Saint Louis Skeptics in the Park, Saturday August 7th.
On Saturday, August 7th, the Skeptical Society of St. Louis will be hosting Skeptics in the Park! We were rained out last time, but this time we have a shelter, so Skeptics in the Park will take place rain or shine. Invite family members and friends for picnic fun and festivities throughout the day at Tower Grove Park.
Guests can begin to check in at 11 a.m. Grilled hot dogs, brats and burgers (vegetarian options will be provided) will be served between 12 and 1 p.m. Some picnic sides will be available, but guests can bring additional sides or treats in pot-luck fashion if you wish! Drinks will also be served, but guests are welcome to bring their own beverages (no glass bottles, please, due to park regulations).
Adults and children alike are welcome to participate in optional scheduled activities. Play equipment and ample space will be available for outdoor activities (such as Frisbee or bocceball), and guests may also visit and fellowship together throughout the day at the picnic area.
July Skeptics in the Pub with Special Guest Ben Burch
Join us Saturday, July 17th at 7:00 p.m. St. Louis Skeptics in the Pub. Skeptics in the Pub is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and social networking among skeptics, critical-thinkers, and other like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics, rationalists, and sci...ence enthusiasts to talk, share ideas in a casual, relaxed atmosphere, and discuss whatever topical issues come to mind. But most importantly, it's about having fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality. In addition to the fun people, bocce ball, and great conversation, Skeptics in the Pub sometimes features lively presentations from scientists, philosophers, magicians & mentalists, activists, and others who are passionate about the scientific outlook.
Skeptics in the Pub is held at Jack Patrick's (downstairs) at 10th and Olive. As always, our hosts will be, Michael Blanford, President of the The Skeptical Society of St. Louis and Director of Education of the James Randi Educational Foundation along with D. J. Grothe, host of the podcast and radio show "For Good Reason" and President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. At 7 PM, we will have a presentation by Ben Burch. Ben Burch is currently a graduate student at Washington University's McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and has a forthcoming paper in Physical Review D. Ben Burch has years of experience teaching physics to people of all ages. The title of his talk will be "The Search for Dark Matter: Methods, Evidence, and Controversy". If you've ever wondered what dark matter is or what evidence there is for it, this is a talk you won't want to miss.
Jack Patrick's has been a great host to St. Louis Skeptics in the Pub since the beginning. To maintain this relationship we ask that outside drinks not be brought into the event and that we support our host through the purchase of food and beverages.
Saint Louis Skeptics in the Pub with Special Guest Ursula Goodenough
Join us for the St. Louis Skeptics in the Pub. Skeptics in the Pub is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and social 
networking among skeptics, critical-thinkers, and other like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics, rationalists, and science enthusiasts to talk, share ideas in a casual, relaxed atmosphere, and discuss whatever topical issues come to mind. But most importantly, it's about having fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality. In addition to the fun people, bocce ball, and great conversation, Skeptics in the Pub sometimes features lively presentations from scientists, philosophers, magicians & mentalists, activists, and others who are passionate about the scientific outlook.
D. J. Grothe Keynote Address from NECCS
SSSL member and President of the James Randi Educational Foudation, D. J. Grothe presented this year's keynote address to the Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (NECCS). Watch a video (below) of Skepticism is a Humanism".
NECSS 2010 - Keynote - D. J. Grothe from Maggie McFee on Vimeo.
Skeptics in the Park!
On Sunday, May 16th, the Skeptical Society of St. Louis will be hosting Skeptics in the Park! Invite family members and friends for picnic fun and festivities throughout the day at Tower Grove Park. The event will be held in Gurney Picnic Area in the southeast corner of the park. Click here for a map.
Guests can begin to check in at 11 a.m. Grilled hot dogs, brats and burgers will be served between 12 and 1 p.m. Some picnic sides will be available, but guests can bring additional sides or treats in pot-luck fashion if you wish! Drinks will also be served, but guests are welcome to bring their own beverages (no glass bottles, please, due to park regulations).
Adults and children alike are welcome to participate in optional scheduled activities. Play equipment and ample space will be available for outdoor activities (such as Frisbee or bocceball), and guests may also visit and fellowship together throughout the day at the picnic area.
11 a.m. Check-in begins
12 p.m. Lunch is served
12:30 p.m. As you eat, be on the lookout for magic or juggling acts around you!
1:15 p.m. Michael Blanford will guide fun with model rockets
2:15 p.m. Field day events – three legged race, sack race, ‘wheel-barrow’ racing
3:00 p.m. Volleyball tournament
3:30 p.m. Capture the flag
4:15 p.m. Tug of war
Face painting for children and adults will be available:
Evolution Lecture and Darwin Exhibit
Join us at the St. Louis Science Center to kick off the Life Science Lab's "Evolution in Action" speaker series with a lecture by evolutionary biologist Kenneth lsen (Washington University, Missouri Botanical Gardens). The lecyure will focus on the practical applications of evolutionary biology. After the lecture, we will explore the the American Museum of Natural History's fine exhibit on the life and science of Charles Darwin which will temporarily be at the SLSC. This event begins at 1:45. We will meet in the Life Science Lab classrom at the St. Louis Science Center. Sorry, this event is currently full. To get on the waiting list, visit the event page on meetup.com. Please visit out event calendar to find out about other SSSL events.
April St. Louis Skeptics in the Pub
Join us for the St. Louis Skeptics in the Pub. Skeptics in the Pubis is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and social networking among skeptics, critical-thinkers, and other like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics, rat
ionalists, and science enthusiasts to talk, share ideas 
in a casual, relaxed atmosphere, and discuss whatever topical issues come to mind. But most importantly, it's about having fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality. In addition to the fun people, bocce ball, and great conversation, Skeptics in the Pub sometimes features lively presentations from scientists, philosophers, magicians & mentalists, activists, and others who are passionate about the scientific outlook. As always, our hosts will be, Michael Blanford, President of the The Skeptical Society of St. Louis and D. J. Grothe, host of the podcast and radio show "For Good Reason" and President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, one of the worlds premier organizations for the advocacy of scientific skepticism. One of our special guests for April will be magician, mentalist, escapist, and skeptic, Mystopher Moore. Mystopher will give us of his acclaimed performances. This event will also features entries from the SSSL logo contest and door prizes. The event starts at 8:00 at Jack Patricks Pub (downstairs), Corner of 10th and Olive in Downtown St. Louis. We are also working on an a pre-Skeptics in the Program to begin at 7:00. Check back soon for details.
A Week With Joe Nickell
| Reprinted from Swift |
| Written by Christina Stephens |
| Monday, 01 March 2010 00:00 |
|
The JREF is proud to have begun a fellowship and learning program with the Center for Inquiry, the first of which is recounted below by Christina Stephens, the first participant in the program. Additional arrangements with other organizations are being explored, as well. Check back at randi.org in the months ahead for more opportunities for similar week-long study in paranormal investigation and skeptical inquiry. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a week getting to know all of the amazing and talented people at the Center for Inquiry in Buffalo, New York. I spent most of my time with Joe Nickell, working on various skeptical investigation projects and picking his brain for information on the ethics and process of skeptical investigations. I would like to thank Joe Nickell, the James Randi Educational Foundation and the Center For Inquiry for an enlightening and educational experience. |
The Lemp Experience
"There is no place in the city of St. Louis with a reputation that is quite as ghostly as the Lemp Mansion. It has served as many things overthe years from stately home to boarding house to restaurant...but it has never lost the fame of being the most haunted place in the city. In fact, in 1980, Life Magazine called the Lemp Mansion "one of the ten most haunted places in America". Troy Taylor, America's Most Haunted Places.
Its tragic story and tales of the paranormal bring ghost hunters, psychics, and the curious to St. Louis' infamous mansion from all over the United States. This time it will be a group from the Skeptical Society of St. Louis that have a look at this historic place that is a favorite among paranormal investigators.
Let's go to the Lemp Mansion and participate in The Lemp Experience - a haunted tour through Lemp Mansion! Rules:1. Don't be ana -priori skeptic. 2. Be nice to the people giving the tour. We will get more interesting information out of them if we don't scoff! The Lemp experience is a tour put on by the group Supernatural Investigations. The price is $25 and can be paid at the door. Price includes: Soft Drink or cocktail, Appetizers, and the use of an infrared camera to record your journey through the darkened mansion.
Location: The Lemp Mansion Restaurant and Inn, 3322 DeMenil Place,Saint Louis, MO 63118. Sorry, this trip is filled. You can go to our Meetup Page Here and get on the waiting list. Visit our calendar to browse upcoming SSSL events.
Workshop: Divination with Pendulums and Dowsing Rods
Join the Fringe Science Investigations Group of the St. Louis Skeptical Society for our first workshop: Divination with Dowsing Rods and Pendulums!
In this workshop, each person will make their own pendulum and pair of dowsing rods. You’ll learn a little bit about the history of dowsing, participate directly in experiments, and come away with firsthand experience of the ideomotor effect and the ability to demonstrate this effect to others. After this workshop you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools to think critically about this art of divination.
See the Events Page for more information.
