Politics & Current Events   

As we struggle to bring more clean, renewable energy to the electrical grids, made more challenging by the current U.S. government, some are proposing that we turn to nuclear power, which does not emit greenhouse gases, to fill the gap of clean energy. On a different path, the U.S. government is listening to many nuclear experts who say we must start testing nuclear weapons again to ensure their viability. In this workshop we will discuss the need and impacts of these two nuclear initiatives. The instructor encourages anyone, no matter how strongly they feel either way about nuclear energy, to come and participate.

New in-person workshop. Format includes lecture and discussion.

An overview of what AI is, how it came to be, and where it may be going. Making sense of the flood of media attention on the topic and trying to put it in perspective. How it might affect us and our grandchildren. The cases for both existential worry and optimism. A little bit about how it works, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it might evolve.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

SUGGESTED BOOKS: The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (2005), Ray Kurzweil, ISBN 9780143037880 (broad scope and fairly detailed); The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI (2024), Ray Kurzweil, ISBN 9780399562778 (also broad scope, but more philosophical than earlier work)

We face an authoritarian attempt to end true participatory democracy. This course examines the threats that are present and the steps that can be taken to strengthen and improve real participatory democracy. The next six months are crucial to this effort. Detailed presentation on gerry- mandering, Project 2025, electoral college, partisan politics, sources of campaign finance, and voter suppression efforts, political effects of social media and AI.
New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

This course is about how we should — and how we actually do — make important decisions. It is based on two bodies of economic theory developed recently: game theory and behavioral economics. The former examines rational decision-making: i.e., how we should do it. The latter examines our actual decision-making; our biases and what we might do to mitigate them. With a mix of experiments, mini-lectures, videos, and examples, we will look at how to signal cooperation, how to threaten, how to bid at an auction, how to negotiate.
Repeat in-person course. Format includes lecture, discussion, film, and hands-on learning.

Today, armed conflicts are ongoing around the world. At times, it may seem that there are no rules in war. Fortunately, there are rules in war, and they can make a difference. Even War Has Rules is a dynamic discussion of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and how it governs armed conflict. It will address topics such as:
• The sources of law and rules that apply to armed conflicts
• The fundamental principles of IHL that guide the development of these rules
• How IHL protects people and places during armed conflicts.
By the end of the class, participants will achieve a general understanding of IHL and will be better able to evaluate the actions of parties to armed conflicts. New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

With human activity pressing against planetary limits, perpetual growth is no longer an appropriate goal. We can choose to create a stable relationship with Earth. This different approach to mutual provision (the economy) requires a change of perspective. Time-tested biological processes provide a foundation for securing long-term well-being as society’s economic “metabolism” adapts to our new situation. A glimpse of a future the grandchildren might enjoy can be seen through the precept “More Fun, Less Stuff.” “To Be Alive and Well; It’s Easier Than You Think.” 

Repeat remote workshop.

Format includes lecture and discussion.

Electricity prices in Maine are currently among the highest in the nation, approximately twice the national average, creating a serious affordability problem for low-income Mainers and Maine industrial companies trying to compete against those with lower electricity costs. High electricity prices also make it harder for the State to meet its climate goals of switching away from fossil fuels to heat pumps and electric vehicles powered by electricity generated from renewable resources. This workshop will explore the major reasons why Maine electricity prices are so high, including our reliance on natural gas, our subsidies of solar energy, overcharging by unregulated retail electricity marketers, and the rising cost of maintaining and building the transmission and distribution system needed to deliver electricity.

New in-person workshop. Format includes lecture.

This workshop, exploring the importance of the rule of law in our democracy, will be led by two veteran Maine attorneys, Peter Murray and William Harwood, who serve on the Steering Committee for Mainer Lawyers for the Rule of Law where they focus on educating the public on the meaning of the rule of law; how the rule of law is under attack; and why we need to uphold it. Murray and Harwood will introduce a highly acclaimed video by Harvard Law School Professor Noah Feldman entitled: Standing Up for the Rule of Law: How Do We Save It? After the video, Professors Murray and Harwood will lead a discussion with those attending on origin and antecedents of the rule of law, how it has functioned in the U.S., its present role and the challenges it faces, and what citizens can do to maintain and protect this core element of American democracy and culture.

New in-person workshop. Format includes lecture and discussion.

Through close study of the U.S. Supreme Court this course investigates the profound effect of the Supreme Court on American Society. We will closely examine landmark cases of the court, and demonstrate the effects of those decisions. Emphasis on the current term of the court, issues like the shadow docket, court doctrines, and proposed reforms for the Supreme Court.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.