The Magic and Sorcery of Alternative Medicine

Wednesday 28^th June 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Featuring Magician and Illusionist (and former surgeon) Dr. Richard Rawlins as the ‘Esteemed Quackademic’ Professor Riccardo

Having previously revealed the ‘Real Secrets of Alternative Medicine’ to us, Richard Rawlins will step aside and allow his alter-ego Professor Riccardo, ‘a master of illusion and a mind-reading marvel from the Department of Quackademic Medicine’, to demonstrate his skills in magic and illusion in this reality-defying performance that the multi-billion dollar complementary medicine industry would rather you didn’t see!

As a psychological illusionist and a member of The Magic Circle, retired surgeon Dr. Richard Rawlins does not deny that he sets out to take advantage of his “medical experience of non-verbal means of communication, body paralanguage, chronemics and advanced telepathy”(sic) to entertain and entrance, but what is reality and what is deception? As Richard says, “You must be the judge.”

“Join us for an entertaining evening of magic and illusion in this thought-provoking magical exposé of alternative medicine”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Dr. Richard Rawlins is a former lecturer in Anatomy, King’s College, London, Clinical Director of Surgery and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Bedford Hospital and Chairman of the UK Consultants Conference. He is also an illusionist and a member of the Magic Circle.

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Beyond the Syringe: the Secrets of Alternative Medicine Exposed

Saturday 14^th November 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Dr Richard Rawlins

Since time immemorial humans have been concerned about our health and well-being. For early civilisations it seemed obvious that the gods, spirits and stars were the cause of illness and disease. The Age of Enlightenment ushered in more critical analysis and we now expect medicine and healthcare to be evidence-based. Despite this progress, a third of the UK population indulges in alternatives to evidence-based medicine, and at least £500 million is spent every year on implausible treatments. There is no satisfactory way of differentiating between a sincere practitioner of complementary or alternative medicine, a dissembling quack, and an out and out fraudster. In this presentation Richard Rawlins reviews how conventional, orthodox, mainstream medicine has evolved from esoteric, hermetic, and arcane origins and now provides the best possible care in the light of current knowledge and understanding.

Dr. Richard Rawlins is a former lecturer in Anatomy, King’s College, London, Clinical Director of Surgery and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Bedford Hospital and Chairman of the UK Consultants Conference.

Join us for an entertaining exposé of the secrets of alternative medicine.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Create Your Own Cult: The Scientology Way

Saturday 8^th November 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by Dr Martin Poulter

Scientology has been described in the United States as “ruthless, litigious and lucrative” and in this country as “corrupt, sinister and dangerous”, yet it has gained the approval of many A-list Hollywood celebrities, and accumulated enormous quantities of money. Thanks to the internet, it now faces unprecedented global opposition, but how did it all begin?

Skeptic Martin Poulter has been keeping a close watch on L. Ron Hubbard’s secretive cult since 1995 when he was threatened with legal action over Scientology material he had posted online, and in this presentation he’ll be revealing how it all began, its subsequent development, its recruitment methods, and many of its most disturbing secrets.

Martin will also be providing us with a checklist of useful points to keep in mind if you ever decide to create your own successful and highly lucrative cult!

Join us for an entertaining examination of what may be Sci-Fi author L. Ron Hubbard’s weirdest creation - the cult of Scientology.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Martin Poulter has a Philosophy and Psychology degree from Oxford University and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Bristol. He is a key figure in Bristol Skeptics and his current main interest is in promoting critical and scientific thinking. He also gives talks on cognitive and social psychology.

Another easy way you can help our group grow is by indicating your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and the opportunity to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Science & Pseudoscience: How to Tell the Difference

Thursday 17^th July 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

A Discussion with Science Journalist Peter Hadfield

In these times of information overload, media hype, disinformation, and chequebook journalism, how do reasonably intelligent people ensure we are accurately informed about science? What sources can we trust and what are the relative merits of books, websites, newspapers, and scientific journals?

With a particular focus on the topical issue of climate change, science journalist Peter Hadfield and Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden will discuss how credible information is gathered, how to spot bogus information, and how to minimise the risk of being deceived.

Peter Hadfield is a firm defender of science and a staunch critic of pseudoscience, creationism, and global warming denialism. He regularly debunks pseudoscience and conspiracy theories on his YouTube channel, Potholer54, which now has approaching 90,000 subscribers, and also hosts the annual Crocoduck Awards.

“Join us for this lively discussion in which Peter Hadfield will guide us through the process of defending ourselves against pseudoscience and scientific deception”.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed by car and on foot via it’s rear driveway in Gervis Road. Gervis Road is well lit and has roadside parking available).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Paradox of Skepticism and the Dangers of Bogus Skeptics

Saturday 12^th April 2.00pm  
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Richard Wilson, skeptical activist and author of ‘Don't Get Fooled Again: The Sceptic's Guide to Life’.

Skeptics try to take a rational, evidence-based approach to life, yet a cold hard appraisal of the evidence suggests that, for most human beings, rationality is a constant struggle.

Even those disseminating wholly bogus ideas, from corporate pseudo-science to paranoid conspiracy theories, have sought to appropriate the language of rational inquiry with increasingly disastrous results. But what are the hallmarks of bogus skepticism, and how can we distinguish it from the genuine article? In this presentation, Richard highlights the problems that can arise when peddlers of myth and quackery succeed in portraying themselves as skeptics.

Richard’s book ‘Don't Get Fooled Again: The Sceptic's Guide to Life’ highlights the extent to which we are all vulnerable to deception and delusion, and proposes practical ‘rules of thumb’ to minimise the risk of being fooled in future. ‘Don’t Get Fooled Again’ has been praised by George Monbiot as “rigorous, witty and beautifully-written”, slammed by Spiked Online for failing to be sceptical enough about climate change, and cited by the High Court in a strike-out of a defamation case against the Health and Safety Executive by one of those named in the book.

"Join us to hear author and skeptical activist Richard Wilson explain how to protect ourselves from the dangers of bogus skeptics”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Richard Wilson is a writer and activist with a particular focus on scepticism, corruption, human rights and freedom of expression. He studied philosophy at University College London, and has written for the New Humanist, New Statesman, Prospect Magazine and Comment is Free. His first book, Titanic Express, recounts his search for the truth about the death of his sister Charlotte, who was killed in Burundi in 2000. 

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

How to Point and Laugh at Irrational Nonsense!

 ***************************************************************************************************************Update 3/2/2014: Menu option tickets have now sold out, but a limited number of presentation-only tickets are still available (1.50pm start. Price: £5 including coffee on arrival). If you haven’t already booked your place, please do so ASAP to avoid potential disappointment.                                                               *****************************************************************************************************************Saturday 8^th February 12.00pm 
The Purbeck Lounge, Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH

A Darwin Day Celebration with Crispian Jago

 

Celebrate Darwin Day* in style with a delicious two course meal in BIC’s Purbeck Lounge, followed by an entertaining presentation from the irreverent and irrepressible Crispian Jago (entertainment-only option also available. See booking information panel below).

With a selection of classic comedy clips, Crispian will be demonstrating that whilst we should respect a person’s right to hold whatever beliefs they like, ridicule of those beliefs (not the person) is not off-limits and can be one of many effective ways to highlight and combat irrational ideas.

“Celebrate Darwin Day in style with a delicious lunch followed by entertainment from the irrepressible Crispian Jago”

Crispian Jago writes the popular satirical skeptical blog Science, Reason & Critical Thinking, and co-founded and co-organises both the Hampshire Skeptics Society, and Winchester Skeptics in the Pub.

Everyone welcome! (ticketholders only to this event)

Booking Information Meal and presentation (12:00pm start): £20 per person (£17 for members) Crispian Jago presentation only (1:50pm start): £5 per person Main Course options : 1) Lemon & Thyme Infused Chicken with green beans, asparagus & confit vine tomatoes, new potatoes & Hollandaise sauce) 2) Charred Mediterranean Vegetables (v) served in a cheddar basket, with sautéed petit pans & romesco salad, new potatoes & chive beurre blanc Dessert options: 1) Bitter Chocolate Tart with kirsh steeped cherries & Dorset clotted cream 2) Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad To book, please see Lyn Glass at a Dorset Humanists meeting, or phone 01202 558763, or email lyn.glass(at)btinternet.com Please note: Places for the menu option are strictly limited, so book early to avoid disappointment (last booking date for menu option: January 31st 2014) *Darwin Day is actually on the 12th February, but our celebration is always on a Saturday near to it, to ensure more people can attend.

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

All Things Weird and Wonderful: Anomalistic Psychology and the Paranormal

Saturday 14^th September 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by Anomalistic Psychologist Chris French

Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences many of which we would today label as “paranormal”. Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean one of two things: Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims; or else belief in and experience of ostensibly paranormal phenomena can be fully explained in terms of psychological factors.

This presentation by Professor Chris French will provide an introduction to the sub-discipline of anomalistic psychology, which may be defined as the study of extraordinary phenomena of behaviour and experience, in an attempt to provide non-paranormal explanations in terms of known psychological and physical factors. This approach will be illustrated with examples relating to a range of ostensibly paranormal phenomena.

Professor Chris French is the Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as being a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association and a member of the Scientific and Professional Advisory Board of the British False Memory Society. He has published over 100 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. His main area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims, as well as writing for the Guardian and The Skeptic magazine which, for more than a decade, he also edited. His most recent books are Why Statues Weep: The Best of The Skeptic, co-edited with Wendy Grossman (2010, London: The Philosophy Press) and Anomalistic Psychology, co-authored with Nicola Holt, Christine Simmonds-Moore, and David Luke (2012, London: Palgrave). Follow him on Twitter: @chriscfrench

Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear the results of Chris French's continuing research into ‘All Things Weird and Wonderful’!

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Scientific Method and Pseudoscience - Openmindedness

source: Steve Ollington