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Rusty Razor Award
''The Skeptic'' is a British non-profit skepticism magazine. It describes itself as "the UK's longest running and foremost sceptical magazine, which examines science, skepticism, secularism, critical thinking and claims of the paranormal." It is also known to take a critical stance towards alternative medicine. History, format and structure ''The Skeptic'' was founded in 1987 by Wendy M. Grossman, and subsequently edited from 1988 to 1998 by Toby Howard (The University of Manchester, England) and Steve Donnelly (University of Huddersfield, England). From 1998 to 2011 it was edited by Chris French, and from 2011 to 2020 by Deborah Hyde. In the end of 1986, Grossman visited the headquarters of Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (still named Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, CSICOP) in Buffalo, NY. She had crossed paths with the skeptical movement more than five years earlier, after attending a lecture by stage magician James Randi and readin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Marshall (skeptic)
Michael "Marsh" Marshall (born 13 August 1983) is a British scientific skepticism, skeptical activist and the editor of ''The Skeptic (UK magazine), The Skeptic'' magazine since September 2020. He is the co-founder and vice-president of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and co-host of its official podcast, ''Skeptics with a K'', project director of the Good Thinking Society, and has occasionally written for ''The Times'', ''The Guardian'' and ''New Statesman''. As of 2022, Marshall is a fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Early life and influences Marshall was born on 13 August 1983 in Bishop Auckland, North East England. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts, BA in English at Liverpool, and has worked there in marketing and web design since. He traces his interest in skepticism to Penn and Teller's ''Bullshit!'' series. Researching why Teller never speaks led him to The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, and from there he discovered James Randi's ''Flim-Flam!'' and Car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Committee For Skeptical Inquiry
The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is a program within the U.S. non-profit organization Center for Inquiry (CFI), which seeks to "promote scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims." Paul Kurtz proposed the establishment of CSICOP in 1976 as an independent non-profit organization (before merging with CFI as one of its programs in 2015), to counter what he regarded as an uncritical acceptance of, and support for, paranormal claims by both the media and society in general. Its philosophical position is one of scientific skepticism. CSI's fellows have included notable scientists, Nobel laureates, philosophers, psychologists, educators, and authors. It is headquartered in Amherst, New York. History The committee was officially launched on April 30, 1976, and was co-chaired by Paul Kurtz an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Cox (physicist)
Brian Edward Cox (born 3 March 1968) is an English physicist and musician who is professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester and the Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science. He is best known to the public as the presenter of science programmes, especially BBC Radio 4’s ''The Infinite Monkey Cage'' and the ''Wonders of...'' series and for popular science books, including '' Why Does E=mc2?'' and '' The Quantum Universe''. Cox has been described as the natural successor for the BBC's scientific programming by Sir David Attenborough. Before his academic career, Cox was a keyboard player for the British bands Dare and D:Ream. Early life and education Cox was born on 3 March 1968 in the Royal Oldham Hospital, later living in nearby Chadderton from 1971. He has a younger sister. His parents worked for The Yorkshire Bank, his mother as a cashier and his father as a middle-manager in the same branch. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Colquhoun
David Colquhoun (born 19 July 1936) is a British pharmacologist at University College London (UCL). He has contributed to the general theory of receptor and synaptic mechanisms, and in particular the theory and practice of single ion channel function. He held the A.J. Clark chair of Pharmacology at UCL from 1985 to 2004, and was the Hon. Director of the Wellcome Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1985 and an honorary fellow of UCL in 2004. Colquhoun runs the website ''DC's Improbable Science'', which is critical of pseudoscience, particularly alternative medicine, and managerialism. Early life and education Colquhoun was born on 19 July 1936 in Birkenhead, UK. He was educated at Birkenhead School and Liverpool Technical College. After working unhappily as an apprentice pharmacist, he was motivated to go into research. He obtained a BSc from the University of Leeds with a specialisation in pharmacology, and we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Derren Brown
Derren Brown (born 27 February 1971) is an English mentalist, illusionist, and writer. He is a self-described "psychological illusionist" whose acts are often designed to expose the methods of those who claim to possess supernatural powers, such as faith healers and mediums. His live performances, which incorporate audience participation and comedy, often include statements describing how his results are achieved through a combination of psychology, showmanship, magic, misdirection, and suggestion. Brown began performing in 1992, making his television debut with '' Mind Control'' (2000). He has since starred in several more shows for stage and television, including '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (2006) and '' Svengali'' (2012) which won him two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment, as well as '' The Experiments'' (2011) which won him a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme at the 2012 awards. Brown made his Broadway debut with his 2019 stage show ''Sec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susan Blackmore
Susan Jane Blackmore (born 29 July 1951) is a British writer, lecturer, sceptic, broadcaster, and a visiting professor at the University of Plymouth. Her fields of research include memetics, parapsychology, consciousness, and she is best known for her book '' The Meme Machine''. She has written or contributed to over 40 books and 60 scholarly articles and is a contributor to ''The Guardian'' newspaper. Career In 1973, Susan Blackmore graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford, with a BA (Hons) degree in psychology and physiology. She received an MSc in environmental psychology in 1974 from the University of Surrey. In 1980, she earned a PhD in parapsychology from the same university; her doctoral thesis was titled "Extrasensory Perception as a Cognitive Process." In the 1980s, Blackmore conducted psychokinesis experiments to see if her baby daughter, Emily, could influence a random number generator. The experiments were mentioned in the book to accompany the TV series '' Arthur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Alcock
James E. Alcock (born 24 December 1942) is Professor emeritus (Psychology) at York University (Canada). Alcock is a noted critic of parapsychology and a Fellow and Member of the Executive Council for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a member of the Editorial Board of ''The Skeptical Inquirer'', and a frequent contributor to the magazine. He has also been a columnist for ''Humanist Perspectives'' Magazine. In 1999, a panel of skeptics named him among the two dozen most outstanding skeptics of the 20th century. In May 2004, CSICOP awarded Alcock CSI's highest honor, the In Praise of Reason Award. The author of several books and peer reviewed journal articles, Alcock is also an amateur magician and a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Early life Alcock grew up in an observant Protestant household and regularly went to Sunday school. His mother was "very religious" and his father, though not outwardly observant, "never criticized religion". "When I star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donald Rooum
Donald Rooum (20 April 1928 – 31 August 2019) was an English anarchist cartoonist and writer. He had an extremely long association with the ''Freedom'' newspaper in London, to which he regularly submitted his ''Wildcat'' comic strips. In 1963 he played a key role in exposing Harold Challenor, a corrupt police officer who had unsuccessfully tried to frame him for carrying an offensive weapon, see below. Early life and education Donald Rooum was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He registered as a conscientious objector but was pressured by his family into doing two years military service, starting January 1947. A resettlement grant following his discharge allowed him to study commercial design at Bradford Regional Art School from 1949 to 1953. A 1952 portrait of him by Frank Lisle, one of his lecturers at the School, is displayed in The Hepworth, Wakefield. From 1954 to 1966 Rooum worked as a layout artist and typographer in London advertising agencies. He then worked as a l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crispian Jago
Crispian may refer to: * Crispian Hollis (born 1936), English Bishop of Portsmouth * Crispian Mills (born 1973), English singer, songwriter, and guitarist * Crispian St. Peters (born 1939 as Robin Peter Smith), English pop singer in the 1960s * Crispian Steele-Perkins (born 1944), English virtuoso classical trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ... See also * Crispin (other) {{given name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newsletter
A newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of interest to its recipients and may be considered grey literature. E-newsletters are delivered electronically via e-mail and can be viewed as spamming if e-mail marketing is sent unsolicited. The newsletter, sometimes a periodical, is the most common form of serial publication. About two-thirds of newsletters are internal publications, aimed towards employees and volunteers, while about one-third are external publications, aimed towards advocacy or special interest groups. History In ancient Rome, newsletters were exchanged between officials or friends. By the Middle Ages, they were exchanged between merchant families. Trader's newsletters covered various topics such as the availability and pricing of goods, political news, and ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skeptical Inquirer
''Skeptical Inquirer'' (S.I.) is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle "The Magazine for Science and Reason". The magazine initially focused on investigating claims of the paranormal, but evolved and expanded to address other pseudoscientific topics that are antithetical to critical thinking and science. Notable skeptics have credited the magazine in influencing their development of scientific skepticism. In the "Letters to the Editor", the most frequent letters of appreciation come from educators. History The magazine was originally titled ''The Zetetic'' (from the Greek meaning "skeptical seeker" or "inquiring skeptic"), and was originally edited by Marcello Truzzi. About a year after its inception a schism developed between the editor Truzzi and the rest of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). CSICOP was more "firmly opposed to nonsense, more ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer with interests also encompassing magic, scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writings of Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, and G. K. Chesterton.Martin (2010) He was a leading authority on Lewis Carroll; '' The Annotated Alice'', which incorporated the text of Carroll's two Alice books, was his most successful work and sold over a million copies.Martin Gardner obituary (2010) He had a lifelong interest in magic and illusion and in 1999, ''MAGIC'' magazine named him as one of the "10 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
