Southeast Michigan Mensa

Program Live and via Zoom, 7:00 pm (EDT) Saturday, May 17, 2025:

Come and explore the intellectual roots of atheism — from Epicurus to today — while addressing common misconceptions, highlighting key moments in American atheist history, and examining current trends and challenges.

Join us at 7:00 p.m. (EDT), on Saturday, May 17, when Chris McLaughlin, the State Director of the Secular Alliance of Michigan and President of Michigan Atheists, will lead us in our examination of atheism, secular identity, and the broader cultural and civic landscape of non-belief in America.

Chris, a lifelong atheist and activist, speaks regularly on atheism, secular identity, and the growing influence of nonreligious Americans in public life. His talk will trace the intellectual and cultural roots of atheism from ancient Greece to the modern atheist movement in the U.S., while debunking myths and offering insight into who atheists are today.

Chris has founded multiple secular initiatives in Michigan, and leads efforts to build inclusive, evidence-based communities grounded in a naturalistic worldview. He has a background in business and economics and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Live Presentation

If you are able to attend the live presentation, you have the opportunity to 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
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
31646 Northwestern Highway
Farmington Hills, MI 38334

Virtual Presentation (Zoom)

If you prefer to to attend virtually, pre-register:

• click tinyurl.com/SEMM-2025-Gathering
• choose “May 17, 2025 6:30 pm” from the drop-down box
• fill in your name and email address
• click the “Register” button

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

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but, due to rising costs, your donation via PayPal is greatly appreciated.

• click PayPal.com
• log in (or sign up)
• click the “Send” button
• Enter the e-mail address: treasurer@webmaster
• click the “Next” button
• enter payment amount ($5 is recommended, but feel free to send any amount)
• fill “What’s this for” with “SEMM Zoom Presentations”
• click the “Next” button
• select your payment method
• click “Send”
• bask in our appreciation

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.