Center for Inquiry West

Our pals and colleagues to the north run a great conference every year that is guaranteed to inform and delight... and you can attend from your own home!

Check out SkeptiCal Conference!

SkeptiCal Conference SkeptiCal is the scientific skepticism conference brought to you by Northern California Skeptics.

On the surface of this, Neil de Grasse Tyson is responding to what Terrence Howard thinks are revolutionary new ideas.... but it's also an excellent, compassionate description of HOW SCIENCE WORKS.

Science is not opinion or a static body of knowledge: it's a process -- the best process we have -- to understand the universe.

Have a listen. Respect the process.

My Response to Terrence Howard Neil deGrasse Tyson responds to comments made by Terrence Howard, reveals parts of his treatise, and explores the nature of scientific discovery. Check out o...

SoCal People...

Do you know as much about the Bible as the Prince of Darkness? Test your knowledge this Sunday!

"Satan's Guide to the Bible" Film Screening + Q&A w/ Filmmakers | CFI West What is taught about the Bible in Sunday school and in seminaries doesn't always jibe with history or even what the bible actually says. In Satan' ...

Some evangelists wanted to know if I'd found Jesus...

It might not have been the best use of their time...

Yes, I have a minute... | Center for Inquiry It’s been a while since I’ve allowed myself to be pitched by cherry-faced evangelists, but I was in the mood, so when they asked me if I had a few minutes t ...

Free Will is a myth -- and it doesn't matter if you are science-based or religion-based.

I know, I know, nobody wants to hear that, but the evidence is quite compelling, and it's really not bad news, believe it or not...

Have a listen to my conversation with Stanford biologist Robert Sapolsky.

The Illusion of Free Will | Point of Inquiry Nobody wants to believe that they had no real agency in the unfolding of their life, in the lives of others, or in the great scheme of things ...

Our friend and colleague in Nigeria has his work cut out for him.

Have a listen to my chat with Leo Igwe. His dedication is inspiring!

Leo Igwe | Point of Inquiry For more than twenty years, Dr. Leo Igwe has worked to promote critical thinking and humanism in Nigeria and throughout Africa as part of the Humanist Assoc ...

Is your body the apex of godly design? (Me neither. )

See what we could've been today at 11am at our Feed Your Brain event.

CFI Feed Your Brain - Seth Andrews Vs. God: Who Is The Better Intelligent Designer? Religious apologists often get misty and reverent about the “obvious” design in nature, yet Seth Andrews thinks God did a pretty shoddy job. Join us for an e...

25 years ago today, I was hired by the Center for Inquiry to (soon) run their Los Angeles branch as its executive director.

It was my 40th (or so) job on a list that included: stand-up comedian, truck driver, teacher, roadie for a band, singer in another band, carpenter, painter, hotel clerk, mover, janitor, voice artist, bouncer, actor, and caddy.

I've never been fired.

That this job has held my interest for a quarter century is testimony to how much I care about this work.

In 25 years...
On the humanism side, non-religious folk have been more accepted in society -- especially among younger people -- but less respected in the Supreme Court.

On the skeptic side, there is better information widely available out there debunking wacky claims, but the world of MISinformation has become more sophisticated as well. And the tinfoil hat crowd can all find each other online now. Before they were mostly isolated.

I have close friends and family who are successful and very well off financially, but none have lived a more interesting life. For this I am grateful.

Had a great eclipse watch party above Dodgers Stadium. Thanks to John Dardis for organizing. Way to be an ambassador to science!

I'm doing a talk at the Center for Inquiry that I want to be interesting for regular people (non-skeptics).

It's about our $500,000 Paranormal Challenge that attracts people who believe they possess superpowers.

What (if anything) would you want to know about our 25 years of testing wild claims?

Thanks for any help!

Jim

How does one's atheism stand up to combat in the jungles of SE Asia?

To find out, I had a fascinating conversation with Vietnam vet and artist Robert Richert recently.

Have a listen if you get a chance...

https://pointofinquiry.org/2024/03/there-are-definitely-atheists-in-fox-holes/

If you don't know anything more about Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard other than that he was a crackpot, have a look at Tony Ortega's post.

Oh, and there ain't no science in Scientology, btw.

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is 113 today: Let’s celebrate with his own words! Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was born 113 years ago today in Tilden, Nebraska, and the reason he’s still remembered today, more than 38 years after his death in January 1986, is that he was a pulp fiction hack who churned out turgid magazine dreck by the yard during the Great Depression.

Do ghosts exist? What happens to you when you die?

Learn the answers to these fun questions and more on the latest SkeptiLab!

Featured guest: Annabelle Gurwitch!

Skeptilab - Ghosts and the Afterlife with Annabelle Gurwitch Millions of people believe in ghosts, and many millions more say they believe in some form of afterlife. But do ghosts really exist? Does some part of us sur...

Apparently, the bar to get yourself a roadside plaque in New Hampshire is pretty low... I put a few of our CFI Investigations Group bookmarks around the post.

Beautiful place though...

Fabulous People! Fabulous Live Audience Shows!



gofactyourpod.com

A new episode of Point of Inquiry is up!

MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California may be the world’s premiere space exploration facility. From the earliest days of rocketry, JPL has been at the vanguard of designing and building rockets and spaceships. But the lab has a colorful history, and some of its founders...

Glenn Branch speaking now at CFI West!

Kendrick Frazier, Longtime Editor of Skeptical Inquirer, Has Died at Age 80 | Center for Inquiry Kendrick Frazier, the acclaimed science writer and skeptic who has been the editor of Skeptical Inquirer for nearly all of its 46-year history, has died at age 80 following a brief illness. The entire Center for Inquiry community is shocked and heartbroken by the sudden passing of our beloved co ...

We regret to announce that, due to unforeseen illness, we have been forced to postpone our November 6 show. We've made this difficult decision out of the utmost concern for the safety of our attendees.

We hope to announce a rescheduled date soon. Keep checking gofactyourpod.com/liveshows for updates. In the meantime, our newest episode is available for your enjoyment, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.





Today at 4pm PT!

Skeptical Inquirer Presents | Skeptical Inquirer Flattening the Curve of the Infodemic Now more than ever, people need to hear from the voices of reason, science, and skepticism, but too often they are drowned out by the noise of misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories, especially online.  That’s why Skeptical Inquirer, the ...

Should you be able to pass this test to hold public office?

https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/mandatory-crank/

Mandatory Crank ... | Center for Inquiry In light of people like Marjorie Taylor Greene slipping through whatever shoddy vetting process is in place to keep crackpots out of important positions, I propose that this questionnaire must be passed by anyone who is seeking to hold public office – whether elected or appointed. If you cannot .....

CFI West Mural
Call for Entries!

We have received a grant from the DEW Foundation to create a large mural on the SE wall of CFI West on Temple St. We are calling for proposals to design and execute the mural to the following specifications:

- The mural will be approximately 20ft tall by 40ft long
- It will be painted on the stucco exterior of our building at 2535 W. Temple in Los Angeles
- It must somehow represent CFI themes, ideas, and/or images. That is, atheism, humanism, science, separation of church & state, skepticism, critical thinking, etc. See our main website at centerforinquiry.org

The designer and painter doesn't have to be the same person. If separated:
- The design award is $1500
- The ex*****on of the mural on the building pays $10,000
- There is also a small budget for materials and equipment rental

Please include the following with all entries/proposals:
- Artist contact info
- Artist C.V. or resume.
- Visuals (jpegs, drawings, sketches) outlining your idea
- Any other materials supporting the proposal (e.g. idea behind the design, history, etc.)
- Estimated start and completion dates
- Total estimated budget

Send entries to [email protected] by February 28th, 2021

Today's inauguration reminded me...

https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/one-nation-above-god/

One Nation, Above God | Center for Inquiry I dream of an America that no longer weaves God and country together as an inseparable concept. That marriage prevents us from acknowledging our mistakes, and correcting them. If God and country are one, and God is perfect, how can the country be doing something unjust? I know, I know, the count ...

NYT Numerology...

Beware of 117 | Center for Inquiry Staying on the bad luck theme, prohibition began on 1-17 (1920) when the Volstead Act took effect. January 17th was also the day when the 6.7 Mw  Northridge earthquake shook the Greater Los Angeles Area, killed 57 people, and injured more than 8,700 Ben Franklin, Al Capone, Muhammed Ali, and Mic ....

Place your bets...

https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/guaranteed-predictions-for-2021/

Guaranteed Predictions for 2021 | Center for Inquiry With a nod to Ben Radford, who has used these pages in the past to predict the future, I am putting out my predictions for 2021. The difference is – sorry Ben – my predictions are guaranteed… or your money back… or something… So here they are. Place your bets now before some Vegas consorti...

A pe*****le priest named Father Woody, and the upside of church attendance...

Father Woody and the Human Du***ss Gene | Center for Inquiry PH: How is going to church and getting sick or dying pro-evolution? AT: Every organism over the last 3 billion + years that failed to adapt to a major change – like a pandemic or global warming, e.g. – actually helped its own species by removing one more sequence of “Du***ss DNA” from their ...

TODAY! 4PM PST/ 7PM EST
How Nonprofits Can Engage in GOTV Activities
Join Secular America Votes in conversation with American Atheists for a skill-building and practical session on what you can do leading up to the election.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Secular America Votes: How Nonprofits Can Engage in GOTV Activities. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. In 2018, the secular movement started building the foundation for a long-term, voter registration operation that will demonstrate to the political establishment, candidates, and elected officials that secular voters care about our democracy and are an important voting bloc that is an essential eleme...

Calling Out “Viral BS” on the Next SKEPTICAL INQUIRER PRESENTS with Seema Yasmin

bit.ly/SIP-ViralBS

Thursday, September 10 at 7PM ET, on the next SKEPTICAL INQUIRER PRESENTS live online event, Emmy Award-winning journalist and author Seema Yasmin will help us get a grip on what she calls “viral BS.”

Free registration is required to watch this live Zoom event, so sign up right now at bit.ly/SIP-ViralBS

Listen to CFI West Executive Director James Underdown on the Skeptic Zone podcast: https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/-the-skeptic-zone-612-5july2020

The Skeptic Zone: The Skeptic Zone #612 - 5.July.2020 0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:07 Interview with James Underdown from the CFIIG Can you demonstrate paranormal ability? Are you interested in earning $250,000 dollars? The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group (CFIIG) at the Center for Inquiry-Los Angeles offers a $250,000 prize to any...

Extended run in the Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan Theater at CFI West! Don't miss it!

The Press - NPR’s Weekend Edition – Listen Above! LA Weekly – Read here! Artillery – Read here! The Compton Herald – Read here! Stage Raw – Read here! LAist – Read here! Mark Olmstead – Read here! Metropolitan Magazine – Read here! Listen to Julien Nitzberg interviewed on the World Famous KROQ...