Join us for our monthly talk with our exciting guest speaker.

We haven't announced who will be joining us yet, but please look back at our previous events for examples of our excellent previous speakers.

If there's anyone you'd like to see speak for us, or any topic you'd like covered, why not contact us (https://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/contact) to let us know.

Join us for our monthly talk with our exciting guest speaker.

We haven't announced who will be joining us yet, but please look back at our previous events for examples of our excellent previous speakers.

If there's anyone you'd like to see speak for us, or any topic you'd like covered, why not contact us (https://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/contact) to let us know.

Join us for our monthly talk with our exciting guest speaker.

We haven't announced who will be joining us yet, but please look back at our previous events for examples of our excellent previous speakers.

If there's anyone you'd like to see speak for us, or any topic you'd like covered, why not contact us (https://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/contact) to let us know.

Join us for another of our annual multiple speaker events, featuring some people you may have heard talk before (about different subjects), some you will have never heard speak.

Join us for our monthly talk with our exciting guest speaker.

We haven't announced who will be joining us yet, but please look back at our previous events for examples of our excellent previous speakers.

If there's anyone you'd like to see speak for us, or any topic you'd like covered, why not contact us (https://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/contact) to let us know.

Join us for another of our annual multiple speaker events, featuring some people you may have heard talk before (about different subjects), some you will have never heard speak.

How to Be Insufferable – Robert Green and His Guide to Being Obnoxious Bob Brady Have you ever wished you could command the awe and respect of your lessers? Wield the power of nations and have women swoon at the mention of your name? Then Robert Greene has the answers for you, and all you need to do... is buy his books, apparently.

AC/DC History Ian Harrison For over 100 years AC won the battle of the currents, but with newer technology is that now changing? How an understanding the history of AC vs DC might help guide our future.

Phineas Gage - The lesser known facts of a well known case Kat Ford The story of Phineas Gage is one of the most well known medical case studies, taught the world over to students of psychology and neuroscience, but the story of Phineas' injury and subsequent recovery is often told full of myths and inaccuracies. So what really happened to Phineas, and what can his story tell us about the human brain?

#Triggered? Lana Donaghy Buckle up snowflakes, we're delving into the complexities surrounding PTSD and online culture wars. From one side the appropiation of 'triggered' has rendered a serious condition a joke, while from the other is the dismissal of PTSD by those who prioritize 'facts over feelings'. Let's explore the scientific approach to PTSD, the efficacy of content warnings, and other methods of managing the condition.

Why we love to hate Liz Shaw Oxytocin is colloquially known as the love hormone, bringing us bonding, a love of cuddles, not wanting to eat our children, and a sense of belonging in a community. So why does it also make us despise one another?

A Boney M to pick: debunking Rasputin Tom Williamson In 1978, Boney M. released their single Rasputin. Finally, their lies and propaganda will get a thorough debunking, and the true story of Grigory Rasputin and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna will be told.

The Actual Dangers of AI Phil Armstrong When we talk about the dangers of AI, you're likely to picture Skynet, but there are far more pressing and immediate dangers we should be more concerned with.

Mystery Talk Alice Howarth ???

Ever wonder what happens to people who seek medical care for ailments that evidence-based medicine has failed to study in-depth? Or to provide treatments or ‘cures’? They are at the mercy of the ‘appeal to authority’ fallacy, perpetuated by the medical profession as it stands. Come and find out if you are at risk of misdiagnosis and medical gaslighting!

Often portrayed as the most deceptive and most disliked of the mathematical sciences, statistics gets a tough deal. It’s no surprise then that statistics is interwoven throughout all things morbid, including disease, conflict, and death. In this talk Liam will review some statistical fallacies through grim tales from history and show how they’re more relevant than ever before. Liam will also discuss the challenge of public perceptions of statistics and demo some techniques he uses to help people cast a more critical eye over the swathes of numbers we now meet in everyday life.

EVENT UPDATE - Four speakers to replace Dr Matt Kneale's scheduled event

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control, Matt Kneale won't be able to join us as scheduled tomorrow night, but don't worry we've gathered a handful of skeptics to keep you entertained tomorrow night. We're busy rearranging for Matt to join us in 2024 so keep an eye out for that too!

We didn't think it was possible either but you can have a megamix in November. Replacing Dr Matt Kneale, we will have four short talks:

How I met pure blooder - Phil Armstrong Do you have what it takes to date in the modern world? Join me as I venture into the world of “off-grid” dating in a very on-grid Facebook. What do antivaxxers look for in a potential partner and how do they advertise themselves?

On the Run - A Very Practical Guide to Prison Escape - Emma McClure Prison escapes are regularly the subject of TV shows and films and stories of ‘escaped’ prisoners often make national news. The reality of the modern prison system means that such escapes almost never happen in practice, however fear of them and inflammatory reporting often leads to very damaging policy changes for those who remain in custody. In this talk Emma will be talking through the reality of prison escape in England and Wales with a combination of statistics and tales from her job representing those who have tried, failed, and succeeded at being unlawfully at large.

The case for historical skepticism - Tom Williamson When we hear the word “skepticism”, what subjects spring to mind? Science? The paranormal? Debunking alternative medicine? Skepticism is already a broad church, but what about history? Although the past is set is stone, our perception of it is anything but. History is abound with myths, tall tales and falsehoods, and it’s the job of historians to separate fact from fiction. The subject is ripe for skeptical investigation, with historial revisionism and pseudohistory to debunk.

Antivaxxers with influence - Michael Marshall Throughout the last few years, we've seen the antivaccine movement, centred around the Covid vaccine growing and thriving online in places like Telegram and Rumble. But not all vaccine scaremongering happens in the darker corners of the internet - some of the most prominent vaccine misinformation in the UK has been spread by a qualified, and amplified by an elected member of parliament. Michael Marshall, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and long-term investigator of the antivax movement, will examine the antivax rhetoric of Dr Aseem Malhotra and Andrew Bridgen MP, and look at what can be done when medical misinformation is spread by seemingly authoritative sources.

Hope to see you there!

British prisoners have to endure the most inhumane and barbaric conditions imaginable, so why do so many of them keep going back? Former inmate and documentary-maker Chris Atkins has spent the last six years tracking the fortunes of a dozen repeat offenders to understand why the state fails to keep them out of trouble.

From Simon who escaped from a high security prison by pretending to be his twin brother, to Alex who spent nine months living in a string of elite hotels masquerading as the Duke of Marlborough, to Josh who was recalled to prison indefinitely for not attending a party, Time After Time feature funny, wild and poignant stories about our creaking probation system. Chris’s unprecedented access to the criminal underworld explains why the system actually makes reoffending all but inevitable for ex-prisoners.