Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos (English: ''Czech Skeptics' Club Sisyfos'') is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

skeptical

nonprofit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

founded in 1994 and headquartered in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. Its primary goal and mission is to spread and defend the findings and results of contemporary

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

, to promote

rational Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reason. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do, or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an ...

critical thinking Critical thinking is the process of analyzing available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to make sound conclusions or informed choices. It involves recognizing underlying assumptions, providing justifications for ideas and actions, ...

, to acquaint the public with the principles of

scientific method The scientific method is an Empirical evidence, empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and ...

, to speak out against the spread of

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

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 Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

products and healing methods. In line with mission and goals, the club refuses to interfere with religious, moral and political issues.

Organization

James Randi at the Skepticism for Breakfast event for Czech Skeptics

The organization has around 400 members. It is a partner of the American

Committee for Skeptical Inquiry The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is a program within the U.S. non-profit organization Center for Inquiry (CFI), which seeks to " ...

and is a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO). Since 2000, it is a member of the Czech organisation ''Rada vědeckých společností České republiky'' (The Council of Scientific Societies of the Czech Republic). Some of the leading members include the astronomer and science communicator

Jiří Grygar Jiří Grygar (; born March 17, 1936, in Heinersdorf, Germany, now Dziewiętlice, Poland) is a Czech astronomer, popularizer of science and Kalinga Prize (1996) laureate. Career After studying physics at the Masaryk University in Brno and as ...

and the publicist

Věra Nosková Věra Nosková (born 9 April 1947) is a Czech writer, journalist and promoter of science and critical thinking. Life Nosková was born on 9 April 1947in Hroznětín, Czechoslovakia. Her parents moved to Strakonice soon after her birth. She gr ...

. The name of the organization refers to mythological

Sisyphus In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος ''Sísyphos'') was the founder and king of Ancient Corinth, Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He reveals Zeus's abduction of Aegina (mythology), Aegina to the river god As ...

and it symbolises the founders' belief that Labors of Sisyphus (long and ultimately unsuccessful work) await them.

Chairpersons

* MUDr. Ivan David, CSc. * prof. MUDr. Jiří Heřt, DrSc. *

* doc. RNDr. Čeněk Zlatník, CSc. * Bc. Leoš Kyša * MUDr. Jaromír Šrámek

Activities

The organisation publishes the Sisyfos newspaper online and as a daily press, organises the series of lectures called ''Věda kontra iracionalita'' (Science vs Irrationality), publishes several book collections and offers a paranormal challenge. It has also participated in the worldwide 10:23 campaign to raise awareness about the inefficacy of

homeopathy 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 or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

Paranormal challenge

Sisyfos offers (about anno 2023) to anyone who can prove paranormal phenomena.

''Erratic Boulder'' award

The organisation issues an anti-award called ''Bludný balvan'' (Erratic Boulder) "to highlight the contribution of individuals and societies in misleading the Czech public and the development of a muddy way of thinking."

Newsletter Sisyfos

Since 1995, the organisation issues a periodic newsletter three or four times a year entitled ''Neperiodický zpravodaj občanského sdružení Sisyfos'' (Non-periodical Report of the Sisyfos Organisation). It contains articles by Czech and foreign experts, as well as current events inside the organisation. The newsletter is available free of charge on the website since 2000.

Events

In 2017, Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos and

Klub Sceptyków Polskich Klub Sceptyków Polskich or KSP (English: ''Polish Skeptics Club'' or ''Polish Sceptics Club'') is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation actively engaged in the promotion of critical thinking, scientific skepticism and scientific methods. It ...

organised the seventeenth European Skeptics Congress (ESC). The ESC has been held every two years since 1989, each time hosted by a different member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO). The Congress included lectures and panels, and involved discussion on topics such as science and religion,

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...

s and

genetically modified organism A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

s. Speakers included Amardeo Sarma, Gerald Ostdiek, Holm Gero Hümmler and Mark Lynas as well as many others. Also,

Massimo Polidoro Massimo Polidoro (born 10 March 1969) is an Italian psychologist, writer, journalist, television personality, and co-founder and executive director of the Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims of the Pseudosciences (CICAP). Early lif ...

interviewed

James Randi James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician, author, and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.#Rodrigues, Rodrig ...

on the topic of paranormal investigation. Free, public workshops also ran during the Congress on topics like "Quantum Mechanics vs Common Sense", "What can we infer from children's drawings", and "Mission to Mars".

Sisyfos and religion

According to its mission statement, the organisation refuses to interfere within the religious area. The members of the club are both atheists and religious believers. Nevertheless, several articles on the issue of science, skepticism and religion were published. After an internal debate among the members, in February 2001 the organisation finally decided that, for practical reasons, it will not deal with religious issues.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1994 establishments in the Czech Republic Articles containing video clips Non-profit organizations based in the Czech Republic Organizations based in Prague Scientific skepticism organizations Organizations established in 1994