Researching 21st Century Skepticism
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- Written by Tim Farley
- Category: Swift
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Skeptics have been active on the Internet for quite some time. Hundreds of skeptic blogs are active, and the oldest have existed for around a decade. In a recent survey I found over 75 skeptical podcasts, the oldest ones in continuous operation for over six years. I’ve also surveyed hundreds of sources of skeptical video content that can be found on sites such as YouTube, including the JREF's own channel.
So why did the JREF appoint me as a Research Fellow in electronic media? It would appear skeptics have electronic media completely covered already. Is there anything left to research?
In a word, yes.
Let's Get Behind Richard Wiseman on This!
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- Written by James Randi
- Category: James Randi
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Folks, this is a serious matter. Our colleague Richard Wiseman explains:
My latest book is called Paranormality. It follows in the footsteps of one of my all-time favourite skeptical books, Randi's Flim-Flam, and examines what seemingly supernatural phenomena tell us about our brain, beliefs and behaviour. I explore lots of topics, including psychic readings, out of body experiences, mind control, ghosts and dream precognition. I made the book as interactive as possible, and Richard Dawkins was kind enough to provide an endorsement, writing “Wiseman shows us a higher joy as he skewers the paranormal charlatans, blows away the psychic fog and lets in the clear light of reason”.
The book has done well in the UK and has been bought by publishers in lots of other countries. However, the major American publishers were reluctant to support a skeptical book, with some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed! We didn’t get any serious offers and so it looked like the American public (around 75% of whom believe in the paranormal) wouldn’t get the opportunity to read about skepticism.
Then I had an idea.
ONLY TEN DAYS...!
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- Written by James Randi
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First, I hope that those of our readers who are citizens of the USA will be celebrating the birth of our nation today, and that our friends will share our joy. It is and always has been our attempt to bring equality of opportunity, freedom, justice, and compassion to Americans, and in my opinion others would do well to emulate what we have begun -- a task which is always somewhat short of perfection while we strive to meet our goal. We hope that we have earned your understanding...
At my age, a guy has to do a lot of maneuvering to keep afloat and get synched with the rest of the world... As I write this, only a week and a half remains before I'll arrive "on scene" in the monster known as Las Vegas, where I suspect that half of those I see on the street are cyborgs, and the pyramids and palaces were dropped there from a parallel universe, one that's run from a vast clockwork machine buried deep below the desert. The place scares me...
A Grave Matter
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- Written by Karen Stollznow
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An investigation is currently underway into a paranormal group that conducts tours of a cemetery in Colorado. I attended this nighttime tour and here follows a short summary of their inappropriate activities.
A Report From the Skeptics Society's Science Symposium
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- Written by James Randi
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Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending Michael Shermer's Science Symposium and rubbing shoulders with a somewhat different crowd than what I'll mix with at the upcoming TAM in Las Vegas. TAM-ers are very much skeptics, and though at the Shermer event I found generally the same outlook, there were many inquiries directed at me about a variety of almost-plausible but very unlikely events and claims, which I hope I handled well...
This was my opportunity to again meet with Bill Nye, who effectively proved that he deserves all the respect he has from the TV industry and his millions of fans. Bill knows his subject -- science -- and he sells his audience on the point that every scientist with any sort of audience, a classroom or a living room full of friends, should be constantly promoting -- the facts about this discipline that separates our species from all others that we know of. It was a delight to hear him discuss his passion for reality, I assure you.
The highly entertaining "Mr. Deity" -- Brian Keith Dalton -- not only did his regular character for an enthralled audience, but gave us a personal account of how he arrived at the doorway of skepticism, and how painful it was to walk away from a comfortable but flawed outlook from which he has now escaped... It was very moving, and powerful.
And hey, folks, we'll also have Bill Nye and Mr. Deity at TAM9 -- which I regret to say is now fully booked up -- as well as Richard Dawkins and Neil DeGrasse Tyson! I can't wait!
The Science Symposium was a great success, and my opinion was certainly shared with everyone with whom I discussed it. I sincerely suggest that you follow Michael's announcements and plan to attend his next CalTech affair.
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