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Complementary and alternative medicine Intelligent design/creationism Medicine Paranormal Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The Skeptics Circle turns 40 (sort of)

Today, the Skeptics’ Circle turns 40. Well, not exactly, but it is the 40th Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle, and this time around it’s being held at Daylight Atheism. Once again, it’s time for an antidote for the rampant credulity in the blogosphere, where dubious stories travel around the world far faster than skeptics can apply critical thinking skills to them, this time by entering the Daylight Atheism Museum of Superstition and Pseudoscience:

The doors of the Observatory are closed, and an eager crowd has gathered before them, milling about anxiously to await the unveiling of the newest Skeptics’ Circle. Your host, Ebonmuse, steps up to a podium beside the doors and addresses the crowd thusly:

“Step right up, folks, to the Daylight Atheism Museum of Superstition and Pseudoscience! Dare to plumb the most bizarre depths of the human imagination! Marvel at the fascinating beliefs cultures throughout history have dreamed up to explain the world around them! We have a stupendous and spine-tingling assortment of strange and wild ideas for your edification and amusement. You’ll laugh at their gullibility, you’ll learn from their mistakes, and just maybe, you’ll learn something about how your own brain works. Admission two for a penny – who’ll be first to dare the weirdness within?”

Next up is Interverbal, who, unfortunately, hasn’t posted since June. Here’s hoping a bit of skeptical hosting will get that blog active again, as it’s good one. So, start getting your submissions ready to send to Interverbal, and join us two weeks from now on August 17 for the 41st Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle.

Finally, now as always, I’m looking for hosts for future Skeptics’ Circles. If you think you have what it takes, if you find yourself looking at news reports and thinking something isn’t quite right, if you find yourself debunking night shows, if your favorite TV show is Bullshit!, or if your fondest wish in life is to be just like The Amazing Randi, you–yes, you!–are the type of person we are looking for to continue the tradition of great hosting. If you’re interested, please peruse the guidelines and schedule and drop me an e-mail at [email protected].

And, no, we’re not looking for skeptics run amok, either.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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