Skeptic: Extraordinary Claims, Revolutionary Ideas, and the Promotion of Science

Anti-science propaganda: how Ben Stein’s new ‘documentary’ film entitled Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed equates evolution with Nazism. Was anyone really fired for their belief in Intelligent Design? Read these four articles and listen to the Skepticality podcast to find out!

1. Ben Stein’s Blunder
2. The Richard Sternberg Affair
3. The Expelled Case
   of Caroline Crocker
4. Was Guillermo Gonzalez Expelled?
5. READ Dawkin’s open letter to a victim of Ben Stein’s propaganda
6. LISTEN to Skepticality
   episode 74 (51MB MP3)
7. LISTEN to Skepticality
   episode 76 (41MB MP3)
8. WATCH a parody of the film
   on RichardDawkins.net: Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Beyond Human:
Living with Robots & Cyborgs

Dr. Greg Benford & Dr. Elisabeth Malartre
Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 2 pm
Baxter Lecture Hall

Concepts once purely fiction — robots, cyborg parts, artificial intelligence — are becoming part of everyday reality. Soon robots will be everywhere, performing surgery, exploring hazardous places, making rescues, fighting fires, and handling heavy goods. After a decade or two, they will be as unremarkable as computer screens are now in our offices, airports, and restaurants. Cyborgs will be less obvious. These additions to the human body — rebuilt joints, elbows, and hearts — are mostly inferior now…

• READ more about this lecture >

Shermer explains how evolution shaped the modern economy and why people are so irrational about money. How did we make the leap from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumers and traders? Why do people get so emotional and irrational about bottom-line financial and business decisions… Read more >

• ORDER the hardback book >

• WATCH the videos >

Skepticality— the official podcast of Skeptic magazine

Skepticality — the pioneering original skeptics podcast — is a top-rated audio talk show dedicated to skeptical topics and interviews.

• READ about the current episode >
• LISTEN to the current episode
  (41MB MP3) >
• LISTEN to past episodes >
• SUBSCRIBE to Skepticality
  within iTunes >
• SUBSCRIBE to the RSS feed >

The Power of Belief

In this 14-minute introduction to skepticism, Dr. Michael Shermer (Executive Director of the Skeptics Society) discusses why people believe weird things and elaborates on the power of belief systems. This lecture was delivered at the 2006 TED conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design) in Monterey, California. For additional TED talks go to www.ted.com/tedtalks

• DOWNLOAD streaming video (36MB) >

In this week’s eSkeptic, we present two free articles from the current issue of Skeptic magazine on global warming: Patrick Frank’s A Climate of Belief and the other by Tapio Schneider’s How We Know Global Warming is Real.

• READ this week’s eSkeptic >
• SIGN UP to receive future eSkeptic, our free weekly newsletter >

In last week’s eSkeptic, we announce the new issue of Skeptic magazine, Volume 14, Number 1 on Global Warming and give away some cool Junior Skeptic folder icons for MAC and PC for FREE.

• READ last week’s eSkeptic >

In this two-part documentary, Oxford Professor Richard Dawkins examines how religious faith is gaining ground in the face of rational, scientific truth. The program takes you to some of the world’s religious hot-spots, both in America and the Middle East. Dawkins meets with religious leaders and their followers, as well as scientists and skeptics to examine the power of religion. Interviews with former Pastor Ted Haggard, the novelist Ian McEwan, the former Bishop of Oxford, and others offer valuable insights into the global impact and consequences of faith in the 21st century.

• ORDER the DVD >

Dinesh D’Souza
v. Michael Shermer

In this debate on what are arguably two of the most important questions in the culture wars today — Is Religion a Force for Good or Evil? and Can you be Good without God? — the conservative Christian author and cultural scholar Dinesh D’Souza and the libertarian skeptic writer and social scientist Michael Shermer, square off to resolve these and related issues, such as the relationship between science and religion and the nature and existence of God. This event was one of the liveliest ever hosted by the Skeptics Society at Caltech, mixing science, religion, politics, and culture. READ more…

• WATCH the debate >
• ORDER the DVD >

Environmental Wars
now at Shop Skeptic

The 2006 conference is now available at Shop Skeptic in DVD, VHS, CD and audio cassette formats. The lectures (which took place at Caltech on Saturday, June 3rd) are sold individually, or as a 5 part set at incredible discounts!

• ORDER part 1 >
• ORDER part 2 >
• ORDER part 3 >
• ORDER part 4 >
• ORDER part 5 >
• ORDER the complete set >
• VISIT the conference website >

Deepak and Shermer debate the question of life after death.

• READ the essays in full >