Essay talk:Skeptics in the Pub, Janurary 2012

Interesting report, especially about the debate. I go to these in Spain but there is always a total lack of alternative voices. Last week it was on perpetual motion machines and how they are impossible. But when your whole audience is composed of scientifically-minded skeptics then demonstrating that the can't work doesn't really produce any fireworks. A few mad scientist types would have warmed things up.--Bob^{Spring is sprung!} 22:03, 20 January 2012 (UTC)

I skipped the part about where they all went for the anecdotal evidence - in fact, both sides of the discussion pulled this card - as that went into depressing territory. It was great to have some practitioners there, actually, I did have this image in my head of it being a case of "oh-you're-so-great-I-agree-with-everything-you-say-no-matter-what", but it really wasn't. Perhaps the trick is to just be a facetious bastard with speakers, you don't need to be pro alternative medicine, you just need to challenge their assumptions and ideas, make sure everyone knows their shit rather than just turning into nodding dogs. ^gnostic 23:52, 20 January 2012 (UTC)