The next few weeks are jam-packed with opportunities to discuss important issues with the National Association of Scholars! Make sure you read to the end so that you don't miss any of these exciting upcoming events.

We invite you to join us tomorrow as we continue our Restoring the Sciences series with a discussion of Artificial Intelligence, on Thursday for the virtual launch of our new report on Middle East Studies Centers, and on Friday for the first webinar in our new Right Ideas series.

Plus, tune in next week for discussions of The Last of the Mohicans, Christopher Lasch, and climate misinformation!

More on our upcoming webinars:

Join NAS TOMORROW at 3 pm ET for the next webinar in our Restoring the Sciences webinar series: "Will Machines Rule the World?"

Is the Singularity nigh? Will our conscious selves one day be embodied in silicon? Will we one day become slaves to computing machines rather than their masters?

Not so, say Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith in their new book, Why Machines Will Never Rule the World: Artificial Intelligence Without Fear. Landgrebe, a tech entrepreneur, scientist, and mathematician, and Smith, a philosopher, argue that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is entirely different from the General Intelligence (GI) of humans: the one is a logic system, while the other is a complex system of the sort that is ubiquitous in the world of living organisms. It is logically impossible for AI to develop into GI. To assume that it can is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of GI and of the human mind. While AI will continue to develop as a powerful intellectual tool to serve humans, it will never become humans’ master.

This fourth installment in NAS's ongoing Restoring the Sciences webinar series will feature a fascinating conversation with Dr. Landgrebe and Dr. Smith about the future of AI technology. The discussion will be moderated by J. Scott Turner, Director of the Intrusion of Diversity in the Sciences Project for the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS this Thursday, October 6, at 2 pm ET for the virtual launch of our new report Hijacked: The Capture of America's Middle East Studies Centers.

In the 1950s, a constellation of philanthropic foundations, multinational corporations, interested scholars, and the U.S. government established the first Middle East Studies Centers to improve national security. But these centers quickly attracted controversy. Some were concerned with foreign influence at Georgetown's center in the 1970s. These concerns again flared post-9/11 with massive Saudi funds going to some of the most elite universities in the country. And as recently as 2019, the Department of Education accused the North Carolina Consortium of misusing federal funds to teach materials outside of the intended national security purpose.

NAS's latest report provides seven case studies on universities with Middle East/Islamic Studies centers and uncovers trends in what these centers have promoted over the past 20 years.

The virtual launch event will feature Neetu Arnold, Senior Research Associate at the National Association of Scholars and author of the report; Martin Kramer, Walter P. Stern Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Winfield Myers, Director of Academic Affairs for the Middle East Forum. The discussion will be moderated by David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS this Friday, October 7, at 2 pm ET for the first webinar in our new series on conservative political thought: "Right Ideas: James Burnham."

James Burnham (1905–1987) was a philosopher and political theorist, chair of the philosophy department at NYU, and committed Trotskyist who befriended Leon Trotsky himself. Despite his beginning on the political left, Burnham eventually became an influential voice in the American conservative movement, serving as an editor of National Review. His books include The Managerial Revolution and Suicide of the West.

Although he was virtually forgotten for many years, Burnham’s work has seen something of a revival in some circles today, and his thought remains relevant for conservative and political thinkers of any stripe. In this webinar, we will discuss Burnham and his newfound relevance for conservatives today.

The webinar will feature Julius Krein, Editor of American Affairs; Daniel McCarthy, Editor of Modern Age; and Aaron Renn, Co-Founder and Senior Fellow at American Reformer. The discussion will be moderated by John Sailer, Research Fellow at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS next Tuesday, October 11, at 2 pm ET for a discussion of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans.

“Chingachgook grasped the hand that, in the warmth of feeling, the scout had stretched across the fresh earth, and in that attitude of friendship these intrepid woodsmen bowed their heads together, while scalding tears fell to their feet, watering the grave of Uncas like drops of falling rain.”

What makes The Last of the Mohicans a great American novel? How has the novel influenced American depictions of frontiersmen and American Indians? Who influenced Cooper's writings, and who did his writings influence?

The webinar will feature Steven Harthorn, Chair of the Department of English and Literature and Professor of English at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul; Doreen Alvarez Saar, Professor of English at Drexel University and American Literature Editor for the Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature; and Craig White, Professor Emeritus of Literature at the University of Houston, Clear Lake. The discussion will be moderated by David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS next Thursday, October 13, at 2 pm ET for the second webinar in our new series on conservative political thought: "Right Ideas: Christopher Lasch."

Christopher Lasch was a historian and social critic, the author of numerous important works, including The Culture of Narcissism, The True and Only Heaven, and The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy. Defying political categories, Lasch’s insight has influenced thinkers of all political stripes, and recently his work has seen something of a revival among thinkers on the political right.

In this second webinar in our new "Right Ideas" series, we will discuss Lasch and his newfound relevance for conservatives and all other political thinkers. 

The webinar will feature Blake Smith, Harper Schmidt Fellow at the University of Chicago and a writing fellow at Heterodox Academy; Geoff Shullenberger, Managing Editor at Compact Magazine; and Eric Miller, Associate Professor of History at Geneva College. The discussion will be moderated by John Sailer, Research Fellow at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS next Friday, October 14, at 3 pm ET for a discussion of "Climate Misinformation."

What does “the science” say about climate change? Are we doomed, or is it no big deal? What’s disinformation, and what’s reliable information?

For many years, Roger Pielke, Jr., Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado and Distinguished Fellow of Japan’s Institute of Energy Economics, has been helping us sort through these questions. He has written extensively on science policy and governance. He makes a specialty of comparing what the data say about climate with what the public is being told about climate. You can see some of what he has to say at his Substack, The Honest Broker.

This fifth installment in the Restoring the Sciences webinar series will feature a fascinating conversation with Dr. Pielke about the politics and science of climate. The discussion will be moderated by J. Scott Turner, Director of the Intrusion of Diversity in the Sciences Project for the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

If you can't attend the events live, you can still register to watch the recordings. All registrants will receive a follow-up email with a link to the recording shortly after each event.

If you have missed any of our past events or webinars, you may find all of our recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/user/NAScholars/videos.

I look forward to seeing you in the virtual audience!
 

Best,
Chance Layton
Director of Communications
National Association of Scholars