I have been invited by to speak at third annual Pennsylvania State Atheist/Humanist Convention to be held in Pittsburgh on August 29-31, 2014 and have accepted. The invitation is quite flexible. The conference has no theme as such and they are giving me the freedom to pitch my own topic, although suggesting that one based on an earlier talk based on my series Why Atheism is Winning may be suitable.
I have given that talk before but it was three years ago and I think that the novelty has gone since the evidence that atheism is winning is now increasingly clear.
So I want to ask readers of this blog what kind of talk they might like to hear from me, if they had the opportunity. I like talks to have some educational component to them. Given the venue and audience, it should involve some aspect of atheism and skepticism of course, so a talk that is purely about science such as on the Higgs mechanism may be out. A talk dealing with the Age of the Earth may work. I could also do one on The Logic of Science.
I have been thinking that the evolving legal situation with all recent court cases involving the Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause, and RFRA may be topical and new enough to people. Since I am not a lawyer, I will have to check if they have a lawyer who is more competent to speak on this as one of their roster of speakers.
What do you think?
I am not part of the atheist/humanist conference circuit so this will be an opportunity to meet some people whom I know just by name.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
The logic of science compared to the logic of religion.
You’re a physicist, so how about something along those lines: an introductory bit about quantum woo for example,
and then a segue to a more general discussion how some attempt to justify religious claims by abusing science or using fake science etc, and how to tell the difference
How about the fine-tuning argument? It’s one of the few arguments for the existence of God that wasn’t refuted a thousand years ago.
I know it has already been addressed by Victor Stenger among others, but it might be useful to have another physicist’s take on it.
Given it’s recency and it’s name or misnomer as the god particle, I’d love to hear a physicist lay out what the Higgs boson does and where particle physics goes from here.
But you also might speak to personal experience: what it’s like moderating a blog during the time of the great schism.
Or discuss the critical importance of freedom of expression and listening to others to skepticism and to widespread adoption of atheism.
You could really piss off a couple of your readers and talk about Israel or men’s rights. 🙂
I’d like to hear about the evidence supporting evolution in non-biological disciplines. Creationists commonly seem to think that they can carve out the foundation of modern biology and stuff in their own “goddunit” like a Leggo brick. But I don’t think it’s widely appreciated how much physics (e.g.) and other disciplines are relied upon. I am not a physicist, but I have the impression that physics would have to change radically if radiometric dating methods (for instance) are wildly off.
How about talking about the problems of atheist educators? Ed Brayton just posted an example:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2014/01/07/teaching-evolution-at-a-christian-college/
See also the comments #7 and #23 by raven.
Good morning Mano,
Perhaps you can find some inspiration from this letter-to-the-editor in my hometown newspaper this morning.
Do all you can to make today a good day,
Jeff
I suggest you find some topic that incorporates your own experience. If you give a generic talk on separation of church and state for example, my reaction would be “anyone could have given that talk.”
Likewise with books. One of my favourite recent books on evolution is Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. have you read it? I recommend it highly. Instead of reciting the usual list of evidences for evolution which we have read in all the other books, he draws from his own experience in 1) finding and characterizing ancient tetrapod fossils (he’s one of the Tiktaalik guys) and 2) teaching human anatomy. It’s a book no one else could have written.
@Reginald,
Shubin’s book is excellent and I take your point about the personal adding a valuable element to the talk.
@some Old Programmer,
Actually, the logic of science topic deals with precisely that. All scientific theories are interconnected and you cannot just will-nilly change one to suit your purposes and go on your merry way. Changing radiometric dating sets in motion a whole sequence of effects that have to be addressed but that creationists don’t do.
How about practical tips for how to come out as an atheist? I don’t think many people actually believe the mumbo jumbo, but it is hard to go against the tide….
It is empowering to be rational, and humiliating and subjugating to be taught that challenging blind belief is somehow not “normal”…which it isn’t since it is still against the norm.
So, how does one play a part in changing the norm? How did you deal with all the “coming out” issues? What prescriptions can you share?
We may not be professional scientists, but we all seek freedom from belief imposed explicitly or implicitly, and the right to use our senses and our brains without being indoctrinated…
@readysf,
This is a great topic but one for which I have little expertise. It is better dealt by people who have either had a difficult transition themselves or helped others through them, neither of which applies to me