Edinburgh Skeptics Presents...

Before her talk for us on the relationships that people have with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Dr Louise Todd sat down with Heather Pentler to talk more about her research and how it came about, plus her thoughts about events and festivals in general and their future.

Dr Louise Todd is a lecturer and researcher in Festival and Event Management based in the Tourism and Languages subject area at Edinburgh Napier University. Having previously studied and worked in the arts, Louise's relationship with the Fringe started in the 1990s as an audience member and seasonal festival worker. Louise has since gone on to research the Fringe, firstly while undertaking her PhD, and has since published her research into stakeholders' experiences, roles and relationships with the Fringe. Louise is currently investigating visual portrayals of Edinburgh as the festival city.

http://www.napier.ac.uk/louise-todd

Edit: had to take a few clips out of this one. Sorry!

Often skeptics are charged with only concentrating on hard, physical sciences. Well, that shouldn't be the case. Recorded during our 2017 Edinburgh Fringe run, this talk from Dr Louise Todd is the perfect antidote as we hear her describe her research into the Fringe itself...

Everyday branded products, from instant coffee to cars, have long been imbued by marketers with human traits as a means of appealing to consumers' self-image. Indeed an interpersonal relationships metaphor is applied to some products, with them viewed as people – such as friends, partners, family members and even enemies. Since its origination in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has grown in a relatively organic way to become the largest and most renowned festival in the world. Louise's talk will consider if a phenomenon like the Fringe is considered in similar interpersonal terms by its consumers as they organise, attend, support, and participate in their various stakeholder roles, from audience members to performers, and beyond.

Dr Louise Todd is a lecturer and researcher in Festival and Event Management based in the Tourism and Languages subject area at Edinburgh Napier University. Having previously studied and worked in the arts, Louise's relationship with the Fringe started in the 1990s as an audience member and seasonal festival worker. Louise has since gone on to research the Fringe, firstly while undertaking her PhD, and has since published her research into stakeholders' experiences, roles and relationships with the Fringe. Louise is currently investigating visual portrayals of Edinburgh as the festival city.

http://www.napier.ac.uk/louise-todd

Is Martin Corley a big fat liar? Will his knowledge of speech disfluency manage to trick our host Danny Robertson into accepting his answers as the God's honest? Find out in this week's 10 Questions @ The Fringe!

Martin Corley is Head of Psychology at Edinburgh University. His research centres on the information that is normally overlooked in human speech, from the particular ways in which the mouth moves to make sounds, to the "ums", "ers", and self-corrections that pepper our everyday conversation. He has supervised over 20 PhD students and published over 50 academic papers (including one on equine medicine, for some reason).

Twitter: @martincorley

How does the way you speak influence others' judgements? What is it about the way that someone speaks that makes you think they're lying? In this talk, Martin presents a series of experiments looking at speech disfluency ("um" or "er") and how it affects listeners' judgements. In particular, he shows that judgements are affected *fast*: Listeners may have made their minds up long before the speaker has even got to the "lying" bit of what they're saying. He goes on to explore the basis of listeners' judgements: Are they using a simple rule where "um" -> "lie", or are they taking circumstances into account? And... are they right? All to be revealed in 40 mins of cognitive psychology, including lego journalists. Martin Corley is Head of Psychology at Edinburgh University. His research centres on the information that is normally overlooked in human speech, from the particular ways in which the mouth moves to make sounds, to the "ums", "ers", and self-corrections that pepper our everyday conversation. He has supervised over 20 PhD students and published over 50 academic papers (including one on equine medicine, for some reason).

Twitter: @martincorley

Before her talk for us on the wonders and the dangers of plastic Dr. Madeleine Berg sat down with Claudia Schaffner to discuss her career and current job, her work with Edinburgh Skeptics on their cinema nights and her adorable-sounding guinea pigs.

Coming from a geosciences background, Dr Berg completed a PhD in geology before deciding to use her experience in science research and communication in a more applied setting. She now works at Fidra, an environmental charity based in East Lothian, on projects focused on ways to reduce sources of marine plastic pollution. She continues to fuel herpassion for science communication through volunteering with the British Science Association Edinburgh branch. http://edinburghbsa.weebly.com/ Twitter - @BSAedinburgh

When plastic was invented, it was hailed as a wonder material, promising to completely transform our lives, which indeed it has. None of us can truly imagine a life without this hygienic, durable and flexible material. But as a society, we're beginning to realise the consequences of the plastic world we have created, as our environment, wildlife and even potentially our bodies accumulate plastic waste. How big is the problem of plastic pollution? What's the solution? Should we swear off plastic entirely and revert to all 'natural' materials? In this talk from the 2017 Fringe Madeleine will be delving into this plastic soup of issues and considering whether plastic plays a role in a sustainable future. Coming from a geosciences background, Dr Berg completed a PhD in geology before deciding to use her experience in science research and communication in a more applied setting. She now works at Fidra, an environmental charity based in East Lothian, on projects focused on ways to reduce sources of marine plastic pollution. She continues to fuel herpassion for science communication through volunteering with the British Science Association Edinburgh branch. http://edinburghbsa.weebly.com/ Twitter - @BSAedinburgh

Let it not be said that we don't pull out all the stop at Edinburgh Skeptics. All the way from Kansas we welcome Dr. Grant Ritchey. Before his excellent talk for us on dental pseudoscience we sat down with the Skeptical DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) to hear about his "favourite" dental quackery, his journey into skepticism and his made-up-on-the-spot superpower.

Author, Science Based Medicine blog (www.sciencebasedmedicine.org) Co-host (with Dr. Clay Jones) of The Prism Podcast (www.prismpodcast.com) Twitter - @skepticaldds

Most of us are familiar with unproven and pseudo-scientific medical practices, but they are also prevalent in the dental field. From misinformation about fluoride, mercury in fillings, and "toxic" root canals, to fringe treatments such as oil pulling, cranial osteopathy, and acupuncture, there is a plethora of dental pseudoscience out there. In this talk, dentist and science based medicine activist Grant Ritchey will discuss so-called "alternative" dental practices, and how the dental consumer can equip him/herself with the tools necessary to make educated, science based dental health decisions. Author, Science Based Medicine blog (www.sciencebasedmedicine.org) Co-host (with Dr. Clay Jones) of The Prism Podcast (www.prismpodcast.com) Twitter - @skepticaldds

Before her talk for us on how to we sat down with Hayley Stevens to talk women in skepticism, smug people in skepticism, and her thoughts on dismissing things without checking them out first (especially when investigating the paranormal). Plus we learn how one of the country's most recognised members of the skepticism community got into it in the first place.

Described as 'the Scully end of the Mulder-Scully X-Files spectrum' by The Times, Hayley Stevens has been investigating ghosts and monsters for over a decade, ever since she was a teenager. She has entertained audiences all across Europe with her talks on investigating the paranormal and her writing can be found in Skeptical Inquirer, The Skeptic, Paranormal Magazine and on her award-winning blog, 'Hayley is a Ghost'.

'Knows what [she] is talking about,' Dr Steven Novella, Skeptics Guide To The Universe

Web:hayleyisaghost.co.uk Twitter: @hayleystevens

A Skeptic's Guide to Ghost Hunting offers an entertaining, funny and at times scary introduction to the world of modern paranormal research. Audiences have laughed, gasped and even cried...

Lifting the lid on sham ghost-hunting claims, showcasing the latest not-so-amazing paranormal evidence, and exposing the tricks of the trade, paranormal researcher Hayley Stevens will show how not all is what it seems when it comes to things that go bump in the night.

Described as 'the Scully end of the Mulder-Scully X-Files spectrum' by The Times, Hayley Stevens has been investigating ghosts and monsters for over a decade, ever since she was a teenager. She has entertained audiences all across Europe with her talks on investigating the paranormal and her writing can be found in Skeptical Inquirer, The Skeptic, Paranormal Magazine and on her award-winning blog, 'Hayley is a Ghost'.

'Knows what [she] is talking about,' Dr Steven Novella, Skeptics Guide To The Universe

Web:hayleyisaghost.co.uk Twitter: @hayleystevens