Tim Farley - "Building Internet Tools for Skeptics" - TAM 6

Tim Farley, JREF research fellow and founder of WhatsTheHarm.net, talks at TAM 6 about using web 2.0 tools to promote and advance skeptical outreach.

Nadia Sawalha Homeopath advocate!

I have always liked Nadia Sawalha, there is a couple of main reasons why, but I have always liked her.

And then out of nowhere she goes and makes a really really dumb admission on Twitter.

Now I have to add her to that list of dumb celebrities who have no clue what the real world is all about!

For anyone who still doubts the dangers of Homeopathy please check out the site of my good friends whatstheharm.net

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - TAM 6

From The Amaz!ng Meeting 6 in Las Vegas, NV. Keynote address by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and science communicator. He is currently the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space and a research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.

From 2006 to 2011 he hosted the educational science television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS and has been a frequent guest on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Jeopardy!. It was announced on August 5, 2011, that Tyson will be hosting a new sequel to Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series.

D.J. Grothe - How to be a "Perfect" Skeptic - QED 2012

Filmed at the skepticism conference QED 2012 in Manchester, UK, D.J. Grothe presents his advice on how to be a "perfect" skeptic. Grothe is a public speaker and writer on issues at the intersection of belief and scientific skepticism, and is president of The James Randi Educational Foundation. He hosts the radio show and podcast "For Good Reason".

George Anderson - Psychic Medium and one unhappy customer

Forum member Forests mentioned on the forum that he had been told by a Spiritualist that Medium George Anderson had never been exposed as a fake.

Personally I have never even heard of this medium, despite claims on his website that he was the worlds most scientifically tested medium.


"In his career, George has done more than 35,000 sessions for the bereaved, and is the most scientifically tested medium of this century. He has earned the respect and acclaim of those who work in scientific, medical and religious fields not only due to his ability, but his dedication to those who suffer the loss of a loved one. Researchers in the field of science, afterlife studies and spirituality have called George "Astonishing," "The Gold Standard by which all mediums are measured," and "A Stradivarius among mediums." He continues to work with people from all over the world, from everyday people to politicians, heads of state, celebrities and royalty, who have been astounded by his simple manner and extraordinary ability to communicate messages from the souls."

The fact I have not heard of him, is probably all you need to know, and as for his claims of being tested by scientists, again I ask where are the peer reviewed papers on this? Who are the credible and qualified scientists? A bit like asking a car mechanic to fix your girlfriends hair straighteners, just because someone is a scientist does not make them instantly qualified to test a psychic!

Anyway upon asking about George Anderson on the forum, member Forests actually found a review of George Anderson on Amazon, as a review of one of his books.

I will publish it here, I do not know who wrote it, so I will let you read it and make your own mind up, is this really a medium you want to go to? I know I personally would avoid him at all costs.
Anyway here is the review, also do click through to Amazon and read some of the replies to this review too. Some eye opening stuff.

By tamrakatThis review is from: We Don't Die (Paperback) 

I first read the earlier edition of "We Don't Die" around 1996. It was my favorite book and I recommended it to everyone. I swore that if anything happened to someone I loved I would find a way to get a reading with George. I was so convinced he was the real thing. Then tragedy struck in the summer of 1998 when both my husband and son died just a few weeks apart. I contacted George's office right away, but because he was so booked up the first available $1,000 phone appointment was in 3 months. I made the appointment and waited with great expectations. I felt so hopeful that when the reading took place I would hear from my beloved son and husband and feel some relief from the horrible pain I was in. I had no other children so I had really lost my whole family in just a few short weeks. 

George called me at our scheduled appointment time. I can't explain what a horrible sinking feeling it was while listening to George and slowly realizing he was only telling me things that anyone could find through public records, like my husband's name, cause of death, how long we'd been married and that it was the first marriage for both of us, where we got married, etc. There were a lot of mentions in between the vital information of how much my husband loved me, wanted me to go on and be happy.... Generally, words of comfort, just what a person in my situation would desperately want and need to hear. It all seemed so fake that I began to feel disgusted, but I held my tongue and kept hoping, but he really didn't tell me anything convincing even though I sat there during the reading surrounded by knick-knacks and photos from various trips we'd taken, match books from our favorite restaurants, etc.

But here was the clincher: George said that my husband and I had NO CHILDREN. I didn't correct him because I didn't want to help in any way if he was fishing for clues, but my heart really hit bottom when he said that. Toward the end of the reading I asked if there wasn't someone, anyone else, that might want to come through, but he just started guessing and asking me questions, like "would this person's name begin with a letter that's in the first half of the alphabet?". You see, the problem for George was that my son was born, and later died, in another country, so both his birth and death certificates would be difficult to find, especially if one assumed there was no reason to look for them. 

It pains me to say this, but talking to George 3 months after my losses actually sent me into a deeper and literally more hopeless depression because by the time the reading was over I had gone from a true believer to a person who knew right down to the bone that this guy was a fake. I believed so strongly in George's abilities before the reading, and expected to feel relieved afterward, but no, I don't believe in George anymore. I felt ripped off and hopeless. I don't know if there are real mediums, I surely hope so, and I truly hope some day I can meet one who can connect me with the ones I've lost.

It took many years before I could write this review because I didn't want to hurt anyone who's grieving by saying these things. George may justify what he's doing by telling himself he's helping people, and he probably is as long as they believe in his ability. But he's still lying, and I don't think it's moral or decent for a liar to profit off of people who are fragile, hurting and devastated. If there are other mediums who are genuine, then they deserve to make a living from their books and readings. I'm still open-minded, just not a fan of this particular medium (or Sylvia Brown, whose predictions have been wrong on way too many occasions) with whom I had a very shallow, meaningless and expensive reading.

Sorry if I've offended anyone, but this is the truth about my reading with George.

Source: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1JLR88FHOWVXQ?cdPage=5