Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

A Death Valley Adventure

a three-day tour of the great basin
January 16–18, 2010

Join us for a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beautiful scenery and natural history of the Mojave desert and western great basin, led by Dr. Donald Prothero. We will visit spectacular geological sites such as Death Valley, Kelso Dunes, and Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, with trilobite collecting in the Nopah Range, and a tour of the fossil beds at Redrock Canyon State Park. Some of our stops in Death Valley will include sinuous Mosaic Canyon, the dunes at Stovepipe Wells, the old borax works, the salt flats at Devil’s Golf Course, the lowest point in North America, and the spectacular vistas from Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View.

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

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  for the current issue

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

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

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

• ORDER this lecture on DVD

Evolution, Extinction,
and the Future of Our Planet

with Dr. Donald Prothero
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 at 2 pm
Baxter Lecture Hall

Bringing his trademark style to an increasingly relevant subject of concern, Prothero links the climate changes that have occurred over the past 200 million years to their effects on plants and animals, especially contrasting the extinctions that ended the Cretaceous period, which wiped out the dinosaurs, with those of the later Eocene and Oligocene epochs…

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• SEE all upcoming lectures
• BROWSE and order
  past lectures on DVD

Skepticality— the official podcast of Skeptic magazine

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

• HEAR the current episode
• SUBSCRIBE to Skepticality
  within iTunes

MonsterTalk— presented by Skeptic magazine

MonsterTalk critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves.

• HEAR the current episode
• SUBSCRIBE to MonsterTalk
  within iTunes

Skeptics Mix Tape 2009

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

• EXPLORE the mix tape

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

From Faitheist to Fundagnostical

Last week, while I was giving thanks for an abundance of family, friends, and food, a brouhaha was brewing over an invited opinion editorial I wrote ...

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Announcing the Institute for Science in Medicine

I have stated before that I think one of the most important battle lines for skeptics and science promoters relates to issues of science in medicine. ...

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The Ghost of La Purisima

I’ve been corresponding with a gentleman, Kevin, who visits allegedly haunted sites in southern California. As evidence of his paranormal ...

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Deepak Chopra
v. Michael Shermer:
The Afterlife

Deepak and Shermer debate the question of life after death.

• READ the essays in full

Teaching by Doing

In this week’s eSkeptic, Clark Lindgren recounts the birth of Bio 150 — An Introduction to Biological Inquiry. By turning the curriculum on its head, the Biology Department at Grinnell College has created opportunities for students to perform actual scientific research from the get-go. Results suggest that students are getting just what they need to confirm their interest in biology and get an early start developing their skills as young scientists.

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Will Physicists
Destroy the World?

In last week’s eSkeptic, Lloyd B. Lueptow asserts that the Large Hadron Collider experiments should be delayed or stopped while the risk/cost-benefit equation is sorted out in debates the public can comprehend. In the rebuttal to this piece, Lawrence Krauss asserts that to cease performing experiments whose results we are not certain about beforehand is a recipe for ending scientific discovery.

• READ last week’s eSkeptic

Make the People’s Encyclopedia a Science-Based Resource

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

• LEARN how you can help

A Tribute to Carl Sagan: Our Place in the Universe

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

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Sagan & Skepticism

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

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The Measure of a Life

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

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Origins &
the Big Questions

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

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

Break the Science Barrier

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

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The Root of All Evil?

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

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Growing Up in the Universe

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

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The Power of Belief

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

• WATCH the video at TED.com

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

• WATCH Shermer on YouTube

Shermer explains how evolution shaped the modern economy and why people are so irrational about money. How did we make the leap from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumers and traders? Why do people get so emotional and irrational about bottom-line financial and business decisions… Read more

• ORDER the hardback book