New Presentation: “Disordered or Just Different? Myth, Science, and Sexuality”

I will be a speaker at the first annual conference of the Center for Inquiry/Chicago on Saturday, April 24th. The theme of this conference is: “Dangerous Nonsense - Exploring the Gulf between Science and its Impostors.” This theme is the perfect context for my talk entitled “Disordered or Just Different? Myth, Science, and Sexuality” that will focus on the scientific evidence on core sexuality obtained over the last fifty years and the medical profession’s treatment of intersex, homosexual, and transsexual peoples.

Here’s a conference description and schedule:

The Center For Inquiry/Chicago First Annual Spring Conference:
Dangerous Nonsense: Exploring the Gulf between

Science and its Impostors

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

111 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago 60601

26th Floor - Conference Room

Bunkum grows like a weed in American culture - whether it's climate change denial, conspiracy theories, or healing by prayer. Some ideas are not only nonsense, they are dangerous nonsense, with serious implications for our lives. In this age where misinformation can be spread more easily than ever before, understanding the role of the scientific process in human affairs is critical to our survival. This conference will present top scientists in biology, physiology, and physics, each of them gifted at explaining both the science and its impostors of their respective fields. Join us and gain valuable insight into exploring the world through science and reason.

Conference Schedule

8:30 a.m. Check-in and Registration

Optional: Set up your evening dinner reservation with a nearby restaurant

9:15 a.m. Welcome - the Center For Inquiry/Chicago Board

9:25 a.m. Dr. Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York

“Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell the Difference Between Science and Bunk”

10:25 a.m. Coffee Break

Dr. Pigliucci will also be available to autograph his new book

10:45 a.m. Dr. Veronica Drantz, Professor of Physiology at DePaul University’s College of Nursing

“Disordered or Just Different? Myth, Science and Sexuality”

11:30 a.m. Dr. Michael Albrow, Nuclear Physicist at both the Tevatron (Fermilab) and the Large Hadron Collider (CERN)

“What's True and What's Untrue in Physics Today”

12:15 p.m. Announcements

12:20 p.m. Lunch on your own

(Your packet will include lunch options in the immediate vicinity)

1:40 p.m. Dr. Ron Pine, Explorer, retired biology professor, and debunker of Intelligent Design “Intelligent Design or ‘No Model’ Creationism: Why It Can't Qualify Even as Pseudo-Science”

2:25 p.m. The Mentalist “Mystopher” & Carolee

“Serving Fork-Fulls of Magic and Imagination”

3:00 p.m. Dr. Dario Maestripieri, Professor of Comparative Human Development, Neurobiology, Evolutionary Biology, and Psychiatry at the University of Chicago

“What Primatology and Evolutionary Psychology Tell Us About the Evolution of Human Behavior”

3:45 p.m. Coffee Break

Dr. Pigliucci will also be available to autograph his new book

4:05 p.m. Panel Discussion with all of our presenters

“The Future of Science and Science Education in the U.S.”

5:15 p.m. Adjourn

Post-Conference

5:30 p.m. Optional: Post-Conference discussion and drinks (cash bar) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (directions included in your packet - it’s about a block away)

6:30 p.m. Optional: Dinner (your cost) in downtown Chicago - some of these will be “hosted” by CFI/Chicago Board members (your packet will include a selection of places and cuisines)

Late Optional: Music clubs (your cost) - some of these will be “hosted” by CFI/Chicago Board members (your packet will include a selection of places and musical styles)

Learn more about the speakers here.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE