2020-2021 Personally Speaking
The presentations of the 2020-2021 season were virtual, with opportunities to engage with the presenters online.
The 2020-2021 Series Included:
Drones and Support for the Use of Force by James Igoe Walsh with Marcus Schulzke. Personally Speaking talk: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Combat drones offer an unprecedented ability to reduce the costs of conflict by increasing accuracy, reducing the risks to civilians, and protecting military personnel from harm. The advantages should make drone strikes more popular than operations involving ground troops. Yet many critics believe drone warfare will make political leaders too willing to authorize wars, weakening constraints on the use of force. (Find the video from the live talk on the College’s YouTube channel (and we hope you will follow the channel!) More >>
Africa’s International Relations: Balancing Domestic and Global Interests by Beth Elise Whitaker with John F. Clark. Personally Speaking talk: Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Why do African leaders cultivate ties with some foreign powers and not others? How do civil conflicts in African countries at times expand to engulf entire regions of the continent? Why have leaders enhanced the capabilities of international organizations like the African Union while undermining the authority of bodies such as the International Criminal Court? (Find the video from the live talk on the College’s YouTube channel (and we hope you will follow the channel!) More >>
Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics by Gregory J. Gbur. Personally Speaking talk: Tuesday, February 23, 2021
The question of how cats always land on their feet has long intrigued humans. Attempts to understand the cat‑righting reflex have provided crucial insights into puzzles in mathematics, geophysics, neuroscience, and human space exploration. There is an explanation, but the finer details still inspire heated arguments. And, as with other cat behavior, the more we investigate, the more surprises we discover! (Find the video from the live talk on the College’s YouTube channel (and we hope you will follow the channel!) More >>