Throughout history, social taboos have served to subjugate, marginalise, and discriminate against groups. Yet at the same time, in many contexts, they have provided - and continue to provide - societal 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?
If skepticism is a battle to bring to light pseudoscience, misinformation and outright fraud, investigative journalism is often the frontline, with many of the most important moments in skeptical history coming as a result of the right journalist being in the right place to ask the right question at the right time. How do journalists know which threads to pull? How do they check facts and source claims? And how do they do all of this without falling foul of legal threats?
Saturday nights at QED are always special, and this year we are delighted to bring you an exciting evening of comedy and magic, plus the official announcement of this year’s Ockham Award winners!
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Dr Alice Howarth speak about the complex intersection between women's empowerment and the wellness industry and shine a spotlight on the pervasive influence of medical bias.
Skeptics with a K, the longest-running UK-based skeptical podcast, will be returning to the QED podcast room for a live show in 2024.
Whether you sleep like a baby (whatever that means), need a solid ten hours or feel refreshed waking up while it’s still dark; our society has a LOT to say about sleep. Not sleeping enough will knock years off your life but sleeping too much is lazy. Napping is both a superpower you can use to unlock your productivity and the worst thing you can possibly do if you want to sleep. Not to mention the time you sleep best, whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark, says everything about who you are and your value to society. But how much of what we understand about sleep is actually true?
From the QED archives, this panel session from QED 2023 discussed the way in which our memories prone to bias, distortion, and even outright fabrication. Featuring Kevin Felstead, Professor Chris French, Professor Ciara Greene, and chair Deborah Hyde.
Less than a month after the UK election, race riots raged in cities and towns across the UK, ignited by disinformation about the name and nationality of the murderer of three young girls in Southport. What role did online channels dedicated to Covid conspiracies, vaccines, and the Great Replacement play?
QED 2024 is only a few weeks away, and our schedule is really starting to take shape. We have already announced our entire main-stage line-up, and now we can share with you our first panel session of the weekend, in which two ex-stand up comedians will tell you what they've learned about isolation, loneliness, and dying.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023, saw Dan Friesen explore one of the most high profile figures in media, Alex Jones, and discuss the points most people miss about Alex's career and the ecosystem he inhabits.
We’re delighted to announce the second podcast in our ever-popular podcast room, and an entirely new show to QED: the comedy folklore podcast, Loremen.
The worlds of skepticism and magic have always been entwined, with famous fraudsters employing techniques of magic in order to fake psychic feats, and skilled magicians using their knowledge of illusion to debunk and expose charlatans. At our Magic for Skeptics workshop, you can join Richard Wiseman as he journeys into the fascinating world of magic and skepticism.
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.
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. There’s no better place to start than with an annual QED tradition: the live recording of InKredulous – the skeptical, satirical panel show from the Merseyside Skeptics Society.
Communication with the public is a vital part of being an effective skeptic - after all, what good is it to have a correct answer if you’re not able to help other people understand it? Whether it’s in the workplace, speaking at public events, or even appearing on stage at skeptical conferences, being able to clearly and engagingly convey your ideas is a handy arrow in any skeptic’s quiver - which is why we are delighted to be hosting a workshop on how to give effective presentations, with award winning science communicator Dr Jamie Gallagher.
From the QED archives, this 2023 panel revisits the enduring allure of the placebo effect. The ‘powerful placebo’ remains the darling of scientists and science communicators, who continue to extoll its amazing benefits with breathless excitement. Why does it persist, and what can placebo research learn from parapsychology?
Every year, The Skeptic magazine asks the skeptical community of the UK and beyond to submit nominations for their annual Ockham Awards - a chance to heap praise on someone in the area of skepticism who deserves celebration, and also to identify the worst promoter of pseudoscience, for their Rusty Razor prize. The winners are traditionally announces as part of the Saturday night entertainment at QED, and this year is no exception.
We have added our final two speakers to the QED main stage for 2024: historian of medicine Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster, Dr Flint Dibble - the archaeologist who took on pseudoscience head on by debating with an ancient alien theory promoter on Joe Rogan.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Kirsty Sedgman explore the mechanisms we use to draw lines between acceptable and unacceptable, appropriate and inappropriate, good and bad. When we all think we're being reasonable, how can we figure out what's right?
Twenty years ago in January, the Freedom of Information Act came into force in the UK, providing a useful tool for journalists, activists and skeptics alike. At first it worked. We could even get access to Top Secret documents... but gradually, government and complacent information commissioners strangled the flow of information.
For centuries, societies across Europe have told tales of fairies, nymphs and other fae creatures that might cross our paths… occasionally with ill intent. In this panel discussion from QED 2023, our panel discussed the strange tales that have caught the imagination of people throughout history, and what those stories tell us about society’s hopes, fears and anxieties. Featuring Dr David Clarke, Deborah Hyde, Claire Klingenberg, and Hayley Stevens.
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!
Last year’s programme of interactive workshops proved to be our most popular yet, with our increased focus on teachable skills to improve the skeptical capabilities of our attendees. Of all of our workshops, perhaps the most popular was the session in which Professor Chris French taught us how to design and run tests of paranormal claims - which is why we are pleased that Chris has agreed to reprise the session at this year’s QED.
Menopause seems to be receiving more attention now than ever before, which is undoubtedly a good thing given that lots of women are simply not prepared for the myriad of symptoms they can experience (clue: it’s not just about hot flushes).How can women - and the people in their lives - wade through all the good and bad advice they are given, make sense of the myths around solutions like HRT, and put into context the increased risks of conditions like breast cancer and dementia? This panel from QED 2023 tackled these issues, looking at what works, what doesn't, and why it's in everyone' interest to take note.
We are delighted to add two more speakers to our main-stage lineup for QED 2024: medical doctor, health misinformation debunker and popular TikTok star Dr Idress Mughal, and security expert and ‘people hacker’ Jenny Radcliffe.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Dr Daniel Jolley explore the psychology behind conspiracy theories. Drawing on his research, he demonstrates how any of us could find a conspiracy theory appealing under the right circumstances.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Claire Klingenberg speak about the history of paranormal research, its current form, and its new function as an excellent tool for teaching critical thinking and the scientific method.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Prof Anna Williams tell the story of Human Taphonomy Facilities (or 'Body Farms') and the research conducted at them.
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. In this panel discussion from QED 2023, we asked how we can protect vulnerable schoolchildren from the avalanche of nonsense on social media? Can we raise a generation of scientifically informed critical thinkers? Or should we even try?
Throughout our lifetimes, one in every two people will develop some form of cancer, and every one of us know someone in our lives who have been treated for the disease. While treatments have advanced greatly over the last few decades, receiving a cancer diagnosis remains a traumatic and scary experience, and one that often sends patients searching for answers. In this panel discussion from QED 2023, we learn that sadly, the alternative medicine industry has no lack of false promise to offer them.
From the QED archives, this talk from QED 2023 saw Prof. Debbie Ging consider the digitally-enhanced tactics used by online men's rights formations to intimidate and silence women and girls, as well as radicalise and recruit boys and men.
Our preconceptions about what it means to be female have been shaped by centuries of sexist and heteronormative bias. In this fascinating and funny talk from QED 2023, Lucy Cooke showcased females and the scientists studying them who are redefining the female of the species. Featuring post-menopausal orcas, primates who use promiscuity as a maternal strategy, and lizards who have dispensed with males altogether and reproduce by cloning.
Tickets to QED 2024 are on sale now! Our weekend celebration of science, reason and critical thinking, returns for 2024 with another exciting line-up of main stage speakers, live podcast recordings, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and more.
The wait is almost over – tickets for QED 2024 will be available to buy from 3pm UK time on May 7th, 2024.
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.
