We've now in a pub called The Park (link)
Skeptics in the Pub, Leicester hosts a speaker on the third Tuesday of every month in a pub called The Park. There is also a Social Skeptics meet in the Swan & Rushes on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:45pm.
Our upcoming events are listed below. If you're new to this site, please read the about us page.
When?
Tuesday, December 16 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Mike Heap
What's the talk about?
The work of social psychologists has always emphasised the extent to which our behaviour, beliefs and experiences are shaped by the requirements of the various roles that we occupy in the course of everyday life. One important need for us is that the roles we occupy should be perceived as authentic or legitimate. We therefore strive to maintain the perceived authenticity of our role at any particular time. This can be seen as a mutual endeavour by participants in reciprocal role relationships such as doctor-patient or therapist-client interactions. I hope to demonstrate the usefulness of this way of thinking with reference to certain practices (orthodox, unorthodox and anomalous) and certain sexual crimes on which I have provided an opinion for the Courts.
Michael Heap is a clinical forensic psychologist in private practice and at Wathwood Medium Secure Hospital in Rotherham. He is a founding member of the Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) and is its current Chairman and Secretary.
When?
Tuesday, January 20 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Daniela Rudloff
What's the talk about?
Daniela Rudloff has always had a profound interest in critical thinking, leading her to join the German Skeptics in 1994. In 2006 she commenced a PhD in Psychology to find out what keeps Joe Bloggs from being a rational, reasonable and skeptical person.
She’ll give an introduction to the everyday mental shortcuts and biases we all employ, arguing that even though they’re often misleading, they’re also necessary – and almost impossible to avoid.
When?
Tuesday, February 17 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Dr Madsen Pirie
What's the talk about?
Fair Trade claims to help poor farmers in developing countries. It implies that higher Fair Trade prices help producers, but most of the extra goes to retailers, distributors and marketers. A tiny fraction goes to producers. Fair Trade favours chosen producers in co-operatives, rather than poorer family farmers. The way to help producers in poor countries is not to play favourites, but to end tariffs and subsidies, and to buy as much as possible from poorer countries. Free Trade, not Fair Trade, is needed.
Dr Madsen Pirie is President of the Adam Smith Institute, and was one of three Scots graduates working in the US who founded the Institute in 1977. Prior to that, Dr Pirie worked for the House of Representatives in Washington DC, and was Distinguished Visiting Professor of Logic and Philosophy at Hillsdale College in Michigan.
At the Institute, Dr Pirie was part of the influential team which pioneered privatization and the extension of market choices and incentives. His work in helping to develop the Citizen's Charter led to his appointment to the Prime Minister's Advisory Panel from 1991-95.
A graduate of the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Cambridge, Dr Pirie is author of several books including The Book of the Fallacy, Micropolitics, Privatization in Theory and Practice and Blueprint for a Revolution. With his colleague Dr Eamonn Butler, he has co- authored a series of books on IQ, including The Sherlock Holmes IQ Book.
When?
Tuesday, March 17 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Dr Cara Laney
What's the talk about?
Can people repress traumas like child sexual abuse and then recover their traumatic memories years or decades later? Sigmund Freud proposed this coping mechanism and modern therapists have argued that it is common. This talk will consider whether these "recovered" memories might instead be false memories.
Cara Laney is a lecturer of forensic psychology at the University of Leicester. Her main area of research is human memory and the myriad ways it can go wrong. She has published more than a dozen articles on memory related topics.
When?
Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Dr Kevin Byron
What's the talk about?
Many ideas in science do not, and in some cases cannot make sense. The phrase 'counter-intuitive' has been coined to describe such concepts. Whilst some ideas no longer appear counter-intuitive with the emergence of new knowledge, others, such as quantum theory, fail to make any rational sense irrespective of years of progress aimed at understanding them. This presentation will aim to describe the counter-intuitive in thought, feeling and action with some interactive challenges and demonstrations. The implications for making rational sense of other aspects of life will be left for discussion.
Kevin Byron received his Ph.D in Physics from the University of Hull and spent many years in telecomms research. In 2001 he was awarded a NESTA fellowship for studies in creativity in science education. He is currently based at the University of Leicester, where he is involved in research skills training with postgraduates in the sciences.
When?
Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Dr Stephen Law
What's the talk about?
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.
When?
Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Richard Wilson
What's the talk about?
In Don't Get Fooled Again, Richard Wilson argues that conspiracy theories aren't the exclusive preserve of dodgy men with blogs. Dodgy politicians often embrace them too – from South Africa's catastrophic dalliance with “AIDS denial”, to the UK government's theory that Saddam Hussein was secretly harbouring Weapons of Mass Destruction, and unfounded US claims about a covert alliance between Iraq and Al Qaeda.
Given the disasters – human and financial - that can result when politicians lose their grip on reality, conspiracy theories are arguably at their most dangerous when they take hold in government.
Richard Wilson studied philosophy at UCL. Don't Get Fooled Again is his second book. More information can be found at www.richardwilsonauthor.com
When?
Tuesday, July 21 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Prof Richard Wiseman
What's the talk about?
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.
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.
Richard Wiseman's web site is at www.richardwiseman.com
When?
Tuesday, October 20 at 7:30PM
Where?
The Park5-9 Hotel Street
Leicester
LE1 5AW
Who?
Nick Davies
What's the talk about?
A veteran reporter blows the whistle on his own profession, exposing the scale and origin of falsehood, distortion and propaganda in the news.
Nick Davies has been named Journalist of the Year, Reporter of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year for his investigations into crime, drugs, poverty and other social issues. Hundreds of journalists have attended his masterclass in the techniques of investigative reporting. He writes regularly for The Guardian and also makes TV documentaries; he was formerly an on-screen reporter for World In Action. His four books include White Lies (about a racist miscarriage of justice in Texas) and Dark Heart (about poverty in Britain). He was the first winner of the Martha Gellhorn award for investigative reporting for his work on failing schools and recently won the award for European Journalism for his work on drugs policy. Flat Earth News, his investigation into the origins of falsehood, distortion and propaganda in the global media, was published in February 2008.