Campbell River Museum Philosopher's Cafe

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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

We will begin with a series of 'Evening Dialogues' facilitated by Michael McIvor of Quadra Island, former host of CBC's 'Man Alive' and 'The World at Six'.

Wednesday, March 10, 6:30 - 8:30pm
'Media and Societal Paranoia'
Swine flu, bird flu and the threat of terrorist attacks have all, at times, dominated news coverage. For many, the massive coverage of these and other issues has altered the way many of us behave, the actions of government and have had huge financial impacts. In different ways they have affected where we go and created difficulties in getting there. Has the extent of the coverage provoked societal over-reaction? Was the massive coverage warranted? Does the extent of the coverage compromise the media’s capacity to provide information about other essential issues? Does it make people generally more fearful? Have your say and hear what others have to say on these and other questions concerning the Media and Societal Paranoia.

Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 - 8:30pm
'Impacts of New Media'
Swine flu, New technologies are having a massive impact on the way we communicate. There is now near instant communication throughout most of the world. Mobile phone messaging and Twitter enabled protestors in such countries and Myanmar and Iran to organize and coordinate demonstrations. Blogs, YouTube and alternative Internet news and commentary sites have extended information flow to voices far beyond the traditional media. The new technologies are also leading to the slow death of newspapers. They are changing the style of communication. Short bursts, often not complete sentences, are the norm on Twitter and in mobile messaging.
Is our use of language changing? Is in-depth analysis, often the meat of traditional newspapers, being replaced by snippets of information? Is there a risk that the balance required in traditional news reporting is being swamped by opinionated bloggers? Is ‘real time’ information accurate information? What is the future of news coverage? Have your say and hear what others have to say on these and other questions concerning the Impacts of New Media.


Wednesday, April 7, 6:30 - 8:30pm
From our earliest beginnings, the human race has been identified as 'Hunters and Gatherers'. While it may be true that hunting has lost its importance as a primary food source for most people, our consumer culture highlights our ever increasing need to ‘gather'. We are a culture of consumption. Our need to collect 'things' has many positive social aspects. Museums for example, play an essential role in the preservation and interpretation of historic artifacts. The same is true for libraries and books or galleries and art collection. Most individuals also engage in a form of 'personal museum' - that is, people tend to collect items that carry private significance, whether of a family nature or one that services an interest. But what may begin as a form of interest, can become an obsession.
Does an individual really need 3000 sets of salt and pepper shakers? Or one million beer can pull tabs? How do we distinguish between one person's healthy passion and another's destructive obsession? On an institutional level how do we decide 'what to remember'?


Informal coffee house atmosphere - coffee & wine service