SkeptiCal 2026! Get tickets for 6/27/26 at www.skepticalcon.com

June 27th is SkeptiCal at the OACC in Oakland. Lots of fun, including these two people. tinyurl.com/Gerbic-Saund... Info and tickets at www.skepticalcon.com

Coined by @eugeniescott.bsky.social

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C)@doctorow.pluralistic.net · 2mo ago

"Gish Gallop" is a debating term for an opponent who makes so many claims that "it's impossible to address them in the time available" (it's named for Creationist Duane Gish): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gish_ga... I think about the Gish Gallop whenever I'm asked to comment on AI. 1/

ICYMI: Eugenie C. Scott (@eugeniescott.bsky.social) explains "Why the Scopes Trial is Still Relevant" to San Francisco Regional Mensa.

Eugenie C. Scott - The Scopes Trial

YouTube video by San Francisco Regional Mensa

youtube.com

Who doesn't like Spielberg movies? But Disclosure Day isn't a documentary, and it'll feed more UAP/UFO enthusiasm. Here are references from the inimitable @Andrew Fraknoi to give you a head start www.fraknoi.com/wp-content/u...

Eugenie C. Scott (@eugeniescott.bsky.social), Bertha Vazquez, and Michael E. Mann (michaelemann.bsky.social) are among the friends of NCSE who'll be speaking at CSICON 2026: June 11-14 in Buffalo, New York. csiconference.org

CSICon Homepage

CSICon is the premiere conference in the US for science and skepticism. Don't miss out. Register today.

csiconference.org

SkeptiCal June 27 in Oakland. Get info at www.skepticalcon.com

Giving a Scopes talk for SF Mensa Sunday, 2:30 Pacific 5/17. I just found out it’s open to the public. If anyone is interested, you can register (free). Info on the talk and a link to register is here online-presentations.tech

I just saw a very good documentary on a first lady, and I recommend it. Go to Netflix and watch... Becoming. And be reminded why you like Michelle so much. It'd be nice if it had more views than the other one, too. Right?

Lexicographic enshrinement for Eugenie C. Scott's coinage "Gish Gallop"! @eugeniescott.bsky.social

Gish gallop

Gish gallop (sometimes gish gallop or Gish/gish galloping) refers to a rhetorical technique or strategy by which a debater puts forth too many false arguments for their opponent to be able to refute i...

merriam-webster.com

ICYMI: Richard Katskee discusses "Defending Science Education from Religious Attacks."

Defending Science Education from Religious Attacks | Richard Katskee

YouTube video by Center for Inquiry

youtube.com

Scopes Summer continues--even after Labor Day. For everyone interested, the good folks at @evolutionvu.bsky.social and @ncse.bsky.social have made all the Vanderbilt talks available. Check out Ed Larson, Ken Miller, Lee Meadows, Amanda Townley, Barbara Forrest...tons of amazing speakers, plus me.

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial at 100 | National Center for Science Education

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial at 100 NCSE Executive Director Amanda L. Townley presents at the Scopes "Monkey Trial" Centennial Symposium.

ncse.ngo

you just know somebody’s being called by their full name right now

I've given a couple of talks on the Scopes Trial. Working to make it different from the others, which makes it more fun for me, too. You can't skip the "greatest hits", though. This version will be at www.SkeptiCalcon.org conference Saturday 8/23. Come by if you're in northern CA or environs!

SkeptiCal Conference

SkeptiCal is the scientific skepticism conference brought to you by Northern California Skeptics.

skepticalcon.org

Coming up 8/23 -- IRL SkeptiCal 2025! See speakers and the very affordable tickets at www.skepticalcon.com Ross Blocher, Seth Shostak, Kyle Polich me, and others. We're so excited to be meeting in person again. Please share.

If you're in Northern or Central CA, come join us at the 13th SkeptiCal, in person, in downtown Oakland. We're so excited to be meeting IRL again. www.skepticalcon.com Known as the AFFORDABLE skeptics conference! Sat. Aug 23, 2025

SkeptiCal Conference

SkeptiCal is the scientific skepticism conference brought to you by Northern California Skeptics.

skepticalcon.com

So grateful to NPR and NYT for streaming Trump's press conference at the NATO meeting. Anyone who still thinks that this person is in full command of his faculties is not paying attention. My God, how embarrassing to our country. Just listening makes my head ache.

This looks like a very worthwhile conference. Check it out. sites.google.com/view/lilienf... Scott Lilienfeld was pretty awesome. I'm glad the conference continues in his name.

Lilienfeld Alliance - LiliCon 2025

July 10-11, 2025 MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

sites.google.com

It's tonight! Streaming at 7:30 Pacific, but online from then on for viewing at your leisure at www.bit.ly/BASmatz Kitzmiller v Dover from the guy who taught our lawyers science!

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bit.ly

Forgot to mention: I'm on Randy Olson's ABT interview this AM talking about the Gish Gallop. Open to all so come along Join Zoom Meeting us02web.zoom.us/j/8448151733... Meeting ID: 844 8151 7334 Passcode: 601772

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

us02web.zoom.us

And of course, my champion punster daughter got me mums for mother's Day

For years in the US we have said we like Iranian people, but not the Iranian government. I'm hoping the rest of the world extends the same courtesy to the US these days. In Canada, I'm happy to say, I found welcomes, and hugs. Elbows up, Canada! And good luck Mr Carney.

Thanks, Australia. I hope we can keep the trend going.

It's nice to see that NCSE's first survey of climate change educators (discussed in the 2016 report "Mixed Messages") is still influential!

What Schools Can Do About Climate Change Right Now

A new report details how schools can adapt for climate change in both small and big ways.

edweek.org

My "American apology t-shirt" is going over well in Canada. At the WeCanReason conference in Calgary. Plus a chance to see the "Loons from Canada" from @The Skeptic Zone. Elbows up!

CBC/Radio Canada just called the election for the Liberals!!! I hope their projections are correct....

I'll be speaking at this conference next month. It should be fun. Who wouldn't want to go to Canada these days? Hoping they'll let me in -- and back in. wecanreason.com/post/buy-ear...

Buy Your Tickets for WeCanReason 2025!! - WeCanReason

The tickets for the third WeCanReason are on sale. Check our line up and buy them now.

wecanreason.com

So delighted that Joe Nickell got an obit in the NYT. I knew him in the late 1970s at the Univ KY where he was an English PhD student -- and we remained friends as fellow skeptics until his death this year. It's a wonderful obit, too. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/s...

Joe Nickell, Paranormal Investigator and ‘Real-Life Scully,’ Dies at 80

A professional skeptic, he took on hundreds of mysteries, offering rational explanations for the Loch Ness monster, the Shroud of Turin and countless hauntings.

nytimes.com

What makes this visual even more stunning is that it was made possible by people who said their #1 concern when voting was the economy. What idiots.

Late to report, but the Oakland Hands Off rally was terrific. Aeriel shot credit Brandon Harami -- I wish there was a reliable crowd estimate, but clearly thousands. Good signs, also.