MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 - Kyle Polich - Frontiers in Woo Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | This is a very odd lecture for a relatively unknown paranormal claim. That the American State Park system is hiding or disappearing people out of the Parks. One author has written several books on this and appears on Coast to Coast. Kyle Polich has researched the claim and reports on his results to SkeptiCamp Monterey County.
SkeptiCamp 2020 Craig Wandke Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | Craig Wandke – “On a Hollywood Stage – The Voyage to Tranquility”
SkeptiCamp 2020 Kyle Polich Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | “How to outsmart a machine (while you still can!)” – Recent advancements in machine learning have brought startling results in areas like facial recognition, self-driving cars, fraud detection, and speech to text. Yet a growing body of research around the underlying technology powering all these advancements (deep learning) suggests such systems are rather easy to fool. This talk will survey the state of the art in AI and demonstrate some of the ways in which humankind might confuse and deceive machine intelligence
SkeptiCamp 2020 Fred Moulton Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | “Falsifiability, Pan-Critical Rationalism and Related Useful Tools” – An introduction to Falsifiability, Pan-Critical Rationalism and related topics discussing their background and usage in improving our knowledge of the world and helping avoid the snare of charlatans, grifters and con artists.
SkeptiCamp 2020 Cold Reading Exercise Susan Gerbic Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | This is cut off at the beginning but all is explained in this article skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/matt-fraser-live
SkeptiCamp 2020 Erin Plumb Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | “Scientology Activism” – Teacher of 30 years, a couple years ago saw Leah Remini’s show and realized the abuses happening nearby at Gold Base (Helmet, CA). She started attending different events held at Scientology facilities and asking questions, when banned from events, contacted charities to inform them who they are associating with. She will speak how one person can make a difference.
SkeptiCamp 2020 Susan Gerbic Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | Grief Vampires – Wikipedia and more
SkeptiCamp 2020 Mano Singham Monterey County Skeptics 2020-01-12 | “The Great Paradox of Science: Why its theories work so well even if they are not true” – The book (written by Singham) details how much of what people believe about the nature of science, even by scientists and its supporters, is based on folklore and does not hold up to scrutiny.
Pi Day Kathy McKenzie Monterey County Skeptics 2019-03-15 | Kathy McKenzie talks about the history of Pi and Pi-day
SkeptiCamp 2019 Skepardy! William Patterson Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-08 | Skepardy! Jeopardy! With a Science Twist – William PattersonWilliam Patterson – was a high school physics teacher for ten years, a Peace Corps volunteer and youth agency executive. He currently is a radiation therapist living in Sonoma County, California. He loves all things rational, and is a regular attendee at skeptic conferences.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Mike Jarsulic Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-08 | Arthur J. Cramp: The Quackbuster Who Professionalized American Medicine – Mike Jarsulicen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._CrampMike Jarsulic – is the senior HPC administrator at the University of Chicago’s Biological Sciences Division. His skeptical interests include cancer quackery, the history of skepticism, and philosophy of science. He is also a member of the Guerilla Skeptics on Wikipedia (GSoW) team and a frequent attendee of skeptic conferences. Mike will be talking about how a pioneering physician at the American Medical Association fought medical fraud on a national scale in the early twentieth century.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Don Fischer Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | Can learning be as good as sex? Don FischerWe apologize as the last couple minutes of this lecture are missing.Don Fischer – is a Adjunct professor at CSUMB (please see link to his bio). He relates brain chemistry and stimulus appraisal theory to the process of learning. He will provide thoughts on how the 4Fs (what are they) connect to how we respond as individuals, socially, and to what we experience as we interact in physical and living environments. Can learning be as good as sex? How can we get it close? If we map how we teach and learn to what cognitive science is discovering, maybe we can. Don will provide some thoughts and ideas that will support and question a lot of what children, young people, and older people do and get done to them in the process of learning to live and function effectively and happily.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Mark Edward Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | Mark Edward – a professional mentalist who specializes in magic of the mind. He wrote several books on mentalism, séance theory and production and appeared on television as both primary consultant and on-air performer truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything,” National Geographic’s “Brain Games,” “Inside Edition,” and “Nancy Grace.” Full details of his latest book “Total Darkness” can be reviewed at his website Here
SkeptiCamp 2019 Mick West Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | Wildfire Conspiracy Theories – Mick WestMick West – is a writer, investigator, and debunker who enjoys looking into the evidence behind conspiracy theories and strange phenomena and then explaining what is actually going on. He runs the Metabunk forum and is the author of the book “Escaping the Rabbit Hole”. (Mick will have books for sale after his talk) The recent California wildfires prompted many conspiracy theories about the causes of the fires, one of which is the DEW theory, short for Directed Energy Weapons. The idea that space lasers are being used to start fires seem frivolous, but the wildfire conspiracy theory has deep and complex roots going back to the 1960s and before. The current theory is a heady mix of Chemtrails, Illuminati land grabs, space weapons, Agenda 21, and a New World Order. Mick West describes the history of the wildfire conspiracy theory and how it fits into the current pantheon of other theories. He looks at the science and non-science behind the claims and discusses how to productively talk about the topic with your conspiracy-minded friends. Metabunk website – Here
SkeptiCamp 2019 Milos Radakovich Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | It’s Only a Theory”: How we communicate – and miscommunicate – issues, ideas, and concepts in the modern world. –Milos RadakovichMilos Radakovich – more than 40 years as Science Educator, Coastal Naturalist and Nature Guide in California & the Pacific NW, SE Alaska, Central & South America/Antarctica, Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii/French Polynesia, the Mediterranean, and more than 50 transits of the Panama Canal. I was born in Belgrade, in what used to be Yugoslavia. In 1959 we escaped and came to America. We settled in San Francisco, where I (eventually) graduated from SFState University with a degree in Marine Biology. In 1971 I moved down to the Monterey area to continue my studies at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and remained in the area for nearly four decades. In the early 2000s I started working as an on-board naturalist for Celebrity Cruise lines, and still do that during the summers, primarily in Alaska. I have taught Marine Science, Geology, Physics, Astronomy, and Critical Thinking at local colleges and universities, and had an hour-long Science call-in radio program on KUSP-FM (NPR) in Santa Cruz.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Kathy McKenzie Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | “My Journey to Skepticism” Kathy McKenzieKathy McKenzie – is a freelance journalist and editor, and one of the leaders of the nonprofit news website Voices of Monterey Bay. Kathy also sits on the board for About Time, which is responsible for SkeptiCamp 2019.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Anthony Pratkanis Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | “The projection tactic: A skeptic’s perspective” Anthony PratkanisAnthony Pratkanis – is a researcher, author, consultant, media commentator and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the author of several books, and has published research papers in scientific journals on the topics of social influence, fraud, terrorist and dictator propaganda, marketing and consumer behavior, and subliminal persuasion. Pratkanis has been a consultant for civic groups, government agencies, regulatory organisations, law enforcement, and the United States Military. He has given expert testimony in many trials, and is often cited in the mainstream news media.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Paula Lauterbach Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | “So you think you have heard the wackiest conspiracy theory? Hold my Beer” Paula LauterbachPaula Lauterbach – works in the entertainment industry in Hollywood in stop-motion animation as a puppet builder and mold maker. She was influenced into skepticism in her teenage years by Isaac Asimov and Christopher Hitchens. Watching the McMartin Preschool “Sanatic Panic” unfold in Los Angeles as a teenager Paula realized that people were making giant assumptions with very little evidence. The media was fanning the flames, sensationalizing the story for viewership. Paula’s favorite hobbies are enjoying watching $cientology implode and camping. Paula will be talking about a secret conspiracy involving the Freemasons and Hollywood celebrities. The conspiracy posits that almost every Hollywood celebrity is transgender. No. Seriously.
SkeptiCamp 2019 Arlen Grossman Monterey County Skeptics 2019-01-07 | Questionable Quotes by Arlen GrossmanArlen Grossman – writer and semi-retired special education teacher, now subbing, tutoring, writing and blogging. Living in Monterey, CA with wife, children and assorted pets and toilets. Wrote weekly quotation quiz, “What’s Your Quotation Quotient?’ for nine years in the Monterey Herald, and published other articles in various newspapers and magazines. He is also the author of Life of the Potty: The Adventures of Peter Potty, Intergalactic Exchange Student
SkeptiCamp 2018 Arlen Grossman Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-10 | Arlen Grossman wrote a weekly quiz, "What's Your Quotation Quotient?" for nine years at the Monterey Herald.
SkeptiCamp 2018 Mark Edward Fortune Cookie Seance Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-10 | Mentalist Mark Edward gets in touch with his spirit guide who reads a fortune cookie
SkeptiCamp 2018 Mark Edward Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Mark Edward is a professional mentalist. His most recent book is "Psychic Blues".
SkeptiCamp 2018 Susan Gerbic Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Salinas resident Susan Gerbic is the co-founder of Monterey County Skeptics.
SkeptiCamp 2018 Jay Diamond Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Jay Diamond is the founder of Reason4Reason and a board member of Bay Area Skeptics. He holds a dual master's degrees in engineering and business and has managed both startup companies and hundred-million-dollar programs for Fortune 500 companies. Jay has lectured around the world on science and technology, business and scientific skepticism.
SkeptiCamp 2018 Kyle Polich Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Kyle Polich is the host of the Data Skeptic podcast where he leverages his work as a data scientist and background in artificial intelligence to share stories about how data and machine learning are changing our world. He lives with his wife and talking parrot Yoshi in Los Angeles
SkeptiCamp 2018 Leonard Tramiel Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Leonard Tramiel, an early pioneer in the personal computer industry has a PhD in physics from Columbia University. He is deeply concerned with the importance of science and critical thinking for the health of our technology society. He is a board member of Center for Inquiry and a member of the executive council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
SkeptiCamp 2018 Panel Discussion Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Arlen Grossman, Glenn Church, Jill Yamashita and Leonard Tramiel panel discussion at SkeptiCamp Monterey
SkeptiCamp 2018 Glenn Church Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Glenn Church, a farmer and businessman, has had a passion for politics since elementary school, thanks to his father Warren Church, a Monterey County supervisor in the 1960s and '70s. Glenn is a former national board member for Amnesty International and has had several different blogs that examine political issues on the state and national level. He is a Board member of About Time a 501c(3) organization whose mission is dedicated to educating and promoting science and scientific skepticism through crowd-sourced and educational activities world-wide.
SkeptiCamp 2018 Jill Yamashita Monterey County Skeptics 2018-01-09 | Dr. Jill Yamashita, a psychology professor at CSUMB has investigated the false memory paradigm in her research, examining how we create false memory and how it may be influenced by collaboration. In her research, she also focuses on the other-race effect, in recognizing or discriminating between faces from a different ethnicity.
Jay Diamond sums up Glenn Churchs lecture Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkers_speech
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Ben Radford Part Two Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | This is the second part of Ben Radford's lecture at SkeptiCamp Monterey County. Be warned that the very end of this video was cut off. Memory Card ran out of space. But be assured it was awesome. You need to attend these things.
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Leonard Tramiel The Need for Skepticism Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | Leonard Tramiel lectures for the Monterey County Skeptics on the Need for Skepticism
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Robin Welch Church and State Issues and Susan Gerbic Birthday Problem Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | This is a lecture with Attorney Robin Welch who discusses church and state issues
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Intro Arlen Misattributed Quotes II Jan Wachtel Paranormal Prison Tour Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | This video has the intro from when we returned from lunch, Arlen Grossman's Misattributed Quotes II and a lecture by Jan Wachtel who attended a Paranormal tour of the Missouri Penn Prison.
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Ben Radford Part One Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-09 | This is the first of two lectures by Professional Paranormal Investigator Ben Radford he gave to the Monterey County Skeptics January 7, 2017. This is an intro to skepticism
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Glenn Church Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-08 | This is a lecture from Monterey County Skeptic's SkeptiCamp with Glenn Church, who blogs as The Political Skeptic
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Gary Griggs Climate Change Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-08 | This is Gary Griggs speaking about Climate Change in the Monterey Bay Area.
MCS SkeptiCamp 2017 Intro and Arlen Grossman Monterey County Skeptics 2017-01-08 | This is the beginning of 2017 Monterey County Skeptic's SkeptiCamp. The emcee is Susan Gerbic. First lecture is Arlen Grossman who does a quick quiz on misattributed quotes.
Periscope MCS Aug 2016 Monterey County Skeptics 2016-08-11 | Showing people what Periscope is. This was shot at the monthly MCS meetup.
Jay Diamond - Confronting LGM Theory Monterey County Skeptics 2016-01-17 | Many very intelligent and otherwise very rational people believe that intelligent life on other planets is inevitable and we will find it imminently. The speaker will dissect this belief using the latest scientific knowledge, philosophical constructs, and critical thinking, culminating in a rational answer to the question “are we alone?”.
Arlen Grossman - The Problem with Internet Quotes... Monterey County Skeptics 2016-01-11 | "The Problem with Internet Quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy" Abraham Lincoln - 1864This lecture Grossman presents fairly well-known quotes that are often misappropriated. He asks the audience members who they associate with the quotes. Then he explains the true source of the quote, if it is know.This is the first lecture of the day at the Monterey County SkeptiCamp 2016
Ian Harris - Using Humor to Influence People and Change Minds Monterey County Skeptics 2016-01-10 | One of the very few ways still socially acceptable to ridicule ideas is through a comedic medium. Humor is an amazing way to break down barriers and open the door to discussion and new ideas. Comic strips, song parodies and stand up are all great ways to turn the mirror on our own beliefs as well as expose other beliefs as silly or false without confrontation. Stand up comedians are often called modern day philosophers. The take the stage for an hour to make an audience laugh, but the best ones also make the audience think. Ian Harris is a 23-year veteran of the stage and life-long skeptic discusses how art (particularly humor) is one of the most effective ways to challenge beliefs.
Glenn Church - Science Reason and the Presidential Candidates Monterey County Skeptics 2016-01-10 | This lecture will cover both the Democrats and Republicans, Climate change, evolution/big bang, alternative medicine and more.
Planetarium Moon Hoax Monterey County Skeptics 2015-03-28 | MCS was invited to present an intro about Moon Hoaxes before each Planetarium Show in March 2015. James Green presented.
