The Virtual Skeptics

This week on the Virtual Skeptics:

• Bob finds himself rooting for Godzilla;

• Eve decides against becoming an Optic Linguist

• Sharon debunks the Jersey gargoyle

• and I will abuse my newfound hosting power to get you to test some software for me!

I’m joined this week by

Bob Blaskiewicz – CSI’s Conspiracy Guy web columnist, blogger for Skeptical Humanities and Swift Blog contributor

Eve Siebert – Editor and blogger at Skeptical Humanities and contributor to Skepticality

Sharon Hill – Editor of Doubtful News and author of the CSI’s Sounds Sciencey web column

Tim Farley – JREF Fellow, founder of Skeptools, Skepticality contributor and creator of What’s the Harm.

Anyone watching live can ask us questions on YouTube or by using the #virtualskeptics hashtag on Twitter.

Anyone watching live can ask us questions on YouTube or by using the #virtualskeptics hashtag on Twitter.

Bob’s links:

HPV info at the CDC

www.cdc.gov/hpv/

Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare:

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/index.html

Doubtful News’ coverage:

http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/06/japan-pulling-back-recommendation-of-the-hpv-vaccine/

Eve’s links:

CBS: Japanese eyeball-licking trend carries blindness risk

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57589423/japanese-eyeball-licking-trend-carries-blindness-risk/

The Guardian: Eyeball-licking: the fetish that is making Japanese teenagers sick

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2013/jun/14/eyeball-licking-fetish-japanese-teenagers-sick

Born’s Ryoga responds to eyeball-licking accusations:

http://shattered-tranquility.net/index.php/06/19/borns-ryoga-responds-to-eyeball-licking-accusations/comment-page-1/

Sharon’s links:

What the devil is this thing spotted in New Jersey? (UPDATED: Solved)

http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/06/what-the-devil-is-this-thing-spotted-in-new-jersey/

Tim’s links:

The new beta version of Web of Trust is available for the Google Chrome browser:

http://www.mywot.com/en/blog/441-the-new-wot-beta-is-now-released

Announcements:

Eve discusses the Shakespeare Authorship conspiracy theory on this week’s Skepticality:
http://www.skepticality.com/talkin-death-and-injury/

The full schedule for The Amazing Meeting 2013 will be posted very soon, so be sure to check it out.  Go to
http://lanyrd.com/2013/tam
to get a copy you can sync to your calendar or into your smartphone or tablet.

Paul Offit’s new book on alternative medicine is out. It’s called, Sense and Nonsense:  Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine. He was on the front page of USA Today.

Closing information: The Virtual Skeptics is an independent production of Doubtful News, WhatsTheHarm.net, Skeptical Humanities, and Brian Gregory. Our logo was designed by Sara Mayhew at SaraMayhew.com. Our theme music is by Tremor and is used with permission.

• Bob draws his superpowers from the tears of medical quacks

• Eve wonders where she dropped her coin purse

• Sharon exorcises with the Pope

• and Tim will quiz us on the history of skeptic conferences

Our panel this week:

Bob Blaskiewicz – CSI’s Conspiracy Guy web columnist, blogger for Skeptical Humanities and Swift Blog contributor

Eve Siebert – Editor and blogger at Skeptical Humanities and contributor to Skepticality

Sharon Hill – Editor of Doubtful News and author of the CSI’s Sounds Sciencey web column

Tim Farley – JREF Fellow, founder of Skeptools, Skepticality contributor and creator of What’s the Harm.

Anyone watching live can ask us questions on YouTube or by using the #virtualskeptics hashtag on Twitter.

Announcements:

• Sharon is doing a workshop on skepticism at the JREF headquarters in Los Angeles on June 2, the public is welcome to attend.
• Tim and Eve have a segments on this week’s Skepticality, which was released yesterday.
• There is skeptic programming this weekend at Balticon 47 in Baltimore.

The Virtual Skeptics is an independent production of Doubtful News, WhatsTheHarm.net, Skeptical Humanities, and Brian Gregory. Our logo was designed by Sara Mayhew at SaraMayhew.com. Our theme music is by Tremor and is used with permission.