In the second eSkeptic for this week, we announce another fabulous season of lectures at Caltech. Dr. Michael Shermer kicks off the season, followed by Dr. Owen Gingerich, Dr. Richard Sloan, Dr. Sam Harris, Dr. Richard Dawkins, Dr. Bart Kosko, and Jonathan Kirsh. Also, in the new episode of Skepticality, Derek interviews Dr. Shermer about the new book as well as recaps the whirlwind weekend that was Dragon* Con 2006.
our next Caltech lecture
Why Darwin Matters:
The Case for Evolution & Against Intelligent Design
with Dr. Michael Shermer
Sunday, September 24th, 2pm
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech, Pasadena, CA
Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a columnist for Scientific American, and author of Why People Believe Weird Things, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil.
Evolution happened, and the theory describing it is one of the most well founded in all of science. Then why do half of all Americans reject it? In Why Darwin Matters, Michael Shermer defuses objections to the theory by examining what evolution really is, how we know it happened, and how to test it. Shermer then discusses what science is, demonstrating clearly how and why creationism and Intelligent Design are not science. Dr. Shermer also builds a powerful case for evolution as the scientific theory that most closely parallels the Christian model of human nature and the conservative model of free market economics. Dr. Shermer was once an evangelical Christian and a creationist, and is now one of the best-known public intellectuals defending evolutionary theory, so Why Darwin Matters provides readers with an insider’s guide to the evolution-creation debate, and why science should be embraced by people of all beliefs.
mark your calendar
Science, Religion, and Politics: A Conversation
with Dr. Owen Gingerich, Dr. Richard Sloan & Dr. Sam Harris
Sunday, October 8th, 2pm–5pm
The God Delusion
with Dr. Richard Dawkins
Saturday, October 28th, 2pm
Noise: A Fuzzy Logic Perspective
with Dr. Bart Kosko
Sunday, November 12th, 2pm
A History of the End of the World:
How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible
Changed the Course of Western Civilization
with Jonathan Kirsch
Sunday, December 3rd, 2pm
New episode featuring
Dr. Michael Shermer & Dragon*Con 2006
On this week’s episode of Skepticality, Derek gets philosophical with Skeptic founder Dr. Michael Shermer about his new book, Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design. Derek & Swoopy also briefly recap the whirlwind weekend of fun that was Dragon*Con 2006 — complete with a rowdy live performance from musical skeptic George Hrab.
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