where he debates Sean Hannity about the existence of God.
Bill Cooke on humanism
Monday 21 March, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
Dr. Bill Cooke returned to RSS to talk about the topic of his forthcoming book about humanism. He discussed humanism historically and cross-culturally.
Laser tag 2
Monday 14 March, 7-8pm, Megazone Ponsonby
Two games of laser tag at Megazone – ten of us went and we played science students vs. non-science students (Team Science and Team Reason). Team Reason won game one, but Team Science came back and won game two.
An introduction to economics
Monday 14 March, 5-6pm, Owen G. Glenn building, Case Room 4
Our secretary Joshua Krissansen-Totton gave an introductory talk about economics, explaining basic concepts like markets and efficiency, and discussing whether free markets are a good idea. We had some good discussion after.
Lunch in the park
Tuesday March 8, 12-1pm, Albert Park
Lunch on the grass in Albert Park – was a good chance to meet fellow RSSers, especially new recruits, in a more informal context.
Humour: The logic of laughter
Monday March 7, 5-6pm, iSpace
A discussion about humour – what makes us laugh and why? Richard gave a quick presentation at the start.
Quiz night
Thursday 3 March, 5-8pm, Shadows Bar
The Science of Attraction
February 28, iSpace
Natasha gave a presentation on interpersonal attraction. What makes us attracted to other people? E.g. smell, voice, behaviour
RSS discusses Facebook
The future of the internet
Appeals to authority with Matthew Denith
Divine command theory with Matthew Flannagan
Placebos and the placebo effect
Going to see “The King’s Speech”
Aesthetics – the philosophy of beauty, art and taste
Mental disorders
2010
Laser tag
Lunch in the park
Conway’s Game of Life
Can science answer moral questions?
Karl Popper’s science with Robert Nola
The illusion of conscious will
Death and Burial Rites
Interclub meeting with the Islamic Society
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if you held his wife and kid hostage?
Detecting life in the universe
What is philosophy?
RSS Annual General Meeting
The historicity of Jesus with Bill Cooke
The origin of life with Peter Wills
Moral accountability of the mentally ill
How the moral argument works with Glenn Peoples
The treatment of animals
Going to see Inception
An introduction to evolution with Mat Goddard
Conspiracy theories with Matthew Dentith
Defining and evaluating atheism with Robert Nola
Flying Spaghetti Monster vs. Invisible Pink Unicorn – which is the one true God?
RSS drinks at Ben’s, or A Momentary Lapse in Reason
Science and religion with John Bishop
An hour with Brian Boyd
Sexual cannibalism with Greg Holwell
Second video night at Mount Terrace
Video night at Mount Terrace
Movie night (watching Gattaca)
The future of robotics and artificial intelligence
Video we watched: Rodney Brooks on how robots will invade our lives
Reason & Science Society 
Leave a comment
Comments 0