The Skeptologists

[MetalMilitia]

I don't know if anyone here follows Skeptoid, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, The Bad Astronomer, The Skeptics Society or a few of the other Skeptical groups/podcasts, but a pilot for a new TV show is currently being made which aims to bring real skepticism to prime time television.

The presenters include Brian Dunning, Dr Steven Novella, Dr Michael Shermer, Phil Plate and a few other well known skeptics.

They're currently finishing post production and will be pitching the pilot to the networks shortly. I really hope someone picks it up because I think it could be a really great show.

Check out the teaser here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpOxuMXkLGo

If you have any interest in it being made sent a message showing your support to the following e-mail address: skeptologists@newrule.com

All e-mails will be collected and used to demonstrate the level of interest in the show

[Pandajuice]

Science is good. And so is Yau-man Chan who kicked ass on Survivor.

I do love those ghost shows though...

[J. Tithonus Pednaud]

Ya, I've heard about this. I've had a subscription to Skeptics Magazine for years, as well as Fortean Times - go figure, and I've also been a member of the JREF for awhile now. I'm going to the 'I.Skeptic' meeting in Vegas in June and I hear that there may be some sort of presentation about the show.

[Sethomas]

My ex subscribed to Skeptic magazine and would compulsively email Shermer with random questions in fields where often neither of them had expertise, presumably because she had a way of knowing that his penis was substantially larger than mine.

I first encountered him watching the Bullshit! episode that talked about the bible. The annoying thing about that particular episode was that if they had adequate understanding of the bible, they would have understood the points they made were trivial and stupid and that they could have actually raised some interesting points about many other facets. By the act of trying to sell the "don't read the bible" message as if it were a Popeil infomercial, they precluded any possibility of serious biblical scrutiny.

When they'd talk to Shermer, he'd be very careful about offering skepticism while not avidly passing judgment on the credulity process underscoring what makes it problematic--something I find rather uncharacteristic of him, as I've seen him do so elsewhere. This subtlety was drowned out by the heftier of Penn and Teller--the one that talks, I forget who is who--taking Shermer's quotes and dragging them out to hyperbolic conclusions.

I read a report that actually criticised some skeptic groups because they would slap on improbable explanations to events that would fail by their own standards, but that they uphold because of ideological predisposition. This is painfully ironic, but whatever. They couldn't understand that sometimes it hurts their cause more to invent bullshit than to say "actually, we don't know yet, but we're looking into it."

[Grislygus]

I've always liked the Skeptical Enquirer better than any other skeptic magazine, possibly because they rarely seem like douchebags

[J. Tithonus Pednaud]

Skeptics, in general, come off as pompous. I like the JREF because Randi exposes fraud, primarily, in a simple scientific fashion. Bullshit! is know for being completely one-sided and Penn, the one who talks, completely acknowledges this and also how trite the arguments are. As he puts it, Bullshit! fight stupidity with stupidity. Generally, the more asinine the subject, the more asinine their researched response and argument.

[Emu]

I remember seeing a clip of Penn talking at The Amazing Meeting (I think) about how he wishes the show could go more in-depth, but there's only so much you can do in a half-hour show, and they have to be more hyperbolous (is that a word?) than they like because people like to watch that.

[DuFresne]

I think I remember Teller having said (because it's noteworthy whenever he says anything :lol) hat the last episode of Bullshit, whenever that may be, will be "The Bullshit of Bullshit!" wherein they discuss times they've been wrong. Here's hoping it all fits in one episode!