What's On

[sadluxation]

This thread will hopefully make everyone pro-active in "whooping" pseudosciences ass.

I hope most local meetings will go on here- Since the BIG one has just finished - whether it's in Amsterdam or Alberquerque.
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The 11th European Skeptics Congress (http://www.ty.clara.co.uk/congress.htm)

London, September 5-7, 2003

Book early for a discount.

[sadluxation]

Hi All,
A Fiend, erm, friend has organised a number of "lectures" on folklore and is taking place in Greenwich, South East London.

I will update this post for each new talk.

Other information about the society can be found on their site:
South East London Folklore Society (http://www.selfs.co.uk) .
It's also listed on the London Free List (http://www.londonfreelist.com/) .

Time to put your skeptical hats on!!!!


9th June 2003: Neil Starman – ‘The South London Magical Landscape’

A search for South London's spirits of place via a whistlestop tour of its forgotten sacred sites and springs, groves, burial grounds, and more. The mysteries of the Old Kent Road shall finally be unveiled.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
14th July 2003: John Constable – ‘The Southwark Mysteries’

John Constable is a playwright, poet and shaman, who has lived and worked for 17 years in south-east London. Tonight he explores the secret history behind his epic The Southwark Mysteries (published by Oberon Books). How the hermetic teachings of a Roman Temple of Isis resurfaced in the songs of Bankside actors and whores. The story of John Crow and The Goose, a medieval prostitute licensed by the Church to work within The Liberty of The Clink, outside the law of The City. Her bones were unearthed and her spirit raised when work on the Jubilee Line Extension dug up the Cross Bones Graveyard, SE1.
More info: www.gooseandcrow.co.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------
11th August 2003: John Rimmer – ‘The Brentford Griffin’

The venue is the conservatory of the Mitre public house, 291 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NA.

The talks usually start from 8.30pm, though we’ll meet earlier (from 7.30pm onwards) for a drink and a chat. The whole evening is fairly informal.

The cost is £2.50, or £1.50 concessions. Money we make goes to the speakers and to cover costs; we don’t do it for profit. [/i]

[sadluxation]

Hi All,
If anyone knows of any good speakers, investigators, lecturers on pseudoscientific/skeptic topics in the U.K. please feel free to PM me so I can harrass them into disseminating the information to others at the above mentioned meetings.

Skeptics seem to be an integral, but shy breed of people and need to be gentle coerced into submission. Look at Hal!

Regards,

S

[sadluxation]

http://www.spr.ac.uk/lectures.php3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 12th June 2003
GHOSTLY ARMIES: AN EXAMINATION OF THREE BRITISH CASES (Edgehill, Souther Fell and Loch Ashie)
---------- Dr. Peter McCue

Peter McCue is a member of the SPR and the Scottish SPR. He is a clinical psychologist and has a longstanding interest in hauntings and poltergeist cases.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 10th July 2003
A DEMONSTRATION OF MEDIUMSHIP
---------- Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith is a celebrated medium who has appeared on television and also in the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain's Christmas Cavalcade of Clairvoyance. He is the author of Inner Visions, his life story, and Transforming Self. Trish Robertson will chair the meeting.

Thursday, 25th September 2003
Media and the Paranormal: the Most Haunted Experience
---------- Ciaràn O'Keefe

Ciaràn O'Keefe is employed as a psychology lecturer at Liverpool Hope University College, assisting with both criminal psychology and parapsychology teaching. He has featured in numerous TV documentaries on Living TV's Most Haunted series, and commented on spontaneous case investigations in newspapers and on the radio.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 9th October 2003
GWEN TATE MEMORIAL LECTURE: Human Personality and the Paranormal
---------- Prof. Archie Roy

Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. Prof. Roy is a past president of the SPR and founding president of the Scottish SPR.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 1st November 2003
SPR STUDY DAY No. 45: Discontinuities: things that come, go and relocate
---------- Chair: Prof. Donald West; Official Challenger: Peter Flew. Speakers: Mary Rose Barrington, Pamela Huby, Maurice Grosse, Montague Keen, Prof. John Poynton, David Rousseau

St. Mary Abbots Church Hall, Vicarage Gate, London, W8 10 am to 5 pm Β£25 Members Β£30 Non-members Concessions: less Β£2


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 6th November 2003
Secular humanism: A Redefinition in the Light of Psychical Research
---------- Robert McLuhan

Robert McLuhan is an SPR member and freelance journalist who has worked for the Guardian and the Economist, and now writes for The Week and various business magazines. He has recently completed a catalogue of the contents of the Society’s Journals and Proceedings.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 11th December 2003
The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be: Dickens and Spirit Photography
---------- Prof. John Harvey

John Harvey is Professor of Fine Art, Head of School, and Director of the Visual Culture of Religion at the School of Art, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He is an historian of art and religious visual culture and an artist.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 12th February 2004
The Actor, the Medium and the Message
---------- John Samson

John Samson is a professional actor, BBC Radio broadcaster, teacher and examiner for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and director of an audio-cassette company. He is a member of the College of Psychic Studies and the SPR and since 1998 has chaired the series of public lectures Life After Death - Open Forum for Open Minds.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 11th March 2004
Does the emotional system help ESP affect behaviour?
---------- Dr. Richard Broughton

Dr. Broughton is Senior Research Fellow at University College Northampton and President of Intuition Laboratories, North Carolina, USA. Author of Parapsychology: The controversial science and numerous scientific publications, Dr. Broughton's current research is investigating the role of the emotional system in intuitive decision-making.



Lectures are held in the Lecture Hall of the Kensington Central Library, Campden Hill Road, London, W8 7RX. The Society accepts no responsibility for opinions expressed or implied by speakers. ALL MEETINGS WILL BEGIN AT 6:35 p.m.

Lecture Admission - Members and Associates: Free
Non-Members: £4 Students, Over 60s or Unwaged: £1
(Coffee and Biscuits will be available at £1 per person)

[sadluxation]

Date: Thursday 19th June 2003
Guest: Barry Blatt
Topic: Sloppy Science

Anyone who knows anything about science cannot open a paper or watch a TV programme without howling in rage at the sloppy thinking, vague metaphors and bizarre biases expressed in their science and medical coverage. This talk will examines some of the most common types of error and examines how they occur and how they might be cured.

Barry is a freelance medical journalist and lectures in science and medical journalism at the University of Leeds. As an ex-research scientist he is frequently appallingly embarrassed by the errors made by many of his colleagues and is trying to convince a sceptical world that journalists do care about the truth.

Date: Thursday 17th July 2003
Guest: Nathan Williams
Topic: Horizon - Homeopathy the Test (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2002/homeopathy.shtml)

Nathan will be telling us how the idea for the programme occurred and will be answering his critics.

Nathan Williams is a director and producer with the BBC Science department. He has worked on programmes such as Tomorrow's World and Horizon, and has covered subjects from space probes to stone-age bodies.


For directions and times follow the link below
www.skeptic.org.uk/pub

[sadluxation]

STRANGE PHENOMENA INVESTIGATIONS (http://www.angelfire.com/space/spi/) (SPI, U.K.)

This may interest some of you.

Malcolm Robinson, the Ex-Skeptic (http://philmck.myby.co.uk/skeptic/pub/review_20_feb_2002.html) has had his own run of lectures about weird phenomena. He's a nice enough guy, but is on the other side of the fence.

The next meeting is on the 31st May in North London and is about 'The Apollo Moon Landings, Fact Or Fiction' !, and has been flogged to death already-sorry Phil.
I've encountered the speaker before at a SitP meeting debate between Marcus Allen and Royal Observatory Astronomer Robert Massey, to which he was completely de-bunked, but I don't think Mr. Allen has changed his mind yet.

Saturday 28th June

Chris Martin. 'Psychic Twins' & 'Latest UFO Footage'

Saturday 9th August 2003.
JUDITH CHISHOLM. 'The Electronic Voice Phenomenon'
Can people who have died make their presence felt through communicating on audio tape ! Judith will present challenging evidence that this is so. Come and hear what surely will be a fascinating lecture.

Saturday 27th September 2003.
ERIC MORRIS. 'Experiences, The Untold Story'

Saturday 25th October 2003.
BRIAN JAMES. 'Photographing The Paranormal'

Saturday 29th November 2003.
JON DOWNES & RICHARD FREEMAN. 'Stories From The World Of Cryptonzoology'

Saturday 20th December 2003.
COLIN BENNETT, 'Captain Ruppelt & Project Blue Book'.


All details can be found at the SPI meetings page from the bove link.
Future events can be found here. (http://www.angelfire.com/space/spi/page14.html)

[JimTheBrit]

London Skeptics Meetup

Anyone else want to join in so we can put something together?

http://skeptics.meetup.com/members/853

The date of the 28th ain't set in stone btw. PM me or join at the site and post there.

Cheers.

[Gary_Lane]

thank you I enjoyed the site

[sadluxation]

Thursday 21st August 2003
Brian Austin

Confessions of a Creationist - Why I agree with Richard Dawkins


Thursday 18th September 2003
Dr Rupert Sheldrake
THE SEVENTH SENSE: RECENT EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

As always, details can be found at the website below.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by sadluxation
Thursday 21st August 2003
Brian Austin

Confessions of a Creationist - Why I agree with Richard Dawkins

That sounds intriguing. A current creationist or former? What does he mean by this? Wil you be attending?

[sadluxation]

I think he still is a creationist and a Pastor!

I'm just wondering how he's going to reconcile this one?

I'll be there, as per usual.

S

[JimTheBrit]

SPI presentation
Saturday 29th November
The Sols Arms, 65-68 Hampstead Road, London 3pm - 6.30pm
'Stories From The World Of Cryptozoology' by Jon Downes and Richard Freedman
(Entrance fee charged, reduced for members)
Jonathan Downes and Richard Freeman both hardened cryptozoologists, will lecture on a number of incredible tales from the world of strange and mysterious beasts. Big Cats, Lake Monsters, Yeti's, Big Foot and more. Both these guys know their stuff and I'm sure we'll be in for a cryptozoology treat.
Source: SPI speaker schedule 2003 (http://www.angelfire.com/space/spi/page14.html)

--I attended a talk by JD&RF at the Fortean Times Unconvention 2003 - it was a hoot. Their humorous recounting of several investigations gave plenty of belly laughs. These guys come highly recommended.--

SPR presentation
Thursday 6th November 2003
Kensington Central Library, Campden Hill Road, London begins 6.35pm
'Secular humanism: A Redefinition in the Light of Psychical Research' by Robert McLuhan
(Entrance fee for non-members)
Robert McLuhan is an SPR member and freelance journalist who has worked for the Guardian and the Economist, and now writes for The Week and various business magazines. He has recently completed a catalogue of the contents of the Society's Journals and Proceedings.
Source: SPR lecture programme page (http://www.spr.ac.uk/index.php3?page=lectures)

[JimTheBrit]

Tuesday 9th December
Dana Centre, 165 Queensgate, London - begins 7pm
'Naked Science - Out of This World' with Nick Pope, Chris French, Paul Devereux
(£5 for adults / £4 for concessions)
"If you saw a bright light darting across the sky what would you think? Was it a UFO, a figment of your imagination or a natural occurrence? Decide for yourself at this eye-opening event, featuring experts with very different explanations, footage of UFOs and electronic voting."
Source: Dana Centre events: 9/12/03 (http://www.danacentre.org.uk/eventpages/091203_Science_Museum.asp)

[JimTheBrit]

Skeptics in the Pub
Thursday 15th January
The Old Kings Head, London Bridge, London.
Skepticism and the Counter Culture, talk by Richard Sanderson
*£2 entry fee*
The counter-culture has long been a haven for the little-heard, the under-publicised, the outsider and the rebel. In this context, isn't it about time the counter-culture embraced skepticism and reason?
Source: Skeptics in the Pub web site (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html)

Society for Psychical Research
Thursday 12th February
Kensington Central Library, Campden Hill Road, London
The Actor, the Medium and the Message, lecture by John Samson
*Entrance fee charged, reduced for members*
Source: SPR events web page (http://www.spr.ac.uk/index.php3?page=lectures)

[JimTheBrit]

Strange Phenomena Investigations
Lecture Programme for 2004
(All lectures occur on a Saturday)
Held at the Sols Arms, 65-68 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PN
(Nearest tube is Warren Street).
Lectures begin at 3pm and finish at 6.30pm

February 28th - Survival Physics: Life after Death by Ron Pearson
March 27th - UFOs, Black Cats & All That Jazz by Nigel Wright & Robert Snow
April 24th - Ghosthunting From A Physics Perspective by Natalie Osbourne Thomason
May 24th - Many Happy Returns: Reincarnation Claims In The Lebanon by Professor Chris French
June 26th - The Crop Circle Mystery by Andy Thomas
July 31st - The Alien Autopsy by Philip Mantle
August 28th - Inside The Project by Nick Pope
September 25th - A Paranormal Journey Through Rendlesham Forest 1980-2003 by Brenda Butler
October 30th - Spirit Paranormal Photography by Jane McCarthy
November 27th - Wild Things They Don't Tell Us by Reg Presley
December 19th - UFOs: The Spiritual Dimension by Mark Bennett

SPI old (http://www.angelfire.com/space/spi/) web site, new (http://www.spinvestigations.co.uk/) web site

Source for all the above info: UFO magazine (http://www.ufomag.co.uk/) (which contains a short interview with Prof Chris French in the current issue, Jan '04)

[JimTheBrit]

British Association for the Advancement of Science
Monday 8th March, 5pm - 6pm
@ Crawfurd Theatre, Jordanhill Campus, University of Strathclyde
Why Science Education Matters, a lecture with Professor Wilson Sibbett, Chair, Scottish Science Advisory Committee and Professor John Coggins, University of Glasgow.
Source: BA What's On, 8th March (http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/page.asp?selectPage=118&eventID=551)

Skeptics in the Pub
Tuesday 9th March, begins 7.30pm
@ The Old Kings Head, London Bridge, London.
The state of the skeptical community in the US, by David Koepsell
*£2 donation to speaker*
Dr. Koepsell is the Executive Director of the Council for Secular Humanism. He earned his Law degree and and Doctorate in Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition to practicing law for eight years, he continues to be an adjunct Assistant Professor of Philosophy, specializing in Legal Philosophy, Ontology and Ethics. His dissertation, entitled The Ontology of Cyberspace: Law, Philosophy, and the Future of Intellectual Property, was published by Open Court in 2000. He continues to write and publish articles and books on law, philosophy, and ethics.
Source: Skeptics in the Pub web page (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html)

Goldsmiths College, University of London
Wednesday 10th March, 1pm - 2pm
@ Room 137a, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building, Goldsmiths College
Truth, lies and recovered memories, by Dr James Ost (University of Portsmouth)
Source: Invited speakers programme (http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/departments/psychology/speakers.html)

2004 Ig™ Nobel Tour of the UK and Ireland 11th - 22nd March
For venues and ticket information, click here: 2004 Ig™ Nobel Tour details (http://www.improbable.com/ig/2004/ig-tour-UK/2004-britain-ig.html)

Society for Psychical Research
Thursday 11th March, begins 6.35pm
@ Kensington Central Library, Campden Hill Road, London
Does the emotional system help ESP affect behaviour? by Dr. Richard Broughton
*Free for members, non-members £5, concessions available*
Dr. Broughton is Senior Research Fellow at University College Northampton and President of Intuition Laboratories, North Carolina, USA. Author of Parapsychology: The controversial science and numerous scientific publications, Dr. Broughton's current research is investigating the role of the emotional system in intuitive decision-making.
Source: SPR lecture programme (http://www.spr.ac.uk/index.php3?page=lectures)

National Science Week 12th - 21st March 2004
For events in your area, click here: NSW 2004 programme (http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/page.asp?selectPage=707)

BUFORA - British UFO Research Association
Saturday 13th March, 3pm - 6.30pm
@ Sols Arms pub, 65-68 Hampstead Road, Euston, London
A Journey of Discovery, by Steven Jones
*Members £5, non-members £7*
I have been interested in the phenomenon that is called UFOs for over 30 years. Up until September 2001, I was purely an observer, but that was until I attended the UFO Conference in Leeds where an incident occurred, which was to be the catalyst that began a journey that has changed my life ...
Source: BUFORA London meetings 2004 (http://www.bufora.org.uk/2003_meetings.htm)

UFORM - UFO Research Midlands
Tuesday 16th March, begins 8pm
@ The Page, 32 Market Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands
Lecture by Nick Pope
*Members £3, non-members £5 - admission by ticket only*
Nick Pope, acclaimed author and UFO investigator, joins us for what promises to be a fascinating evening. Nick works for the Ministry of Defence and worked for a period of time in Secretariat 2a (Air Staff) better known as the UFO desk. Nick rarely gives lectures and we feel extremely priviledged that he has agreed to come and talk to us.
Source: UFORM events web page (http://www.uform.org/events_diary.htm)

Strange Phenomena Investigations
Saturday 27th March, 3pm - 6.30pm
@ Sols Arms, 65-68 Hampstead Road, London
UFOs, big cats & all that jazz! by Nigel Wright & Robert Snow
*Members £5, non-members £7*
Source: SPI March meeting details (http://www.spiuk.net/meetings_lectures/details/Mar2004.htm)
Note that SPI's new web site address is actually http://www.spiuk.net/index.html
There have been a couple of changes to the lecture schedule. All updates can be found here (http://www.spiuk.net/meetings_lectures/meetings_lectures.htm).

[JimTheBrit]

A June event ...

Royal Society
Tuesday 15th June, begins 6pm
@Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG
The truth about science by Prof Peter Lipton
*Free, no tickets or advance bookings required*

"Evidence for a scientific theory is never conclusive. This raises three sorts of question. First, what then is the relationship between theory and data? Second, is science in the truth business, or should we understand its aims in some other way? Third, is the case for saying that science is revealing the truth about a largely unobservable reality made out by the striking predictive successes of some of our best theories? Or is it undermined by a long history of theories that succeeded for a time but which are now known to be fundamentally mistaken?

Peter Lipton is the Hans Rausing Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University and a Fellow of King's College. He is a philosopher interested in how science works and what it achieves. A new edition of his book "Inference to the Best Explanation" is out in 2004.

Source: Royal Society web site (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/) (click here (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/events/) for the events diary).

[JimTheBrit]

Bumped 'cos of the event listed above.

The International Survivalist Society (http://www.survivalafterdeath.org/news.htm) has many events listed on its main page.

Also,

The Royal Institution
Tuesday 29 June, 6pm - 7.30pm
@Ri Centre for the History of Science and Technology, Albemarle Street
London W1S 4BS
Victorian spirits: physical and psychical research by Dr Richard Noakes
*Free event*
"One of the most intriguing aspects of late Victorian British science is the involvement of many the country's leading physical scientists in psychical research. William Crookes, the Third Baron Rayleigh and Oliver Lodge were the most famous of many scientific savants who actively investigated telepathy, ectoplasm, materialised spirits and other exotic phenomena. This event explores the ways in which Victorian physical scientists tried to persuade specialist and general audiences that psychical research was scientific. It emphasises that prominent among their strategies was the argument that the physical investigations with which they were closely associated resembled psychical research. Physics not only had its delicate instruments, specialised experimental conditions and statistically based claims, but also novel interpretations of matter and energy that made the psychical phenomena more intelligible and a more tolerable borderland of physical enquiry."
Source: RI event details (http://www.rigb.org/rimain/calendar/detail.jsp?&id=68#)

[JimTheBrit]

Heck, this one nearly slipped under the radar ...

Cheltenham Festival of Science 2004, 9th - 13th June (http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk/frame_festindex.cfm?FEST=SCIENCE)

Events that may be of interest to skeptics:

Wednesday 9th June
1pm - 2pm
@Town Hall, Drawing Room
How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered The World by Francis Wheen
*£5 (£4 concessions)*
"From UFO scares to dotcom mania, the recent past has been characterised by irrational panics, moral confusion and an epidemic of mumbo–jumbo. Award–winning journalist Francis Wheen charts the extraordinary rise of superstition, emotional hysteria and bad science over the past 25 years."

7.15pm - 8.15pm
@Town Hall, The Arena
What is Perception? by Tom Troscianko
*£5 (£4 concessions)*
"What is perception? How do humans perceive? Psychologist Tom Troscianko introduces the theories and ideas surrounding perception. Exploring the relationship between the world around us and our neural systems, discover how perception affects our daily actions and why perception scientists are often found in the rainforests of Africa."

Friday 11th June
6.45pm - 7.45pm
@Town Hall, The Arena
UFO - Fact or Fiction?
*£6 (£5 concessions)*
"From ET to Roswell, for years UFOs have intrigued the press and public, but is there a world–wide conspiracy to stop us from finding out about flying saucers, or are the UFOlogists simply chasing myths? Join UFO sceptic and BBC News Online Science Editor David Whitehouse and Nick Pope, who ran the Ministry of Defence’s UFO project, to debate whether there is anybody out there."

And this sounds intriguing ...

Saturday 12th June
Performances at 11am, 1pm, 3.30pm, 5pm, 6.30pm, lasting 40 minutes
@Town Hall
Psi: Midspace - a live arts event exploring psychic phenomena
*Free event*
"Psychic phenomena exist in the threshold between the possible and the impossible, the accountable and the inexplicable. Join theatre company Biggerhouse to explore PSI and our perception of time, space and thought." (More info at www.biggerhouse.co.uk/psi)

[JimTheBrit]

I'm posting this again, just in case anyone missed the original announcement by Tom Morris:
South Place Ethical Society
Thursday 23rd September
@Conway Hall, London
75th Anniversary of the Opening of Conway Hall
*Free event*
Free Speech Panel: Richard Dawkins, Martin Rowson, Barbara Smoker, Polly Toynbee, Chairman Prof. Laurie Taylor.
Source:

Also on soon, '[url=http://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/productions/darwin_in_malibu.asp]Darwin in Malibu (]South Place Ethical Society home page[/url)', playing at the Hampstead theatre. Drop a note to the organiser of the '' event if you're interested in going to see it (email pub@skeptic.org.uk) or make yer voice heard at the next SitP meet. If there's enough of us, there's plans for minibus hire.

And it's almost that time of the year again ..... [url=http://www.unconvention2004.co.uk/]Fortean Times Unconvention 2004 (]Skeptics in the Pub[/url), London, 30-31 October. See you there?

[JimTheBrit]

7 October 2004 - 3 January 2005
@Hayward Gallery, London
Eyes, Lies and Illusions
*£9 admission fee, concessions available*
"Enter a world of optical wonders at the Hayward this autumn: a voyage of discovery through light and shadows. Strange effects and weird devices combine for a head-spinning experience.
See huge shadows appear, and images from magic lanterns, showing an eerie array of apparitions from ghouls to drumming skeletons. See more of yourself in ‘Witch’ mirrors that multiply your reflection, enter a camera obscura and marvel at the illusion of the world turned upside down, and come and play in the famous ‘Ames Room’ where perceptions are distorted creating an astonishing shrinking and enlarging illusion. Be tricked by the many visual puzzles and wonder at the devices that captured movement hundreds of years before the invention of film."
Source: Introduction to exhibition (http://www.hayward.org.uk/exhibitions/illusion/index.html), Hayward Gallery web site.
Talks and events (http://www.hayward.org.uk/pp/index.html) during the exhibition (Tuesday 30th November looks interesting)
A recent article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1312281,00.html) about the exhibtion, courtesy of the Guardian newspaper.

Edited to add: This seems as good a place as any to link to a couple of clips of Jerry Andrus demonstrating his illusions (http://www.campusfreethought.org/avlib.htm).

[JimTheBrit]

Association for Skeptical Enquiry events list (http://www.aske.clara.net/EventsList.htm)

[JimTheBrit]

Originally posted by JimTheBrit
Association for Skeptical Enquiry events list (http://www.aske.clara.net/EventsList.htm) The events list will be updated with lectures and presentations for May and June in the very near future but, in the meantime, the deadline for registration for the 'Developing Perspectives on Anomalous Experience Conference 2005 (http://www.hope.ac.uk/anomalousexperience/)' is fast approaching. If you're interested in attending, pay yer monies by Friday 6th May.

[JimTheBrit]

Bumped for any new forum members/lurkers in the UK. The ASKE events list can be found here (http://www.aske-skeptics.org.uk/EventsList.htm) and other events are listed on the Skeptic magazine news page (http://ukskeptic.livejournal.com/)

[JimTheBrit]

Worth a special mention methinks ...

Thursday 21st September 2006
@The Old Kings Head Pub, London Bridge, London
Skeptics in the pub monthly lecture
James Byrne (ex-Psychic) presents 'Why I'm so against Psychics'
"I became a spiritualist back in the late 1970s through a chance meeting with a lady medium. She told me some details that, at that time, I thought were amazing. Now I could explain them away easily.
I pursued a career as a medium. The highlights of that career were my own show at the London Palladium and the publication in 1993 of my book “The Psychic World of James Byrne”, which sold well in the UK and New Zealand. I’ve hosted my own psychic phone in shows for two radio stations.
I now know for years I was deluding myself. I now work as a freelance writer and I am the UK’s number one critic of all psychics.
My talk is based on the fact that so many charlatans exist and the psychic industry has become a multi million pound industry and it is based on a complete sham which is not regulated.
I will explain how I, having worked as a psychic for thirty years at the highest level, now believe it is not only morally wrong but what psychics do you can train anyone to do in a matter of days and earn at least £400 per week with ease.
I will explain the tricks that most psychics successfully use. I will go into TV studios and speak against the subject in the future. I will also speak about what happened to make me realise I was deluding myself."

Full details and other interesting lectures that almost make me wish I was a Londoner, here (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html)

[tkingdoll]

I am the UK’s number one critic of all psychics.


I really hope he brings some evidence for that particular claim.

[CriticalThanking]

I am mucusy jealous of all the events you Brits have. What? Ohh! Sorry - "bloody!"

CT

[sadluxation]

I really hope he brings some evidence for that particular claim.

What you gonna do?
Bust a cap in his ass if he doesn't?

[tkingdoll]

What you gonna do?
Bust a cap in his ass if he doesn't?

Isn't that what I always do?

[sadluxation]

Argh! My ass[arse]!

[sadluxation]

Just a quick not to anyone who has not been to Skeptics in the Pub before;
Lyn Davidson, who will be talking to us about Bad
History - how novel writers and others use history to sell their own (not
entirely accurate) versions of reality.

You can read a taster here:
http://www.skepchick.org/6.15.06/badhistory.html.

More information can be found on our web page
http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub

TTFN

[sadluxation]

Just in... Steve Fuller from Warwick University at SitP. He defended the teaching of ID in Penn. as an expert witness

An expert witness for the defence
Steve Fuller will describe his experiences at the Pennsylvania trial on intelligent design vs. evolution, where he was an expert witness for the Creationist school board.

More info here (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html)

[tkingdoll]

Just in... Steve Fuller from Warwick University at SitP. He defended the teaching of ID in Penn. as an expert witness

An expert witness for the defence
Steve Fuller will describe his experiences at the Pennsylvania trial on intelligent design vs. evolution, where he was an expert witness for the Creationist school board.

More info here (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html)




Should be a hot one! I was gutted to miss Lyn's talk last week, hopefully we'll make it for the next event though.

And of course the Big Becca Bash on Saturday is looming!

[sadluxation]

A message from Nick Pullar from Skeptics in the Pub

Hi All

Skeptics in the Pub is being held on the fourth Thursday this month, so it will be on the 24th of August.

Our guest then is Martin Poulter, who does research into cults, particularly Scientology.

One of Martin's claims to fame is that he is a recipient of a "Death Stare" from a Scientologist - what is even more amazing is that Martin lived to tell the tale!
More details can be found at the Skeptics in the Pub webpage at
http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub.

I'm looking forward to seeing you for what will undoubtably prove an excellent evening!

All the best

Nick Pullar

Skeptics in the Pub meets at the Old Kings Head pub, just off Borough High Street, in Borough, London.

The closest Tube station is London Bridge (use the Borough High Street exit).

The meeting kicks off officially at 1930, but you are welcome to join
us earlier for a buffet of pub finger food at around 1900.

A £2.00 donation is requested.

READ A REVIEW OF LAST MONTHS SITP:
Steve Fuller at 'Skeptics In The Pub' (http://www.lablit.com/article/139/)

[sadluxation]

A message from Prof. French. Hope to see you there...
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Dear All,

I'm writing to let you know that we have arranged an Anomalistic
Psychology Research Unit (http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/) Invited Speaker Series for 2006/07. We've got some
great speakers and fascinating topics. Talks are open to anyone to
attend. Full details will follow but for now, here is a list of dates plus
speakers:

***Special first night presentation to include introduction to the APRU by Chris French (http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/departments/psychology/staff/french.html),
entertainment from top mentalist Philip Escoffey (http://www.thegreyman.com/), and free drinks and nibbles***

10 October - Richard Wiseman (http://www.psy.herts.ac.uk/wiseman/index.html)
24 October - Caroline Watt (http://www.parapsych.org/members/c_watt.html)
21 November - Rupert Sheldrake (http://www.sheldrake.org/homepage.html)
5 December - James Ost (http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/psychology/staff/title,50495,en.html)
16 January - Irving Kirsch (http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/dynamic.asp?page=staffdetails&id=ikirsch&size=l)
30 January - Peter Naish (http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/staff/pnaish/info.html)
20 February - Jason Braithwaite (http://147.188.20.138/fmi/xsl/staff/wp.xsl?-db=staff&-lay=Main&-recid=908&-find=)
6 March - Ornella Corazza

You might also be interested in attending Skeptics in the Pub between
now and Christmas (full details at http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/index.html ).
Speakers and dates are as follows:

28 Sept: Chris French
26 Oct: Richard Wiseman
16 Nov: Jon Ronson (http://www.jonronson.com/)

Cheers,

Chris
----------------------------------------

[sadluxation]

Date: Thursday 15th July 2007
Guest: Louis Constandinos
Topic: Clarion: A call to rational arms

For directions, more info and times follow the link below
www.skeptic.org.uk/pub (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub)

[sadluxation]

London Skeptics in the Pub
Thursday 15th March 2007
Jean La Fontaine
Hidden Enemies - Satanic Worship scrutinised

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Britain experienced a widely-publicised panic about what was called satanic abuse. This term referred to the belief that groups of satan-worshippers were sexually abusing children in rituals that included human sacrifice, cannibalism, incest and other extreme and orgiastic behaviour. The lecture will consider the origins of the scare, the implications of the way it was promoted and then try to draw some generalised lessons from it. In particular it will argue that such scares are encouraged by an intellectual climate where belief and experience count for more than evidence and reasoning.

Source (http://www.skeptic.org.uk/pub/)

[tkingdoll]

Dammit! I want to go to that but it's my birthday.

[BillC]

Dammit! I want to go to that but it's my birthday.We'll sacrifice a couple of children for you.

[sadluxation]

Tuesday 6 March :
Dr Ornella Corazza
"Experiencing near-death states through the use of chemicals"
As usual, the talk will take place at 4:10 pm in Room 309,
Richard Hoggart Building,
Goldsmiths,
University of London,
New Cross,
London SE14 6NW
(see Goldsmiths
web site for details of how to get here). All talks are open to staff,
students and members of the public (free of charge). For further
information contact Mark Williams (email: mark.williams|at|gold.ac.uk) or visit
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/speakers.php

Thursday 8 March:
Will Storr
"One man's search for the truth about ghosts"
Society for Psychical Research. Full details at
http://www.spr.ac.uk/index.php3?page=lectures

9-11 March: Those of you with a particular interest in birth and death
might like to consider attending the Winchester Art and Mind Festival
next weekend. The programme includes much of interest including two
presentations on near-death experiences (one from Mark Fox, one from Chris French)
and Bruce Hood speaking on "Human essence and the supernatural sense".
For further details, visit http://www.artandmind.org/pages/Events.htm

[sadluxation]

Medicine Balls…. is new Radio 4 comedy hosted by Dr Phil Hammond, in which we guarantee to answer all your health questions; like “Do homeopaths accept homeopathic payment?” and “Would the NHS improve if we put Duct tape over Patricia Hewitt’s mouth?”
The guests are comedian, writer and NHS survivor Arthur Smith, junior doctor and award winning author of the Guardian’s Bad Science column Ben Goldacre and the world’s second sexiest ginger GP cum media doctor Sarah Jarvis.
Music is by Dr Adam Kay.
The recording is at the Drill Hall in London on March 20th and tickets are free on 0870 9011227
Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/shows/medicine_balls.shtml)