tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30181499349012715752011-09-06T16:16:50.791+01:00GMSkepticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087313193875264307noreply@blogger.comBlogger181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-91087125837509559212010-12-02T12:04:00.002Z2010-12-02T12:07:44.323Z

This blog was left behind some time ago for the lovely shiny www.gmskeptics.org blog Please head over that way for information about what we do and a whole lot more!

Janishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05267566632092686223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-36772155110418524712010-07-27T23:32:00.003+01:002010-07-27T23:48:20.107+01:00

As advertised from episode eight of Just Skeptics podcast, this is a just-for-fun competition to see how good our skeptical listeners are with arguments. The following conversation is very slow paced and is an argument that you could conceivably see two friends having - can you spot all of their Logical Fallacies?  If you think you can then pop your answers in the comments section (or send the

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-87918806739912017002010-07-25T01:13:00.004+01:002010-07-25T05:57:49.037+01:00

The Chinese UFO sightings were discussed in more detail on episode 8 of our Just Skeptics podcast, which is available now on iTunes, or you can use the direct link at the bottom of this page. If you like this blog post why not give us a listen?  When people find out that I'm a skeptic, the most common question I get asked is "what about UFO's then"? Because I'm far too pedantic for my own good

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-9098754009445225702010-07-01T20:48:00.003+01:002010-07-25T02:22:13.753+01:00

For episode 6 of the Just Skeptics podcast we were joined once more by Rick Owen, who talked at great length about lie detectors. You can listen to this episode (and more) by searching iTunes for "Just Skeptics" or by visiting the Just Skeptics blog. He was kind enough to write this accompanying piece for us: As with my rant in episode 2, my soap-box session on episode 6 of the Just Skeptics

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-45962657005361581702010-05-31T22:21:00.002+01:002010-07-25T02:22:43.691+01:00

It’s time once again for the FIFA World Cup, and yet again the streets of Manchester are awash with St. George’s crosses – and once more the only reaction I can muster is a feeling of intense befuddlement. Your regular garden variety patriotism I can just about grasp – while I disagree with the idea I can almost, (but not quite) understand it. If the people with the cheap flags bolted to their

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-32765573140488505132010-05-30T20:57:00.004+01:002010-07-25T06:00:55.460+01:00

This week on the Just Skeptics podcast we were joined by Rick Owen, who talked at great length about common fallacies encountered whilst gambling. He was kind enough to write this accompanying piece for us: On my guest slot on episode 2 of the Just Skeptics podcast I talk about gambling superstitions and scam systems. Without repeating the podcast spot (you'll have to listen to it), I

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-234630861706568522010-05-23T22:12:00.004+01:002010-07-25T02:24:35.097+01:00

We've finally got our podcast off the ground, and we'd suggest you listen to it!Every week we'll be discussing a handful of skeptical or scientific news stories, and then we'll let our rotating guest host get on a soapbox and rant about a topic of his or her choosing.This week we're joined by guest host Allan Callister as we cover the wierd and wonderful world of acu-pressure, celebrate the

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-2992672653858576182010-04-01T12:47:00.021+01:002010-07-25T05:00:12.323+01:00

The majority of skeptics and science fans in the UK have eagerly been watching the court case between Dr. Simon Singh and The British Chiropractic Association(BCA) and more recently the court of appeal battle. The case started when Dr. Singh wrote a column on the 19th of April 2008. In the column Singh expressed opinions that the BCA were not inclined to like. Mainly the line; "The

Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04640960555084871307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-52207337626766593022010-01-31T20:03:00.006Z2010-07-25T02:33:06.302+01:00

At 10:23am on January 30th, more than three hundred homeopathy sceptics nationwide took part in a mass homeopathic 'overdose' in protest at Boots' continued endorsement and sale of homeopathic remedies, and to raise public awareness about the fact that homeopathic remedies have nothing in them. The Greater Manchester Skeptics were proud to organise the Manchester overdose. Here is that event,

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-41431164737547011212010-01-26T22:50:00.007Z2010-07-25T02:34:28.018+01:00

I have to admit that sometimes we skeptics do leave ourselves open to reproach by being sceptical about subjects just because it seems pretty obvious to us how crazy the notion is.  Now this in itself is hardly sceptical, and is at best lazy and at worst arrogant.  Today I feel little better about this after reading through reams of blogs on the subject of the 1023 Campaign reminding me that it’s

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-68897390391749872792009-12-19T22:53:00.003Z2010-07-25T02:40:29.565+01:00

Unusually for an avid reader of books, I spend a great deal of time reading. This not only educates me on many interesting subjects but many non-fiction books will also entice me with the further reading sections (just before the index if you need directions), allowing me to learn more on a subject or to explain what I have  not (yet) understood. Being of this mind-set I find that often I rashly

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-84806701827619912072009-12-16T23:00:00.007Z2010-07-25T02:40:41.561+01:00

Since the dawn of mankind the world has had it's great men - Norman Borlaug, Carl Sagan, Galileo Galilei and that dude that invented the wheel (his name was either Frank or Bob). These are the people who have changed not only the way we look at the world but also how we interact with it. The problem with this is that if they say one daft thing or hold one stray belief they can potentially damage

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-2452387397450934552009-12-09T21:41:00.002Z2010-07-25T02:37:06.728+01:00

Fantastic news - the UK is finally getting it's own electromagnetic clinic using the latest Bemer 3000 magnetic beds. Using 'Bio Electro Magnetic Energy Regulators' they emit a "pulse which is actually just below that of the earth's own magnetic field". It "balances energy defeciences", allows "self-healing on a cellular level" and boosts the immune system. It doesn't actually cure anything

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-38151938603004947802009-12-06T12:39:00.009Z2010-07-25T02:41:12.081+01:00

Last Saturday I went out for a venue finding mission with some skeptical chums, and in between bars I was distressed to see that mad, bad and dangerous medical advice is never far away. Nearby to a possible venue we chanced upon a vegetarian health shop and in their window we found this: I set out to find some Skepticism but I ended up finding more woo than the contents of a regency era romantic

Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04640960555084871307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-86334654331525336672009-12-03T01:12:00.001Z2010-07-25T02:44:57.823+01:00

The Merseyside Skeptics Society have a fantastically well thought-out letter to Boots regarding their sales of homoeopathic remedies. I'll reproduce the text below, but I strongly recommend that you visit their website, attend their events and listen to their podcast. If you happen to have a Digg account, make sure to Digg this for them, as many people as possible should read it. An Open Letter

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-23718438421439175542009-12-01T00:41:00.004Z2010-07-25T02:44:05.829+01:00

Purchase a flat screen TV from almost any electrical retailer, and you can be almost guaranteed that you'll encounter a little woo. You'll be offered some form of expensive home-theater grade cables from a brand such as Profigold or Monster, which retail for frankly ridiculous prices. The reason for this is simple - a shop like Comet makes a larger margin from their cables, sometimes running to

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-46701067484489379632009-11-25T21:45:00.003Z2010-07-25T02:42:18.307+01:00

Imagine this scenario. You're working in an unnamed electronics store, and you get into a conversation with a potential customer. He asks you about Infared Thermometers, so you begin to demonstrate one you just happen to be holding. At this point he asks you if you sell EMF meters, and the alarm bells go off. You've got yourself a ghost hunter! What would you do? I have absolutely no idea, and

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018149934901271575.post-86517828281215246922009-11-20T00:08:00.003Z2010-07-25T02:42:05.865+01:00

I saw this entertaining piece of nonsense last month in the Metro (October 5th), but it's slipped my mind until tonight. Better late than never I suppose. According to Councillor Adrian Hicks, a humanoid alien was wandering around Winchester high street (this sighting was apparently linked to US and British military operations.) I'm not quite sure what he's basing that on as the close proximity

Gavin Schofieldnoreply@blogger.com0