SK10 Speaker Topics!

Hello Skepticoners!

I bet you’d like to know what kind of awesome things our speakers are going to be talking about AND BY GOLLY YOU WILL KNOW!

• Dr. Samantha Montano
  • From Acts of Gods to Disasterology: This presentation will explore the evolution from considering disasters as “Acts of God” to studying them scientifically. For much of human history calamities were viewed as being outside human control. As a scientific understanding of natural hazards like hurricanes and earthquakes developed, a shift towards interpreting disasters as natural phenomena took hold. In ascribing the cause of disasters to God and/ or nature, human responsibility for preventing disasters was removed. A third shift among the scientific community has led us to view disasters as invoking the relationship between nature and society. This understanding, while relatively long held within the scientific community, has begun to permeate to the general public. After disasters like Hurricane Harvey and Irma, we see news stories with titles like “This was no natural disaster” as people begin to make the connections to how human action contributes to disasters. Soon the term “natural disaster” will likely become as obsolete as “Act of God”.
• Jessica Xiao
  • Fostering online communities/mobilizing them for action.
• Mandisa Thomas
  • Mandisa Thomas will be explaining why it’s important to effectively manage organizations, and the people in them.
• Mika McKinnon
  • Pre-Apocalyptic Party Planning: No where is safe from disasters, and it’s only a matter of time before catastrophe strikes. But you don’t need to passively await certain doom! This is a planning guide for hosting parties that enhance g personal preparedness and community resilience while having a good time. (Really!)
• Randall Jenson
  • Queering Violence
• Ross Blocher
  • Ross Blocher takes you on a wild journey through his interactions with various religious groups, alternative medical practitioners, fringe scientists and paranormalists. Along the way, learn by example (and counter-example) where you can have effective conversation and when it’s best to cut your losses.
• Leighann Lord
  • Stand Up Comedy!
• Laura Thomas
  • Why are some drugs legal and others not? Is strawberry-flavored meth really a thing? Come learn about drugs, people who use drugs, prohibition, and how to be a skeptical consumer of media reports about drugs.
• Nikki Jane
  • Mental health and the black community: Discussing what suicide/mental illness look like in the black community, and how we can make changes.

Do you guys know a good doctor? Because this LINEUP LOOKS SICK! Can’t wait to see these amazing speakers on stage!

See you all SOOOOON!

Love,

Team Skepticon

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