About us
Curiosity Connections is a community of curious, engaged people who enjoy intellectual discussions and learning from one another. Like a salon, we come together to engage in open, respectful, thoughtful dialog on a wide range of topics from current events to ancient philosophies. Our objective is to encourage meaningful conversations about interesting and thought-provoking material.
Curiosity Connections hosts a variety of events, some in-person and some over Zoom. We have a podcast club, which is just like a book club, except instead of reading books, we all listen to the same podcast before the meeting and then come together to discuss it at the event. The podcasts focus on probing interviews with recognized thought-leaders in the fields of science, philosophy, psychology, politics, business, and technology. Our virtual podcast events are typically held every Monday. Occasionally, we hold in-person events in San Francisco as well.
We also have a book club, where we take time with our books to get the most out of them. Typically, we read about 50 - 75 pages per week and discuss them at the meetings.
In addition, we have added a new walking and conversation group called Curious Walks, which take place in Pasadena, CA. Here, everyone comes with a deep question or idea that they'd like to discuss, and the group goes on a 5-mile walk diving into those themes.
If you are a curious person who enjoys sharing and exploring ideas with others, we would love you to join us!
Upcoming events
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Podcast Club ONLINE: End of Life, Dying Well, and Lessons on Living Well
·OnlineOnlineBenjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Our podcast club tackled taxes a few months ago, so let's learn about and discuss the other inevitable, death -- but also with an eye toward dying well and what we can learn about living our best life now from those whose lives were coming to an end. Some of you recently participated in our book club in which we read a book more-or-less covering the same topics. I assure you, this podcast covers different ground. It stands alone as an excellent, very matter-of-factly discussion about all of the above as well as what dying looks like, palliative care versus hospice care, advance directives, pain and suffering, medical pain relief at life's end, emotional healing for life's end, and more. The subject matter here is very important, regardless of your age, and the podcast is well worth listening to.
This week's podcast is The Drive with host Peter Attia and guests BJ Miller and Bridget Sumser. Miller is a hospice and palliative care physician who completed a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Harvard Medical School, working at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He was an Assistant Clinical Professor and palliative care physician at UCSF for over 13 years. Miller has counseled over 1,000 patients and family members on dealing with difficult health situations. His 2015 TED talk, What Really Matters at the End of Life, has been viewed over 11 million times. Miller also co-authored the book, A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death and is the co-founder and President of Mettle Health. Sumser is a licensed social worker specializing in serious illness and end-of-life care. She is a member of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network and was honored as an emerging leader in Palliative Social Work in 2015. Sumser works with the Palliative Care Program for adults at UCSF, is a counselor at Mettle Health, and has a private practice. She co-edited the book Palliative Care: A Guide for Health Social Workers.
PLEASE NOTE: We require that attendees listen to the podcast below before attending the meeting to optimize discussion.
ALSO NOTE: This podcast is 2 hours, 16 minutes long! Please plan accordingly so you have time to listen to the entire episode.
https://peterattiamd.com/bjmillerandbridgetsumser/
or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-dying-can-teach-us-about-living-well-lessons/id1400828889?i=1000714129914
(2 hrs, 16 min.)
What's a podcast club?
It's like a book club for podcasts. Each week we discuss an interesting and currently-relevant episode from podcasters like Ezra Klein, Michael Shermer, or Russ Roberts. We start off as a large group and spend most of the time talking in small break-out groups, which we remix 3 times during the course of the evening. Our conversations are casual and open. We ask that everyone speak respectfully at all times, and we encourage free and concise discussion relevant to the week's podcast topic. To do this, we try to adhere to Grice's Maxims: https://bit.ly/2p4uSQmUltimately, the idea is to help each other think a little differently, learn a thing or two and have some fun.
11 attendees
Curious Walks (in Pasadena, CA)
Tournament Park, S. Wilson Ave, South of California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, USPlease join us for a beautiful 5-mile walk aimed at cultivating deep, thoughtful, and interesting conversations! Ultimately, we hope to spark connection, learning, friendship, and community — all while getting exercise in the great outdoors and being curious!
How does this work?
The concept is simple! Before the event, come up with a thought-provoking, weighty question or idea that you’ve been thinking about or would like to explore. You need this for the event! When we gather, we’ll all briefly introduce ourselves and share our question or idea. Then we’ll start walking and use those questions or ideas as launching pads for conversation. The intention is to leapfrog over small-talk and get into meaningful discussion. During the walk, please move fluidly among different walkers if you’d like to!About those questions or ideas, . . . don’t sweat them too much. Anything thoughtful or thought-provoking will do. Have fun with it! Here are some examples:
“How would you want to be remembered after you’re gone, and why?”
“I’ve been thinking about the concept of time, how it’s experienced, what speeds it up or slows it down, and I’d like to explore that today.”
“Can we ever really know who we are when we’re never fully unbiased in thinking about ourselves?”
“What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done, and how did it affect you?”The route runs through gorgeous neighborhoods around the Caltech campus, particularly to its south and east, as well as through the lovely campus itself. Portions of the route are shaded by mature trees.
Is this event right for you?
We are walking 5 miles on mainly flat terrain at a moderate (~20 minutes/mile) or moderate-plus pace. This should allow for conversation while getting in some nice exercise. Please ascertain that this distance and pace is comfortable for you, as there is no “sweep.” The organizer is an unpaid community volunteer who wants everyone to have fun and stay safe, but you are fully responsible for your own safety throughout the event. At the start of your first walk, you'll need to sign a liability waiver that covers all Curious Walks you attend. You’re encouraged to read it ahead of time HERE.How to Find Us/Location & Parking
Curious Walks start and end at Tournament Park, Pasadena, CA. The Park address is 1200 E. California Blvd., BUT it is accessed from Wilson Ave. To find the Park entrance from California Blvd, turn south on Wilson Ave. Proceed ~1 block until Cornell Road is on your right (do not turn onto Cornell). Look left, and you will see two signs for Tournament Park and its driveway entrance. The Park is at the end of the long driveway/parking lot. You may park at any of spaces, even if they're marked for Caltech permits; all are free to the public during weekends.
We will meet near the bathrooms at the granite plaque commemorating the terminus of the first transcontinental flight.More Info
Walks will be on Saturday or Sunday mornings on most weekends. Please bring whatever you need for a 5-mile walk, which likely would include water, comfy shoes, and sunscreen. We look forward to walking and deep-diving with you!5 attendees
Past events
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