Moderators:  Mike Ash
Registration Fee:  $25
Time:  5 weeks, Monday, 2:00 to 4:00 PM, February 26 to March 26
Location:  Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format:  Presentations and Discussion

Course Summary with Suggested Topics

We take it for granted and use it all the time, but what do we know about energy? According to Einstein energy and mass are directly related (E = mc²).  Energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed.  If an object acquires energy (e.g. heat) its mass will increase slightly. There are over a dozen forms of energy – mechanical, electrical, nuclear, radiant, chemical, magnetic, potential, gravitational, etc.  We need energy to live and perform work.

What does this all mean in our world?  Let’s explore some aspects of energy that we may not normally be aware of and examine the implications for today and tomorrow.  How do we plan for our future requirements; is there anything more important?

Moderator: tbd
Registration Fee: $25
Time: 5 weeks, Monday, Noon to 1:15 PM, October 30 to November 27
Location: Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format: Videos and Discussion

The word technology makes some of us wince.  It suggests an uncomfortable world that is passing us by.  We grapple with the computers in our stoves and washing machines and wonder if tomorrow will present us with an insurmountable new difficulty.  Still, medicine promises us treatments without surgery and commerce offers us cars that drive themselves. There is much to love and much to fear about technology. Let’s look into it for a reasonable compromise.

Presentations not required.

Moderator: Don Santor
Registration Fee: $25
Time: 5 weeks, Monday, 2:00 to 4:00 PM, October 30 to November 27
Location: Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format: Group Participation

Everyone has heroes.  They are someone we admire or respect for what they have done or for what they are.  Heroes are part of a nation’s history.  They are woven into the culture and become part of the national identity.  Sometimes heroes become role models and we try to emulate them.  Other times we simply admire them for their accomplishments.  What makes a person a hero?  What does a person have to do to deserve that status?

Who are Canada’s heroes? Who are yours?  This course will examine the     heroes who contributed to the Canadian identity as well as the heroes you  admire.

Presentations optional

Moderator: Nancy Winters
Registration Fee: $25
Time: 5 weeks, Monday, Noon to 1:15 PM, September 18 to October 23
Location: Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format: Videos and Discussion

Designers are among the most creative of our species and we think of them as somehow more than mere mortals.   But consider that the pen you are writing with, the shirt that you are wearing, the book you will read tonight, the dishes you will eat from, the toy you will buy for your grandchild’s birthday are all the creations of very specialized designers.  For this first five weeks we will find them everywhere, and examine their huge influence on our lives.

Presentations not required.

Moderator: Karen Bowes-Sewell
Registration Fee: $25
Time: 5 weeks, Monday, 2:00 to 4:00 PM, September 18 to October 23
Location: Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format: Group Participation

Trees have been our steadfast friends since the dawn of time. We love them, cultivate, and mythologize them, and in turn, they clean our air, shelter and feed us, and equip us. Our deep connection to trees is so familiar that it is easily missed. And yet, the world was thrilled to discover wood was a key component of almost everything found with “Otzi” the ice man (3300 BC), who was discovered in the Alps in 1991.  In this course we will look at how trees have shaped our world and what we are learning about their own hidden world.  Bring your stories, curiosity, and wonder!

Presentations optional.

Socrates Café

We will be having two Socrates Café meetings this summer with barbeque as usual. Many thanks to Bob and Beverly Kennedy and Jim and Jackie Southcott for hosting once again! Please bring your appetite, a beverage, and ideas for a lively round of discussion and persuasion!

July 11^th Bob and Beverly Kennedy   12 noon – 2:00 pm
10152 Merrywood Drive     519.238.6030

August 8^th Jackie and Jim Southcott   12 noon – 2:00 pm
10121 Shoreline Drive     519.238.8800

Regular Socrates Café returns in the fall – dates tba.