Recommended Listening/Reading

I have recently realized that I never mentioned how I managed to get myself into the skeptical universe, and I feel it is time to pay tribute to some of my “influences”.

My biggest influence would be “The Skeptics Guide to the Universe” hosted by Dr. Steven Novella, “an academic neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine”, and his group of skeptical Rouges.

“The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is a weekly Science podcast produced by the New England Skeptical Society (NESS) in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) : discussing the latest news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view.”

The Skeptics Guide is about an hour long show filled that discuss the latest in skeptical news laced with amusing, snarky, and often geeky quips. On many occasions I have found myself bursting out laughing on my drive to school. Even though this is a primarily science based show, the topics are discussed on a level that even a non-science background person could understand.

It is this show that provided the inspiration for not only the creation of this blog, but also my own podcast Derationalize This! and its own blog (this sites sibling blog).

For those of you who don’t like to listen to other people talk (feels too much like talk radio) or are not interested in the world of podcasts. There are also a number of blogs that are worth taking a look at, and have provided ample amounts of information in what is going on in the world around us.

Blogs to read

• Pharyngula – A blog written Professor PZ Myers, biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris. He tends to put up multiple posts a day, and covers topics primarily relating to science and religion. He is one of the more radical fell known skeptics, but when you want to hear from someone who will show no mercy to lunacy PZ is the one you want to read.
• Bad Astronomy – Phil Plait, astronomer, lecturer, and author, publishes multiple posts a day focusing on mainly the space end of science but will cover any and all science related topics; he also has been known to geek out over sci-fi (Doctor Who etc.). He has published two amazing books “Bad Astronomy” and “Death from the Skies”. Phil is also the ex-President of the JREF and currently working on an undisclosed secret project.
• Richard Wiseman Blog – Prof. Richard Wiseman is a psychologist and the author of great books like Quirkology. His blog updates daily with interesting new experiments or online questions as well as every Friday posting a brain teaser question that he provides the answer to on Monday.
• The Rogues Gallery – a group blog featuring the hosts of the SGU – Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Rebecca Watson, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein

I hope many of you check out these other great sites which have given me so much guidance and resources as a skeptic.