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November SkepTalk - End of the World Predictions - Dr. Patrick O'Reilly, UCSF

Submitted by Sheldon Helms on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 17:53

On Wednesday, November 9th, 2011, we were treated to an excellent talk entitled “End of the World Predictions” by Dr. Patrick O’Reilly, psychology professor from U.C. San Francisco.Patrick O'ReillyPatrick O'Reilly

Dr. O'Reilly delivered a detailed and interesting one-hour talk about the phenomenon of predicting the end of the world, some religiously motivated, some not. This talk was particularly timely, you'll note, since the popular media has become so interested lately in feeding us stories about such predictions.

October SkepTalk - A Unicorn in Your Tank: Magic Tablets That Won't Improve Gas Mileage - Yau-Man Chan

Submitted by Sheldon Helms on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 11:36

Yau-Man ChanYau-Man ChanMost of us have seen ads for questionable pills, liquids, and powders that promise to give our bodies an extra advantage. Whether it be weight loss, immune system boost, fuller, thicker hair, or younger looking skin, there’s a quick fix being sold for it. In today’s economy, youthfulness and good health are joined at the top of our panic list with a new concern: better gas mileage. But don’t worry! There’s a quick fix for that, too! Or is there?

Selling FlimFlam - Anthony Pratkanis at Ohlone College

Submitted by Sheldon Helms on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 11:22

Dr. Anthony Pratkanis, UC Santa Cruz psychology professor and social psychology researcher, held hundreds of students, employees, and community members in raptAnthony PratkanisAnthony Pratkanis attention last Friday at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA. Entitled “Selling FlimFlam,” Pratkanis' talk began with a loud admonition to “leave your conscience at the door.” It then delivered a powerful 1½ hour lesson that masqueraded as a guide to selling flimflam, but which was actually designed to teach us the signs that we’re being conned, duped, sold a bill of goods, and presented with empty promises.

September SkepTalk - Don Prothero: Catastrophes!

Submitted by Sheldon Helms on Thu, 09/15/2011 - 16:33

As our family story goes, when my parents left eastern Oklahoma for California (the first in their Don ProtheroDon Protherofamilies to move that far away in generations), many of their relatives bid them farewell with a sense of foreboding, quite certain that they would someday soon perish in a terrible earthquake.

The Right Questions in Critical Thinking

Submitted by Sheldon Helms on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 14:21

photo by Jay DiamondChris DiCarlo: photo by Jay Diamond

San Francisco-based skeptic group Reason4Reason (www.Reason4Reason.org) hosted a talk on August 13th by Dr. Christopher DiCarlo, promoted with the not-so-subtle moniker "How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass," the title of DiCarlo's latest book.
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