The Nickel City Forum
The Nickel City Forum is a drinks & discussion series in Buffalo, New York. We have public intellectual events.
The Nickel City Forum is also a podcast. We think it's possible to pursue the big questions in life together.
So we're always up for a good argument.
We'll post event audio, follow-up interviews with our speakers, and episodes related to seeking the good life.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Monday Mar 09, 2026
On Feb 26, 2026, we had a Nickel City Forum event at Five Points Bakery on the West Side of Buffalo. Dr. Steve Petersen is Professor of Philosophy at Niagara University, and is a leading researcher in AI issues. He addressed the question of whether Artificial Intelligence is a threat to humanity. (TLDR: It is)
Note: The event recording failed, so this is a follow-up recording with Dr. Petersen.
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Dr. Phil Woodward finishes the last of his six approaches to philosophical values for the good life: Empowerment. What does it mean to be autonomous? Is this a good we can seek, in itself?
Saturday Jan 17, 2026
Saturday Jan 17, 2026
Fr. Bryan and Phil continue on to the 5th approach to the good life: living a life of devotion to God.
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
The Nickel City Forum team - Fr. Bryan, Dr. Phil Woodward, Dr. Phil Reed, Dr. Sam Cloud, and Sharon Murphy - share their favorite books from 2025.
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Fr. Bryan chats with Dr. Sam Cloud about the 12/3/25 Nickel City Forum at Big Ditch Brewery on the topic, "How to Make Sense of Suffering."
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
On December 3, 2025, Dr. Sam Cloud led a Nickel City Forum event at Big Ditch Brewery in downtown Buffalo. Dr. Cloud is the Chief Medical Officer of Erie County Medical Center. His topic was "How to Make Sense of Suffering: Reflections from 20 Years in the ER."
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Fr. Bryan and Dr. Phil Woodward consider service to humanity as a way to pursue the good life.
Monday Dec 01, 2025
Monday Dec 01, 2025
How can we live a truly good life? Dr. Phil Woodward and Fr. Bryan Wandel explore another topic - relationships with other people. What have the great philosophers said about this? How does it lead to a life that is truly worth living?
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Fr. Bryan and Dr. Phil Woodward discuss how virtue can be a path to the good life. We talk about a perennial favorite pop philosophy, Stoicism, including the opportunities for a fuller life and the limits.
Monday Nov 10, 2025
Monday Nov 10, 2025
Dr. Phil Woodward and Fr. Bryan discuss the philosophy of Epicurus. How does pleasure help us to understand what it means to live the good life?