Skepticamp Denver/Boulder 2011

[TsarBomba]

The Fifth Annual Denver/Boulder Skepticamp is officially scheduled for May 7, 2011 at the Leeds School Of Business, Koelbel 210 on the campus of the University Of Colorado--Boulder.

This is an open skeptical event. No camping is involved. It is an open conference where anyone interested can come and give a presentation on a skeptical or scientific topic.

For more information, you can visit the Skepticamp website.

 

[Disraeli Ears]

*bump*

Hey, I'm going to this!

 

[Tiktaalik]

Hey, I didn't see this or I might have gone...

 

[TsarBomba]

Hey, I didn't see this or I might have gone...

Tiktallik, it is scheduled for this Saturday, and we still have 24 slots available for attendees (86 signed up out of 110 seats in the room). So come and join us!

 

[Tiktaalik]

Tiktallik, it is scheduled for this Saturday, and we still have 24 slots available for attendees (86 signed up out of 110 seats in the room). So come and join us!

Unfortunately, I work weekends, so I would have had to apply for leave 2 weeks ago - but thanks. I'll start checking this section more regularly...

 

[TsarBomba]

Unfortunately, I work weekends, so I would have had to apply for leave 2 weeks ago - but thanks. I'll start checking this section more regularly...

Best thing to do is go to meetup.com and join the Mile High Skeptics meetup group (its free), and you will get a notification as to the next one that we have (and other skeptics events in the Denver metro area). There is a similar meetup group for Colorado Springs.

 

[TsarBomba]

We had a great time at Boulder/Denver Skepticamp. We had about 70 people show up.

Thanks to Randi, Brian Bushwood, George Hrab, UFO Phil, and Michael Schermer for the video welcomes.

Thanks to Joe Anderson for his job as MC.

Thanks to CSI for the pizza for lunch.

We had some great speakers, including (if I may so) my talk on the science and folklore or Forensic DNA analysis, Reed Esau's Colorado Skeptical Trivia Challenge, Stuart Robbins on physics for skeptics, Karen Stollznow on Braco The Gazer and Brian And Baxter on how to put a so called paranormal investigations group to the test, and many more. Here are some photos.

 

[Disraeli Ears]

I, too, was at Skepticamp and it was great. The talk selection was varied and audience participation was excellent (no free passes here!). Overall, things ran smoothly - the organizers did a great job! I guess Denver still has the best Skepticamp around (sorry, Atlanta - lol).

 

[Denver]

This was my first Skepticamp, and surely not my last. Thanks TsarBomba for your incredible efforts in organizing this success.

 

[Phlebas]

I, too, was at Skepticamp and it was great. The talk selection was varied and audience participation was excellent (no free passes here!). Overall, things ran smoothly - the organizers did a great job! I guess Denver still has the best Skepticamp around (sorry, Atlanta - lol).

No worries -- I'm sure you guys had a nice DAY. ONE SINGLE DAY. For a ONE -DAY SKEPTICAMP I'm confident it was quite adequate!

Those of you in the Atlanta area, come to the next Atlanta Skepticamp on June 11-12! Our third multi-day Skepticamp!

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

No worries -- I'm sure you guys had a nice DAY. ONE SINGLE DAY. For a ONE -DAY SKEPTICAMP I'm confident it was quite adequate!

Those of you in the Atlanta area, come to the next Atlanta Skepticamp on June 11-12! Our third multi-day Skepticamp!

Pwn3d

 

[roger]

No worries -- I'm sure you guys had a nice DAY. ONE SINGLE DAY. For a ONE -DAY SKEPTICAMP I'm confident it was quite adequate!

Those of you in the Atlanta area, come to the next Atlanta Skepticamp on June 11-12! Our third multi-day Skepticamp!

Wow, you Atlantan's must be 'slow', to require 2 days to do what we Coloradan's do in one. That's okay, there's no shame in not being very bright, just shame in trumpeting your pride about this to all and sundry on a forum.

 

[Phlebas]

Wow, you Atlantan's must be 'slow', to require 2 days to do what we Coloradan's do in one. That's okay, there's no shame in not being very bright, just shame in trumpeting your pride about this to all and sundry on a forum.

I gotta talk about it here. Everyone else on Earth knows that Atlanta is superior

If you guys exhaust your collective knowledge in one day, then yeah, you shouldn't push it to two. We stop at two because it's expensive to rent a hall for a whole week

 

[Reed]

A couple of intro videos from our recent event on Saturday.

George Hrab offers advice for Joe Anderson, our MC in training:



Not to be missed is UFO Phil of Colorado Springs, screwing up the name and taking opportunity to recruit attendees to help him build a pyramid atop Pikes Peak.

 

[TsarBomba]

George Hrab offers advice for Joe Anderson, our MC in training:

"First the omelet, now this." Classic.

 

[Phlebas]

A couple of intro videos from our recent event on Saturday.

Thanks for getting all three of the quality minutes from your Skeptiminicamp online! Plus the bonus 29 quality seconds

 

[Denver]

One thing I give Atlanta credit for over Denver: it makes much more interesting anagrams.

 

[Phlebas]

One thing I give Atlanta credit for over Denver: it makes much more interesting anagrams.

"Anal tat." Game, set, match, Denver.

 

[Reed]

An excellent chance that Colorado's Front Range will see a THIRD event this year. Follow @skepticamp5280 on Twitter for developments.

This 'tour' strategy of multiple regional open skeptic events looks to be promising. It's not only much easier to organize smaller events, but also they better accommodate those with time or travel limitations. Australian Skeptics look to be pursuing this strategy as well.

Now only if we can persuade skeptics in the other metros, like Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, LA, SF, London, etc. of the value of these open events. Eventually we expect them to catch on, however.

 

[TsarBomba]

An excellent chance that Colorado's Front Range will see a THIRD event this year. Follow @skepticamp5280 on Twitter for developments.

This 'tour' strategy of multiple regional open skeptic events looks to be promising. It's not only much easier to organize smaller events, but also they better accommodate those with time or travel limitations. Australian Skeptics look to be pursuing this strategy as well.

Now only if we can persuade skeptics in the other metros, like Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, LA, SF, London, etc. of the value of these open events. Eventually we expect them to catch on, however.

I personally think that the JREF should invite Reed to speak at TAM about the Skepticamp project (or is it a movement) in an effort to inspire others to hold similar events.