BACK FROM THE NORTHEAST…
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- Written by Jamy Ian Swiss
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…Conference on Science and Skepticism, that is.
Yes, I’m back in San Diego after a week in New York City, where I served as on-stage host for the NECSS conference. This was our fifth NECSS – the Northeast Conference on Science & Skepticism – and as one of the organizers, I have been thoroughly engaged with its creation and year-to-year planning and programming since the start. This year garnered our largest attendance yet, and the second time we had two full days of programming plus a night-before performance event, and although the official feedback forms aren’t in yet, the anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that every day in every way, things keep getting a little bit better. Success!
Not unlike at TAM, JREF’s The Amazing Meeting, the NECSS audience is a mix of both experienced skeptics and repeat attendees, along with a strong component of first-timers and those relatively new to the movement. We try to always have a few skeptics-in-good-standing on the program – in the past we’ve had Randi, DJ Grothe, and Joe Nickell among others – and this year we were pleased to have my old friend and colleague Michael Shermer, who gave a thoughtful and provocative talk about the extent to which science can inform our ideas about ethics and values.
We also had Massimo Pigliucci present his own take on similar issues, and then, echoing their online exchange some months ago, they engaged in an onstage debate of sorts, moderated by journalist Julia Galef. (No wagering was permitted, but next year we may consider arm-wrestling.) Julia and Massimo regularly collaborate on both the Rationally Speaking blog and the podcast by the same name, and so also produced a live version of the podcast onstage at the conference.
Coincidences Are Meaningful, Just Not Like That
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- Written by Kyle Hill
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“A coincidence is like a magic trick. There is an instant tension between the thrill of an apparent miracle and the urge to debunk it.”
A recent episode of the radio show and podcast This American Life was entirely dedicated to exploring coincidences. They ranged from the banal (seeing the same person in two different places in the same day) to the impressive (discovering your grandmother in a baby picture of your current girlfriend). The host of the episode noted her skepticism at the start; that she couldn’t help but remind people of the probabilities and statistics underlying some of these “miracle” experiences they had. But by the end of the episode, she too saw the meaning in coincidence. I did too.
Sorcery-related Killing in Papua New Guinea: A Plea to the International Community
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- Written by Leo Igwe
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The international community must step up efforts to eradicate witchcraft- and sorcery-related killings in the affected parts of the world. In Africa, India, Nepal and Papua New Guinea
brutal attacks and murder of suspected witches are on the rise. And local authorities are unable to intervene and protect victims of witchcraft accusation or stop the wave of sorcery related persecution and execution ravaging countries and communities. When it comes to witchcraft persecution and execution, many countries have failed in their responsibility to protect their citizens and uphold the rule of law. So the international community should step in and bring more pressure to bear on these countries.
Meanwhile, two women have reportedly been beheaded in Papua New Guinea. Earlier this year the gruesome murder of a 20-year-old woman, Kepari Leniata, who was accused of sorcery, attracted international outrage and condemnation.
According to the report, the two women were tortured before they were beheaded. As in the case of Leniata, local police officers were present but could not stop the angry mob from killing the alleged sorcerers. A local police inspector, Herman Birengka, said they were helpless and could not do anything while condemning the killing as 'barbaric and senseless'.
According to him, "The two women were rounded up and taken to Lopele village after they were suspected of practicing sorcery and blamed for the death of the former teacher, who was from Lopele village. They were tortured for three days, suffering knife and axe wounds, before being beheaded in front of the police who had been sent to the village to mediate.'
The beheading of the two women happened days after six women accused of sorcery were tortured with hot irons in an Easter "sacrifice" in the Southern Highlands in the country.
Like many countries in Africa, witch hunting plagues Papua New Guinea. And international community needs to help this nation combat this social disease. International condemnation by the UN, Amnesty International and other human rights groups is not enough. The world must do more to end this cultural scourge. Papua New Guinea needs international assistance in terms of public education, reorientation and law enforcement. In Papua New Guinea, there is a pervasive notion that sorcery is a crime, and that some people can kill others through sorcery or malevolent magic.
Read more: Sorcery-related Killing in Papua New Guinea: A Plea to the International Community
This Week In Doubtful News
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- Written by Sharon Hill
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Here is a rundown of the mysterious, the weird and the wacky news from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News.
It was April Fool's Day last week and while Doubtful News took the day off for obvious reasons, there was some fallout from the pranks.
A classic environmental joke about "dihydrogen monoxide" gets some radio hosts in trouble. But is this a hoax of a hoax. I honestly can't tell.
When I saw this claim - that an animal defense fund wanted to protect Bigfoot - I thought it was a joke. But, Bigfoot believers completely swallowed the story. COMPLETELY.
Uganda: Man Beheaded for Witchcraft
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- Written by Leo Igwe
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