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The Skeptic Magazine (UK), in partnership with The Amaz!ng Meeting London 2010, would like to offer you the opportunity to win a press pass for TAM London, and the chance to write a review for this magazine. The event, twice as big as last year, is being covered by national newspapers, TV and radio, as well as popular podcasts  and blogs, and The Skeptic would like you to represent it as a writer.
To enter, write an original 200-word article reviewing a recent sceptical, science, or free-thinking event, or lecture, in the style you would write your TAM London review. Or, use your imagination and review something unexpected (but relevant!).
The deadline for entries is Friday, September 20th. All entries will be anonymised and shortlisted, and a judging panel from The Skeptic will choose the winner. You can submit your entry and view the terms and conditions at tamlondon.org/resources/essay. |
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Readers will recall that The Skeptic magazine recently invited readers to submit essays on the subject of religious belief and delusion in a competition to honour Mary Evans.
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Jon Wainwright receives first prize for his winning essay.
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Mary is now, sadly, in a care home suffering from Alzheimers*, but many readers will be aware that the Mary Evans Picture Library in Blackheath, founded by Mary and her husband Hilary in 1964, is the source of many of the illustrations used in The Skeptic. Throughout her productive life, Mary always believed that religion was nothing more than a delusion and it was therefore felt that this essay competition was a suitable tribute to her achievements.
The general level of entries was extremely high, making the judging process very difficult. In light of this high standard, it was decided that we should award not only a first prize and a second prize, as originally planned, but a first prize, two (joint) second prizes, and three runners-up prizes. All of the prize money was generously donated by Hilary Evans. The winning essay will be published in the next issue of The Skeptic and essays of the other prize winners will be published online in the competitions section of The Skeptic's website.
First prize (£400): Jon Wainwright
Joint second prizes (£100 each): James Munroe and Steuart Campbell
Runners-up (£50 each): Anthony Campbell, Michael J. Rush and Donald Rooum
Staff at The Skeptic would like to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to all the ever-helpful staff of the Mary Evans Picture Library and to Hilary Evans for his personal generosity in providing the prize money.
*Since publishing the above, Mary Evans has sadly died. |
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Why do statues weep?
Did Nostradamus really predict 9/11?
Is it true that we only use 10% of our brain power?
For 21 years, questions like these have been posed, and answered in the pages of The Skeptic magazine, Britain's foremost and longest-running sceptical magazine, dedicated to the examination of science,scepticism, psychology, secularism, critical thinking and claims of the paranormal - in short, the pursuit of truth through reason and evidence.
This collection brings together the best articles from the magazine's archive in one myth-busting volume. It covers a wide range of topics such as psychic fraudsters, claims of psychic healing and alien abduction, near-death experiences, false memories, and much more. Contributors include Susan Blackmore, Richard Wiseman, John Diamond, Edzard Ernst, plus interviews with Paul Daniels and Stephen Fry. With a foreword by Simon Hoggart, this collection will simultaneously provide you with food for thought and keep you entertained.
Wendy M. Grossman is a freelance writer, founder and twice Editor of The Skeptic.
Professor Christopher C. French is head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Editor in Chief of The Skeptic.
Purchase the book through the publisher, Philosophy Press. A special 10% discount can be obtained using the voucher code 'SKEPTIC' at the Philosophy Press online checkout. |
In Volume 22, Issue 2:
Features
Susan Blackmore interview:
On parapsychology, rationalising negative results, memes, Zen and consciousness...
Ray Hyman, Richard Wiseman, Caroline Watt and Chris Roe:
An eleven page argument about The Demise of Parapsychology and whether it is still a worthwhile field for research
Lewis Jones on Basava Premanand (1930-2009)
Phil Plait, former President of the James Randi Educational Foundation:
On The Amaz!ng Meeting: London and the future of international events.
Regular columns & contents
Editorial; Chris French & Lindsay Kallis
Hits and Misses; Mark Williams on Simon Singh and chiropractic, misleading advertising, computer marked examinations, and an update on newly proposed animal experimentation
Skeptic at Large; Wendy Grossman on Fact Checking within the media
Philosopher's Corner; Julian Baggini on The Enemy of my Enemy and logical fallacies
Through a Looking Glass Darkly; Mike Heap on public health and the cost of professional consultancy
Reasonable Doubt; Chris French on Shirley Ghostman
Skeps and the City; Tracy King on Celebrity Scepticism
Galileo's Doughnuts; Mark Duwe on The Day I Saw a Ghost
The Donni Position; Jon Donni on Psychic Joe Power
Skeptical Stats; Mark Williams with the observation that sometimes statistics don’t lie - they’re just plain crazy
Focus On; exploring Voice of Young Science, a division of Sense About Science
Humour
 Sprite, by Donald Rooum, the ongoing saga of an ethereal being who has the misfortune to fall for a confirmed skeptic.
Cartoons by Tim Pearce
Pictures from Hilary Evans’ Paranormal Picture Gallery
Book Reviews
The Realm Beyond; by Rosemary Altea, reviewed by Jacqui Farrants
Big Ideas: The Essential Guide to the Latest Thinking; by James Harkin, reviewed by John Radford
Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All; by Rose Shapiro, reviewed by Tessa Kendall
Letters from our readers
Steuart Campbell critiques Ray Ward on JFK
Hilary Evans on Street Lamp Interference
Duncan M. Butlin criticises The Skeptic
Michael Marshall thanks The Skeptic
Rupert Sheldrake on James Randi and talking heads
James Randi responds to Rupert Sheldrake
Chris French responds to Rupert Sheldrake and James Randi
References for articles in this issue can be found here. |
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