Cork Skeptics

Promoting Reason, Science & Critical Thinking in Cork City & Beyond


by Leave a comment

Conspiracy Theories with Dr Robert King

CONSPIRACY THEORIES

QAnon and the Radicalisation of Uncritical Thinking

Friday 11 December on Zoom

In this talk, Dr Robert King will examine the psychology behind conspiracy theories, with a particular focus on QAnon.

About the Speaker: Robert James King, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, in Ireland.

This talk will take place via Zoom at 8.00pm on Friday 11th December. Simply follow the link below or use the Meeting ID and Passcode:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81099276340?pwd=bld0M0Zla056ajkxSU03N0sxNCt0dz09

Meeting ID: 810 9927 6340 • Passcode: 568970

We look forward to seeing you there!


by 1 Comment

Dr Paul Deane

On January 17th last, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr Paul Deane to talk about Ireland’s energy futures.

Paul’s talked about nuclear energy, classical fossil energy and renewable energy, and what decisions lie in store for Ireland in the coming decades.

As Paul was eager to point out, there are no silver bullets. Even a best case scenario will not rid us of fossil fuels entirely, but there is an imperative to reduce our dependence on fossils fuels, given the dire impacts on health and the environment.

Paul is a passionate speaker and it was a terrific talk all round. Our thanks again to Paul for enlightening us.

Paul has graciously shared his slides with us. I am attaching the slides here, along with some photos from the meeting.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fo6lg7m0p1qe83i/Nuclear%20in%20Ireland.pdf?dl=0

Image 01-02-2020 at 20.38.jpg

Image 01-02-2020 at 20.52

 

Image 01-02-2020 at 20.54.jpg


by Leave a comment

Gone Fission with Dr Paul Deane

GONE FISSION

Is It Time For Ireland To Give Nuclear Power A Chance?

Friday 17 January at Blackrock Castle Observatory

This is an interactive talk and audience members are asked to bring their smartphone to share their thoughts.

About the Speaker: Dr Paul Deane is a research scientist in clean energy futures at UCC. He is also a fellow at the Colorado School of Mines and in 2018 was the Royal Irish Academy speaker on computer science.

His research helps us understand the choices involved in delivering clean, affordable energy to all.

He has co-authored over 100 technical papers in diverse areas such as electricity production, farming and agriculture, natural gas futures, energy access and international aviation. His research has been published in Nature, Joule and he is a regular contributor to print, television and social media in Ireland.

The talk will begin at 8.00pm on Friday 17th January. It is free to attend, and we welcome anyone with an interest in the topic to come along on the night. For directions to Blackrock Castle, see our Skeptics In The Castle information page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 


by Leave a comment

5G Or Not 5G with Sean Slater

• 5G OR NOT 5G•

Taking Arms Against the Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Pseudoscience

Thursday 28 November at Blackrock Castle Observatory

5th generation mobile networks are coming in for increasing criticism by otherwise reputable sources and commentators. They have been demonised as mind-control, as using ‘untested, weapons-grade, ultra-high frequency technology’ and purported to cause severe harm to the population just by existing.

Are they a back-door for governments to manage their population through technology? Are we simply leaving ourselves open to other countries infiltrating our national infrastructure? Are there real dangers to this new technology?

Sean Slater of Edinburgh Skeptics will try to address these fears head-on and clarify what 5G is and what it is not.

About the Speaker: Sean has worked in the mobile phone business for over 25 years and has seen 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G being rolled out by several different networks. He is also the vice-chair of Edinburgh Skeptics and as such has taken an interest in the pseudoscience surrounding his industry.

He can be found on Twitter @TheTrueScotsman

The talk will begin at 8.00pm on Thursday 28th November. It is free to attend, and we welcome anyone with an interest in the topic to come along on the night. For directions to Blackrock Castle, see our Skeptics In The Castle information page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 


by Leave a comment

Wildlife Myths with Rob O’Sullivan

Rob_Talk_Promo_Square

• SEPARATING THE BULL FROM THE BS •

Wildlife Myths And Why They Matter

Thursday 27 June at Blackrock Castle Observatory

If you’re worried about the hordes of killer spiders invading our shores, or the swarms of seagulls reigning death from above, this talk is for you. Science Communicator, Rob O’ Sullivan, separates the fact from the fiction and shows you how to do the same.

About the Speaker: Rob O’Sullivan is an Irish Zoologist turned Space Nerd.

He knows far too much about animal sex, and nowhere near enough about Space. Rob has received glowing recognition for his Science Communication work including an award of a SMASH Fellowship and getting called a pervert by Phill Jupitus.

You can find Rob by day pottering around CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, and after dark on Twitter @Rob0Sullivan.

Please note: Due to the nature of this talk, some sections may not be suitable for a younger audience.

The talk will begin at 8.00pm on Thursday 27th June. It is free to attend, and we welcome anyone with an interest in the topic to come along on the night. For directions to Blackrock Castle, see our Skeptics In The Castle information page.

We look forward to seeing you there!


by Leave a comment

The Baloney Detection Kit returns to DeBarras

West Cork Skeptics return to DeBarra’s Folk Club, Clonakilty this month to discuss a current issue from the perspective of scientific skepticism. This month’s presentation ‘The Baloney Detection Kit’ by Colm Ryan.

In a wide-ranging talk, Colm explores the world of strange beliefs and discusses some ways to distinguish between good and bad ideas.

The meeting takes place this Wednesday, October 17th, at 8pm.