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TAM 9 Program

A pet peeve.

"11:00 – 11:30 am

Eugenie Scott
Deja Vu All Over Again: Denialism of Climate Change and Evolution"

"Deja Vu All Over Again" was funny when Yogi Berra said it, because it's outrageously redundant. But now the phrase seems to have become a part of the language. So much so that people seem to have forgotten that "Deja Vu" used to stand alone without need for Yogi's additional, ummm, Yogiism. And I'm no grammer or language nazi by a long shot. But hey!

Okay... Sigh... That's my rant and I'm over it I guess.
 
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AdMan said:
Looks good! :)
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For certain values of "good". Two straight hours of panel discussions on Friday afternoon, but we have to come back at 8pm to hear Neil deGrasse Tyson? Who thought that was a good idea?


And why is lunch starting at 12:45?
 
I haven't compared the schedule with previous years, but maybe they've had to move things around to accommodate more speakers?
 
AdMan said:
I haven't compared the schedule with previous years, but maybe they've had to move things around to accommodate more speakers?
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No, I don't think it's more speakers, I think it's more panel discussions. They have two back-to-back on Friday afternoon, for two hours, as well as one for an hour that morning. NdGT >> Panels. :mad:
 
Horatius said:
No, I don't think it's more speakers, I think it's more panel discussions. They have two back-to-back on Friday afternoon, for two hours, as well as one for an hour that morning. NdGT >> Panels. :mad:
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I thought I was the only one in all of the skeptic world who hates panels. I salute you, my poker-playing panel-hating brother.
 
mr. ottle said:
I thought I was the only one in all of the skeptic world who hates panels. I salute you, my poker-playing panel-hating brother.
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Panels are useful for filling out a hole in the schedule, but displacing one of the top speakers in favour of three hours worth of panels the first day? Insane.



I also wonder if they've thought through the logistics of having a keynote speaker just before their tickets-only events. Half and hour to empty out the room, then have X% of the people go back in the room, after checking their tickets? Yeah, good plan that.
 
mr. ottle said:
I thought I was the only one in all of the skeptic world who hates panels. I salute you, my poker-playing panel-hating brother.
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I don't hate panels (depends on the topic and participants--I'm looking forward to "Our Future in Space," for example), but... I wish they gave more time to some of the individual speakers. Half an hour is not enough for some topics.
 
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Horatius said:
Panels are useful for filling out a hole in the schedule, but displacing one of the top speakers in favour of three hours worth of panels the first day? Insane.



I also wonder if they've thought through the logistics of having a keynote speaker just before their tickets-only events. Half and hour to empty out the room, then have X% of the people go back in the room, after checking their tickets? Yeah, good plan that.
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Probably a good way to sell more tickets.
 
The Central Scrutinizer said:
I don't mind panels at all. There were several good ones at NECSS III this year.
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If I'm interested in a topic enough to sit through 45-60 minutes of hearing about it, I'd rather get one person who really knows their stuff delving deep than five people doing a six-minute bird's-eye view.

In ALMOST every case, the panelists didn't appear to meet beforehand, didn't check to see who was covering the same ground, and didn't work out any smooth transitions from one topic to the next. It fell to the moderator to stop whatever discussion was going on, and say "Thank you, x, now let's hear from y."

But judging by the frequency these things show up at skeptic events, I am clearly in the minority.
 
mr. ottle said:
If I'm interested in a topic enough to sit through 45-60 minutes of hearing about it, I'd rather get one person who really knows their stuff delving deep than five people doing a six-minute bird's-eye view.

In ALMOST every case, the panelists didn't appear to meet beforehand, didn't check to see who was covering the same ground, and didn't work out any smooth transitions from one topic to the next. It fell to the moderator to stop whatever discussion was going on, and say "Thank you, x, now let's hear from y."

But judging by the frequency these things show up at skeptic events, I am clearly in the minority.
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NECSS panels do seem to be the exception, they have always been well run. I know for those the panelists did meet and discuss the topic ahead of time and it definitely shows. I have enjoyed all the NECSS panels.
 
I do not like this program. Tyson and Dawkins at 8-9 pm on Friday and Saturday night? What's wrong with having them on during the day? So we are scheduled a 2 hour dinner break and then have to go back to the conference for the remaining hour of it? That means we are confined to the hotel for dinner.

NOT good scheduling.
 
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