This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(May 2018) |
Abbreviation | COMCEPT |
---|---|
Formation | 5 April 2012 (formalised in September 2016) [1] |
Type | Nonprofit organisation |
Purpose | Promoting science, scientific skepticism and critical thinking |
Region served | Portugal |
President | Diana Barbosa |
Website | comcept.org |
COMCEPT, acronym for Comunidade Céptica Portuguesa (English: Portuguese Skeptical Community), is a Portuguese project dedicated to scientific skepticism, created to promote rational and critical thinking about paranormal and pseudoscientific claims from a scientific point of view. [2] Other subjects that are dealt with include conspiracy theories and disinformation that circulate in mass media or on social media. COMCEPT was founded on 5 April 2012 as a citizens' movement in Portugal. [3] The citizens' movement was formally registered as a legal association in September 2016. [1]
COMCEPT was founded on 5 April 2012 by a group of Portuguese citizens from differing origins and academic backgrounds. The foundation of this project was marked by a meeting between its founders and several collaborators in Coimbra. It began its activity with the launching of the official website and with the beginning of the monthly social gatherings, called "Cépticos com Vox" ("Skeptics with a Voice"). In November 2012, the group held its first national event, ComceptCon, in the village of Nazaré. [4] [5]
On 1 April 2013, COMCEPT awarded the Flying Unicorn Award for the first time for the year 2012. [6]
On 15 November 2014, it first awarded the COMCEPT Prize at that year's ComceptCon to David Marçal. [7]
The main goal of COMCEPT is the promotion of science, scientific skepticism, and critical thinking in the society.
COMCEPT publishes educational resources, news and opinion articles on the official website and social networks. In 2017, the association produced its first book: Não Se Deixe Enganar ("Don't Be Fooled"). [2]
COMCEPT holds monthly social gatherings that are open to the public. These are called "Cépticos com Vox" ("Skeptics with a Voice"), and they are similar to the international Skeptics in the Pub phenomenon. These meetings are usually dedicated to a specific theme and are characterised by an informal atmosphere. Usually, they take place alternately in Lisbon and Porto, although occasionally in other cities, such as Coimbra and Leiria, for example.
ComceptCon is the association's annual conference dedicated to skepticism. It is an open-access event that includes lectures by invited experts with whom the public can interact.
The association organises educational group visits to museums (Cépticos no Museu).
The Solstice Conference is an open-access COMCEPT lecture presented by an invited expert, on the last Saturday before Christmas.
The Flying Unicorn Award is a satirical prize with the slogan "a happy prize for unhappy performances". This prize is attributed to personalities or entities which have disseminated pseudoscience, superstition and other forms of disinformation in Portugal. The aim is to stimulate reflection on the prevalence and influence of disinformation in society. Similar to the Pigasus Award from the James Randi Educational Foundation, it stands out because the nominees and winners are chosen by Internet users. The winners are revealed annually on April 1, April Fools' Day; they are selected from events that occurred during the previous year. Currently, there are three prize categories:
Dom Quixote (discontinued category)
The COMCEPT Prize awarded by the COMCEPT team to a personality who has excelled in the promotion of critical thinking and science in Portugal. The aim is to reward those who strive for a more enlightened society. This prize is not awarded annually, but only on special occasions when the association deems it necessary to highlight an exceptionally good example.
José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, GCIH, commonly known as José Sócrates, is a Portuguese politician who was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 12 March 2005 to 21 June 2011. For the second half of 2007, he acted as the President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union.
Marinha Grande is a municipality in the Leiria District, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 38,681, in an area of 187.25 km². The city itself has a population of 30,000.
Portugal has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 51 times since its debut at the 1964 contest. Since then it has missed five contests. The contest is broadcast in Portugal by Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). Portugal won the contest for the first time in 2017 and hosted the 2018 contest in Lisbon.
Nuno André da Silva Coelho is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central defender.
Luis de Matos is a Portuguese magician. He has been called “the best known illusionist in Portugal” and was the co-winner of the "Golden Grolla" in 2013 alongside Lu Chen and Dynamo.
Tiago André Coelho Lopes, known as Rabiola, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for AC Vila Meã as a forward.
José António Afonso Rodrigues dos Santos is a Portuguese writer, university lecturer and journalist. He has presented Telejornal since 1991.
Marcos Paulo Gelmini Gomes, known as Marcos Paulo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club F.C. Vizela as a midfielder. He also holds Italian nationality.
Pedro Manuel Mamede Passos Coelho is a Portuguese politician and university guest lecturer who is the former 118th Prime Minister of Portugal, in office from 2011 to 2015. He was the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) between 2010 and 2018.
Maria de Assunção de Oliveira Cristas Machado da Graça is a Portuguese lawyer, professor, conservative politician. She was the President of the CDS – People's Party from 2016 to 2020.
Filipe Manuel Nunes Cândido is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left winger, who is currently the manager of Belenenses SAD.
The 2004 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira was the 26th edition of the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, the annual Portuguese football season-opening match contested by the winners of the previous season's top league and cup competitions. The match was contested between the 2003–04 Primeira Liga winners, Porto and the 2003–04 Taça de Portugal winners, Benfica.
Filipe Miranda Cunha Pinto known as Filipe Pinto is a Portuguese singer that won season 3 of the Portuguese reality television music competition series Ídolos in 2010. He won the 2013 MTV Europe Music Award for the Best Portuguese Act.
A Portuguese presidential election was held on 24 January 2016. This election chose the successor to the President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who was constitutionally not allowed to run for a third consecutive term.
Portuguese comics are comics created in Portugal or by Portuguese authors. Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Carlos Botelho, and João Abel Manta are some of the most notable early Portuguese cartoonists.
The Portuguese legislative election of 2019 was held on 6 October 2019. All 230 seats to the Assembly of the Republic were at stake.
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.
Tiago Alexandre Sousa Esgaio is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for F.C. Arouca on loan from S.C. Braga as a midfielder.
Teresa Leal Coelho is a Portuguese politician who was a member of the Assembly of the Republic between 2011 and 2019.
Sequía, as known in Spain, or Crimes Submersos in Portugal, is an upcoming Spanish–Portuguese thriller television series which stars Elena Rivera, Marco d'Almeida, Guilherme Filipe, Miryam Gallego and Rodolfo Sancho, among others. It is produced by Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) and Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) in collaboration with Atlantia Media and Coral Europa.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to COMCEPT . |