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The Skeptic's Toolbox was a four-day workshop devoted to
scientific skepticism Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking scientific evidence. In practice, the term most commonly ref ...
. Founded by
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
and now-retired
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
professor Ray Hyman, it was sponsored by the
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 " ...
. Annual workshops focused on educating people to be better critical thinkers, and involved a central theme. The attendees formed small groups and were given tasks that to work on and whose results they then presented to the entire workshop on the final day.


History

Hyman created the Skeptic's Toolbox in 1989 to teach people how to be better skeptics. He tells James Underdown that "we were putting out more fires by skeptics than by believers... they were going overboard". The first toolbox was in Buffalo, NY with himself,
James Alcock James E. Alcock (born 24 December 1942) is Professor emeritus (Psychology) at York University (Canada). Alcock is a noted critic of parapsychology and a Fellow and Member of the Executive Council for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a m ...
and Steve Shaw (now called
Banachek Banachek (born Steven Shaw; 30 November 1960) is an English Mentalism, mentalist, magician (illusionist), magician, and thought reader. He first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha (hoax), Project ...
). With the exception of the first year in Buffalo and one year when the toolbox was held in Boulder, Colorado, the toolbox was held at the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
in Eugene. Attendance was generally limited to approximately 90 participants so that everyone would receive personalized attention and the opportunity to participate. At the 1993 Toolbox, "More than a hundred people participated, from 19 states, Canada, and Hong Kong, and their enthusiasm continued to grow with each passing day, ending on the fifth day with what appeared to be a unanimous 'If only we had more time!'". In 1997 '' Skeptical Inquirer'' announced that CFI would begin offering an academic certificate for students in a three-year program. Students needed to complete 30 units in academic work as well as in workshops. The two certificates offered were ''Humanistic Studies'' and ''Science and the Paranormal'', attending The Skeptic's Toolbox would satisfy one of the workshop requirements.


Methodology and focus

While critical thinking was the overall focus, lectures designed around the theme focused on the specialties of the faculty. A reporter for the '' Register-Guard'' attended the 2003 toolbox, and wrote of his experience hearing lectures on
post traumatic stress syndrome Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal s ...
,
graphology Graphology is the analysis of handwriting in an attempt to determine the writer's personality traits. Its methods and conclusions are not supported by scientific evidence, and as such it is considered to be a pseudoscience. Graphology has been ...
, repressed memory court cases, communication with the dead, healing through prayer,
traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...
, psychic dogs, and Jerry Andrus's display of optical illusions. The goal of the Toolbox was to "help skeptics add to their arsenal of tools and techniques with which to both guard against deception and properly evaluate paranormal claims". Learning how to communicate with believers was also a main theme: "Skeptics search for truths, believers tend to want validation of their experiences". Communicating the skeptical message to non-skeptics was the focus at the 1993 workshop. Faculty felt that non-skeptics might be more receptive if attendees understood how they were perceived by others. "Many people view skeptics as die-hard cynics and debunkers, even as enemies of free speech. Non-skeptics often hear only the "COP" in CSICOP". In 2010, interviewed by D. J. Grothe, Hyman explained, "give people the tools to think, help them to become better thinkers". Mentalist Bob Fellows performed at the second conference and told the audience, "The effect (of a magic trick) on audiences who (believe the trick is real magic) can be enormously powerful. And when deceit is involved, they can be potentially harmful as well". Hyman felt that it was necessary to teach attendees with a "case-based approach... concrete examples as a first step toward extracting broad examples... (giving) the benefit of context" to the learning experience.


Faculty

Loren Pankratz – A founding faculty member of the Skeptic's Toolbox, Pankratz explained to
Harriet Hall Harriet A. Hall (July 2, 1945 – January 11, 2023) was an American family medicine, family physician, U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, Science communication, science communicator, and scientific skepticism, skeptic. She wrote about alterna ...
, about the beginnings of the Toolbox, " Ray Hyman, Jerry Andrus and I were meeting together once a month or so and we decided that maybe the three of us could put a Toolbox together." Barry Beyerstein – "One of the many enjoyable tasks I undertake for CSICOP is to lecture in Ray Hyman's annual summer workshop at the University of Oregon. Not only is it the towering presence of Ray himself, and the joy of observing the sheer brainpower of my fellow faculty at work, it is also the people, literally from around the world, who enroll in this and other CSICOP functions that keep me from suffering that occupational hazard 'skeptic's burnout.' They are a remarkable lot, genuinely nice people committed to critical thinking and leaving the place a bit better than they found it. They make me very pleased that my fate was to become a skeptical inquirer."
Harriet Hall Harriet A. Hall (July 2, 1945 – January 11, 2023) was an American family medicine, family physician, U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, Science communication, science communicator, and scientific skepticism, skeptic. She wrote about alterna ...
– Prior to attending the Toolbox as a student, Hall had been a "passive skeptic", "I hadn't done any writing... Ray Hyman and Wally Sampson encouraged me to try my hand at writing, one thing led to another and now I'm on the faculty of the Skeptic's Toolbox." Lindsay Beyerstein – She started attending the Skeptic's Toolbox when she was 14; her father Barry Beyerstein strongly influenced her involvement in the skeptical movement. "It's sorta funny, the skeptics' movement is now finally old enough, it's like Scientology, we have second gen!" She recounts, "I was always involved with my Dad in skeptical meetings... "We would have family newsletter-stuffing nights (for the BC Skeptics)." instead of hiring babysitters her father would take Lindsay to his media interviews. "Does Satanic music cause suicide? Out-of-body experiences... it was always something new and different."
James Alcock James E. Alcock (born 24 December 1942) is Professor emeritus (Psychology) at York University (Canada). Alcock is a noted critic of parapsychology and a Fellow and Member of the Executive Council for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a m ...
– "Ray and I and a magician by the name of Steve Shaw, now known as
Banachek Banachek (born Steven Shaw; 30 November 1960) is an English Mentalism, mentalist, magician (illusionist), magician, and thought reader. He first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha (hoax), Project ...
did the very first Toolbox in Buffalo... a little while later Ray asked me if I could come out here to this group." Ray stated "It took a long while to get Jim out here, but finally we managed it."


Other

Gallery of photos File:Past Trenchies.jpg, ''In the Trenches'' past winners. (left – back) Steve Campbell, Ben Baumgartner,
Harriet Hall Harriet A. Hall (July 2, 1945 – January 11, 2023) was an American family medicine, family physician, U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, Science communication, science communicator, and scientific skepticism, skeptic. She wrote about alterna ...
, Charles Wynn, Herb Masters. (left – front) Jeanine DeNorma, Carol Baumgartner and Suzi Beyerstein. All who forgot their Skeptic's Toolbox hat, wore a cloth napkin on their head. File:Honorary In The Trenches Award.jpg, Each of the faculty of 2012's Skeptic's Toolbox are presented by long-time attendees Carol and Ben Baumgartner, with a Honorary ''In The Trenches Award'' File:Our leaders.jpg, Skeptical Toolbox regular Ben Baumgartner (far right) presents the faculty with Skeptic's Toolbox hats. From left Wallace Sampson, James Alcock, Ray Hyman and Barry Beyerstein. August 2005 File:Toolbox Faculty Awards.JPG, Each of the faculty of 2012's Skeptic's Toolbox are presented by long-time attendees Carol and Ben Baumgartner, with an Honorary ''In The Trenches'' Award. Ray Hyman, Lindsay Beyerstein,
James Alcock James E. Alcock (born 24 December 1942) is Professor emeritus (Psychology) at York University (Canada). Alcock is a noted critic of parapsychology and a Fellow and Member of the Executive Council for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a m ...
,
Harriet Hall Harriet A. Hall (July 2, 1945 – January 11, 2023) was an American family medicine, family physician, U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, Science communication, science communicator, and scientific skepticism, skeptic. She wrote about alterna ...
and Loren Pankratz Image:in the trenches award 2004.jpg, The first in the trenches award for the skeptic's toolbox. Eugene, Oregon 2004. With Ray Hyman, Carol and Ben Baumgartner and Wilma Russell File:Alcock and Beyerstein.jpg,
James Alcock James E. Alcock (born 24 December 1942) is Professor emeritus (Psychology) at York University (Canada). Alcock is a noted critic of parapsychology and a Fellow and Member of the Executive Council for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a m ...
and Barry Beyerstein at the Skeptic's Toolbox File:Nut & Bolt Illusion.jpg, Nut & Bolt Illusion, invented by Jerry Andrus – Toolbox 2001 File:Mini-Skeptic's Toolbox at CSICon Las Vegas in 2016.jpg, Mini-Skeptic's Toolbox at CSICon Las Vegas in 2016


References

{{Skeptical conferences Skeptic organizations in the United States Skeptic conferences Scientific skepticism organizations Annual events in Eugene, Oregon Recurring events established in 1989