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Rocket Science
How often have you heard the expression "...but look, this isn't rocket science!"
Hartman as a young chemist (still in high school) experimented with numerous rocket fuels (solid propellants) to discover which was the most useful one. (On this he has an opinion.) Then he launched numerous rockets into the heavens, some with biological experiments contained in the nose cone. And a lot more. Somehow, he escaped being arrested for all of this. This talk is on Rocket Science, and you don't get many of those!
Culture and our Social Condition
How do we communicate? Language! What are its origins, and how does language change with time? (This is one of Hartman's special interests.)
What is the nature of our education? What should our politics be, in a perfect world? Which is more important, equal opportunity, or equal outcome? How does Morality fluctuate among various cultures?
Oceans of the World, and Sail Boats
Hartman grew up in Atlantic City, was on the island's beach patrol for nine years, and knows all about ocean conditions and hazards, and is familiar with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Aegean Seas, and the Gulf of Mexico. He has been sailing all his life, and was once a decent surfer.
History
The emphasis here is on the oldest history, even from before history is recorded. Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, and the early Europeans, among others, have interesting stories to tell.
A Few Suggestions for Individual Lectures:
Some topics can be used in nearly every setting. For instance, the title "The Lost City of Atlantis" will have appeal for a variety of listener groups. We begin with the origin of the legend from Plato at about 370 BC calling upon information according to Greek ruler Solon of 200 years earlier, in which Plato said it was "beyond the Pillars of Hercules". We then examine the places in the world which have claim to the Atlantis location, or claim to being the "Pillars of Hercules". Other topics with wide appeal are:
Philosophy - from the Greeks to Moderns
The Civil War Letter of Sullivan Ballou
Construction of the Panama Canal
Fitness: why Pilates is superior to body-building.
Copernicus and his Other-Worldy Revolution
A History of the Vikings
Languages - their Origins and Evolution
Machiavelli: Renaissance Counterpoint?
"Trade Deficits" Made Simple
Pirates of the Caribbean (beyond Disney)
Cleopatra - A Greek in Egypt
How Hollywood Gets History Wrong, and Why
The Crusades: We only won the first one
The Spanish Flu of 1918: History's Greatest Killer
How the Days of the Weeks Got Their Names
The Roman Empire - How did it get that way?
Global Warming - Sense behind the Nonsense
The Period of the Pharaohs
The Gregorian Calendar - an important milestone
New Discoveries in Astronomy
King Arthur: The Once and Future King
A History of Lighthouses
The Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
All You Need to Know about Coffee
The Origin of Coral Reefs
The French Revolution (reduced to essential features)
Who was William Shakespeare?
Troy and the Trojan War: History or Myth?
A History of the Seven Deadly Sins
The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Little Known Facts
A Railroad Is The Width of Two Horses
What is "Post-Modernism"?
The Voyages of Captain Cook
The Origins of French Cuisine
The Phoenicians: Early World Explorers, and More
Magellan: His Contribution to History
Who Owns the Land?
The Truth About That First Thanksgiving
Our Debt to Themistocles: Greece versus Persia
Some Mis-pronounced Words, Names, and Places
How to Remember Ancient History
Who Was Guy Fawkes?
Monarchy - Does it have a place in modern times?
Confusing Word Pairs
Genghis Kahn - What we need to know about him
Foreign Expressions Which Keep Recurring
What is the nature of our education? What should our politics be, in a perfect world? Which is more important, equal opportunity, or equal outcome? How does Morality fluctuate among various cultures?
Oceans of the World, and Sail Boats
Hartman grew up in Atlantic City, was on the island's beach patrol for nine years, and knows all about ocean conditions and hazards, and is familiar with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Aegean Seas, and the Gulf of Mexico. He has been sailing all his life, and was once a decent surfer.
History
The emphasis here is on the oldest history, even from before history is recorded. Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, and the early Europeans, among others, have interesting stories to tell.
A Few Suggestions for Individual Lectures:
Some topics can be used in nearly every setting. For instance, the title "The Lost City of Atlantis" will have appeal for a variety of listener groups. We begin with the origin of the legend from Plato at about 370 BC calling upon information according to Greek ruler Solon of 200 years earlier, in which Plato said it was "beyond the Pillars of Hercules". We then examine the places in the world which have claim to the Atlantis location, or claim to being the "Pillars of Hercules". Other topics with wide appeal are:
Philosophy - from the Greeks to Moderns
The Civil War Letter of Sullivan Ballou
Construction of the Panama Canal
Fitness: why Pilates is superior to body-building.
Copernicus and his Other-Worldy Revolution
A History of the Vikings
Languages - their Origins and Evolution
Machiavelli: Renaissance Counterpoint?
"Trade Deficits" Made Simple
Pirates of the Caribbean (beyond Disney)
Cleopatra - A Greek in Egypt
How Hollywood Gets History Wrong, and Why
The Crusades: We only won the first one
The Spanish Flu of 1918: History's Greatest Killer
How the Days of the Weeks Got Their Names
The Roman Empire - How did it get that way?
Global Warming - Sense behind the Nonsense
The Period of the Pharaohs
The Gregorian Calendar - an important milestone
New Discoveries in Astronomy
King Arthur: The Once and Future King
A History of Lighthouses
The Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
All You Need to Know about Coffee
The Origin of Coral Reefs
The French Revolution (reduced to essential features)
Who was William Shakespeare?
Troy and the Trojan War: History or Myth?
A History of the Seven Deadly Sins
The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Little Known Facts
A Railroad Is The Width of Two Horses
What is "Post-Modernism"?
The Voyages of Captain Cook
The Origins of French Cuisine
The Phoenicians: Early World Explorers, and More
Magellan: His Contribution to History
Who Owns the Land?
The Truth About That First Thanksgiving
Our Debt to Themistocles: Greece versus Persia
Some Mis-pronounced Words, Names, and Places
How to Remember Ancient History
Who Was Guy Fawkes?
Monarchy - Does it have a place in modern times?
Confusing Word Pairs
Genghis Kahn - What we need to know about him
Foreign Expressions Which Keep Recurring
A Few Suggestions for Individual Lectures:
Some topics can be used in nearly every setting. For instance, the title "The Lost City of Atlantis" will have appeal for a variety of listener groups. We begin with the origin of the legend from Plato at about 370 BC calling upon information according to Greek ruler Solon of 200 years earlier, in which Plato said it was "beyond the Pillars of Hercules". We then examine the places in the world which have claim to the Atlantis location, or claim to being the "Pillars of Hercules". Other topics with wide appeal are:
Philosophy - from the Greeks to Moderns
The Civil War Letter of Sullivan Ballou
Construction of the Panama Canal
Fitness: why Pilates is superior to body-building.
Copernicus and his Other-Worldy Revolution
A History of the Vikings
Languages - their Origins and Evolution
Machiavelli: Renaissance Counterpoint?
"Trade Deficits" Made Simple
Pirates of the Caribbean (beyond Disney)
Cleopatra - A Greek in Egypt
How Hollywood Gets History Wrong, and Why
The Crusades: We only won the first one
The Spanish Flu of 1918: History's Greatest Killer
How the Days of the Weeks Got Their Names
The Roman Empire - How did it get that way?
Global Warming - Sense behind the Nonsense
The Period of the Pharaohs
The Gregorian Calendar - an important milestone
New Discoveries in Astronomy
King Arthur: The Once and Future King
A History of Lighthouses
The Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
All You Need to Know about Coffee
The Origin of Coral Reefs
The French Revolution (reduced to essential features)
Who was William Shakespeare?
Troy and the Trojan War: History or Myth?
A History of the Seven Deadly Sins
The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Little Known Facts
A Railroad Is The Width of Two Horses
What is "Post-Modernism"?
The Voyages of Captain Cook
The Origins of French Cuisine
The Phoenicians: Early World Explorers, and More
Magellan: His Contribution to History
Who Owns the Land?
The Truth About That First Thanksgiving
Our Debt to Themistocles: Greece versus Persia
Some Mis-pronounced Words, Names, and Places
How to Remember Ancient History
Who Was Guy Fawkes?
Monarchy - Does it have a place in modern times?
Confusing Word Pairs
Genghis Kahn - What we need to know about him
Foreign Expressions Which Keep Recurring
The Civil War Letter of Sullivan Ballou
Construction of the Panama Canal
Fitness: why Pilates is superior to body-building.
Copernicus and his Other-Worldy Revolution
A History of the Vikings
Languages - their Origins and Evolution
Machiavelli: Renaissance Counterpoint?
"Trade Deficits" Made Simple
Pirates of the Caribbean (beyond Disney)
Cleopatra - A Greek in Egypt
How Hollywood Gets History Wrong, and Why
The Crusades: We only won the first one
The Spanish Flu of 1918: History's Greatest Killer
How the Days of the Weeks Got Their Names
The Roman Empire - How did it get that way?
Global Warming - Sense behind the Nonsense
The Period of the Pharaohs
The Gregorian Calendar - an important milestone
New Discoveries in Astronomy
King Arthur: The Once and Future King
A History of Lighthouses
The Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
All You Need to Know about Coffee
The Origin of Coral Reefs
The French Revolution (reduced to essential features)
Who was William Shakespeare?
Troy and the Trojan War: History or Myth?
A History of the Seven Deadly Sins
The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Little Known Facts
A Railroad Is The Width of Two Horses
What is "Post-Modernism"?
The Voyages of Captain Cook
The Origins of French Cuisine
The Phoenicians: Early World Explorers, and More
Magellan: His Contribution to History
Who Owns the Land?
The Truth About That First Thanksgiving
Our Debt to Themistocles: Greece versus Persia
Some Mis-pronounced Words, Names, and Places
How to Remember Ancient History
Who Was Guy Fawkes?
Monarchy - Does it have a place in modern times?
Confusing Word Pairs
Genghis Kahn - What we need to know about him
Foreign Expressions Which Keep Recurring
