QED Conference, February 2011, Manchester: International Critical Thinking and Skepticism comes to the North West.

I’m sure many of you have heard the buzz around  the forthcoming conference on QED: Question Explore Discover….but just in case you haven’t heard of it or need more incentive to book a ticket, let me outline this marvellous event and for you and give you some very good reasons to consider coming.

QED is a two-day science and skepticism festival taking place in the Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester on the 5th-6th February 2011. It is being jointly run by Merseyside Skeptics Society and the Greater Manchester Skeptics Society. Over these two days anyone who comes to the conference will have the great pleasure of meeting and socialising with other skeptics, an opportunity to share ideas and the chance to see some fantastic and dynamic speakers.

So, I hear you ask, ‘why should I come to this conference?’ As if the above sentences aren’t enough incentive already. You want to know more you say? Okay here’s ten good reasons for coming:

Reason one:

Great speakers.

The organisers have pulled out all the stops to bring you a great line-up of speakers. Over the two days you will get to see:

• Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the US National Center for Science Education and defender of evolution in American schools
• Jon Ronson, international author and journalist who has brought us delicious insights into the minds of some of the most unique pseudoscientific practitioners and conspiracy theorists
• Jim Al-Khalili, scientist and educator, perhaps best known for his TV documentaries on the Atom and Islamic science history and also for his work with young children
• Bruce Hood, Director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre and author of the examination of superstition,Supersense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable
• Kat Akingbade, co-host of the C4 web series The Science of Scams and a science communicator driven to bring science to the masses
• Chris Atkins, Director of both the BAFTA nominated Taking Liberties and the 2009 tour-de-force Starsuckers and co-creator of the recent UK Urban Fox hoax
• Wendy Grossman, co-founder of The Skeptic magazine and blogger and journalist
• Colin Wright, celebrator of the pleasure and fun to be had from understanding science and maths
• Simon Singh, particle physicist  and international author of books on physics and the alternative medicine industry……oh and you might have heard about that little court case he had with that British Chiropractic Association
• George Hrab, musician and host of the popular Geologic Podcast. George is the QED Master of Ceremonies

Reason two:

Er, hang on. Those 10 speakers already represent 10 good reasons to come…

Just in case you do need more reasons, if you come you get to:

Come to a conference in a city which is easily accessible from every part of the country by road, rail or air

Raise money for two very worthy causes: Sense About Science and the National Autistic Society

Visit the lovely Manchester

Tickets cost £99, and a student ticket is available for £75.

You can find out more and/or order your tickets from the QED website. You can also follow QED on Twitter