Are you curious about the universe in which we live?

The Peer Learning Group at Briar Hill Community Center has been meeting weekly over the past few years and has had many interesting discussions.
With technology, ecology, politics, health concerns, and the financial merry-go-round today, there is a huge pool of data waiting to be researched, to be digested, and to be discussed

Governance – Senate, House of Commons, P.M.O., etc.

• Impact of technology on current decision-making policies
• Impact of social media
• Rewriting current democracy procedures
• Reform of voting districts; senate appointments; voting methods; etc.
• Have current voting procedures kept up with technology?
• Budget balancing vs national debt.

• Immigration (refugees)
• Religious differences
• Family values
• Cultural differences
• Aboriginal concerns
• Gender equality; gay & lesbian; transsexual; bisexual; queer –marriage; etc.
• Biological changes/gender corrective surgery

• International markets/currency (Worldwide impact)
• US $; Euro; Bitcoins; other emerging world currencies
• Stock market machinations and manipulations- who are the 1% ers?
• Gold standard— is it still where the smart money seeks asylum in tough times?
• Bundling (dot com)
• NGO’s (non-government orgs) –charities

• Armaments industry – profitability – end users.
• Weapon technology (conventional to nuclear)
• Designed obsolescence
• Employment and care of military personnel
• Current wars and causes
• Gun controls

• Smart phone, iPad etc. How far can they go?
• War games – good or bad?
• Hacking – deep web
• Crowd sourcing
• Government control of internet
• International languages (Esperanto?)
• Internet of things (IoT)

• Proposed revisions to Canada’s health plan
• Global birth rates and death rates
• Alternative health care—naturopathic, holistic etc.
• Technological advances
• Pollution
• Food research
• Pharmaceuticals
• Aging of America

Differently Challenged

• Workplace accessibility
• Prosthetics research
• Mental disorders
• Brain research
• Stem cell research

Living off the grid

• Space
• Under the ocean
• Underground

Science   

• Quantum physics
• Robotics
• Plastic scourge
• Ecological concerns
• Endangered species
• GMO’s –is that a real chicken?
• Social and behavioural science (Gen X etc., reasons behind actions.)