Hi All,

A reminder of tomorrow evening’s event at the Dana Centre, for which you are asked to pre-book. Full details at:

http://www.danacentre.org.uk/events/2008/11/25/455

Speakers
Chris French, psychologist, Goldsmiths College, London
Ray Tallis, neurologist and philosopher, (formerly) University of Manchester
Henrik Ehrsson, neuroscientist, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Nigel Wright, who has had an out-of-body experience

Facilitator: Narender Ramnani, Royal Holloway, University of London

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Dr Stephen Law has just finalised the details of an event on 17 January 2009 that may be of interest. Full details can be found on the new CFI London web site (www.cfilondon.org).

Weird Science Day: A CFI London event (in conjunction with South Place Ethical Society)

Saturday, 17th January 2009. 10.45am-4pm

Venue:
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London
WC1R 4RL

11am-12am
Prof. RICHARD WISEMAN
Investigating the impossible: A skeptical approach
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The next School for Gifted Children. It’s at The Albany at great Portland Street , London at 8pm on 29th October. It will include Ben Goldacre of Bad Science, (Para-)psychologist Chris French, biographer and music type Andrew Collins on why he likes the Mitford sisters despite two of them being Nazis, Rich Sandling probably on forgotten VHS rentals, Wil Hodgson on nostalgia culture, Jo Neary in many guises, and Robin Ince probably questioning existence or something like that (plus a couple of others).

To book tickets call on 020 7387 5706.

The Albany 240 Great Portland Street W1 5QU (Great Portland St tube)

Tickets Go On Sale on Monday 13th October @ 9am

Buy from Ticket Zone

Buy from Ticketmaster

Doors - 6:30 PM

Tickets - £25-£30

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Hi All,

This is your final reminder that Susan Blackmore is kicking off the APRU’s Invited Speaker Series today at 6.10 pm in Room 256, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW (for maps, directions, etc., visit the College web site: www.goldsmiths.ac.uk NB: if you do not know your way around Goldsmiths, allow enough time to find the room. Note that it is NOT the room we used last year!)

All talks are open to everyone.

Attendance is free and there is no need to book in advance. For further information, visit http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/speakers.php

The title of Susan’s talk is “Is God a Dangerous Meme?” and here is her abstract:

God is certainly a meme; an idea (or set of loosely related ideas) that is copied from person to person, and shows a fascinating variety of survival tricks. Not only does the God meme satisfy minds that were not evolved to accurately assess the origins of the universe or the likelihood of life after death, but wraps itself up in religious memeplexes that use threats and promises to ensure their own propagation. But is it dangerous? Taking a memetic perspective we can ask how religious memes manage to infect so many people and how this infection affects individuals, societies, or indeed the whole planet.

Biography
Sue Blackmore is a freelance writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She has a degree in psychology and physiology from Oxford University (1973) and a PhD in parapsychology from the University of Surrey (1980). Her research interests include memes, evolutionary theory, consciousness, and meditation. She practices Zen and campaigns for drug legalization. Sue Blackmore no longer works on the paranormal

Best wishes,

Chris French

Political Islam, Sharia Law, and Civil Society

at Conway Hall

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain presents its first international conference:
Political Islam, Sharia Law, and Civil Society

Friday 10 October 2008
International day against the Death Penalty
10am-6pm
(Registration begins at 9am)

Speakers: Mina Ahadi, Mahin Alipour, Roy Brown, Andrew Copson, Richard Dawkins, Giles Enders, AC Grayling, Johann Hari, Ehsan Jami, Houzan Mahmoud, Rony Miah, Maryam Namazie,Taslima Nasreen, Fariborz Pooya, Terry Sanderson, Joan Smith, Bahram Soroush, Hanne Stinson, Hamid Taqvaee, Ibn Warraq, Keith Porteous Wood and Zia Zaffar. Event includes a comedy act by Nick Doody, Fitna Remade by Reza Moradi and Breaking the Taboo by Patty Debonitas.

£40 statutory organisations/businesses; £20 voluntary sector; £10 individuals. Donations are welcome.

For a booking form, please contact:
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX, UK
Tel: 07719166731, E-mail: exmuslimcouncil[@]gmail.com or download it from http://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/indexEvents.html.

Date: Friday, October 10, 2008

Time: 10:00 AM

Location:
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London, UK WC1R 4RL

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/sharialawuk/

EIGHT LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR GODLESS PEOPLE - SOLD OUT

[ Try Another...Nine Lessons and Carols @ Hammersmith Apollo]

Another...Nine Lessons and Carols...

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NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR GODLESS PEOPLE
A Rational Celebration of Christmas
19th December, 2008 at The Bloomsbury theatre

SOLD OUT - Try Eight Lessons on Monday

Last year, Robin Ince made the mistake of appearing on ITV’s London Talking to debate “Is Britain becoming more secular?” By the time he got to the studio, the subject had changed to “Who is taking the Christ out of Christmas?”
Suffice to say, he got quite cross during the barrage of lies from radio shock jocks and misinformed fundamentalists. Robin tried to make it clear that, as an atheist, he wasn’t against Christmas as a time for gluttony and reflection; he was just against the journalists and manipulated fundamentalists shouting about winterval and other myths. This was beyond Stephen Green of Christian Voice’s comprehension, so he kept muttering, “I don’t think he does want Christmas blah blah blah”.

Well, to prove that he does enjoy this season of laziness, alcoholism and regret, he is presenting a rational celebration of the Christmas season in the guise of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People. Rather than talking of Jesus’s birth, acclaimed science author Simon Singh will talk about the birth of the universe. Instead of talking about Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, Bad Science Columnist Ben Goldacre will talk of alternative medicine and charlatans, while Josie Long will talk about the wonder of the stars.

So far the confirmed speakers are Stewart Lee, Phill Jupitus, Mark Thomas (who might be bringing along his grandfather’s travelling harmonium for a carol sing-a-long), Natalie Haynes, Chris Addison, Ben Goldacre, Christina Martin, Simon Singh, Josie Long, Jo Neary, Ricky Gervais and Richard Dawkins.

Music will be provided by Tim Minchin, Darren Hayman, Robyn Hitchcock, Phil Harris, Gavin Osborn, Colin Watson (aka Waen Shepherd) the fabulous Martin White Orchestra and more TBC

The evening will also include projections of classic archive footage of Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman.

Robin Ince will host the night.

It’s not just for agnostics and atheists, hopefully it will be a night celebrating the wonder of the universe so as long as you’re not a crazed fundamentalist you can enjoy it. If you are a crazed fundamentalist, then please come and hold a placard up outside and shout like a halfwit.

Bloomsbury Theatre
19th December
Doors 7pm/show7.30pm
Tickets available by calling the box office - 020 7388 8822

Tickets £20 and are available online.