Minnesota Skeptics presents Drinking Skeptically: RSVP at meetup.com and come down to Be’wiched Deli (800 Washington Ave N) tonight at 5pm for casual conversation and excellent food and drink. We’ve got an entire “wing” of the deli for us, and this meetup usually draws about 20-30 people. Let’s talk about whatever skeptical topics might be on your mind. In the past we’ve discussed astrology, psychics, homeopathy, chiropractors, ghost hunters, aliens, conspiracy theory, creationists, snake oil salesmen, magic, critical thinking, science, and the psychologies of belief and perception.
Show up early because at around 6:45-7pm some of us will be slipping out to run over to the University of Minnesota for this year’s Karlis Kaufmanis lecture: Mike Brown will present his talk How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming. From the event flier:
The solar system most of us grew up with included nine planets, with Mercury closest to the sun and Pluto at the outer edge. Then, in 2005, astronomer Mike Brown made the discovery of a lifetime: a tenth planet, Eris, slightly bigger than Pluto. But instead of adding one more planet to our solar system, Brown’s find ignited a firestorm of controversy that culminated in the demotion of Pluto from real planet to the newly coined category of “dwarf” planet. Suddenly Brown was receiving hate mail from schoolchildren and being bombarded by TV reporters—all because of the discovery he had spent years searching for and a lifetime dreaming about.
A heartfelt and personal journey filled with both humor and drama, “How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming” is for anyone, young or old, who has ever imagined exploring the universe—and who among us hasn’t?
Mike Brown’s talk starts at 7:30pm and will be held in the Tate Laboratory of Physics, Room 150 (116 Church St. SE)
I hope to see you tonight if you’re in the area!
I found this image over at Technabob and almost spit coffee on my keyboard.
8 comments
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Jag
April 12, 2012 at 12:12 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve been saying that I’m going to get more involved in the active atheist community ever since I got back from Reason Rally. Now I’m going to stop saying it, and start doing it. I signed up and RSVP’ed that I’ll attend this evening. Thanks for the extra push to get me in motion!
Overdue to start matching my actions to my words. Hope to meet you there!
Brianne Bilyeu
April 12, 2012 at 21:50 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It was a pleasure to meet you tonight. Hopefully we’ll get more time to chat at the next meetup!
kim
April 12, 2012 at 14:24 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, I won’t be there to share more aliens tonight. We’re going to the Science Museum for a talk about female pirates. But I should be there next month with an assortment.
Brianne Bilyeu
April 12, 2012 at 21:51 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
MIssed ya, but I hope you had a blast at Pirates!
Fabio García
April 12, 2012 at 22:22 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow, that Jupiter’s scary.
kim
April 13, 2012 at 08:53 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think it might just have a sinus problem.
Paul Wynn
April 15, 2012 at 01:22 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh my gosh dork, you’re into the supernatural!? There’s a group you go for that! I’m so jealous!!!!!!!! I can go on for days with aliens .. i love coast to coast am!
Brianne Bilyeu
April 16, 2012 at 08:34 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*big grin* I’d LOVE to chat aliens and coast-to-coast with you sometime, Paul. However, we might find ourselves on opposite ends of the belief spectrum. Those of us in the skeptics group mostly believe that the personal accounts of supernatural encounters are more likely hoaxes or instances of people fooling themselves (our brains are tricky buggers) rather than actual interactions with ghosts, little green men, bigfoot, etc.