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Welcome to this week's installment of Notes from the Classroom, a brief review of education news from the JREF.

The JREF works to bring the message of skepticism to wider audiences through new technologies like mobile apps and digital publishing. Over the last year, we have released new digital editions of some of James Randi's most popular and important books for the iPad, Kindle and Nook platforms. We are pleased to announce that Kindle versions of Flim-Flam!, The Faith Healers, and The Truth About Uri Geller will now be available for the first time in France, Belgium, and Monaco. If you live in one of the countries, download the books from Amazon France.

All of us at the JREF know it would be impossible to advance our educational mission without the hard work of the many brilliant and committed teachers using skepticism to nurture the intellectual growth of their students. The JREF supports these teachers by offering workshops, promoting educator networking, and increasingly, through the creation of standards-focused teacher's guides and modules to enhance curricula. Many may not know that we also support educators though financial assistance.

Right now, the JREF has a limited number of educator grants (up to $500 each) available to help offset the cost of developing or improving critical thinking and scientific skepticism programs in the classroom. Preference is given to projects aimed at creating educational content related to science or critical thinking through examination of the paranormal and pseudoscience.

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At TAM Las Vegas 2011, one of the most popular talks was presented by Sadie Crabtree, JREF communications director. We are pleased to provide the talk free online.

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“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Louis Brandeis (Other People's Money: and How the Bankers Use It, 1914)


Linking directly to Internet misinformation and explaining why it is wrong is skepticism’s answer to Brandeis’ sunlight. But because Google and the other search engines use hyperlinks to determine the importance of web pages, many skeptics are fearful of linking to pseudoscience and paranormal sites. They fear that doing so will help (in some small way) boost the visibility of misinformation on the Internet.

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Apparently, the owner of the Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills, Michigan has broken their contract with the Center for Inquiry–Michigan by cancelling an upcoming event featuring biologist Richard Dawkins – simply because Dawkins is an atheist.

According to the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, the Wyndgate broke its contract after the owner saw an October 5th interview with Dawkins on The O’Reilly Factor in which Prof. Dawkins discussed his new book, The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True. This book educates young people about science, and teaches a scientific approach to thinking. CFI-Michigan says the Wyndgate called them and said the owner did not wish to associate with Dawkins and his philosophies. Please note that no invitation was ever issued to the owner to meet or associate with Richard Dawkins…

CFI Michigan points out that this kind of religious bigotry isn't just wrong, it's against the law. I join in that statement.  Today I sent this e-mail to the Wyndgate and to Frank Agnello, the Wyndgate IT executive:

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If you’re like me, then when you became a more open and active skeptic (what I like to call a “coming out” skeptic) you may have made the mistake of thinking that you were going to make yourself into the best skeptic ever.  That is, you may have decided that you were going to aspire to being a really, really good skeptic and critical thinker on pretty much everything.  I recall my eager embracing of this kind of “hyper-skeptical” attitude, back when I was a newly minted “out of the closet” skeptic.

But, as I have matured, I have adopted a more informed, nuanced, and realistic view of skepticism, both on a personal as well as a broader level.  I have come to the gradual realization that while wishing to be “a good skeptic” in all areas, from the nuances of the alt-med vs. science-based medicine wars to issues related to various religious claims, is a laudable goal, but at the end of the day it is kind of unrealistic.  There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to comb through all the pseudoscientific, conspiracy-mongering, and woo-oriented claims out there and be totally prepared for them all.

  1. An Open Letter to James Van Praagh: What Are You Hiding From?
  2. Ghostwriting Dickens
  3. Your Skeptic Stories
  4. UK Alt-Med Practitioners Are Feeling Pain