Edinburgh Skeptics

Edinburgh Skeptics Society
AbbreviationEdSkeptics
FormationMarch 2009
TypeNonprofit organisation
PurposePromotion of science, reason and critical thinking
Location
Region served
Edinburgh and Lothians
Founder
Ash Pryce
Key people
Mark Pentler (Chair) Sean Slater (Co-Chair)
Websiteedinburghskeptics.co.uk

Edinburgh Skeptics (Edinburgh Skeptics Society) is a nonprofit organisation that promotes science, reason and critical thinking in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland. It was founded in 2009.[1] The Society hosts regular social and educational events in Edinburgh and has campaigned against the use of homeopathy and challenged claims of ghost sightings.

The Society organizes regular talks as part of Skeptics in the Pub. The speaker invited to launch the group in March 2009 was Chris French.[2] Subsequent speakers have included David Aaronovitch[3] and Julian Baggini.[4] In 2010 the Society created the award-winning Skeptics on the Fringe event, which is held annually during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Skeptics on the Fringe won an Ockham Award after a vote by the readers of The Skeptic magazine in 2013 and has been awarded 4 stars by the publication Broadway Baby. An Ockham award was again won in 2017.[5] Speakers such as Simon Singh,[6] Richard Wiseman,[6][7][8] A C Grayling,[8] Edzard Ernst[8] and Paul Zenon[8] have taken part in this event. Other Fringe activities include themed walking tours of Edinburgh.[9][10]

Current activities include a range of talks held as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, a cinema night, a discussion group and a mobile stall to deliver science and rationalism outreach to the public. In 2015 the Society started the Edinburgh Skeptics Podcast on a variety of platforms with content including interviews with various personalities as well as recordings of the Society's events.

In the past the Society has also co-hosted special events, such as a talk by Marc Abrahams,[11] founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes and continues to work with various groups in the scientific and skeptical community.

  1. ^ "History". Edinburgh Skeptics Society Website. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Edinburgh Skeptics in the Pub launches". Edinburgh Skeptics Society website. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Skeptics in the Pub – David Aaronovitch – Voodoo Histories Updated: New Conspiracy Theories". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Skeptics in the Pub – Julian Baggini – Being sceptical of scepticism: Ways of being wrong". Edinburgh Skeptics Society website. 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  5. ^ "The Ockham Awards". Skeptic Magazine UK. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Edinburgh Skeptics Society – Skeptics on the Fringe – Past Events 2010". Edinburgh Skeptics Society Website. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Edinburgh Skeptics Society – Skeptics on the Fringe – Past Events 2011". Edinburgh Skeptics Society Website. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "Edinburgh Skeptics Society – Skeptics on the Fringe – Past Events 2012". Edinburgh Skeptics Society Website. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  9. ^ "Review and Video – Walking Tour – The S & M Tour: Science and Medicine – Lock up your doctors!". Edinburgh Skeptics Society Website. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  10. ^ scotsman.com staff (23 March 2009). "Sceptic tours aim to put a nail in coffin of city's ghost myths". scotsman.com. Edinburgh: Johnston Press. ISSN 0307-5850. OCLC 614655655. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Special Event – IgNobels host Marc Abrahams – This is Improbable: Cheese String Theory, Magnetic Chickens, and Other WTF Research". Edinburgh Skeptics Society website. 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.