Posted by Stephen Law on October 30, 2008
Presented by Centre For Inquiry London and South Place Ethical Society
Organized by CFI London Provost Stephen Law
Saturday, 25th April, 10.30am-4pm
A day exploring the relationship between science and religion
Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL.
£10 (£5 for students) BOOK NOW. Send a cheque payable to ‘Center for Inquiry London” to: Executive Director Suresh Lalvani, Center for Inquiry London, at the above address. Alternatively pay by PAYPAL. Use the “Support” link at www.cfilondon.org and follow the instructions.
10.30AM REGISTRATION
11-12AM JACK COHEN. Why I believe in evolution – or in Omphalos!
The evidence for evolution converges from at least three directons: from the fossils, from the DNA sequences, and from contemporary examples (Darwin’s finches, African cichlids, bacterial and insect resistance). “Creationism”, or “Intelligent Design” are out because they don’t explain, they haven’t the Authority, and Grand Canyon/Flood ideas are simply absurd. But there are other choices, particularly if you Believe: the Plymouth Brother Philip Gosse wrote “Omphalos” a few years before Darwin’s “…Origin…” (his son Edmund wrote “Father and Son’). The problem is that the rock column is genuinely and persuasively ancient, while the Bible insists on some thousands of years of history. God made Adam mature, with a navel (omphalos) and that’s the clue… It’s such a pretty idea, and makes so much more sense than the standard Creationist’s story! If only there were a God, that’s how It would’ve done it!
Jack Cohen is an internationally known reproductive biologist, who consulted for test-tube-baby and other infertility laboratories, and has worked in Assisted Conception Units. He was reproductive biologist in the Zoology Dept at Birmingham University for thirty years, later in Warwick Maths Institute for five where he was an Honorary Professor. His last position, at Warwick University, bridged the Ecosystems Unit of the Biology Dept and the Mathematics Institute, and his brief included bringing more science to more public awareness – which he still attempts.
12-1pm SIMON SINGH. Big Bang – the gospel according to Monsignor Georges Lemaître
Simon Singh, author of best-selling scientific and mathematical books including Big Bang, Fermat’s Last Theorem and Trick or Treatment?: Alternative Medicine on Trial, will talk about the Big Bang model and how science develops its theories. He will also explain how the concept of the Big Bang was initially developed by George Lemaitre, who successfully combined his careers as a cosmologist and a priest.
2-3pm STEPHEN LAW. Empirical evidence against the God hypothesis
Stephen Law is Provost of CFI London, senior lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College University of London, and author of philosophy books including The War For Children’s Minds (about faith schools), The Philosophy Files (for children 12+) and The Philosophy Gym (which includes dialogues such as “The Strange Case of The Rational Dentist” and “What’s Wrong With Gay Sex?”).
Stephen will look at what appears to be powerful empirical evidence against the existence of the Judeo-Christian God, and at how the faithful respond to that evidence.
3-4pm BARONESS MARY WARNOCK. Religion as humanism
Baroness Mary Warnock is one of the Britain’s leading public figures. She is perhaps best known for her recently expressed views on assisted suicide, and her role in the production of the Warnock report – an inquiry into human fertilisation by the Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology, which she chaired.
Legal stuff: CFI reserves the right to change or cancel events without notice.
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Posted by Stephen Law on October 26, 2008
Centre For Inquiry London
and South Place Ethical Society present
WEIRD SCIENCE
A day exploring the science of the weird, and weird and flaky science.
Saturday, 17th January 2009. 10.30am-4pm.
Venue:
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London
WC1R 4RL
£10 (£5 for students, members of SPES, BHA, GLHA and subscribers to New Humanist – bring proof to the event)
To book tickets by either paypal or cheque, hit the SUPPORT button at the top of the homepage and follow the instructions.
10.30am REGISTRATION
11am-12am
RICHARD WISEMAN
Investigating the impossible: A skeptical approach
For over 20 years, psychologist Richard Wiseman has delved deep into the mysterious world of the paranormal, carrying out high profile, and often controversial, investigations into the impossible. In this talk, Wiseman describes some of his more colourful adventures, presenting a scientific look at a range of seemingly paranormal phenomenon, including fire-walking, ghostly encounters, and ESP. Discover whether such phenomena really exist, what the future holds for parapsychology, and why we are all attracted by the lure of strange stuff. Free packet of peanuts for the best question.
About Richard Wiseman. Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician and currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He frequently appears on the media, and has written over 60 academic articles and several books, including The Luck Factor and Quirkology.
12am-1pm
CHRIS FRENCH
Eight Years of Weird Science at Goldsmiths
The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU) was set up by Professor Chris French in 2000 in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths (for full details, visit www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru). Anomalistic psychology may be defined as the study of extraordinary phenomena of behaviour and experience, including (but not restricted to) those that are often labeled “paranormal”. Over the last eight years, members of the APRU have investigated a wide range of weird and wonderful topics, including alien contact experiences, sleep paralysis, haunted houses, dowsing, and telepathy. Many paranormal claims have been scientifically tested under properly controlled conditions along the way. This overview will present the results of such investigations – and also reveal why Uri Geller cannot stand Richard Wiseman!
About Chris French. Chris French is a Professor of Psychology and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths. He has published over 100 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims. He is the editor of The Skeptic magazine (UK version).
2pm-3pm
STEPHEN LAW
Is creationism scientific?
Polls consistently indicate about 100 million Americans believe the entire universe is six thousand years old and that all species were created as described by Genesis. Even more amazingly, many of these people also believe that this theory is consistent with the scientific evidence. Indeed, there are multi-million dollar research centres in the U.S. run by PhD-qualified staff, that aim to defend young-Earth creationism. How have so many people become so deluded about what is, and isn’t, good science? What are the basic confusions? Stephen Law illustrates with his own pet theory – that dogs are spies from the planet Venus.
About Stephen Law. Stephen Law is senior lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London, editor of THINK: Philosophy for Everyone (Royal Institute of Philosophy), and Provost of CFI London. He is the author of many philosophy books, including The Philosophy Files (for children 12+) and The Philosophy Gym (which contains such dialogues as “The Strange Case of The Rational Dentist” and “What’s Wrong With Gay Sex?”)
3pm-4pm
BEN GOLDACRE
Listen up flakes: science is seriously so much more interesting than anything you can make up with your woolly new age claptrap.
About Ben Goldacre. Ben Goldacre is a writer, broadcaster and medical doctor from the UK who is best known for his ‘Bad Science’ column in The Guardian newspaper, examining the claims of scaremongering journalists, quack health products, pseudoscientific cosmetics adverts, and evil multinational pharmaceutical corporations, as well as wider themes such as the medicalisation of everyday life and the psychology of irrational beliefs. He has a background in medicine and academia, trained in Oxford and London, works full time for the NHS, appears regularly on radio and TV, and has written for publications as diverse as Time Out, the British Medical Journal, New Statesman and The Lancet, as well as writing and presenting ‘The Rise Of The Lifestyle Nutritionists’ and ‘The Power of Placebo’ in 2008 on BBC Radio 4.
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