Skeptic Metrics: Measuring Our Impact Online
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- Written by Tim Farley
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 13431
Skeptics insist that those making claims (especially extraordinary ones) bring some data supporting said claims. As Josh Rosenau put it, skepticism means caring about evidence. It is only appropriate that we hold ourselves to similar standards when we make claims about our own work.
But measuring the effect of educational and outreach programs can be difficult. Surveying the public is expensive and time-consuming. Skeptics are sometimes forced to rely on work done by better funded organizations like Pew Research, when they happen to intersect our interests.
Skeptics who concentrate their efforts on the Internet have a slightly easier time of it. Computer services and applications collect detailed statistics as a matter of course. By tapping into these numbers we can often learn more about our successes and failures and perhaps discover where we should be focusing our efforts.
TAM 2011 Panel: Our Future In Space
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- Written by D.J. Grothe
- Category: Swift
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The vigorous discussion of "Our Future In Space" among Pamela Gay, Lawrence Krauss, Bill Nye, and Neil deGrasse Tyson was one of the most memorable moments at TAM 2011 Las Vegas. We invite you to enjoy the video of this great panel discussion.
Skeptic History: The Randomness of Dates
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- Written by Tim Farley
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 9028
As I post skeptic history items every day on social media, a big goal in my research was to fill the calendar. I wanted to make sure I had at least one item for every day. I have found almost 1400 items so far, enough to insure well over three items for each date, in theory. In practice, however, there are several days that have only one, and some have as many as nine. One particularly well covered day is October 18th, which is Harvey Wiley’s birthday as well as that of Skepchick founder Rebecca Watson. But strangely, it is also the birthday of at least seven well known promoters of pseudoscience and the paranormal, including:
JREF Decries ‘Anderson’ Episode Featuring Psychic Medium John Edward
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- Written by JREF
- Category: Latest JREF News
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LOS ANGELES—The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), a non-profit organization that provides the public with reliable, scientific information about paranormal claims, criticized Anderson Cooper’s new daytime talk show ‘Anderson’ for yesterday’s episode promoting self-proclaimed psychic medium John Edward.
John Edward has made his fortune by using manipulative psychological tricks and other devious methods to pretend that he can communicate with people’s deceased family members, often for huge sums of money. Yesterday’s ‘Anderson’ show promoted Mr. Edward uncritically, talking up his ‘surprisingly accurate’ readings of Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. Surprisingly absent were the voices of skeptics, scientists and professional magicians who have explained over and over how Mr. Edward performs his act and takes advantage of the bereaved.
Read more: JREF Decries ‘Anderson’ Episode Featuring Psychic Medium John Edward
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