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Re: So.. how was the conference?

 Adrian Cybriwsky (acybriws@thunder.temple.edu) wrote:
 : Unfortunately I could not make the First World Skeptics Congress (20th 
 : Anniversary CSICOP) conference which ends.. uhh.. today in Buffalo, New 
 : York.. but I'm sure some of you did.  Some of the speakers gave 
 : interesting, humerous, but perhaps predictable talks (kurtz, scott, 
 : perhaps randi), but what did chris carter (creator of the 'x-files' show) 
 : speak on (if he did indeed speak?)  do tell!  do tell!
 : similarly.. did anybody catch the NPR piece on skepticism?  after years 
 : of listening to NPR shows on transgendered native american poets telling 
 : of their relationships with their fathers, finally I tune in to the 
 : beginning of an hourlong (?) show centered on CSICOP and Skepticism and I 
 : can only hear the first 10 minutes before I had to leave..   summaries?
 : thanks,
 : adrian
      Yes, the talks were rather predictable, and on the whole, not that 
 humorous...but Randi was in fine form.  Carter came across to me as a 
 fairly balanced individual (relatively speaking) and even claimed to have 
 read Sagan's "Demon Haunted World" which is, of course, critical of the 
 influence shows like his have on contemporary society.  He seems conscious 
 of the negative impact his show could be having on less 
 skeptical/educated viewers, but also realizes that the paranormal is more 
 interesting to the public at large than is skepticism (unfortunately) and 
 you can't really blame the guy for wanting to appeal to the masses.  
 Actually, for a show on the paranormal designed to titilate the viewing 
 public, i think the X-FILES does demonstrate SOME commendable skeptical 
 elements...but it could do a lot better.
      The only thing he said that really scared me was that he REALLY DOES
 buy into the whole gov't conspiracy business!  PLEASE!  I think he still has 
 some skeptical research left to do.
      
      When did this NPR skeptics show take place?  The Jim Bohanan Radio
 Show dedicated an hour to CSICOP and the conference one night over a week
 ago and Klass was on it along with Leon Jaroff.  Skeptics do seem to be
 getting quite a bit more public exposure these days...but then again, it
 is not ALWAYS favourable exposure.
      For more on the 'First' World Skeptics Conference this past 
 week and an example of such less-than-favourable exposure, see the 
 "Treatment of Dean Edell at CSICOP meeting" thread.
 and for anyone interested in an outline of the conference, it can be 
 found at http://www.csicop.org/events/mass-media.html
 ...John S.