Posts Tagged Skeptics in the Pub
Liverpool Skeptics In The Pub: One Year Anniversary Bonanza
Posted by Colin H in Merseyside, Skeptics in the Pub on February 26, 2010
One Year Anniversary Bonanza at The Vines
It’s hard to believe, but come the end of this Month, the Merseyside Skeptics Society will have been going for just over a year. In that space of time we have gone from not existing at all, to hosting regular social events in Liverpool City Centre (at Doctor Duncan’s pub, for those interested), hosting regular Skeptics In The Pub nights with speakers such as Ariane Sherine, Chris French and Simon Singh, and to masterminding the 10:23 campaign, which went from strength to strength, spreading from Liverpool to other cities across England, Wales and Scotland, and then to numerous countries across the world! Amid all this we’ve also somehow managed to produce two popular podcasts, Skeptics With a K and InKredulous, and get name-checked in everything from the Pod Delusion and The Skeptic Zone to The Independent and The Guardian. Not to mention you could hear Mike and Marsh’s dulcet tones gracing the airwaves on more than one occasion, arguing with UFO enthusiasts, psychics and homeopaths to name but a few. You can also hear Marsh on the podcast Righteous Indignation.
It’s been overwhelming. So overwhelming that we almost forgot it had been a year since we started. When we did notice, we realised we should do something to celebrate this personal milestone, and so we organised a special Liverpool Skeptics In The Pub: One Year Anniversary Bonanza! Read the rest of this entry »
Skeptics in the Pub UPDATE: One Year Anniversary Bonanza
Posted by Marsh in Skeptics in the Pub on February 16, 2010
Happy Birthday Us!
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances our guest speaker for this week’s Skeptics in the Pub – Andy Lewis – has had to cancel. Perhaps there are quacks that desperately needed -ometering, or perhaps he had unexpected work commitments that he really couldn’t get out of (the latter). Andy’s assured us we’ll reschedule the event in the future, but it left us with a space in our calendar…
…and that’s when we remembered we’re one year old as of this Thursday! Hooray, hurrah, they grow up so fast, etc! So, to commemorate this wondrous occasion, and to fulfill our venue obligations, we thought we’d put on something of an anniversary bonanza – as skeptical pick’n'mix, if you will. The evening will consist of four short talks on a variety of topics, as well as a special live edition of our Skeptics with a K podcast.
First off, MSS blogger Allan Callister will be talking Emotional Freedom Technique, something of an interest of his of late. Next, our great and glorious president Mike Hall will be examining Bad Logic, with examples from the world of religion. I’ll be taking to the mic next to explain How PR Took Over Journalism, and where we go from here, before MSS member and PHD Tom Williamson will be telling us all What This Whole Science Thing Actually Is Anyway, how it works, how we know it works and why it’s the bees knees. And then it’s a live, audience-participation-y recording of Skeptics With A K.
So, join us for a jam-packed evening this Thursday from 8, at the Vines Hotel, Liverpool, L1.
>> Further details.
Skeptics in the Pub: Daniela Rudloff
Posted by Mike in Skeptics in the Pub on January 17, 2010
Mental “Shortcuts” – A Necessary Evil?
by Daniela Rudloff
When: Thu, Mar 18, 2010 8.00 – 11.00 PM
Where: The Vines (aka the Big House), 81 Lime Street, Liverpool
Summary
Can we really trust our eyes? Why does a footballer’s performance usually drop right after they’ve been sold to a high-paying football club? What exactly is “anchoring”, and why are we doing it in a pub?
Daniela Rudloff will answer these and other questions by giving an introduction to the everyday mental shortcuts and biases we often employ, arguing that even though they might be misleading, they are also necessary – and almost impossible to avoid.
Read the rest of this entry »
Skeptics in the Pub: September 17th – Chris French
Posted by Marsh in Skeptics in the Pub on August 11, 2009
The Psychology of Anomalous Experiences
Professor Christopher C French, Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
When: Thu, September 17, 2009 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Where: Crown Hotel, 43 Lime Street Liverpool, L1 1JQ
Summary
Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences many of which we would today label as "paranormal". Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims, or else belief in and experience of ostensibly paranormal phenomena can be fully explained in terms of psychological factors. Anomalistic psychology attempts to provide non-paranormal explanations for anomalous experiences in terms of known psychological factors. This approach will be illustrated with examples relating to a range of ostensibly paranormal phenomena.
