“I’d be tempted to add string theory to the list”

I think string theory’s only crime is to call itself a ‘theory’, really. And I wonder how much of the ‘theory’ labelling comes from journos rather than people working in the field.

If we’re going to take pot shots at string theory then we shouldn’t really complain when fundies do the same for terrestrial abiogenesis.

Ben was great – as was Steve Jones – the whole thing had the feeling of a meeting of a skeptic underground movement while the sea of woo washed around the streets above.

The fire brigade also organised some good bangs which topped the day off nicely.

Usually Phase 8/ Jigsaw/ Kew with a touch of Gap and something eclectic jewellery/ scarf from Monsoon??

Bit of an in-joke. Quite unfair. Once had the pleasure of meeting Ben (in a professional capacity) over some detox products in a Wimbledon cafe – he didn’t dress strangely enough to scare the children………
and for an added bonus was pleased to find said cafe so close to LK Bennetts discount shop!

Break a leg, Ben, whatever you wear, and let us know how it went. I’m sure you’ll be fine. You were great at the NHM debate.

This is Brighton, my friend…

i’ll puff it here soon.

on a more important note, as the time to leave approaches, what should i wear? uptight work clothes shirt and jacket like the approachable young fogey i am during the week, or untogether vaguely ex alternative hipster weekend clothing? feels absurd to specially dress up smart to go to brighton…

From the look of the publicity, I doubt Ben will have the same kind of audience he had at the Natural History Museum debate on homeopathy where loopiness and eccentricity were the two main characteristics. I expect there’ll be less hostility and that he’ll be talking to people who are more receptive to evidence-based medicine. I’d be very surprised if there were many angry holistic nutritionists. One or two maybe – but that would make for a very entertaining event.

It’d be a wonderful opportunity to get students to see for themselves just how awful this non-science nonsense is.

I’d be tempted to add string theory to the list but that’s my pet hate, and I know Ben has other agendas.

And extra bunus points from me if you can use one of the CGP Key Stage 3 revision guides. (the ones every school boy/girl in the country just loves to hate and every bookshop in the land stacks in mass quantities…)

Then again with people like TAPL and her chlorophyll clams, it probably can’t be that hard!

Read it to remind yourself what someone studying at that level is expected to know.

Find a passage of the book that directly contradicts one of the typical snake-oil suppliers’ claims, and see if you can get them to contradict it before they realise what book you’re referring to.

Bonus points for using a GCSE textbook.

I really want to see what medical science has given us pushed. We don’t hear the success stories enough (I have a rough idea), it would be great to start with a major success story (vaccination or advances in knowledge about the body) plus the emotive statistics (lives saved, kiddies particularly), followed by why the same can’t be said conclusively of the new-age/dubious fads. Of course, getting the balance right must be very difficult because certain types in the audience are going to say “he’s a stooge for big pharma”, which could be mitigated somewhat by pointing to some of its weaknesses. The problem then being that people will see the weaknesses as validation of whatever crap they believe in that week. I think the benefits of modern medicine are so ubiquitous people have forgotten just how much things have improved.

My advice, given Brighton is the spiritual (geddit?) home of woo, would be the evidence based stuff. This place is crawling with everything from homeopathy to animal osteopathy (yes, I saw it today) and a talk on evidenced based medicine should sum up the arguments against homeopathy, McKeith and Holford all in one.

Then you can have a few pints and I’ll point you in the direction of the baby homeopathy clinic…

Oh and keep a knob gag or two in reserve. Just in case.