Skeptics in the Park – June 12th
Announcing our second ever Skeptics in the Park!
The Atlanta Skeptics will once again emerge from the pub and wander outside on Saturday, June 12th from 11AM-3PM at Jones Bridge Park.
Details after the break:
Archive for May, 2010
Two notable skeptics appearing in Atlanta in June
Two internationally known skeptics are appearing in Atlanta in June. Outspoken atheist and political pundit Christopher Hitchens is touring in support of his new book Hitch-22 and the well-known mentalist Banachek is doing a ticketed mentalism show at the Academy Theatre.
Update Friday June 4: Details on Banachek tickets updated! See below.
Full details on times and tickets after the jump…
» Continue reading “Two notable skeptics appearing in Atlanta in June”
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Oh, really, Mr. O’Rahilly?
The Wem Town Hall Ghost photo - courtesy Fortean Picture Library
In September of 2009 I started an investigation into the Wem Town Hall ghost photo. This famous photo shows a ghostly girl in the burning wreckage of a fire that took place in the Town Hall of the British town of Wem on November 19, 1995. The photographer was a man named Tony O’Rahilly and he took several photos of the fire that night. The last photo on the reel showed a girls face in the doorway of the blazing fire and the photo caught the imagination of many. Was this girl really in the building? Fire fighter footage of the same fire showed no such girl. No body was found, and many speculated that this was a ghost. Paranormal researchers even came up with a name for the girl, calling her Jane Churm after a little girl who started a fire in Wem back in 1677.
For fifteen years the photo was a mystery which made many top-10 ghost lists. But now an elderly man in England has identified the source of the ghost girl’s image and brought closure to this case. Read on past the break to get a history of the case and see the solution.
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The Media Otter Know Better
[Update - May 31, 2010 - I heard back from leading Otter expert Dr. Hans Kruuk and here's what he had to say re: the identity of the animal in these photos:
Looking at the size of the hairs in relation to body, I'd say something like mink, agreeing with your identification. Otters also have a thin layer of very dense, dark grey under-fur, and in the picture I can see no sign of that.
If you take that observation and combine it with the findings of Dr. James Patton quoted over at Forgetomori.com:
“[The] mystery critter looks more like a mink than an otter to me (longer fingers, without any evidence of webbing). It clearly was dead in the water for a prolonged period, hence the defurred face and head, and somewhat swollen appearance”, wrote Patton.
I think we have all the expert evidence converging on Mink as the identity of the mystery corpse of Canada. However you don’t need to be an expert to know that a rotting dead animal, while monstrously odiferous, doesn’t have to be a monster in fact.]
They say what’s old is new. Lately the cryptozoology world has been awash (pardon) with creatures found on beaches or near water. These critters all share some common features. First, they’re dead. Second, they’re either hairless or nearly hairless. Third, they’re photographed and the odd pictures are shared on the Internet. Then the speculation storm washes all around us.
This is not new, mind. The history of dead things washed up on shore is long and disgusting. From a dead shark posing as a plesiosaur to a dead raccoon posing as a mutant experiment these photos apparently capture the imagination of viewers, and that’s all it takes to make good news copy.
This week’s corpse-célèbre washed up near the town of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Ontario and was discovered by a couple of nurses who photographed it and then shared the photos. The animal is said to be less than a foot long, with a rat-like tail.
Canadian Mustelid Corpse - Top View
(Read on to find the solution!)
» Continue reading “The Media Otter Know Better”
Atlanta Skepticamp 2010 – I Was Told There Would Be a Pony
On May 15th and 16th, we held our 2nd Skepticamp here in Atlanta. This year’s event included presentations from 18 attendees, a poster presentation session, a round table discussion on “Skepticism for Everyone through Social Media”, sword fights, a pony made of cake and 60+ attendees each day!
Atlanta Skepticamp 2010
For me, the presentations that stood out came from LaVerne Knight-West and Dr. Ginger Campbell (host of Brain Science Podcast and Books and Ideas). Each shared their personal journeys and experiences with the skeptical community, and warm, fuzzy feelings ensued.
Dr. Ginger Campbell at Atlanta Skepticamp 2010
Certainly the most unique presenter at Skepticamp was martial arts expert, John Clements. In addition to the fact that he brought SWORDS, he himself was highly entertaining. One of the more quotable Skepticamp moments: During a demonstration with SWORDS, John matter-of-factly states, “People with weapons KILL people without weapons, that’s why we have so many of them.” I was afforded the opportunity to challenge him in duel. I could have killed him, but the 2nd rule of Skepticamp is “Be Awesome. And Don’t Kill Anyone.”
Presenter John Clements is no match for Taylor Proctor's sword fighting skills.
I was personally excited to see the presentations from Brian, Laura, Veronica, Sean and Bob, who participated in our SkeptiBOOTcamp workshops over the weeks leading up to Skepticamp. The whole thing was a bit of an experiment, and I hope to develop the idea further before next year’s Skepticamp. I do encourage other organizers to consider doing something like this before Skepticamps. I think each participant’s presentation benefited in some way from the support and assistance gained through the different workshops.
Presenter Laura Ross at Atlanta Skepticamp 2010
Another notable aspect of Atlanta’s Skepticamp was our theme, “Critical Thinking For Everyone.” I felt the message successfully resounded throughout the weekend. Each presenter shared their own unique perspective on skepticism, and the panel on “Skepticism for Everyone through Social Media,” yielded a lot of discussion and sharing from the audience. I felt an overall sense of humility from participants throughout the weekend, a sentiment that can seem sometimes lacking in the skeptical community. I want to give extra thanks to Swoopy from Skepticality, for helping me out with my idea for a theme and really running with it.
Maria Walters and Tim Farley during panel discussion at Atlanta Skepticamp 2010
I definitely learned a lot more from organizing this year’s Skepticamp than I did during the planning of Atlanta’s first camp last year. The discussions and events of last weekend’s event, raised interesting questions in my mind to consider as I think about how we can move forward for next year’s Skepticamp. Namely, What is primary goal of having community events like Skepticamp? Is it to promote skepticism and critical thinking, or is it to nurture the skeptic?
There was marked shift in the nature of presentations from last year to this year. Last year, a majority of presentations were informative overviews of topics like logical fallacies, neuroscience, evolution, detox myths, etc. This year, more presentations addressed a skeptic’s humble lesson learned. Presenter Russ discussed how our fears, often fueled further by media sensationalism, can lead to the presumption of a crisis and unnecessary hysteria; Christian gave us an account his pleasant and relaxing visit to an acupuncturist, (despite leaving with an unhealed knee injury); Brian shared an anecdotal example of how even the most rational of skeptical critical thinkers are not immune to irrational thought. I’m excited and very interested to see the direction in which presentations might go for next year.
Thanks to all who volunteered, gave a talk, and attended Atlanta Skepticamp 2010!
I personally want to give extra-special thank yous to:
Maria Walters – for taking charge of planning when I was stressed and over-committed.
Mark Ditsler of Abrupt Media – for all things A/V club; equipment, recording, streaming, time-keeping. His contribution was priceless, as always
Derek Colanduno- for offering up our venue (even if it was quite toasty) 
David Rodriguez – for designing our Skepticamp logo and shirts.
Derek (again) and Swoopy of Skepticality – for being our badass MCs.
Brian Thompson of Amateur Scientist Podcast- for coming all the way to Atlanta to record a live podcast at our Skepticamp Fundraiser in March.
Kylie Sturgess, George Hrab, A Kovacs and Surly Amy – for their recorded messages to Atlanta Skepticampers.
Shayna Glick – for making my Skepticamp dreams come true! All I wanted for Skepticamp was a pony!
SkeptiPony, official mascot of Atlanta Skepticamp 2010
Thanks to all our sponsors!
JREF
Skeptic Magazine
Fund For Thought
Skeptical Inquirer
Skepticality
Amateur Scientist Podcast
Thinking Man Tavern
Skepchick
Surly Ramics
Tree Lobsters
Abrupt Media
Bluefox Graphic
Skepticamp, created in Denver, perfected in Atlanta!
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A sign of the times (Extended Edition)
This is a longer version of my research posted at The Examiner. You can comment there without having to sign-in.
As a vocal skeptic, I’ve become known among my friends and family as the go-to person to determine whether or not news stories or photos on the Internet are true. Sometimes this just means going to Snopes.com to check and see and see what the folklore researchers have come up with. Other times I have to dig in and do the research myself. The latest piece of dubious dumbness to come across my desk is a photo purported to be of Arizona Hispanic protesters out complaining about the new state law the state just passed.
This photo is currently circulating in e-mails. It appears to be a fake.
It is an e-mail with the subject line of “VERY SCARY: Give us free” and contains this image, along with the following text:
“Can you believe this sign?
This picture shows what the problem in Arizona and our country is all about. Now if only California and Texas passed the same law as Arizona …….”
It comes with a photo of a group of Hispanic/Latino protesters, one carrying a notably incendiary sign which says:
“GIVE US FREE
HEALTH CARE
JOBS – NO TAXES
HOUSE
FOOD
YOU OWE US AMERICA!
WE WILL SHOOT MORE POLICE IN ARIZONA UNTIL WE GET FREE!”
The sign is clearly meant to incite trouble, but the man in the photo doesn’t look particularly violent. Essentially the sign appears to advocate cop-killing, which is not the kind of thing people typically bring to a protest. I was suspicious, to say the least.
I started by checking the Snopes site, but so far they don’t have an analysis up. Message boards battered back and forth on whether or not the sign could be real. Some people feel that even if the photo is fake, that this is a real sentiment in the Arizona Latino community.
Some careful Google searches revealed that this photo is not even from Arizona. The photo is actually taken in front of the Los Angeles Times building and took place on the May 1, 2010 protests there against Arizona’s new anti-illegal immigrant law, SB1070.
But does it show a real sign? Many investigators are looking to find a copy of the original photo, or supplemental photos of the setting to see if any other evidence supports the idea that the sign is real, or evidence that will falsify it. I suspect the latter is more likely.
- Signs of trickery!
A little manipulation of contrast and brightness settings on the photo reveal that it shows obvious signs of tampering. There is a lot of digital smearing between the two signs the protester caries (if there ever were two signs) and the tampering corresponds strongly with someone erasing the original text and writing over it to form the offensive message. In other words, this appears to be a fake. I’d like to see the “real” photos. But even if they don’t turn up, this one’s busted. Whatever the sign once said, it was altered to say the inflammatory things it says now.
There are some additional tools available for this kind of evaluation. A clever little web program called Error Level Analysis (ELA) is quite the helpful tool for analyzing digitally altered photographs. Briefly, compression-based image file formats such as .jpg lose a little information each time they are saved at a smaller bit-rate. The ELA program saves the file over and over again, each time reducing the file size by a bit – and thereby creating a much less clear picture. But an interesting side effect of this reduction is that areas of the photo which were touched up or altered end up showing a difference in the final version – presumably because their pixel depth at the end of the routine is inconsistent with that in the rest of the image.
Running this photo through ELA shows the kind of inconsistency around the sign one would expect in a digitally altered photo. Here is a photo of me (on the left) at a recent protest against Westboro Baptist Church.
Original photo of protest of WBC. Courtesy SkepticRN
Here is a crude fake of that photo wherein I replaced the perfectly sensible original message with something silly.
And here is how the ELA software compared the two images.
Areas around the lettering show thick black and the letters stark white.
Now, let’s compare those known fakes to the the “Arizona” protest photo. First, again, here is the protest photo that has been doing the rounds on the chain e-mail circuit, and directly below it is the ELA analysis:
ELA of the "Arizona" photo also shows distinct areas of alteration.
The similarities between my admitted fake and this photo are quite obvious. They are especially apparent in the lower sign, the one threatening future cop killings. This suggests that the top part of the sign may not have been as heavily altered.
Just to be clear, this image shows very, very strong evidence of being altered.
History is full of people faking evidence to fulfill their bigoted fantasies or support their ideologies. From the Protocols of the elders of zion to Obama’s birth-certificate conspiracy theory, people have used their creative powers to make the world the way they think it ought to be. Still, with the Internet it is now possible for serious researchers to join together and collaborate to get to the truth.
A skeptic investigator wants to be as definitive as the evidence will allow. In this case the evidence strongly supports this being a faked photograph altered to create the incendiary message it currently carries. It is extremely likely that other photos from the May 1st protest at the LA Times will come out and show what this man’s sign actually said. But we don’t need that to know this photo is faked.
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Helping out fellow Skeptics
One of the greatest things about being in the Skeptical community is how quickly we rally around a cause. It seems that no matter what the subject, we have at least one person who’s a domain expert in the field; We have a belly-dancing astronomer for Pete’s sake!
I got a message on Google Talk today from my good friend @MasalaSkeptic, asking if I knew anyone who was hiring. It seems that a member of the Atlanta Skeptics had just been laid off and was looking for a job. Since the Atlanta Skepticamp is in a few days, I mentioned that we should make an effort to help that person and others out. Bringing together smart, critical thinking job-seekers and employers that value those same skills really is a no-brainer.
That’s probably why it occurred to me.
If people show interest and some good comes from this, who knows, maybe there will be a website in the near future. For now, I’m starting small. It would be great if a few people actually get some help out of this, but what I don’t want (and refuse) to do is detract from why we hold Skepticamp in the first place – to encourage participation in open discussion about science and skepticism. I want to prevent headhunters and commercial job sites from being involved; just friends in the community connecting with others. To borrow from Google’s alleged motto and “not be mean” is the goal.
Job seekers: If you’re attending the Atlanta Skepticamp and are looking for a job, please send your resume and a cover letter to skeptijob at gmail dot com. I will NOT give your information out to anyone except those people who attend Skepticamp without your consent.
Employers (or people who know about a job): If you are attending Atlanta Skepticamp and are looking to fill a position, please send a job description and the pertinent info to skeptijob at gmail dot com.
Thanks!
@JoeAnderson
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Skepticamp is upon us!
Hi all! Just a quick note to let you know that the Skepticamp schedule has been posted. Check out the Skepticamp page for more all the details! And if you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time. Register and come help out – we’d love to have you!
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Westboro Baptist Invades Atlanta
This is a rushed post on short notice so I apologize in advance for being abrupt. Tomorrow and Thursday, the Westboro Baptist Church is planning a series of demonstrations in Atlanta. We are trying to round up participants to counter protest. Westboro Baptist Church is run by Fred Phelps who puts on the God Hates Fags protests. NOTE: Don’t click that link on a full stomach. It’s evil. They protest around the country spreading their message of hate at military funerals and other public events.
The best counter protests I’ve seen involve peaceful demonstrations that collect money for charities like this one.
Others take a more surreal approach:
http://laughingsquid.com/san-franciscos-answer-to-westboro-baptist-church/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94878257@N00/4540981479/
Anyway, we are rallying the troops at the last minute. Details of what to do below the fold! » Continue reading “Westboro Baptist Invades Atlanta”
