I said in my previous post that I would live blog various panels I attended here at Convergence 2010, but that was before I figured out I couldn’t get wireless Internet access because I’m staying in a different hotel. Oh bugger – that’s okay, I’ll just pseudo-live blog 🙂
My first evening at Skepchicon consisted of getting checked into my hotel, running into PZ Myers in the lobby, meeting up with some of the lovely Skepchicks in a restaurant, taking copious notes at the Skepticism 101 panel discussion tonight in the Science & Technology track, and partying with the Skepchicks (btw, “Buzzed Aldrins” kick a lot of ass!). While I could go on and on about it all, I will only elaborate on the Skepticism 101 panel – what follows below is my accounting (as best as I could do it) of the discussion. Enjoy…
Day One of Skepchicon @ Convergence, 2010
Skepticism 101 Panel
with Steve Thoms (editor of SkepticNorth.com – a Canadian skeptic blog), Pamela Gay (from the Astronomy Cast podcast), Lois Schadewald (chemistry college instructor), Greg Laden (paleontologist)
Pamela Gay is introducing the panel and saying hello, and since we have no moderator at the moment, she’s taking over. The panelists are introducing themselves now.
Pamela Gay says the real universe is far more awesome than the shit some people make up.
Pamela: How do you inflict skeptical thinking upon others?
Greg: Why are the skeptics in the room here? I never really thought of skepticism as a movement until recently, by interacting with people via the blogosphere. People engaging in this movement have to understand that this is not a highly monolithic thing. Some people invited to panels like Skepchick panels are actually offended, because not all skeptics are like the Skepchicks. It is an important community, but it isn’t necessarily a warm & fuzzy “welcoming” movement.
Pamela: At least skeptics are much more polite than people who tell you that you’re going to hell.
The Skeptical Teacher 
