Glasgow Skeptics is a

skeptical Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...

organisation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

based in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It aims to promote

public understanding of science Public awareness of science (PAwS) is everything relating to the awareness, attitudes, behaviors, opinions, and activities that comprise the relations between the general public or lay society as a whole to scientific knowledge and organization. ...

critical thinking Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analysis ...

, and

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

History

Founded by Ian Scott, Glasgow Skeptics, aided by the Glasgow Brights, held their inaugural "Glasgow

Skeptics in the Pub Skeptics in the Pub (abbreviated SITP) 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 ...

" Meetup on 10 November 2009.

Activities

Skeptics in the Pub

Since the foundation of the Glasgow Skeptics in November 2009, its Skeptics in the Pub events have become increasingly popular. In March 2010, when

Simon Singh Simon Lehna Singh, (born 19 September 1964) is a British popular science author, theoretical and particle physicist. His written works include ''Fermat's Last Theorem'' (in the United States titled ''Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve th ...

lectured about his book ''

Trick or Treatment ''Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial'' (North American title: ''Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine'') is a 2008 book about alternative medicine by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst. Overview The boo ...

'' and the

British Chiropractic Association v Singh ''British Chiropractic Association (BCA) v Singh'' was an influential libel action in England and Wales, widely credited as a catalytic event in the libel reform campaign which saw all parties at the 2010 general election making manifesto commitm ...

case, about 65 people attended the monthly meeting. In October 2014, Professor Helen Sang from

The Roslin Institute The Roslin Institute is an animal sciences research institute at Easter Bush, Midlothian, Scotland, part of the University of Edinburgh, and is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It is best known for creating ...

of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

gave a presentation titled "Would You Eat a GM Chicken?" on the ethics and hazards of

genetically modified food Genetically modified foods (GM foods), also known as genetically engineered foods (GE foods), or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Gene ...

in feeding a growing population. During the 5th anniversary of Glasgow Skeptics in the Pub on 10 November 2014,

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

and

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

activist

Nate Phelps Nathan Phelps (born November 22, 1958) is an American-born Canadian author, LGBT rights activist, and public speaker on the topics of religion and child abuse. He is the sixth-born of the 13 children of Fred Phelps, from whom he – along with ...

talked about his past experience in the

Westboro Baptist Church The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is a small American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. Labeled a hate group, WBC is known for engaging in homophobic and anti-American pickets, ...

, his escape from it and his efforts for

Recovering from Religion Recovering from Religion (RfR) is an international non-profit organization that helps people who have left religion, are in process of leaving, or are dealing with problems arising out of theistic doubt or non-belief. RfR provides support group ...

. In recent years they have stepped up the frequency of their events, with the aim of filling as many Monday nights as possible throughout the year. They have been assisted in this endeavour with an increasingly close relationship with Edinburgh Skeptics, and other Scottish Skeptics in the Pub groups.

Debates

GlasgowSkepticsIndependenceDebateAudience

As was as regular SITP talks, Glasgow Skeptics have hosted and organised a number of debates. Most notably discussions on

Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...

before and after the 2014 referendum, and whilst the society itself officially remained "staunchly neutral" on the question, ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

'' journalist Libby Brooks noted, and polls showed, a large majority of debate attendees was in the "Yes" camp. After "No" won, however, public commenters stressed that the referendum had "energised" the electorate, and further discussions should keep it focused on what "how, where and in what direction" Scotland should go now. Glasgow Skeptics continue to organise and participate in debates, for events such as the EU Referendum, MSP and General Elections, and occasionally for other topics – including a debate with representatives from the Centre for Intelligent Design hosted by Glasgow University Christian Union.

Activism

Glasgow Skeptics have participated a number of initiatives over the years. In 2010, they were involved in the UK-wide 10:23 Campaign, initiated by the

Merseyside Skeptics Society The Merseyside Skeptics Society (MSS) is a nonprofit organisation that promotes scientific scepticism in Merseyside and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2009, the society has campaigned against the use of homeopathy, challenged the claims of psy ...

, by taking a mass 'overdose' of

homeopathic Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dise ...

pills to publicly demonstrate their inefficacy. In 2013, the Glasgow Skeptics launched a petition calling on the

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is an NHS board in West Central Scotland, created from the amalgamation of NHS Greater Glasgow and part of NHS Argyll and Clyde on 1 April 2006. It is the largest health board in both Scotland, and the UK, which c ...

to cease funding the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital. In 2014 they took part in the Good Thinking Society's Psychic Awareness Month initiative.

References

External links

* {{Sceptic organisations 2009 establishments in Scotland Clubs and societies in Glasgow Skeptic organisations in the United Kingdom