Skepticamp 2011

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The Ottawa Skeptics and CFI Ottawa are pleased to present Skepticamp 2011. For those of you who don't know what a skepticamp is, it follows the unconference model of being driven by the participants. All speakers are locals who have something interesting to say about something they find interesting.

The event will consist of around 12 presentations, each lasting 10 minutes with 5 minutes for questions (so a 15 minute time slot per person), and beginning at 1pm. The room is booked until 6pm in case some people run late. We can always schedule a full Skeptics in the Pub for those topics that people want to hear more about. We should be able to provide tea, coffee and biscuits. We do have to pay $50 to hire the meeting room (and a few dollars for cookies!), so we will ask for a dollar or two from you on the day to cover this.

Here's the schedule of talks:

1.00-1.15pm Introduction and welcome. Chris/Chris
1.15-1.30pm Pseudoscience and the Law. Elan Dubrofsky
1.30-1.45pm CAM and the cancer patient: arguments for and against. Britta Hebbern
1.45-2.00pm Vote Systems. Xander Miller [note change, 14/10/11]
2.00-2.15pm What's the Harm?: Alternative Medicine and HIV. Ashley Goff

2.15-2.45pm BREAK (30 mins)

2.45-3.00pm Quantum Jumping. Ian McLean
3.00-3.15pm Evidence, Politics, & the Media: Producing & Communicating Statistics to the Public. Carley Centen
3.15-3.30pm Stock market pseudoscience. Zivi Weinstock
3.30-3.45pm Do we have free will? Darren McKee

3.45-4.15pm BREAK (30 mins)

4.15-4.30pm Photovoltaics for fun and profit. Seanna Watson
4.30-4.45pm Contagion: Fact, fiction, and the prospect of biological armageddon. Alex Demarsh [note change, 14/10/11]
4.45-5.00pm Multi-Level Marketing From Experience. JF Gagné
5.00-5.15pm Known unknowns. Dana Peters

Concurently with the first four talks, Seanna Watson will be presenting a kid's event on "Squishy Circuits". Children are welcome, and watch this space for more details about this event.