A Night with Richard Dawkins
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- Written by Dr. Karen Stollznow
- Category: Swift
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Many of you saw Richard Dawkins offer a preview of The Magic of Reality at TAM 2011. The book was published later that year, and Dawkins recently embarked on a book tour of the US. He was accompanied by Executive Director R. Elisabeth Cornwell and Sean Faircloth, Director of Strategy and Policy. They only visited a few states, including Hawaii, Oregon, California, Colorado and Texas, and there will be forthcoming events in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At an event in Portland, Dawkins broke away from the theme of the tour, to speak about religion in politics. His lecture was a call for politicians to discuss their religious beliefs, and for these views to be held open to scrutiny.
I had the opportunity to meet with him at two events, including a reception where Dawkins admitted that he, “Couldn’t be a paranormal investigator; I’m too gullible.”
With his preference to not preach to the choir, Dawkins was scheduled to present a talk at the U.S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. However, they canceled suddenly, for “mysterious” reasons. Those who know the area know that these reasons are less mysterious and more expected. The city is full of such delights as mega-churches, the Focus on the Family ministry, and the Turin Shroud Center. Dawkins recovered quickly from the cancelation. Instead, they planned a lecture at the ("haunted") Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado, Boulder. With a week’s notice, they had sold over 1,500 seats.
Dawkins’ latest book isn’t aimed at evolutionary biologists or atheists, but 12-year-olds. The Magic of Reality answers twelve fundamental questions that children ask, and that various religions and belief systems have attempted to explain thorough myths and religion. The book encourages critical thinking and a scientific worldview for young people.
New Videos from the Amaz!ng Meeting 2012: James Randi & Jamy Ian Swiss and Sean Carroll
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- Written by JREF Staff
- Category: Latest JREF News
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If you missed The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012, you can still catch great talks, panels, and workshops on science and skepticism given live at TAM 2012 on our YouTube page. Today, we are happy to share two more exciting talks.
James Randi in Conversation with Jamy Ian Swiss
JREF founder James Randi sits down with magician and longtime friend Jamy Ian Swiss live on stage at TAM 2012.
Sean Carroll - "From Particles to People"
Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll uses science to explore the nature of humanity.
The Ethical Case For Pink Slime
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- Written by Kyle Hill
- Category: Swift
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You walk up to the counter at a local fast food restaurant. Throwing a passing glance towards the area in back where the food is prepared, you order a cheeseburger. You sit down with your sugar-saturated soda and unwrap the yellow and red paper from the burger.
By now everyone has heard of the so-called “pink slime” added to burgers of just this type. You wonder what percentage of your burger has been extruded from a slender pipe. Taking a deep breath, you bite into it and…nothing happens. Nothing tastes weird; you don’t have mush in your mouth or keel over. The burger is “same as is ever was.” And that’s the point.
There are already economic, human health, and possible environmental reasons to continue using “lean finely textured beef” (LFTB) or “pink slime.” But as these arguments allude to, I think there is an ethical one as well.
Rbutr In The Classroom?
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- Written by Bob Blaskiewicz
- Category: Swift
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The following is a contribution to the JREF’s ongoing blog series on skepticism and education. If you are an educator and would like to contribute to this series, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
During TAM 2012, I was in the audience for Tim Farley’s workshop on online skeptical activism, and in what turned out to be a departure from the program, Tim introduced Shane Greenup, the developer of the “rbutr” browser extension. Rbutr, like the invaluable Web of Trust, adds another layer of information to the Internet, one of crowd-sourced commentary, evaluations, and reviews. I have been using it extensively in the last few weeks as I have pursued a project regarding the notorious cancer doctor Stanislaw Burzynski. As you may remember, a Burzynski supporter named Marc Stephens made headlines about a year ago when he sent quasi-legalistic threatening letters to skeptics who have raised questions about Burzynski’s unproven “antineoplaston” treatment. Burzynski’s shill crossed a frightening line, however, when he sent teenaged blogger Rhys Morgan images of his home, sending the clear message, “I know where you live.”
Robert Todd Carroll’s “Unnatural Acts” Now on Sale
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- Written by JREF Staff
- Category: Latest JREF News
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Robert Todd Carroll’s Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Skepticism, and Science Exposed! is an invaluable book for those seeking to immunize themselves against irrational thought. Having curated the exhaustive Skeptic’s Dictionary for over fifteen years, Dr. Carroll is an expert in how the untrained mind can trick itself into believing all manner of pseudoscience and superstition.
Now, for a limited time, you can purchase Unnatural Acts for Kindle or Nook for just $6.66. That’s 62% off the retail price, and it’s an especially significant number for those who believe 2012 may just usher in the apocalypse... (Spoiler alert: Those people are wrong.)
Take advantage of this special offer while you can, and add to your collection one of the best skeptical books available, Unnatural Acts by Robert Todd Carroll.
Published by the James Randi Educational Foundation.
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