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Skeptics Society News and Site Highlights

current issue of Skeptic magazine

THE END OF THE WORLD, Again? A NASA Scientist Answers the Top 20 Questions About 2012. Large Hadron Collider: Will Physicists Destroy the World? Pro & Con; Why Atheism & IQs Are Rising; Skepdoc on Chiropractic, and more on Vaccines & Autism; Time to Teach the Creationism Controversy?; Randi on Magicians in the Lab; Coriolis Effect Myth; Thetis Lake Monster; Evolution Teacher Poll; Why Religions Turn Oppressive…

the baloney detection kit

current issue of
Junior Skeptic

Junior Skeptic issue 35 (detail of cover)

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?

H1N1 lecture

Carl Zimmer photo by Ben Stechschulte

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.

upcoming lecture

Barbara Ehrenreich

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.…

free music downloads

Rock Alien illustration by Daniel Loxton

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.

geology tours

petrified sand dunes, Zion
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:

our official podcast

Skepticality — the official podcast of Skeptic magazine.

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.

latest additions to
SkepticBlog

SkepticBlog logo

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

debate

Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra
v. Michael Shermer:
The Afterlife

Deepak and Shermer debate the question of life after death.

’Tis the Season (almost)

Give a Gift Subscription to Skeptic magazine starting at $30

Give a Gift Subscription
to Skeptic magazine

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!

this week’s eSkeptic

Carl Sagan

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!

last week’s eSkeptic

illustrations of MonsterTalk hosts

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).

Fix Wikipedia

Fix Wikipedia

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.

latest additions to
the reading room

Reading Room
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.

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)

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?

our 2008 conference

Origins and the Big Questions conference banner

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!

Dawkins’ DVDs

Richard Dawkins (photo by Lalla Ward)
Break the Science Barrier
DVD cover

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…

The Root of All Evil?
DVD cover

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…

Growing Up in the Universe
DVD cover

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…

skepticism 101

Michael Shermer on TEDTalks

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.

Shermer on YouTube

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Shermer exposes frauds and debunks paranormal quackery from acupuncture to out-of-body experiences, and more on his YouTube Channel!

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MichaelShermer.com

Dr. Michael Shermer

Check out Michael Shermer’s website for an ever-expanding array of his books, essays, Scientific American columns, reviews, and multimedia clips. Read visitor comments and leave comments of your own!

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$5 VHS clearance

composite of Caltech speaker photos

$5 Blow Out Sale on all VHS lectures

All Caltech lectures on VHS are now reduced to $5 each (with no minimum purchase required) while supplies last! Order lecture recordings of your favorite scientists and skeptics, including: James Randi, Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Steven Pinker, Carol Tavris, Philip Zimbardo and dozens more.

Browse by category

We’ve prepared a PDF, organized by category, so you can read about ALL our audio-video lectures. Categories include: top picks, pseudoscience, psychics and magic; environment and global warming, religion, the cosmos, space exploration, extremism, cults, math, stats, satire, songs and more…