http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/c/8/4/event_209235492.jpegDr. Rebecca Lawson is a senior lecturer in Psychology based at the University of Liverpool. She completed a PhD on human visual object recognition at the University of Birmingham and then a post-doc at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Her research investigates how the human brain perceives, remembers and creates the shape of 3D objects, and she compares object recognition by vision and by touch. In addition, she tries to find out what people believe about how their visual system works. Specifically, she has found that many people make striking and systematic errors when they try to predict what they will be able to see in mirrors and windows. Finally, she looks at people's explanations of how common, everyday objects - like bicycles, cranes and greenhouses - function and the surprising mistakes that people make.

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/c/f/8/event_233992472.jpegChurch of Scientology: ‘John Sweeney is psychotic, a bigot and a liar’

Why disconnect a daughter from her mum?
Who is Xenu? What does Tom Cruise get out of it?
Q: What kind of Church hires private eyes? A: The Church Of Fear

Tom Cruise and John Travolta say the Church of Scientology is a force for good. Others disagree. Award-winning journalist John Sweeney investigated the Church for more than half a decade. During that time he was intimidated, spied on and followed and the results were spectacular: Sweeney lost his temper with the Church's spokesman on camera and his infamous 'exploding tomato' clip was seen by millions around the world. In The Church of Fear John tells the full story of his experiences for the first time and paints a devastating picture of this strange organisation, from former Scientologists who tell heartbreaking stories of families torn apart and lives ruined to its current followers who say it is the solution to many of mankind's problems. This is the real story of the Church by the reporter who was brave enough to take it on.

NOTE: DUE TO AN OVERSIGHT THIS EVENT HAS ONLY JUST GONE LIVE!!! THIS IS TOMORROW NIGHT!!!! SO APOLOGIES FOR SHORT NOTICE

"The Vampire has fascinated Western Europe from the early 1700s, but the tradition was a real part of Eastern European lives for a considerable time before that. In the last three centuries, the icon has been taken up by art of all kinds - literature, film and graphics - and it has had a lasting effect on fashion and culture. But what is the authentic story behind tales of the predatory, living dead and can we understand a little more about being human by studying these accounts? We will look at recent attempts to understand the folklore and try to work out how an Eastern European ritual made its way to late nineteenth century New England, USA.
Deborah Hyde writes writes, lectures internationally and appears on broadcast media to discuss superstition, religion and belief in the supernatural. She uses a range of approaches and disciplines from history to psychology to investigate the folklore of the malign and to discover why it is so persistent throughout all human communities & eras. She is currently writing a book ‘Unnatural Predators’. She is also a film industry makeup effects production manager who gets on the wrong side of the camera from time to time."

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/9/3/e/event_209327422.jpegWorried about attacks on science education by creationists from well funded USA and Australian bodies? Concerned about the fundamentalist wedge strategy in education? Think Intelligent Design belongs in an RE class rather than a science class?

Creationism is currently facing more opportunities in the UK education sector than it has ever before had. This talk will cover the current situation and what you can do about it.
You will also learn how to argue with creationists without using logic and evidence.
If we have time we will play "Creationism or Fiction?"

That's our speaker Mark Edon's brief and only slightly tongue in cheek introduction to the topic. A modern day 'Darwin's pitbull', Mark is one of the BCSE's public advocates. The British Centre for Science Education (BCSE) is the leading anti-creationist organisation in Europe. They are a well established professional group dedicated to promoting and defending science education in the UK. The BCSE is run as a cooperative organisation by part-time volunteers with free membership and a community forum where the general public can debate the key issues involved. It believes in the tools for everyone to think for themselves - Science, Education and Reason - and the outcome – Democracy, Pluralism and Liberty.

With Michael Gove and the coalition approving new Steiner Schools to open under the Free School Programme, it is timely to look closely at the origins and beliefs of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the occult movement of Anthroposophy.

Steiner was a mystic who believed he had direct clairvoyant access to cosmic knowledge. As such he developed an esoteric belief system based on karma, reincarnation, astrology, homeopathy and gnomes. His visions gave insights into architecture, art, dance, agriculture, medicine, education, science and diet. His racial hierarchy of spiritual developmental resonated in Germany in the early 20th Century turning a personal belief into a worldwide movement. Today we find hundreds of anthroposophically inspired organisations in the UK alone: everything from Steiner Schools, Biodynamic farms to banks, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, charities and cheese makers.

Andy Lewis is perhaps better known as his super alter ego, le Canard Noir and creator of the skeptical exocet that is www.quackometer.net

Andy has been trying to lift the veil on the inner secrets of the movement and will discuss how it has a direct impact on public life.

IMPORTANT NOTE: this event is on a Tuesday rather than our regular Thursday. We wouldn't want to create relationship difficulties by having a talk on Valentines Day