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Hello again Fans of Science! It is a light Schmooze this week, what with the upcoming holiday weekend upon us already. Seems just the other day I was laughing that it was too cold to open swimming pools on Memorial Day weekend and here we are, suffering through 100+ degree days just a month later. Even with the lighter schedule, there are some good events to consider this week:
I was on a trip this past week and was heartened to overhear several different people talking about their summer plans, which included going to see the solar eclipse in August. While I still think there are many people who will just hop in the cars on August 21st without planning who won't get to see much beyond a traffic jam, at least some folks are planning ahead. Sit back for a minute and consider how... |
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A SkepTalk by Susan Gerbic on 11 May 2017 We should all applaud Susan Gerbic's impossible mission: to keep Wikipedia free from promotions of pseudoscience. Amazingly, she has been remarkably successful due to her methods. She recruits volunteers to help in this mission, puts them through 'boot camp' so they know what to do and how to do it, and tracks everything that is accomplished. Her cadre of recruits living around the world is the Guerrilla Skeptics on Wikipedia, a.k.a. GSoW. Because anybody can edit Wikipedia pages, making a change can... |
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A SkepTalk by Dr. Lauren Popov on 13 April 2017 Dr. Popov’s cheerful voice contrasted strangely with the horror of tuberculosis; indeed, she commented on that herself. However, her upbeat delivery and highly informative details kept me and the rest of the audience captivated throughout her presentation. She began by pointing out that:
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(The following is unabashedly stolen from The Center For Inquiry.) Susan Gerbic The seventh SkeptiCal was held Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the Oakland, CA, Asian Cultural Center. I’ve attended all seven, each is unique and I always leave feeling that I’ve had a great experience. This is billed as the Northern California Science and Skepticism Conference, and as usual for this specific event, is heavy on the science. The speakers are varied enough to keep the audience interested as you will soon see. The hosts are the Bay Area Skeptics led by Eugenie Scott and Sacramento Area Skeptics, Frank Mosher. I attend as many skeptic conferences as I can, and each one has its own “flavor” and style. SkeptiCal differs from others by being a no-frills event, but without you noticing that those frills are missing. Many of the speakers are working scientists talking about their... |
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During the holiday season, we usually start receiving messages about good cheer, Have you ever wondered what makes people "do good"? |
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...and our board president is giving a talk there!!! Please welcome the Silicon Valley Skeptics to our extended community. They have a Meetup page HERE. If possible, attend the talk on December 4th by Dr. Eugenie Scott, board president of the Bay Area Skeptics. What if 'Intelligent Design' Had Won? Reflecting on 10 Years Since Kitzmiller v. Dover Ten years ago, the decision in Kitzmiller v Dover determined that |
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New BAS Channel Announced
Good news for SkeptiCal fans! (Of course you know SkeptiCal – it’s the northern California conference of science and critical thinking, sponsored by the Bay Area Skeptics and the Sacramento Skeptics. You knew that, didn’t you? Good). BAS now has a Youtube channel and the first PLAYLIST presents... |
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By Carol and Ben Baumgartner
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Dear Fellow Skeptics: I'm happy to announce that I've started a new podcast on science and skepticism called ShelShocked. |
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Hey, all! The JREF announced yesterday the publication of a new critical thinking resource in the form of "Magic in the Classroom - Using Extraordinary Claims to Teach Critical Thinking," a FREE e-book. |
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