Skeptic events in Europe

We all use the term 'luck' every day, but do we know what we mean when we say it? Research suggests that people generally have nascent, internally inconsistent accounts of luck, and that accounts vary significantly across individuals and cultures. This variation and lack of consistent usage could have significant impacts on research about belief in free will and moral responsibility, as well as how individuals approach many aspects of their lives. I'll discuss what people seem to believe about luck and what the options are for more developed approaches.

Aaron Rabinowitz is a secular moral philosophy educator with 10+ years experience helping students develop their capacities for flourishing and value centered community organizing. He’s currently working on a PhD in education at Rutgers University, with a focus on developing a new pedagogy of luck. The new approach centers the problem of moral luck as a way to short circuit compulsive meritocratic behavior and replace it with greater compassion, humility, and personal fulfillment. He’s also the host of two philosophy podcasts, Embrace the Void, and Philosophers in Space which he co-hosts with Thomas Smith. His extended research interests include emerging technologies, personhood, conspiracism, and counterculture memetics.

De som vill träffas och umgås på Haket, nära hållplats Masthuggstorget. Trevligt sällskap och många diskussioner utlovas! Vi hoppas ha ett föredrag i källaren kl 17.
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Next event at Sheffield Skeptics in the Pub: Monday September 19th at 7.30 pm, Farm Road Social Club. No need to book but come early to avoid queuing at the bar. (Note: the website is still down.)

Chris Hassell: Insectageddon: Where have all the Insects Gone?

What’s the buzz about insect declines? ‘Insectageddon’ has been high on the media agenda for much of the past decade, but what do we really know about insect biodiversity, how do we monitor insects, and how confident are we in our conclusions? Drawing on a range of research from the Victorians to the present day, this talk will explore the history of entomology, the many varied methods used to count bugs, and some emerging technologies that may help. Come along to find out about the bias in biodiversity, what’s bothering bees, and why birds are boring.”

Dr Christopher Hassall is Associate Professor of Animal Biology at the University of Leeds. His research examines the ways in which human activities influence natural systems, with a focus on insects, cities, climate, and emerging technologies.

There's so much talk about the threat posed by intelligent machines that it sometimes seems as though we should surrender to our robot overlords now. But Junaid Mubeen isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. As far as he is concerned, we have the edge over machines because of a remarkable system of thought developed over the millennia. It's familiar to us all, but often badly taught and misrepresented in popular discourse - maths. Computers are brilliant at totting up sums, pattern-seeking and performing, well, computation. But Junaid has identified seven areas of intelligence where humans can retain a crucial edge. This talk will explore some of these areas and challenge some of the hype that surrounds today's AI by suggesting that they are not so easily automated.

Junaid is a mathematician turned educator, writer and speaker. He has spent the past decade developing innovative learning technologies and is currently working with bestselling science author Simon Singh on developing the world's largest online maths circle at parallel.org.uk. He is author of Mathematical Intelligence: What we have that machines don't, which examines the role of mathematics in the age of AI. Junaid has a DPhil in mathematics from Oxford and a Master's in Education from Harvard. He earned fleeting fame in 2008 as a series winner of television game show Countdown.