50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True

Program announcements are first posted at http://www.sdari.org

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/6/2/4/event_130422532.jpegAuthor Guy P. Harrison will present a lecture on the importance of skepticism to the world, and "seven things even good skeptics get wrong". He will also discuss his latest book, 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True.

“What would it take to create a world in which fantasy is not confused for fact and public policy is based on objective reality? I don't know for sure. But a good place to start would be for everyone on Earth to read this book.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History

"Guy Harrison's 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True is the perfect book for skeptics to carry with them whenever they venture into the dark and mysterious realms where myths, monsters, and magic lurk as pretenders to truth, and where pseudoscience and superstition rule the day. Harrison has added to the growing body of skeptical literature a contribution that will continue to move our culture toward one that openly embraces reason, science, and logic." –Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, columnist for Scientific American, author of The Believing Brain and Why People Believe Weird Things

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About Guy Harrison:

"I write about many things but my primary focus is on science and skepticism. I believe that our world could be a little better - and a lot less crazy - if more people simply understood how science works and appreciated the protective value of skeptical thinking in everyday life.

I've held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. I'm also a veteran travel writer, having visited and written about many people and places in more than 25 countries on five continents. I have had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright young students and working with abused and neglected children. My degree is in history and anthropology (University of South Florida). I've won some nice awards for my writing and photography but doubt anyone really cares about that other than my sweet mother.

When I'm not staring at a blank computer screen hoping that an interesting sequence of words will appear, I'm likely to be running, hiking, reading a science book, working out at a gym, or trying to teach life lessons to my children via repeated forced viewings of Star Trek (original series, of course). When normal people are busy thinking about politics, economics, and the Kardashians, I'm usually daydreaming about time travel, the singularity (rapture of the nerds) ancient Greece, extremophiles, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and robots.

My latest book is "50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True". It's a fun grand tour of unusual unproven claims such as astrology, psychics, ghosts, UFOs, faith healing, and so on as viewed through the lens of science and skepticism. It's published by Prometheus Books."