HONG SANG-SOO

NIGHT OF IDEAS

“Aristotle: Ecology, Agriculture, and Sustainability”

Sophia Connell

April 5th, 10:00am

Virtual Event — visit live.dphi.org to join!

Aristotle declares that animals are for the sake of human beings in his Politics. This supports the influential anthropocentric interpretation of his teleology. However, Aristotle’s zoological works focus primarily on the good for each type of animal. This paper explores a midway position between the overarching anthropocentric and biocentric readings of Aristotle’s natural teleology. It does so by bringing to light the many discussions in both his zoology and anthropology which explain the interrelationships between animals and their environments. There are also accounts of numerous interspecies interactions both combative and cooperative. In this context, although humans are superior in Aristotle’s view, other living beings clearly have their own aims and goods which humans must manage and respect.

Speaker Bio:

Sophia Connell, PhD, University of Cambridge, is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London. She works broadly to consolidate and improve philosophical engagement with Aristotle’s biological corpus, particularly the Generation of Animals, Parts of Animals and Historia Animalium. Her books include Aristotle on Female Animals (2016) and Aristotle on Women (2021). She is the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle’s Biology (2021). She is currently working on a book on Aristotle’s views about animals, plants and their environments. Sophia is also known for her historiographic work on women in early analytic philosophy. She is working to uncover the female logicians and philosophers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who have been unfairly marginalized in our recent histories. Recent publications in this area include papers on G.E.M. Anscombe, Mary Midgley, Dora Russell and Alice Ambrose and a Special Issue of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy entitled ‘Lost Voices: Women in Philosophy 1880-1970’ (2021). Her current research in this area includes the philosophical theories of Sophie Bryant, Grace De Laguna and Alice Ambrose.

FERMI’S PARADOX

PANEL DISCUSSION

April 12th, 2:00pm

CAVEA (JSSB Room 420)

 

In 1950, Enrico Fermi initiated a series of informal discussions among his Los Alamos colleagues as to the ubiquity of extra-terrestrial life and the probabilities of contact with alien civilizations. He famously asked, “Where are they?” citing the lack of any physical evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and hence the scientific paradox which still carries his name.

“Are we alone in the Universe?” is arguably one of the oldest and perhaps most universal questions ever asked. Join us and a panel of interdisciplinary experts as they dissect the question of where the extraterrestrial intelligence is and the philosophic and scientific implications the answers to that question have for human life on earth.

Join us for a discussion with SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Affiliate and Philosopher of Science Carol Cleland, Astrophysicist & Planetary Scientist Kamran Sahami, and Rhetorician & Religious Studies researcher Roger Green

Co-Sponsored by MSU Denver Honors Program

THE POLITICS OF PUNK

PANEL DISCUSSION

Explore the intersection of Punk Music, Politics, and Community.  80s/early 90s DC hardcore, selective service, the Revolution Summer, and a coda on toxic masculinity in punk.

April 13th, 6:00pm

Mutiny Information Café (2 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80209)

Roy Cook

 

• Roy Cook is Professor at the Department of Philosophy and at the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Minnesota. Roy is a longtime Punk musician and enjoyer.

 

Abe Brennan

 

• American sketch artist residing in Denver, Colorado. Inspired by the punk rock music scene in his teenage years, he became a touring musician for a lengthy period of time. The social implications in punk and hardcore play a role in his drawings, providing both subject matter and a means to interrogate interpersonal relations, political systems, cultural issues, and socio-economic status. Abe has been a member of many bands, including Wretch Like Me, Joy Subtraction, and My Name

 

Sean Morris

 

• Moderator Sean Morris received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he teaches courses in the history of analytic philosophy, logic, and the philosophy of science. Dr. Morris DJs for the Ajax Dinner Book Club radio program for AKRFC 88.9

BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTING NATIVE PROGRAMMING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

CRITICAL DIALOGUE PANEL DISCUSSION

How can universities better support Indigenous students through curriculum and programming?

April 20th, 1:00pm

CAVEA (JSSB 420)

Laurie Arnold

 

• Assoc. Professor of History and Director of the Native American Studies at Gonzaga University

 

Michelle Villegas-Frazier

 

• Director of the Native American Retention Initiatives/Student Affairs at University of California, Davis Campus

 

Karen Driver

 

• Senior Advisor to the President of Native American Affairs at the University of Minnesota

 

VISIT LIVE.DPHI.ORG TO JOIN

Co-Sponsored by MSU Denver History

WHEN	Thursday, May 4, 2023, 5 – 10pm
WHERE	Chambers Grant Salon at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House inside the Denver Performing Arts Complex
CONTACT NAME	Ting Jiang
CONTACT EMAIL	[email protected]
EVENT TYPES	Arts & Cultural
AUDIENCE	Current Students, Faculty Members, Prospective Students, Staff Members
EVENT SPONSOR	College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Other
EVENT DETAILS	This May, Opera Colorado presents Puccini’s Turandot, one of opera’s biggest blockbusters. For all Turandot’s popularity, this opera, set in a fabricated version of ancient China, has been scrutinized for problematic representations of Asian culture. Come join us for a discussion with director Aria Umezawa about Turandot, Asian representation, and what it means to present an opera like Turandot in 2023. Aria will also share information about her career as a director, producer, writer, and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A reception with food and drink will follow, and all attendees are invited to attend the final dress rehearsal of Turandot that evening (all FREE). RSVP for your spot!

BLOOD QUANTUM & TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

Blood Quantum is an award-winning 2019 Canadian horror film that depicts the effects of a zombie uprising on a First Nations reserve whose residents are immune to contracting the plague because of their indigenous heritage, but must still cope with the consequences of its effects on the world around them, including white refugees seeking shelter on the reserve.

University professors will lead a discussion on the topic of Tribal Sovereignty following the film screening. Refreshments will be available!

JSSB CAVEA (890 Auraria Pkwy) Room 420

Wednesday, September 6th – 3pm

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

 

CRITICAL DIALOGUE: TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

PANEL AND DISCUSSION

What is Tribal Sovereignty, and why is it important when building Native programing in higher education?

Join Nora Pulskamp (Director, Native Student Programs at University of Redlands) and Heather Torres (Director, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute) for this discussion.

JSSB (890 Auraria Pkwy) Room 400

Wednesday, September 13th – 11:30am

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT. CLICK HERE TO VISIT LIVE.DPHI.ORG TO JOIN VIRTUALLY!

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKING LOT

LIVE PERFORMANCE AND DISCUSSION

A free live performance of Macbeth, followed by a discussion with the directors, cast, and university professors.

Monday, September 25th – 11am

Tivoli Bandstand (900 Auraria Pkwy, outside the southeast corner)

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

VIVEK CHIBBER

LECTURE AND Q&A

 

Vivek Chibber is an academic, social theorist, editor, and professor of sociology at New York University, who has published widely on development, social theory, and politics. Chibber is the author of The Class Matrix: Social Theory after the Cultural Turn and Confronting Capitalism. Dr. Chibber will discuss how and why the category of class has been eclipsed by other forms of ‘identity’ in American political discussions.

“A lucid and compelling account of the essential nature of capitalism, and how its shackles can be removed by a revived labor movement animated by a commitment to solidarity and the common good.”
—Noam Chomsky

Thursday, September 28th – 11am

Tivoli Turnhalle

(900 Auraria Pkwy) Room 250

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT!

Click Here to visit live.dphi.org for the livestream

BANNED BOOKS AND CENSORSHIP

PANEL AND DISCUSSION

Join Dr. Kate Schmidt (Philosophy) Dr. Judith Strathearn (Africana Studies, Gender and Womens’ Studies, Literature), and Dr. Craig Svonkin (English) to discuss our favorite banned books and the topic of censorship.

Wednesday, October 4th – 11am

St. Cajetan’s (101 Lawrence Way)

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT!

Click Here to visit live.dphi.org for the livestream

GODARD – LE MÉPRIS (CONTEMPT)

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

 

Scenes from a marital breakdown between a screenwriter and his wife, as both become enmeshed in the behind-the-camera struggles of a director and producer as they film an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Restored and digitized in 4K from the original 35mm negative.

About the guest lecturer:

Jean-François Duclos is professor of French at MSU Denver. As part of his current research on surveillance, he studies tailing scenes, also called following scenes, from various works of fiction.

Tuesday, October 24th – 6:30pm

SIE Film Center (2510 E Colfax Ave)

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

Free to Auraria Campus students, faculty, and staff. Just email [email protected] to reserve a ticket!

GODARD – LE MÉPRIS (CONTEMPT)

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

 

Scenes from a marital breakdown between a screenwriter and his wife, as both become enmeshed in the behind-the-camera struggles of a director and producer as they film an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Restored and digitized in 4K from the original 35mm negative.

About the guest lecturer:

Jean-François Duclos is professor of French at MSU Denver. As part of his current research on surveillance, he studies tailing scenes, also called following scenes, from various works of fiction.

Tuesday, October 24th – 6:30pm

SIE Film Center (2510 E Colfax Ave)

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

Free to Auraria Campus students, faculty, and staff. Just email [email protected] to reserve a ticket!

ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE SHORT FILM

SCREENING, LUNCH, AND DISCUSSION

Monday, November 6th – 12:15pm

Student Success Building, Room 400

LEARN MORE HERE

Co-Sponsored by the MSU Denver 1Book/1Project/2Transform

GEORGE JOHNSON – ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE

AUTHOR TALK

George M. Johnson is an Award-Winning Black Non-Binary writer, author, and activist located in the NYC area.

They are the author of the New York Times Bestselling Young Adult Memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue discussing their adolescence growing up as a young Black Queer person in New Jersey through a series of powerful essays. The book is a Teen Vogue Recommended Read, a Buzzfeed Recommended Read, a People Magazine Best Book of the Summer, a New York Library Best Book, and a Chicago Public Library Best Book. All Boys Aren’t Blue is also the second most banned book in the U.S. for 2023, according to the American Library Association.

—

Tuesday, November 7th – 11:00am

Tivoli Turnhalle (Room 250) 900 Auraria Pkwy

Click Here to add this event to your calendar!

LEARN MORE AND RSVP HERE

Sponsored by the MSU Denver 1Book/1Project/2Transform

DENVER FILM FESTIVAL – SORCERER

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

The most ambitious film ever directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist), SORCERER is often considered the last great masterpiece of the 1970’s, but its initial release was overshadowed by Star Wars, which hit screens around the same time. A loose adaptation of the French novel The Wages of Fear, SOCERER follows four desperate men who join forces to transport highly explosive cargo through a godforsaken Colombian rain forest. A gritty, existential thriller, SOCERER raises universal questions about the nature of fate while also reflecting the sense nihilism that marked this era of American life. Rediscover this once forgotten masterpiece with scholars from D-phi (Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry).  The screening will be followed by a Q&A.

 

Hosts/Speakers:

Marshall Smith (Sociology, PhD, co-host of the film podcast, Collective Nightmares)

Adam J. Graves (Philosophy, PhD, and director of Dphi)

Thursday, November 9th – 6:45pm

SIE Film Center (2510 E Colfax Ave)

Click here to add this event to your calendar!

Click here for the full Denver Film Festival Guide!

Free to Auraria Campus students, faculty, and staff. Just email [email protected] to reserve a ticket!

• February 28^th. 5:00-5:45 (online): What is Happiness?  A Panel Discussion with Denver Public Schools GT program (all students are welcome to join). Panelists include Profs. Elizabeth Goodnick, Brian Hutchinson and Adam Graves. Please email [email protected] for event link.

• March 3^rd (2:00 p.m) Jordan Student Success Building, Room 400: Young Adult Fiction: Reading and Discussion with Authors. Moderated by Jill Adams; Panelists include Samantha Cohoe and other authors.

A conversation with authors Jenny Elder Moke and Samantha Cohoe about the craft and business of writing, from that shiny new idea to seeing your book on shelves for the first time. The authors will discuss their recent novels, and will share key steps in their process that are essential to starting the journey, staying on the path through the murky middle, and celebrating hard-earned publishing victories.

Jenny is the author of CURSE OF THE SPECTER QUEEN, a gender-bent Indiana Jones-style YA historical adventure, it’s sequel RISE OF THE SNAKE GODDESS (forthcoming 6/22) and HOOD, A Robin Hood retelling about the Prince of Theives’s daughter (Disney/HYPERION). Samantha is the author of BRIGHT RUINED THINGS, a YA historical fantasy about a rich magical family with secrets their young ward uncovers one dangerous night, and A GOLDEN FURY, about a teenaged alchemist fleeing the French Revolution on the verge of creating the Philosopher’s Stone. (Wednesday Books/Macmillan)

Thursday, February 17^th

5:30pm – Panel:

1101 13^th Street, Denver, CO 80204 (in room Studio 1 on the third floor)

7:00pm – Performance:

Singleton Theater, at the Denver Center for Performing Arts

“Albee, Absurdism, and Adaptation in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”: Performance and Panel Discussion at the Denver Center for Performing Arts

Panelists include Profs. Rebecca Gorman, Cristina Bejan, and Tish Richard, as well as Sam Wood from DCPA.

This show is currently sold out! If you have already reserved a ticket, it will only be available for pickup at the beginning of the panel discussion. However, if you have not reserved a ticket, there’s still a good chance that we will have one available for you. We will be distributing unclaimed tickets on a first-come, first-served basis at the panel discussion.

Note: Please see the DCPA vaccination and mask requirements here. These apply both to the panel discussion and the performance

February 3^rd, 10-11:30AM (online)

Aristotle’s On the Soul

Professor Caleb Cohoe will discuss Aristotle’s psychology and philosophy of mind with a panel of international experts who have contributed to his newly released book, Aristotle’s On the Soul: A Critical Guide (Cambridge University Press, January 2022). In this work Aristotle aims to uncover the principle of life, what Aristotle calls psuchē (soul). For Aristotle, soul is the form which gives life to a body and causes all its living activities, from breathing to thinking. Aristotle develops a general account of all types of living through examining soul’s causal powers. The thirteen new essays in this Critical Guide demonstrate the profound influence of Aristotle’s inquiry on biology, psychology and philosophy of mind from antiquity to the present. Panelists will share their insights on key Aristotelian topics such as form, reason, capacity, and activity and situate Aristotle in his intellectual and scientific context.

Featuring…

Jason W. Carter (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)

Christopher Frey (University of South Carolina)

Katerina Ierodiakonou (University of Geneva and University of Athens)

Mark Johnstone (McMaster University)

Jessica Moss (New York University)

Krisanna Scheiter (Union College)

Politics, Alienation and the Uncanny: A Michael Haneke Film Retrospective

Michael Haneke has been called “one of contemporary cinema’s most provocative and incisive filmmakers” (MoMA). His work reveals aspects of alienation and the uncanny in modern European life, shining a light on the marginalized and exposing the contradicts and self-deceptions of bourgeois society. Haneke raises persistent questions about the nature of evil, innocence, and collective guilt. But he is bold enough to leave those questions wholly unanswered and to leave his audience feeling unsettled and out-of-joint. Ultimately, these films disclose uncomfortable truths—challenging us to see ourselves as we really are, rather than as we take ourselves to be.
This retrospective presents some of Haneke’s most highly acclaimed and thought-provoking films. Each film will be introduced and contextualized by scholars from a variety of MSU Denver departments—including philosophy, political science, film studies, modern language, and literature.

Special guests include:
Jean-François (Associate Professor of French Literature)
Sheila Rucki (Professor of Political Science)
Vincent Piturro (Professor of Film and Media Studies)
Craig Svonkin (Professor of English Literature)

Hosted by Adam J. Graves (Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry at MSU Denver)

April 4: CODE UNKNOWN
April 11: CACHE
April 18: WHITE RIBBON
April 25: THE PIANO TEACHER

All shows begin at 7:00pm

SIE Film Center – 2510 East Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206

Free tickets for members of the MSU Denver Community! No need to reserve tickets, just show up 15 minutes before the event and we’ll purchase one for you!

Fermi’s Paradox and Human Nature

Monday April 25, 2022, 3:30 pm

Jordan Student Success Building room 420

In 1950, Enrico Fermi initiated a series of informal discussions among his Los Alamos colleagues as to the ubiquity of extra-terrestrial life and the probabilities of contact with alien civilizations. He famously asked, “Where are they?” citing the lack of any physical evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and hence the scientific paradox which still carries his name.

“Are we alone in the Universe?” is arguably one of the oldest and perhaps most universal questions ever asked. Join us and a panel of interdisciplinary experts as they dissect the question of where the extraterrestrial intelligence is and the philosophic and scientific implications the answers to that question have for human life on earth. Experts from CU Boulder, MSU Denver, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, will be here with us.

You will not want to miss this discussion it is sure to be out of this world!

Expert Guests include:

Carol E. Cleland Ph.D. (Department of Philosophy, CU Boulder) Professor of Philosophy Director, Center for the Study of Origins; SETI Institute Affiliate

Research interests and expertise lie in the areas of Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Logic, Metaphysics, philosophy of biology, causation, and space and time.

Ka Chun Yu Ph.D. (Denver Museum of Nature and Science) Assistant Curator of Space Science Research focus and expertise in observational star formation, outflows from protostars, properties of young stellar clusters, and creating planetarium and data visualizations of the known universe.

Kamran Sahami Ph.D. (Physics Department, MSU Denver) Professor of Physics; Planetary and Space Science

Research interests and expertise include Non-Linear Systems, General Relativity, Electro-optics and Physics, and Astronomy Education.

Roger Green Ph.D. (English Department, MSU Denver) Senior Lecturer of English; Film and Media Studies; Literature; Music; Rhetoric

Roger finished his second Ph.D. in Religious Studies & Theology. Areas of research and expertise dive into Political Theology, Literature, Literary Theory, Aesthetics, Ethics, and Composition.

Understanding the Holocaust, Genocide, and Mass Violence in the Public Imagination

September 21-23 (3 Day Conference)

Public consciousness regarding the Holocaust and other genocides has reached a critical juncture in American society. A recent survey on Holocaust awareness revealed a fundamental lack of knowledge about the Holocaust among 18 to 39-year-old Americans. At the same time, incidents of Holocaust denials, anti-Semitism, racialized violence, and significant ignorance and disregard for the Genocide visited upon Indigenous communities persist in public discourse. With the regular and troubling misuse of historical comparisons by public officials and a newly invigorated ideologically driven attack on public education, we have reached a critical moment.

Keynote Address – Susan Neiman, PhD (Einstein Forum, Germany)

Sept 22, 5–7 PM

Tivoli Turnhalle

Click here for more information on the conference!

Like all of our events, this event is free and open to all.

How We See the Skies

Honors Colloquium Panel

“For if anyone should come to the top of the atmosphere or should get wings and fly up, he could lift his head above it and see, as fishes lift their heads out of the water, so he would see things in that upper world; and, if his nature were strong enough to bear the sight, he would recognize that that is the real heaven.” -Plato

Across civilizations and over millennia, humans have viewed the sky with admiration and wonder. The sky has not only inspired curiosity about the nature of reality but has also served as a mirror for reflecting upon the human condition and our place within the universe. Drawing upon the expertise of an interdisciplinary group of scholars and scientists, “How I view the skies” will explore the fascinating and varied relationships humans have had and continue to have with the sky. Join Dr. Erica Ellingson, Dr. Scott Landholt, and Dr. Adam Graves for a discussion this discussion in archeoastronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, photography, meteorology, history of science, and philosophy.

“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” Across cultures and millennia, humans have viewed the sky in wonder and awe and inspiration and curiosity.” -Immanuel Kant

 November 9^th @ 9:30 am JSSB Room 440 in the CAVEA

This event is free and open to all.

Denver Film Festival

Film Screening and Discussion with Director and Local Experts

Click here for film details!

This event is open to the public, and free for Auraria Campus-Affiliated attendees, just email [email protected] to RSVP!

Sat, Nov 12th, 7:00 PM @ AMC House 10

Denver Film Festival

Joion us for two film screenings with the Denver Film Festival! Come watch the films, then take part in a conversation with directors and/or experts on the film!

We offer free tickets for all students, as well as MSU Denver faculty and staff. Faculty are welcomed to invite their classes! Just email [email protected] to reserve your tickets.

A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING

Monday, Nov. 8th at 7:00pm AMC 9+CO

(826 Albion St, Denver, CO 80220)

Winner of the Œil d’or award for best documentary at Cannes, Payal Kapadia’s oneiric first feature, A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING, fuses an intensely personal mediation on love and isolation with social reflections on caste and contemporary Indian politics. D-phi has assembled a group of scholars to help us unpack the multiple layers of this intriguing breakthrough film.

Panelists:

Dheepa Sundaram, Religious Studies, University of Denver

Vijay Mascarenhas, Philosophy, MSU Denver

Vincent Piturro, Film and Media Studies, MSU Denver

Adam J. Graves, Philosophy, MSU Denver

Trailers and more here!

AHED’S KNEE

Wednesday Nov. 10th at 7:00pm AMC 9+CO

(826 Albion St, Denver, CO 80220)

AHED’S KNEE, the fourth film from the Israeli firebrand director Nadav Lapid (SYNONYMS), offers an unflinching rumination on the moral challenges of creating art amidst complex political turmoil. Join D-phi for a lively discussion of this powerful, politically-charged film.

Panelists:

Alex Boodrookas, History, MSU Denver

Andrea Stanton, Islamic Studies, University of Denver

David Fine, General Counsel, MSU Denver

Adam J. Graves, Philosophy, MSU Denver

Trailers and more here!

aptations in general.

Democracy in Principle and Practice

From Ancient Athens to Contemporary Colorado

Above: Full Video of Democracy in Principle and Practice

D-phi organized a group of experts for an informative and thought-provoking conversation about the history and contemporary significance of democracy.  What are the origins of democracy?  How has the concept and practice of democracy evolved over time?  How do elections differ from one place to another?  How have changes in technology, media and demographics impacted the nature of democracy in our own time and in our own state?  These questions, and many more, were addressed by our panel of political scientists, state officials, historians and philosophers.

Click here to learn about our panelists…

Frank Talks

A Conversation with former US Representative Barney Frank

Above: Full recording of our talk with former Representative Barney Frank

Barney Frank represented the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts for more than three decades. He chaired the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 2011, during which time he co-authored the 2010 Dodd–Frank Act, arguably the most significant piece of financial regulation legislation passed since the great depression. Frank is widely considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States. Barney Frank joined us for a conversation on his life in politics at Auraria Campus.

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Above: D-phi’s 2016 collaboration with Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, a vingette of their Romeo and Juliet

The Denver Center for Performing Arts’ “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot” performed an abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream outside the Tivoli Building, followed by an interview with the director and actors.

Creating Monstrosity: Frankenstein Behind the Scenes at the DCPA

Recorded October 13th, 2016 at the Denver Center for Performing Arts

Ben Nichols

The Last Pale Light in the West: On Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian

 Above: A short montage of D-phi’s first event. Music credit: Davy Brown by by Ben Nichols. Video by Devin Strauch

Lucero’s frontman, Ben Nichols, performed and discussed “The Last Pale Light in the West,” a solo album based on Cormac McCarthy’s classic American novel, Blood Meridian. The performance was preceded by a lecture by MSU Denver Historian, Matthew Makely, who offered a historical analysis of the original sources and events that inspired McCarthy’s book.

Link to full event here!

Out of the Past

Fate, Philosophy, and American Film Noir

Above: Full video of Dr. Pippin’s presentation and the following discussion

After a screening of the classic 1947 film, Out of the Past, at History Colorado, distinguished University of Chicago professor Robert Pippin spoke with us on the themes of fate and agency in American Film Noir.

Learn more about Robert Pippin at his University Page

Click the link to visit History Colorado’s website

Tribes

The Tyranny of Language

D?-phi and The Denver Center for Performing Arts partnered to bring a conversation with the cast after a performance of Tribes, a critically acclaimed play that examines family, belonging, and language.

Learn more about Tribes and the DCPA here

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

Romeo and Juliet

The Denver Center for Performing Art’s “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot” performed an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet outside the Tivoli Building.  The play was followed by a conversation with the troupe’s talented cast and director, moderated by English Department chair Cindy L. Carlson.

Robots

From Computer to Consciousness?

Above: A short sample of the conversation in the Phipps IMAX theater at the DCPA

A talkback with the audience at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Phipps Imax Theater took on the topics of modern developments in artificial intelligence, the nature and consequences of consciousness, and issues of morality involving AI’s.

Full video coming soon.

Click here to learn about the panelists…

Dr. Steve Beaty is a professor of Computer Science at MSU Denver with a background that includes research on artificial intelligence techniques such as genetic algorithms and neural networks.

Dr. Marco J. Nathan is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Denver. His research focuses on the philosophy of science, with particular emphasis on topics in molecular biology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and economics.

Dr. Candice Shelby is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado Denver.  She recently published the book Addiction: A Philosophical Perspective, with Palgrave Macmillan.  She often writes and teaches on the philosophy of mind, including potential differences in the manner of performance (if indeed there are any) between static computers and robots.

Dr. Jere Surber is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Denver, where he specializes in 19th and 20th century European thought.  He teaches the very popular course “Philosophy and Video Games” and is completing a book on this topic for Bloomsbury Press.

Dr. Steven Lee is the Department Chair & Curator of Planetary Science at the DMNS. His research focuses on the interaction between the surface and atmosphere of Mars — primarily by mapping the patterns of wind-blown dust deposits across the planet.

Dr. Adam J. Graves is Associate Professor of Philosophy at MSU Denver and founder of the Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry.  His research focuses on phenomenology, philosophy of religion and freedom of the will.