5/1/03 - Suggested topics will include:

• After the three-week military campaign that destroyed the regime of Saddam Hussein, President Bush is ready to tackle the next component of his “Axis of Evil.” Will it be North Korea? This time President Bush says that he believes that the problem calls for a diplomatic solution. Can diplomacy destroy or eliminate the world's fourth largest army, which already has some nuclear capability and openly works hard to increase it? The Bush Doctrine and the coalition's lightning defeat of Iraq frighten North Korea, which showed in 1951 that it too could launch an unprovoked attack. And what about its erstwhile patron, China?
• The Bush administration has suggested that Syria should get rid of any WMD in order to help make the entire region WMD-free. What about Israel? Does anyone expect Israel to ever give up its Nukes? Is this a justified double-standard?
• The myth that we only use 10% of our brains is an example of a myth that, after having been repeated for long enough, becomes something that a majority of people believe to be true. What other examples of myths like this can you think of? How does this occur and continue to propagate in our society?
• Can you be a Skeptic and still believe in God(s)?
• With the recent success of debunking shows such as "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!" and the NBC special: "Secrets of Psychics Revealed", are we witnessing a trend toward more shows that promote skepticism and critical thinking? Did "Secrets of Psychics Revealed", do a good job exposing these self-proclaimed psychics? What could have been included or excluded in the show to make it better? What would you suggest is the best way of exposing charlatans (if at all)?
• A recent New Your Times article suggests that messiness is a trait that separates humans from other animals. The author explains that messiness seems uniquely human and that we are also prone to repetitive compulsive behaviors as well. Are either of these somehow traits that helped the human species have an evolutionary advantage? Do you think some people are born "slobs" or "neatniks"?
• Do Americans have an overzealous desire for fame and wealth? How does this compare with other developed countries? What drives humans, in general, to want fame? Does fame and wealth truly equal happiness? Why does there seem such a desperation for fame by people such as Darva Conger, Monica Lewinsky, Anne Nicole Smith, etc.?
• Has our idea of morality changed in the last 50 - 100 years? If so, how and why?

Quote of the week: "If we took all the money we're spending on security and threw it out the window, I'd feel just as safe." [Bob Kerrey - President of the New School in NYC and former Democratic Senator, on post-Sept. 11 security measures]