Chuck Collis – Sequences: Our evolving understanding of evolution

Sequences of events have been fundamental to understanding our place in the world for millennia.  But not so long ago, a new way to think about sequences disrupted our previous understandings.  And this was just the first in a sequence of discoveries that would radically reshape how we think about time and relationships among all species.

Stephen Hupp – Psychology, Fringe Science, and Skeptical Inquirer Magazine

Opening with Mark Twain’s experiences involving pop psychology, this presentation will then dive into the fringe sciences of today while also highlighting some innovative attempts at promoting science and reason.

Taner Edis – Beyond checklists: distinguishing between real and fake science.

Skeptics often rely on checklists that enumerate features of the scientific method or typical characteristics of pseudoscience. Some sciences, such as psychology, make use of similar checklists while training new practitioners, but others, such as physics, do not. And academics in science studies—the history, philosophy, sociology (and so forth) of science—are usually critical of efforts to draw sharp boundaries between science and pseudoscience. I will suggest ways that skeptics can still put our checklists to practical use while acknowledging their limitations.

Kyle Polich – A Staircase to the Moon?

Advances in artificial intelligence are undeniable. Why is this happening now? Do we have thinking machines? If not, what’s the gap? This talk will give an overview of the AI revolution and the search for artificial general intelligence.

Susan Gerbic – Grief Vampires and GSoW

The Motivated Sitter & Wikipedia as Science Communication Susan will talk about lessons she has learned about the sitter in the world of the psychic mediums AND she will update on the vital importance of Wikipedia as a weapon for Science Communication.

Leonard Tramiel – Drones? Really?

A talk about the “drone sightings” in late 2024 and early 2025 and what skepticism says about them.

Adrienne Hill – Law of Attraction Lunacy and OCD Ordeals

Adrienne will clear up some myths about the Law of Attraction and OCD. How is it possible for these two topics to be linked? Come to the talk to find out how the power of positive thinking does not go well with anxiety disorders such as OCD.