Our January 2023 Meeting

A Human History of Emotion: How The Way We Feel Built The World We Know 

Dr Richard Firth-Godbehere

Thursday, January 19th at 7:30PM

The North End Club, 70 Roff Avenue, Bedford, MK41 7LW

We like to think of humans as rational creatures, who have relied on calculation and intellect to survive. But many of the most important moments in our history had little to do with cold, hard facts and a lot to do with feelings.

Richard Firth-Godbehere’s award-winning interdisciplinary research walks the line between history, psychology, linguistics, philosophy and futurism, vividly illustrating how our understanding and experience of emotions has changed over time, and how our beliefs about feelings profoundly shaped us and the world we inhabit.

Richard Firth-Godbehere, PhD, is one of the world’s leading experts on disgust and emotions and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for the History of the Emotions, Queen Mary University of London.

 

Our November Meeting -  The Reluctant Teacher - with
Kevin Precious - Thursday, November 17th at 7:30PM

The North End Club, 70 Roff Avenue, Bedford, MK41 7LW

Kevin returns for his 3rd Bedford Skeptics appearance. This time with a work-in-progress show, the former-teacher turned stand-up-comedian takes a backward glance towards his former profession, as he looks ahead to Edinburgh 2023.

Expect anecdotes and observations aplenty, as well as the odd polemical interjection regarding the parlous state of the profession.

‘Kevin’s stage charisma and poise set him head and shoulders above the previous acts’ - The Times

Our September 2022 Meeting -  Tackling Climate Change & The 6th Mass Extinction - with Prof. Jim Harris - Thursday, September 15th at 7:30PM

The North End Club, 70 Roff Avenue, Bedford, MK41 7LW

ACOP26 necessarily had a major focus on reducing, eliminating,
and sequestering carbon. Less prominent in the headlines is the crisis in biodiversity – the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the current rate of species loss to be as much as 1 000 times higher than the natural background – caused by us. We have been losing species by habitat loss, unchecked invasive species, overexploitation (extreme hunting and fishing pressure), pollution, and climate change.

The UK itself is in the bottom 10% of biodiversity as a country – with about half of its biodiversity left – compared to the global average of 75%, which itself is nothing to celebrate. The good news is that by increasing biodiversity through ecosystem restoration we can sequester more atmospheric carbon than simply planting rows of non-native tree monocultures.

Prof. Jim Harris, an environmental scientist at Cranfield University, will take us through the science of this complex, but hopeful, prospect.

Our October Meeting -  ORIGINS - How the Earth Shaped Human History - with Prof. Lewis Dartnell - Thursday, October 20th at 7:30PM

The North End Club, 70 Roff Avenue, Bedford, MK41 7LW

When we talk about human history, we focus on great leaders, revolutions, and technological advances. But how has the Earth itself determined our destiny? How has our planet made us?

As a species we are shaped by our environment. Geological forces drove our evolution in East Africa; mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece; and today voting behaviour in the United States follows the bed of an ancient sea. The human story is the story of these forces, from plate tectonics and climate change, to atmospheric circulation and ocean currents.

By taking us through millennia of human history, and billions of years into our planet's past, Professor Lewis Dartnell tells us the ultimate origin story. When we reach the point where history becomes science we see a vast web of connections that underwrites our modern world and helps us face the challenges of the future.

From the cultivation of the first crops to the founding of modern states, Origins reveals the Earth's awesome impact on the shape of human civilizations.

ORIGINS is the Sunday Times top history book of the year, a Waterstones 'Best of 2019' book, on iNews' 11 best popular science books for 2019, and a Mail on Sunday recommended science and nature book.

Origins by Lewis Dartnell stands comparison with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens... A thrilling piece of Big History' -- THE SUNDAY TIMES

Dartnell's story is beautifully written and organized. His infectious curiosity and enthusiasm tug the reader from page to page, synthesizing geology, oceanography, meteorology, geography, palaeontology, archaeology and political history in a manner that recalls Jared Diamond's classic 1997 book Guns, Germs, and Steel.'  -- NATURE

Dartnell's approach is encyclopedic, marked by both a broad sweep and a passion for details. -- WASHINGTON POST

 Dartnell has found the perfect blend of science and history. This is a book that will not only challenge our preconceptions about the past, but should make us think very carefully about humanity's future' -- MAIL ON SUNDAY

Frack or Fiction?

This month Hazel Gibson of Plymouth University joined us to talk about the very current issue of fracking.

Specifically, Hazel wanted to show us that scientists need to think about how fracking and geology as a whole will be perceived by a less informed audience such as the general public.

For example, Hazel showed us that 'fracking' doesn't only mean to inject liquid a high pressure to open fissures and thus extract oil or gas.  Urban slang gives 'fracking' numerous meanings from 'to betray' and 'to bungle' to...erm...'pleasure oneself'.

She also was keen to emphasise that fracking is a method that can be used to not just extract gas and oil but also to create environmentally sustainable energy options.  For example, by drilling down into the earth to where superheated water lies and then using that water and steam to drive turbines in a geothermal power station.

Of course, whilst Hazel's talk was mainly about the perceptions of fracking it was inevitable that the pros and cons of fracking for oil and gas would be discussed.  Heather explained that it was hard to use the United States as an guide to what might happen in the U.K. as there are so many differences.  Different geology, a different legislative structure regarding how fracking is controlled and the fact that there were no baseline studies in the United States.  Because of the lack of any such studies it's impossible to definitively say how things have changed.  However, the Environment Agency is carrying out such studies in advance of any fracking.

Hazel also took to task the idea that fracking would contaminate the water course with methane.
Setting fire to tap water has been an internet hit.  It's also been latched onto by many anti fracking activists as proof of just how dangerous fracking can be.  However, Hazel pointed out that finding methane in water, drinking or not, is not a new thing.

Infact, the fact that there is methane in the water isn't due to the fact that fracking is taking place nearby.  It's far more likely that fracking is taking place nearby because there is methane in the water supply which is a good indicator of a viable gas deposit ripe for extraction.

Hazel was a very lively and interesting guest with a real gift for public speaking and audience engagement. Highly recommended to any other Skeptics groups.

NEXT MONTH: Tamasin Cave from Spinwatch will talk to us about the lobbying industry ans why she thinks it is distorting our democracy. Thursday 18th September - 7:30pm - North End Social Club - More details HERE.

Breaking The Spell

A brand new venue awaited all of us this month. We  leapt 2 miles west to The North End Social Club and welcomed Martin S Taylor. 

Martin makes his living doing hypnotism shows, lecturing on the subject and acting as a hypnotism consultant for companies such as Paramount Pictures.  Yet he openly admits that he doesn't believe hypnotism actually exists.  Then what is going on?

To Martin it is a "complicated cocktail of ideas" whose chief ingredients are suggestion, peer pressure and obedience.   The peer pressure became apparent as throughout his career Martin observed that hypnotism shows work better the larger the audience.  Whilst suggestion and obedience work together in a hypnotic combination that consists of, as Martin puts it, "my confidence and the expectation that that's what they're supposed to do."

Martin also outlined the many different people who have a vested interest in hypnotism existing. From hypnotherapists who have spent lots of time and money getting qualified to stage magicians making a living from it.  To be fair, Martin was asked if he ever encountered a stage hypnotist who actually believed in hypnotism - "Yes! All of them!" was his reply, suggesting that the vast majority of hypnotism's proponents are not deliberately misleading the public.  Even if they might be engaging in some degree of self serving delusion.

Certainly, the general public's belief hypnotism exists gives it a great deal of power.  With hypnotism being used in personal therapy and increasingly for pain control is it such a bad thing if it doesn't exist as long as it's relieving suffering?  We have lots of evidence of the placebo effect and, surely, hypnotism would seem to be just one more such example.  Perhaps the problem with hypnotism is that it credits mumbo-jumbo with affecting real change when it's actually the subject of the hypnotism who is really empowering their own change.  Maybe if they were aware of the potential within themselves for affecting change then they wouldn't need hypnotism in the first place to give up smoking, face their phobias or overcome a traumatic past? Nice rational words to type out on a blog. But in the real world, to those desperate enough to turn to hypnotism I doubt it really matters.

Back at the North End Social Club, Martin had been trying out a few techniques on some of the audience. One regular found himself in the disconcerting position of finding his fingers stuck together - good excuse to avoid your round of drinks, though. Then he couldn't speak without permission.  I'll rise above the 'Er Indoors' gags, because I'm better than that.

To end the evening with a flourish, Martin proved that a staple of hypnotism acts - supporting another's body weight with your own torso whilst lying across 2 chairs - can be done by any fit adult.

Unfortunately, my blog reporting commitments and an old wound from my days street fighting fascists in the 1980s meant I was unable to offer up my steely physique.  But luckily, an equally able volunteer was found.

Martin's talk was a superb mixture of psychological lecture and outright showmanship. You know you're in the company of a classy gent when he has to check he hasn't left his monocle behind before leaving.

NEXT MONTH: We get cracking with fracking as geologist Hazel Gibson gives us three different perspectives on the subject.  Thursday 21st August - 7:30pm - The North End Social Club. Full Details HERE.

 

Academic Debate

This month we welcomed Alasdair Smith of The Anti-Academies Alliance to our final meeting at The White Horse before we move to our new venue, The North End Social Club. 

Choice. It’s a great thing, isn’t it? We can choose from a myriad of toothpastes, tea bags and toilet rolls.  We can take our pick from energy suppliers to undertakers.  So why not have the same option when it comes to the education of our youngsters?

Alasdair maintained that this offer of choice is, in fact, a delusion.  To him it’s a fanciful charade designed to mask a Hayekian agenda bent on opening up the education system to the profit motive with scant regard for the children within its seemingly rapacious grip.

In order to create choice, he argued, you needed surplus places so that children have options to choose between schools. But, in fact, Alasdair quoted figures of there being a chronic shortage of up to 500,000 school places within the next 2-3 years.

The idea that Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove puts forward is that parents will choose to send their kids to the ‘good’ schools and, therefore, the ‘bad’ schools will close down.  This will then improve standards.  But does having a choice actually drive up standards ?  The reality, to Alasdair and the Anti-Academies Alliance is that there is no such thing as choice for the vast majority of parents and kids.  It’s schools that choose the children, not the other way around.  You can’t simply send your child to any school – the various criteria – catchment area, siblings at school, Special Needs – ensure that schools make the decision who attends them.  This is even more pronounced in rural areas where there might be only one school within reasonable travelling distance. Additionally, for those kids in Grammar School areas what choice do they have if they fail the 11 Plus?  If there is any choice it is the monied metropolitan elite who have it.

Alasdair cited evidence that after 10 years of the Academies programme there is no clear evidence that it is actually raising standards across the board and no evidence that what standards are being raised are due to the programme.  Those schools which have improved have changed their in-take and leadership, this is what’s improving the schools rather than the academy model.

So what makes a ‘good’ school?  Alasdair quoted the 2007 McKinsey Report which stated that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of the teachers.”  

As a teacher and lecturer in education himself, Alasdair believes that working with teachers rather than actively belittling and antagonising them , as he believes Gove has done, is the way forward.  If we’re talking about choice then what about the choice teachers have to choose which school to teach in?  In Gove’s model good teachers would head for good schools. This means that less able teachers would work in struggling schools.  How will this help to improve the quality of teaching? What’s really needed is the complete opposite – the best teachers in the worst schools with resources targeted towards them.

So what’s The Anti-Academies Alliance solution to all this?  They call for a National Campaign for Education – bringing together the various education campaigns to ensure and joined up approach that covers not just the academies and free schools issue but curriculum, pedagogy, assessment,  the provision of school places and teacher education.  So basically everything.  However, there seems frustratingly little actual detail on what this will actually entail and how it will address what Alasdair refers to as “the long tail of underachievement.”

Personally, it was very disappointing that the Headmaster of the local Free School was sadly unable to attend as promised.  I would like to have seen his response to Alasdair’s criticisms of the academies and free school model.  

However, as usual our audience came up with some good questions.  Many doubted that the Finnish model that Alasdair spoke of in glowing terms could be transferred from a country of 5 million to one of 56 million.  Alasdair agreed stating that what was needed was Education Authorities, like the late Inner London Education Authority, to roll out the programmes in local areas. Rather than attempting to run a  nationwide scheme from central government as Gove has done with the academies programme. Others asked that if why was the UK slipping down the International education league tables – Alasdair said that the UK has the most advanced system in the world for teaching maths and history.  But our league status is dragged down by the earlier mentioned ‘long tail of underachievement’.  By addressing the problems with basic numeracy and literacy we would rise up the tables.  This could only be done by addressing what he saw as the root cause – poverty.

So our tenure at The White Horse ends and we move to the more centrally located North End Club.  However, despite rumours to the contrary we won’t be renaming ourselves ‘Skeptics In The Club’ as that might suggest we are not only in search of evidence based information but also heavy with child. 

NEXT MONTH:  Thursday 17^th July – 7pm for a 7:30 start - Martin S Taylor became interested in hypnosis when he was studying for a PhD at Imperial College, and soon became well known on the student circuit with his science based lecture-demonstration. At first he believed in the traditional view that hypnosis is a special induced state of mind, but discussions with friends and his experience with his own hypnotic subjects led him to subscribe to the 'social-compliance' view, namely that hypnosis is best explained by normal, well-understood psychological principles.

He now makes a living as a lecturer and consultant on hypnosis, talking and demonstrating at schools, universities, and anywhere else they'll pay him. It was at one of Martin's lectures that Derren Brown was inspired to take up his career, and Martin has worked with Derren on a number of recent television shows. Recently he has been a hypnosis consultant for Paramount Pictures, helping them make promotional videos for horror films.

Martin will give an explanation of his skeptical outlook on traditional hypnosis, illustrated with clips from his stage show - and possibly some live demonstrations on the audience.

More details HERE.