Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

How did one of the silliest cases in the history of cryptozoology become a lasting part of monster lore? Could there really be a humanoid fish-man in tiny Thetis Lake? And, if the creature is real — why does it look exactly like a monster from a low-budget horror movie?

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H1N1 — The Evolution
of a Deadly Virus.
What Diseases Tell Us
About Evolution

a recent lecture with Carl Zimmer
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009

Carl Zimmer, an award-winning science writer for the New York Times, Discover magazine, Scientific American, and others takes readers on a frightening tour of the H1N1 flu virus, how it evolved, and what deadly diseases tell us about how evolution works. Reviewing the history of influenza going back over a century, including a complete analysis of the 1918 influenza outbreak that killed tens of millions of people around the world, Zimmer includes remarkable graphics demonstrating exactly what happens from the moment a virus enters a body to the death of its human host. Along the way Zimmer reveals how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biology — from the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the analysis of the human genome.

• ORDER this lecture on DVD

Bright-Sided:
How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America

with Barbara Ehrenreich
PLUS a special guest performance by Richard Milner as Charles Darwin before Barbara Ehrenreich’s lecture
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 at 2 pm
Baxter Lecture Hall

In this utterly original take on the American frame of mind, Barbara Ehrenreich traces the strange career of our sunny outlook from its origins as a marginal 19th-century healing technique to its enshrinement as a dominant, almost mandatory, cultural attitude.…

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• SEE all upcoming lectures

Skeptics Mix Tape 2009

Think the best skepticism is the kind you can rock to? We’re pleased to offer you this selection of songs of science and skepticism — completely free! Download these MP3 files for non-commercial use at home or in your classroom.

• EXPLORE the mix tape

Stay informed about
our next geo tour!

Interested in participating on future Scientific Exploration Geology and Science Tours? Enter your email address here to get priority notification of future events (we will not share your address with any other parties).

PAST GEOLOGY TOURS

Utah or Bust!

Dinosaurs, Trilobites
& Geology Galore
June 8–13, 2009

Participants toured the geologic wonders of southern Utah, including Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef National Parks, with on site lectures by renowned geologist and paleontologist Dr. Donald Prothero. Participants dug trilobite fossils at a quarry famous for quantity and quality specimens, and visited some of the richest dinosaur-bearing deposits in the world!

It’s Our Fault!

One-Day San Andreas Fault Tours
January 31, 2009
February 1, 2009

Led by Dr. Donald Prothero, these day trips explored the San Andreas fault from Palmdale to the Devil’s Punchbowl, including Vasquez Rocks. Participants examined the evidence of their origin and evolution over 1.7 billion years at the San Gabriel Mountains. We saw remnants of giant billion-year-old magma chambers, and the products of rapid erosion of one of the fastest-rising mountain ranges in the world. WATCH video clips from our San Andreas Fault tour:

• Welcome to the
  Vasquez National Park
• Dr. Prothero on Vasquez Rocks
• Prothero on Anorthosites
  & Moon Rocks
• Prothero on Devil’s Punchbowl
• Prothero on Syncline
• Gabbros and Granitic Rocks
  in Punchbowl

Skepticality— the official podcast of Skeptic magazine

Skepticality — the pioneering original skeptics podcast — is a top-rated audio talk show dedicated to skeptical topics and interviews.

• HEAR the current episode
• SUBSCRIBE to Skepticality
  within iTunes

SkepticBlog is a collaboration between eight of the most recognized names in the promotion of science, critical thinking & skepticism. It features the cast & producers of The Skeptologists, a pilot skeptical reality show.

More Fun with Manga

People always used to make fun of me for learning calculus, on my own, for fun. For some reason my formal educational track always managed to swerve ...

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Miracle baby or child abuse?

In Russia, thousands of Muslims are flocking to see a baby who has verses from the Koran mysteriously appearing on his body: I’d like to be ...

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A Skeptical Triumph Over Medical Flim-Flam

Skeptic Bruce Flamm, M.D. is vindicated in his drawn-out court case On Friday, October 24, 2009, a California Court of Appeals vindicated Dr. Bruce ...

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Deepak Chopra
v. Michael Shermer:
The Afterlife

Deepak and Shermer debate the question of life after death.

• READ the essays in full

Skeptics love Skeptic magazine. They especially love to receive a subscription as a gift from a friend! When ordering a gift subscription, simply check the box next to “This is a gift subscription” and include the recipient’s address in the “SHIP TO” form during checkout. We’ll take care of the rest!

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Celebrating Carl Sagan

Few celebrities in science have done more for the promotion of science, reason, rationality, and critical thinking than Carl Sagan, whom we remember this week upon the impending occasion of his birthday on November 9. Carl would have been 75 years old. Happy Birthday Carl!

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Skeptic welcomes new podcast: MonsterTalk

Just in time for Halloween, we’re proud to welcome MonsterTalk to the growing Skeptic media family. Dedicated to focussed critical examination of cryptozoological mysteries, this second audio talk show presented by Skeptic magazine is a natural complement to Skepticality (our flagship general interest skeptical program).

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Make the People’s Encyclopedia a Science-Based Resource

Daniel Loxton, Editor of Junior Skeptic (and the organizer behind What Do I Do Next? 105 Practical Ways to Promote Skepticism and Advance Science) addresses the importance of Wikipedia. Find out how grassroots skeptics can help ensure that Wikipedia is a science-based public resource.

• LEARN how you can help

A Tribute to Carl Sagan: Our Place in the Universe

Carl Sagan was a scholar and a visionary. He changed the world. His work still does. As Bill Nye thinks back on the time he got to spend in Sagan’s classes, he realizes what made Sagan the best science communicator of his day.

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Sagan & Skepticism

David Morrison reviews two books: Carl Sagan: A Life by Keay Davidson (1999, John Wiley and Sons) and Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos by William Poundstone (1999, Henry Holt)

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The Measure of a Life

Michael Shermer ponders the question of what the measure of a life is once it has gone. And if that life was an epochal-shaping life, how is a contemporary biographer to put that life in perspective before the epoch is over?

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Origins &
the Big Questions

The 2008 conference is now available at Shop Skeptic on DVD. The lectures (which took place at Caltech on Saturday, Oct 4th) are sold individually, or as a 5 part set at an incredible discount!

• ORDER part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• ORDER the complete set

Break the Science Barrier

Dawkins communicates both the power and the beauty of science through a series of stories and vignettes dealing with a wide variety of topics, including the discovery of the Big Bang, junk science in the courtroom, magic and deception, and how science is the best tool ever devised for understanding how the world works…

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The Root of All Evil?

In this two-part documentary, Oxford Professor Richard Dawkins examines how religious faith is gaining ground in the face of rational, scientific truth. The program takes you to some of the world’s religious hot-spots, both in America and the Middle East…

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Growing Up in the Universe

Dawkins presents a series of lectures on life, the universe, and our place in it. With brilliance and clarity, Dawkins unravels an educational gem that will mesmerize young and old alike…

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The Power of Belief

In this 14-minute introduction to skepticism, Dr. Michael Shermer (Executive Director of the Skeptics Society) discusses why people believe weird things and elaborates on the power of belief systems. This lecture was delivered at the 2006 TED conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design) in Monterey, California.

• WATCH the video at TED.com

• WATCH Shermer on YouTube