Speakers Forum

The Jungle is a three mile-long homeless camp under Interstate 5. It’s been in the news frequently since a deadly shooting there on January 26. Many of us have driven over it, maybe without thinking about the hundreds of people who live there. What brought them there? What’s it like? And why do many residents prefer it to homeless shelters?

The Jungle is a three mile-long homeless camp under Interstate 5. It’s been in the news frequently since a deadly shooting there on January 26. Many of...

A recent poetry reading at Folio, The Seattle Athenaeum, featured three renowned Northwest poets: Heather McHugh, Lucia Perillo and Washington poet laureate Tod Marshall. What’s an Athenaeum? Listen in. All will be revealed.

A recent poetry reading at Folio, The Seattle Athenaeum, featured three renowned Northwest poets: Heather McHugh, Lucia Perillo and Washington poet...

It’s Sandbox Radio time again on Speakers Forum, with special guest Nancy Pearl. Here’s our presentation of their latest work "The Words and the Bees."

It’s Sandbox Radio time again on Speakers Forum, with special guest Nancy Pearl. Here’s our presentation of their latest work "The Words and the Bees."

What have we learned from our historic use of nuclear weapons? And given their terrible destructive force, why have we not banned them? This talk by Dr. Ira Helfand offers detailed insights into the dangers of nuclear proliferation and war. He covers the risks of the U.S.-Russia and India-Pakistan conflicts, the threat of terrorism, the North Korean wild card, the possibility of an accidental war, and how a modern nuclear war would impact humans and the environment.

What have we learned from our historic use of nuclear weapons? And given their terrible destructive force, why have we not banned them? This talk by Dr....

In a 2006 study, 90 percent of epidemiologists predicted a pandemic would kill 165 million people sometime in the next two generations. Research published this year confirms that threat, and suggests the impacts would be greater than those caused by world war or financial crises. The study concluded that “leaders at all levels have not been giving these threats anything close to the priority they demand.”

In a 2006 study, 90 percent of epidemiologists predicted a pandemic would kill 165 million people sometime in the next two generations. Research...

How much do you know about the history of the place you live? If that place is Seattle, points of interest include how the natives of this area lived, why the so-called pioneers chose to settle here, and why this town won out over others as Puget Sound’s central city. In this talk, professor Linda Nash delves into the historic depths of how chance and natural resources fueled this booming metropolis of trade and expansion.

How much do you know about the history of the place you live? If that place is Seattle, points of interest include how the natives of this area lived,...

Author and journalist Chris Hedges is a radical by U.S. standards. He believes our system of government is so compromised by corporate influence that nothing short of revolution and corporate overthrow can fix it. His suggestions include nationalization of banks and utilities.

Author and journalist Chris Hedges is a radical by U.S. standards. He believes our system of government is so compromised by corporate influence that...

With more and more information at our fingertips, the human brain is constantly sorting and filing an overwhelming amount of data. In his book, “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload,” neuroscientist Daniel Levitin breaks down hard science on brain productivity. He addresses simple things to help improve brain efficiency, like making lists and checking them off, taking breaks and allocating time.