APRIL 2008

Sunday, April 13, 2008, 3:00 p.m.
Sunday Science Series
Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic in Traditional Belief Systems
Members of a society look at the world around them largely in ways shaped by the culture in which they were raised. Put another way, they see and think about the world in terms their cultures teach them. "Objective reality" takes a back seat to cultural reality. While most modern Americans no longer believe in ghosts or witches or vampires all of them were active parts of our culture until fairly recently--and many continue to exist in modern movies and novels. Along similar lines, modern medical practices, we are told, are based on careful observation, testing and scientific principles. "In the old days" things were very different. Primitive peoples, and our ancestors, were often superstitious and prey to all kinds of medical quackery. This presentation will explore what happens when "modern" beliefs confront traditional beliefs and show how both are complex intellectual systems based on similar logic and with similar goals. In the process we will look at some beliefs and practices from Africa and the Caribbean and see how they compare with contemporary American beliefs and practices.

Presenter: Peter Tobias, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Anthropology/Sociology Department, Rockford College

Sunday, April 20, 2008 3:00 p.m.
Kids Science Series: Animal Babies
Spring is here--come see the new babies from the exotic animal collection at Summerfield Farm & Zoo in Belvidere, Illinois. This small, private zoo is home to many exotics, from bobcats to zebras and camels to swans. Wonder who had babies this spring?