New additions to QED 2025: our love of horror, and learning to debunk

We are delighted to announce two further additions to the line-up for the final QED: a panel exploring our obsession with horror, and a workshop teaching hands-on skills in debunking false claims.

Why do Skeptics Love Horror? - Why do so many skeptics have a particular fondness for horror films, a genre overflowing with pseudoscience, irrationality and the unknown? This panel will explore how horror provides a safe space to confront fears, explore cultural myths, and even let our critical thinking check out for ninety minutes. From brooding rustic terror to generic teen slashers, we’ll examine how horror can challenge beliefs, reflect societal anxieties, and offer skeptics a unique lens through which to explore the human psyche. Featuring Dr Joe Ondrak, Dr Stella Gaynor, David Alnwick, and Mark Horne.

How to Debunk workshop - in a world beset by misinformation and false, false claims and dodgy statistics, it’s more important than ever for skeptics to be prepared to dig into the research and separate truth from fiction. What tools are available for the would-be debunker, and how can skeptics go about getting to the bottom of the claims we see? Emma Monk is a writer and researcher specialising in fact-checking and debunking misinformation in politics, media, and public discourse. Her work examines how data and headlines are misrepresented, and she uses evidence-based analysis to give readers the tools to spot manipulation for themselves. Through her Substack Monk Debunks and workshops, Emma focuses on equipping people with practical skills for evaluating sources, spotting common misinformation tactics, and pushing back against narratives designed to mislead.

While our hands-on debunking workshop is only available in the room, our panel on horror will be available as part of our streaming ticket, alongside the rest of the sessions from the panel room, podcast room and main stage. Pick your streaming ticket up today!