Two New Classroom Modules Available From The James Randi Educational Foundation
- Details
- Written by JREF
- Category: Latest JREF News
- Hits: 7360
Dowsing: Science or Pseudoscience? is a lesson module for high school classrooms that explores the history, claims, methods, and science of dowsing. Does it work? Is it science? What’s the harm? Featuring an introduction to the topic, discussion questions, and hands-on experimentation, Dowsing: Science or Pseudoscience? examines the ancient art of dowsing in a way that promotes well-reasoned critical examination of unproven and pseudoscientific claims.
The Case of the Cottingley Fairies: Examine the Evidence is an educational module designed with younger learners in mind (grades 3 through 5). Through The Case of the Cottingley Fairies, students take a fun and fascinating look at one of one of the most celebrated public hoaxes in history. This guide uses narrative, activities, and inquiry-based discussion to tell the Cottingley story while examining the role of publicity, celebrity, and physical evidence in shaping the public’s perception of extraordinary claims.
JREF educational modules are free, fully illustrated, and easy to use. They offer compelling topics, fun activities, and thought-provoking discussions that promote critical thinking and information literacy. The also address national science content standards and AAAS science literacy benchmarks.
Download teacher and student editions of JREF educational modules here.
Skeptic History: Millennial Cults
- Details
- Written by Tim Farley
- Category: Latest JREF News
- Hits: 8456
One of my other skeptic projects is the website What's the Harm, on which I collect stories of people harmed by pseudoscientific or
paranormal beliefs. That site covers many topics, but you can’t find a clearer example of harm from irrational thinking than a cult, particularly one focused on apocalyptic predictions.
Despite being wrong 100% of the time, these predictions keep coming. Last year brought predictions of the Rapture in the U.S. and this year brings more such predictions revolving around 2012 in the Mayan calendar.
Lots Of Healthy Laughs....
- Details
- Written by James Randi
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 12531
Our good friend Robert Sheaffer, to whom I turn on occasion to solve a UFO inquiry or two, turned out a book last year titled Psychic Vibrations – which is also the name of his column in the Skeptical Inquirer… That’s been going since 1977! That’s a lot of “vibes,” wouldn’t we all agree…? And it’s all garnished with the great illustrations of Rob Pudim, which very often don’t require any captions at all.
Now, I don’t often do book revues, but I recently took this 318-page collection of items along as reading material on one of those very long flights with a number of plane changes. Booorrring! I survived that event largely because I had this book with me, folks. I just know that I earned a lot of frowns and position-changing from my neighbors when I repeatedly scribbled out phrases and notes from Bob’s book while chuckling, which is exactly what it claims: Skeptical Giggles from The Skeptical Inquirer.
Truth be told, it’s often difficult to laugh at those who embrace the nutty ideas and philosophies that we deal with. I’m more often reduced to sighs and regret when I deal with those who regularly lay their problems at my door, but I do what I can to understand their problems and be as nice as I can manage. Now I can point them to Bob’s book and hope that they’ll begin to see – from a different angle – just what we skeptics try to get across to them.
Yes, this was a great way to be reminded of so many hilarious items that Bob Sheaffer has shuffled together for us to have all in one place, friends, and I highly recommend that you invest in a copy. Place it alongside your copies of my books, but leave room for my 10th – A Magician in the Laboratory…
Yes, I have specially good friends, don’t I?
Join us at The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012
- Details
- Written by D.J. Grothe
- Category: Latest JREF News
- Hits: 5731
The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012
July 12-15, 2012
South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa
Las Vegas, NV
The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM) is an annual celebration of science, skepticism and critical thinking. People from all over the world come TAM each year to share learning, laughs and the skeptical perspective with their fellow skeptics and a host of distinguished guest speakers including James Randi, Penn and Teller, Carol Tavris, Lawrence Krauss, Michael Shermer, Eugenie Scott, Jennifer Michael Hecht, Steve Novella and the SGU Rogues, Ophelia Benson, and dozens of others.
.
People come to TAM to learn, to be entertained, and to enjoy the community of hundreds of like-minded skeptical people. At the heart of that is the TAM program and we’re proud to say that we think this year's is one of the best programs we’ve ever had.
Musician and Geologic Podcast host George Hrab will be returning as Master of Ceremonies for TAM 2012.
Our good friends Penn & Teller will be delighting us with a special presentation on Saturday titled 38 years of Magic & BS: A Conversation with Penn & Teller.
We're also featuring as one of our themes a special focus on “Skepticism and The Future,” looking at skepticism of prophecy and fortunetelling, the intersection of skepticism and futurism (the "Singularity"), and the future of the skeptics movement itself.
Finally, A Cure For Cancer! (Again…)
- Details
- Written by Karen Stollznow
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 23839
A few years ago, a number of skeptics worked tirelessly to expose the Quantum Pulse, a device that claimed to treat a range of serious medical conditions. In this success story, the FDA recalled the device in 2008.1 However, like a whack-a-mole game, the machine continues to resurface; a fraud by any other name it is also known as the VIBE Machine and Tesla Energy Lights. 2 It takes the vigilance of the skeptical community to keep the machine banned.
Page 138 of 408