Earthy, Scientific and Transparent Spring in DC

There's always things going on in the DC area and Spring is a great time for them. Natural beauty is here with the Cherry Blossoms and quickly prepares the way for Earth Day on the mall April 16 - 17. See http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/EarthDayMall.htm.
(I hope the new budget allows the Environmental Protection Agency to host this annual event with its National Sustainable Design Expo that features a wide array of college students showcasing Earth friendly ideas.)

Even before this there's a great science talk:

"To Be and Not to Be a Monkey: The Myth of the 1.23% Difference" with Alain Prochiantz, CNRS Researcher in Neurobiology and Professor at the Collège de France presented Tuesday, April 05, 2011 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Embassy of France. It's free and followed by a wine reception.

You can register at www.rdv-cnrs.eventbrite.com

A HAPPY B-DAY to PAUL ROBESON! April 9th.

And April is a great time for the Robert G. Ingersoll Washington, D.C., Walking Tour (see http://www.ingersoll.wash.org/content/tour/index.php)

There are 2 great, secular speakers talking in the area in April. Philosopher A. C. Grayling is discussing his new work "The Good Book: A Secular Bible" at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 14th 2011 at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St NW in DC (walkable from the 14th & V / U Street Cardozo Metro). Grayling has apparently been working on this opus for several decades, and the result has been described as a rich manifesto for rational thought.

Later that week Freethinker Susan Jacoby takes on anti-aging hype in her new book "Never Say Die" at at 4:00 pm on Sunday, April 17th at the downtown Busboys and Poets 5th & K, 1025 5th St NW. It;s been described as an "impassioned, closely reasoned critique of the myth that a radically new old age - unmarred by physical and mental infirmity, financial problems, or loneliness - waits the baby-boom generation. "
You can these and more at http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events.php and http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events.php?loc=2

At the end of the month there's a really neat 2 day workshop called Transparency Camp run by the Sunlight Foundation. This is held in the form of an unconference , which means it is highly informal and a happening - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference.
This year T-Camp is being held in Bethesda and it is a really neat meeting for people interested in transparent and open government. The Open Gov movement is still a work in progress, but progress is made each year as Sunlight helps us make information more accessible and transparently understandable. If you haven't seen Sunlight fact check political speeches you've missed an experience.

For more event details, visit the event page at http://tcamp11.eventbrite.com.
The weekend is basically free with just a $10 charge for 2 lunches.

Maybe I'll see you there. From there it is only a few days to the National Day of Reason, It's the 1st Thursday in May every year, to provide an alternative to the National Day of Prayer. See http://daysuntil.com/Day-Of-Reason/index.html