Free Speech Forum established Jan. 6, 1951
75th Anniversary in 2026
College of Complexes
The Playground for People Who Think
sustaining the academic tradition of “One Fool at a Time”
Saturdays at 5:00 PM CT
Dapper's Restaurant
2901 W. Addison, Chicago, Free Parking
All meetings open to the public, no membership is maintained
Main Page
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1 312 626 6799, 8 121 646 7150# US (Chicago)
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1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 812 1646 7150
Lecture Library - videos of programs, 10+ years
Free Speech On-Line List of Links / Powerpoint Slide Presentations
To Join CoC Google Email Group for Updates / Discussion of issues
Send a Blank Email to: collegeofcomplexes+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Join our Meetup Group
in order to receive weekly speaker / topic information
Upcoming Presentations:
Every Two Weeks
Please Note: The college operates on a bi-weekly basis, with at least two, and sometimes three programs each month
Every Thursday
Satellite Campus Programs on Thursday of Each Week
at 6:00 PM CT on Zoom
Open Microphone with relaxed format
Information http://www.collegeofcomplexes.org/2.html
Zoom Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88408440986
Upcoming Programs
Illustrated
November 7th
Why I Still Believe in the United States
Meeting # 3,872 - college regular Tim Bolger
Tim Bolger will share a personal and thoughtful reflection on why, despite the nation’s challenges and divisions, he still believes the United States remains one of the greatest forces for freedom and opportunity in human history. The speech will explore the enduring values of liberty, free expression, individual opportunity, and self-government that continue to make America unique. Rather than ignoring the country’s flaws, Tim will discuss why those freedoms are worth preserving, celebrating, and strengthening for future generations.
November 21st
Mining the Resources of the Solar System –
bringing metals and other materials from space habitats on asteroids worth trillions of dollars back to the earth
Meetings # 3,873 - Larry Bartoszek, P.E., Chicago Society for Space Studies
"People have talked about mining the resources of the Solar System for decades, and companies have risen and fallen to accomplish this goal. Why talk about asteroid mining? A study of any of the rotating space habitats comes to the conclusion that they mass at least 10 megatons. Bartoszek showed in his 2024 talk at ISDC that the bottleneck in the production of a Stanford Torus was not the rate of steel production on Earth. It was the rate that material could be lifted off Earth, especially by a fully developed space elevator infrastructure.
To be economical, large space habitats must be built from material gathered from space resources. It will cost trillions of dollars to build large space habitats, which do not immediately (or ever) pay for themselves. Mining platinum group metals and other resources from asteroids is potentially worth trillions of dollars when done at scale. The return on investment from asteroid mining pays the way to becoming a spacefaring civilization. Therein lies the issue. This talk covers what has been done so far to rendezvous with asteroids and return samples from them, and what the pitfalls will be in scaling up asteroid mining operations to their true potential. As with everything involving space travel, the rocket equation exerts its infamous tyranny on what is possible and what is feasible."
Speaker's Bio Larry Bartoszek, P.E.
Larry Bartoszek has a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Illinois and is an Illinois Licensed Professional Engineer. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Welding Society, ASM International, the Chicago Society for Space Studies, the National Space Society, and is Vice President of the International Space Elevator
Consortium. He is also a Space Ambassador for the NSS.
Chicago Society for Space Studies https://www.chicagospace.org/
Illustratyed
December 5th
Author of "Can America Ever be Great Again?"
Meeting # 3,874 - public commentator Henryk A. Kowalczyk
Description: "This book is long overdue. It is a response to the dystopian narrative in the media. The author takes a sobering look at American problems as an engineer, a businessman, and a man who chose to adopt America as an adult. It is a report by a problem-solver who sees solutions to what seem to be insurmountable problems in America. Some conclusions might shock readers, but the creativity in reaching them is inspiring and engaging. It will take much less than most Americans think to make America again a nation where the sky is the limit, and everything is possible."
Other Scholarly Works by the Speaker: https://henrykkowalczyk.com/
Book Information: https://www.amazon.com/Can-America-ever-great-again/dp/B0H64DNTBC
December 19th
An Update on US Healthcare
National Health Insurance: Medicare vs. Medicaid vs. ACA, or what is left,
and the movement for Single Payer, which is called euphemistically "Medicare for All" Americans
Meeting #3,875 - college speaker Michael Burack returns
Description
"This talk will include a short discussion of other industrialized country's approach to providing health care services for an aging, poor and expensive set of coverages given costs going up and the system now being controlled by private equity etc., and the physician shortage caused by the American Medical Association."
Biography
Former president of MRM Group...45 years. A healthcare consulting management group...All but dissertation University of Chicago...currently a writer recently completed an article about Russia 1990 to 2000 where I lived and worked. Now working on health policy issues: especially the current state of Healthcare equity for Americans, the long term outlook for a national program covering all citizens and the plausible financing options for such an undertaking.
Article about and Action in Chicago regarding Topic Discussed at CoC
January 2nd
Open
Meeting # 3,876 - contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at
(312) 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
Watch Videos of Previous Presentations (150+)
CoC Lecture Library
or go to main page for link
Free Speech On-Line List of Links / Powerpoint Slide Presentations
Join our Meetup Group
in order to receive weekly speaker / topic information
Continue Your Education All Week Long
Google Email Group
on our electronic discussion group - to join send a blank e-mail to:
"College of Complexes" is a registered trademark with the State of Illinois which may not be used without expressed written permission.
Wanted: Program Coordinator Trainees / Assistants -
If you would like to help locate speakers for the CoC for upcoming dates in 2026, hopefully people who haven't spoken before on topics not covered, contact Charles Paidock at cpaidock@hotmail.com or (312) 714-7790 cell
Next Open Dates are
January 2, 16, 30
contact the Program coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 714-7790 or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
