Category: Monthly Gathering

“Until it is deemed once again safe to return to meeting as a group, Southeast Michigan Mensa will be presenting a series of lectures on Zoom. These programs are “members only” events, and not open to the public.  Members should consult this month’s newsletter to register.  If you are not a member, why not join us?  See how at the “Join Now” tab above.”

The worldwide demand for automotive transportation remains strong even as the price of conventional fuels fluctuates. Auto companies are committed to providing safe and affordable vehicles which run on whatever energy sources are available in a particular market. A brief history of vehicle propulsion methods will be followed by an update on the current status of electric vehicles, including hybrids, batteries, and fuel cells.

Ed Becker is a life member of American Mensa and a past president of The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers International.  He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He retired from General Motors after 30 years of service, mostly in the Powertrain division working on a variety of GM engines and transmissions. Ed then established Friction & Wear Solutions, LLC, which provides advice on materials to solve tribological problems. He holds 9 U.S. patents and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Michigan.

Members please join us at 7pm, on Saturday, August 15 for some timely insight into the future of automotive transportation.

We will not be holding the monthly gathering this month due to the pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation in Michigan, the Executive Committee of Southeast Michigan Mensa regretfully announces that’ the monthly gathering, “Artificial Intelligence and the Vanishing Future of Work”, previously scheduled on March 21, has been cancelled. Please check back for announcements on future events.

Will artificial intelligence (AI) take away jobs or usher in a prosperous utopia? Will innovations such as self-driving cars reduce our use of fossil fuels or accelerate emissions? What will high IQ and a college degree be worth when knowledge work can be done by machine? This talk considers these and other questions through the lens of technology’s “Law of Amplification.” Paradoxically, Kentaro Toyama, this month’s guest speaker, believes what is needed most in a world of advanced technology is greater attention to human values and virtues.

Dr. Kentaro Toyama is W. K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan School of Information, a fellow of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT, and author of Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology. Kentaro previously taught at Ashesi University in Ghana and co-founded Microsoft Research India, where he did research on the application of digital technology to international development. 

Dr. Toyama co-founded the IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) to provide a global platform for rigorous academic research in this field. He is also co-editor-in-chief of the journal Information Technologies and International Development. Prior to his time in India, Toyama researched computer vision and multimedia at Microsoft Research in Redmond, WA, USA and Cambridge, UK. Toyama graduated from Yale with a PhD in Computer Science and from Harvard with a BS in Physics. He was born in Tokyo and raised in both Japan and the United States. He lives in Ann Arbor.

Join us on Saturday, March 21st, for a glimpse into your future! We’ll meet at
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield.
23925 Northwestern Hwy
Southfield, MI 48075

Doors open at 6:30pm. The program begins at 7:00pm. Admission: $5, (Mensa Members $4)
Following the presentation, join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Hwy., in Farmington Hills, Just East of Middlebelt Rd.

Join NASA Solar System Ambassador Ken Bertin, for a guided tour of the universe. Through the use of some pretty amazing 3D visualization (VR) software, our ship will convey us from the Earth to the edges of the known universe. Along the way, we’ll travel to many places, including the Moon,  Jupiter, Saturn, a gigantic black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, and more! Mr. Bertin will also demonstrate the challenges of space travel, and explain how the staggering size of the universe presents unique difficulties for those seeking to journey beyond the Earth’s celestial neighborhood. Those of us undertaking the journey will return with a better sense of the vastness of space. This is an awe-inspiring program, perfect for all ages, and Mr. Bertin will answer any space-related questions you might have! 

Ken Bertin received his first telescope at the age of seven and has been an avid astronomer for most of his life. He has traveled to and observed ten solar eclipses, three annular eclipses and both transits of Venus. He has also seen numerous Lunar and partial solar eclipses, photographing each type. Ken is past president of the Warren Astronomical Society. His stated purpose in life is “the acquisition of knowledge, and the imparting of it to others”

Your flight to the stars awaits! Join us on Saturday, February 15th, at
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield.
23925 Northwestern Hwy
Southfield, MI 48075

Doors open at 6:30pm. The program begins at 7:00pm. Please note the new starting time! Admission: $5, (Mensa Members $4)
Following the presentation, join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Hwy., in Farmington Hills, Just East of Middlebelt Rd.

There’s no Monthly Meeting (or ExComm Meeting) this month. Have a great holiday season!

We’ll see you next month for Winter Bash! on Saturday January 11th from 6pm-11pm. Guests of members are welcome. Ticket information is available on the Winter Bash! page.

Regular meetings will resume in February.