Podcasts about skepticamp

In both Annika's and Pontus' absence, this week András interviews the "Fairy Godmother" of the show, psychic investigator & debunket, "master puppeteer" and tireless leader of the Secret Cabal (and the About Time Project) that is the international Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia Susan Gerbic. We talk about Mark Edward's legacy, how to start a SkeptiCamp in your local area, and what ways there are to help out the skeptical movement.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings & Interview; Outro; Outtakes0:00:33 INTRO0:01:02 GREETINGS & INTERVIEWSusan Gerbicthe About Time Project: https://www.abouttimeproject.org/find Susan Gerbic on Facebook0:41:03 OUTRO0:42:18 OUT-TAKES Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With an episode number like this, we have to start out with some numerology. Annika will be more off than on for a while and the promised record heat in Sweden actually delivered. In TWISH we hear about the sci-fi / philosophical writer Stanisław Lem who was born this week in 1921. Then we head for the news:SWEDEN: Music makes cucumbers happyUK: Hereditary seats to be removed from LordsINTERNATIONAL: No link between mobile phones and brain tumoursUK / INTERNATIONAL: Bach Flower Remedies for perceived stress of nursesWe hand out a Really Wrong Award to the Carl and Veronica Carstens Foundation for funding dubious research, and that should be the end – but wait! Brian Eggo crashes the party! He tells all about the upcoming Skepticamp at QED. Don't miss out!Enjoy!Segments:0:00:28 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:06:43 TWISH0:13:07 News0:34:09 Really Wrong0:39:47 Quote0:40:53 Interview0:46:23 Outro0:47:38 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:02:50 Kate & Allie Folklore or Future Quiz Join Kate this week as she challenges Allie with a quiz. Kate will uncover a mysterious array of treatments and Allie will have to unravel the enigma of whether these practices hail from folklore of old or persist in the modern day. Play along to test your knowledge and possibly discover secret remedies you may have never heard of. 0:19:36 I Think We Need To Think Once again Susan Gerbic heads to a SkeptiCamp, this time in Seattle in the US state of Washington. Her interviews with organisers and attendees give us a flavour of the event. Susan's reports from local events encourage all of us to be more proactive no matter where in tne world we are. 0:30:42 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to prediction of the future from the past and mindbody spirit. 1984.12.29 - Canberra Times 1988.01.03 - Canberra Times 1995.09.04 - Canberra Times http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Sydney Skeptics in the Pub - Special Presentation The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You to See Thursday 5 September - Occidental Hotel in the City https://www.meetup.com/AustSkeptics

We start with a recap of SkeptiCamp New Mexico, then move on to a laundry list of creepy, crawly creatures: Alex Jones, flying Joro spiders, bug zappers, opposite snakes and Sasquatch Sunset. Our main topic is an update to one of the cases in Ben's "Bad Clowns" book. The West Palm Beach Killer Clown case involves a love triangle, a clown costume, and a pile of circumstantial evidence. It sat with no arrests for nearly 30 years, until Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested in 2017. Among the developments as prosecutors and defense lawyers prepared for trial was a so-called "clown sighting file," with some 25 pages of clowns that came to the attention of law enforcement -- no doubt many such sightings took place during the infamous "clown panic" that occurred around the time of Keen-Warren's arrest. Whether the choice to don a clown suit and makeup to commit murder stemmed from practical advice from a lawyer, or malicious ostension, the sensational news coverage and public's continual interest in this "killer clown" case likely is the reason Keen-Warren was finally brought to justice.

Celestia and Ben have a lengthy A-segment, between discussing the almost-here SkeptiCamp, Ben's recent folklore convention, and what mischief TV psychic Allison DuBois has been up to. We have thoughts on the recently deceased Morgan Spurlock's legacy, and then talk about two interesting developments from the Catholic Church this week. Professor Chris French joins us to discuss his new book, "The Science of Weird Sh!t: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal." Chris has a vast background in, well, weird sh!t, and shares his thoughts on how it has gained legitimacy in the academic world -- as well as the nature of skepticism today.

Tickets for QED in Manchester (19-20 October) are now on sale and don't forget Skepticamp on the day before! If all goes to plan, both András and Pontus may be among the speakers. But first we are looking forward to the European Skeptics Congress 2024, less than a month from now, 31 May – 2 June in Lyon, France! In TWISH we hear about how smallpox was announced eradicated this week in 1980 and then we take a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: Big data reveals true climate impact of worldwide air travelSWEDEN: Swedish Skeptics' awards for 2023INTERNATIONAL: Scottish Medical Journal retracts 13 papers due to concerns over potential paper mill activityFRANCE / INTERNATIONAL: Didier Raoult vs. Elisabeth Bik – case dismissed!The Really Wrong Award goes to the UK for two cases of educational malpractice regarding allowing religious indoctrination.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-TakesShow notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-426.html0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:07:02 TWISH0:15:16 News0:37:39 Really Wrong0:41:56 Quote And Farewell0:44:57 Outro0:46:12 Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:00 Skepticamp 2024 Brian Dunning and Richard Saunders had the pleasure of appearing live via video to the Surf Coast Skepticamp meeting. In this selection from the presentation, Brian and Richard discuss thier interest in the skeptical movement, podcasting and making documentary movies. 0:26:32 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill and surprise a special guest!. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:39:20 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to psychics. Gerard Croiset - Report on the Skeptic Zone https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-499-13may2018 1978.07.29 - The Sydney Morning Herald 1984.05.19 - The Sydney Morning Herald 1955.07.19 - The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

…sleep restriction for insomnia? A lot of great talks are coming up for Skepticamp at QED in September – with András, Pontus and Claire among the speakers! In TWISH we hear about an almost 200 year old fake news about the moon and then we take a look at the news: UK: Asparagus fails to predict the future SCOTLAND: Loch Ness might be ‘home to spirit entity' that can be disturbed by search UK: Meghan Markle wears ‘miracle antistress patch' INTERNATIONAL: WHO promotes alternative medicine (again!) INTERNATIONAL: Where skeptics go wrong Medical journal the Lancet gets this week Award for being Really Wrong a new article about insomnia. Word of the Week is the Danish word vrøvl. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Word Of The Week; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

This week, Alice looks at media reports around the IARC classification of aspartame as carcinogenic and Mike asks 'why did the chicken cross the road?' Meanwhile, Marsh faces off against crypto scammers and Mike takes a holiday.Tickets for QED are available now. Get yours today!If you want to sign up to speak at SkeptiCamp, you can do that at sitp.online/skepticampTo support Emma running to QED for the Prison Reform Trust, you can do that justgiving.com/page/emmarunstoqed

Mike, Marsh and Alice are joined by Kat, to talk about the opening session of the Better Way Conference, a three-day anti-vaccine event which promises to unveil a 'better way for health, freedom & sovereignty'.If you want to donate to the Skeptics in the Pub Online QED attendance fund, or apply to the fund, you can do so at sitp.online/qed.If you want to donate to Emma's efforts to run from Liverpool to Manchester for QED, in support of prison reform, you can do that at justgiving.com/page/emmarunstoqedIf you'd like to apply to speak at SkeptiCamp 2023, you can do that at sitp.online/skepticampAnd, of course, if you want to meet Mike, Marsh, Kat - and especially Alice - at QED 2023, tickets are available now from qedcon.org.

El rapero, productor, y abogado puertorriqueño conocido como Skeptic nos visitó al podcast para contarnos sobre su disco más reciente, “DuPont Plaza”. Hablamos sobre el por qué del título y su experiencia durante la producción. Dialogamos sobre el SkeptiCamp, un campamento de compositores, artistas, y productores de la escena musical independiente de Puerto Rico, donde se reunieron para producir un disco que saldrá pronto. Tocamos el tema de la inteligencia artificial, ChatGPT, y la amistad de Skeptic con el rapero puertorriqueño The Color Brown.Una sesión con el MOGOLLERO:Paul (Pablito)Sigan a Skeptic en:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skepticmusi...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5opaD...Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkepticMusicaApple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ske...Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/7452958Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkepticmusicaYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCKzORyyQjSv... Síguenos en:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamogollapr/Spotify: La Mogolla PRApple Podcast: La Mogolla PR

– Frankie has found his own 007! This week we reveal further plans about our travels and about Skepticamp at QED. We also have listener feedback about air quality in planes regarding last week's Really Wrong. No TWISH this week, but Pope Frankie has found a super Cardinal to drop behind enemy lines for covert operations. And then we look into this week's news: GERMANY: Honorable mention of HomöopaTea UK: Charles feels vindicated for going organic. He is wrong. UKRAINE: UFOs above Kiev SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: Winning parties of the election advocate irrational actions in fighting criminality The WHO gets another Really Wrong Award for their failed logic around NSS (non-sugar sweeteners) Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– a carnival of Cardinals says it's permitted This week we are packing our bags for the ESC Vienna – hope to see you there! But we also have plans for QED – András and Pontus will both talk at Skepticamp, and BREAKING NEWS! – live recording of the ESP has now been announced! In TWISH we celebrate 200 years of “cardinal” permission of the heliocentric model and in more current Vatican news, Pope Frankie elevates a predecessor who is now on his way to full sainthood. Then there is the news: GERMANY: New book out – Science Matters! INTERNATIONAL: Cranky Uncle Game now available in Spanish and Portuguese, too (Swedish soon out as well) UK: New prime minister on the Horizon… Or not so much. RUSSIA: Die for the Motherland – Indoctrination in Russian schools FRANCE: Medical service Doctolib under attack for promoting SCAM UK: Kate Moss – yet another supermodel who turns to selling bogus products A Really Wrong Award goes to an Irish transphobic teacher who doesn't know when to quit. Enjoy!

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:56 Surf Coast Summer Skepticamp VIII We head to the beautiful 'Surf Coast', a couple of hours south-west of Melbourne, to attend the local Skepticamp. It was also a chance for us to test the 'Premium Wine Card', a device that the makers claim can change the taste of wine and water. http://premiumwinecard.com https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/amino-neuro-frequency-just-more-embedded-frequencies-silliness/ 0:19:30 Maynard's Spooky Action... Interviews from Australian Skeptics' dinner meeting This week climate change with, Tim Mendham Dr Michael Mann   0:32:40 Logical Fallacies. With Michelle Bijkersma This week Michelle looks at "The Appeal to Popularity". A Logical Fallacy is an error we can make in reasoning, but it usually crops up when we are discussing or arguing our point of view. 0:39:46 The Raw Skeptic Report. With Heidi Robertson Coronavirus Update Dr Sue Page AM is a past President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia and current Board member of Future Health Leaders, North Coast GP Training, and RACGP Rural. As Associate Professor with the University of Sydney she links to the Northern Rivers University Centre for Rural Health, a collaboration between that university and the University of Southern Cross for the delivery of multidisciplinary health professional education in Australia. https://info.flutracking.net https://www.worldometers.info https://www.smartraveller.gov.au Also Maynard's 2020 Calendar http://maynard.com.au/2020-maynard-calendar

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders, live from Skepticamp 2020 Monterey, USA 0:01:54 Talking to the Dead at RSL Clubs Tim Mendham and Richard Saunders report on Australian Skeptics' investigations into those performers who claim to contact the dead at venues dedicated to the memory of those fallen in war. - Read by Richard Saunders. https://www.skeptics.com.au/the-magazine/ 0:32:06 Maynard's Spooky Action... Interviews from Skepticon 2019. This week... SGU Book Sales Bob Novella from SGU Deligate Sam Ross Balch from Brisbane Mark Edward Nightmare Alley - Movie https://youtu.be/4zW1uWX5ShE Also Maynard's 2020 Calendar http://maynard.com.au/2020-maynard-calendar Surf Coast Summer Skepticamp VIII https://tinyurl.com/SkepticampVIII

Show Notes 0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:52 M S S X Alice Howarth and Laurie Phillips Celebrate ten years of the Merseyside Skeptics Society at the special one-day event at the Liner Hotel in Liverpool. It’s been ten years since the first meeting of the MSS, and ten years since the first episode of Skeptics with a K – the UK’s longest-running skeptical podcast. http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/category/mssx/ 0:13:46 Astrology in the White House Astrology, which seems to be enjoying a renaissance among millennials and Gen Xers, is only one sad example from our flabby-minded post-truth era. - By Ron Reagan https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2019/04/25/feature/spring-cleaning-2019-eight-things-to-toss/ 0:28:50 Jessica Singer on SitP What does it take to run a Skeptics in the Pub event? We ask Jessica Singer from Australian Skeptics about her trip to vist SitP in London.   http://london.skepticsinthepub.org/ 0:42:08 Maynard's Spooky Action... Once again Maynard heads for Sydney Skeptics in the Pub to find out what people think of the large cash prize offered by Australian Skeptics. Also Skepticon 2019 https://skepticon.org.au Skepticamp in Brisbane http://www.brisbaneskeptics.org/2019-skepticamp

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders   0:05:00 Susan Gerbic from GSoW Update on Facilitated Communication https://www.facebook.com/GSoWproject   0:16:04 Maynard’s Spooky Action... Interviews from Skepticon 2018 Part #4 Magicians Nick Kay and Peter Rodgers https://nickkaymagic.com   0:37:27 Life is Wild! With Michelle Franklin Bio Control https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkeptiCamp

Encore release August 14, 2018. Encore release May 7, 2017. Originally posted July 13, 2011

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, recorded live at SkeptiCamp, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem test their knowledge (and that of the audience) in a variety of scientific and pseudoscientific domains. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. … Continue reading Episode 125: Revenge of the Quiz Show Show! →

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders Including an update on anti-vaccination GP John Piesse. http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/medical-regulator-police-raid-antivax-gp-john-piesses-mitcham-clinic-20170909-gye3ak.html 0:06:15 Stranger Things Down Under at the Oz Paranormal Expo Join Lara Benham, Alethia Dean and Richard Saunders as they once again brave the wonders of the paranormal expo. https://www.facebook.com/StrangerThingsDownUnder http://www.ozparaexpo.com.au https://www.facebook.com/sydney.ufoclub http://www.moonlarkmedia.com http://www.appighosthunts.com 0:18:45 A Grain of Salt with Eran Segev This week Eran chats to Dr Keren Landsman Dr Landsman is an Israeli physician specialising in epidemiology and public health. She writes science fiction and the Hebrew blog ‘End of the world’. http://www.realitybugs.me 0:32:31 Brew Ha Ha: Science in less time than it takes to order a coffee With Ben Lewis Some scientists think humans have an upper age limit of 115, but others think we could live far longer. Our life expectancies are increasing, but the very oldest humans just aren't getting older. https://www.australiascience.tv/vod/brew-ha-ha-the-limit-of-your-lifespan/ 0:36:36 Chris Higgins talks about SkeptiCamp in Manchester A SkeptiCamp is a free conference that celebrates the incredible work done by grassroots skeptics and activists. At SkeptiCamp, it’s the attendees who are responsible for the creation and delivery of the days content, and anyone is welcome to present a talk. You don’t need to be a published author, famous podcaster or professional communicator to get involved. SkeptiCamp is about providing an open and accessible platform for all members of the skeptical community to share their ideas, collaborate and discuss the topics they’re passionate about. http://www.skepticamp.co.uk 0:45:00 Australian Skeptics $100,000 Prize For amost 40 years, Australian Skeptics have offered a cash prize to anyone who can prove they have paranormal powers. Paranormal proof: Australian Skeptics' $100,000 prize still unclaimed 37 years on http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-04/australian-skeptics-paranormal-proof-prize-still-unclaimed/8852060 Richard Saunders on Sundrise TV - Video https://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/37020419/prove-youre-a-psychic-and-win-100-000/#page1 Also... Richard Saunders and Tim Medham - late night radio segment http://www.2gb.com/?s=Skeptics Maynard and Bunga Bunga http://www.maynard.com.au CSI Con - Las Vagas http://csiconference.org European Skeptics Congress - Wroclaw http://euroscepticscon.org QED - Manchester http://www.qedcon.org QED - Skepticamp Manchester http://www.skepticamp.co.uk SITP Organiser Survey - http://glasgowskeptics.com/sitp Skepticon Sydney http://www.skeptics.com.au  

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem discusses UFO sightings and claims of otherworldly visitation with Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. SkeptiCamp: If you’d like to present at SkeptiCamp, send an email … Continue reading Episode 122: UFOs →

Hosts: Ed Brown, Lucas Randall and Jo Benhamu. 00:00:51 NASA has announced the discovery of seven planets outside our solar system that all orbit the same star and are about Earth-size. Three of them are firmly located in the habitable zone, and therefore likely to have liquid water. 00:13:15 Last year Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the world's richest doctor, launched "Cancer MoonShot 2020", a coalition of drug and biotech companies working on cancer treatments and personalized medicine. A year later, with little credible evidence behind it, the initiative has been described as little more than "an elaborate marketing tool". 00:28:11 For the first time, astronomers have have observed the immediate aftermath of a supernova, detecting it just three hours after it exploded. 00:33:55 The first comprehensive assessment of Europe's crickets and grasshoppers has found that more than a quarter of species are being driven to extinction.   This episode contains traces of NASA's Thomas Zurbuchen discussing the philosophical impact of the exoplanet discovery.

This show is a special QED & Skepticamp report combined with some of the usual segments featured on odd-numbered episodes. We talked about the highlights of this wonderful festival of rationalism in Manchester, as well as listed the upcoming events in Europe, as usual. You can also listen to some of the short interviews and testimonials we recorded at QED - Question. Explore. Discover. Segments: Introduction and greetings; On This Day; Events in Europe; Interviews and testimonials from QED; Quote; Outro

00:00:52 Michelle Franklin joins us to discuss invasive species control - from giving herpes to carp, to the moth that nearly wiped out the prickly pear. 00:16:57 Scientists have trained archerfish to recognise - and spit at - specific human faces. 00:22:46 A woman in Pennsylvania recently tested positive to an E. coli "superbug" that's resistant to most antibiotics. That's scary enough, but it also points to a worrisome lack of testing and reporting with urinary tract infections.   Michelle Franklin is a wildlife biologist and a founder of the Darwin Skeptics. Phil Kent is an aquaculture specialist and secretary of the Brisbane Skeptics. Brisbane Skeptics have a Skepticamp coming up. Phil can be found on Facebook, Twitter and at the Brisbane Skeptics' Facebook page.   This episode contains traces of Stephen Colbert talking about a new study of frog sex positions.  

Guests - Wendy Hughes / Barbara Drescher / Paula Lauterbach / Brian Hart / Ross Blocher

Guests - Wendy Hughes / Paula Lauterbach / Brian Hart / Jimmy Palombi

70,000 Years ago, a small star passed within a light-year of Earth - within the Oort cloud on the edge of our solar system. New research suggests the sun can continue doing damage to our skin even when we go inside or cover up. A flawed study into the health effects of fluoride gets far too much media attention. Medical marijuana is not very effective for pain relief, and the industry is poorly regulated according to pain specialist Dr. Mick Vagg. A study of Europe's climate between the 14th and 18th century indicates that the Black Plague may have been spread more by gerbils, than rats.

In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, we’re recording live from SkeptiCamp Winnipeg! Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren talk about logical fallacies and deductive reasoning, and Gem hosts a game of Name That Logical Fallacy! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced … Continue reading Episode 89: Logical Fallacies, Live from SkeptiCamp! →

Jelly donut shaped rock surprises NASA, then gets them sued. Tracking dogs by GPS may give clues to pack structure, but probably not. West Australia's shark cull begins, the same week that a report finds 1/4 of sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. Men supposedly forget more than women do, but the study has big issues.

3D Printed toothbrushes and nuclear fusion creeps nearer by Ian Woolf. Robin Hilliard talks to Ian Woolf about Conway's Game of Life, Alistair D'Silva explains to Ian Woolf how to make a bike jacket with turn signals at Make Hack Void. Taryn Chalmers presents her 3 Minute Thesis about the connection between heart disease, depression and professional driving in Australia. Produced and presented by Ian Woolf

Mark W. Gura: The Three Possibilities: A System for Classifying Religions and Philosophies

The first public, and abridged, version of a TAM 2013 workshop on image processing and analysis for skeptics. This was a live talk presented at the Denver 2013 Skepticamp in front of a live studio audience. Besides background information, this talk used basic skills to analyze the infamous Face on Mars and a lesser known lunar step pyramid.

We bring you not one, not two, but three Atlanta podcasters, all smashed up into one big pot of simmering live skepticism. For one night only, they have the power. There may be tears but it will be a fun ride! Derek Colanduno co-hosts Skepticality, one of the longest running skeptical podcast. Monster Talk's Blake Smith regales listeners with stories of things that go bump in the night. John Snider of American Freethought fame, encourages us to think for ourselves.

Ponencia de Jose Luis Tajada en el SkeptiCamp que se celebró en Madrid en enero del 2012 donde hablará del acercamiento que debe tener la ciencia ante la gente de a pie y la importancia de la misma ante los llamados fenómenos insólitos

Michael McKay, president of the Skeptical Society of St. Louis, gives a talk on the implications of psychologist Daryl Bem's research into precognition.  Recorded by Dingus at the inaugural edition of SkeptiCamp St. Louis on August 18th, 2012, held at the St. Louis Ethical Society- one of numerous SkeptiCamp events put on this summer all over the US, and thus far the largest in attendance!  The Skeptical Society of St. Louis exists to  promote critical thinking, education, and the rigorous application of the scientific method to all aspects of life.  This podcast is firmly in support of those goals.  :)  The Society regularly meets up for workshops, picnics, and the popular "Skeptics in the Pub" events. Learn more at: http://www.meetup.com/skepticalstl/ http://www.facebook.com/groups/215496350310/ http://stlouisskepticalsociety.blogspot.com/ More on Bem:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryl_Bem

0:00:00IntroductionRichard Saunders 0:07:00Maynard & Dr RachieHow much can they nom at the airport on the way to Skepticamp? 0:11:35Richard Saunders chats toIan Bryce of Australian Skeptics about his years of investigating the strange and magical world of woo. 0:38:20 A "psychic", an UFO expert and a skeptic walk into a graveyard one day... and get interviewed. Move over ghosts!

Stuart gave a live, one-hour talk about the Apollo Moon "Hoax" at the Colorado Springs Skepticamp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in August 2011. This is the live recording.

As the international skeptical community gears up for another seasonof conferences presented by established groups like The SkepticsSociety's Science Symposium, The James Randi Educational Foundation'sAmazing Meeting, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry's CSICon, anew generation of skeptics are also finding the critical thinkingmovement in their own back yards at local meet ups called Skepticamps,which are community driven, informal "un-conferences" borne from thedesire for people to share and learn in an open environment.This week on Skepticality, Derek and Swoopy report from AtlantaSkepticamp 2011 and share one of this year's Skepticamp talks bySkeptic History contributor Tim Farley appropriately entitled "Don'tStart a Blog or Podcast", on the topic of how to handle the vastamount of skeptical content created by blogs and podcasts, and how tostand out if you decide you do decide to jump into the fray.

Skepticamp Fort Collins - Amateur Skeptics Special -003 Notes: Skepticamp Fort Collins - Amateur Skeptics Special -003... see full notes

Host: Karen Stollznow Reed Esau is a skeptical activist and one of the founders of SkeptiCamp. Also known as Open Events, these are informal, community-organized conference where speakers tackle issues regarding science and skepticism. SkeptiCamp encourages participation as well as observation. A software architect by trade, Reed is author of the blog "An Illustrative Account", and he writes for the James Randi Educational Foundation's blog Swift. Reed is also a contributor to Skeptical Inquirer magazine for which he wrote the article "Reinventing the Skeptical Conference". In this interview with Karen Stollznow, Reed discusses the unique model of SkeptiCamp, which he calls an "unconference". He explains how these differ to traditional conferences that feature "celebrity skeptics" over local and regional speakers. He speaks about how these Open Events aim to distribute knowledge within the community, and reach people beyond the community. Must every skeptic contribute to skepticism? Does calling oneself a "skeptic" imply that one is active? Reed addresses these questions, and talks about what he calls the "Long Tail" of skepticism, and how skeptics can move from a more passive role in the movement to become participants. A self-confessed "Armchair Skeptic" for twenty years, Reed speaks about how he got out of the armchair to become involved in the community.

Tim Farley is a computer software engineer, skeptic, and creator of the popular website What’s the Harm? His site answers this salient question with over 670,000 stories of people who have indeed been harmed, damaged, injured, or even killed by pseudoscience and the paranormal What’s the Harm’s catchphrase is: “368,379 people killed, 306,096 injured and over $2,815,931,000 in economic damages.” However, these statistics are calculated from randomly-caught, modern cases documented in English-speaking countries. Many stories are left untold. How much bigger could the problem be? In this interview with Karen Stollznow, Tim reveals the real-life dangers, and the hidden dangers, of these beliefs and practices. He treats the lack of regulatory bodies for these industries, and what recourse can be taken when harm is done. Tim talks about the question “What’s the Harm?” as used in defense of pseudoscience and the paranormal, and why this is wielded as a “checkmate” argument. He discusses the power of anecdotal evidence, and whether people are influenced by cautionary tales, or more persuaded by their own personal experiences. Tim is a prominent activist and a frequent speaker at events including Skeptics in the Pub, Skepticamp, and the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Amazing Meetings. An expert in computer security and reverse engineering, he is at the forefront of the Skepticism 2.0 movement. He talks about finding your own “niche” as an online activist, how you don’t need to be a magician or have a PhD to be a skeptic, and how we all have our own expertise to bring to the skeptical movement.

LaVerne is new to the world of organized skepticism, having just discovered us at last year's SkeptiCamp. She will talk about what she's learned since then, how it's affected her life, and trials and treasures during her year as a Virgin Skeptic.

What can regular skeptics actually do to enhance the appreciation of science and skeptical inquiry? This question has been an ongoing theme for Skepticality, and this week's guest has one answer to propose. In his audio essay, "Raising Our Game: The Rationale to Embrace Skepticamp," software architect Reed Esau argues that "Skepticamps" (self-organizing peer conferences of intimate scale) can harness the potential of the "long tail" of the skeptical movement — offering a voice to all of us who have passion and expertise to share but who cannot take on the role of a "professional" skeptic.  These meetings are an experiment in the structure of a movement, and they are capturing the imagination of many new skeptics. What are the true implications for skeptical organizing? Is the advent of social networking technologies really the moment when everything changed? Also Tim Farley of Whatstheharm.net talks with Swoopy about an effort to help out a fellow Skeptical activist in need.