Lately I'm concerned about the limited impact our outreach critical thinking, each in its extent and its quality, extensive or minimum, good or regularly plays in society. It seems that the number of idiots and as the grass grows sinvergonzones, magazines and trade publications magufo continue breaking records in the television space for maguferío proliferate, universities and other public facilities give ammunition to charlatans (you can check in The list of shame ), the criteria and rationale are increasingly absent from the reporting period, perverse traders do not stop to release waste products that capture buyers naive and vulnerable ... We should be angry and to be in part responsible for causing all this. And it is because I believe that we are not using our promotional tools of reason in the correct and appropriate. Let an overview:
- Forums and mailing list. Just enter any of them to see the intellectual affiliation of the participants. Never dissenting voices, and when present, they are unceremoniously check most of the times. He who comes in with questions or opinions shearing goes contrary is a loss for the cause forever, because he made a fool in public, and that hardly anyone can stand. And I understand, I mean the way of discourse, but in the background. Yes, I reckon Phil Plait some mellifluous, but share many of their views. I'm not picky about the forms, but generally of little use neither education nor the aggressiveness for our purposes. Well, there's no way.
- Blogs skeptical. Few, very few people, in proportion to the number of visitors, of course, check out our blogs for information. I check it daily with mine. Most often access come from other blogs skeptics or people who, at least in my case, I know would agree a lot with my ideas. That is, I read the followers, period. The specific case of the Red for Critical Information I think, in this regard is significant. It is a powerful tool, a useful and valid tool well used and promoted, but it is still today a repository of articles skeptical skeptical bloggers who come to read the latest entries of your friends and fellow bloggers skeptical. Their usefulness, therefore, for the purpose of promoting critical thinking, it seems rather limited.
(A curious about it: the authors that you send your entries to the Red Critique, how many you have selected forums or mailing lists magufas say where your input is also published in addition to their own lists and forums? What about you have several of these lists magufas selected often receive comments that part, or rather from time to time?)
- Conferences and public talks on specific topics and very specific. Mind you, I do not mean the public for a special, an individual segment of the population, such as schoolchildren or university students, I do consider appropriate and useful. I refer to those others that are organized thinking about a "free entry", as an additional activity of this or that particular activity or semiacadémica foundation. And most certainly sometimes aggressive titles: "The lies about the Shroud," or "Trash of homeopathy" could be examples. Yes, both are lies and rubbish, of course, but let's be smart, not scared off any curious or doubtful all of a sudden warning that we will crush. Let them come to the conference, and then we'll see. Item more, leading me by the conferences or lectures that I have informed me and I have attended, most of the public assistant congenial to the ideas of the speaker, and only one or two people dared to ask questions that might provoke an argument or a symposium. I feel bad, but when others comment that "300 people attended the conference" sounds more like me "298 skeptics and two others attended the conference." So we're not going anywhere, obviously.
- The magazines published for the general public, as think , The Skeptical or, to a much lesser extent and impact, The Skeptical Masked (yes, myself included, I also have screwed up). Can you imagine a magufete or an uninformed person but no particular interest in these issues to buy one of these publications? I do not. Not even read them for free. Or is that the owner of a Honda CBR ever buy a Harley-Davidson magazine, or an animal in the kiosk will acquire the fanzine Bous al Carrer (bulls in the street) or a vegetarian's encyclopedia "Hundred tasty ways to roast the pig ? My answer remains no.
- Collection scam Go! , an important effort and I think only one to date for the disclosure of critical thinking, and has covered the most prominent and controversial issues and more flat as possible, gathering signatures first category. I wonder, if somehow I could, who bought the book, why why and what are their ideas. I think I would find the unpleasant surprise that the vast majority of buyers have been skeptical (myself included), and buys have been made as a way of self-assertion in his thoughts, as well as a possible source of arguments in the face possible confrontations with the side maguferil. A lover of astrology will buy Astrology, thymus go! , or a believer, believe it or not, even very doubtful, will read Religion scam go! ? Let me doubt.
You know, there's nothing worse than a show, convinced that his intellectual arsenal is garbage and will bounce castle, knowing that I could be wrong, because no one we like to throw down what we felt so strongly ingrained in us. So if you publish a book subtitled always carry an implicit "I will publicly laugh and fuck what you think" we can not hope to triumph with him, let alone change the way you think anyone, least try to guide you.
I think all of us interested in critical thinking is in place and take root in society must seek and find a way to get that all our ideas come to the public, the neophyte, who has not yet been contaminated by the ideas and trends to-absurd, before their brains are going to waste. I sincerely believe that we have not hit the mark. We would need a public forum where you can throw ideas about, a massive brainstorming, a summit of those that I know would take place abroad (especially in USA and England) but this has not yet been concluded, and if have, have not had the desired impact. From here I throw down the gauntlet in case anyone feels able to organize a rally of skeptics in which the only item on the agenda to be treated is how to bring critical thinking to society in an effective, entertaining and compelling.
Some time ago I thought that maybe we could set up an Internet system for which the general public to address questions on topics magufos anonymously, which would be answered, duly substantiated, referenced by some prominent bloggers. We share the idea to the head of Locomundo , and the thing became the Faq Critics Skeptical of Red . Perhaps we did not know him at the time the importance it deserved, or did not know or could advertise properly, is that the initiative was unsuccessful, and there it is, half dead if no definitive body. But faith (pardon the word) that the system would work was returned to me recently when I saw that Maurice J. Schwarz has a similar system Internet in responding to their inquisitive about everything that is faced, and I think it a moderate success. I think that there should be shots.
and elaborating on the subject, I propose an idea to promote critical thinking has been around my head lately. It evolved from that which has been called Skeptics in the Pub, I do not know if a name is registered or more a declaration of principles and purposes. It would be something like:
- Venue. Well, that, somewhere in everyone, everything is comfortable. The best, indeed, a pub or a bar or similar, or a conference venue open to the public free of charge.
- Weapons of the / speakers: a laptop with internet connection in order to find information quickly and accurately on any issue that may arise. It would be nice take a few pages prepared with the best and most serious blogs on topics spanning critical thinking in general, and that can be shared end among those interested in learning more and better.
- The room should have at least a sound system and two microphones, one for / the speakers and another to have it go through the audience.
- Mechanics of the event. First, avoid a title and a specific topic, best to refer to something generic about what will happen on the premises, for example Everything you ever wanted to know about pseudoscience and the paranormal now have the opportunity to find out. Please ask your question , or something, I leave to the imagination of the brave who dare to do so. And indeed, the session will circulate around: Question public on any topic of interest within the proposed overall in the title, and the response / speakers, well-referenced and explained. Can touch all the issues, thus ensuring the amenity and variety.
Based on short questions on specific topics and people can learn or get a minimal idea about a topic that interests you. If the answer raises her curiosity, and find better sources and more extensive to drink. You will not be humiliated, or being discriminated against, or is questioned, it just tells you something he's interested in a given time. And give it the means and places to find that more explanation. Almost certainly
that many of you reading this right now is you are going on ways to improve what I have proposed, or other initiatives. Please do not tell you of you will keep, make them public at a common site for all of us (a forum, a mailing list, Twitter, Facebook ...) and give way to all. Let's go out into the street once and take it by force. By force of reason, obviously.
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