Humanism Today

In this episode you will learn how states and towns can gain control over their electric costs. The presenter is Peter Millman, Vice President, People's Action for Clean Energy. This video is an excerpt from a presentation by Peter Millman at a meeting of the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (Connecticut) on April 13, 2025. The opinions expressed in this video are the presenter's own. HFFC does not necessarily endorse these opinions. You can find more information of interest to humanists, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, nonreligious and nonbelievers at the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (Connecticut) website: HFFCCT.org.

In this episode, we collaborated with Connecticut's public radio station, WSHU, to bring a special commemorative program on the 100th anniversary of the Scopes evolution trial. The most notorious trial of the 20th century, according to our speaker, historian and author Brenda Wineapple. It was bigger than OJ. It pitted creationism against evolution. We're thrilled to host this conversation between historian Brenda Wineapple and HFFC member and Connecticut attorney Stephen Keough. Brenda Wineapple's latest book is Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted a Nation which is the basis for this podcast. She is an award-winning historian, literary critic and essayist and author of seven nonfiction books. She is the recipient of such honors as the literature award of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellowship and Pushcart Prize. She was a finalist with a National Book Critics Circle Award, and most recently, a Coleman Fellow at the New York Public Library. She teaches in the MFA program at Columbia University. Stephen Keough is a graduate of Yale College and Columbia Law School. He practices in the area of elder law, trust, and estates, long-term care and federal needs, and is a frequent speaker to the bar and the general bar on these topics. He's also an adjunct member of the faculty at UConn Law School, where he teaches the school's elder law clinic. He's a member of the Community Bioethics Forum under the auspices of the Yale Medical School Program for Biomedical Ethics. Stephen also shared that his great, great, great, great grandfather was from Tennessee and would probably be turning over in his grave right now.  This episode was recorded on March 9, 2025. You can find more information of interest to humanists, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, nonreligious and nonbelievers at the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (Connecticut) website: HFFCCT.org.  

In this episode, you will learn about White Christian Nationalism from a humanist's point of view. The speaker is Rob Boston, Senior Advisor of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.  This video is excerpted from a presentation to the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (CT) on September 9, 2024. You can find more information of interest to humanists, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, nonreligious and nonbelievers at the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (Connecticut) website: HFFCCT.org.

In this episode, we turn our attention to Dale Kutnik, futurist, global AI consultant and longtime HFFC member. Dale will take us into the future of AI and quantum computing. Dale is a senior VP emeritus and distinguished analyst at Gartner, who's worked with CIOs and senior business executives around the world to help them better manage and exploit technology and information to drive business transformation. But more importantly, to advise what is in store for them in the future. He's also an accomplished poet. writes haikus. He's an avid skier and tennis player.

In this episode, humanist and humorist Herb Silverman tells the tale of his ultimately successful attempts to repeal the South Carolina constitutional prohibition of atheists holding public office. You will be surprised by how it worked out. Herb Silverman is founder and president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America; founder of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry in Charleston, South Carolina; and founder and former faculty advisor to the College of Charleston student Atheist/Humanist Alliance. Herb has written for “On Faith” at the Washington Post, Huffington Post, The Humanist, and other magazines and blogs.

In this episode, Charles Darwin AKA Professor Kenneth Noll, will discuss his discoveries versus the thinking of British and American scientists of his time. He will also cover the scientific evidence he gathered on the Beagle's second voyage and its effects on 19th century science. This video is excerpted from a presentation to the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (CT) on February 13, 2023. You can find more information of interest to humanists, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, nonreligious and nonbelievers at the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (Connecticut) website: HFFCCT.org.