 "Casting a critical eye over suspect science, dubious claims and bizarre beliefs" | |
| Abbreviation | ASKE |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | Nonprofit organisation |
| Purpose | Promoting the aims of skepticism, advising the public on extraordinary claims |
| Headquarters | Sheffield |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Chairman | Michael Heap |
| Website | aske-skeptics.org.uk |
The Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) is a skeptical organisation in the United Kingdom.
ASKE was founded in 1997 by a steering committee of several people, including Anne Corden, Michael Heap, Marky O’Leary, Wayne Spencer, Tony Youens and Mark Gould. Among its founding members were psychologists, scientists, academics and civil servants. The purpose was to establish a national skeptical organisation in the UK that people could join and which promoted the aims of scientific skepticism by communicating with the media, advising the public on issues such as unorthodox medicine, paranormal claims and other "wild and unsubstantiated allegations", distributing newsletters and other publications, holding public meetings, and so on. [1]
Once established, ASKE published a regular magazine, the Skeptical Intelligencer, [1] initially edited by Wayne Spencer. The Skeptical Intelligencer now incorporates ASKE's newsletter the Skeptical Adversaria, and appears quarterly online (with hard copies available on request). The current editor is Michael Heap.
Deliberately on Friday 13 November 1998, ASKE and the Manchester Humanists held a conference at Manchester Metropolitan University to disprove several modern superstitions under the title "Paranormal and Superstitious Beliefs: A Skeptical Examination". [2] [3] Due to the University's safety regulations, however, the rational scientists (including Chris French, Michael Heap, Kevin McClure, Bob Morris, David Stretch, Tim Taylor, Richard Wiseman and Tony Youens [2] ) had to drop their plans of gleefully breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, and even ushering black cats across their paths. [4] Also, archaeologist Taylor criticised writer Graham Hancock's "ludicrous" hypothesis about several structures built across the world in ancient times were the product of a single global lost civilisation; he branded his work on this topic as "pseudo-archaeology" and being "far beyond the facts of the matter in terms of things like radio carbon-dating." [5]
On 16 July 1999, ASKE and the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU) of Goldsmiths College jointly organised the conference "Parapsychology: Current status and future prospects" at Goldsmiths College of the University of London. [3]
Between 1997 and 2001, ASKE attracted more than 70 members from the United Kingdom as far afield as Malta, Italy and the United States. Paranormal investigator Tony Youens said that despite frequent stories of haunting ghosts, he has had "surprisingly" few invitations to examine such claims of paranormal activity in these years. The people reporting such events, though "often deeply upset and concerned" by them, "don't want you to take a look". Youens maintains that, when given the chance, everything can be explained, and that there are no supernatural phenomena whatsoever. [6]
In 2003, having been affiliated to the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO), ASKE hosted the 11th European Skeptics Congress in London. From 11 to 13 September 2015 it hosted the 16th European Skeptics Congress jointly with the APRU of Goldsmiths College. [7]
In 2005 self-proclaimed psychic "Shirley Ghostman" brought cameras to be tested by Youens (ASKE), French (APRU), Wendy M. Grossman ( The Skeptic ) and two others, and failed. Afterwards they discovered he was actually comedian Marc Wootton recording his documentary High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman . [8] Later that year, Youens gave an interview to Skepticality , where he explained what tricks mediums use and how to spot them. [9]
ASKE offers a prize of several thousand pounds to anyone who could demonstrate paranormal abilities under scientifically controlled conditions. In the early years, there were very few enquiries, and for some time ASKE offered to screen potential claimants for other major international prizes instead. In 2012–2013, ASKE awarded £400 to anyone who passed the British preliminary test to the €1,000,000 Sisyphus Prize by SKEPP in Belgium. [10] Since 27 August 2016, ASKE once again offers its own prize of £10,000 'to anyone who can successfully demonstrate ‘a paranormal ability’ which they claim to possess'. [11]
Several applicants have tried to claim the prizes. To date no claimant has been able to pass any of the scientific tests. ASKE’s best applicant was a dowser, “a very pleasant, very smart retired engineer in Milton Keynes.” Chris French helped Heap devise a test, and they traveled to Milton Keynes to carry it out. “He failed completely, but it was an interesting day. He accepted that he thought he would succeed, and didn’t. My take on this was that this chap has been doing dowsing for years and years and has convinced himself that it works and feels he has a lot of evidence on his side that it works. We test him, it doesn’t work, but he doesn’t dismiss the rest of the evidence. It’s reasonable for him to say that he couldn’t pass the test but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the ability.” [12]
Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism, sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence. In practice, the term most commonly references the examination of claims and theories that appear to be beyond mainstream science, rather than the routine discussions and challenges among scientists. Scientific skepticism differs from philosophical skepticism, which questions humans' ability to claim any knowledge about the nature of the world and how they perceive it, and the similar but distinct methodological skepticism, which is a systematic process of being skeptical about the truth of one's beliefs.
The Skeptic is a British non-profit skepticism magazine. It describes itself as "the UK’s longest running and foremost sceptical magazine, which examines science, skepticism, secularism, critical thinking and claims of the paranormal."
Christopher Charles French is a British psychologist specialising in the psychology of paranormal beliefs and experiences, cognition and emotion. He is the head of the University of London's anomalistic Psychology Research Unit and appears regularly in the media as an expert on testing paranormal claims.
The Amazing Meeting (TAM), stylized as The Amaz!ng Meeting, was an annual conference that focused on science, skepticism, and critical thinking; it was held for twelve years. The conference started in 2003 and was sponsored by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Perennial speakers included Penn & Teller, Phil Plait, Michael Shermer and James "The Amazing" Randi. Speakers at the four-day conference were selected from a variety of disciplines including scientific educators, magicians, and community activists. Outside the plenary sessions the conference included workshops, additional panel discussions, music and magic performances and live taping of podcasts including The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. The final Amazing Meeting was held in July 2015.
The Irish Skeptics Society (ISS) is a scientific skeptical organisation based in Ireland. It was launched in December 2002 and publishes a newsletter called Skeptical Times. The ISS is a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO).
NZ Skeptics is a New Zealand incorporated society created in 1986, with the aim of promoting critical thinking. The main areas of interest to the NZ Skeptics are claims of psychic abilities, alternative medicine, creationism and other pseudoscientific claims. At its founding in 1986, it was known as the New Zealand Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (NZCSICOP). In 2007 the name was formally changed to NZ Skeptics Incorporated.
Skeptics in the Pub is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and social networking among skeptics, critical thinkers, freethinkers, rationalists and other like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics to talk, share ideas and have fun in a casual atmosphere, and discuss whatever topical issues come to mind, while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality.
The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. A version of the challenge was first issued in 1964. Over a thousand people applied to take it, but none were successful. The challenge was terminated in 2015.
The Hungarian Skeptic Society (HSS) is a skeptic organisation based in Hungary. Founded in 2006, it has been a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) since 2007. Its former president, Gábor Hraskó was also chairman of ECSO from 2013 to 2017. The current president, András Gábor Pintér who has been a board member of ECSO since 2017, is also the initiator, producer & co-host of the European Skeptics Podcast.
The Comité Para, in full Comité belge pour l'Analyse Critique des parasciences, is a Francophone Belgian skeptical non-profit organisation. Founded in 1949, the Comité Para regards itself as the originator of the modern skeptical movement. The group's motto is Ne rien nier a priori, ne rien affirmer sans preuve.
The European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) is an umbrella of skeptical organisations in Europe.
The Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) is a non-profit organisation promoting scientific skepticism, headquartered in Roßdorf, Germany. Its estimated membership in 2016 is 1300 who are scientists or laypersons interested in science. The GWUP annually hosts a conference with varying key subjects.
European Skeptics Congresses (ESCs) – a series of congresses now supported by the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO), in which skeptical organisations from many different European countries participate. They have been held ever since 1989. The conferences are often held in the month of September, and may last from two up to four days. The ECSO was formed at the 6th ESC on 25 September 1994 in Ostend, Belgium. Since its foundation, the ECSO co-ordinates in the organisation of new ESCs that take place every other year, and is hosted by a different member organisation each time. Skeptical organisations that are non-ECSO members may also send their delegations. Past ESCs are enumerated below.
Klub Sceptyków Polskich or KSP is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation actively engaged in the promotion of critical thinking, scientific skepticism and scientific methods. It unites scientists and people interested in science and scientific research in Poland.
Deborah Hyde is a British sceptic, folklorist, cultural anthropologist, Ufologist, fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and editor-in-chief of The Skeptic. She writes and lectures extensively about superstition, cryptozoology, religion and belief in the paranormal, with special regard to the folklore, psychology and sociology behind these phenomena, and has been introduced as a "vampire expert". Hyde has also worked in the motion picture industry.
The Círculo Escéptico is a Spanish rationalist nonprofit organisation, which seeks to scientifically question paranormal claims, pseudoscience and superstition, favouring critical thinking and scientific skepticism.
The Observatoire Zététique or OZ is a French skeptical nonprofit organisation founded in 2003, headquartered in Grenoble. It is a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO).
Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos is a Czech skeptical nonprofit organisation founded in 1994, headquartered in Prague. Its primary goal and mission is to spread and defend the findings and results of contemporary science, to promote rational, critical thinking, to acquaint the public with the principles of scientific method, to speak out against the spread of paranormal ideas and unproven procedures, to ensure that universities, scientific societies and institutions are actively responsible for defending science and critical thinking, to investigate controversies and false claims, to provide assistance to citizens in protecting against fraudulent products and ineffective or dangerous alternative medicine products and healing methods. In line with mission and goals, the club refuses to interfere with religious, moral and political issues.
