Science, rather than opening minds and setting us free from drudgery, is increasingly a tool of coercion and intimidation. If you’re a college student, consider joining us at Discovery Institute on March 6-7 for a free weekend seminar, “Science, Scientism, and Society.” Scientism is a word that designates the impulse to turn science into a jealous god — not a method for exploring the natural world and responsibly harnessing its resources, but the exclusive source of knowledge about all things, including values and ethics. 

More information and a simple online application are here.

January 30 is the deadline to apply for this important, enlightening, and fun event, organized by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and held in Discovery Institute’s offices in Seattle. ISI will provide a travel stipend for students who are accepted. 

Darwin and Lewis

We’ll focus on the thought of two pivotal figures for our culture, Charles Darwin and C.S. Lewis. The scheduled instructors are political scientist and Discovery Institute Vice President John G. West, bioethicist and National Review writer Wesley J. Smith, physicist and Center for Science & Culture Research Coordinator Brian Miller, and Baylor University Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Robert J. Marks, who directs Discovery Institute’s Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence.

We will discuss fascinating issues with the Darwinian materialist understanding of reality, the hype and genuine perils associated with artificial intelligence, the corrosive influence of radical environmentalism, and how proper stewardship of the Earth can save the environment and ensure a healthy, prosperous future for humankind.

Accommodations will be provided at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Seattle, for Friday night, March 6. Beside our gifted and charismatic scholars, you’ll meet students from other colleges and universities, and share great conversations over meals and around the Discovery Institute conference table. ISI can accept only a limited number of applicants, so apply now!

Photo: Downtown Seattle from Kerry Park, by Tiffany Von Arnim, via Flickr (cropped).