National Capital Area Skeptics: January 2023

January 2023

NCAS Public Lecture Series

A Discussion of the Documentary Film Science Friction

YouTube Live Event with Q and A

Brian Dunning
Executive Producer / Co-Writer, Science Friction

Saturday, January 21, 1:30pm US/Eastern (UTC-05:00)

NCASVideo YouTube Channel:

This month, NCAS presents a different kind of event. We invite you to watch the documentary Science Friction BEFORE January 21, 2023 (see below for ways to watch). Then join us on Saturday, January 21 at 1:30 PM ET for an online Q & A with Executive Producer Brian Dunning.

From the film's website:

"Finally, a documentary about scientists who get misrepresented by the media.
Those TV documentaries you see, and the science experts they feature? Did you know that producers often edit them out of context, and twist their words, to make it seem like they promoted some pop sensationalism instead of the real facts?

Science Friction exposes this practice and gives the scientists a chance to clear the record."

Executive Producer / Co-Writer Brian Dunning is the host of Skeptoid, the award-winning weekly science podcast. Since 2006, Skeptoid has been revealing the true science behind popular misinformation and urban legends.

Full information about this documentary can be found at https://sciencefriction.tv

Streaming services that carry Science Friction can be found at https://sciencefriction.tv/watch

To watch the film for free (with ads), use this link:

https://tubitv.com/movies/661210/science-friction
Note: one of the on-screen commentators is magician/skeptic (and NCAS co-founder) Jamy Ian Swiss.
https://www.ncas.org/2022/12/jaanuary-21-discuss-film-science.html

How to Watch and Participate in this Online Discussion Event:

1) Use a supported browser... https://www.youtube.com/supported_browsers

2) Use the link https://youtu.be/AVtDXLxa8aU

3) The live stream begins shortly before 1:30pm US/Eastern (UTC-05:00) on Saturday, January 21, 2023.

4) To post questions, you must be signed in to a Google account.

5) Post your questions in the chat window to the right of the video player when the live stream is active.

6) Click into where it says "Say something..." and begin typing (up to 200 characters). Then click the send icon.

Along with your question, please post what city or town you're in.

Sad News

Harriet "SkepDoc" Hall, MD has unexpectedly passed away at age 77:

https://twitter.com/HHSkepDoc/status/1613612939461656595

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/we-are-saddened-to-announce-that-the-skepdoc-dr-harriet-hall-has-passed-away/

Dr. Hall was a contributing editor to both Skeptic magazine and the Skeptical Inquirer. She was a weekly contributor to the Science-Based Medicine Blog and was one of its editors. This is another blow to the skeptics community, happening just a couple of months after the passing of Skeptical Inquirer editor Kendrick Frazier.

Teller's "Tempest" Extended to January 29

"The Tempest" run at Round House Theatre in Bethesda has been extended from January 15 to January 29. Teller is credited for co-directing/co-adapting and magic. (Yours truly, Scott Snell, will be celebrating Friday the 13th by attending that evening's performance!)

Happy Friday the 13th!
NCAS has no events planned for Friday, January 13, but encourages our members to celebrate the silliness of superstition responsibly. Wear eye protection if you smash a mirror, be careful when walking under a ladder, etc!

AmazonSmile: Thanks to our members who are supporting NCAS!
When shopping at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that a portion of the purchase price (0.5%) goes to NCAS! It's simple and automatic, and it doesn't cost you anything!

AmazonSmile's disbursements to NCAS in the third quarter of 2022 came to $51, meaning that over $10,000 of purchases were designated in support of NCAS. (As an example of how NCAS can put that money to good use, it's more than enough to cover two hours of a Montgomery County lecture room rental.)

Thanks again to our members who have chosen to support NCAS!

For more information:

https://smile.amazon.com/about
https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-launches-amazonsmile-simple-automatic-way-customers

Shadow Light

Some members and contacts of NCAS receive a postal notification of this and every new monthly Shadow of a Doubt. The Shadow Light postcard announces the monthly lecture and highlights of the electronic Shadow of a Doubt, which is available online at ncas.org/p/shadow.html. NCAS thereby reduces Shadow production and postage costs. To further reduce costs, members and contacts can opt out of postal notification altogether, while continuing to receive Shadow of a Doubt via e-mail. To opt out, send us an e-mail at ncas@ncas.org.

Time to Renew?
Be sure to check your renewal date above your postal address on the Shadow Light postcard. Send any queries to ncas@ncas.org. Use the online membership form to renew.
https://www.ncas.org/p/shadow.html

National Capital Area Skeptics

Promoting Critical Thinking and Scientific Understanding

Monday, January 16, 2023

Shadow of a Doubt - January 2023

Shadow of a Doubt - January 2023