A Great Idea for TAM8, That I Wish I Thought Of: A Brain War!

Wowbagger · 16th July 2009, 09:43 AM

A Brain War!

Seriously, it's a great idea! A terrifically phenomenal proposal, that will emphasize some of the most precious values of JREF and skepticism, in general. We can generate a new form of appreciation for the minds and brains of conference attendees! Alas, I was not smart enough to come up with this idea, on my own. What is wrong with me?!!!

TAM has a very high concentration of very smart people. Most of whom probably have strong-enough self motivation to not mind losing amongst such tough competition.

The war can consist of trivia questions, puzzle solving, "Miss America"-type policy questions (more about that later), and possibly even debates.

The "Miss America"-type policy questions will resemble that portion of the show, where a question is pulled from a fish bowl, and the contestant has to answer it. Generic versions of the questions would be like "How would you improve education?" Or "What can we do to achieve world peace?". However, we can try to make them more interesting, for our contest.
These would be judged by a panel, since there might not be any specific "right or wrong" answers.

I am not sure how the debates would work, but I think it would be interesting to see if we can, somehow test the contestant's debating skills.

Paperskater can M.C. She came up with it, and she looks great on stage, and she probably has no chance of winning.

What does everyone think?

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 12:31 PM

I think a trivia night would be the most popular and easiest to pull off. No judges required. Simple format. 10 rounds of 10 questions each. You could easily get 100+ people to play.

kmortis · 16th July 2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

I think a trivia night would be the most popular and easiest to pull off. No judges required. Simple format. 10 rounds of 10 questions each. You could easily get 100+ people to play.

You kidding? With the crowd from TAM? You'd have to limit it to 100 people.

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by kmortis

You kidding? With the crowd from TAM? You'd have to limit it to 100 people.

Actually, there would be no limit. But I'm thinking of how many people who go to TAM without knowing anyone else. They would not necessarily want to sign up for something where they are tossed into a table of 7 other folks for 3 hours.

Even if we got 20 tables, that is 160 people. That would be a good goal.

BillC · 16th July 2009, 12:54 PM

Do at it lunchtime. Leave a question pack on each table, to be filled in and handed in over lunch.

Wowbagger · 16th July 2009, 12:56 PM

I agree that the trivia game would be the easiest to organize. But, it would also be the most boring to spectate. Perhaps we will start with the trivia, and allow the games to grow from there, every year.

I see this as something ultimately akin to the Olympics: You don't see the same athletes competing in every single game. You have athletes specializing in specific games.

Adding some competitions other than trivia, might make for a more interesting activity.

Ramboelmo · 16th July 2009, 12:56 PM

I think this is a great Idea. Trivia is fun and bragging rights at TAM are always nice to carry around.

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

I agree that the trivia game would be the easiest to organize. But, it would also be the most boring to spectate.

Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar!

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by BillC

Do at it lunchtime. Leave a question pack on each table, to be filled in and handed in over lunch.

A trivia night would be somewhat more fun, since you could organize your own team. Plus it would be a fundraiser.

However, you have a very good idea! It would raise no money, but perhaps a prize could be given for the winning table at each lunch session. 8 to a table, maybe give away 8 t-shirts or something. Or even 8 free beers.

Horatius · 16th July 2009, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar!

Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar?

boloboffin · 16th July 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Horatius

Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar?

Already you're 500 points ahead in the Brain War.

RSLancastr · 16th July 2009, 01:32 PM

My idea for TAM8: Nobby
Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race.

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Horatius

Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar?

Not enough room and too many distractions.

dahduh · 16th July 2009, 01:54 PM

If you want to be truly objective you should carefully weigh each contenstant's brain, divide by their body mass, and the one with the highest score wins.

MLynn · 16th July 2009, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar!

Hey Scrut, some of us (well, me) are not brainiacs and would love to be a spectator - you know, gain knowledge by osmosis.

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by MLynn

Hey Scrut, some of us (well, me) are not brainiacs and would love to be a spectator - you know, gain knowledge by osmosis.

It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry!

kmortis · 16th July 2009, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by RSLancastr

My idea for TAM8: Nobby
Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race.

MY money's on Randi.

LostAngeles · 16th July 2009, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by RSLancastr

My idea for TAM8: Nobby
Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race.

If and only if I get to be the flag girl.

Wowbagger · 16th July 2009, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry!

What if we turned it into a game show type of thing?

The Central Scrutinizer · 16th July 2009, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

What if we turned it into a game show type of thing?

You've never been to a trivia night, have you?

paperskater · 16th July 2009, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

You've never been to a trivia night, have you?

Neither have I. Actually, how does a trivia night work?

rjh01 · 16th July 2009, 09:24 PM

If you want a quiz show with a difference here is one.
1. Every table invents questions and answers. Maybe as homework
2. Each table asks one question in turn.
3. Every table then makes their own attempt to answer each others questions.
4. The answers are judged both by the table that asks the question and the audience.

The questions can either be trivial, general knowledge or unanswerable.

Chris H · 16th July 2009, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by RSLancastr

My idea for TAM8: Nobby
Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race.

I'm running the book for this. If anyone wants to lay down some money, PM me. I'll be using numerology to calculate the odds.

Cheers,

Chris

Wowbagger · 16th July 2009, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by rjh01

If you want a quiz show with a difference here is one.
1. Every table invents questions and answers. Maybe as homework
2. Each table asks one question in turn.
3. Every table then makes their own attempt to answer each others questions.
4. The answers are judged both by the table that asks the question and the audience.

The questions can either be trivial, general knowledge or unanswerable.

I was once on a tour bus that did something like this, on a particularly long stretch of driving.

I was accused of being too... creative... with my question suggestions.

But, other than that, it was fun!

gerdbonk · 16th July 2009, 11:55 PM

"Are You Smarter Than a Skeptic?"

The Central Scrutinizer · 17th July 2009, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by paperskater

Neither have I. Actually, how does a trivia night work?

Basically you get tables of 8 people, and the MC asks questions, divided into 10 rounds of 10 questions each. At the end of each round, your table turns in their answers and they are graded during the following round. The running scores are then posted somewhere in the room. Sometime other games are thrown in to raise additional money, like "dead or alive", where you pay a dollar to play and then have to guess whether the person announced is dead or alive. There is also usually a 50/50 drawing at the end of the night.

They are great fundraisers.

saganite · 17th July 2009, 10:17 AM

Organized bowling, I just cannot get excited about.

Trivia night? Hells yes. I am there.

paperskater · 18th July 2009, 07:00 PM

Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community.

gerdbonk · 18th July 2009, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by paperskater

Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community.

Wow. I think she really misses the mark. She doesn't want the skeptic movement to turn into the competitive, bigger-brain-wins club she describes Mensa as being.

Well, Mensa is elitist and exclusive and attracts competitive thinkers. I've never joined because I'd rather meet people who share my interests, not my test score.

The skeptic movement, on the other hand, is not elitist. There is no entrance exam. It is inclusive. We have physicists and truck drivers. PhD's and GEDs. You don't have to prove yourself, just come and learn how you might better evaluate the information the world throws at you.

She doesn't mention the poker tournament, bowling or Skepchick party. I guess she only fears fun group activities where contestants are required to use their brains. Like the evil Mensa!!

I don't see how having fun (or dressing "inappropriately"--Drescher's other bizarre complaint) detracts in any way from the core mission of skepticism.

And, jeez, her first reply to critical comments is to blame her readers for misunderstanding her. She deigns to teach skepticism to skeptics. Like she's engaged in some sort of, oh, I don't know, brain war?

Wowbagger · 18th July 2009, 08:26 PM

From Barbara Drescher's blog,
http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...e-and-what-it/:

Quote:

Unfortunately, though, what they are proposing is exactly the kind of thing which dominates Mensa meetings, like the Annual Gathering and Mind Games®. While it may sound like fun, the culture which develops from it is competitive, arrogant, and void of substance. Skeptic organizations were formed to promote critical thinking, not to brag about it. We should not be crowning each other “the smartest skeptic” or “the skeptic with the most useless knowledge”.

You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right?

Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine.

Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa.

Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively.

The slope is not that slippery.

The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration.

(* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges)

Quote:

We should be forming bonds which empower us to be philanthropic and educational.

We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely.

Quote:

We should be activists for change in the world outside our circle, not playing king-of-the-hill within it.

And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others.

prewitt81 · 18th July 2009, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

From Barbara Drescher's blog,
http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...-and-what-it/:

You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right?

Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine.

Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa.

Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively.

The slope is not that slippery.

The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration.

(* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges)

We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely.

And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others.

Yep

The Central Scrutinizer · 18th July 2009, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by paperskater

Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community.

Ummm...yeah. I thought that was a rather odd article.

Eos of the Eons · 19th July 2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

From Barbara Drescher's blog,
http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...e-and-what-it/:

You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right?

Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine.

Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa.

Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively.

The slope is not that slippery.

The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration.

(* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges)

We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely.

And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others.

I think she needs to get a sense of humour. People speak from their experiences, and Bill Prady in particular did. I also agreed with Bill that Penny was intelligent, though typical. Most women ARE liker HER. He speaks as the man he is from the experiences he knows. I LOVE his show. He has promised some new characters, and to feature a skeptical trip to a pharmacy. I can't wait.

As for how some women dressed at the conference, particulary young ones, she has no right to judge. Not all women or men will dress to the blogger's apparent standards. I appreciated the diversity, and know that not all skeptics are fuddy duddies in suits.

A fun trivia contest will not cause her slippery slope strawman argument. There was the talent show this year. I have no talent or time to put one together, but a trivia contest would allow more people to participate.

I would love to put diverse groups together with different particular areas of interests. There could be the biology person, math person, physics person, popular culture expert (not necessarily from those backgrounds, even a layperson with those interests could answer those types of questions). Different groups, but with people who identify with a particular area of interest to answer those particular questions.

If we'd like to organize that here, then great! I love life sciences, but would bomb on physics or math. We could have how many people per group depending on who all is interested?

Hokulele · 19th July 2009, 01:12 PM

I don't see how the blogger goes from a team event to "crowning the smartest skeptic".

Eos of the Eons · 19th July 2009, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by Hokulele

I don't see how the blogger goes from a team event to "crowning the smartest skeptic".

Exactly. It would also be part luck (getting questions the group knows and gets right) and part "brains" (personal experiences or education that allows people to draw from to get the answers right).

Mully410 · 19th July 2009, 01:31 PM

Ya! Brain wars.

Wowbagger · 19th July 2009, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by Eos of the Eons

People speak from their experiences, and Bill Prady in particular did. I also agreed with Bill that Penny was intelligent, though typical. Most women ARE liker HER. He speaks as the man he is from the experiences he knows.

Well, to be bluntly honest: As good as Prady was, his presence was rather... pointless. You didn't get much out of his presentation, except a few laughs.

Originally Posted by Eos of the Eons

As for how some women dressed at the conference, particulary young ones, she has no right to judge.

I don't even know how this was even remotely close to being a problem. Was there anyone wearing anything significantly less than what one would typically find in the summer in the United States, these days?!

Originally Posted by Eos of the Eons

I have no talent

Well... that still puts you ahead of some of the acts.

Originally Posted by Mully410

Ya! Brain wars.

Wooooo-hoooo!!!!

Hydrogen Cyanide · 19th July 2009, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

...
Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa.

...snippity snip...
The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration.

(* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges)

We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely.

And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others.

Actually, the Brain War is something I would rather participate in rather than bowling (where I tend to be much more amusing than I would be at talent show), poker (I hate playing cards) and party (I thought about it, but it looks like it starts after my bedtime!).

I see the Brain War as a fun team event.

I think that some of the questions should not be just fact based, but perhaps critical thinking based. Like the "find the logical fallacy" bit that is sometimes on the Skeptical Guide to the Universe, and even steal their "Science or Fiction" bit.

tkingdoll · 19th July 2009, 05:42 PM

I think a quiz is a great idea. The talent show was excellent, and general knowledge is no different to any other sort of talent, so bring it on, I say. If it was properly organised, I'd absolutely do a quiz. I wonder if I could persuade my fellow Skepchicks to form a team?

Wowbagger · 19th July 2009, 07:27 PM

We could also have a no-holds-barred, winner-takes-all Brian War!

We take everyone at the conference named Brian, and shove them into a pit. The last one alive gets to emerge from it, as Victor.

That is: He gets to change his name to Victor, so he won't have to get shoved into any more Brian wars.

What does everyone else think?

16th July 2009, 09:43 AM	#1
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester County, NY (when not in space) Posts: 7,725	A Great Idea for TAM8, That I Wish I Thought Of: A Brain War! A Brain War! Seriously, it's a great idea! A terrifically phenomenal proposal, that will emphasize some of the most precious values of JREF and skepticism, in general. We can generate a new form of appreciation for the minds and brains of conference attendees! Alas, I was not smart enough to come up with this idea, on my own. What is wrong with me?!!! TAM has a very high concentration of very smart people. Most of whom probably have strong-enough self motivation to not mind losing amongst such tough competition. The war can consist of trivia questions, puzzle solving, "Miss America"-type policy questions (more about that later), and possibly even debates. The "Miss America"-type policy questions will resemble that portion of the show, where a question is pulled from a fish bowl, and the contestant has to answer it. Generic versions of the questions would be like "How would you improve education?" Or "What can we do to achieve world peace?". However, we can try to make them more interesting, for our contest. These would be judged by a panel, since there might not be any specific "right or wrong" answers. I am not sure how the debates would work, but I think it would be interesting to see if we can, somehow test the contestant's debating skills. Paperskater can M.C. She came up with it, and she looks great on stage, and she probably has no chance of winning. What does everyone think?
	__________________ WARNING: Phrases in this post may sound meaner than they were intended to be. SkeptiCamp NYC 2009: http://www.skepticampnyc.org/ Photos and Stuff Now Available A conference on science and skepticism where *you* could be a presenter!

16th July 2009, 12:31 PM	#2
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	I think a trivia night would be the most popular and easiest to pull off. No judges required. Simple format. 10 rounds of 10 questions each. You could easily get 100+ people to play.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 12:33 PM	#3
kmortis Biomechanoid - Chief IDIOT Tagger Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Texas Posts: 13,868	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer I think a trivia night would be the most popular and easiest to pull off. No judges required. Simple format. 10 rounds of 10 questions each. You could easily get 100+ people to play. You kidding? With the crowd from TAM? You'd have to limit it to 100 people.
	__________________ -I never liked the sound of his liver. What, with all the wheezing and banging going on. -WTF is D.I.P.S.? -Chief Independent Determining Inquisitor Of Tomfoolery

16th July 2009, 12:35 PM	#4
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by kmortis You kidding? With the crowd from TAM? You'd have to limit it to 100 people. Actually, there would be no limit. But I'm thinking of how many people who go to TAM without knowing anyone else. They would not necessarily want to sign up for something where they are tossed into a table of 7 other folks for 3 hours. Even if we got 20 tables, that is 160 people. That would be a good goal.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 12:54 PM	#5
BillC Bazooka Joe Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,794	Do at it lunchtime. Leave a question pack on each table, to be filled in and handed in over lunch.
BillC Bazooka Joe Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,794	__________________ "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams "If homeopathy works, then obviously the less you use it, the stronger it gets. So the best way to apply homeopathy is to not use it at all." - Phil Plait Do you want to know about Sylvia Browne?

16th July 2009, 12:56 PM	#6
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester County, NY (when not in space) Posts: 7,725	I agree that the trivia game would be the easiest to organize. But, it would also be the most boring to spectate. Perhaps we will start with the trivia, and allow the games to grow from there, every year. I see this as something ultimately akin to the Olympics: You don't see the same athletes competing in every single game. You have athletes specializing in specific games. Adding some competitions other than trivia, might make for a more interesting activity.
	__________________ WARNING: Phrases in this post may sound meaner than they were intended to be. SkeptiCamp NYC 2009: http://www.skepticampnyc.org/ Photos and Stuff Now Available A conference on science and skepticism where *you* could be a presenter! Last edited by Wowbagger; 16th July 2009 at 12:57 PM.

16th July 2009, 12:56 PM	#7
Ramboelmo Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Aspen, CO Posts: 59	I think this is a great Idea. Trivia is fun and bragging rights at TAM are always nice to carry around.
	__________________ -- Rich Ludwig The Skeptical Cowboy

16th July 2009, 01:16 PM	#8
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by Wowbagger I agree that the trivia game would be the easiest to organize. But, it would also be the most boring to spectate. Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar!
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 01:18 PM	#9
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by BillC Do at it lunchtime. Leave a question pack on each table, to be filled in and handed in over lunch. A trivia night would be somewhat more fun, since you could organize your own team. Plus it would be a fundraiser. However, you have a very good idea! It would raise no money, but perhaps a prize could be given for the winning table at each lunch session. 8 to a table, maybe give away 8 t-shirts or something. Or even 8 free beers.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 01:23 PM	#10
Horatius NWO Kitty Wrangler Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada Posts: 12,281	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar! Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar?
	__________________ ``Horatius,'' quoth the Consul,``As thou sayest, so let it be.'' And straight against that great array Forth went the dauntless Three. For Romans in Rome's quarrel Spared neither land nor gold, Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life, In the brave days of old.(1) GENERATION 8: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.

16th July 2009, 01:27 PM	#11
boloboffin Guest Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 5,005	Originally Posted by Horatius Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar? Already you're 500 points ahead in the Brain War.

16th July 2009, 01:32 PM	#12
RSLancastr Philosopher www.StopSylvia.com Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Los Angeles Area Posts: 8,572	My idea for TAM8: Nobby Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race.
	__________________ Who is "Kaz?" Read about her at www.StopKaz.com. Curious about Sylvia Browne? Read about her at www.StopSylvia.com. Ever wonder "What's the Harm?" with psychics, alternative medicine, etc?

16th July 2009, 01:47 PM	#13
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by Horatius Is there some pressing reason why we couldn't hold it in the bar? Not enough room and too many distractions.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 01:54 PM	#14
dahduh Critical Thinker Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cape Town Posts: 329	If you want to be truly objective you should carefully weigh each contenstant's brain, divide by their body mass, and the one with the highest score wins.

16th July 2009, 04:20 PM	#15
MLynn Whippet of Peace Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,283	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer Why would anyone want to spectate? Either participate or go to the bar! Hey Scrut, some of us (well, me) are not brainiacs and would love to be a spectator - you know, gain knowledge by osmosis.
	__________________ Mik - Obey the Whippet Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal MLynn, I've said it before: You're so nice, you couldn't get a rapper to call you a ho. - maddog

16th July 2009, 04:21 PM	#16
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by MLynn Hey Scrut, some of us (well, me) are not brainiacs and would love to be a spectator - you know, gain knowledge by osmosis. It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry!
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 04:43 PM	#17
kmortis Biomechanoid - Chief IDIOT Tagger Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Texas Posts: 13,868	Originally Posted by RSLancastr My idea for TAM8: Nobby Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race. MY money's on Randi.
	__________________ -I never liked the sound of his liver. What, with all the wheezing and banging going on. -WTF is D.I.P.S.? -Chief Independent Determining Inquisitor Of Tomfoolery

16th July 2009, 05:47 PM	#18
LostAngeles Anti-WM Jihadist Join Date: May 2004 Location: Having a cup of tea. Posts: 10,025	Originally Posted by RSLancastr My idea for TAM8: Nobby Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race. If and only if I get to be the flag girl.
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16th July 2009, 06:33 PM	#19
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester County, NY (when not in space) Posts: 7,725	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry! What if we turned it into a game show type of thing?
	__________________ WARNING: Phrases in this post may sound meaner than they were intended to be. SkeptiCamp NYC 2009: http://www.skepticampnyc.org/ Photos and Stuff Now Available A conference on science and skepticism where *you* could be a presenter!

16th July 2009, 09:04 PM	#20
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by Wowbagger What if we turned it into a game show type of thing? You've never been to a trivia night, have you?
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

16th July 2009, 09:16 PM	#21
paperskater Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Colorado! Posts: 1,515	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer You've never been to a trivia night, have you? Neither have I. Actually, how does a trivia night work?
	__________________ Susie Facebook (Please let me know who you are!) - Twitter --- Makes Me Think "I think most of us would be horrified to meet ourselves and discover what everyone else already knows about us." - Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes

16th July 2009, 09:24 PM	#22
rjh01 Fire Warden Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 9,810	If you want a quiz show with a difference here is one. 1. Every table invents questions and answers. Maybe as homework 2. Each table asks one question in turn. 3. Every table then makes their own attempt to answer each others questions. 4. The answers are judged both by the table that asks the question and the audience. The questions can either be trivial, general knowledge or unanswerable.

16th July 2009, 11:06 PM	#23
Chris H Magician Among Spirits Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 416	Originally Posted by RSLancastr My idea for TAM8: Nobby Nobbs, Randi and Yours Truly in a wheelchair race. I'm running the book for this. If anyone wants to lay down some money, PM me. I'll be using numerology to calculate the odds. Cheers, Chris
	__________________ THE DAY ZERO PROJECT - http://tophersdayzeroproject.blogspot.com/ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it. -- George Bernard Shaw There's this thing called being so open-minded your brains drop out. -- Richard Dawkins

16th July 2009, 11:38 PM	#24
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester County, NY (when not in space) Posts: 7,725	Originally Posted by rjh01 If you want a quiz show with a difference here is one. 1. Every table invents questions and answers. Maybe as homework 2. Each table asks one question in turn. 3. Every table then makes their own attempt to answer each others questions. 4. The answers are judged both by the table that asks the question and the audience. The questions can either be trivial, general knowledge or unanswerable. I was once on a tour bus that did something like this, on a particularly long stretch of driving. I was accused of being too... creative... with my question suggestions. But, other than that, it was fun!
	__________________ WARNING: Phrases in this post may sound meaner than they were intended to be. SkeptiCamp NYC 2009: http://www.skepticampnyc.org/ Photos and Stuff Now Available A conference on science and skepticism where *you* could be a presenter!

16th July 2009, 11:55 PM	#25
gerdbonk Master Poster Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Unburnt L.A. Posts: 2,294	"Are You Smarter Than a Skeptic?"
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17th July 2009, 08:59 AM	#26
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by paperskater Neither have I. Actually, how does a trivia night work? Basically you get tables of 8 people, and the MC asks questions, divided into 10 rounds of 10 questions each. At the end of each round, your table turns in their answers and they are graded during the following round. The running scores are then posted somewhere in the room. Sometime other games are thrown in to raise additional money, like "dead or alive", where you pay a dollar to play and then have to guess whether the person announced is dead or alive. There is also usually a 50/50 drawing at the end of the night. They are great fundraisers.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

17th July 2009, 10:17 AM	#27
saganite Black-and-white Cat-foot Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,621	Organized bowling, I just cannot get excited about. Trivia night? Hells yes. I am there.
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18th July 2009, 07:00 PM	#28
paperskater Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Colorado! Posts: 1,515	Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community.
	__________________ Susie Facebook (Please let me know who you are!) - Twitter --- Makes Me Think "I think most of us would be horrified to meet ourselves and discover what everyone else already knows about us." - Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes

18th July 2009, 08:07 PM	#29
gerdbonk Master Poster Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Unburnt L.A. Posts: 2,294	Originally Posted by paperskater Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community. Wow. I think she really misses the mark. She doesn't want the skeptic movement to turn into the competitive, bigger-brain-wins club she describes Mensa as being. Well, Mensa is elitist and exclusive and attracts competitive thinkers. I've never joined because I'd rather meet people who share my interests, not my test score. The skeptic movement, on the other hand, is not elitist. There is no entrance exam. It is inclusive. We have physicists and truck drivers. PhD's and GEDs. You don't have to prove yourself, just come and learn how you might better evaluate the information the world throws at you. She doesn't mention the poker tournament, bowling or Skepchick party. I guess she only fears fun group activities where contestants are required to use their brains. Like the evil Mensa!! I don't see how having fun (or dressing "inappropriately"--Drescher's other bizarre complaint) detracts in any way from the core mission of skepticism. And, jeez, her first reply to critical comments is to blame her readers for misunderstanding her. She deigns to teach skepticism to skeptics. Like she's engaged in some sort of, oh, I don't know, brain war?
	__________________ My ancient and apparently abandoned comic strip blog is Unbolded

18th July 2009, 08:26 PM	#30
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester County, NY (when not in space) Posts: 7,725	From Barbara Drescher's blog, http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...e-and-what-it/: Quote: Unfortunately, though, what they are proposing is exactly the kind of thing which dominates Mensa meetings, like the Annual Gathering and Mind Games®. While it may sound like fun, the culture which develops from it is competitive, arrogant, and void of substance. Skeptic organizations were formed to promote critical thinking, not to brag about it. We should not be crowning each other “the smartest skeptic” or “the skeptic with the most useless knowledge”. You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right? Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine. Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa. Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively. The slope is not that slippery. The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration. (* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges) Quote: We should be forming bonds which empower us to be philanthropic and educational. We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely. Quote: We should be activists for change in the world outside our circle, not playing king-of-the-hill within it. And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others.
	__________________ WARNING: Phrases in this post may sound meaner than they were intended to be. SkeptiCamp NYC 2009: http://www.skepticampnyc.org/ Photos and Stuff Now Available A conference on science and skepticism where *you* could be a presenter! Last edited by Wowbagger; 18th July 2009 at 08:42 PM.

18th July 2009, 08:39 PM	#31
prewitt81 Notoriously Glorious Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,203	Originally Posted by Wowbagger From Barbara Drescher's blog, http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...-and-what-it/: You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right? Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine. Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa. Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively. The slope is not that slippery. The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration. (* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges) We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely. And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others. Yep
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18th July 2009, 09:43 PM	#32
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 21,719	Originally Posted by paperskater Barbara Drescher thinks that this idea may be potentially harmful to the skeptical community. Ummm...yeah. I thought that was a rather odd article.
	__________________ "I got to play with (Michael Goudeau's balls) briefly, and they are primo quality. Heavy, soft, and pliant." - Jeff Wagg "You are always so helpful, rational, and polite." - SaulOhio http://www.stopsylvia.com

19th July 2009, 01:11 PM	#33
Eos of the Eons Mad Scientist Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Alberta Posts: 13,253	Originally Posted by Wowbagger From Barbara Drescher's blog, http://icbseverywhere.com/blog/2009/...e-and-what-it/: You are aware that this activity would only be one event, among many, at The Amazing Meeting, right? Having a talent show contest hardly turned the entire conference into one long song-and-dance routine. Forum members also set up a bowling tournament, a poker tournament, and a party in a villa. Granted, those last three were not official JREF events. But, their occurrence hardly threatened to turn the entire conference into one massive strong-man competition, nor a back-room speakeasy, nor some clothing-optional fraternity rave, respectively. The slope is not that slippery. The attendees of TAM are among the smartest, most knowledgeable crowds of folks I have ever known. If we can come up with fun* ways to pit these great brains against each other, I think there are many who will appreciate the challenge, and even accept defeat with humility and admiration. (* to the participants who actually enjoy such challenges) We can gather as friendly strangers (forming bonds), raise money for the JREF and other organizations (philanthropy), and learn stuff through the trivia questions and/or puzzles provided (educational). I think a "Brain War" meets all of your requirements nicely. And, we can do that, too. Having fun, for ourselves, does not preclude us from also doing other activities to help others. I think she needs to get a sense of humour. People speak from their experiences, and Bill Prady in particular did. I also agreed with Bill that Penny was intelligent, though typical. Most women ARE liker HER. He speaks as the man he is from the experiences he knows. I LOVE his show. He has promised some new characters, and to feature a skeptical trip to a pharmacy. I can't wait. As for how some women dressed at the conference, particulary young ones, she has no right to judge. Not all women or men will dress to the blogger's apparent standards. I appreciated the diversity, and know that not all skeptics are fuddy duddies in suits. A fun trivia contest will not cause her slippery slope strawman argument. There was the talent show this year. I have no talent or time to put one together, but a trivia contest would allow more people to participate. I would love to put diverse groups together with different particular areas of interests. There could be the biology person, math person, physics person, popular culture expert (not necessarily from those backgrounds, even a layperson with those interests could answer those types of questions). Different groups, but with people who identify with a particular area of interest to answer those particular questions. If we'd like to organize that here, then great! I love life sciences, but would bomb on physics or math. We could have how many people per group depending on who all is interested?
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19th July 2009, 01:12 PM	#34
Hokulele Official Nemesis TLA Dictatrix Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: To be determined. Posts: 21,339	I don't see how the blogger goes from a team event to "crowning the smartest skeptic".
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19th July 2009, 01:18 PM	#35
Eos of the Eons Mad Scientist Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Alberta Posts: 13,253	Originally Posted by Hokulele I don't see how the blogger goes from a team event to "crowning the smartest skeptic". Exactly. It would also be part luck (getting questions the group knows and gets right) and part "brains" (personal experiences or education that allows people to draw from to get the answers right).
	__________________ Motion affecting a measuring device does not affect what is actually being measured, except to inaccurately measure it. the immaterial world doesn't matter, cause it ain't matter-Jeff Corey my karma ran over my dogma-vbloke The Lateral Truth: An Apostate's Bible Stories by Rebecca Bradley, read it!