Popular Lectures in September
The Popular Lectures series from Popular Mechanics magazine kicks off a new season at the 35MM movie theater at 47 Ulitsa Pokrovka in Moscow.
A discussion titled “The influence of the Internet on the development of man and society" will be held on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. What is an Internet identity? How real is the virtual world? Does the “phenomenon of anonymity" promote bad qualities, or does it have no bearing on a person’s moral principals? Leading psychologists and sociologists will take part in the discussion, with Sergei Mats serving as moderator. Admission is free.
On Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m., physicist Dmitry Levkov will conduct an overview of the most interesting ideas of Stephen Hawking, a scientist whose popularity rivals that of show business celebrities. Which of Hawking’s ideas brought him recognition from the scientific community? Which thoughts were expressed in his most popular books, “A Short History of Time," “Black Holes and Baby Universes" and “The Universe in a Nutshell"?
On Sept. 18, physiologist Vyacheslav Dubynin looks at the causes behind the powerful influence that alcohol and nicotine — the two most popular psychoactive compounds — have on the human brain. Why don’t all people have an equal affinity for nicotine and alcohol? Is it true that small amounts of red wine are good for the health? Why do many people who have quit smoking continue to dream that they are smoking, sometimes even years later?
Psychologist Sergei Mats will give a lecture titled “Where do addictions come from?" on Sept. 25. What is psychological dependency? Does a line exist between “good" and “bad" addictions? How can a person overcome a psychological dependency, and is it even worth fighting at all?
Details can be found at .
