Challenging Joe Power

At the Fringe of Reason

Edinburgh Skeptics When?
Saturday, August 28 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Edinburgh Skeptics

What's the talk about?

Derren Brown once described a reading of Power's as "Cold Reading. And bad Cold Reading at that", so we offer Joe the chance to be tested for his Psychical claims as part of Skeptics on the Fringe. If he rejects the offer then tonight will focus on some of the claims made by Joe and other psychics and how they can be tested for scientifically.

Righteous Indignation LIVE Podcast

At the Fringe of Reason

Michael Marshall, Hayley Stevens, Trystan Swale When?
Friday, August 27 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Michael Marshall, Hayley Stevens, Trystan Swale

What's the talk about?

A very special event this evening as the trio responsible for one of the most popular UK Podcasts stage their second live recording. Sit in the audience and listen to the guys as they lay down a new episode of Righteous Indignation. Not to be missed.

The KPU

At the Fringe of Reason

Caroline Watt When?
Thursday, August 26 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Caroline Watt

What's the talk about?

Caroline founded the Koestler Parapsychology Unit at Edinburgh University and has an active interest in the psychology of ESP experiences. In 2001 she was part of the team that descended into the Mercat vaults in the South Bridge to investigate the paranormal goings on. Tonight she will be discussing the origins of the KPU.

Darwin in Scotland

At the Fringe of Reason

JF Derry When?
Wednesday, August 25 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
JF Derry

What's the talk about?

Edinbugrh based author, Julian Derry, will be presenting his new book which addresses the impact Scotland and Edinburgh in aprticular had on the mind of the young Charles Darwin and how it lead him to develop a passion for nature and ultimately publish "On the Origin of Species".

Why we Believe the Bizarre

At the Fringe of Reason

Alex Buque When?
Tuesday, August 24 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Alex Buque

What's the talk about?

One of Edinburgh Skeptics' longest serving organisers, Alex will be looking at the reasons why we believe the stranges things we believe.

How to be a Psychic Con-man

At the Fringe of Reason

Ash Pryce When?
Monday, August 23 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Ash Pryce

What's the talk about?

Ash Pryce presents a fully interactive demonstration of various tricks that psychics have used over the years.

From the Fox Sisters through to Uri Geller, psychics have been claiming to be able to do things beyond our understanding, but Ash Pryce knows better. Nearly all of the major claims of psychics and mediums can easily be re-created and tonight Ash will be reproducing such famous feats as Uri Geller's Telekinesis, Philipino Psychic Surgery, the Remote Viewing experiments of America's "Stargate" program (The 70s CIA shenanigans and not the inter dimensional, Go-aould busting kind)and much more- including an attempt to beat the odds of the Randi Million.

A fun, entertaining and magic filled evening that also takes a look at the history of psychic trickery and how it has become such a popular phenomenon. Warning to those on the front row - there will be blood...

A History of Spirit Photography

At the Fringe of Reason

Gordon Rutter When?
Sunday, August 22 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Gordon Rutter

What's the talk about?

In the mid nineteenth century two events happened which were destined to have major links with each other. In America spiritualism was founded as a religion and in Europe photography was born. Very quickly, photographs of ghosts were being taken all around the world - some as supposed proof of the afterlife and some as a bit of harmless fun. As tastes have changed spirit photography has remained with us but it too has developed. And now with digital cameras available to virtually all all the time more photographs are being taken than ever before. This profusely illustrated lecture provides a tour of some of the best examples of spirit photography from the past 150 years.

But are any of them genuine?

Auld Reekie- Most Haunted City in Europe?

At the Fringe of Reason

Ash Pryce When?
Saturday, August 21 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Ash Pryce

What's the talk about?

Edinburgh Skeptics' President and founder, Ash Pryce, spent two years working in what is claimed to be amongst the most haunted locaitons in the world- The South Bridge Vaults. Pryce will give us a run down of the paranormal hotspots within the city and shed some light on them.  Instead of looking at age old stories, or tales told by tour guides he will address the investigations that have been done.

Storm!

At the Fringe of Reason

Tracy King When?
Friday, August 20 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Tracy King

What's the talk about?

Tim Minchin’s Storm is a 9-minute beat poem which has already attracted three quarter of a million views on YouTube and has become the anthem for critical thinking worldwide.

The animated version of Storm will be premiered in October 2010. Producer Tracy King will be talking about how the film came about and giving exclusive insight into the team’s process, including showing you exclusive artwork, footage and lyrics not available to the public!

Tracy King runs a busy marketing company in London, UK whose clients include various skeptic organisations such as JREF. Her mainstream clients have included UCAS, Lloyds TSB and Macmillan Publishing. She is the Producer of Tim Minchin’s Storm movie, the organiser of TAM London and the co-organiser of The Big Libel Gig. Tracy speaks on a range of topics including viral marketing and advertising psychology, is a gaming and comics geek, and has a world record for spoonbending.

Mental Shortcuts

At the Fringe of Reason

Daniela Rudloff When?
Thursday, August 19 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Daniela Rudloff

What's the talk about?

Daniela Rudloff has always had a profound interest in critical thinking, leading her to join the German Skeptics in 1994.  In 2006 she commenced a PhD in Psychology to find out what keeps Joe Bloggs from being a rational, reasonable and skeptical person.

She’ll give an introduction to the everyday mental shortcuts and biases we all employ, arguing that even though they’re often misleading, they’re also necessary – and almost impossible to avoid.

Dichotomania

At the Fringe of Reason

Sergio Della Sala When?
Wednesday, August 18 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Sergio Della Sala

What's the talk about?

There is a gap between what scientists know about the mind and brain and the assumptions drawn from sources of everyday information such as newspapers and television. In this talk we will discuss some of these mind myths which are relevant for education as they translate in practices in schools with little or no evidence to support them. These include the assumption that we could stimulate our right brain creativity, or that playing Nintendo games or listening to Mozart make us more intelligent. Whole industries flourished on these dubious claims which do not spare education.

Skeptical Shakespeare

At the Fringe of Reason

Stuart Ritchie When?
Tuesday, August 17 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Stuart Ritchie

What's the talk about?

Former President of the Edinburgh University Humanist Society, Stuart will be looking at the Bard during the biggest theatrical festival in the world and challenging some of the oft quoted myths- such as good ole Bill never actually authoring his greatest works.

Anomalistic vs Parapsychology

At the Fringe of Reason

Chris French & Caroline Watt When?
Monday, August 16 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Chris French & Caroline Watt

What's the talk about?

Professor Chris French and Dr. Caroline Watt are two people operating in what many believe to be identical specialties. Chris is head of Goldsmiths "Anomalistic Psychology Research unit" whereas Caroline heads up Edinburgh University's "Koestler Parapsychology Unit". Both have been called in as experts on the supernatural and bizarre for various television, radio and magazine interviews. here they discuss the similarities and differences in a live panel.

The Science of Altered States of Consciousness

At the Fringe of Reason

Stephan Matthiesen When?
Sunday, August 15 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Stephan Matthiesen

What's the talk about?

Hypnosis and meditation are strange, mysterious techniques 
for many Westerners. But these are just two ways of
changing our consciousness significantly; others include
trance, visions and dreams as well as drugs and
schizophrenia. What does modern science have to say
about these states? How are they produced, and what is
happening in the brain? And, given that altered states of
consciousness are more common than one might expect,
what are their ethical implications? Are they beneficial or
dangerous? And what do they tell usabout the general
philosophical problems of consciousnessand rationality?

Stephan trained as a physicist, but as freelance publicist
he has worked on making a wide range of scientific
research topics accessible to an interesting audience.
He is particularly interested in modern cognitive
neuroscience and would really love to understand what
cognition, perception and illusions tell us about rationality
and our self-conception as humans.

The Psychology of Anomalous Experiences

At the Fringe of Reason

Chris French When?
Saturday, August 14 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Chris French

What's the talk about?

Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences many of which we would today label as "paranormal". Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean one of two things. Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims. Or else belief in and experience of ostensibly paranormal phenomena can be fully explained in terms of psychological factors. This presentation will provide an introduction to the sub-discipline of anomalistic psychology, which may be defined as the study of extraordinary phenomena of behaviour and experience, in an attempt to provide non-paranormal explanations in terms of known psychological and physical factors. This approach will be illustrated with examples relating to a range of ostensibly paranormal phenomena.

Chris French is a Professor of Psychology and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths. He has published over 100 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims. He is the editor of The Skeptic and writes a regular column for the Guardian's online science pages.

The Luck Factor

At the Fringe of Reason

Richard Wiseman When?
Friday, August 13 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Richard Wiseman

What's the talk about?

Professor Wiseman presents this highly enjoyable talk on his investigations into the psychology of luck. Wiseman is well known to the Edinburgh ghost trade after leading an investigation in 2001 into the legendary South Bridge Vaults.

Perfect for Friday 13th!

Clutching at Random Straws

At the Fringe of Reason

Matt Parker When?
Thursday, August 12 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Matt Parker

What's the talk about?

Did aliens help prehistoric Britons found the ancient Woolworth's civilization? Matt will look at how seemingly incredible results can actually be meaningless random patterns.

The Kraken

At the Fringe of Reason

Dr. Charles Paxton When?
Wednesday, August 11 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Dr. Charles Paxton

What's the talk about?

St Andrews' University lecturer Dr. Paxton will be looking at the legends of the most feared sea monster of all time- The Kraken. Jack Sparrow beware!

Skeptics on the Fringe

A Free Fringe of Critical Thinking

Various When?
Saturday, August 7 at 6:00PM


Where?
The Banshee Labyrinth
Niddry Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Various

What's the talk about?

During the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe we will be bringing you daily speakers and events.  These will take place at The Banshee Labyrinth (Formerly Nicol Edwards) on Niddry Street.  We will have the cinema for our use which seats up to 40.  We have numerous confirmed speakers and are now just waiting to hear back from one or two. 

Entry will be on a donation basis as it's the Free Fringe and we won't be charging a door price- but we will still have costs to meet and like all Free Fringe events donations at the end are most welcomed.

Speakers will be confirmed July.

Each talk will last about an hour, whether this includes a Q&A will be at the discression of the speaker.  We look forward to this month long event, which should also include a QI style Skeptic quiz.

Skepticamp

Edinburgh Skeptics When?
Wednesday, August 4 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Edinburgh Skeptics

What's the talk about?

After last year's highly successful event, we bring you Skepticamp 2010.  Skepticamp is an opportunity for members of the society to take to the stage and give a talk on a skeptical topic of their choice.  There will also be discussions, music and videos throughout the night.

Date may be subject to change.

Darwin in Scotland

Edinburgh, Evolution and Enlightenment

JF Derry When?
Sunday, August 1 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
JF Derry

What's the talk about?

JF Derry is a writer who was previously a conservation ecologist and rangeland scientist mainly working in British and African universities, but also in Spain, Brussels, Mongolia and Australia. He had intended to discover the secrets to life with degrees in Biochemistry, Bioelectronics and Biological Computation, but somehow also ended up with a PhD in African Ecology, specialising in the consequences of savanna waterholes on plants and animals. Thus his publication history is mainly in academic journals, on aspects of computational biology, pastoralism and grazing studies, ergo a recent manuscript on evolution in African bovids (antelopes and cattle).

 

He has written for several national newspapers, countless technical reports for various governments, and as a reviewer for several major record labels, the TLS and the university presses of Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard, several major and independent book publishers, and the National Portrait Gallery. He has also written extensively on Charles Darwin, and his recent poetry can be found in such places as the Human Genre Project. He once collected lion semen, intentionally. ‘How do you...?’ you ask. The answer is, of course, ‘very carefully’. JF lives in Edinburgh, with his partner and their two daughters.

Ladies who do Skepticism

You When?
Saturday, July 31 at 2:00PM


Where?
Taste of Italy Caffe
9 Baxters Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EF

Who?
You

What's the talk about?

With the exciting upcoming events put on by Edinburgh Skeptics in August, including Skeptics on the Fringe and Skepticamp, it would be the perfect time to delve into skepticism in this beautiful city.  If you’ve never been to a skeptical event before, you’ll be really surprised how easy it is to get talking to complete strangers.  The commonality of being a critical thinker at least rules out the likelihood of someone asking you your star sign as an ice-breaker*.

As ‘luck’ would have it (okay; by design really) if you are a female skeptic, you have an opportunity to meet up with other skeptics in Edinburgh before the fantastic plethora of events you have prepared for you there!  There will be a ‘Ladies Who Do Skepticism (& Coffee)’ meet-up on Saturday the 29th July, at ‘A Taste of Italy Caffe‘ at 2pm.  Whether you are a total newbie, or a well-seasoned skeptic, please do come along for very casual skeptical and non-skeptical chat.  The ‘Caffe’ can be found between the Playhouse and RBS branch at the top of Leith Walk, and we’ll meet at the tables in the back.  Please RSVP  here on Facebook or by emailing skepticladies@gmail.com so we can have a rough idea of numbers.  Also, feel free to ask any questions or make suggestions to the same email address!  For more information about why LWDS was started, see the ‘about’ section or listen to some of the interviews on the podcasts from the ‘Press and Podcast’ pages.

Jesus Never Existed

Ken Humphreys When?
Thursday, July 15 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Ken Humphreys

What's the talk about?

Kenneth Humphreys holds post-graduate qualifications from two British universities and taught for many years in the UK, Turkey and Papua New Guinea,  including a Senior Lecturership in Modern Languages.  His career outside of academe included  management in the software industry. Religion, and in particular the claims of Christianity, have been a life-long interest. He is now fully occupied as a writer, radio broadcaster and public speaker, and campaigns energetically against  unreason. In Spring 2008 he debated The Resurrection - Fact or Fiction with Gary Habermas, Prof. of Apologetiics, at the McEwan Hall, Edinburgh.
 
The website Jesus Never Existed was launched in December 2001. It receives more than a million visitors per year and is currently being made available in nine languages.
 
The book Jesus Never Existed was published in 2005 by Iconoclast Press. It has been shipped to more than thirty countries. 
An abridgment was republished in India in 2006 by Hindu Voice. A Spanish edition is likely in the near future.
 
A second volume The Improbable Paul  will be published in 2010.

www.jesusneverexisted.com

Crank Magnetism

Keir Liddle When?
Sunday, July 4 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Keir Liddle

What's the talk about?

Keir Liddle will be talking on the subject fo Crank Magnetism.  It will look at just what crank magnetism is and how it applies to Swine flu , Alternative medicine, Conspiracy Nuts, Holocaust denial and Aids Denial.

This will then lead on to the important quesiton of, is there skeptic magnetism?

Authenticity and its Influence on Behaviour, Attitudes and Beliefs

Mike Heap When?
Thursday, June 17 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Mike Heap

What's the talk about?

The work of social psychologists has always emphasised the extent to which our behaviour, beliefs and experiences are shaped by the requirements of the various roles that we occupy in the course of everyday life. One important need for us is that the roles we occupy should be perceived as authentic or legitimate. We therefore strive to maintain the perceived authenticity of our role at any particular time. This can be seen as a mutual endeavour by participants in reciprocal role relationships such as doctor-patient or therapist-client interactions. I hope to demonstrate the usefulness of this way of thinking with reference to certain practices (orthodox, unorthodox and anomalous) and certain sexual crimes on which I have provided an opinion for the Courts. Michael Heap is a clinical forensic psychologist in private practice and at Wathwood Medium Secure Hospital in Rotherham. He is a founding member of the Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) and is its current Chairman and Secretary.

Armageddon. Apocalypse. Doomsday.

The Sunday Sermon 8

Paul Forbes When?
Sunday, June 6 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Paul Forbes

What's the talk about?

Prophecies about a cataclysmic end to the world as we know it have been a part of human history from ancient times, but in the modern era religious and New Age narratives have become mixed in with real scientific fears about the future of the planet. Hollywood seems equally fascinated by the subject - the movies Knowing and 2012 being recent examples.

 

This talk will present a brief overview of apocalyptic beliefs down the ages followed by a more detailed examination of Christian millennialism. What is the thinking behind such beliefs? And what are the political and environmental implications?

The Fringe of Reason: An Introduction

Ash Pryce with Alex Buque and Keir Liddle When?
Thursday, May 20 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Bongo Club
37 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA

Who?
Ash Pryce with Alex Buque and Keir Liddle

What's the talk about?

A change from our previously mentioned speaker.

During this years Fringe, Edinburgh Skeptics will be presenting 21 days of Skeptics in the Pub!  As a sneak preview Ash Pryce will be presented "An introduction to Psychic Fakery", following on from his Sunday Sermon lecture on "Psychic Frauds" Pryce will be demonstrating various techniques that could be used to present yourself as a psychic con man.  Fully interactive, the talk will contain videos and demonstrations to help you on your way to creating your own psychic shenanigans.

This will be followed by Keir Liddle and Alex Buque presenting short exceprts from their own Fringe Shows.

Title TBC

The Sunday Sermon 7

Stuart Ritchie When?
Sunday, May 2 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Stuart Ritchie

What's the talk about?

Stuart debated Dr Marc Surtess as part of our Darwin themed events in 2009.  He returns for a solo outing as part of the Sunday Sermon.

More details to follow.

How Quackery Corrupts Real Science

Professor David Colquhoun When?
Thursday, April 15 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Professor David Colquhoun

What's the talk about?

Quacks not only deceive (and sometimes harm) patients but the culture of managerialism that tolerates them in universities has a more serious consequence, the corruption of real science.

Professor D Colquhoun, FRS held the established (A.J. Clark) chair of Pharmacology at UCL, and was the Hon. Director of the Wellcome Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology. In October 2004, he became a Research Fellow. Like many previous holders of the chair (in particular, A.J. Clark, J.H. Gaddum, H.O. Schild and J.W. Black) his interests are in quantitative analysis of receptor mechanisms.

He graduated from Leeds with a BSc and then went to Edinburgh to work for a PhD. After doing research at University College from 1964-69 on immunological problems and completing a book on statistics, he went to Yale University to work on nerve conduction. After returning from the USA he eventually returned to the Pharmacology Department at UCL in 1979, and has worked on single ion channel mechanisms since then.

In 2004, he was made an Honorary Fellow of University College London.


Magic and Skepticism

The Sunday Sermon 6

Peter Harrison When?
Sunday, April 4 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Peter Harrison

What's the talk about?

A growing number of magicians and mentalists are appearing in the skeptic community, and an obvious connection is emerging between the art and the skeptic movement. However, audiences are not joining the magicians in their jump to skepticism. Magicians are in a unique position that should allow powerful promotion of skepticism to the general public, but the message does not seem to be getting across on a large scale. Many have tried and failed. What is the problem? What is the history behind it? As a tool to promote skepticism, is it possible that magic is doomed to fail from the very beginning? Is there a practical solution?

Peter Harrison is a skeptic and professional creator of award-winning magic, with his material appearing on television specials and a client-list that reads like a who's who of corporate Scotland. Peter is also a Scottish biologist, and the Volunteer Coordinator for registered charity "The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science".

Auld Reekie: Most Haunted City in Europe?

Alex Pryce When?
Monday, March 22 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Alex Pryce

What's the talk about?

Its Ghost Fest week, and although not on the official calendar, we wanted to provide an alternative and appeal to those with more skeptical leanings.

Alex Pryce has spent over 3 years working in and around Edinburgh's Ghost Tour trade, he has walked the underground streets that are reputed to be amongst the most haunted locations in the world and found..... very little.  The ghosts of Edinburgh are great for tourists, but is there any truth behind the tales?  Alex will investigate some of the more commonly "haunted" locations and offer a fresh insight that does not rely on the power of the paranormal.

The Paranormal

Dr. Ciaran O'Keefe When?
Thursday, March 18 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Dr. Ciaran O'Keefe

What's the talk about?

Dr. Ciaran O'Keefe is best known as the resident skeptic on televisions Most Haunted.  He is a parapsychologist who studied under Professor Richard Wiseman.  During this week he will be putting on events as part of the Ghost Fest and kick starts his Auld Reekie investigations here with us.

Hinduism as superior to atheism

The Sunday Sermon 5

Sean McHugh When?
Sunday, March 7 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Sean McHugh

What's the talk about?

Sean will explain features of Hinduism and Indian thought, and go through some arguments for a transcendent plane that eliminates the distinction between an atheistic and theistic realities by including both.

 

He will then go on to discuss personal gods and fundamental non-rational meaning as issuing from the interface between the relative world and the transcendent or absolute.

 

We welcome him to the SITP stage.

Statistics & Cryptozoology

Dr. Charles Paxton When?
Thursday, February 18 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Dr. Charles Paxton

What's the talk about?

More information to follow.

The Emergence of Maitreya the World Teacher

The Sunday Sermon 4

Cameron Pirie When?
Sunday, February 7 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Cameron Pirie

What's the talk about?

As a result of the present economic crisis that grips the world, Maitreya the World Teacher, now stands posied to emerge into full public work. The appearance of an unusual and bright star, now visible and seen by many throughout the world is a sign of His open emergence.  This thought-provoking lecture presents an overview of this truly momentous event: the return to the everyday world of Maitreya in July 1977 and his plans, priorities and recommendations for the immediate future.  They cover the essential needs of every man, woman and child: an adequate supply of food; housing for all; health care and education as universal rights.  Other top priorities include the restoration of the environment and the establishment of world peace.

The key to achieving these goals is a more equitable sharing of the world’s food and resources.  According to Maitreya: "Without sharing there can be no justice; without justice there can be no peace; without peace, there can be no future."

Homeopathy- There's nothing in it

Various When?
Saturday, January 30 at 11:15AM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Various

What's the talk about?

It is now fairly common knowledge that at 10:23 on the morning of Saturday 30th January 2010 there will be a mass overdoes of homeopathic remedies in various cities around the UK.  We in Edinbugrh will of course be playing our part- and those of you taking involved will know of the location shortly. 

After the "overdose" has taken place and we've done a bit of flyering there will be a special Skeptics in the Pub talk and small press conference held at The Newsroom along with talks from several speakers.

The post overdose talk will begin at 11:15 and run through until about 2pm.  There will be the usual buffet and a panel discussion taking place.  So if you aren't able to come along for the overdose, then join us for a very special Skeptics in the Pub lecture event shortly after- and of course, as its before 5pm under 18s are most welcome. 

Mental “Shortcuts” – A Necessary Evil?

Daniela Rudloff When?
Thursday, January 21 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Daniela Rudloff

What's the talk about?

Daniela Rudloff has always had a profound interest in critical thinking, leading her to join the German Skeptics in 1994.  In 2006 she commenced a PhD in Psychology to find out what keeps Joe Bloggs from being a rational, reasonable and skeptical person.

She’ll give an introduction to the everyday mental shortcuts and biases we all employ, arguing that even though they’re often misleading, they’re also necessary – and almost impossible to avoid. 

 

Supernatural Frauds

The Sunday Sermon 3

Alex Pryce When?
Sunday, January 3 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Alex Pryce

What's the talk about?

Throughout history there have been many fraudsters making a living from the paranormal.  From the Fox Sisters who kickstarted the spiritualist craze through to modern psychics and mediums who have been shown up for using trickery in their performance, the lure of the paranormal con is easy to understand.

People want to believe, and the desperate are easy to exploit for gain.

We look back at 150 years of supernatural shenanigans and address some of the modern day claims in this interactive and fun talk. 

Alex Pryce is the founder of Edinburgh Skeptics and runs the group along with Alex Buque, Keir Lidde and Terry Rodgers.  He also runs Ghosts Busted, a ghost tour with a skeptical twist and Chimaera Productions, an award winning performing arts company.

Chistmas/ Mithra/ Horus/ Festivus Party

Jack Daniels When?
Thursday, December 17 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Jack Daniels

What's the talk about?

Its the festive season.  To celebrate the season of good will we'll be having a Christmas party at the Newsrooms.  There will be food and fun as well as suitable skeptical films and christmassy shows projected and music playing.

Come along and have a skeptical christmas party with us. 

(Free entry of course!  We couldn't think of charging for this once in a lifetime- well once in a year- party)

The return of Richard Wiseman

The Sunday Sermon 2

Professor Richard Wiseman When?
Sunday, December 6 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Professor Richard Wiseman

What's the talk about?

Professor Wiseman returns to the group as part of the Sunday Sermon series.  He also presents an entertaining and informative talk with lots of flair and entertainment- and the occassional magic trick too.

Professor Wiseman is theProfessor for the Public Understanding of Psychology at Hertfordshire, a passionate advocate for science, Prof Wiseman is well known for his media appearances, high-profile talks, live performances, and large-scale studies. Over 1 million people have taken part in his mass participation experiments, and his YouTube channel has received over 6 million views. Prof Wiseman also regularly acts as a creative consultant for print, broadcast and new media.

We welcome him back for his third stint on our Edinburgh Skeptics stage.

The Genius of Charles Darwin

Documentary When?
Tuesday, November 24 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Documentary

What's the talk about?

To celebrate 150 years since the publication of "The Origin of Species" we'll be showing the recent dosumentary "The Genius of Charles Darwin".  The three part documentary was shown on the BBC last year and presented by Richard Dawkins.  The night will be free entry, that means no £2.50 donation as is usually the case.

Evolution Vs Creation

Stuart Ritchie and Dr. Marc Surtees When?
Thursday, November 19 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Stuart Ritchie and Dr. Marc Surtees

What's the talk about?

This year marks two very special Darwin occassions.  The first is his 200th birthday in February, the second event is even greater- on November 24th we will celebrate 150 years since Darwin's book, "On the Origin of the Species" was published.This book revolutionised the world and sent the creationist groups (temporarily) running for cover. 

To mark this great event, SitP will be holding a debate to discuss Evolution in the 21st Century as well as the other side.

Edinburgh University Humanist Stuart Ritchie will be defending Evolution.  His opponent is zoologist Dr. Marc Surtees a member of the Edinburgh Creation Group.

The two met earlier in the year and a great debate it was too.  We hope the rematch will be just as lively.

 

 

The Sunday Sermon 1

Alex Buque When?
Sunday, November 1 at 2:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Alex Buque

What's the talk about?

Alex Buque is the longest standing member of Skeptics in the Pub and has been involved since the very beginning in March when the other Alex first founded the group.

Alex is a PhD student at Edinburgh University and desires to create a very strong and membership leadsociety.  We welcome him to the stage for what should prove to be a great start to our Sunday Sermon series.

 

The Real X-Files

Nick Pope When?
Thursday, October 15 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?
Nick Pope

What's the talk about?

Nick will be a familiar name to all those of you interested in watching the skies.  He is formerly of the Ministry of Defense where he ran the British Government's UFO project. 

Initially skeptical towards UFOs, his research, and access to classified materials soon convinced him that the subject was worth further investigation.

He has also been approached by psychics offering their ability for Nick's use, but after some basic tests Nick failed to be impressed. 

This is not conspiracy theory territory, these are the first hand accounts of a man described as the real life Fox Mulder.

The truth is out there....at The Newsrooms this October.

 

Dr. Caroline Watt

When?
Thursday, September 17 at 8:00PM


Where?
The Newsrooms
Leith Street
Edinburgh

Who?

What's the talk about?

Caroline founded the Koestler Parapsychology Unit at Edinburgh University and has an active interest in the psychology of ESP experiences.

 

In 2001 she was part of the team that descended into the Mercat vaults in the South Bridge to investigate the paranormal goings on.

 

Tonight she will be discussing the origins of the KPU and her experience with paranormal investigation and parapsychology.

 

A wise man returns...

Professor Richard Wiseman When?
Thursday, July 16 at 8:00PM


Where?
Who?
Professor Richard Wiseman

What's the talk about?

Professor Wiseman is no stranger to the Skeptics in the Pub meetings, having appeared at many down in England as well as being our second speaker here in Edinburgh. 

Richard returns to Skeptics in the Pub Edinburgh to entertain us with some magical marvels and to shamelessly promote his brand new book "59 seconds".

Richard was part of a team, which included Caroline Watt (Edinburgh Uni) and Ciaran O'Keeffe (skilled parapsychologist and debunker of Derek Acorah), that in 2001 ventured into the legendary Underground City of Edinburgh to investigate the claimed paranormal activity.  The results of the test can be viewed at his website.

An award winning magician before embarking on an academic career, he has been the star of many television programs as well as apearing at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas as well as presenting the London TAM later this year (We're very jealous!).  We are very excited to have him back.

 

www.richardwiseman.com