Round-Up w/e 19/8/12

Welcome one and all to the Birmingham Skeptics round-up.  Did you know that our next event is the open mic night?  You did, did you?  I bet you don't know who's going to be speaking there then.  We have an author and a singer amongst others, you can find out even more by clicking here.  Wednesday 12th September, 7.30pm at The Victoria.  Make sure you're there.  Anyway, on with the round-up

Massimo Pigliucci believe there's quite a bit of unreason within the community of reason.  To stop this unreason in its tracks, he has some practical suggestions in 'The Community of Reason, a self-assessment and a manifesto'.

'The fake butter used to flavour popcorn causes alzheimers!' screamed the press around the world.  The New York Post offered this in-depth article on the subject.  Unlike the world media, somebody actually took the time to read the study, you can read what they found here.

As one batshit apocalyptic prediction fails to materialise, another emerges.  This time the world is going to end at 11.11GMT 21/12/2012.  So, should you be worried about the impending apocalypse?  Matt Ridley says you shouldn't.

An 11 year-old Pakistani girl could face the death penalty after being accused of Qua'ran burning.  Burning a book = Wrong.  Killing a child = Right.

Nick Cohen's excellent article on an evil collusion between a tyrant and a man of God.

Dr Peter Wothers reckons that chemistry is too often taken for granted or dismissed as 'evil chemicals'.  He's going to show the naysayers 'what for' at Christmas as he'll be presenting the RI Christmas lectures as they focus on chemistry.

Arrrrghhh! There's a Flying Spaghetti Monster in the Sky!

American megachurches use stagecraft, sensory pageantry, charismatic leadership and an upbeat, unchallenging vision of Christianity to provide their congregants with a powerful emotional religious experience, according to research from the University of Washington.

Jen McCreight proposes a new wave of atheism, although Notung is sceptical.

Birmingham Skeptics organiser Patrick was interviewed by Adrian Goldberg on BBC Radio WM, you can hear him talking about our 'sceptical meat and 2 veg' as the recording is here.

Is it fair to circumcise new-born boys?

I leave you with a video featuring those lovely people from the Church of Scientology.  One of the stars of this video spoke to the hardcore rationalists at TruthJuice Birmingham this week, lucky them.

This week's round-up was put together by Birmingham Skeptics co-organiser Paul Bryant.