Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

Evolution Revolution: Skepticism, Education, Environment. Festschrift 2000 for Stephen Jay Gould, Part II by Dr. Carol Tavris, James Randi, Dr. Paul MacCready, Bill Nye, “the science guy.” James “The Amazing” Randi the world’s foremost spokesman against pseudoscience discussed Gould’s role in skepticism. Dr. Carol Tavris delivered one of the most popular lectures, discussing her fascinating and important work in gender studies, showing how pervasive the male bias is in all aspects of research, showing comparisons between Gould’s book The Mismeasure of Man with her own book, The Mismeasure of Woman. In a surprise appearance, Bill Nye, “The Science Guy” mixed humor with important moral homilies on science, education, and on instilling kids with a sense of wonder and creativity. Dr. Paul MacCready, founder of AeroVironment, one of the world’s leading environmental research companies, emphasized the importance of education, particularly teaching kids how to think “out of the box” to find creative new solutions to old problems such as overpopulation, global warming, and pollution.