Season of Reason
Thanksgiving Day (in the U.S.A.) marks the official start of the James Randi Educational Foundation's "Season of Reason" fundraising campaign. Our goal is to raise $25,000.00 to go toward furthering science education and critical thinking in grade schools. The JREF is committed to ensuring that our youngsters get a solid education that includes understanding the role of critical thinking in all aspects of life and the importance of science in our ever-changing world. To this end the Season of Reason fundraising campaign is intended to plant the seed that is ultimately going to become a tree of knowledge for young minds the world over. To learn more about JREF's new educational p

Terrorists At The Mall
Opportunities to expose people to critical thinking occur frequently. Last week I received one of those emails we all get on occasion -- one that had been forwarded several times, each time with a dozen or so addressees. The oldest email in the chain was dated November 16, but referred to an event that occurred mid September, 2009. This is what it said: I hope this makes it to every person in Texas....we need to shut this store down FOR GOOD!! Today I went to the Harwin Central Mall to p

Last Week In Science-Based Medicine
(Editor's Note: So begins our effort to keep dedicated Swifters abreast of the goings-on on other skeptical blogs. Science-Based Medicine is among the most mind-expanding and important sites on the web, home to many of the JREF's closest friends and best allies. Henceforth, Harriet Hall, the SkepDoc, will offer us a weekly summary of their work.) Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that seperates the science from the woo in medicine.

This Cruel Farce Has To Stop!
Update! For those who may need further evidence for my contention, the proof can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ye9d9lp -- where it is clearly seen that the “facilitator” is looking directly at the keyboard, while the subject is asleep! There can be no further doubt.  This FC claim is simply untrue, a farce, a lie – and the “facilitator” knows it! And no, this man is not going to write a book, but the "facilitator" is, and if this humbug is not stopped, she'll make a fortune doing so. Put a stop to this, someone!" But who will see that the careta

Thanks, Favors, News
Nineteen days ago, we published a request for your suggestions on the future development of Swift, as well as a call for freelance writers and columnists. Lots of people requested writers' guidelines, and we got a handful of really excellent stories. Thank you to Sean Sturgeon, Matt Fiore, Penn Bullock, Naomi Baker, and Luke Doug Haines. (Send more!)As a result of your suggestions, we'll operate a little differently from now on. The very first thing we'll do is disable or severely modify the Vote Up/Vote Down button in the "Comments" section.  That button has bu