Planetarium at Montgomery College at Takoma Park, Maryland, USA

Two Cultures: (College Wide)

Humanities and Science, working together to make Meaning

The universe has been expanding since it begin 13.7±.2 billion years ago, and its expansion has been accelerating (actually increasing) now for around 6 billion years; gravity did cause the early universe expansion to deaccelerate (decrease its rate of expansion); gravity seems to have lost its global cosmic grip about 6 billion years ago, but it still maintains its local grip on you and me. Come join the exploration, you do not want to be left behind, even if the time-space manifold will be carrying your atoms along for the ride anyway. You, the information pattern that your atoms currently take, will be conscious of the ride for only a little time; so use your consciousness while you have charge of them. One way to seize the day might be to attend the "Two Cultures" panel discussions at Montgomery College. Our panel discussions have a most interesting protocol: We have a wireless microphone that will circulate in the room after the panelist have introduced the different threads in whatever "The Two Cultures" are discussing, so anyone in the room can participate. We have operated with this particular protocol numerous times and the panelists and other participants seem to benefit from it. Maybe you would benefit, too, by attending.

WHEN	Free Public PANEL Discussions
Next one not yet scheduled	Faith in Science? at the some Montgomery College Campus, some Building in some Room.
Next one not yet scheduled	Navigating Uncertainty at the some Montgomery College Campus, some Building in some Room.
Next one not yet scheduled	Knowledge and Wisdom
Next one not yet scheduled	Bioethics
Next one not yet scheduled	How would Science be improved if more than "Pale Men" did Science? It is even more important than doing justice! Not that justice is not important, but survival trumps even justice. I am still looking for a better title that captures what we want to do here, but it is very important.

The current list of "Group Members" of Montgomery Colleges "Two Cultures" Initiative

Group Member	Academic description (how come you might listen to this person)
Dr. Duncan McIntosh	Currently pastor of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring, formerly seminary professor and bible translator, and linguist in many languages, both ancient and modern.
Michael Croft	Rockville Student, Telecommunications
Dr. William Soderberg	full time Philosophy professor at the Rockville campus
Dr. Anthony D’Souza	full time Philosophy professor at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
Dr. Tecola Hagos	part-time Philosophy professor at the Rockville and the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
Dr. Edward McDermitt	part-time Philosophy professor at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus and linguist
Karl Smith	full time Political Science professor at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
Chris Powell	full time staff mathematics tutor at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
Dr. James Smith III	full time Biology (genetics) professor at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus
Dr. Harold Williams	astrophysicist and full time staff at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus where he is the planetarium coordinator and the physics and geology laboratory coordinator and adjunct professor who has taught astronomy, geology, mathematics, oceanography and physics

Some other Programs that Dr. Williams, the current chief group member in Montgomery Colleges "Two Cultures" initiative is connected with

Monthly public Planetarium Shows obviously in the planetarium.	"Saturday Discovery" in the planetarium.
Planetarium shows for College Classes: AS, BI, CH, EL, EN, HS, GL, MA, PH, PL, and others in the Planetarium.	School Teachers and youth group leaders, Grade Specific Field Trips for Classes in the Planetarium.
Music/LASER Light Shows, public planetarium programs not strictly astronomical in the Planetarium.	Traveling Talks, for groups that can not come to the planetarium.
Summer Planetarium Programs, when the planetarium is closed to the public: like teacher workshops, courses for grade school students, and occasional special programs when something very unusual happens in the sky like the transit of Venus in the summer of 2004 and 2012 (and who knows when the next bright comet may appear).	Astronomy Courses Offered in the planetarium, The only place in the Washington Metro area to take a college astronomy course in a planetarium. Leaning communities of Linked courses like Astrophilosophy, "Does the Universe have a philosophy?" or Astrobiology, "You are made of the Dust of Exploded Stars!"
Science Club at Montgomery College meets in the Planetarium on Friday afternoons around 3:45PM.	Several thousand people participated in planetarium programs last year. All planetarium programs are FREE, but better than many that cost an admission price.