http://www.dbskeptic.com Skepticism. Critical thinking. Podcast. Community. Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:30:05 +0000 en-us hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Digital Bits Skeptic brings skepticism and critical thinking to a world of new age, religion and credulous pop culture. Andy Kaiser clean Andy Kaiser skeptic@dbskeptic.com skeptic@dbskeptic.com (Andy Kaiser) 2009 Skepticism and critical thinking in a world of new age, religion and credulous pop culture skeptic, skepticism, critical thinking, new age, religion, pop culture, skeptical articles, critical thinking articles, philosophy http://www.dbskeptic.com/images/dbskeptic-logo-144.jpg http://www.dbskeptic.com/category/db-skeptic/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/09/10/digital-bits-skeptic-update/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/09/10/digital-bits-skeptic-update/#comments Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:26:35 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=2190 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/09/10/digital-bits-skeptic-update/feed/ 0 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/02/06/digital-bits-skeptic-on-the-kindle-and-the-league-of-scientists/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/02/06/digital-bits-skeptic-on-the-kindle-and-the-league-of-scientists/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:11:08 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=2147 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2011/02/06/digital-bits-skeptic-on-the-kindle-and-the-league-of-scientists/feed/ 0 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 153 - League of Scientists book reviews - the reviewers and you - Many of you remember my associated project - "The League of Scientists" - a book series that stars a bunch of science geeks who use skepticism and critical ... By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 153 League of Scientists book reviews - the reviewers and you Many of you remember my associated project - "The League of Scientists" - a book series that stars a bunch of science geeks who use skepticism and critical thinking to solve seemingly-supernatural mysteries. Multiple people now have compared it (in a good way) to the mystery-solving process in 'Scooby-Doo'. More and more, I'm grudgingly agreeing with this analysis, because at the heart of it all, it's true. The League investigates weird mysteries, and similar to the Scooby gang, finds that the ghosts and goblins have completely natural and understandable explanations. The book isn't available yet - the latest estimate from the publisher is that the League of Scientists book #1: Ghost in the Water will be out in late 2011. So while I have to be patient, I've got plenty to do in the meantime. And I'll of course let you know as soon as possible when I have a printed copy in my hands. I have some great reviews from leaders in the skeptical and critical thinking community. My thanks to everyone. Here are some of those reviews. "I read Ghost in the Water by Andy Kaiser. This is pitched for sixth grade level, but don't let that fool you; it's a very nice story. Five bright six graders form the secret-membership League of Scientists to solve supernatural mysteries by explaining them in natural terms. It reminds me of the old radio program, circa 1950, House of Mystery, that did something similar, only for adults. I remember when the head of a cursed castle had to go down in the dungeon overnight to face the malignant spirit of a criminal ancestor whose body was shackled in chains; prior men had done this and been found dead in the morning, unmarked. Indeed, the spook was expecting him: the coffin stood upright facing the door. What a manifestation! It turned out that the tide came in and flooded the dungeon, drowning the poor men locked there. The coffin was standing because the chains around the ancestor's feet weighed down that part, and the water lifted the rest up. Okay, Ghost in the Water is not as ugly, but you get the idea. The school's leading swimmer is attacked by a green ghost in the water and doesn't want to swim any more, meaning the rival teams will win by default. Time for the League to step in; there has to be a natural explanation. Doesn't there? The protagonists are realistically described; one is being pursued by an implacable bully, complicating his existence, because of course the school authorities are oblivious. I loved this novel, and believe most readers of any age will too. It's one great adventure with an educational theme, with luck the first of a series." Piers Anthony Science fiction and fantasy author "I found the first chapter so intriguing that I couldn't stop reading until I finished the entire book." Stephen Barrett, M.D. Founder, QuackWatch.org "As I read this book, I kept remembering Carl Sagan's answer to a reporter asking what his favorite scientific TV show was: 'Scooby Doo!' For the same reasons I can heartily recommend this adventure in scientific thinking." Ann Druyan Co-writer of the Cosmos TV series and wife of the late Carl Sagan "This is the kind of story I wish I could have read as a kid. It would have put me ten years ahead in my understanding of why science is both fun and important. Science is all about solving mysteries. The League of Scientists reminded me that it's an adventure too. Even when it's in the middle of the night and you've been working for thirty hours straight, in a way you're a superhero blazing new trails and learning things nobody's seen before." Brian Dunning Science journalist, Skeptoid.com "This adventure of The League of Scientists is… a wonderful introduction to scientific detective work and critical thinking skills – all wrapped up in a delicious mystery! Andy Kaiser clean 8:17 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/28/the-league-of-scientists-officially-knows-a-famous-person/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/28/the-league-of-scientists-officially-knows-a-famous-person/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:59:02 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1938 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/28/the-league-of-scientists-officially-knows-a-famous-person/feed/ 8 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 149 - You remember the book I'm writing, right? It's "The League of Scientists", about a group of science geeks who investigate supposedly supernatural mysteries. Well, the book publication process is moving along - we're n... By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 149 You remember the book I'm writing, right? It's "The League of Scientists", about a group of science geeks who investigate supposedly supernatural mysteries. Well, the book publication process is moving along - we're now in the final stages of proofing, finalizing the internal artwork, planning advertising, and I've also started writing book #2. You'll be able to buy it soon - the release countdown is less than a year away. That's all fine, and it's old news to some of you. But I didn't want to write this article without giving you some other important information. I told you before that "The League of Scientists" book #1 will have a "skeptic celebrity" endorsement, a mini-review we could perhaps put on the book cover, website and other advertising copy. I've finally got it. It's in my hands. I have my book review from a Skeptic Celebrity. You wanna know who it is? Take a guess. My original clues: it is a man, he's appeared on TV (cable and nationally-broadcast), he has written books and has been interviewed by most high-profile skeptical podcasts. This person is not John Stossel, though this person and John share multiple weird similarities. I told you that the Digital Bits Skeptic audience would be the first to know, and I meant it. I'm putting this here, even before I update LeagueOfScientists.com! The skeptical celebrity for The League of Scientists is Joe Nickell. For those of you who don't know who Joe Nickell is, there's a lot to learn. Here's a portion of his bio: "Joe Nickell, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) - an international scientific organization - and an investigative columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine. He was formerly a professional stage magician and private investigator for a world-famous detective agency. Presently, he appears to be the world's only full-time, salaried professional paranormal investigator. Utilizing his varied background, Nickell has become widely known as an investigator of myths and mysteries, frauds, forgeries, and hoaxes. He has been called 'the modern Sherlock Holmes', 'the original ghost buster', and 'the real-life Scully' (from 'The X-Files' ). He has investigated scores of haunted-house cases, including the Amityville Horror and the Mackenzie House in Toronto, Canada. Nickell is the author (co-author or editor) of more than twenty books. He has appeared on numerous national TV shows, including CNBC's 'News with Brian Williams', 'Dateline NBC', 'TLC's Best Kept Secrets', 'Larry King Live', 'Oprah', 'Ricki Lake', 'Jerry Springer Show', 'Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe', 'Unsolved Mysteries', 'Politically Incorrect', '20/20', A&E's 'The Unexplained', '48 Hours', and 'Exploring the Unknown', in addition to several documentaries on the Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and many others. Nickell has been profiled in the New Yorker magazine and on the Today show." That's just a small sampling from a very large data set. The man is smart, he knows his stuff, and he has helped change the world for the better. And yes - the reason for this article - he did read and review "The League of Scientists and the Ghost in the Water". Here's a portion of what he wrote: "This adventure of The League of Scientists is... a wonderful introduction to scientific detective work and critical thinking skills - all wrapped up in a delicious mystery! Although the exploits are shared with young readers, this seasoned detective looks forward to the League's next adventure." Joe Nickell Forensic, Historical, and Paranormal Investigator One of the reasons I specifically picked Joe to review my book was that, frankly, I really respect the guy and think he does an incredible job in a unique profession. Another reason was just as important: Joe Nickell is a real-life adult equivalent of the stars of my book. Like The League of Scientists, Andy Kaiser clean 7:34 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/02/anti-euthanasia-for-the-podcast/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/02/anti-euthanasia-for-the-podcast/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:18:48 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1937 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/03/02/anti-euthanasia-for-the-podcast/feed/ 9 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 147 - Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. - Okay, okay, okay! I hear you! I hear you... and you, and you and you and - don't think I forgot - you! - I wrote the previous podcast intending to stop publication of the podcast its... By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 147 Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. Okay, okay, okay! I hear you! I hear you... and you, and you and you and - don't think I forgot - you! I wrote the previous podcast intending to stop publication of the podcast itself. And, well... I'll just skip the detail and get to the point: I've changed my mind. I'm not going to stop the podcast. Why not? Because I learned a lesson. That lesson is: "just because you don't hear anyone doesn't mean you don't have fans". If you can't parse the triple negative, it's okay. I'm still not sure that sentence makes any sense. What I'm saying is that, since I never got feedback about the podcast before, I figured it didn't have many dedicated fans. Now, there's a more dangerous counterpoint to that lesson. Something like, "if you don't hear anyone, there may not be anyone there". Luckily, in my case, that version appears not to be true. The Digital Bits Skeptic podcast does have regular dedicated listeners. Listeners who like it enough to tell me they didn't want it shut down. They spoke up. And I heard them. The new plan: I'm going to do something similar to what Aiden said in the previous article comments. That is, I'll keep the podcast, and do everything I've been doing, but my publication times won't be weekly. I'm not sure what that schedule is yet, if it'll be regular or sporadic, but the podcast and articles will continue. Thanks again to everyone who gave feedback supporting the podcast. You know who you are. While I don't have room to thank everyone here and now, your feedback directly contributed to my keeping the podcast. For those who felt differently, I appreciate that information too. But, since I think I can still keep the podcast going with the revised publishing timeline, I'm going to try it. Stay tuned. Andy Kaiser clean 4:29 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/22/digital-bits-skeptic-evolves/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/22/digital-bits-skeptic-evolves/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:17:40 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1911 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/22/digital-bits-skeptic-evolves/feed/ 22 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 146 - Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. - I'm making some changes. I'd like to tell you about them. What's more important, I'd like to get your opinion. There are specific things in my mind, By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 146 Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. I'm making some changes. I'd like to tell you about them. What's more important, I'd like to get your opinion. There are specific things in my mind, but I'd like to develop some of the details with you. I've got three things to talk about: 1) Fan Highlights Midway through the brilliant series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", by Douglas Adams, there appears an immortal alien named "Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged". After getting fed up with every living thing in the Universe, Wowbagger decides to visit all of them, and one by one, insult them. I'm kinda doing the same thing, only the opposite. And on a much smaller scale. Specifically, I'm going to try to thank each and every one of my fans. Podcast listeners will know I do this already, right at the beginning of the audio, I have a "fan highlight". But until now, the website readers never knew about it. Visit DBSkeptic.com now, and you'll see a new section in the sidebar called - appropriately - "Fan Highlight". If you're a DBSupporter, you're on there. If you're a fan in some other way, like being a member of the Digital Bits Skeptic fan page on Facebook, rest assured you will be thanked... ...eventually. 2) The podcast versus the website - which do you prefer? The Fan Highlight moving to the website ties in with this topic - I'm going to stop the podcast. The website's staying. I'll still continue to produce and write articles, but I won't do the podcast. [Update: The podcast is staying. Thanks to all who let me know their opinions!] My question to you: Do you listen to the podcast? If the podcast stopped, would you then be willing to visit the website to read the articles, or would you sever ties completely? (Keep in mind you can sign up for email notifications for every new article, or keep in touch via Facebook.) My reasons for doing this reflect from looking at my website and podcast traffic stats. Basically, I can see that my website stats are changing in an upwardly direction, but my podcast traffic is not. For whatever reason, I've plateaued. ...and besides, have you heard my speaking voice? 3) Article publication times For the last three years I've kept pretty much on a weekly release schedule. I'm thinking of changing this. One reason is the podcast - having a podcast does put an obligation to produce material on a regular, frequent basis. If there's no podcast, I don't have as much of a deadline pressure. I could extend the time between articles, which would allow me and others to take more time to write longer and/or higher-quality stuff. And no promises yet, but I might also then be able to increase the payment amounts for the article writers. My question to you: How important is it to have articles like what's here once a week, versus longer publication times? The case for evolution In case anyone's curious, I should say that none of these changes are because of money problems. While DBSkeptic still loses money (meaning I pay for a lot of it out of my own pocket), there are still many people who have supported and continue to support the site. Those donations are appreciated, and make it so that keeping the website financially alive is not a problem. It's a weird thing, having a podcast and website. Even though I know I have weekly listeners and readers numbering in the quadruple-digits, I rarely get feedback of any kind. I'd love to hear your opinion. Just drop a note at the end of this article. In today's world, things must change and adapt to new conditions, or stagnate. I've identified new conditions, and I want to modify what I do. That's why I'm making some changes. Evolution is a good thing. And luckily, DBSkeptic.com is intelligently designed. Andy Kaiser clean 6:31 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/01/mental-percolations-on-the-league-of-scientists/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/01/mental-percolations-on-the-league-of-scientists/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:04:32 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1877 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2010/02/01/mental-percolations-on-the-league-of-scientists/feed/ 6 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 144 - As some of you know, I'm writing the first book in what will hopefully be a young adult mystery series called "The League of Scientists". It takes place in the "real world" - it's not fantasy or science fiction. By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 144 As some of you know, I'm writing the first book in what will hopefully be a young adult mystery series called "The League of Scientists". It takes place in the "real world" - it's not fantasy or science fiction. It's about the adventures of friends who use critical thinking and applied science to solve seemingly-supernatural mysteries. It's already been accepted by "Science, Naturally!", a traditional book publisher, but it's not yet available in stores. It should be available in late 2010 or early 2011. Here's the latest: Things have gone very well with the book, of which the full title is "The League of Scientists and the Ghost in the Water". While I'm sure future efforts will be faster, it took me quite a while to write it, even when I don't have the length of a standard adult book. My comparatively short 35,000 words still took a lot of keypresses. I've been meeting with the cover artist on a weekly basis to design and approve the artwork. After more than 70 hours of work (which includes conceptual designs as well as the actual final oil paining), we're pretty much done. The book itself has its own website at LeagueOfScientists.com, but some of you may have seen it elsewhere. You can follow it on Facebook and Twitter, and of course here on Digital Bits Skeptic. I've also had it mentioned and introduced on the "Swift Blog" of the James Randi Educational Foundation. I'm very lucky to have the JREF's continued interest and promotion. Special thanks to outgoing President Phil Plait and the Randi.org editor Brandon Thorp. I also have a surprise. You know how some books have a "famous person's quote" on the book jacket? Mine will have one of these, too. And the person I've got to do the promotion... well, let's just say that most everyone in the skeptical community - and many outside of it - have heard of him. This skeptical celebrity is... ...going to remain a surprise for just a little longer. I can't say who it is right now. While he's already committed to getting me a review and a quote, I don't yet have it in my greedy electronic hands. Heck, worst case is that he may not actually like the book! So, I'll let you know after I have the review. Believe me, the Digital Bits Skeptic audience will be the first to know. Your only hint is that this person is not female. That cuts the field by quite a bit. Record your guesses, good luck, and I'll let you know later if you guessed right. What's next? If there's anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of the publishing process, speak up and I'll give some detail. But to keep things simple, I'll just say that, for the most part, the book is completely done, and what's next is the actual draft revision, proofing, and then publicity and publication. And, yes, I've already started writing The League of Scientists #2. That's right - you heard it here first! The current beta title for this work in progress is "The League of Scientists and the Magician's War". I'm still in the outlining stage right now - because these books are mysteries, I can't just start writing them without a general direction of where I'm going. I, just like you, have to figure out the mystery, only I have to know "whodunnit" a little bit sooner than you. So, the first book - "The Ghost in the Water" - is pretty much done and will hopefully be available within a year, assuming the publisher keeps to their schedule. Book #2 - who knows? Depending on how life's treating me, I can be a really pessimistic guy. In this case, I think my personality flaw is appropriate: if I keep my expectations low, no matter what happens with the book, I'll be happy with the results. Hopefully you will be, too. Andy Kaiser clean 3:19 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/12/27/2009-year-in-review-authors-articles-2010-and-muppets/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/12/27/2009-year-in-review-authors-articles-2010-and-muppets/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:00:41 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1773 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/12/27/2009-year-in-review-authors-articles-2010-and-muppets/feed/ 5 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1350 - 2009 has been an interesting year for skeptics. - Our skeptical partners-in-crime are busier than ever: late in 2008, Phil Plait took over as president of the James Randi Educational Foundation, By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1350 2009 has been an interesting year for skeptics. Our skeptical partners-in-crime are busier than ever: late in 2008, Phil Plait took over as president of the James Randi Educational Foundation, but after a presidency lasting about a year, Phil passed on the reigns to D.J. Grothe. The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe continued their dual missions: 1) increase the prevalence and force of the skeptical mindset, and 2) put all other podcasts to shame. Skepticism was all over the media: The TV show MythBusters continued busting things, and the last I heard from an interview of co-host Adam Savage, the shows ratings continue to climb. I wasn't able to find any ratings info on a certain non-family-friendly show starring Penn & Teller, but the ratings can't be that bad since the show is cranking through its seventh season. Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" celebrated its 150th anniversary, facilitated communication shot back into prime time with the sad story of Rom Houben, and Newsweek fought back against pop culture healthcare scams with an intellectual attack on Oprah Winfrey. And, last in this non-exhaustive list, there is the 2009 H1N1 pandemic - You may call it alarmist. You may call it dangerous. But to me, it will always be "the swine flu". As for Digital Bits Skeptic? Website visitors will see we have a new logo - thanks to Dan for his design skills and time spent making it. Thanks to the financial efforts of subscribers, I was also able to get rid of annoying clutter by removing all ads from the website. For the fiction-reading skeptics out there (or rather, for their children), I'm in the middle of publishing a young adult mystery series called "The League of Scientists". Digital Bits Skeptic has been publishing since 2007. Since then, we've posted over 130 articles and podcasts. In 2009, Digital Bits Skeptic published 53 articles from 11 authors. I'd like to thank this year's authors for working to write quality articles. Here they are (in first name alphabetical order): Andy Kaiser Diane Johnson David Annis James Lochbaum Jeff Kilroy Kevin Bridges M Parrot Navin Kumar Nicholas Covington (2009's most published author, with 8 articles!) Nick Farrantello Sandra L Hubscher Andy Kaiser 15 Diane Johnson 1 David Annis 5 James Lockbaum 2 Jeff Kilroy 1 Kevin Bridges 1 M Parrot 6 Navin Kumar 5 Nicholas Covington 8 Nick Farrantello 1 Sandra L Hubscher 1 One cool feature I was able to implement for dbskeptic.com was the ability to dynamically list all articles by a particular author. So, if you have a favorite author, and want to see everything they've written, just click on any of the names above. Top articles in 2009 (as measured by web statistics and comments left on the article) Article ID #1310 - Spontaneous human combustion and "the wick effect" Article ID #1315 - Sugar, acid and teeth Article ID #136 - Why pick on religion? Why religion matters to the non-religious Article ID #1322 - Evolution, the genetic code, and ‘message theory’: A response to Walter Remine Standouts Hardest phrase to pronounce award: Nicholas Covington, in article ID #1349, "Advanced apologizing: Proof of the existence of God". The phrase is "theistic hypotheses". YOU try saying it. Now say it again. Faster. Faster! Now imagine you're recording it, and you know that people all over the Internet are going to hear it. Most honest feedback award: This was from an email I received a few weeks ago, which offered some brutal but well-meaning advice. It said: I don't mean to offend but Andy Kaiser sounds like a robot (not the exciting kind of killer robot I like listening to).  He sounds like a robot that just hit a fantastic cycle of REM sleep and is trying to drag me into my subconscious by my toenails. My response? My voice is really not that bad. In fact, if you think about it, it could be far, far worse. Andy Kaiser clean 9:19 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/11/08/the-league-of-scientists/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/11/08/the-league-of-scientists/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:47:52 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1615 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/11/08/the-league-of-scientists/feed/ 3 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1344 - Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. - The majority of people who visit Digital Bits Skeptic are - you’ll be shocked to know – mostly skeptics. Many of us here have related interests in critical thinking, in science, By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1344 Hi everyone, Andy Kaiser here. The majority of people who visit Digital Bits Skeptic are - you’ll be shocked to know – mostly skeptics. Many of us here have related interests in critical thinking, in science, and in wondering about how the world works. This is just a guess, but it’s an educated one; these topics often go hand-in-hand. It is with this shared interest that I’d like to introduce you to my latest project, a book called “The League of Scientists”. If the book is successful, we’ll take it to a series. The full title for this first book is “The League of Scientists and the Ghost in the Water”. The League of Scientists stars several science-minded young adults. They use their knowledge along with skepticism and critical thinking to solve seemingly-supernatural mysteries. Kinda like what a lot of skeptics do, isn’t it? This is a “real” book – it’s not from a print-on-demand company or a vanity press. It’s been accepted by a traditional book publisher (Science, Naturally!), and I’m working with an editor to finish, edit and get it published. You’ll eventually be able to find it in big bookstores near you, and of course at the usual online places. I’m telling you about The League of Scientists because investigating our world and exploring mysteries with science and critical thought is important to a lot of skeptics. It is to me – that’s why I’m writing the book. (And knowing a little bit about the publishing industry, believe me, it's not for the money.) If you’d like to know more, visit LeagueOfScientists.com. The book isn’t available yet – the writing, editing, promotion and publishing process takes a while, particularly for a new, unproven writer like me – but, I wanted to get the word out to start driving interest. The sooner the better, because, well, it’s a lot of work and it takes a while. If you have kids, and if they like science and mysteries, go to LeagueOfScientists.com, visit the “Info” page, and sign up for email updates. I’ll let you know as I make progress on the book, and you’ll of course be notified when it’s available for purchase. If you are a young adult, and want to know more – anything from questions on the publishing process to The League of Scientists characters and story - let me know. This is my first experience working with a book publisher, but I’m happy to share what I know. And I'll share more League of Scientists updates as they occur. Stay tuned. Andy Kaiser clean 4:50 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/09/06/episode-100-big-round-numbers-false-modesty-and-a-big-false-interview-with-james-randi/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/09/06/episode-100-big-round-numbers-false-modesty-and-a-big-false-interview-with-james-randi/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:35:06 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1468 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/09/06/episode-100-big-round-numbers-false-modesty-and-a-big-false-interview-with-james-randi/feed/ 6 Andy Kaiser By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1335 - This is it, everyone! Digital Bits Skeptic episode 100! And to start things off, I’d like to make the following point: - A 100th episode means nothing. - That’s right – I’m going to be skeptical about myself. By Andy Kaiser Article ID: 1335 This is it, everyone! Digital Bits Skeptic episode 100! And to start things off, I’d like to make the following point: A 100th episode means nothing. That’s right – I’m going to be skeptical about myself. About Digital Bits Skeptic. About big round numbers.  What does 100 mean to me?  Does the fact that I’ve kicked out 100 episodes mean anything? I answer with all the passion at my disposal: I say, “No! It means nothing!” Yes, I can see celebrating a person living 100 years. That’s a huge accomplishment for any human, and, while 99 and 101 are also to be celebrated, 100 puts that long life in perspective. Whenever any human can add an extra digit to their tally of years, they’ve gotta be doing something right. (Or, in the case of superior genetics, they had something right done to them.) I can see celebrating an institution that’s lasted for 100 years. Say, for example, 100 years of a political movement. Or a country’s existence. Yes, of course you’re free from the shackles of whomever, and you’re out from under the tyrannical heel of those you rebelled against. That’s a lot more legitimate than a podcast. I’m sure that during the year 100 AD, they really whooped it up. In fact, let’s check the source of all knowledge: Wikipedia tells us the following things happened in 100 AD: 1) The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow. Somebody had to be the practical culture. 2) The Christian Gospel of John was written. You’d think it’d be many years earlier, but I guess not. 3) In India, a bunch of really, really good friends got together to compile the Kama sutra. Strange…  I see nothing about anyone celebrating the change from 99 AD to 100. Maybe people had other things to distract them, like the Kama sutra. Let’s get our critical thinking caps on for a moment. What does 100 mean? First of all, I didn’t really hit 100 episodes. I’m technically at 101, because the first podcast I did has an episode number of ‘0’, not '1'. I know, I know... it's not the smartest thing I've done. But I have a computer science background, and it made sense to me. What about the articles? Some of you may remember the Digital Bits Skeptic of 2007, when I wasn’t even podcasting. Even after I started podcasting, not all articles were converted into an audio version. In fact, at the time of this writing, there are 116 articles available! Finally, I simply don't want to brag how Digital Bits Skeptic hit episode 100. I feel too self-serving. I feel too egotistical. I feel lame. But who am I to say such things? I’m just an electronic nobody, shouting from an unusually dark and funny-smelling corner of the Internet. You won’t take my word for it. So let’s get someone here who has the authority, the personality of grandeur, to make an impression on you. Let me say hello to one of the skeptical kings of this era. Hello, James Randi. RANDI: I'm James Randi. ANDY: Um, yes. Hello, Randi. So, what do you think about Digital Bits Skeptic, and this 100-episode anniversary? RANDI: Our language skills should be carefully controlled and restrained. Used with great care. Meanings are often confused. ANDY: I agree! Very much. We've got to be careful in our communications, so that fans understand the exact meaning of what we're trying to say. So, about my podcast, Digital Bits Skeptic. RANDI: Yes! ANDY: My philosophy is that 100 episodes really isn't a big deal. You certainly have a long, incredible career. An "amazing" career, right? RANDI: No. That term is so overused. I hope that you feel thoroughly scolded. ANDY: I do. Sorry. But taking your own life into perspective, at what point do you think things are worth celebrating? For example, how long would I have to be podcasting, before it's impressive? RANDI: Thirty years. ANDY: Th... Thirty years?! RANDI: Absolutely. ANDY: So, everything I've done so far... The work I've done to get to this point. Is this at all significant? RANDI: No, Andy Kaiser clean 9:59 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/08/21/update-were-sick/ http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/08/21/update-were-sick/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:36:14 +0000 Andy Kaiser http://www.dbskeptic.com/?p=1463 http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/08/21/update-were-sick/feed/ 10