On the way in we got a goodie bag that contained … well here you go …
https://twitter.com/TammyWebsterX/status/787256568962228224
Audience gathers …
Our MC is the amazing Matt Parker …
… and of course no QED would be incomplete without some religious folks outside …
https://twitter.com/GregLabour/status/787308865176100864
Outside #QEDcon now… pic.twitter.com/95xs8KWNt7
— cat doctor (@DoctorAndTheCat) October 15, 2016
… but we now begin to understand why …
#QEDcon apparently 667 tickets were sold for this amazing sceptics conference, but one cancelled! So 666!!
— Guy Otten (@Guy_Otten) October 15, 2016
Opening Video
The introduction video was yet again amazing as it is each and every year. I managed to bag a seat in the front row and then found that Susan Blackmore had sat down beside me, so I proceeded to have a fanboy moment. After she watched the opening clip, she asked, “Is it always like this”. When I told her it was, it clearly left her feeling that she should have come to QED in previous years.
Captain Disillusion
The official description was this …
Alan Melikdjanian, better known as his superhero alter-ego Captain Disillusion, is an independent filmmaker who examines viral videos and paranormal reports to identify and expose signs of hoaxes and special effects. With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers and over 8,000,000 cumulative views, Captain Disillusion has debunked some of the most widely spread hoax viral videos, demonstrating precisely the techniques involved in producing each hoax.
… and that I suggest is a huge understatement, because this is a guy who not only has something important to say, but also combined that with a highly effective communication strategy. I can only perhaps say that you just had to be there.
Before talk / After talk. Thank you for being an amazingly warm and cheerful audience, #QEDcon pic.twitter.com/VAuMovS4aN
— Captain Disillusion (@CDisillusion) October 15, 2016
Skepticism via interpretive dance @qedcon #QEDCON with Captain Disillusion. pic.twitter.com/FEnAvCNlNm
— DaveTheDrummer (@DaveTheDrummer) October 15, 2016
The rather immediate and obvious go-to for many will be to subscribe to his YouTube channel, so with that thought in mind, here it is.
Petra Boynton “advice columns”
Next up was Dr Petra ready to advise us on giving advice
Susan Blackmore has a question during the Q&A …
Thought-provoking talk by @DrPetra at #QEDcon Very important stuff.
— Rufus von Balcone (@vonBalcone) October 15, 2016
A queue for questions for @DrPetra at #QEDCon
Fascinating talk on evidence-based advice columns (and The Archers.) pic.twitter.com/XtpHQrNrng— European Bunny (@tweetyaca) October 15, 2016
Dr Petra at #QEDcon … and contact details … pic.twitter.com/SXkkV4TXfF
— Skeptical_Science (@david_gamble) October 15, 2016
ex-naturopath Britt Hermes
This was the primary talk and got a well-deserved standing ovation …
'To be a successful naturopath u have to fool ur patients & u have to fool urself. I was not a good naturopath' Britt Hermes #QEDcon
— Leonie (@LeonieHilliard) October 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/manishkarmd/status/787243833725706240
Naturopaths define success by amount of money made by scamming the vulnerable and gullible. On that basis @NaturoDiaries a failure! #QEDcon
— Paul Morgan (@drpaulmorgan) October 15, 2016
Britt Hermes: I knew after reading 'Trick Or Treatment' by @EdzardErnst & @SLSingh, that practicing naturopathy was unethical. #QEDcon
— Leonie (@LeonieHilliard) October 15, 2016
Standing ovation for the brilliant @NaturoDiaries .Inspirational, open, honest account of her journey from quack to skeptic #QEDcon
— Suzanne Whelan (@Suziesue73) October 15, 2016
Standing ovation for Britt Marie Hermes after an incredible story about her departure from naturopathy in the US. #QEDcon
— Colm Ryan (@colm_ryan) October 15, 2016
Standing ovation for @NaturoDiaries after a brilliantly honest&powerful account of her experience as a brainwashed former naturopath #QEDcon
— Sarah Ryan (@Geekazoid) October 15, 2016
My hands hurt from applauding Britt Hermes. Absolutely inspirational. #QEDcon
— Leonie (@LeonieHilliard) October 15, 2016
This has been one of the best #QEDcon talks I've ever been at. Incredible story, incredible talk from @NaturoDiaries.
— Rhys Morgan (@rhysmorgan) October 15, 2016
Devastating, moving, brave and inspiring talk from @NaturoDiaries at #QEDcon pic.twitter.com/Sfkhzwg9z5
— Andy Lewis (@lecanardnoir) October 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/manishkarmd/status/787241777296187392
"Britt Marie Hermes talk at #QEDCon about leaving the Naturopathic world was devastating, moving and… https://t.co/tTFx925eG6
— Portsmouth Skeptics (@sitpportsmouth) October 15, 2016
You can find her blog here – https://www.naturopathicdiaries.com
13:00 Mark Stevenson – Talks about the future
It was indeed a rapid flow of amazing new ideas and concepts every 3 seconds from @Optimistontour
14:00 – Timandra Harkness – Big Data
@TimandraHarknes tells us what data is and what makes it big?
#BigData tweet automatically liked by #BigDataBot #QEDcon and @TimandraHarknes just did #recursion pic.twitter.com/9NtHLzXR4L
— Ben Makin (@BenMakin42) October 15, 2016
Whole new dimension to "grab her pussy" at #QEDcon talk on Big Data by Timandra Harkness 😮 pic.twitter.com/eW0lKUOAmk
— Paul Morgan @[email protected] (@drpaulmorgan) October 15, 2016
15:00 – Susan Blackmore – Out of Body Experiences
Susan personally experienced an OBE while a student at Oxford and that then motivated her to become a parapsychologist and investigate it all. It led her on a long journey that eventually led to the conclusion that there was nothing paranormal going on.
She designed tests. Would put out random objects and had people try to do an out of body from somewhere remote to come see, but nobody ever managed to do it.
The Tunnel Experience – happens on edge of sleep, during NDEs, and with hallucinogens such as LSD.
Narcolepsy – David Howard falls asleep, is often abducted by aliens and taken to a far planet. When they got his medication to work, it all stopped, and he was very disappointed.
Olaf Blanke in 2002 managed to stimulate exactly right spot in brain and triggered an OOBE (Nature, 2002, 41§9, 269-270). The Temporoparietal junction TPJ
She then talks about The Rubber Hand Illusion and illustrates it with a few volunteers to show how you can induce OBE like experiences.
It is not an uncommon experience.
I had OBEs as a child and would visit my primary school hall before zooming back into my body. #QEDcon
— Hayley Stevens (@Hayleystevens) October 15, 2016
Fascinating- pattern glare susceptibility is linked to out of body experiences #QEDcon
— Ginny Smith (@GinnyFBSmith) October 15, 2016
The rubber hand experiment at #qedcon pic.twitter.com/wd8MIHAsM1
— Skeptical_Science (@david_gamble) October 15, 2016
Wish I could have an out of body experience so i could be at two #QEDcon talks at once.
— Alan Makin (@AlanMakin) October 15, 2016
Next at #QEDcon, the science of out-of-body experiences. pic.twitter.com/sLT7roBrT3
— Andrew Taylor (@Andrew_Taylor) October 15, 2016
16:00 Dr Karl – Great Moments in Science
Is telling us about his life in science, opens with clip he got during antarctic trip.
Explains grandmother death rates for students increases as the student’s grades decrease. Solution is to only enrol only orphans.
Makes the case that Autism causes vaccines (Hint for those not here … it is satire)
He then moves on to a hilarious satire of climate change denial.
Oh heck, this is a work of art and is jam packed with gems, but I just can’t keep up. You will just have to watch the video when it is up on YouTube.
Now having a serious go (quite rightly) at the anti-vaccine crowd. ChickenPox causes strokes in kids. there is a 1/60,000 death rate.
The Flynn Effect. Each of you in 9 IQ points smarter than your teachers.
We now live in the most peaceful time that there has ever been in human history.
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties. – Sir Francis Bacon
Weight loss industry – is there any other business that makes £millions with a 95% failure rate?
Repeat business I guess.#QEDcon
— Mike Smyth (@M1ke5myth) October 15, 2016
Great description of “dead grandmother/examination” syndrome! #QEDcon
— Paul Morgan (@drpaulmorgan) October 15, 2016
QED Quote of the Day
"Reality is for people who can't handle drugs"
Dr Carl#QEDcon pic.twitter.com/BtLKs1GG2z
— Buck Mulligan (@ThatBuckGuy) October 15, 2016
Gruesome statistics from the USA #QEDcon pic.twitter.com/x3DWeZ8i1T
— Diana Barbosa (@diraquel) October 15, 2016
Describing the nonsense of the “Paleo diet”. Based on wrong assumptions made in the 1970s. They had no real clues! #QEDcon
— Paul Morgan (@drpaulmorgan) October 15, 2016
Cardinal Rule Of Science: Everything, no matter how boring, looks better under a scanning electron microscope. #QEDcon
— Leonie (@LeonieHilliard) October 15, 2016
Hilarious, animated and informative talk from @DoctorKarl to round off the day at #QEDcon pic.twitter.com/5v63OaYKPF
— Rob McD (@Your_FunnyUncle) October 15, 2016
Dr Karl ripping the shit out of the Paleo diet is making my heart very happy #QED #QEDcon
— Kat-Lady (@KatLikesJam) October 15, 2016
Tolerance for parents who don't vaccinate their kids? Would we tolerate parents who don't put seat belts on their kids? – Dr Karl #QEDcon
— Kat-Lady (@KatLikesJam) October 15, 2016
No 'University of the Sunshine Coast' in the UK. CRUEL. #QEDcon
— Gilxs Wendes (@gwendes) October 15, 2016