WNY’s local atheist group, the Center For Inquiry Transnational, is arguably the largest atheist organization in the world. They will be holding “Skepticamp” this Saturday from 9 until 5 with no less than 6 speakers! In the spirit of “diversity” I have volunteered to be the “token Christian” in the group.
Anyways, according to their website, “The Center for Inquiry Transnational (CFI Transnational) is an international arm of the Center for Inquiry (CFI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting scientific rationalism and secular humanism. Established under the banner of CFI Transnational, it organizes international activities and collaborates with regional branches to advance its mission.”
The Center has only held a handful of lectures since “all things Covid” put the Kabash to live meetings. And zoom meeting are just not the same.
But I just received notice that Skepticamp is in play and I plan on being there bright and early - well, at least early. I don’t know how “bright” I’ll be at 8:30 am.
It’s actually a 3-day event, but I’m just going to be there on Saturday for the talks themselves.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Friday night
Skeptics in the Pub (Location TBD)
Saturday at the Center For Inquiry Transnational:
9:00 – 9:10AM – Eric Shaver
Opening Remarks
Welcome to the WNY Skepticamp 2024! CFI *Outreach Coordinator Eric Shaver will kick off the day with a brief look at what the Center is doing to build communities of skeptics, secularists and freethinkers, and how this SkeptiCamp fits into the mission of CFI.
Eric Shaver works to grow and develop skeptical and secular community groups across the world. He has a Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University at Buffalo, where his research focused on the behavioral implications of religious and supernatural belief.
[**On a side note, I actually applied for the “CFI Outreach Coordinator” position when it was first introduced back in 2012. It didn’t say you had to be an atheist! You just had to be “familiar with their goals and objectives” and willing to interact with students at the UB Campus! And I fit both categories! (No, I didn’t get the job).]
9:15 – 10:00AM – Stephen Hupp (Editor of Skeptical Inquirer)
Skeptical Inquirer Magazine: This Year’s Highlights and a Peek into the Future
The editor of Skeptical Inquirer will highlight some of the best articles from 2024, starting with cover stories on topics such as Bigfoot’s death, the artificial intelligence apocalypse, the Olympic games, and other “stories that should be handled with care.” The presentation will include some of the “Fun & Games” and “Secrets Revealed” straight from the magazine, and the biggest revealed secret will be the cover story for the next issue coming out in September.
Stephen Hupp is a psychology professor and editor of Skeptical Inquirer: The Magazine for Science and Reason. His books include Investigating Pop Psychology (with Richard Wiseman), Pseudoscience in Therapy (with Cara Santa Maria), and Science-Based Therapy (with David Tolin). He once held a Guinness World Record for the “longest line of books.”
10:05 – 10:50AM – Tim Redmond - Cheap Fakes and Deep Fakes
Cheap fakes (photographs or audio/video files that have been recontextualized or edited in some manner) and deepfakes (photographs or audio/video files that have been generated through artificial intelligence) have become ubiquitous. Unfortunately, they can have several negative consequences. This presentation will provide examples of each, explore their impact, and give you the tools you need to identify them.
Timothy J. Redmond, who received his PhD in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, is an award-winning educator at Williamsville East High School and an adjunct professor at Daemen University. He is the author of over one hundred articles on critical thinking and politics as well as the book Political Tribalism in America: How Hyper Partisanship Dumbs Down Democracy and How To Fix It.
11:00 – 11:45PM – CFI Tour by Kenny Biddle
A guided tour of the Center for Inquiry headquarters presented by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry’s Chief Investigator! Learn about the past, present and future of your home for science, reason and secular values!
12:10 – 1:15PM Lunch Break (On your own)
1:20 – 2:05PM – Dave Hahn - Inoculation Rather than Treatment
Conspiracy theories reject facts and the standard rules of argumentation which is why debating them is often fruitless and frustrating for skeptics. The best weapon against conspiracy theories is to inoculate people against their traps rather than attempt to treat the condition afterwards. This talk will discuss why this is the case and methods for doing so.
Dr. Dave Hahn is an advisory board member with the WNY branch of the Center for Inquiry. He earned his PhD during the pandemic with a dissertation on the philosophical problem of conspiracy theories. His writing appears in the Skeptical Inquirer, the UK’s longest running skeptical magazine “The Skeptic,” the Pop-Culture and Philosophy book series, and he’s been featured in the TedX speaker series. He currently resides in Buffalo NY.
2:10 – 2:55PM – Kenny Biddle (CSI Chief Investigator) - Strategies for Solving Mysteries
In the presentation, Strategies for Solving Mysteries, Kenny will go over just a few of the many strategies he employs to investigate (and often solve) various mysteries – from ghosts/haunted houses and UFO/alien sighting to monsters/cryptids and alleged miracles. With each strategy will be an example of its practical use from his own case files.
Kenny Biddle has been investigating (and solving) mysteries for over two decades. His investigations have entailed everything from debunking ghost hunting gadgets and famous haunted houses to exposing psychics and recreating photographic “evidence” of the afterlife. He hosts a livestream show each week, The Skeptical Help Bar, providing an informed skeptical approach to paranormal topics.
He also writes an online column, “A Closer Look,” for Skeptical Inquirer and produces the vlog series Ghosts in the Machine detailing his various investigations. Biddle frequently attends paranormal-themed events, where he often sets up a “Skeptical Help Booth” to bring skepticism and critical thinking where it is much needed. He’s a CSI Fellow and the Chief Investigator for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
3:00 – 3:45PM – Phil Stevens
The Anthropology of Conspiracy Theories
“Conspiracy Theory” is a common phrase in the news these days; what does it mean? This talk discusses some of the standard elements in public narratives about hidden evil forces that are working among us to subvert our way of life. Anthropology reveals that such beliefs are timeless and universal, and intensify in times of general social anxiety. Most interesting: many conspiracy theories throughout history have several terrible elements in common, which are suggestive of their likely origins in the evolution of human sociality.
Phillips Stevens Jr. is a cultural anthropologist whose research analyzes and traces the roots of religion and spiritualism in human culture. He is an Associate Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus at SUNY Buffalo.
3:50PM – 4:35PM – Coleman Watts
How to Challenge Your Beliefs (without looking like an idiot)
A personal journey of falling down the misinformation rabbit hole and climbing back out again. Coleman uses humor, skits, clips & even poetry to recount his story of being sucked into the world of “The Red Pill”. After falling for conspiracy theories he eventually found his way to skepticism and is now a popular debunker on YouTube.
Coleman Watts is the host of Think This Through, a YouTube show that debunks cons, cults and conspiracies with a humorous flair. Coleman uses his performance skills to entertain while promoting critical thinking. When not working on his videos, Coleman works on CiviCRM, a software project that powers fundraising for nonprofits like the Wikimedia Foundation.
4:35PM – Whenever
Closing Remarks followed by Dinner on Your Own. Some members will be getting dinner together at a local restaurant. Details will be announced throughout the event.
Sunday: Sunday, July 21: Social Outing to the Buffalo Waterfront. Meet up with other SkeptiCampers to close out the weekend exploring the Buffalo Waterfront!
I wish I had found out about this sooner so I could better prepare. I never go to debates to belittle people or put them on the spot. Quite the opposite. For one, I want to hear first-hand what they believe. And then I want to engage in downloaded dialogue as commanded in 1 Peter 3:15, “…with gentleness and respect.” In many cases both sides learn from each other.
My advantage is that I came out of atheism and am all too familiar with what “religion” can be like as experienced from the other side. I often define “religion” as “Christianity without grace”. Religion is the pomp and ceremony that so often offends (see Matt 23). But then I walk it back to explain what “true religion” is according to James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Atheists view all religion as hypocrisy.
So this should be an interesting Saturday as Saturday’s go.
I’ll follow-up in a future substack article.
Until then…