Tuesdays 10-12 Noon
September 30 through November 18, 2003
D.O.C. House
Do you read the astrology column, play the lottery, use alternative medicines? Do you think that there may be other worlds out there? If so, you're really not alone. Books on UFOs, inner therapies, and mysterious powers of the mind outsell traditional science books 100 to 1! And respected institutions provide credits to students for "alternative" subjects, while traditional science graduation requirements are disappearing. What's going on here? Are we regressing to the dark ages, or do the New Age sciences promote emerging truths that have been suppressed by a scientific community beholden to outmoded tenets and the establishment? Come with us to explore futurism, medical miracles, new powers of the mind, nontraditional science, and spiritualism to see if these alternative approaches provide insights promising a real New Age. Bring a willingness to present your own, or perhaps others' outlooks in an 8-session exploration of scientific and alternative views of the most controversial subjects of the modern age. Prepare to have your views debated, defended, or debunked--just don't expect to sit there. In other words, bring an open mind, but not a gaping one.
Class is limited to 20 participants.
Bill Hatt was a tenured professor at New England College for 26 years. He taught astronomy, physics, meteorology, and engineering subjects and courses in critical thinking. He taught Elderhostel courses for a number of years. Bill was peripherally involved as a graduate student with the Condon Report, a project at the University of Colorado in the 1960s to evaluate the Air Force's Project Blue Book about UFOs. He has an active interest in skepticism.
George Montgomery, as an old sailor, does not like to be told that his reliance on maritime folklore amounts to superstition, and resents assertions that his personal observations of St Elmo's fire have a rational explanation. In the 1960's he was UFO "point man" at the National Security Agency. He has led ILEAD study groups on six different subjects including maritime archaeology, espionage, old time radio, global trends, and puzzles. Perhaps one of these days he will pick a "major."
