After Steve's fantastic talk this past Saturday, the Novella clan (including Skepchick Rebecca Watson, who sadly missed the lecture due to her editing schedule) graciously joined the New York City Skeptics board (and new Forum Admin William) for dinner.

Here are a few pictures, courtesy of Rebecca.

From l. to r. William, Robert Novella, Rebecca Watson, Steve Novella, Matt McCarthy, Jamy Ian Swiss, Michael Feldman, Benny Pollak (seated).

New York City Skeptics is proud to co-sponsor Michael Shermer's lecture "The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics" at the New York Academy of Sciences.

Author and psychologist Michael Shermer will lecture and host a book-signing reception for his latest book, The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics, at the New York Academy of Sciences as part of the Science & the City Author Series.

In this eye-opening exploration, Dr. Shermer uncovers the evolutionary roots of our economic behavior. How did we make the leap from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumers and traders? Why do people get so emotional and irrational about bottom line financial and business decisions? Is the capitalist marketplace a sort of Darwinian organism that evolved through natural selection?

Michael Shermer is the author of nine previous books, including the bestselling Why People Believe Weird Things. He is a columnist for Scientific American, the publisher of Skeptic magazine, and the founder and director of the International Skeptics Society.

Where:
The New York Academy of Sciences
7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich St, 40th Fl
New York, NY 10007-2157

When:
January 09, 2008
6:00PM -7:30PM

NYAS Members: $10
Student Non-Members: $15
Non-Members: $25

RSVP is requried. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nyas.org/authors.

All proceeds go the New York Academy of Science "Science and the City" author series.

Thank you to everyone who showed up at last night's Drinking Skeptically! We had a great turnout of both new and familiar faces.

In between bouts of arcade game madness, we had some lively discussions ranging in topic from speaker wire to the NYC Skeptics Forum (shameless plug) to Peter Popoff to God, the Universe, and Everything.

We met in the newly-opened back room of the Four-Faced Liar and it looks like that will be our go-to spot from now on. The next DS will be on Wednesday December 26 @ 8PM. Celebrate the post-Newtonmas blues with your fellow skeptics! Click here for details.

We hope to see you there!

The inaugural lecture in the NYC Skeptics Public Lecture Series was a tremendous success. Despite the pouring rain, turnout was fantastic and our speaker, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie, gave an insightful and thoroughly entertaining presentation.

Audio and video excerpts of the lecture will soon be available.

Our next Public Lecture will take place on December 8, when our speaker will be Dr. Steve Novella.

Above: Jamy Ian Swiss, John Rennie, Benny Pollak, Matt McCarthy, Michael Feldman)

If you missed our Evening of Skepticism and Magic last month, be sure and catch Jamy Ian Swiss headlining again at Monday Night Magic October 22nd at 8PM.

We have upgraded our web site forum. The new forum includes many more features and is more user friendly than our previous one. Please visit it at http://www.nycskeptics.org/forum/.

The New York City Skeptics Public Lecture Series will offer regular speaking events by notables in the skeptical community on topics concerning skepticism, science, and critical thinking. Please join us!

We are proud to announce that our inaugural lecture will feature John Rennie, editor in chief of Scientific American magazine discussing "Scientific American's Century and a Half of Skepticism."

In its long history of reporting on discoveries and inventions, Scientific American has frequently been at odds with proponents of the paranormal, the technologically dubious, the weird and the downright irrational. Editor in chief John Rennie will discuss some of the magazine's (and his own) brushes with figures as diverse as the Wright Brothers, Harry Houdini and the Unabomber, not to mention the creationists, cold fusion advocates and nanotechnology cultists.

When:
Saturday October 27, 1:30 PM

Where:
New York Public Library
Andrew Heiskell Branch
40 W. 20th St. New York, NY
(between 5th and 6th Avenues - map)

Admission is free and open to the public

Click here for more information about John Rennie.

Thanks to all of you who attended our first ever New York City Skeptics end-of-summer picnic!

We had a really nice turnout and some very lively skeptic conversation. It appears that all of the pseudoscientific rituals we did the night before worked because the weather was fantastic! It could not have been a coincidence.

It was also great to see so many people we haven't seen yet in any of our activities. Word is getting around!

We hope everyone will help us keep growing this great organization.

Don't forget that tomorrow night is Drinking Skeptically!

We've changed our name! The New York City Skeptics Association is now New York City Skeptics. Our name is a bit shorter, but we're about to become a whole lot bigger (and better!).

We'll soon be announcing the first speaker in our New York City Skeptics Lecture Series. We plan on offering regular speaking events on topics concerning skepticism, science education, and critical thinking.

Also, don't forget about our end-of-summer picnic. The weather promises to be spectacular, and there is still plenty of room (after all, it's a big park!). Please visit here for more information.

Summer is almost over, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy an afternoon in the park with your fellow skeptics. Lite refreshments will be provided, although you are free to bring your own (along with blankets, baseball gloves, and most important of all - stimulating conversation).



Where: East Meadow of Central Park, between 96th and 103rd on 5th Avenue
When: Sunday September 23rd at 12:30PM, rain or shine (see below for rain info)

We will meet at the park entrance at 98th St. and 5th Avenue at 12:30pm until 12:45 or so. If you can't find the group, or will be arriving late and would like directions to our location, please contact Benny at (917) 892-8873.

Please note: If you plan to attend, we request that you send an RSVP via e-mail to contact@nycskeptics.org or through our contact form. This will provide us with an approximate headcount.

In the event of rain, we will meet at the One Fish Two Fish Restaurant on the corner of Madison Ave. and 97th St. Click here for a map.

We hope to see you there!