The Hampshire Skeptics Society

Pizza, presuppositionists and IPEN – what you missed at the last Round Table

For all those of you who could not make it to yesterday’s second Skeptics of the Round Table meeting here a short summary of some of the subjects that came up in discussion:

What are the Hampshire Skeptics skeptical about?
Who would not like to be reborn as a cuddly toy?
Why discussing with presuppositionist Christians can be fun
Weird claims about healing powers of human placenta (just for fun see this)
A joint conclusion that AVWF is most likely humbug
What is so special about modulated sound waves?
… and what are non-modulated sound waves? (An answer is still outstanding)

All this – and lots more – was discussed in a jovial manner over a few pizzas (BIG thank you again to Clio) and some drinks.

If this sounds like something you might have enjoyed why not tag along to the next Skeptics of the Round Table on June 13?

Keep watching for updates on Twitter (#WinSotRT) – and apparently we have not made enough noise on Facebook about these meetings so far – so we will also pester you with Facebook reminders in the week coming up to June 13 …

Do not forget: Skeptics of the Round Table in May

Dearly beloved Lords and Ladies of the skeptical persuasion,

it is with trepidation and barely concealed anticipation that I gently want to remind you:

We will soon have our second meeting of Skeptics of the Round Table!

(I know, exciting, isn’t it?)
In order to celebrate this glorious occasion let us have a little theme:

Bring your favourite bit of science or pseudo-science

Everybody has got her/his own special subjects that lured him/her to skepticism: for some super-natural claims did it, others got fed up with CAM and some just got interested in fascinating science. May be there even are some claims you have found and you have no idea what to make of them.

Whatever it is I am sure it will be interesting, enlightening and excellent fun to talk about.

We have said before that these meetings are supposed to be informal, and this still holds true, nobody is forced to take up this suggestion – but I still think it could generate fantastic discussions.

As a little teaser, I recently stumbled across something called “Audio-visual perception enhancement”: It screams all “woo” at me but it might have merits – help me investigate it in more detail (see here to download some English language information).

I know what you are all thinking: When and where will this remarkable, un-missable event happen?

Glad you asked, we will meet on 09 May 2012 from 7:00 PM onwards at The Black Boy pub in Winchester:

1 Wharf Hill,
Winchester
SO23 9MQ
(For convenience there are two car parks closeby.)

Watch out for the hashtag #WinSotRT on Twitter for more updates.

See you all there soon!

PS: This is an experiment – let us know what you think of adding little themes like this to the meetings or whether we should try other things in the future (e.g. quizzes or competitions?) – all feedback is welcome.

Scheduling Skeptics of the Round Table – a quick opinion poll

Could I have your attention for a minute, please?

Having recently had a good, solid first social meeting ( aka Skeptics of the Round Table) I have been told the current schedule of holding this meeting on the second Wednesday of each month is overlapping with the Space Lectures over at Intech.

Here are two simple questions:

Are there any of you out there who go to the Space Lectures regularly and who would like to join us for the Round Table afterwards (the Space Lectures finish at 8:00 pm) but cannot for one reason or another?
If so, what can we do to help you make it to both events?
Is there a preference to move the Round Table to a different day of the week?
(I definitely want to stick with the second week of the month as that places the Round Table meetings nicely in between our meetings with speakers in the Discovery Center.)

Your input is highly valued, so thanks for letting us know what you think in the comments section below.

Freedom of Social Media or the Shackles of Regulation ?

Great stuff tonight from that most splendid chap David Allen Green. We had a very lively Q&A session with some extremely probing questions and some crass naïvety from myself.
A great many issues were raised including; How is the law and government going to handle their current utter powerlessness to regulate social media ?
Will they allow this new communication medium and opportunity for transparency to flower, or will they make draconian laws in an attempt to stomp on it with the jack-book heel of authoritarianism ?
Should they even try ?
What do you think ?
Comments please.

Winchester SitP – David Allen Green ~ Jack of Kent

At the end of the first Round Table …

Well …. that was lovely.

Just got home from the first ever Winchester Skeptics of the Round Table, our new regular social meet up. Twelve beautiful, witty and irresistibly attractive skeptics (at least that is how I remember them) quaffed some delicious pints, sipped some wine and discussed various important subjects like:

personal paths towards skepticism
pros and cons of our new venue for talks, the Winchester Discovery Centre
bungee jumping and skydiving
the best excuses why some could not make it (Malcolm, world domination in a game of Risk is definitely more important – glad to see you have your priorities right)
Sitp venue envy (a big shout-out to Cork Skeptics and their castle)
RFB (ask a nurse with A&E experience to find out what that is)
and many more

My only wish now: Let us do this again next month – 09 May is the day to mark in your calendars.

P.S.: In case you were wondering, the food at the Black Boy pub also was found to be highly enjoyable.

Announcing Skeptics of the Round Table

So, we all enjoy the monthly meetings: listening to interesting speakers, having a little chat with like-minded people – but the evenings are always over so quickly …

Well, we can help with that. Going back to our roots (or should I say returning to the pub) it is my honour and pleasure to announce the new social meet-up of the Hampshire Skeptics Society:

Skeptics of the Round Table

We shall be stripping back the concept to “what it says on the tin”: a pub, some skeptics (hopefully plenty), but no speakers – just us chittering and chattering. Just show up, grab a drink and join us for stimulating discussions (or a good old laugh).

The first date for our new social meet-up will be Wednesday, 11 April 2012 from 7:00 PM, and following that we are planning to hold a SotRT meeting on the second Wednesday of each month (nicely in between the speaker meetings, just to keep the withdrawal symptoms in check …).
The first meeting will be at The Black Boy pub in Winchester:

1 Wharf Hill
Winchester
SO23 9MQ
There are also two car parks very close to the pub.

Watch out for the hashtag #WinSotRT on Twitter for future updates.

We are all looking forward to meeting you there!

Climate Change Sceptic ? – Updated

We have had some more emails from Mr Bright-Paul the climate-change “sceptic”.
As you’ve seen thus far, Anthony claims to have an open and skeptical mind with regards to his own position. I have personally not yet seen any evidence of this claim, perhaps you have, perhaps I’m missing something.
Again, I post these communications in an effort to illustrate the failings of reason and the mental traps that one’s thinking can easily fall prey to. These emails, in my view, are a classic example of an entrenched position that appears unable to admit the possibility of doubt and utilises infinite minutiae to deflect answers whilst avoiding the elephant in the room.
It’s a very common trick that some creationists also use, Mr Gish of galloping fame comes to mind as a similar example. I’m sure you can think of others.
Anyway, have a read of these and see if you can find the common thread through all of this. I have posted my own personal views at the end.
I have also made the odd comment in blue (for the cooling effect ). I have not replied directly to these emails but instead prefer to conduct my communications in the open where I can be corrected in public.

It’s all rather fun really I think. There are reams and reams of information submitted by Mr Bright-Paul that he seems to think will have some bearing on the facts of the matter. Simply posting ever more detailed analyses of increasingly cherry-picked data does not change what is happening in our atmosphere and to our planet. Something of which Mr Bright-Paul would appear to be unaware.

Anyway, read on…
Continue reading Climate Change Sceptic ? – Updated

Winchester SitP – Deborah Hyde ~ Jourdemayne

Climate Change Sceptic ?

I had an email yesterday from a chap called Anthony Bright-Paul. Here it is :

Message:
I have already written an article or essay called ‘Trapping Heat’ in which I refer to Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski, before having seen the final episode of their series on Orbit. I recorded the first two episodes and watched several times. Look forward to final episode tonight. I hope I won’t be disappointed!

Seemed interested in the programme as I’m sure many of us are. It is after all an engaging and fascinating series of films and of course it stars our honorary president Dr. Helen Czerski. Yay !
Just a few minutes later there came another email. Here’s the new one :

to Hampshire Sceptics:

I trust that you really are both Climate Sceptics and also Europe Sceptics. I go out of my way to gather Sceptics together, and have some 31 Sceptic Professors on my mailing list. I have been to lectures by Ian Plimer and Richard Lindzen, and I know Bob Carter, Hans Schreuder, John O’Sullivan, and Philip Foster amongst other prominent Sceptic scientists. I have a large number of other contacts. In the attached I refer to Kate Humble and also Dr Helen Czerzki and their programme about the Earth’s orbit. I am looking forward to the final episode, trusting it is not after all going to be a Warmist bit of propaganda as it is on the BBC.
So far so good,

Sincerely

Anthony Bright-Paul
[contact info redacted]
Motto: Learn something new every day.
Planet Earth is dynamic and evolving.

Hmmmmmm, I thought. Ooookay.
So I decided to do a little bit of checking and found that the people referred to, other than Helen and Kate of course, could be politely described as being not among the consensus when it comes to the evidence for climate change.
As I’m doing this bit of checking I noticed that this email had an attachment. Oh goody ! So before checking out Mr Bright-Paul’s own credentials I decided to open the attachment and have a good read.
You can have a read of it too here : PDF – Trapping Heat essay
I strongly suggest you read the essay, it won’t take long being only four and a bit pages long with some nice pictures too. It’s good fun.

Reading the essay was enough to prompt a reply. This is what I wrote back …

Continue reading Climate Change Sceptic ?

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