Episode 21: How Rationalists Approach Death, Part 2
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Mark Forkheim concludes his discussion of life, death, and immortality with Gem Newman, Robert Shindler, and Greg Christensen.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba.
Links: Drinking Skeptically with the Winnipeg Skeptics | Imagine No Relgion 2 | Skepticon 4: How Should Rationalists Approach Death? | Cryonics (Wikipedia, Less Wrong, Alcor Life Extension Foundation) | Technological Singularity | Transhumanism | Technological Predictions by Ray Kurzweil | Curiosity: Can You Live Forever? | Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom | The Weekly Weinersmith, Episode 17: Dr. R. Douglas Fields and “The Other Brain”
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The Winnipeg Skeptics 
1.In your opinion, what are the most e2€œimportante2€9d toicps in skepticism? As a physician, of course, my major interest is in dangerous applications of alternative medicine. Quite honestly, I couldn’t care less if a patient desires accupuncture or chiropracty ( we are not going to squash these fields ) for back pain, IF that back pain was evaluated by myself and determined to be benign. It’s gonna go away in due time ( or not ) no matter what we try. But if chiropracty, accupuncture , antivaxers, homeopathy, etc is used instead of science based medicine for conditions that could have significant consequences if not treated appropriately, then that to me is a horrific application of pseudoscience. People do die.2. What are some of the issues that you are concerned about specifically, and why?Religion. Almost anyone in skepticism can agree that extremism, especially regarding religion, is often a dangerous tool used by greedy men and women to move and control a populace regardless of consequence to those outside of that religious circle, both historically and presently . But the schism between aggressive atheism which proactively attacks religion and those who are more live-and-let-live-unless-you-threaten-others-with-dogma-based ideas secular and non secular skeptics alarms me. I can see this , over time, dividing skepticism into two distinct camps. Perhaps it will strengthen both camps. But more than likely it will weaken us, as I think diversity, even amongst like minded people is a good thing. What toicps interest you the least?I like the toicps that I do not have a deep connection because it broadens me. I LOVED UFOs and Bigfoot as a kid and who doesn’t love a good ghost story? But IF I was force to choose my least favorite, these would be my toicps.
The most important thing for me is to raiemn skeptical. Ask questions, of my doctor, of my pharmacist, of my friends in the legal and illegal world. Not to blindly accept what people say because they say it loud and often. To raiemn skeptical of big money industry, like forestry, pharma, commerce and the like, who put money ahead of people. The most engaging item for me is what I call ( smiling ) The Randi Ultimatum . The people who pretend to have the powers of prophecy, the paranormal ghost hunting water divining spoon bending tarot reading fraudsters who take people down while trying to elevate themselves. All without the slightest evidence that these powers exist, and the refusal to be tested by genuine method and independent analysis. I am also very skeptical of the administering of herbal, homeopathic and so called natural remedies, ( including Reiki, Aroma, Crystal blah blah blah ) and the willingness of the gullible to embrace these treatments, without the above testing, also drives me crazy.