About us
The mission of the Skeptical Society of St. Louis is to promote the application of critical thinking and scientific principles to everyday problems and complex societal issues. We use the term "skeptic" in our name to associate the organization with the ideas of Scientific Skepticism promoted by Carl Sagan and to distinguish the organization from philosophical skepticism or cynicism. To quote Dr. Steven Novella, host of the popular podcast The Skeptics Guide to the Universe,
"A skeptic is one who prefers beliefs and conclusions that are reliable and valid to ones that are comforting or convenient, and therefore rigorously and openly applies the methods of science and reason to all empirical claims, especially their own. A skeptic provisionally proportions acceptance of any claim to valid logic and a fair and thorough assessment of available evidence, and studies the pitfalls of human reason and the mechanisms of deception so as to avoid being deceived by others or themselves. Skepticism values method over any particular conclusion."
Our primary activity is Skeptics in the Pub, an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and social networking among skeptics, critical-thinkers, and other like-minded individuals. We also provide special awards to 2 deserving students at the annual Academy of Science St. Louis Science Fair. These are monetary awards which are deposited directly into the student's 529 account for their future education.
A NOTE ON ATHEISM: While there is an overlap between the Skeptics and Atheists communities, we are not an atheist organization. Our focus is on the love of science and the desire to learn how to apply critical thinking within our lives. People of all persuasions are welcome!!
Join our group on Facebook for more information.
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donation is deductible to the limits allowed by law. Please donate to support our cause.
Upcoming events
3

AU Picnic 2026
Deer Creek Park, 3200 N Laclede Station Rd, Maplewood, MO 63143, USA, Maplewood, MO, USFrom mandates requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms to national debates over religious privilege in government, church-state separation remains at the forefront of the American socio-political landscape. To address these critical issues, the St. Louis Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) invites the local community to its annual picnic on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Deer Creek Park South Shelter in Maplewood.
The event's highlight will be a keynote address at 2:00 p.m. by Brian Silva, AU’s National Vice President of Outreach. Silva will explore the prompt, "Is America a Christian Nation?", outline the top religious freedom challenges facing the country today, detail how Americans United is responding, and share actionable ways individuals can protect the constitutional separation of church and state. An audience Q&A session will follow the address.
Event Details:- Date: Sunday, October 4, 2024
- Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Keynote presentation at 2:00 p.m)
- Location: Deer Creek Park, South Shelter, 3200 N. Laclede Station Road, Maplewood, MO
- Admission: Free and open to the public (Includes complimentary food and drinks)
- Entertainment: Musical performance by The ASK Trio
Members of the press and the public are welcome.
Disclaimer: This is an AU meetup, but we like them.
2 attendees
Skepticamp 2026
Brentwood Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, MO, USSave the date! Half day Skepticamp!
Followed by a meetup for food & drinks (on your own dime) and conversation at OB Clark’s in Brentwood at ~5:30-ish PM
UPDATE! We have speakers! See our page, or below! Solid schedule coming soon!
- The Gold Standard Paradox: Rethinking How We Screen for Colorectal Cancer: Erica Barnell, MD/PhD, Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Science Officer of Geneoscopy.
- The Solar Diet: David Weinberg, MD, retired academic vitreoretinal surgeon, and emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
- Skeptics jumping on the “Misinformation” bandwagon: Taner Edis, PhD, professor of physics at Truman State University
- Fact Checking 10 Data Center Headlines in 10 Minutes: Kyle Polich, data scientist and founder of Dataskeptic.com and host of the Data Skeptic podcast
- Why Skepticism? From Definition to Celebration: Dr. Stephen Hupp, PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist and professor of Clinical Child & School Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
- Space Madness: Why Colonization Of Other Planets Won’t Happen In Our Lifetime: Matthew Harris, SSSL Board Member
5 attendees
Past events
371



