UPCOMING SKEPTALK

WHAT: When a Biology Meets a Biology (Coming through the Sky)
When we humans get around to colonizing a planet or moon in another star system, it will likely happen where a biology already exists, i.e. an ‘exobiology’. Protecting each of those from the other will be the challenge this SkepTalk tackles in some depth.

WHO: David Almandsmith is a board member of the Bay Area Skeptics and a long-time nerd. He graduated in biology from U.C. Berkeley and studied physiology at Cal State Eastbay. A version of this talk was presented at the 100 Year Starship Symposium in Houston.

WHEN: 7:30PM Thursday 13 September

WHERE: La Peña Lounge, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley [Click for Map] It’s a short walk from Ashby BART.

HOW: Presented as a FREE public service by the Bay Area Skeptics.

WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.

Previous SkepTalks:

10 May 2018	Misconceptions in Anthropology – Julie Hui
12 Apr 2018	Skepardy! — Bill Patterson
8 Mar 2018	A Quirky Colloquium Quashing Quantum Quackery — Miriam Diamond
8 Feb 2018	The Human Drive to Explain — Tania Lombrozo
12 Feb 2015	Quantum Pseudoscience and the Nature of Mind — Russel Willcox
9 Apr 2015	Herding Cats and Teaching Science — Dan Pemberton

Skeptics in the Pub: Millbrae

Lads & lassies from hill & dale informally discussing the latest in science & (pernicious) pseudoscience over good eats & ale. Sponsored by Bay Area Skeptics.

WHEN: 7PM Wednesday 26 September (4th Wednesday)

WHERE: Fiddlers Green, 333 El Camino Real, Millbrae. A 10 minute stroll from the Millbrae BART & Caltrain station. [Map]

SkepTalk: Berkeley

WHAT: Beyond a Candle in the Dark – Respectfully Debunking Conspiracy Theories

How do you get through to conspiracy theorists, especially those who are close to you like friends and family? Often the first step someone takes on their journey out of the rabbit hole is the realization that they and their sources were wrong about something. To get this realization to sink in requires more than a candle illuminating their mistake, it requires a spotlight — a brightly focused blast of detailed debunking. Mick West discusses how shining a light on seemingly obscure minutia like “iron microspheres” or “ballast barrels” helps break the spell of conspiracy theory thinking.

WHO: Mick West is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories using Facts, Logic, and Respect. He has been debunking extraordinary claims, alternative beliefs, and conspiracy theories for over a decade on his Metabunk.org forum and draws upon this experience in his book. Before he was a debunker he was a video game programmer and thinks debunking claims has much in common with debugging code.

WHEN: 7:30PM Thursday 11 October

WHERE: La Peña Lounge, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley [Click for Map] It’s a short walk from Ashby BART.

HOW: Presented as a FREE public service by the Bay Area Skeptics.

WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.

North Bay Skeptics: Santa Rosa

WHAT: A gathering for lively discussions on current topics and debunking the latest pseudoscience. “Discussion”, includes chatting, mingling, eating, and joke telling, all while consuming non-homeopathic liquids.

WHEN: 7PM Tuesday 16 October (3rd Tuesday)

WHERE: Ranch 7 Creative, Six West Ninth Street, Santa Rosa [Map]