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.

A Sceptic's Guide to the Origins of Christianity

Wednesday 22^nd March 7.30pm

The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With Historian Peter Marchant
Many scholars have realised that the Gospels were largely re-imaginings of earlier Hebrew scriptural stories that were believed to be prophetic, but it is less well understood that the Gospel authors also borrowed from Greek literature such as the epics of Homer. Peter Marchant will show how Persian religion influenced and merged with brands of Judaism to produce the first Christian sects, and he will challenge the early dates traditionally given to the New Testament writings, arguing that critical scholarship is now moving their composition into the second century. He will also offer a surprising alternative explanation for the Anno Domini dating system. Throughout the presentation, Peter will be providing evidence demonstrating that Christ is a ‘composite construction’ combining supernatural elements with both legendary and genuine historical persons.

Peter Marchant graduated in Ancient History from Manchester University and has been studying Christian origins for a quarter of a century.  He has worked for the Council for British Archaeology, and is the author of the book: ‘3 Peter: a Sceptic's Guide to the Origins of Christianity’. 

“Join us for some fascinating revelations about the real origins of the world’s most widely followed religion”
 

Hosted by Dorset Humanists (donations appreciated)

(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/

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.

Science and Religion in the Classroom

Saturday 09^th May 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Alom Shaha - author of The Young Atheist’s Handbook

How can children brought up in religious families reconcile the different ‘truths’ they are told about the world? And to what extent should we discuss these issues in schools? What exactly should science teachers say when asked about the ‘truth’ of science by religious students? In this talk, Alom Shaha will describe his personal experiences of growing up in a Bangladeshi Muslim community in London, what role his science education played in his journey towards atheism and how, as a physics teacher in a London comprehensive, he responds to the apparent conflict between science and religious ideas in the classroom.

Alom Shaha was born in Bangladesh but grew up in London. As a teacher, science writer, and filmmaker, he has spent most of his professional life sharing his passion for science and education with the public, and has received fellowships from the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts (NESTA) and the Nuffield Foundation. He has also represented his community as an elected politician, and currently produces the children’s science video series ‘ExpeRimental’ for the Royal Institution (Ri).

“A great opportunity to discover what happens when science meets conflicting religious beliefs in the classroom”

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.

Freethinker’s Delights: More Hidden Treasures From YouTube

Thursday 14^th August 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Dean Robertson will be presenting another eclectic selection of entertaining and enlightening clips from the vast archive of atheist, rationalist, humanist and skeptical lectures and discussions which are now available on YouTube.

While YouTube is probably best known for its huge collections of music videos and amusing Candid Camera style home movie clips, there’s a wealth of more serious material available from debates and discussions, right through to entire online lecture series from top universities, and this presentation will provide another great introduction to just what it has to offer. And don’t be surprised to see some classic comedy clips, and a couple of epic fails from Creationists and/or Conspiracy theorists too!

To give you a flavour of what to expect, here's a rundown of the film clip selection from last year’s very popular, “Dawkins, Hitchens and Other Hidden Treasures of YouTube” evening :
http://dorset-humanists1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/hidden-treasures-of-youtube-videos.html

“Join us for an enjoyable evening as we explore and discuss another big helping of the best freethought YouTube videos”

Free entry (donations appreciated). Everyone welcome!

Our Indian friend Swami Manavatavadi will also be attending this event and there will be an opportunity to meet him in the bar afterwards. Swami Manavatavadi is director of a small secular humanist school in Kurukshetra, Haryana (100km from Delhi). Dorset Humanists have had a friendship link with, and been providing some financial support to, this school since 2003.

(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 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.

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.