Skepticism

Hey, Boston Skeptics…

I’ve been trying to enlist a speaker for the July edition of the Boston Skeptics in the Pub, but apparently the city has been vacated for the summer. So, I’m asking you two things (and people from out of town can feel free to offer your thoughts as well):

  1. Do you know of anyone in the Boston area who would be able to deliver an interesting, engaging talk about skepticism, science, or other general geekery? If so, please make your suggestion in the comments, or have the person e-mail me.
  2. Would you be interested in still getting together, even without a notable speaker? My favorite skeptic-in-a-pub Sid has suggested a fun night of skeptical pub trivia. Personally, I think I would love to run a pub trivia night, so my only qualm is that I’d like to know that we’d get enough people showing up to make it worthwhile.

Thanks!

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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27 Comments

  1. I would be thrilled to have a skeptical pub trivia.

    The idea of science-ey, non-us weekly trivia is a good one.

  2. I’d be willing to come along for some trivia, and I pity those who would dare to oppose the collective trivia might of the Boston Skeptics.

  3. Even if there was no speaker or trivia, I’d probably show up just for the sake of hanging out with some fellow skeptics.

  4. Even if there was no bar or pub, but only a trashcan fire in a dark alleyway…and even if the only “fellow skeptics” there were hobos and hallucinations brought on from tainted Olde English 800, I’d probably still show up.

  5. Yeah, I’d only show up the trashcan fire if a speaker was involved. A speaker and beer. A trashcan fire, a speaker and a beer. Well, more than one beer. A trashcan fire, a speaker and many beers.

  6. Well that’s . . . that’s going to drive away a lot of the normal people, actually.

    Isn’t that the point of a trashcan fire?

    I’m showing up for whatever is labeled “Skeptics In The Pub”. Or “Skeptics In The Alley”, either way.

  7. I wouldn’t mind not having a speaker. Perhaps if we have some direction so we aren’t just awkwardly hanging out. Some ideas I like:

    1) Skeptical trivia (oo maybe even do science or fiction?)
    2) Various board games?
    3) skeptical guitar hero!

    Ha well that’s all I’ve got.

  8. scottious:

    I wouldn’t mind not having a speaker. Perhaps if we have some direction so we aren’t just awkwardly hanging out. Some ideas I like:

    1) Skeptical trivia (oo maybe even do science or fiction?)

    Why, that’s a grand idea!

    Ha, ha . . .

    Okay, so it sounds like a good number of you are in for a trivia night. I’m going to call Tommy Doyle’s and see about booking the top floor again. If enough people show, we’ll do skeptic-themed trivia with prizes, and if it’s only a few of us then we’ll drink like dirty little heathens.

  9. Yeah, I’d only show up the trashcan fire if a speaker was involved. A speaker and beer. A trashcan fire, a speaker and a beer. Well, more than one beer. A trashcan fire, a speaker and many beers.

    And an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.

    . . . wait.

  10. If there was something more northern I’d be appy wit any type of meet up. I’m in Lowell and getting to Boston is a pain.

  11. re: communion wafers

    You can order them from EChurch Depot. Really I’m not kidding, I couldn’t make something like that up. (http://www.echurchdepot.com/)

    However, as we are meeting as skeptics not blasphemers or Catholics, what we’d need to do is get 1/2 of them blessed into the body of Jesus, then challenge the audience to figure out which ones are Jesus and which are just wafers.

    PS. No I don’t think this would be a good idea. Please don’t do it.

  12. I’m a visiting summer student from Alaska, and would relish the chance to meet some local freethinkers and skeptics before I go back in early August. Would that I had known about this tradition sooner…

  13. I guess if there’s a trivia night, you won’t need to fly me in. Ah well.

    I’ll be in fantabulous…..rural Minnesota….that week anyway.

  14. Hey, Rebecca, if you need help writing trivia questions, I’ve got a head full of otherwise-useless knowledge. (It’s in a jar in my closet, top shelf on the left. . . .)

  15. Is this happening tonight? (2nd Tuesday of each month?) What time? Can you tell I’m a newb? Am I wearing pants? (ah, after a quick observational experiment, the latter is confirmed, although they do appear to be “short” pants.)

    I’ve been planning on attending one of these for a while (I’m a coworker of Mike the Mad Biologist) but new fathering duties have kept me away.

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