Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net A friendly place for critical thinkers! :) Sat, 02 Mar 2013 05:30:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 13/09/2012 – Conference Call: Pseudoscience- and religion-based laws in Illinois http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/09/10/13092012-conference-call-pseudoscience-and-religion-based-laws-in-illinois/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/09/10/13092012-conference-call-pseudoscience-and-religion-based-laws-in-illinois/#comments Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:10:07 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=367 Continue reading →]]>

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Participant Access Code: 978895, Chicago, IL

No, we’re not in Louisiana where tax dollars pay for students to be taught that the existence of the Loch Ness Monster disproves evolution, but Illinois has current laws and proposed bills that are anti-education/ science/ health/ rights.

Policy experts from the Secular Coalition for America (Washington DC) will lead this conference call for citizens of Illinois to learn about pseudoscience- and religion-based bills being introduced on a state level.

A conference call is simply a group phone call. Participants call in on their own phones from their jobs, homes, anywhere. There is no in-person meetup at a location.

The SCA will provide guidance on how to defend education, science, health, and rights. The media doesn’t cover these bad bills, nor the associated ignorance and bigotry of elected officials. This is the first such call for Illinois. The SCA is starting up chapters in all 50 states.

(Several of us from Illinois participated in the SCA’s Lobby Day for Reason when we went to DC for the Reason Rally. Lobby Day was amazing!)

Please join in on this important call. You don’t have to speak. Just listen and learn. Of course, you are encouraged to ask questions.

Subscribe here specifically for Illinois:
http://action.secular.org/signup_page/statesignup
I think there may be an email sent out before the call for you to follow along (or read later) and read linked articles about Chicago and Illinois.

Thursday, September 13, 2012
2:00 PM Chicago time
Location: Your phone.  Anywhere you happen to be.

Call in to the meeting at (530) 881-1400
When prompted, enter this Participant Access Code: 978895

**Mute your phone when you are not speaking to avoid adding your background noise to the call.**

Note: This is an informal, informational event of interest to many of our members. There is no in-person meetup.

Details on meetup.com

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/09/10/13092012-conference-call-pseudoscience-and-religion-based-laws-in-illinois/feed/ 0 2011 11/12 Carl Sagan Day, Chicago http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/05/carl-sagan-day-chicago/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/05/carl-sagan-day-chicago/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:32 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=165 Continue reading →]]> Saturday, November 12, 2011, 6:00 PM

Hughes Auditorium, Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center of NWU
303 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL (map)

Chicago Skeptics have been cordially invited to join in the fun at a Sagan Day event sponsored by several university secular groups and the Women Thinking Free Foundation. There will be a panel on Science, skepticism, and the Legacy of Carl Sagan, apple pie, and Cosmos (21+).Full details at meetup.com.
]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/05/carl-sagan-day-chicago/feed/ 0 2011 11/17 Skeptical Salon: The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/skeptical-salon-the-psychopath-test-by-jon-ronson/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/skeptical-salon-the-psychopath-test-by-jon-ronson/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:08:57 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=175 Continue reading →]]> Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7:30 PM

Jen’s Place
5 E. 14th Place, #1705, Chicago, 60605, Chicago, IL (map)

Note: this is a week earlier than our usual salons ‘cus of Thaksgiving; look for Newport on the call-up box.

A fairly quick read (I know…I read it on Sunday…yes…I’ve already finished it, Nik ;) ), this is a book that can prime your skepticism in a number of areas. It’s a good reminder of repeatedly checking our own biases. And the sources that we put trust in…how science-based are they? And the gut feeling we get when someone is, well, just too off, but you don’t have evidence, but maybe is it sometimes okay to say…hey…they’re not reality based. And is Jon Ronson a journalist or an autobiographer? These questions–and many others–will be answered at the same bat time, same bat place, slightly different bat date (i.e. a week earlier than our usual salon). (I think I just combined a “Soap” and a “Batman” (the TV series) reference…both before most of your times…I think that makes me a retro-hipster?)

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/skeptical-salon-the-psychopath-test-by-jon-ronson/feed/ 0 2011 11/19 Chicago Skeptics Meetup: The Anti Birth Control Movement http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/chicago-skeptics-meetup-the-anti-birth-control-movement/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/chicago-skeptics-meetup-the-anti-birth-control-movement/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:21:48 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=183 Continue reading →]]> Saturday, November 19, 2011, 12:30 PM
Black Rock
3614 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL (map)

we’ll be in the back room

Chicago Skeptics member Corina is getting together a talk to discuss the science and skepticism of the anti-birth-control movement that has been quietly (and not so quietly) been growing in parts of the country. More details to come!

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/11/06/chicago-skeptics-meetup-the-anti-birth-control-movement/feed/ 0 2011 12/17 Not an endorsement! http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/201-121-not-an-endorsement/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/201-121-not-an-endorsement/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:12:41 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=218 Continue reading →]]> Saturday, December 17, 2011, 12:30 PM

Location: Black Rock
3614 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL
(we’ll be in the back room)

Hosted by: Jairus

Not an endorsement! (or “How I learned to stop worrying and love the electoral process.”)

Are you concerned that you are voting for the hair and not for the candidate? Is one single issue clouding your ability to judge debate performance? Does the constant flood of soundbites dull your sense and make you start daydreaming about the good old days of monarchy?

You’re in luck! On December 17th, Jairus will share with us one crack-pot scheme to increase objectivity, structure our choices, and reduce the influence of spin, marketing, and mudslinging in choosing our elected officials.

More info at meetup.org.

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/201-121-not-an-endorsement/feed/ 0 2012 01/14 A Festivus for the Rest of Us http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0114-a-festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0114-a-festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:03:30 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=206 Continue reading →]]>

Saturday, January 14, 2012, 7:00 PM

Location: Jen’s Place, 60605

Keep an eye on this post in case of venue change.

Work in progress toward fun! This is a Party where the extent to which you delve into heady thoughts is entirely up to you! Maybe we’ll try to gather a few bucks to offset the cost of Skepticamp. Aluminum pole? Check! Feats of strength? Check! Airing of grievances? Check. Fun? Check Plus! More details ahead…

Depending on the number of RSVP’s, we may need to change the venue. If you mark ‘yes’ but really mean ‘maybe’ please post a comment indicating likelihood of attendance so I can predict food/drink.

More info on meetup.org.

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0114-a-festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/feed/ 0 2012 01/24 Let’s Talk Skeptically Abt Free Will – please note *NEW* date change http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-01-1/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-01-1/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:26:29 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=224 Continue reading →]]>
ANOTHER DATE CHANGE  (Apologies. This will not change again, even if Elmer can’t be there.)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 7:00 PM

Location: Goose Island Brew Pub1800 N. Clybourn, Chicago, IL

Hosted by: Elmer

Here’s a link to a current article: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/201… “Because everyone is demanding, rightly, that one define one’s concept of free will before discussing it, I will offer one here, subject, of course, to modification if it proves incoherent or useless: A person makes a decision. Now rewind the tape leading up to the moment of that decision. Everything remains exactly the same as before: the history of the universe, the person’s entire life, experiences, and body, and so on. If on the rewind the person makes a decision different from the one before, then that person had free will.”

More info at meetup.org.

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-01-1/feed/ 0 2012 01/28 Skepticamp Chicago! http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/08/30/skepticamp-chicago-5/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/08/30/skepticamp-chicago-5/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:28:54 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=72 Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10:00 AM – 6 PM.

Full details at our Skepticamp Page.

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/08/30/skepticamp-chicago-5/feed/ 0 2012 02/23 Skeptical Salon: How To Lie With Statistics http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/02/01/2012-0223-skeptical-salon-how-to-lie-with-statistics/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/02/01/2012-0223-skeptical-salon-how-to-lie-with-statistics/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:03:43 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=266 Continue reading →]]>

Thursday, February 23, 2012, 7:30 PM

Location:
Jen’s Place
5 E. 14th Place, #1705, Chicago, 60605, Chicago, IL (map) (Look up Newport on the buzzer :)

 

A brief and classic look at how statistics can often be misused to persuade/fool/confuse/convince. As folks with a fondness for the proper use of data, this is a fun and insightful way to see how statistics are used by those with an agenda. Even if you’re already familiar with the many ways statistics can be tweaked and shaded, it’s a nifty catalog of the old standbys that have worked for decades.

Homework: find some ways that you see suspicious use of stats on the news or in your life. 

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2012/02/01/2012-0223-skeptical-salon-how-to-lie-with-statistics/feed/ 0 2012 02/25 Skyping Skeptically with Skeptoid’s own Brian Dunning! http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0225-skyping-skeptically-with-skeptoids-own-brian-dunning/ http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0225-skyping-skeptically-with-skeptoids-own-brian-dunning/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:38:49 +0000 Chicago Skeptics http://chicagoskeptics.net/?p=236 Continue reading →]]> Saturday, February 25, 2012, 12:30 PM

Location: Black Rock
3614 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL

Brian Dunning of Skeptoid podcast, InFact skeptical video series, Skepticblog and creator of “Here Be Dragons” (a 40 minute video introduction to critical thinking intended for general audiences) will be our guest via the magic of video Skype…we’ll get used to the slight lag pretty quickly. He’ll discuss one of his assessments of pop-cultural phenomena through a skeptical lens, followed by an interactive question and answer session.

More info at meetup.org.

]]> http://chicagoskeptics.net/2011/12/02/2012-0225-skyping-skeptically-with-skeptoids-own-brian-dunning/feed/ 0