Skeptical Teacher Interview on Token Skeptic
Posted by mattusmaximus on December 27, 2011
Based upon my recent blog post concerning using mythology as a critical thinking tool for children, I was interviewed a few days ago by my skeptical colleague Kylie Sturgess of the Token Skeptic podcast. In the interview we discussed a variety of topics related to this issue, with a touch of fun thrown in for good measure. Check it out! 🙂
Episode Ninety-Six — On Critical Thinking And Santa (Again) — Interview with Matt Lowry
Posted by Podblack on Sunday, December 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:59 — 25.6MB) | Embed
Recently Matt Lowry wrote a blog-post on Using Mythology as a Critical Thinking Tool: The Lesson of Santa for Kids – just as Tim Minchin wrote a piece for the New Statesman about his own efforts to balance a pro-naturalistic worldview and living a life unencumbered by superstition, while raising kids and encouraging a love of fiction.
Matt Lowry is best known as the Skeptical Teacher – a high school physics teacher, plus a part-time physics and astronomy college professor, contributor to the James Randi Educational Foundation Education Advisory Group and awesome presenter for kids’ shows at Dragon*Con.
For this interview we talk about all of these things (and whether Santa might actually be a Time Lord with a sleigh made out of quantum-something-or-other).
During the discussion, we also talk about Barbara Drescher’s blog-post at the JREF Swift: An Argument for Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and (gasp!) Even Jesus. Here’s another great link to the Physics of Santa!
The Skeptical Teacher 
A Few Things I’ve Learned from 3 Years of Skeptical Blogging: « The Call of Troythulu said
[…] Skeptical Teacher Interview on Token Skeptic (skepticalteacher.wordpress.com) Share this:DiggShare on TumblrMorePrintEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
Alex Murdoch said
Kylie,
Thanks for this. I did go back and listen to the original podcast (could it really have been episode #1?). Being the father of three kids and having had some probing questions from my 8 year-old, I’ve been anticipating their entry into asking questions. It’s a dilemma that I think we all know is coming. It would be nice to know if there have been any panel discussions on skeptical parenting. I’m a passionate skeptic, but I tend to keep it to myself, there’s something about the magic and wonder of Christmas and other celebrations that I don’t want to be a “dick” about. Might be a good idea for upcoming conferences. Maybe some day I’ll get to TAM or NECSS.
Myths and Misconceptions About Christmas « The Skeptical Teacher said
[…] how the idea of Santa Claus can be used as a tool to teach critical thinking to kids (including a podcast interview I did on the subject), and the tongue-in-cheek celebration of […]
A Few Things I’ve Learned from 3 Years of Skeptical Blogging | The Prank Call of Troythulu said
[…] Skeptical Teacher Interview on Token Skeptic (skepticalteacher.wordpress.com) […]