Latest News

Save the Date: QED returns 18th-20th October

Published 4 March 2024 at 10:23

QED will return on the 18th-20th October 2024, once again at the Mercure Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester. For those looking to get a headstart on hotel booking, you can secure a room at the Mercure at a special discount price of £135 per night for a single room, or £147 for a double, by calling the hotel on 0161 751 1412 (Option 1), and quoting the discount code 2410QEDBED.

We are busily making arrangements for the weekend at the moment, and will announce much more in due course, including our line-up of speakers, and ticket availability - so keep your eyes peeled for further information as it becomes available.

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Last minute updates to the QED Schedule

Published 22 September 2023 at 10:23

We have a handful of last-second changes to the QED schedule, driven by a variety of factors beyond anyone’s control! We hope you’re as excited as we are by the new line-up.

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Chat with other QED attendees on Discord

Published 20 September 2023 at 10:23

One of the best things about attending QED is the social side – from chatting and hanging out in the bar and social spaces, to sharing thoughts digitally with other attendees during talks and panels.

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New queuing system in place for QED podcast room

Published 19 September 2023 at 12:00

Each year at QED, our podcast room is always popular, with packed-out audiences for some of the biggest skeptical podcasts around. While we are delighted that so many of you want to sit in on a live show, we also know how disappointing it can be for those who queue for a long time, only to be turned away when the room hits capacity. For that reason, this year we will be trialling a new queueing system for the podcast room.

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Announcing... UFOs, UAPs, and the Quest for Understanding

Published 8 September 2023 at 10:23

In an age of omnipresent camera technology coupled with advanced image and video manipulation tools, ufology has witnessed a renaissance. This recent resurgence, further fueled by modern perspectives on news, facts, and conspiracies, has solidified for many people the notion that UFOs and UAPs represent hidden truths concealed by governments.

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Announcing... Taboo or Not Taboo?

Published 7 September 2023 at 10:23

Throughout history, social taboos have served to subjugate, marginalise, and discriminate against groups. Yet at the same time, in many contexts, they have provided protection from harmful behaviour. But what exactly is a taboo, what causes something to be considered taboo, and why do taboos differ from society to society?

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Announcing... School Daze panel

Published 6 September 2023 at 10:23

Well into the digital age, social media seems more inescapable than ever. A wealth of data is at our fingertips, but it’s littered with fake news, misinformation, and extremism. How do we protect vulnerable schoolchildren from the avalanche of nonsense on social media, and raise a generation of scientifically informed critical thinkers?

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Announcing... Professor Joyce Harper

Published 4 September 2023 at 10:23

We’re pleased to announce our latest addition to the QED main stage: reproductive health specialist and award winning educator, Professor Joyce Harper.

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QED rewatch: Crime and Punishment - The UK Prison System (2017)

Published 1 September 2023 at 10:23

Tales of life in the UK prison system are rarely far from the pages of the tabloids—ranging from stories about how ‘pampered prisoners’ have it ‘too easy’, to reports of drugs, riots and chronic overcrowding. Our panel on crime and punishment in the UK will look at the factors that affect life on the inside, what conditions are like behind bars, what role prison ought to play in society, and what resources are—or, more frequently, are not—available to the average prisoner. Featuring Emma McClure, Phil Scraton, Geoff Whelan, and chair Nicola Throp.

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Announcing... False Memory and Satanic Abuse panel discussion

Published 31 August 2023 at 10:23

Psychological research has proven to us time and again that even the memories that we see as being fundamental to who we are and how we see ourselves are prone to bias, distortion, and even outright fabrication. For most of us, the way our memories warp and skew away from the facts can be relatively innocuous, but even inadvertent massaging and implanting of memories can have disastrous consequences.

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QED rewatch: Rogue Scientists and the Elephant(s) in the Room (2022)

Published 29 August 2023 at 10:23

It's increasingly challenging to keep developments in biotechnology in order. From experimental stem cell therapies to the CRISPR babies scandal, it seems that regardless of public education, desperate patients still fall into the hands of rogue scientists. Instead of simply being 'bad scientists duping the public', the human stories behind rogue scientists often point to more unsettling questions about what we expect from each other and of science.

In this talk from QED 2022, Dr Joy Zhang discussed the elephants in the room that rogue experimentation point to, and what it says about science and ourselves.

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Free childcare places at QED now closed

Published 28 August 2023 at 10:23

With less than a month to go until QED 2023, places for our free childcare facilities are now closed. All attendees who have reserved space in the creche should now have had confirmation from the QED team.

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QED rewatch: Hungry Like the Wolfe - Dietary Pseudoscience (2017)

Published 25 August 2023 at 10:23

Feeding the UK’s sixty-five million people is a tricky business. Eating in, out or on the street there is inevitably a layer of myths, lies and pseudoscience running throughout the industry. Can one really detox oneself with food choices? No, but this is the tip of the iceberg lettuce.

In this panel from QED 2017, we give you the inside track on what should be tweaking your skeptical spider senses with our panel of science foodies, from the media, academia, and more. Featuring Charlotte Hardman, Kavin Senapathy, Anthony Warner, and chair Andy Wilson.

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Announcing... Hot women in your area - why everyone needs to know about menopause

Published 24 August 2023 at 10:23

The latest session for our 2023 panel room program is now announced: Hot women in your area: why everyone needs to know about menopause. Menopause seems to be receiving more attention now than ever before – which is undoubtedly a good thing, given that many women are simply not prepared for the myriad symptoms they can experience (clue: it’s not just about hot flushes). But with that welcome attention comes, inevitably, a multitude of proposed solutions promoted by the ever-growing wellness industry.

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Only fifty QED tickets left!

Published 23 August 2023 at 10:23

With one month to go until QED 2023, there are now just fifty tickets remaining - so time is running out to pick up your ticket to the skeptical event of the year. If you’ve been holding off on reserving your place, now is the time to head to the QED site and grab your in-person ticket.

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QED rewatch: The UK Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic (2022)

Published 22 August 2023 at 10:23

The Brilliant Science, the Vicious Cycles, and Where Science Was Not Enough. In this opening talk from QED 2022, Professor Christina Pagel discussed how the fundamental nature of Covid-19 transmission and illness led to a vicious cycle of repeating waves of infection, disproportionately affecting deprived communities.

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Improve your skeptical skills, with the QED Workshop program

Published 21 August 2023 at 10:23

This year, we’ve worked harder than ever to make the program in our workshop room as practical and useful as possible. That’s why we’ve focused on helping you develop and hone some of the most useful skills a skeptic might need to become a successful and effective fighter of misinformation.

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QED rewatch: Cognitive Biases (2017)

Published 18 August 2023 at 10:23

You will think of this video favourably afterwards if it's the first one you watch, thanks to the Primacy Effect; or if it's the last, thanks to the Recency Effect. Don't expect it to change your views on anything though, because attempts to present you with contradictory evidence will backfire. But as long as this video accords with what you already think, you will love it for the confirmation it confers. Benefitting from an authority bias on this panel from QED 2017 were Carol Tavris, Richard Wiseman, Chris French, and chair Deborah Hyde.

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Announcing... Fairies, Folklore and Forteana

Published 17 August 2023 at 10:23

For centuries, societies across Europe have told tales of fairies, nymphs and other fae creatures that might cross our paths... occasionally with ill intent. And just because some of those stories aren’t true, that doesn’t mean they aren’t meaningful.

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Announcing... Dr Cara Santa Maria

Published 16 August 2023 at 10:23

We’re pleased to announce our latest addition to the QED main stage: clinical psychologist, science communicator, and hugely popular podcaster, Cara Santa Maria.

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QED rewatch: Prevent Cancer By Detecting and Eliminating the First Cell (2022)

Published 15 August 2023 at 10:23

Dr Azra Raza is an oncologist, working with patients every day in the most difficult of circumstances.In this talk from QED 2022 she points an accusing finger toward media and the medical profession for the generally held impression that real progress is being made in the battle against cancer. She argues that this apparent progress seems to have had little impact on survival rates over the last few decades.

NB: This talk contains detailed references to death and the manner of death awaiting terminal cancer patients.

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Streaming tickets on sale now

Published 14 August 2023 at 10:23

In the many, many years we have been organising QED, we have often heard from people who are desperate to attend, but who can’t quite make it. For those people, we have some great news: you can now enjoy QED from the comfort of your own sofa, with a QED streaming ticket.

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QED rewatch: Science - The Big Questions (2017)

Published 11 August 2023 at 10:23

Why does the Higgs field have the magnitude it does? What does the detection of gravitational waves mean for astronomy and science as a whole? What is dark matter, and dark energy? Do protons decay?

Are these really big questions of science? They look quite small as questions go. Maybe it's just the answers that are big?

In this panel discussion from QED 2017, Rick Owen was joined by Jeff Forshaw, Helen Czerski, and Tim O'Brien.

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Workshop: How To Write Skeptically

Published 10 August 2023 at 10:23

While the funding for professional journalists seems to shrink with every passing year, in a world of misinformation, pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and nonsense, the need for quality, well-researched, evidence-based content is clearer than ever. That is why this year at QED you’ll have the chance to learn how to develop your journalistic and reporting skills, in our How To Write Skeptically workshop.

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Announcing... Dr Kirsty Sedgman and Professor Anna Williams

Published 9 August 2023 at 10:23

With less than seven weeks to go until QED 2023, we are delighted to add two more speakers to our main-stage lineup: human behaviour specialist Dr Kirsty Sedgman, and forensic anthropologist and decomposition expert Professor Anna Williams.

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QED rewatch: Sunrise and sunset through exoplanet atmospheres (2022)

Published 8 August 2023 at 10:23

The study of exoplanets is a fascinating new field of discovery. The question of how stars and planetary systems form and evolve is one of the biggest in astronomy and is at the root of one of the most important questions we've had since we looked up at the stars: 'how did we get here?'. At QED 2022, Dr Hannah Wakeford took us on a journey to explore how we measure and understand the nature of these strange new worlds.

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The QED Friday Night Quiz and Mixer

Published 7 August 2023 at 10:23

While QED doesn’t officially start until 9am on Saturday morning, there’s always plenty on offer in the buildup to the weekend. That’s why we have our Friday night mixer and meetup event, and the ever-popular QED Quiz night!

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QED rewatch: Let's Actually Talk About Sex (2022)

Published 4 August 2023 at 10:23

Media coverage of sex and relationships is terrible and damaging, there are a range of (dangerous) pseudoscientific products that pop up based on the myths and misconceptions that people believe or try because of that coverage and/or various old wives tales and misguided beliefs.

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Announcing... Embrace the Void, at QED 2023

Published 3 August 2023 at 10:23

The QED team are delighted to announce the next live podcast to feature in the QED podcast room: Embrace the Void, a philosophy and politics podcast for surviving life in the worst of all possible timelines.

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Last few places left at our free childcare

Published 2 August 2023 at 10:23

In order to make QED as accessible as possible to parents, we offer places at our professionally-staffed childcare for free, throughout the weekend. For both Saturday and Sunday, your child will be supervised and entertained by fully-screened and registered professional childcare workers - and there are now just a few places remaining.

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QED rewatch: It's Normal To Be Delusional (2022)

Published 1 August 2023 at 10:23

Delusions have long intrigued psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists. In this talk from 2022, Ema Sullivan-Bissett takes us on an enlightening journey through the current thinking around delusions as well as shining a light on the debate over “one factor” versus “two factor” in clinical definitions. She also answers the question “What is a delusion?” with an answer that may surprise you. Whether you're an academic, a psychology enthusiast, or simply curious about the inner workings of the human mind, this talk will provide valuable insights and challenge your assumptions.

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Calling all volunteers!

Published 31 July 2023 at 10:23

At QED we couldn’t make our event work without the excellent help of our volunteers who help us make sure the conference runs smoothly for all our speakers and attendees. With this year’s event less than two months away, we’re putting out a call to all our attendees to ask that anyone who would like to volunteer gets in touch.

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QED rewatch: Are we winning? (2022)

Published 28 July 2023 at 10:23

Over the last years we've seen a rise in conspiracism but we've also seen strides in tackling alternative medicine. In this panel discussion from QED 2022, we asked, on balance, are we winning? Featuring Noah Lugeons, Diana Barbosa, Claire Klingenberg and chair Michael Marshall.

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QED rewatch: Adam Rutherford - Eugenics And The Misuse of Mendel (2022)

Published 26 July 2023 at 10:23

From QED 2022, Dr Adam Rutherford takes us on a fascinating but sometimes terrifying journey. In this talk he delves into the dark history of eugenics, a concept rooted in selective breeding and misguided notions of racial purity exposing a history which takes us much closer to the present day than most will find comfortable. We discover how Gregor Mendel’s groundbreaking work in genetics has been twisted and misused to justify dangerous ideologies as Adam explores the profound implications that arise when scientific knowledge falls into the wrong hands.

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Workshop: Social Media Marketing for Skeptics

Published 25 July 2023 at 10:23

The workshop room is to help skeptics hone the skills they’ll need to be more effective at pushing back against pseudoscience, and a big part of that is understanding how to promote skeptical projects and events. With that in mind, the next workshop to be added to the schedule is all about how to use social media for skeptical promotion.

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Announcing... Knowledge Fight podcast, live at QED

Published 24 July 2023 at 10:23

We are delighted to announce that, as part of their UK tour, the Knowledge Fight podcast will be recording a show live at QED 2023. Dan Friesen and Jordan Holmes will bring their trademark insight and humour to the QED podcast room as they once again turn their eye to Alex Jones and the conspiracy theory ecosystem which he inhabits.

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QED rewatch: Neurodiversity - the Real Superpower (2022)

Published 21 July 2023 at 10:23

Step aside Captain Marvel, buzz off Ant-Man. The real superheroes are here. Neurodiversity is on the rise, and with it come a legion of superpowered savants with enhanced memories, superior problem solving abilities, and debilitating anxiety disorders. The narrative of ‘neurodiversity is a superpower,’ while initially applied by the autistic community to itself, is now pushed onto all neurodiverse individuals by people external to those communities. As a result, many who struggle with the experience of being socially ostracised, ignored, patronised, and compared to heartless robots or aliens are left asking ‘what superpowers?’

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Two weeks left to book your QED hotel at our fixed rate

Published 20 July 2023 at 10:23

There are still a few of rooms available at the Mercure Piccadilly Hotel at our special rate, but that rate will expire on 4th August, 2023. After that, we cannot guarantee the cost of the room, so book yours before its too late.

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Announcing... InKredulous and Skeptics with a K live for 2023

Published 19 July 2023 at 10:23

We are two months away from the return of QED, and now is the perfect time to begin revealing the schedule you can expect to see in our ever popular podcast room - starting with long-time QED favourite, InKredulous and Skeptics with a K

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QED rewatch: The Rights And Wrongs Of Pre-Natal Screening (2022)

Published 18 July 2023 at 10:23

If we live long enough, we are all likely to become disabled. In this talk from QED 2022 Professor Tom Shakespeare explains that nearly all of us will have to make compromises with an infrastructure that seems set against us. But disability, or the possibility of carrying of a disabled baby to term, makes for a series of seemingly impossible medical decisions for would be parents with profound lifelong implications - and with very little information to go on.

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QED rewatch: Empowerment or exploitation? The Wellness Industry (2022)

Published 14 July 2023 at 10:23

In this panel discussion from QED 2022, moderator Nicola Throp is joined by Alice Howarth, Britt Hermes, and Jonathan Jarry to discuss the ways women are under-supported by science and medicine and how that leads to an opportunity for the wellness industry to prey on women under the guise of ‘empowerment’ and feminism.

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QED rewatch: God Awful Movies - Vaxxed II (2022)

Published 11 July 2023 at 10:23

Vaxxed II: The People’s Truth is the anti-vaccine propaganda film produced by Robert F. Kennedy, and starring Del Bigtree. Released as a sequel to the 2016 original, it furthers dangerous myths around vaccines and autism.

In this session from QED 2022, the crew from God Awful Movies tackle this classic of pseudoscientific filmmaking. Featuring Noah Lugeons, Heath Enwright, and Eli Bosnick.

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QED rewatch: How to Lie with Facts - Disinformation Tactics After the Pandemic (2022)

Published 7 July 2023 at 10:23

In this intriguing presentation from QED 2022 titled “How to Lie with Facts - Disinformation Tactics After the Pandemic”, Rachel Schraer dives deep into the world of disinformation and reveals the manipulative techniques employed by those seeking to deceive. Rachel is a journalist and fact checker from the BBC whose experience during the Covid pandemic gave her a unique perspective on how disinformation is sown and propagated.

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How to Read a Scientific Paper, with Dr Anja Harrison

Published 4 July 2023 at 10:23

Being able to read and understand scientific papers is a valuable skill for a skeptic to have, to figure out whether the latest ground-breaking treatment really is as wondrous as the tabloid headlines suggest. But how does a lay person go about reading studies, and how can we spot potential flaws, issues and inconsistencies? At QED, Anja Harrison will teach exactly those skills.

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QED rewatch: Who's Your Daddy? (2022)

Published 4 July 2023 at 10:23

At home DNA testing and associated services have proven to be hugely popular, and the marketplace for genealogy products and services is set to grow beyond £7 billion by 2028.

The companies behind them are starting to branch out, making claims around health conditions that can be diagnosed, dietary requirements that can be finessed, prescriptions that can be targeted, and long lost relatives that can be identified. But how accurate are these tests, what are the risks involved with them, and how does one avoid being inadvertently arrested for a historical murder?

This panel discussion from QED 2022 featured Dr Adam Rutherford, Dr Penny Walters, Jonathan Jarry and host Andy Wilson.

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QED rewatch: Human Rights. Human, right? (2022)

Published 30 June 2023 at 10:23

Is torture ever acceptable? Was former Prime Minister David Cameron reasonable in feeling ‘physically ill’ at the idea of giving prisoners the vote? For which crimes should we be able to strip someone of their citizenship, rendering them stateless? We discussed these issues and more in this panel from QED 2022. Featuring Emma McClure, Qays Sediqi and host Rick Owen.

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QED rewatch: Rabbit Holes and Radicalisation (2022)

Published 27 June 2023 at 10:23

From the flat earth, to QAnon, to pandemic denialism, recent years have seen an astonishing rise of grand, all-encompassing conspiracy theories. How do so many people come to believe in such dark and sinister versions of reality, and what are the factors – social, psychological and technological – that draw them deeper and deeper into their delusions?

Our panel from QED 2022 discussing this were Rachel Schraer, Ema Sullivan-Bissett, Aaron Rabinowitz and chair Michael Marshall.

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QED rewatch: Quackery Comms & Science Moms (2017)

Published 23 June 2023 at 10:23

Alternative cancer cures seem more popular than ever before. Anti-vaccine sentiment is resurgent and aspirational lifestyle gurus sell pseudoscientific messages to a worldwide audience.

In this panel from QED 2017, we explored how pseudoscientific ideas past spread, and how the skeptic movement can adapt our approach. Featuring David Gorksi, Britt Hermes, Natalie Newell, Caroline Rance, and chair Michael Marshall.

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Comedian Bec Hill to host QED 2023

Published 21 June 2023 at 10:23

The role of QED MC is always of huge importance, in providing a steady hand to keep things running smoothly and keep our audience informed and entertained. That’s why we’re so excited that QED 2023 will be ably steered by none other than comedian Bec Hill!

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QED rewatch: Raising Objections - Parenting Skeptically (2022)

Published 20 June 2023 at 10:23

Parenting can be a minefield of misleading claims – from pregnancy pseudoscience and maternity misinformation, to navigating schooling, to a near-constant barrage of regressive stereotypes and cultural clichés. At QED 2022 we hosted a panel discussion on parenting as a skeptic, which is available to rewatch now for those who missed it.

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Testing the Paranormal, with Professor Chris French

Published 14 June 2023 at 10:23

While we are very excited about our mainstage lineup, QED is not just about the talks and presentations on offer, but also the panel discussions, podcast recordings, and workshops that happen in each of the other rooms across the QED weekend. This year, our first interactive workshop will be “Testing the Paranormal”, with Professor Chris French.

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SkeptiCamp 2023, with Skeptics in the Pub Online

Published 25 May 2023 at 19:00

Every year, as part of the free QED fringe, we open the doors to the QED venue for this completely free one-day event, where the speakers are chosen from you, the skeptical audience.

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