Members Portal

Live Skeptoid Shows

See the Calendar | Continuing Professional Education

Berlin, 2009

Brian Dunning, producer and host of the Skeptoid podcast, is available to speak at your event or organization on a variety of topics pertaining to critical thinking.

Skeptoid is a top science podcast on iTunes, and is enjoyed by 136,000 weekly listeners (as of Feb 1, 2017).

Audiences

All material is appropriate for any age group from junior high school on. I will come and speak for any group, no matter who you are. Usually I present at university clubs and organizations with science or critical thinking themes, or local and civic clubs.

Business / Continuing Professional Education

We also offer talks for professional organizations, showing how all-too-rare critical thinking in business can improve your bottom line. Certified for CPE in some cases (and looking for more).

Universities

Contact groups on your campus that might sponsor the event: various clubs, relevant departments, the student association, the events office, or any other campus office that organizes events for students. Tell them you'd like to have me come and talk, and point them to this page for more information.

Topics

Bad Skepticism: Challenging Popular Assumptions		Science communicators do almost as much bad science as anyone. This talk blows the lid off some of the huge mistakes the media has made, some terrible but popular so-called "skeptical" explanations for famous phenomena. It's a lot of fun, covers a lot of ground, and exposes a lot of stories and urban legends you've heard of. The concepts it presents — thinking errors, perceptual errors, preconceived notions and biases — are universally applicable to professionals in any industry or to students in any subject. Book this

Your Brain Sucks!		Live demonstrations and audience participation are guaranteed to make every brain in the room fail. The human brain is terrible at collecting data, and yet so many of us make important decisions based on personal experiences. This will convince you that your personal experiences are an awful way to learn anything. Book this

Sounds from Beyond!		An hour packed with weird recordings and sounds from all areas of the paranormal - it's the most fun you've ever had learning critical thinking! Ghost sounds, backwards recordings, radio broadcasts from outer space! Hear the weirdness, and learn the fascinating truth behind each one. Book this

Solving the Missing Cosmonauts		A series of recordings made during the Cold War did not, in fact, prove that Soviet cosmonauts died in secret flights that never made it into the history books. In this talk, we'll dig deeper, and maybe find out what those recordings really were... Book this

Health Scams Are Your Friend		Health scams are your friend. At least, they can be, if you're trying to spread the message of critical thinking to those who need it most. Medical quackery is being sold everywhere you look, and there are really only a few messages used to sell it. These core principles, when delineated in clear terms, are obviously wrong; and by instructing those you care about to recognize them, you can do far more good than you could with a message of conventional, negative skepticism. Book this

Miracle or Science?		An insider's look at five religious miracles that are far more interesting when we discover what actually took place. Simple debunking is just as useless as uncritical belief; the real excitement comes from learning the history and the context. Book this

The Virgin of Guadalupe: A Positive Take		The Virgin of Guadalupe is the most sacred object in Mexico, a supposedly miraculous image imprinted on a cactus fiber cloak. Some call it the New World's version of the Shroud of Turin. Most react in one of two ways: To acknowledge it as a true miracle, or to dismiss it as just another religious hoax. But are either of these reactions appropriate? Is either constructive? As it turns out, a truly skeptical investigation uncovers fascinating information that can unite and illuminate both believers and skeptics with the real value of true history. Book this