Special Articles —
“Phenomenology” Paranormal Conference Shows Shift from Sciencey to Spiritual
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 24, 2013
When paranormal investigators give up on sciencey stuff, what's the alternative? The spiritual. I take you on a tour of a recent paranormal convention.
Don’t Burn Your Bra for Science Just Yet
by Rebecca Watson
April 17, 2013
There are many ways a science news story can hit the mainstream media and become a viral hit: does it involve an adorable, terrifying, or adorably terrifying new species of animal? Did a politician say something hilariously ignorant about it? And perhaps more importantly, does it involve breasts?
El feto humano de ‘Sirius’
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
April 16, 2013
La historia del ahora famoso extraterrestre comenzó hace unos diez años, cuando el huaquero -saqueador de yacimientos- Óscar Muñoz desenterró el cuerpo en un cementerio en el pueblo abandonado de La Noria, en el desierto de Atacama (Chile). El ser estaba envuelto en una tela blanca.
Getting Into Pterosaur Trouble – An Interview With Daniel Loxton
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
April 3, 2013
“The goal for Pterosaur Trouble and the other Tales of Prehistoric Life series books is persuasive photorealism—or heightened realism, anyway. I want it to look like I just popped back in time with my camera and took some nature photographs. That concept constrains every aspect of the creation of the illustrations.”
This Week in Conspiracy: For Fear of a Jesuit Planet
by Robert Blaskiewicz
This Week in Conspiracy
April 1, 2013
In the lore of conspiracism, few religious groups, with the exception of Jews, are more feared or thought to be more powerful than the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). As I write, it was only yesterday that the College of Cardinals elected the first Jesuit pontiff, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), which makes you wonder: If they were so powerful, what took them so long to ascend to power?
Leave Us Alone, You’re Spoiling Things
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 29, 2013
The Skeptic is the unwanted visitor to the paranormal-themed discussion. Questions are unwelcome; they spoil the fun. “Why do you bother nagging on the ghost hunters, the Bigfoot believers, and the UFOlogists,” they ask, “Why not go do something to stop real harm?”
Jim Underdown represents CSI at ConDor XX
by Jim Underdown
March 15, 2013
From March 8 – 12, 2013, I attended and spoke at ConDor XX, a sci/fi and fantasy conference at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego.
Wikapediatrician Susan Gerbic discusses her Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia project
by Susan Gerbic
March 8, 2013
The Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project was started in May 2010 as an effort to unite editors to become more skilled at adding skeptical content to the fifth most popular Internet site in the world. I discovered that there are people in our community that have been looking for a way to become more involved but need more structure, support, and training.
Burning the Mean and Disparaging Skeptic Straw Man
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 1, 2013
Does “skeptic” equal nasty, obnoxious and shouty? No? Then why do we get automatically tagged with those characteristics even when we are not? The word carries some connotations. But that ought not bar an exchange between skeptics and believers. We have some bridges to build.
Bad Pharma – Interview with Ben Goldacre
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 27, 2013
Dr. Ben Goldacre is a best-selling author, broadcaster, medical doctor and academic who specialises in unpicking dodgy scientific claims from drug companies, newspapers, government reports, PR people and quacks. For this interview, we discuss the extent of the problems that face the medical establishment and what we can do to solve these problems.
Conspiracy Theory Roundup (February 9, 2013)
by Robert Blaskiewicz
This Week in Conspiracy
February 26, 2013
The Conspiracy Theory Roundup is an ongoing series of news items from around the web relevant to connoisseurs of conspiracism.
13 Is Their Lucky Number
by Jim Underdown
February 13, 2013
The IIG is—we believe—the largest paranormal investigations team in the world. With affiliate groups in several states and a Canadian province, we are in the process of creating an international network of trained investigators who will not only look into paranormal, fringe science, and extraordinary claims in their own regions, but also administer the IIG $50,000 Challenge.
Bill Cooke Visits CFI-Kenya
by George Ongere
February 6, 2013
From January 7 to 11, our current Director of International Programs at CFI, Bill Cooke, visited Kenya to have a look at the expansive programs CFI-Kenya has been undertaking.
The Birthday Of Burzynski – Skeptics Fundraise For St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 1, 2013
On January 23, the Skeptics for the Protection of Cancer Patients delivered a birthday present to Houston cancer quack Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski and the Burzynski Clinic: a donation of around $13,000 raised in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – with a request that the clinic match those funds for the hospital.
The Trouble with Pseudoscience—It Can Be a Catastrophe
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
January 30, 2013
Pseudoscience is what one might call a two-dollar word. Skeptics often throw it around because of its weightiness and the values it transmits. We need to talk about this word, where it came from, and why we should be cautious about using it.
Stuff You Should Know TV
by LaRae Meadows
January 28, 2013
Ever wonder what the love child of the British version of The Office and an overheard conversation about science between two reasonably informed guys would grow up to be? Ok, maybe not, but Stuff You Should Know will answer the question anyway.
Carcajadas contra creencias
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
January 23, 2013
El humor es una magnífica herramienta no sólo para la divulgación del conocimiento, sino también en la lucha contra la pseudociencia, donde tan importante es tener razón como que parezca que uno la tiene.
The House of Skeptics Serves Psi (And Crow)
by Ben Radford
January 18, 2013
A review of Science & Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics, by Chris Carter.
One Young Man’s Struggle against Louisiana’s Creationist Lobby
by Zack Kopplin
January 17, 2013
When I became a senior in high school, I finally recognized that no one had launched a repeal of the LSEA and no one was going to. For my high school senior project, I decided I had to stand up and take on creationism in Louisiana. I partnered with Senator Karen Carter Peterson, who has now sponsored two bills to repeal the LSEA.
In the Media: 2012 Activities of Joe Nickell
by Joe Nickell
January 16, 2013
CSI’s Senior Research Fellow, Joe Nickell, continued his work investigating the world’s strangest mysteries.
CFI Kenya Report: The Results of Superstition in Africa and Our Humanist Efforts
by George Ongere
January 14, 2013
Humanists in Africa have put anti-superstition campaigns as one of their top priorities. Not only has superstition caused people to lose property and given the youths a bleak future, but it has also made people lose their lives.
Information Cycle of Violence
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
January 11, 2013
New media, especially YouTube, has changed the public’s relationship to news and information in a way that has made conspiracy theories not only more prevalent but also a much more participatory pursuit. For this reason, it is vital that any student of conspiracy theory attain some degree of media literacy. A good place to start is with the information cycle.
Robert A. Steiner (1934-2013)
by Robert Sheaffer
January 8, 2013
Magician and skeptic Robert A. Steiner died on January 4, 2013 in a nursing home in Concord, California, at age 78. A longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay area, Steiner was a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and spoke at several CSI(COP) conferences.
Talking Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria – Senior Science Correspondent at Huffington Post
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
January 2, 2013
Cara Santa Maria – Huffington Post’s senior science correspondent and host of the “Talk Nerdy to Me” series. Her published research has spanned various topics, including clinical psychological assessment, the neuropsychology of blindness, neuronal cell culture techniques, and computational neurophysiology.
Bashing the BMI: A Closer Look at the Skeptics
by Ben Radford
December 31, 2012
Why such hate for an otherwise boring, uncontroversial medical formula?
The (Christmas) Season For Reason With Young Critical Thinkers
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
December 7, 2012
A Discussion With Science Teacher Laurie Tarr.
Appreciating Science: A New Approach to Science in our World
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
November 14, 2012
Members of the public don’t know much about science, and they seem fine to leave science to the scientists. That’s Trouble.
Waldorf Steiner and Education – Weird and (Not So) Wonderful Schools
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 7, 2012
An Interview with Quackometer’s Andy Lewis
Skepticism in the Southern End of the World
by Daniel Norero
November 6, 2012
Although we are on opposite sides of the planet, we have the same problems that you face in United States: psychics, astrologers, conspiracy theorists, doomsayers, alternative medicine "therapists,” fundamentalist preachers, creationists, and a host of charlatans who prey on the ignorance of people in the streets, either on television or privately.
CFI/Argentina Report 2012
by Alejandro Borgo
October 29, 2012
A report on the wide variety of activities of CFI/Argentina in 2012, including lectures, television appearances, online organizing, and more.
Decoding Immortality and Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
October 15, 2012
An Interview with Science Television Creator Sonya Pemberton.
50 Popular Mistaken Beliefs
by Leo Igwe
October 12, 2012
A review of 50 Popular Beliefs that People Think are True by Guy Harrison.
South Korean Skeptics Work to Promote Science-Based Medicine
by Uiwon, Hwang
October 10, 2012
My name is Uiwon, Hwang, 35 years old. I majored in railroad engineering at university and worked as a rolling stock driver after graduating. I always had some interest in the global scientific skepticism movement, a rare case in Korea. This is how I started to work in the field of scientific journalism.
How to Protest a ‘Psychic’
by Caleb W. Lack
October 1, 2012
Last fall, it was brought to my attention that John Edward was scheduled to appear in downtown Oklahoma City for two seminars on March 9, 2012. I brought this information to the campus group that I advise, the UCO Skeptics, and suggested we plan a protest to help educate people on exactly what John Edward would be doing, and that it was in no way related to supernatural abilities.
Indignation Is Not Righteous
by Gary Longsine and Peter Boghossian
Online Extras
September 27, 2012
The Twin Fallacies of Appeal to Righteous Indignation and Appeal to Sanctity.
Appeals to righteous indignation or sanctity—which attempt to shield ideas from contemplation, discussion, investigation, or criticism—are common, impede rational discourse, and should be recognized as logical fallacies.
If You Know Shuzi Like the Merseyside Skeptics Know Shuzi: Testing the Shuzi Sports Band Video
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
September 26, 2012
The Merseyside Skeptics recently launched a video called Testing the Shuzi Sports Band. In order to find out more about its creation, I spoke to Mike Hall of the Merseyside Skeptics.
Enemies, Mostly Domestic
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
September 17, 2012
The last month has seen a disturbing number of high-profile mass shootings, and these events, when filtered through the conspiratorial worldview, become distorted and magnified in strange and interesting ways.
Helping the Truth Get its Shoes On: Sharon Hill and the Long Slog of Skepticism
by Paul Fidalgo
September 13, 2012
Inspired by her upcoming presentation at CSICon 2 in Nashville next month, CFI’s Paul Fidalgo talked to Sharon about what makes her tick, how we can process the implausible claims made in the modern news media, and how to talk about it with friends and family when they seem to be buying the hype.
Weird news: Believe it? Or not?
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
September 13, 2012
Every day, I scour the Internet for news. Not just any news. Weird news. What bizarre thing was seen, heard, or found today?
Robin Ince – Comedy, Skepticism, And Happiness Through Science
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
September 13, 2012
Robin Ince is a comedian you might recognise as the co-presenter of BBC Radio’s The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox—he’s also the creator of stage-show and author of The Bad Book Club: One Man’s Quest to Uncover the Books That Taste Forgot and the creator of the Australian feature movie Razzle Dazzle.
CSICon’s Halloween Party: Use Psychic Powers, Dress Funny, Win Cash!
by CSI
September 12, 2012
Skeptics are excellent at using their brains, but all that thinking can be exhausting. Luckily, at this year’s CSICon -- the conference dedicated to science and skeptical inquiry -- there’s going to be a way for the doubters to let their hair down, and win some truly excellent prizes.
An Interview with SETI Founder Frank Drake
by LaRae Meadows
September 10, 2012
An approachable and interesting man, Drake isn’t above a joke about his work or the people with whom he interacts. While at SETIcon II in Santa Clara, California, Drake took a few minutes to answer questions about his research, the future of SETI Institute, and aliens.
Pointing the Telescopes
by LaRae Meadows
September 7, 2012
An Interview with SETI Researcher Jill Tarter
Space is For Everyone
by LaRae Meadows
September 5, 2012
Ariel Waldman Tells Us How to Hack Space Exploration and Get Involved
Anthony Pratkanis Has a Bridge in Brooklyn He’d Like to Stop You from Buying
by Paul Fidalgo
August 31, 2012
Prof. Pratkanis will be among the incredible team of speakers at CSICon in Nashville this October, and CFI’s Paul Fidalgo talked to him about what led him to the main topic of his presentation at CSICon: how and why we get bamboozled by con artists.
For Such Smart People, You Just Don’t Get It
by LaRae Meadows
August 29, 2012
The Failure of the Science Community to Take Reality into Account
A Chat with Ron Lindsay about CSICon, Costume Contests, and Jerks
by Rebecca Watson
August 27, 2012
“One of the important contributions of CSICon is that we’re bringing the actual research to bear on the issues people are talking about.”
Xoçai. The “Healthy” Chocolate
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
August 24, 2012
Xoçai! Exotic, enticing, and unpronounceable to monolingual English tongues—the perfect name for an expensive chocolate product sold exclusively through multi-level marketing (MLM) using dodgy health claims.
Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 2
by Harriet Hall
August 24, 2012
Part 2 of Harriet Hall, MD’s presentation from the 2009 Skeptic’s Toolbox conference.
Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 1
by Harriet Hall
August 24, 2012
Part 1 of Harriet Hall, MD’s presentation from the 2009 Skeptic’s Toolbox conference.
SETIcon II: No Radio Telescopes Required
by LaRae Meadows
August 22, 2012
It was an opportunity to share meaningful and informative time with extraordinarily accessible microbiologists, planet scientists, astrobiologists, physicists, engineers, entrepreneurs, geologists, philosophers, linguists, astronauts, artists, and science fiction stars.
Eugenie Scott on the Stealth of Science Denialism
by Paul Fidalgo
August 21, 2012
This October, Dr. Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, will speak at the much-anticipated CSICon 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. She’ll be focusing on the anti-science initiatives now rampaging their way into Tennessee schools, and I wanted to get some perspective from her about where all this troubling activity is leading, and what’s behind it all.
CFI Kenya Report: An Approach Towards a Humanistic Africa
by George Ongere
August 17, 2012
Due to the continued poverty, corruption, and other disasters of the third world, most East Africans and a good number Africans in general have avoided thinking and believing that they came through the gradual process called evolution.
Sigourney Randi
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
August 8, 2012
«Hola, Petey. ¿Puedes oírme? ¡Si no puedes, tienes un problema!», decía Elizabeth Popoff por radio a su marido el 23 de febrero de 1986. El telepredicador Peter Popoff estaba a punto de hacer una de sus demostraciones de sanación por mediación divina en un abarrotado Auditorio Cívico de San Francisco.
A Change For The Better: The Geek Manifesto – An Interview With Mark Henderson
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
August 6, 2012
After the first QEDCon in 2011, I interviewed Mark Henderson for Token Skeptic Episode #55, while attending a session of the Westminster Skeptics in the pub. We talked about a book he was in the process of writing while working as the Science Editor for The Times newspaper. That book, The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters, is out now.
The Consequences of “Stupid”
by Hayley Stevens
Guest Opinion
July 30, 2012
Falling into the trap of illogical thinking is very easy. You can quickly invest a lot of yourself into your new beliefs, and thus they become an important part of your life. I speak from experience when I say that calling people who hold such beliefs “stupid” because of their lack of rationale does nothing to make them reconsider the conclusions they have reached about those subjects.
Astrology: More like Religion Than Science
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
July 25, 2012
Proponents have no plausible explanation for how astrology might work. Whenever you have to resort to “insert supernatural here,” your concept is no longer a scientifically testable hypothesis.
Unification of Forces: The Muslim, the Atheist, and the Higgs
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
July 20, 2012
The first Muslim Nobel Laureate scientist was shunned by his native Pakistan.
Decisions, Decisions: The Problem with “You Decide.”
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
July 2, 2012
My memory may be biased, but doesn’t it seem like every unsolved mystery television program has ended with the proposition “you decide?”
Creationism, Accelerated Christian Education, and the Loch Ness Monster
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
June 29, 2012
An Interview With Jonny Scaramanga
Indian Idol
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
June 25, 2012
The case against Sanal Edamaruku reveals the inherent flaws in legally protecting “religious feelings.”
Tim McVeigh’s Must-Read List: The Turner Diaries
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
June 20, 2012
Demographic and social changes, augmented by an entrenched and politically active nativist movement that targets illegal immigrants, should encourage our awareness of the ideological fountain from which the racist subset of these militias draw, including The Turner Diaries.
Bigfoot Collection
by LaRae Meadows
June 13, 2012
Called the gateway to Bigfoot country, the starting point of The Bigfoot Scenic Byway, home of the Bigfoot Collection at the Willow Creek-China Flat Museum, and Bigfoot hotspot, Willow Creek is the home of the best evidence for the existence of Bigfoot ever collected.
Leo Igwe—The Constant Fight Against Irrationality
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
June 6, 2012
Interview from the Sixth World Skeptics Congress, Berlin
Resolution: Scientific Standards in Academia and Education
by CSI, ECSO and GWUP
May 31, 2012
At the occasion of the 6th World Skeptics Congress in Berlin, CSI, ECSO and GWUP adopted a resolution calling for high standards of scientific practice in scientific institutions and in science education.
Bad Reaction: The Toxicity of Chemical-Free Claims
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
May 25, 2012
I had a startling realization a few years ago: I discovered that not everyone thinks science is good for humanity. How can that be? Scientific discovery makes our lives better, richer, longer, and healthier.
The Downloadable Revelation
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
May 21, 2012
How do you treat your iPhone when it contains the iQuran?
Out of Mind? Out of Sight!
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
May 17, 2012
The source of the dread, foreboding, or control that conspiracy theorists sense is often outside the range of the normal experience of everyday life, which in no way diminishes the sense of a real threat. Therefore, they locate the locus of power just beyond the normal citizen's perceptual range. . . .
Mythbusting Makeup: Skepticism and Cosmetic Claims
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
May 9, 2012
There’s two things the general public are guaranteed to be concerned about: their health and the contents of their wallets. Yet somehow we are drawn to claims that you can make your thighs thin via a tube of goop and eagerly purchase promises of perfect complexions through using gunk best slapped on with a spatula.
SkeptiCal 2012
by LaRae Meadows
May 4, 2012
SkeptiCal, a one day conference billed as Northern California's science and skepticism conference, was host to more than 260 skeptics at the DoubleTree Hotel in Berkeley, California on April 21, 2012.
“You are Not Entitled to Your Own Bigfoot Facts”
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 25, 2012
Once upon a time, not so long ago, I came across a website that provided “Bigfoot Facts” for kids. The site didn't say from where these facts were derived but they were commonly circulated in various books and all over the web.
The Denver International Airport Conspiracy
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
April 11, 2012
Somehow, the conspiratorial world has convinced itself that, to use Richard Dreyfus’s phrase as he sculpts his mashed potatoes into a replica of the Devil’s Tower, the Denver International Airport “means something.” What exactly it means is unclear, but conspiracy theorists know its meaning is sinister.
Black(water) Market: Digging Up the Dirt about Slick Designer Beverages
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 2, 2012
On my regular stop to see the newest beverages one day, I noticed a slick, thin black bottle. The label read “Spring water enriched with Fulvic Acid.” Intrigued, I bought the 16.9 ounce bottle for $1.89.
James Randi: An Honest Liar
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
March 21, 2012
Interview with Documentary Filmmakers Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom
A Deviant Plot: Resisting Gay Rights at the UN, Islamic States Mangle Psychiatric Consensus, English
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
March 16, 2012
Does the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders propose that there are twenty-two forms of “sexual orientation”? The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (and Focus on the Family) want you to think so.
Apocalyptic January and the Portents of Doom
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 7, 2012
They were science-based Doomsday agents, effective in scaring the bejeezus out of generally rational people. And the arrival of 2012—heavily weighted with (very commercially exploited) “End of the World” overtones—serves to popularize these stories even more.
Maria Monk’s Awful Disclosures: A Classic American Conspiracy Theory
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
February 27, 2012
We have a long history of being afraid of the wrong people: the Masons, the Illuminati, the Commies, those cunning homosexuals—all of these groups at some point or another have been identified as the enemy, the embodiment of evil that would tear the heart out of America and deliver it to perdition.
In the Media: 2011 Activities of Joe Nickell
by Joe Nickell
February 17, 2012
CSI Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell had yet another very busy year, utilizing his varied background as stage magician and mentalist, private detective for a world-famous detective agency, forensic science writer, historical document consultant, and university scholar in literature.
World Skeptics Congress in Berlin, May 18–20th 2012: Promoting Science in an Age of Uncertainty
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 15, 2012
An interview with Amardeo Sarma, founder and chairman of the German Society for the Scientific Investigation of Para-Sciences (GWUP), chairman of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO), and fellow and Executive Council member of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
YouTube and the Coming Angel Apocalypse
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
February 13, 2012
Today's topic: strange sounds coming from the sky, which have taken YouTube by storm. I'm going to explain some of them, but as soon as I do, someone will upload a new video using a new trick and someone else will have to start all over again to debunk it.
CFI-Argentina Report 2011
by Alejandro Borgo
February 8, 2012
In 2011, CFI-Argentina presented courses, lectures, meetings, group organizing, television appearances, and more.
Escepticismo para escépticos
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
February 6, 2012
Gracias a Internet y a la intensa actividad de unos pocos blogueros -no nos engañemos, los activos son cuatro-, la denuncia de la charlatanería nunca ha sido tan eficaz como en la actualidad.
CFI–Kenya Report: Spreading our mission of “science, reason, and free inquiry” beyond borders
by George Ongere
February 1, 2012
Despite the advancement of science and technology in this century, many African republics have incessantly clung to belief systems that are a thwart to human progress in this age of enlightenment.
Review of Syfy’s Fact or Faked
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
January 31, 2012
According to its website, FoFPF (pronounced: "fawf-pfffff") "revolutionizes paranormal programming by investigating the evidence witnesses post on the Internet every day." Finally, someone is paying attention to "amateur paranormal researchers" who post fuzzy videos on YouTube!
Wings over the Woodford Folk Festival
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
January 25, 2012
Protesting by Plane with the Stop The Anti-Vaccination Network
Indonesian Skeptic Puts Psychic Powers to the Test
by Lukas Dion Pradityo
January 18, 2012
The following is a report of an investigation conducted after learning of four local individuals with claimed psychic abilities. Pradityo asked each of the claimants to bring their own magical object for the test, performed double-blind tests of the claimants’ abilities, and reported back to us.
“Scientific”: It’s just a catchphrase!
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
January 17, 2012
Science is all these things: a process, a way of looking at a topic, a community, an infrastructure, a career, a set of results, an authority, and more. We can use the word in many ways. That means it can be abused in many ways as well.
The Winchester Mystery House
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
December 29, 2011
This is another of the “Most Haunted Houses in America,” but this isn’t so much a paranormal story as one about a woman whose life was reputedly ruled and ruined by belief in the paranormal.
On Stanislaw Burzynski, the Streisand Effect, and Standing Up for Skeptical Bloggers
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
December 19, 2011
An Interview with Andy Lewis of Quackometer
(No) Escape from Alcatraz
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
December 5, 2011
Yet another claimant to the title of America’s “most haunted” place, Alcatraz certainly reigns as one of the world’s most notorious jails.
On Codes of Conduct, Part II
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 29, 2011
Sexism, Skepticism and Civility Online: an Interview with Jennifer Ouellette
The Inception of the Polish Sceptics Club
by Tomasz Witkowski and Maciej Zatonski
November 18, 2011
In 2010 (the best year for Polish charity), we were able to donate 43 million PLN to improve early cancer diagnosis in children. That’s forty-six times less than the money Polish people have thrown away for fortune tellers. This comparison quite effectively shows the preferences and beliefs of an average Pole.
Hello, Grandmother—What Big Eyes You Have
by Michelle Blackley
November 16, 2011
A review of Little Red Riding Hood (DVD).
Introducing the Menrva Foundation for Science and Reason
by Menrva Foundation
November 9, 2011
Founded in 2011, the Menrva Foundation for Science and Reason is striving to popularize science in Indonesia.
From Ghost-Believing to Ghost-Busting with Project Barnum: Interview with Hayley Stevens
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 4, 2011
Project Barnum exists to educate the public and venue providers about techniques that psychics and mediums often attempt to pass off as supernatural ability.
“Psychic medium” Ezio de Angelis
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
October 28, 2011
I attended Communicating with Spirit, a live performance by De Angelis, unaided by editing.
CSIcon 2011 Preview: Death from the Skies!
by CSI Staff
October 18, 2011
Astronomer Phil Plait worked for ten years on the Hubble Space Telescope and writes the Bad Astronomy blog for Discover magazine.
A review of Transcendent Man Live: a Conversation about the Future
by LaRae Meadows
Voice in the Dark (theater)
October 11, 2011
A mixed bag of content, Transcendent Man Live: a Conversation about the Future perfectly illuminated the problem with discussing science in America.
New Zealand Skepticism in the Shaking City
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
October 7, 2011
Rationalism and Rebuilding at the Christchurch Convention, 2011
A review of Nostalgia for the Light
by LaRae Meadows
Voice in the Dark (theater)
September 29, 2011
The Past is Now
“Phenomenology” Paranormal Conference Shows Shift from Sciencey to Spiritual
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 24, 2013
When paranormal investigators give up on sciencey stuff, what's the alternative? The spiritual. I take you on a tour of a recent paranormal convention.
Don’t Burn Your Bra for Science Just Yet
by Rebecca Watson
April 17, 2013
There are many ways a science news story can hit the mainstream media and become a viral hit: does it involve an adorable, terrifying, or adorably terrifying new species of animal? Did a politician say something hilariously ignorant about it? And perhaps more importantly, does it involve breasts?
El feto humano de ‘Sirius’
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
April 16, 2013
La historia del ahora famoso extraterrestre comenzó hace unos diez años, cuando el huaquero -saqueador de yacimientos- Óscar Muñoz desenterró el cuerpo en un cementerio en el pueblo abandonado de La Noria, en el desierto de Atacama (Chile). El ser estaba envuelto en una tela blanca.
Getting Into Pterosaur Trouble – An Interview With Daniel Loxton
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
April 3, 2013
“The goal for Pterosaur Trouble and the other Tales of Prehistoric Life series books is persuasive photorealism—or heightened realism, anyway. I want it to look like I just popped back in time with my camera and took some nature photographs. That concept constrains every aspect of the creation of the illustrations.”
This Week in Conspiracy: For Fear of a Jesuit Planet
by Robert Blaskiewicz
This Week in Conspiracy
April 1, 2013
In the lore of conspiracism, few religious groups, with the exception of Jews, are more feared or thought to be more powerful than the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). As I write, it was only yesterday that the College of Cardinals elected the first Jesuit pontiff, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), which makes you wonder: If they were so powerful, what took them so long to ascend to power?
Leave Us Alone, You’re Spoiling Things
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 29, 2013
The Skeptic is the unwanted visitor to the paranormal-themed discussion. Questions are unwelcome; they spoil the fun. “Why do you bother nagging on the ghost hunters, the Bigfoot believers, and the UFOlogists,” they ask, “Why not go do something to stop real harm?”
Jim Underdown represents CSI at ConDor XX
by Jim Underdown
March 15, 2013
From March 8 – 12, 2013, I attended and spoke at ConDor XX, a sci/fi and fantasy conference at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego.
Wikapediatrician Susan Gerbic discusses her Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia project
by Susan Gerbic
March 8, 2013
The Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project was started in May 2010 as an effort to unite editors to become more skilled at adding skeptical content to the fifth most popular Internet site in the world. I discovered that there are people in our community that have been looking for a way to become more involved but need more structure, support, and training.
Burning the Mean and Disparaging Skeptic Straw Man
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 1, 2013
Does “skeptic” equal nasty, obnoxious and shouty? No? Then why do we get automatically tagged with those characteristics even when we are not? The word carries some connotations. But that ought not bar an exchange between skeptics and believers. We have some bridges to build.
Bad Pharma – Interview with Ben Goldacre
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 27, 2013
Dr. Ben Goldacre is a best-selling author, broadcaster, medical doctor and academic who specialises in unpicking dodgy scientific claims from drug companies, newspapers, government reports, PR people and quacks. For this interview, we discuss the extent of the problems that face the medical establishment and what we can do to solve these problems.
Conspiracy Theory Roundup (February 9, 2013)
by Robert Blaskiewicz
This Week in Conspiracy
February 26, 2013
The Conspiracy Theory Roundup is an ongoing series of news items from around the web relevant to connoisseurs of conspiracism.
13 Is Their Lucky Number
by Jim Underdown
February 13, 2013
The IIG is—we believe—the largest paranormal investigations team in the world. With affiliate groups in several states and a Canadian province, we are in the process of creating an international network of trained investigators who will not only look into paranormal, fringe science, and extraordinary claims in their own regions, but also administer the IIG $50,000 Challenge.
Bill Cooke Visits CFI-Kenya
by George Ongere
February 6, 2013
From January 7 to 11, our current Director of International Programs at CFI, Bill Cooke, visited Kenya to have a look at the expansive programs CFI-Kenya has been undertaking.
The Birthday Of Burzynski – Skeptics Fundraise For St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 1, 2013
On January 23, the Skeptics for the Protection of Cancer Patients delivered a birthday present to Houston cancer quack Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski and the Burzynski Clinic: a donation of around $13,000 raised in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – with a request that the clinic match those funds for the hospital.
The Trouble with Pseudoscience—It Can Be a Catastrophe
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
January 30, 2013
Pseudoscience is what one might call a two-dollar word. Skeptics often throw it around because of its weightiness and the values it transmits. We need to talk about this word, where it came from, and why we should be cautious about using it.
Stuff You Should Know TV
by LaRae Meadows
January 28, 2013
Ever wonder what the love child of the British version of The Office and an overheard conversation about science between two reasonably informed guys would grow up to be? Ok, maybe not, but Stuff You Should Know will answer the question anyway.
Carcajadas contra creencias
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
January 23, 2013
El humor es una magnífica herramienta no sólo para la divulgación del conocimiento, sino también en la lucha contra la pseudociencia, donde tan importante es tener razón como que parezca que uno la tiene.
The House of Skeptics Serves Psi (And Crow)
by Ben Radford
January 18, 2013
A review of Science & Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics, by Chris Carter.
One Young Man’s Struggle against Louisiana’s Creationist Lobby
by Zack Kopplin
January 17, 2013
When I became a senior in high school, I finally recognized that no one had launched a repeal of the LSEA and no one was going to. For my high school senior project, I decided I had to stand up and take on creationism in Louisiana. I partnered with Senator Karen Carter Peterson, who has now sponsored two bills to repeal the LSEA.
In the Media: 2012 Activities of Joe Nickell
by Joe Nickell
January 16, 2013
CSI’s Senior Research Fellow, Joe Nickell, continued his work investigating the world’s strangest mysteries.
CFI Kenya Report: The Results of Superstition in Africa and Our Humanist Efforts
by George Ongere
January 14, 2013
Humanists in Africa have put anti-superstition campaigns as one of their top priorities. Not only has superstition caused people to lose property and given the youths a bleak future, but it has also made people lose their lives.
Information Cycle of Violence
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
January 11, 2013
New media, especially YouTube, has changed the public’s relationship to news and information in a way that has made conspiracy theories not only more prevalent but also a much more participatory pursuit. For this reason, it is vital that any student of conspiracy theory attain some degree of media literacy. A good place to start is with the information cycle.
Robert A. Steiner (1934-2013)
by Robert Sheaffer
January 8, 2013
Magician and skeptic Robert A. Steiner died on January 4, 2013 in a nursing home in Concord, California, at age 78. A longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay area, Steiner was a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and spoke at several CSI(COP) conferences.
Talking Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria – Senior Science Correspondent at Huffington Post
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
January 2, 2013
Cara Santa Maria – Huffington Post’s senior science correspondent and host of the “Talk Nerdy to Me” series. Her published research has spanned various topics, including clinical psychological assessment, the neuropsychology of blindness, neuronal cell culture techniques, and computational neurophysiology.
Bashing the BMI: A Closer Look at the Skeptics
by Ben Radford
December 31, 2012
Why such hate for an otherwise boring, uncontroversial medical formula?
The (Christmas) Season For Reason With Young Critical Thinkers
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
December 7, 2012
A Discussion With Science Teacher Laurie Tarr.
Appreciating Science: A New Approach to Science in our World
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
November 14, 2012
Members of the public don’t know much about science, and they seem fine to leave science to the scientists. That’s Trouble.
Waldorf Steiner and Education – Weird and (Not So) Wonderful Schools
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 7, 2012
An Interview with Quackometer’s Andy Lewis
Skepticism in the Southern End of the World
by Daniel Norero
November 6, 2012
Although we are on opposite sides of the planet, we have the same problems that you face in United States: psychics, astrologers, conspiracy theorists, doomsayers, alternative medicine "therapists,” fundamentalist preachers, creationists, and a host of charlatans who prey on the ignorance of people in the streets, either on television or privately.
CFI/Argentina Report 2012
by Alejandro Borgo
October 29, 2012
A report on the wide variety of activities of CFI/Argentina in 2012, including lectures, television appearances, online organizing, and more.
Decoding Immortality and Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
October 15, 2012
An Interview with Science Television Creator Sonya Pemberton.
50 Popular Mistaken Beliefs
by Leo Igwe
October 12, 2012
A review of 50 Popular Beliefs that People Think are True by Guy Harrison.
South Korean Skeptics Work to Promote Science-Based Medicine
by Uiwon, Hwang
October 10, 2012
My name is Uiwon, Hwang, 35 years old. I majored in railroad engineering at university and worked as a rolling stock driver after graduating. I always had some interest in the global scientific skepticism movement, a rare case in Korea. This is how I started to work in the field of scientific journalism.
How to Protest a ‘Psychic’
by Caleb W. Lack
October 1, 2012
Last fall, it was brought to my attention that John Edward was scheduled to appear in downtown Oklahoma City for two seminars on March 9, 2012. I brought this information to the campus group that I advise, the UCO Skeptics, and suggested we plan a protest to help educate people on exactly what John Edward would be doing, and that it was in no way related to supernatural abilities.
Indignation Is Not Righteous
by Gary Longsine and Peter Boghossian
Online Extras
September 27, 2012
The Twin Fallacies of Appeal to Righteous Indignation and Appeal to Sanctity.
Appeals to righteous indignation or sanctity—which attempt to shield ideas from contemplation, discussion, investigation, or criticism—are common, impede rational discourse, and should be recognized as logical fallacies.
If You Know Shuzi Like the Merseyside Skeptics Know Shuzi: Testing the Shuzi Sports Band Video
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
September 26, 2012
The Merseyside Skeptics recently launched a video called Testing the Shuzi Sports Band. In order to find out more about its creation, I spoke to Mike Hall of the Merseyside Skeptics.
Enemies, Mostly Domestic
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
September 17, 2012
The last month has seen a disturbing number of high-profile mass shootings, and these events, when filtered through the conspiratorial worldview, become distorted and magnified in strange and interesting ways.
Helping the Truth Get its Shoes On: Sharon Hill and the Long Slog of Skepticism
by Paul Fidalgo
September 13, 2012
Inspired by her upcoming presentation at CSICon 2 in Nashville next month, CFI’s Paul Fidalgo talked to Sharon about what makes her tick, how we can process the implausible claims made in the modern news media, and how to talk about it with friends and family when they seem to be buying the hype.
Weird news: Believe it? Or not?
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
September 13, 2012
Every day, I scour the Internet for news. Not just any news. Weird news. What bizarre thing was seen, heard, or found today?
Robin Ince – Comedy, Skepticism, And Happiness Through Science
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
September 13, 2012
Robin Ince is a comedian you might recognise as the co-presenter of BBC Radio’s The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox—he’s also the creator of stage-show and author of The Bad Book Club: One Man’s Quest to Uncover the Books That Taste Forgot and the creator of the Australian feature movie Razzle Dazzle.
CSICon’s Halloween Party: Use Psychic Powers, Dress Funny, Win Cash!
by CSI
September 12, 2012
Skeptics are excellent at using their brains, but all that thinking can be exhausting. Luckily, at this year’s CSICon -- the conference dedicated to science and skeptical inquiry -- there’s going to be a way for the doubters to let their hair down, and win some truly excellent prizes.
An Interview with SETI Founder Frank Drake
by LaRae Meadows
September 10, 2012
An approachable and interesting man, Drake isn’t above a joke about his work or the people with whom he interacts. While at SETIcon II in Santa Clara, California, Drake took a few minutes to answer questions about his research, the future of SETI Institute, and aliens.
Pointing the Telescopes
by LaRae Meadows
September 7, 2012
An Interview with SETI Researcher Jill Tarter
Space is For Everyone
by LaRae Meadows
September 5, 2012
Ariel Waldman Tells Us How to Hack Space Exploration and Get Involved
Anthony Pratkanis Has a Bridge in Brooklyn He’d Like to Stop You from Buying
by Paul Fidalgo
August 31, 2012
Prof. Pratkanis will be among the incredible team of speakers at CSICon in Nashville this October, and CFI’s Paul Fidalgo talked to him about what led him to the main topic of his presentation at CSICon: how and why we get bamboozled by con artists.
For Such Smart People, You Just Don’t Get It
by LaRae Meadows
August 29, 2012
The Failure of the Science Community to Take Reality into Account
A Chat with Ron Lindsay about CSICon, Costume Contests, and Jerks
by Rebecca Watson
August 27, 2012
“One of the important contributions of CSICon is that we’re bringing the actual research to bear on the issues people are talking about.”
Xoçai. The “Healthy” Chocolate
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
August 24, 2012
Xoçai! Exotic, enticing, and unpronounceable to monolingual English tongues—the perfect name for an expensive chocolate product sold exclusively through multi-level marketing (MLM) using dodgy health claims.
Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 2
by Harriet Hall
August 24, 2012
Part 2 of Harriet Hall, MD’s presentation from the 2009 Skeptic’s Toolbox conference.
Tooth Fairy Science and Other Pitfalls: Applying Rigorous Science to Messy Medicine, Part 1
by Harriet Hall
August 24, 2012
Part 1 of Harriet Hall, MD’s presentation from the 2009 Skeptic’s Toolbox conference.
SETIcon II: No Radio Telescopes Required
by LaRae Meadows
August 22, 2012
It was an opportunity to share meaningful and informative time with extraordinarily accessible microbiologists, planet scientists, astrobiologists, physicists, engineers, entrepreneurs, geologists, philosophers, linguists, astronauts, artists, and science fiction stars.
Eugenie Scott on the Stealth of Science Denialism
by Paul Fidalgo
August 21, 2012
This October, Dr. Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, will speak at the much-anticipated CSICon 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. She’ll be focusing on the anti-science initiatives now rampaging their way into Tennessee schools, and I wanted to get some perspective from her about where all this troubling activity is leading, and what’s behind it all.
CFI Kenya Report: An Approach Towards a Humanistic Africa
by George Ongere
August 17, 2012
Due to the continued poverty, corruption, and other disasters of the third world, most East Africans and a good number Africans in general have avoided thinking and believing that they came through the gradual process called evolution.
Sigourney Randi
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
August 8, 2012
«Hola, Petey. ¿Puedes oírme? ¡Si no puedes, tienes un problema!», decía Elizabeth Popoff por radio a su marido el 23 de febrero de 1986. El telepredicador Peter Popoff estaba a punto de hacer una de sus demostraciones de sanación por mediación divina en un abarrotado Auditorio Cívico de San Francisco.
A Change For The Better: The Geek Manifesto – An Interview With Mark Henderson
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
August 6, 2012
After the first QEDCon in 2011, I interviewed Mark Henderson for Token Skeptic Episode #55, while attending a session of the Westminster Skeptics in the pub. We talked about a book he was in the process of writing while working as the Science Editor for The Times newspaper. That book, The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters, is out now.
The Consequences of “Stupid”
by Hayley Stevens
Guest Opinion
July 30, 2012
Falling into the trap of illogical thinking is very easy. You can quickly invest a lot of yourself into your new beliefs, and thus they become an important part of your life. I speak from experience when I say that calling people who hold such beliefs “stupid” because of their lack of rationale does nothing to make them reconsider the conclusions they have reached about those subjects.
Astrology: More like Religion Than Science
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
July 25, 2012
Proponents have no plausible explanation for how astrology might work. Whenever you have to resort to “insert supernatural here,” your concept is no longer a scientifically testable hypothesis.
Unification of Forces: The Muslim, the Atheist, and the Higgs
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
July 20, 2012
The first Muslim Nobel Laureate scientist was shunned by his native Pakistan.
Decisions, Decisions: The Problem with “You Decide.”
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
July 2, 2012
My memory may be biased, but doesn’t it seem like every unsolved mystery television program has ended with the proposition “you decide?”
Creationism, Accelerated Christian Education, and the Loch Ness Monster
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
June 29, 2012
An Interview With Jonny Scaramanga
Indian Idol
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
June 25, 2012
The case against Sanal Edamaruku reveals the inherent flaws in legally protecting “religious feelings.”
Tim McVeigh’s Must-Read List: The Turner Diaries
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
June 20, 2012
Demographic and social changes, augmented by an entrenched and politically active nativist movement that targets illegal immigrants, should encourage our awareness of the ideological fountain from which the racist subset of these militias draw, including The Turner Diaries.
Bigfoot Collection
by LaRae Meadows
June 13, 2012
Called the gateway to Bigfoot country, the starting point of The Bigfoot Scenic Byway, home of the Bigfoot Collection at the Willow Creek-China Flat Museum, and Bigfoot hotspot, Willow Creek is the home of the best evidence for the existence of Bigfoot ever collected.
Leo Igwe—The Constant Fight Against Irrationality
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
June 6, 2012
Interview from the Sixth World Skeptics Congress, Berlin
Resolution: Scientific Standards in Academia and Education
by CSI, ECSO and GWUP
May 31, 2012
At the occasion of the 6th World Skeptics Congress in Berlin, CSI, ECSO and GWUP adopted a resolution calling for high standards of scientific practice in scientific institutions and in science education.
Bad Reaction: The Toxicity of Chemical-Free Claims
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
May 25, 2012
I had a startling realization a few years ago: I discovered that not everyone thinks science is good for humanity. How can that be? Scientific discovery makes our lives better, richer, longer, and healthier.
The Downloadable Revelation
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
May 21, 2012
How do you treat your iPhone when it contains the iQuran?
Out of Mind? Out of Sight!
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
May 17, 2012
The source of the dread, foreboding, or control that conspiracy theorists sense is often outside the range of the normal experience of everyday life, which in no way diminishes the sense of a real threat. Therefore, they locate the locus of power just beyond the normal citizen's perceptual range. . . .
Mythbusting Makeup: Skepticism and Cosmetic Claims
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
May 9, 2012
There’s two things the general public are guaranteed to be concerned about: their health and the contents of their wallets. Yet somehow we are drawn to claims that you can make your thighs thin via a tube of goop and eagerly purchase promises of perfect complexions through using gunk best slapped on with a spatula.
SkeptiCal 2012
by LaRae Meadows
May 4, 2012
SkeptiCal, a one day conference billed as Northern California's science and skepticism conference, was host to more than 260 skeptics at the DoubleTree Hotel in Berkeley, California on April 21, 2012.
“You are Not Entitled to Your Own Bigfoot Facts”
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 25, 2012
Once upon a time, not so long ago, I came across a website that provided “Bigfoot Facts” for kids. The site didn't say from where these facts were derived but they were commonly circulated in various books and all over the web.
The Denver International Airport Conspiracy
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
April 11, 2012
Somehow, the conspiratorial world has convinced itself that, to use Richard Dreyfus’s phrase as he sculpts his mashed potatoes into a replica of the Devil’s Tower, the Denver International Airport “means something.” What exactly it means is unclear, but conspiracy theorists know its meaning is sinister.
Black(water) Market: Digging Up the Dirt about Slick Designer Beverages
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
April 2, 2012
On my regular stop to see the newest beverages one day, I noticed a slick, thin black bottle. The label read “Spring water enriched with Fulvic Acid.” Intrigued, I bought the 16.9 ounce bottle for $1.89.
James Randi: An Honest Liar
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
March 21, 2012
Interview with Documentary Filmmakers Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom
A Deviant Plot: Resisting Gay Rights at the UN, Islamic States Mangle Psychiatric Consensus, English
by Austin Dacey
Circumnavigations
March 16, 2012
Does the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders propose that there are twenty-two forms of “sexual orientation”? The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (and Focus on the Family) want you to think so.
Apocalyptic January and the Portents of Doom
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
March 7, 2012
They were science-based Doomsday agents, effective in scaring the bejeezus out of generally rational people. And the arrival of 2012—heavily weighted with (very commercially exploited) “End of the World” overtones—serves to popularize these stories even more.
Maria Monk’s Awful Disclosures: A Classic American Conspiracy Theory
by Robert Blaskiewicz
The Conspiracy Guy
February 27, 2012
We have a long history of being afraid of the wrong people: the Masons, the Illuminati, the Commies, those cunning homosexuals—all of these groups at some point or another have been identified as the enemy, the embodiment of evil that would tear the heart out of America and deliver it to perdition.
In the Media: 2011 Activities of Joe Nickell
by Joe Nickell
February 17, 2012
CSI Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell had yet another very busy year, utilizing his varied background as stage magician and mentalist, private detective for a world-famous detective agency, forensic science writer, historical document consultant, and university scholar in literature.
World Skeptics Congress in Berlin, May 18–20th 2012: Promoting Science in an Age of Uncertainty
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
February 15, 2012
An interview with Amardeo Sarma, founder and chairman of the German Society for the Scientific Investigation of Para-Sciences (GWUP), chairman of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO), and fellow and Executive Council member of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
YouTube and the Coming Angel Apocalypse
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
February 13, 2012
Today's topic: strange sounds coming from the sky, which have taken YouTube by storm. I'm going to explain some of them, but as soon as I do, someone will upload a new video using a new trick and someone else will have to start all over again to debunk it.
CFI-Argentina Report 2011
by Alejandro Borgo
February 8, 2012
In 2011, CFI-Argentina presented courses, lectures, meetings, group organizing, television appearances, and more.
Escepticismo para escépticos
by Luis Alfonso Gámez
¡Paparruchas!
February 6, 2012
Gracias a Internet y a la intensa actividad de unos pocos blogueros -no nos engañemos, los activos son cuatro-, la denuncia de la charlatanería nunca ha sido tan eficaz como en la actualidad.
CFI–Kenya Report: Spreading our mission of “science, reason, and free inquiry” beyond borders
by George Ongere
February 1, 2012
Despite the advancement of science and technology in this century, many African republics have incessantly clung to belief systems that are a thwart to human progress in this age of enlightenment.
Review of Syfy’s Fact or Faked
by Rebecca Watson
Skepchick
January 31, 2012
According to its website, FoFPF (pronounced: "fawf-pfffff") "revolutionizes paranormal programming by investigating the evidence witnesses post on the Internet every day." Finally, someone is paying attention to "amateur paranormal researchers" who post fuzzy videos on YouTube!
Wings over the Woodford Folk Festival
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
January 25, 2012
Protesting by Plane with the Stop The Anti-Vaccination Network
Indonesian Skeptic Puts Psychic Powers to the Test
by Lukas Dion Pradityo
January 18, 2012
The following is a report of an investigation conducted after learning of four local individuals with claimed psychic abilities. Pradityo asked each of the claimants to bring their own magical object for the test, performed double-blind tests of the claimants’ abilities, and reported back to us.
“Scientific”: It’s just a catchphrase!
by Sharon Hill
Sounds Sciencey
January 17, 2012
Science is all these things: a process, a way of looking at a topic, a community, an infrastructure, a career, a set of results, an authority, and more. We can use the word in many ways. That means it can be abused in many ways as well.
The Winchester Mystery House
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
December 29, 2011
This is another of the “Most Haunted Houses in America,” but this isn’t so much a paranormal story as one about a woman whose life was reputedly ruled and ruined by belief in the paranormal.
On Stanislaw Burzynski, the Streisand Effect, and Standing Up for Skeptical Bloggers
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
December 19, 2011
An Interview with Andy Lewis of Quackometer
(No) Escape from Alcatraz
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
December 5, 2011
Yet another claimant to the title of America’s “most haunted” place, Alcatraz certainly reigns as one of the world’s most notorious jails.
On Codes of Conduct, Part II
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 29, 2011
Sexism, Skepticism and Civility Online: an Interview with Jennifer Ouellette
The Inception of the Polish Sceptics Club
by Tomasz Witkowski and Maciej Zatonski
November 18, 2011
In 2010 (the best year for Polish charity), we were able to donate 43 million PLN to improve early cancer diagnosis in children. That’s forty-six times less than the money Polish people have thrown away for fortune tellers. This comparison quite effectively shows the preferences and beliefs of an average Pole.
Hello, Grandmother—What Big Eyes You Have
by Michelle Blackley
November 16, 2011
A review of Little Red Riding Hood (DVD).
Introducing the Menrva Foundation for Science and Reason
by Menrva Foundation
November 9, 2011
Founded in 2011, the Menrva Foundation for Science and Reason is striving to popularize science in Indonesia.
From Ghost-Believing to Ghost-Busting with Project Barnum: Interview with Hayley Stevens
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
November 4, 2011
Project Barnum exists to educate the public and venue providers about techniques that psychics and mediums often attempt to pass off as supernatural ability.
“Psychic medium” Ezio de Angelis
by Karen Stollznow
The Good Word
October 28, 2011
I attended Communicating with Spirit, a live performance by De Angelis, unaided by editing.
CSIcon 2011 Preview: Death from the Skies!
by CSI Staff
October 18, 2011
Astronomer Phil Plait worked for ten years on the Hubble Space Telescope and writes the Bad Astronomy blog for Discover magazine.
A review of Transcendent Man Live: a Conversation about the Future
by LaRae Meadows
Voice in the Dark (theater)
October 11, 2011
A mixed bag of content, Transcendent Man Live: a Conversation about the Future perfectly illuminated the problem with discussing science in America.
New Zealand Skepticism in the Shaking City
by Kylie Sturgess
Curiouser and Curiouser
October 7, 2011
Rationalism and Rebuilding at the Christchurch Convention, 2011
A review of Nostalgia for the Light
by LaRae Meadows
Voice in the Dark (theater)
September 29, 2011
The Past is Now
