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Announcements Skepticism/critical thinking

The 54th Meeting of the Skeptics Circle, as done by Mickey Spillane (or someone very much like him)

It’s that time again, when the part of the blogosphere that celebrates critical thinking over the usual credulousness that allows dubious stories to spread far and wide meets to examine those stories and claims with a hard-nosed skepticism. And few skeptics, it would seem, are as tough as the narrator of this edition of the Skeptics’ Circle, who’s now telling his tale over at Action Skeptics (where, I guess, they’re trying to take the name of the blog literally):

I’ve been on my own since the Department cut me loose over the Pendelton incident, when I decked that con-artist “psychic” the chief saddled me with during a murder case. Made no nevermind to me. The suits at the department were all jerks anyway, and I don’t want to work at a place where they made me take a liar on a joyride chasing wild geese when lives were at stake. I cleaned out my desk and rented some space with a room above. My cat Loki and I moved in, I arranged the furniture to minimize qi flow, and I called the painter. He made me some very pretty words on the front door: “Jack Bixby, Skeptical Investigator.”

Join Akusai for the rest.

Next up is EoR at The Second Sight. EoR has hosted before, with amusing results, and I have high hopes that the next time will be just as good. And, as always, if you’re interested in tryng your hand at hosting the Circle yourself, drop me a line at [email protected]. The schedule can be found here, and the guidelines for hosting are here. We’ll see if your qi and feng shui are right for the job…

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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