Events

Meet Me in Germany! Or NY! Or Somewhere Else Maybe!

I’ve mostly taken the past month or so off from traveling in order to spend more quality time with my cats, but yesterday, as I was cutting out paper glasses to stick to Fry’s face, I realized that I should probably head back out on the road. Here’s my upcoming schedule!

Washington, DC
March 24
I actually haven’t solidified plans for Reason Rally yet, but I wanted to mention it just in case I do end up going. If I do go, I’ll be working on a story for radio, but not speaking.

New York City
April 21-22
As always, I’ll be at NECSS with my Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe co-hosts as well as PZ Myers, Seth Shostak, Julia Galef, George Hrab, and more!

Arlington, VA
May 18
The Women in Secularism Conference is super exciting! I’ll be there with fellow Skepchick Debbie Goddard, plus Greta Christina, Jen McCreight, Susan Jacoby, Sikivu Hutichinson, Jamila Bey, Ophelia Benson, and many more amazing women. Be there!

Berlin, Germany
May 20
Then I’m immediately off to the 6th World Skeptics Congress, my first time ever in Germany! Also at the con will be Simon Singh, Harriet Hall, James Randi, Massimo Polidoro, and many more.

Cologne, Germany
May 25-27
The following weekend I’ll be in Cologne for the 2012 European Atheist Convention with PZ Myers, Taslima Nasrin, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Leo Igwe, Tanya Smith, and (you guessed it) many more! By the 25th I expect to be speaking fluent German so that’s probably how I’ll deliver my talk.

Minneapolis, MN
July 5-8
In July it’s time for SkepchickCon, which occurs every year during CONvergence! More info on that coming soon but you can still pick up your tickets in the meantime.

There’s a lot more planned for the rest of the year but most of the details are still being hammered out, so I’ll do another post once we get there. Hope to see some of you soon!

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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33 Comments

      1. Holy hell, you’re going to Berlin on your first trip to Deutschland? Lucky you.

        Berlin is amazing. Make sure you take at least a few nights to go out, the nightlife is kickass, especially considering the crew you’ll be with.

  1. I’m hoping to go to the Reason Rally. I’m planning on being at the Women in Secularism which I’m so looking forward to with excitement.

  2. I hope to make NECSS this time around, not just the skeptically drinking … however, I do intend on carrying on my open feud with my liver, regardless.

  3. I was taking stock of everybody who is going to be at NECSS (speaking and otherwise) and I’m realizing that there aren’t nearly enough days.

  4. Whee! I didn’t even know we had an atheist convention here in Germany this year, let alone two. I won’t be able to make it to Berlin, but Cologne is definitely an option. Looking forward to it! :D

  5. Köln (Cologne) is only two and a half from here by train! How many of the speakers are going to lecturing in English?

    1. I’m guessing quite a few will be in English since about half the speakers listed aren’t German. So, if you don’t speak German you should be okay . . . you’ll at least have a lot of English-speaking company at the bar while any non-translated German activities are happening.

  6. Rockin. I’ll be there with my wife. I’ll see if I can get the word out that there is an atheist con with the base M&W office and the chaplain, whose supposed to promote atheist stuff too.

  7. Wish I wasn’t so damn broke. I can’t even make it to TAM, and it’s a 5 or so hour drive. :/ Oh, well. Maybe someday.

  8. I’ll be at CONvergence again this year. The SkepchicCon panels made an awesome first-time Con experience that much more awesome. I especially enjoyed the Women in Science and Technology panel and the Women vs God panel. Excellent all around.

    1. OH man really? I didn’t have plans to be in Iceland but since you mention it, maybe I can arrange a side trip. I love it there!

      Stalking you is so rewarding sometimes. WAIT I MEAN–

  9. By the 25th I expect to be speaking fluent German so that’s probably how I’ll deliver my talk.

    Oh, certainly, Rebecca!^^
    Do you know the following quote?

    My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years. It seems manifest, then, that the latter tongue ought to be trimmed down and repaired. If it is to remain as it is, it ought to be gently and reverently set aside among the dead languages, for only the dead have time to learn it.

    ;)

    It’s the funniest piece of literature I’ve ever read(The Awful German Language by Mark Twain).

    Btw, Berlin is called “Hauptstadt des Atheismus”(Capital of atheism) because of the high percentage of nonreligous people and it’s the only town in Germany were religious studies class as regular lesson in schools is replaced with ethics class.

    I hope you will enjoy your trip to Germany and the conferences as well.

    Best regards from Berlin

    1. That’s one of my favorite Mark Twain essays, among a long list. There’s never been anyone quite like him for writing witty satire.

    2. >it’s the only town in Germany where religious studies class as regular lesson in schools is replaced with ethics class

      No it’s not. In every state school in Germany kids can choose a religion or ethics. Mine tried Cath., Prot. and Ethics and emerged as sceptic as their mum.

      1. kmag is right, Berlin is the most progressive part of Germany when it comes to religious studies at school.

        In Berlin, all students have to take mandatory ethics classes, and can do religious studies in their free time if they really want to.

      2. Here in Berlin if you do choose religion classes you have to take them alongside Ethics classes. :) They changed it a few years ago when I was still at school. They had a referendum. Before that you didn’t have ethics classes, but religion classes were still optional.
        I actually did choose protestant religion class and I’m glad I did. I was always an atheist and just really curious. I did learn a lot about the bible and religion. Plus in High School we often just did things like watching a philosophical movie, talk about war and politics, etc. One day we just read really crazy evangelical quotes and made fun of that.
        Plus I was able to be vocal about my atheism there, which was nice.
        The catholic religion class sounded horrible, though… I wouldn’t have been able to attend these anyway, as I’m not baptized.

    3. It may be tough but I would love it if English were able to make useful descriptive words and phrases by just smooshing the useful/descriptive things together.

  10. *jealous* Berlin is such an awesome city, especially for bicyclists and beer drinkers. I wish I could make it.

    Be sure to try the currywurst.

  11. I’m in the planning stages of a trip to the Midwest this summer, so I might be in Minneapolis early in July. Or maybe I’ll procrastinate until it’s too late. It’s about a 50-50 chance.

  12. I’ll try to make it to the Berlin thing as I live in Berlin, but it’s pretty expensive for a broke university student. I think I’ll go on sunday but 270 euros (360 us dollar) for all days is… that’s about all the money I got in a month and I need to pay rent D:

    Ah, whatever. I’m sure I’ll be able to scratch the money together for something I’m so passionate about!

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