Earlier this spring we held the third annual SkeptiCamp in Vancouver, Canada. For those still not in the know, SkeptiCamp, the brainchild of Reed Esau, is an open conference for skepticism and critical thinking based on the BarCamp tech conference model. The idea is to blur the line between attendees and presenters by asking everyone to prepare a short presentation on some skeptical or scientific topic in the hopes that it will help turn some of the skeptic enthusiasts into skeptic activists.
As our SkeptiCamp event has grown over the years, we've had to stray slightly from this ideal. The problem is that we simply have too many attendees for everybody to make a presentation. Our crowds have grown from about 15 the first year, to approximately 50 the second, to nearly 90 this year. There are plenty of ways to contribute though: designing posters or T-shirts, bringing snacks, or simply inviting a friend or two.
We met bright and early in our lecture hall at the University of British Columbia's main library, a real find as it gave us access to some spectacular A/V equipment (huge projection screens, wireless microphones, and a live Twitter feed). People began streaming in and collecting their gift bags stuffed with issues of Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, Brian Dunning's "Here Be Dragons" DVDs, and information about SkeptiCamp and our sponsors. The day officially began with a welcome from our excellent emcee Kennedy, and we jumped into the talks.
There were some presentations on basic scientific concepts like the evidence for the Big Bang, the consequences of Einstein's relativity, and a neurobiological basis for why some people may think they see auras. We also had a few talks related to religion, including a zoology professor dedicated to defending Darwin against fundamentalists and creationists, and two particularly moving talks on just how low the Church of Scientology will stoop to silence its critics (be sure to check out Gerry Armstrong's website with a box of tissues close at hand). A couple of highlights from fields not usually associated with skepticism were the excellent talk about the surprising prevalence of woo in personal training, and a thought-provoking presentation from a social worker on child abuse myths. We learned how to address pseudoscience in the media, how best to frame our message for outsiders, the role of mathematics in skepticism, why the realities of astronomy are far stranger and more wonderful than any fiction writer could imagine, and what the future might look like for the privatized exploration of space. The hosts of our local skeptic podcast Radio Freethinker gave brief and information-dense primers on each of their fields of study, and Vancouver's number one skeptic Fred Bremmer led a hands-on demonstration of Charpentier's Illusion. Door prizes were drawn throughout the day, and everybody who gave a presentation or helped with the planning and logistics was given a really stylish T-shirt (no, really, they look great) with plenty left over for sale at rock bottom prices.
We ended the day, as Vancouver skeptics so often do, in a pub sharing a few drinks and discussing our favorite parts of SkeptiCamp. Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. It was a first-time exposure to the skeptic movement for a number of people, many of whom have started attending our events regularly, and a few of our presenters have since turned their short SkeptiCamp talks into full lectures given to a crowd all their own. By now, we've had a few debriefing meetings and have already started planning the next Vancouver Skepticamp for October 23rd (10:23, get it?). It will be our second Skepticamp of 2010, our fourth overall, and if the trend continues it's sure to be the biggest and best event we've ever held, possibly spilling over into a second day.
As great as our hardworking team of volunteers was, we could not have come close to accomplishing what we did without the help of our various sponsors. Many thanks to Radio Freethinker, Amorphia Apparel, the Centre For Innquiry, and most notably, the James Randi Educational Foundation. It is generous donations and support from organizations like these that allow local skepticism to grow and thrive.
Jesse Brydle is the Project Development Coordinator for the Centre for Inquiry Vancouver and has been involved with CFI and skepticism for over three years. He can occasionally be found blogging at InFlatus Veritas.
Editor's Note: The JREF's financial, promotional and educational resourcing of grassroots skepticism, including its financial support a number of regional SkeptiCamps in cities across North America, is only possibly because of the ongoing support of donors to the Foundation. To contribute to our efforts, please donate today.