List of Skeptics and skeptical organizations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of people and organizations that promote or practice scientific skepticism. In general they favor science and are opposed to pseudoscience and quackery. They are generally skeptical of parapsychology and the paranormal.
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[edit] Famous skeptics
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- Isaac Asimov was an American science fiction author. He also wrote volumes of non-fiction in which he professed skeptical views.[1]
- Banachek, participated in Project Alpha.
- Stephen Barrett specializes in debunking quackery, health fraud, and alternative medicine. Webmaster of Quackwatch.[1]
- Susan Blackmore is a parapsychologist, freelance writer, lecturer, and broadcaster.
- Robert Todd Carroll, author of The Skeptic's Dictionary and the associated website.
- Milbourne Christopher, cofounder of CSICOP.
- Richard Dawkins is a British zoologist.He is best known for his popularization of the gene-centric view in evolutionary biology with his seminal work The Selfish Gene, his coining of the term meme, and his outspoken opposition to the teaching of Intelligent Design and Creation Science in the publicly funded schools of the United Kingdom and United States.[1]
- Daniel Dennett is an American philosopher. He is the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, University Professor, and Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies (with Ray Jackendoff) at Tufts University.
- Ann Druyan is a popular science writer and current head of the Planetary Society. Druyan is the widow of the late astronomer Carl Sagan.
- Kendrick Frazier, Editor of Skeptical Inquirer.[1]
- Martin Gardner is a recreational mathematician and was the author of the long-running 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American.[1]
- Ben Goldacre, author of "Bad Science" column in The Guardian (UK newspaper) and medical academic.
- Sven Ove Hansson, professor of philosophy at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology.
- Douglas Hofstadter is a cognitive science and artificial intelligence researcher, computer scientist, and former physicist, most well known for his Pulitzer Prize winning book Gödel, Escher, Bach: The Eternal Golden Braid , as well as his stint writing the discontinued Scientific American column Metamagical Themas. (An anagram of the title of Martin Gardner's column Mathematical Games which it temporarily replaced during most of the first half of the 1980s.) Also a member of The Skeptics Society. He is currently a professor of cognitive science at Indiana University.
- Harry Houdini, examined spiritualism (psychics and mediums).[1]
- Ray Hyman, investigator of Parapsychology.[1]
- Penn Jillette and Teller better known as the stage "magic" comedy duo Penn & Teller. Since 2002 they have been presenters of the TV show Bullshit!, investigating various claims and organizations with a skeptical attitude and much humor.
- Philip J. Klass, was known for his investigations of UFOs.[1]
- Paul Kurtz, founder of CSICOP.[1]
- Joe Nickell, invertigator of the paranormal.[1]
- James Oberg, skeptical on UFOs and claims of the moon landing hoax.
- Robert L. Park, a professor of physics, is a commentator on science in the mass media, and author of the book Voodoo Science.
- Philip Plait, an American astronomer, hosts the site Bad Astronomy.
- Jon Donnis, an British expert on the paranormal, hosts the site Bad Psychics Has appeared on radio and in national newspapers as an expert on the tricks of psychics, and is most famous for exposing popular paranormal television shows.
- Basava Premanand publisher of the magazine the Indian Skeptic and chairman of the Indian CSICOP.
- Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer.
- James Randi is a stage magician and opponent of pseudoscience. He has also set up the "James Randi Educational Foundation". Randi is most famous for offering a million dollar cash reward for strong evidence of the existence of what he perceives to be pseudo-scientific, paranormal, or occult phenomena.[1]
- Carl Sagan is a late American astronomer who pioneered exobiology, promoted the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and popularized science--most notably with the popular book and television series Cosmos. He also founded the still extant Planetary Society, now headed by his widow, popular science writer Ann Druyan. Although most of his popular books expressed typical viewpoints of scientific skepticism, he wrote the book The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark primarily to promote scientific skepticism among what he viewed as a dangerously credulous public.[1]
- Eugenie Scott has been the executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) and is a leading critic of creationism and its offshoot, intelligent design.
- Robert Sheaffer, UFO investigator.
- Michael Shermer is a science writer, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor of its magazine Skeptic Magazine. Also current writer for the Scientific American column Skeptic.[1]
- Marcello Truzzi, first editor of the Skeptical Inquirer.
[edit] Skeptic organizations
- Alberta Skeptics
- ARP – Sociedad para el Avance del Pensamiento Crítico
- Argentina Skeptics
- Asociación Racional Escéptica de Venezuela
- Association for Rational Thought
- Association for the Rational Investigation of the Paranormal
- Association of Independent Danish Skeptics
- Association Francaise pour l'Informacion Scientifique
- Australian Skeptics
- BadPsychics (UK's most popular sceptical group exposing psychics
- Baton Rouge Proponents of Rational Inquiry and Scientific Methods
- Bay Area Skeptics
- Bihar Buddhiwadi Samaj
- Biuletyn Sceptyczny
- British Columbia Skeptics
- Carolina Skeptics
- Central Iowa Skeptics
- Central New York Skeptics
- Center for Inquiry
- Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos (Czech Skeptics Club Sisyfos) [1]
- CICAP (Comitato Italiano per il Controllo delle Affermazioni sul Paranormale) (Italy)
- Círculo Escéptico
- China Association for Science and Technology
- Chinese Skeptics Circle
- Comité Belge pour l'Investigation Scientifique des Phénomènes Réputés Paranormaux (France)
- Comite de Investigaciones de lo Paranormal lo Seudocientifico y lo irracional
- Comitato Italiano per il Controllo delle Affermazioni sul Paranormale
- Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal) (CSICOP) (New York)
- Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association (India)
- Dravidar Kazhagam
- East Bay Skeptics Society
- European Council of Skeptical Organisations
- Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (India)
- Föreningen Vetenskap och Folkbildning (Sweden)
- Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (Germany)
- Gesellschaft für Anomalistik (Germany)
- Great Lakes Skeptics
- Hong Kong Skeptics
- Houston Association for Scientific Thinking
- Hungarian Skeptics
- Independent Investigations Group
- Indiana Skeptics
- Indian Skeptics
- Indian Rationalist Association
- Iniciativa para la Promoción del Pensamiento Crítico
- Irish Skeptics Society
- Institute for African Ecology and Philosophy
- Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York
- Israel Skeptics Society
- James Randi Educational Foundation (Florida)
- Japan Anti-Pseudoscience Activities Network
- Japan Skeptics
- Kansas City Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
- Kazakhastan Commission for Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena
- Kentucky Association of Science Educators and Skeptics
- Korea PseudoScience Awareness
- Manitoba Skeptics
- Maharashtra Superstition Irradication Committee
- Mexican Association for Skeptical Research
- Midwest Committee for Rational Inquiry
- Minnesota Skeptics
- Montana Rationalists and Skeptics Network
- New Mexicans for Science & Reason
- National Capital Area Skeptics
- New England Skeptical Society
- New York Area Skeptics
- New Zealand Skeptics
- North Texas Skeptics
- Observatoire Zététique
- Ontario Skeptics
- Opção Racional
- Oregonians for Rationality
- Paranormal Investigating Committee of Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking
- Prociencia
- Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Land
- Rationalists of East Tennessee
- Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS) (United Kingdom and United States)
- Sacramento Organization for Rational Thinking
- Sacramento Skeptics Society
- San Diego Association for Rational Inquiry
- Sceptical Investigations
- Sceptiques du Quebec
- Science and Rationalists' Association of India
- Skepchick International
- Skeptical Inquirers of New England
- South Shore Skeptics
- St. Kloud ESP Teaching Investigation Committee
- SOCRATES
- Sri Lanka Rationalist Association
- Stichting Skepsis
- Studiekring voor Kritische Evaluatie van Pseudo-wetenschap en het Paranormale
- Tampa Bay Skeptics
- The Association for Skeptical Enquiry
- The Finnish Association of Skeptics
- The National Council Against Health Fraud (Peabody, Massachusetts)
- The Skeptics Society (California)
- The Society for Sensible Explanations
- Union Rationaliste
- West Virginians for Science and Reason
- Western New York Paranormal
- Western New York Skeptics
- Zetetics Laboratory of the University of Nice
