January Monday 6th 17.30-18.30 Log on from 17.00
Catherine Stevenson: Leonardo da Vinci: would he have made a good u3a member? This presentation will explore Leonardo’s incredible range of skills and talents, from his innovative designs for machines to his groundbreaking studies of human anatomy. We’ll delve into his remarkable artistic techniques and examine how he shared his knowledge with others through his writings and lectures. However, what makes Leonardo truly remarkable is his commitment to lifelong learning, always seeking to improve and expand his knowledge. This presentation will ask you, ‘Would Leonardo da Vinci have been a good u3a member?’ We’ll also consider what we can learn from his approach to learning, creativity and curiosity. Catherine’s passion for art history, history and the humanities began in her childhood. Actively involved in the u3a, she served as the chair of Newcastle u3a for six years and currently leads two groups as well as two IGO groups alongside three informal networks. Her presentation experience spans all levels of u3a as well as other organizations. She is renowned for her animated presentations. Catherine is a volunteer for Tyne and Wear Museums, serving as a tour guide mainly at Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery. “Ars longa, vita brevis.” “Art is long, life is short.”
February Monday 3rd 17.30-18.30 Log on from 17.00
Alan Freeland: Our human instinct for language Language is perhaps our most important invention. It gives us the best of times and the worst of times. In this talk we focus on verbal communication and look at how and why language arose, how languages are similar and different, and how and why they change. We will learn why we say mice infestation but not rats infestation, what the Intestines Affairs Ministry does, what children think our cutlery should be called, how we learnt to talk about time, and how ‘evidentials’ could improve our social media. Alan had a long career in IT and is now an active member of Farnham u3a, running the AI group and giving talks for the History and Art History groups. Previously he ran for three years a Silk Roads group and for a year a group called The Art and Science of Communication where this talk comes from.
March Monday 3rd Log on from 17.00 17.30-18.45 Q&A/discussions follow to 19.00
IQ² Cultural Debate: ‘Brave New World’ vs ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ This is a new venture for the London Region Events Team! Liz Day and Vivek Nanda will use a recorded debate staged in 2018 by Intelligence Squared, to consider the mood of our time as reflected in two great 20th century novels – ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley and ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell. The books, written in 1931 and 1949 respectively, portray the troubles of their period, but which looks most relevant to our 21st century world? In the Chair is Jonathan Freedland, political columnist at ‘The Guardian’ and presenter of Radio 4’s contemporary history series ‘The Long View’.
The debate is presented very engagingly with cogent arguments from two eminent advocates and illustrated by excellent dramatised extracts from the novels. Advocating for ‘Brave New World’ is Will Self (novelist, critic, broadcaster, political commentator). Advocating for ‘1984’ is Adam Gopnik (author, writer for the New Yorker, lecturer, and broadcaster). The ‘expert witnesses’ are distinguished actors – Tuppence Middleton, George Blagdon, Orlando Seal, and Simon Callow. Both novels are described as ‘dystopian’ (opposite of utopian). 1984 issues a stark warning about the loss of freedom and democracy by claustrophobic state authoritarianism. Words from the novel such as Big Brother, Thought Police, Newspeak, Doublethink etc. have entered today’s vocabulary. In Brave New World the state uses science and technology (especially drugs) to control the population, and children are conditioned out of their emotions and individuality. The objective is to create a mindless sense of happiness and stability.
If you’ve not read these novels, or need a refresher, you may wish to prepare by reading a summary of each on the Internet or by reading the books themselves. At the end of the debate, you will be asked to vote in a simple online poll to indicate which novel you feel better captures our present world and offers the keener warning about where we may be heading. After hearing the poll results, you may wish to stay online (max 30 mins) for a discussion to hear the scores that were given by participants in the IQ² recording. The recording will also be uploaded to the Talks Archive of London Region website. To book for this talk please Register here
