Southeast Michigan Mensa

Program Live and via Zoom, 7:00 pm (EDT) Saturday, April 19, 2025:

Enigmatic mediums, murders, monsters, and more are all part of our mysterious and sometimes supernatural history. For example, the will of Detroit’s first millionaire, Eber B. Ward, was hotly contested because he took the financial advice of spirits. Marian Spore Bush, Bay City’s first female dentist, moved to New York City, where she became a psychic wonder–and a secret philanthropist. And according to Amberrose Hammond our speaker this month, old witchcraft superstitions drove a Midwest family insane and caused another man to murder his godmother. All this and other notable occurrences that took the headlines throughout the U.S.

Join us at 7:00 pm (EDT) on Saturday, April 19, when Ms. Hammond will bring to light strange and unusual tales from our colorful and exciting past. For more than two decades, Amberrose Hammond has been delving deep into our eerie and unconventional past. As a passionate lover of history and cemeteries, she has traveled across Michigan to spread the word about the state’s weirdest and most off-beat tales. Through compelling lectures and historical cemetery tours, Amberrose has captured the imaginations of thousands with her infectious enthusiasm for our spooky side. With her expertise and deep knowledge of the paranormal, she has authored “Ghosts & Legends of Michigan’s West Coast” and “Mysterious Michigan” as well as two true crime books, “Wicked Ottawa County” and “Wicked Grand Rapids”. For those who want to explore the strange and unusual even further, Amberrose invites you to check out her website “Mysterious Michigan” and subscribe to “Ghostly Talk”, the podcast she cohosts.

Please note that this program will be presented live and on Zoom. You can attend the live presentation, for a chance to also mingle with your fellow Mensans and guests, at our usual location:
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield
23925 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, MI 48075

Doors open at 6:30 pm (EDT). The program begins at 7:00 pm
(EDT).

Ticket prices for the in-person program are:
Members 13 years old+: $5 or buy a strip of 4 tickets for $15.
Guests 13 years old+: $7, Members and guests 12 & under: Free
Exact change is appreciated!

Following the presentation, please join us for dinner at Buddy’s
Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Highway, in Farmington
Hills, just northeast of Middlebelt Road.

If you can’t join us in person, the Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm
(EDT) for mingling.

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising
costs, (Meetup charges alone went up 70% in the past year!) your
donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To
donate go to PayPal.com, login, and click on the “Send” button.

Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com, click on
“Next”, fill in your payment amount, and in the “What’s this for”
dialogue box enter: “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Click “Next”,
select your payment method, and click “Send”.

Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by
clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2025-
Gathering. And choosing “April 19, 2025 6:30 pm” from the drop-
down box. The Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm (EDT)for mingling.
The program starts at 7:00 pm (EDT).

Even in re-runs, something astonishing keeps cropping up on
TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” and its highly successful spinoff,
“Young Sheldon” – namely, actual science. What’s so hilarious
about Schrodinger’s cat, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and
glow-in-the-dark jellyfish? Though both shows are comedies,
they’re peppered with real-life scientific references: Characters
chat about cutting-edge and classical experiments; historic
formulae adorn living room whiteboards; and famous techno
luminaries and science educators guest-star as themselves. The
Big Bang Theory, which is still watched regularly on at least ten
different local stations, cable channels, and streaming services
around the world, features an assortment of very smart characters
wisecracking about these and other real-life high-IQ concepts —
and now you’ll be able to, too.

Join us at 7:00 pm (EDT) on Saturday, March 15 to learn why
CBS became PBS… sort of. This month’s guest speaker, science
humorist Dave Zobel argues that the two hugely popular “funny
nerd” shows still fill a vital (if nontraditional) role in popularizing
science: Their subtle celebration of scientific inquiry draws
viewers into conversation about science, technology, math – even
philosophy. And that’s a gift to every science geek … or science
denier. Part one-man colloquium, part comedy routine, Mr. Zobel’s talk just might show you enough of what’s fun and funny about
science to earn you a spot on Sheldon’s couch!

Dave Zobel has appeared on the TV channels G4 and Discovery
and has penned segments for the radio shows “StarDate”, “Day to
Day”, “Says You!” and “The Loh Down on Science”. For the LA
nonprofit “T4T” (Trash for Teaching), he designs STEM teaching
kits out of rescued and repurposed manufacturers’ discards.

Please note that this program will be presented only via
Zoom.

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising
costs, (Meetup charges alone are up 70% this year!) your
donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To
donate go to PayPal.com, login, and click on the “Send” button.
Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com, click on
“Next”, fill in your payment amount, and in the “What’s this for”
dialogue box enter: “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Click “Next”,
select your payment method, and click “Send”.

Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by
clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2025-
Gathering. The Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm (EDT) for mingling.
The program starts at 7:00 pm (EDT).

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in
1960, and are widely regarded as the most influential band of all
time. Whether you liked them or not, they were integral to the
development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of
popular music as an art form.

The Beatles were a cultural tsunami that forever changed fashion,
manners, humor, media, values, and style while influencing
musical genres and future musicians long after the group’s
demise.

Join us at 7 pm (EST) on Saturday, February 15, when Kansas
University’s “Professor of Rock”, and lifelong educator Steve
Lopes will lead us in a review of the Beatles’ origin story and
Beatlemania, and how they became so fabulous. Participants
wishing to do so will also have an opportunity to engage in a trivia
quiz and a discussion of the “Fab Four’s” legacy.

Steve Lopes was a technology educator for fifteen years before
becoming a union organizer. After 30 years with the Kansas
National Education Association, he returned to teaching, this time
leading history of rock classes for Lifelong Learners at the
University of Kansas, University of Missouri- Kansas City, and
Washburn University. Steve enjoys researching Rock ‘n’ Roll
history and sharing it with his students. He also donates his
organizing skills in support of progressive causes and candidates.

Please note that this program will be presented only via
Zoom.

The Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm (EST) for mingling. The
program starts at 7:00 pm (EST). 

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but due to rising
costs, (Meetup charges alone are up 70% this year!) your
donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To
donate go to paypal.com, login, and click on the “Send” button.
Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com, click on
“Next”, fill in your payment amount, and in the “What’s this for”
dialogue box enter: “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Click “Next”,
select your payment method, and click “Send”.

Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by
clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2025-Gathering.

Almost all of us have heard of Albert Einstein, best known for developing the theory of relativity, as well as important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, has been called “the world’s most famous equation.” He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. But Albert Einstein’s genius continues to impact our everyday lives in so many ways you may not realize – from science and technology to his status as a pop culture icon and his legacy as a humanitarian rescuing refugees and fighting in the civil rights movement. For his book, “The Einstein Effect,” our guest speaker journalist Benyamin Cohen spent years tracking down lesser-known stories about Einstein (e.g., Did you know the pathologist performing Einstein’s autopsy stole his brain?) to learn why Einstein is more relevant today than ever.

Albert Einstein was the first modern-day celebrity and, decades after his death still has the world’s most recognizable face. His influence is seen in much of the technology we use every day: GPS, remote controls, weather forecasts, and even toothpaste. His legacy underpins the search for aliens, rescue of refugees, quest for time machines, and debunking fake news. He appears in new books, TV shows, and movies, and fans are paying millions for Einstein relics at auction.

Join us at 7 p.m., on Saturday, January 18, when Benyamin Cohen, journalist and award-winning author of “The Einstein Effect: How the world’s favorite genius got into our cars, our bathrooms and our minds”, gives us a fascinating and funny overview of history’s favorite genius?and explains why he still matters. 

Benyamin Cohen is the News Director of “The Forward” and was the founding editor of both “Jewsweek” and “American Jewish Life” magazine. Cohen is also the author of “My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith”, named one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly and for which he received the Georgia Author of the Year award. He is based in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he lives with his wife, three dogs, and a flock of chickens known as the Co-Hens. For more information: www.benyamincohen.com.

Please note that this program will be presented only via Zoom.

The Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm (EST) for mingling. The program starts at 7:00 pm (EST).  

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising costs, (Meetup charges alone are up 70% this year!) your donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To donate go to paypal.com, login, and click on the “Send” button. Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com , click on “Next”, fill in your payment amount, and in the “What’s this for” dialogue box enter: “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Click “Next”, select your payment method, and click “Send”.

Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2025-Gathering.

Can we find evidence of alien technology? That is the ambitious goal of the Galileo Project, directed by our guest speaker Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb. The project is far from the first attempt to detect signs of civilizations beyond Earth. You may be aware of the “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”, or “SETI”, a project that has been operational for 40 years. However, there are striking differences between SETI and Project Galileo. According to Dr. Loeb: “Traditional SETI focused on the search for electromagnetic signals from extraterrestrial civilizations, without success. This method is similar to waiting for a phone call at home when nobody intends to call. Alternatively, the Galileo Project searches for physical objects near Earth that were manufactured technologically by distant civilizations. 

Join us at 7 pm (EST) on Saturday, December 14, when we will hear from Dr. Avi Loeb about why he and his collaborators think they have a chance of finding something where others have failed, and why he believes that an alien artifact passed through our solar system in 2017. 

Dr. Avi Loeb received a PhD in plasma physics at age 24 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1986 and was subsequently a long-term member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (1988-1993), where he started to work in theoretical astrophysics. In 1993, he moved to Harvard University where he was tenured three years later. He is now Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation, and former Astronomy department chair (2011-2020). Dr. Loeb is also the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial” and “Interstellar”.

Please note that this program will be presented only via Zoom.

The Zoom room opens at 6:30 pm (EST) for mingling. The program starts at 7:00 pm (EST).  

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising costs, (Meetup charges alone are up 70% this year!) your donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated. Please donate $5! To donate go to paypal.com, login, and click on the “Send” button. Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@nullmensadetroit.com , click on “Next”, fill in your payment amount, and in the “What’s this for” dialogue box enter: “SEMM Zoom Presentations.” Click “Next”, select your payment method, and click “send”.Please remember that all attendees need to pre-register by clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-2024-Gathering.