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, Mark Thomas, Ricky Gervais, Justin Edwards, Chris Addison, Ben Goldacre, Simon Singh, Josie Long, Jo Neary and Richard Dawkins.

Music will be provided by 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.

Please check the New Humanist website on the 24th October for more details of confirmed acts.

More info nicked from here: http://www.rickygervais.com/thissideofthetruth.php

I have already told you about an event coming up at the Dana Centre on November 25 considering the nature of out-of-body experiences. The chair for the evening will be Narender Ramnani and the speakers will be as follows:

Chris French: Introduction to OBEs
Henrik Ehrsson: OBE, Illusions of Body Ownership and the Brain
Ray Tallis: Philisophy, Implications and Interpretations

The organisers are keen, however, to hear from someone who has actually had a vivid OBE and would be willing to stand up in the audience and give a brief description of what it felt like. If you would be willing to do so, please let me know (c.french[at]gold.ac.uk). They only want one person to do this (although others are free to talk about their own experiences if asking a question, of course), so I’ll put the first person who fits the bill in touch with the organisers.

Also, I want to thank all those people who got in touch to tell me about their sleep paralysis experiences. I will reply to you all individually once things calm down a bit but term has just started and things are a bit hectic!

Best wishes,

Chris French

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

Park sides with the forces of reason in a world of continuing and, he fears, increasing superstition. Chapter by chapter, he explains how people too easily mistake pseudoscience for science. He discusses parapsychology, homeopathy, and acupuncture; he questions the existence of souls, the foundations of intelligent design, and the power of prayer; he asks for evidence of reincarnation and astral projections; and he challenges the idea of heaven. Throughout, he demonstrates how people’s blind faith, and their confidence in suspect phenomena and remedies, are manipulated for political ends. Park shows that science prevails when people stop fooling themselves.

Compelling and precise, Superstition takes no hostages in its quest to provoke. In shedding light on some very sensitive–and Park would say scientifically dubious–issues, the book is sure to spark discussion and controversy.

“If a tree falls on a scientist in a forest with no one else around does it mean he won’t make a sound? Not if that scientist is the indomitable Bob Park, the skeptic’s skeptic, the Ralph Nader of nonsense, the man who rose from the (nearly) dead to pen this uncompromising critique of superstition and the beliefs that follow once you abandon science and reason. Read this book. Now.”–Michael Shermer, publisher of the Skeptic and author of Why Darwin Matters

“Bob Park has done it again. His lucid, humorous, style–the envy of those of us who fancy themselves writers–gets through the pervasive nonsense that he finds everywhere, from the ‘afterlife’ delusion to intelligent design. He rightly and joyously celebrates how science has led us from the Dark Ages to the brink of understanding a myriad of mysteries that we should contemplate with a reverence that was once reserved for priests and witchdoctors. No one knows better than Bob–personally–the real miracles of medical science surpass anything offered by religion. As he says in this provocative book: ‘Science is the only way of knowing–everything else is just religion.’”–James Randi, president of the James Randi Educational Foundation

“Superstition is yet more evidence that Bob Park is always worth reading. At times funny, at times acerbic, always thoughtful, Bob Park is not one to ‘go with the flow.’ There is a lot to think about in this book, as usual.”–Eugenie C. Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education

“You may have the impression that mythology expired with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Far from it, mythology has only evolved into another perhaps more pervasive form. It is an insidious force in the modern scene. Park slays the modern dragons with authority and acerbic wit, whether it is ESP or intercessory prayer. The book is a delight.”–Val Fitch, Princeton University, 1980 Nobel laureate in physics

“Opinionated and well-informed, this is a lucid promotion of rationality in a world of rising superstition. We can disagree with the author but he forces us to think harder.”–Yves Gingras, University of Quebec, Montreal
About the Author
Robert L. Park is professor of physics at the University of Maryland. He is the author of “Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud“.

“Ever find that your life seems to mirror perfectly the geopolitical zeitgeist? Caught between Christian friends and her Muslim family, Iszi Lawrence shows how a die hard sceptic can still join in. Living with creationists, arguing over teddy bears and confused by anything supernatural, Matter of Tact is packed with silly stories and theories, trying to make sense of an age old problem.”

- Comedy Pick London Lite
- Time Out Recommended

For only £10 (£8.50 for members) you not only get a sceptical giggle with iszi but also support from the infamous Tom Greeves.

Tom Greeves is one of Oxford’s finest comedians and also was Boris Johnson’s speech writer during the recent election. Tom Greeves combines serial killer good looks with an extraordinary mind, which delights and occasionally disturbs audiences. Alas, he wont be doing a Tory speech but you’re guaranteed to laugh anyway.

Get tickets here:
http://www.etceteratheatre.com/

At the Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street (above the Oxford Arms) on Sunday Oct 5th.
By Phone
Box Office: 020 7482 4857

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/

A lively astronomy primer that uses cataclysmic scenarios to explain the universe’s most fascinating events. According to astronomer Philip Plait, the universe is an apocalypse waiting to happen But how much do we really need to fear from things like black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae? And if we should be scared, is there anything we can do to save ourselves? With humour and wit, Plait details the myriad doomsday events that the cosmos could send our way to destroy our planet and life as we know it. This authoritative yet accessible study is the ultimate astronomy lesson. Combining fascinating and often alarming scenarios that seem plucked from science fiction with the latest research and opinions, Plait illustrates why outer space is not as remote as most people think. Each chapter explores a different phenomenon, explaining it in easy-to-understand terms, and considering how life on earth and the planet itself would be affected should the event come to pass. Rather than sensationalizing the information, Plait analyses the probability of these catastrophes occurring in our lifetimes and what we can do to stop them. With its entertaining tone and enlightening explanation of unfathomable concepts, Death from the Skies will appeal to science buffs and beginners alike.

Reviews:

“Plait, an astronomer and author of the popular Web site badastronomy.com, presents ‘in loving detail’ the many, many ways the human race could die, from temperature extremes and poisonous atmosphere to asteroid impacts and supernovae explosions. Such a state of destruction existed some 65 million years ago, when a giant meteoroid struck Earth, sending up so much flaming debris that ‘the whole planet caught fire’ and the dinosaurs were wiped out. Solar flare activity could bring on another Ice Age. Worse yet would be a gamma ray burster, a collapsed star whose radiation would be comparable to detonating ‘a one-megaton nuclear bomb over every square mile of the planet.’ Plait discusses insatiable black holes, the death of the Sun and cannibal galaxies — including our own. Balancing his doomsday scenarios with enthusiastic and clear explanations of the science behind each, Plait offers a surprisingly educational and enjoyable astronomical horror show, including a table listing the extremely low odds of each event occurring. He gives readers a good scare, and then puts it in context.” Publishers Weekly © Reed Business Information, Inc

“Phil Plait has done it again. He brings his unique and funny voice of reason and sanity to bear on making sense of a deadly universe. If things worked the way I wanted them to, any reporter about to do another “sensational” story on deadly meteors would consult this volume and BANG! Common sense would find it’s way into the news. How strange would THAT world be? On his blog and in his books, Plait is an important source of sanity and critical thinking, with just the right sense of wonder, reminding us that the universe is an amazing enough place without having to make crap up about it..”
— Adam Savage, from Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters

“These Doomsday scenarios are as gripping as any science fiction, but– amazingly–each one is grounded in carefully researched science. Plait’s message is simple: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow–or five billion years from now–we die!”
- Simon LeVay, Ph.D., author of When Science Goes Wrong: Twelve Tales from the Dark Side of Discovery

“Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, yet oddly exhilarating.”
- Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising

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

A Rational Celebration of Christmas
18th December, 2008 at The Bloomsbury theatre

Due to extraordinary demand, a second Godless Christmas show has been added.

So far the acts who are currently confirmed are Richard Dawkins, Josie Long, Richard Herring, Ben Goldacre, Natalie Haynes, Stewart Lee, Simon Singh, Jo Neary, Darren Hayman, Colin Watson (aka Waen Shepherd), the Martin White mini fax machine orchestra, Tim Minchin, Peter Buckley Hill, Luke Haines and more TBC

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
18th December
Doors 7pm/show7.30pm

All profits to The Mustard Seed School in Uganda, a secular school.

Produced in association with The Rationalist Association (publishers of New Humanist)

This is the Top-Ten list, so far. If you don’t agree with it, then you must get a few friends to download your favourites and bump them up the score-sheet.

1. Richard Holloway
2. Alain de Botton
3. Prof Raymond Tallis
4. Julie Burchill & Chas Newkey-Burden
5. Ziyad Marar
6. Julian Baggini
7. Lynsey Hanley
8. Philip Escoffey
9. Christopher Hitchens
10. Ian Haworth

Ones that just missed a place on the list include:

James Randi, Dr Mark Vernon, Prof David Colquhoun, Dr Simon Singh, Jon Ronson (twice), Francis Wheen, Stewart Lee and Dr Ben Goldacre (who will also be next weeks guest).