Circular Reasoning

An archive site for the Skeptics' Circle. It includes a list of past Skeptics' Circles, future hosts, and announcements.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

The 72nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle: Sister Mary Elephant strikes

This has been a bad week at skeptics' school. Apparently, skeptical bloggers have been misbehaving left and right. Apparently we as the skeptical blogosphere have been very, very naughty indeed. Worse, the essays that we've handed in are apparently not pleasing to the teacher. Worst of all, we've been mischievously copying a screed against homeopaths and dispersing it far and wide across the blogosphere. Fortunately, Le Canard Noir is there to oversee detention in the 72nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle over at the quackometer blog. Head on over to detention and see what's going on.

Also, don't forget that it won't be long before the next Skeptics' Circle comes around the pike. Next time around, it will be hosted by those self-described "naughty boys and girls" and scourges of quackery everywhere (but in particular of Patrick Holford) over at Holford Watch on Thursday, November 8, 2007. As always, the guidelines for submissions to the Circle are here.

As always, if you're interested in hosting a Circle yourself (and if you're a blogger who often writes about science, skepticism, and/or critical thinking, you really should host one of these puppies), check out the schedule and the guidelines for hosting, and then drop me a line. I'll get you a spot on the schedule, assuming, of course, that your blog does not fail an evaluation by a tool designed by this week's host, namely Le Canard Noir's infamous quackometer.

Note: For those of you who have no clue what the Sister Mary Elephant reference means, wonder no more.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

The 71st Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle: Puzzle me this

Yes, it's that time again, time for the latest edition of the Skeptics' Circle to land on the blogosphere like a nuclear explosion of reason, rationality, and science designed to demolish the credulity that is so rampant.

OK, I'm exaggerating a bit, but we here at the Skeptics' Circle do try to do our part for critical thinking.

This time around, the Circle is being hosted at Infophilia. In an unusual take on the Circle, this time around it's been presented as a series of puzzles that will challenge and (hopefully) amuse skeptics everywhere.

Get ye to the carnival!

Remember, too, that it won't be long before the next Skeptics' Circle comes around the pike. Next time around, it will be hosted by that scourge of quackery everywhere, Le Canard Noir at the quackometer blog. Yes, the 72nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle will take its place in the skeptical rogues' gallery of past editions on Thursday, October 25. For your edification, Le Canard Noir has posted blog-specific instructions for submitting. Read them, heed them, love them, and submit your best skeptical blogging before the deadline!

As always, if you're interested in hosting a Circle yourself (and if you're a blogger who often writes about science, skepticism, and/or critical thinking, you really should host one of these puppies), check out the schedule and the guidelines for hosting, and then drop me a line. I'll get you a spot on the schedule, assuming, of course, that your blog does not fail an evaluation by Le Canard Noir's infamous quackometer, thus revvealing itself as the home of incipient woo.