Meet The Skeptics!

Carrie is 1/2 of the duo "Ross and Carrie." A few episodes back we interviewed Ross. Now, here's Carrie! Carrie seems to infuse an upbeat energy into everything she does & it's no surprise that they seem to be having so much fun while recording the "Oh No, Ross & Carrie" podcast. During our interview we talked about her days as a child exorcist, how a search for non-leather boots led to a whole new lifestyle, her partnership with Ross Blocher. We also did a begging segment at one point. Enjoy! Oh No, Ross and Carrie! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ONRAC

Blake Smith is the co-host (along with Ben Radford and Karen Stollznow) of the Monster Talk podcast. During this discussion, we talked about religion, community, monsters and an alternate career path that could have had Blake working with a large bandage wrapped Yeti. No joke. He also divulged the rather surprising thing he had to do to gain status as an Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine. In addition to Monster Talk, you may be surprised to learn about other podcasts that Blake is involved with, namely "Ask a Canadian" and "The Death Panel." Follow Blake on Twitter at @DoctorAtlantis

Chris Mooney is one of the hosts of the Point of Inquiry Podcast, writes The Intersection With Chris Mooney, and is a published author with several books under his belt and more on the way.  Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future The Republican War on Science Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming During our interview we talk about Science Education in America, his fellowships, his time at the Center for Inquiry, and his defense of his positions against some rather well known critics. Twitter: @Chrismooney

Gary Stockdale is a Musician first, Skeptic/Atheist second. I met Gary at TAM 9 and had a really nice time chatting with him and getting to know him a bit. He has worked for many years as the musical director for Penn & Teller and is the man responsible for the  theme music to Penn & Teller's show "Bullshit." In addition to his work with Penn & Teller, Gary is an independent Musician and Composer with his own career path. During this interview we actually play a few of his songs, which have become favorites on my iPod. Make sure to check out Gary on Twitter at @GaryStockdale His Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/garystockdalemusic And his Website: www.GaryStockdale.com

Brian Trent is an "Aristotelian humanist non-partisan freethinking aggressive rationalist bibliophile." He also is an author of two books (for now), many articles and short stories and has been published in over 100 venues. America's Addiction to Belief LADY PHILOSOPHER: The Story of Hypatia Never Grow Old: The Novel of Gilgamesh In addition to his tireless writing efforts, Brian works as a film producer on independent projects as well as behind the scenes with the Skeptics Guide to the Universe team both as a producer and blogger. The Rogues Gallery Blogs Brian is also producing the Skeptics Guide 24 Hour Live Show on September 23-24. Make sure to tune in! SGU-24 Show And don't forget to check out Brian's website at: www.BrianTrent.com

I originally met and interviewed Donna Mugavero during a road trip that took me past Bethlehem, PA where she and George Hrab reside and continuously crank out episode after episode of the Geologic Podcast. I stopped by and we hung out and chatted for a bit as I put my recorder on. That interview originally went up online back in late 2010 on my old feed. Since I gradually moved all the old episodes over to the new feed, hers remained and languished in a bit of obscurity until I got my act together. Not too long ago, I happened to be back in Bethlehem & I asked if we could catch up a bit. Once again, I recorded it and added it to the original episode before moving it over to the new feed here.  Apparently, Ms. Info is now a Skepchick! This is an interesting tidbit because during our interview she made mention of the fact that she was a big supporter but was not an actual Skepchick. Since then things have changed and made at least part of this episode antiquated. Enjoy! Twitter: @MsInformation Sheer Br

Ross Blocher is a mild mannered Disney artist by day, woo woo hunter by night. He is the co-host of "Oh No, Ross and Carrie! The Podcast." The tagline is "We show up, so you don't have to." Along with his co-host Carrie Poppy, Ross investigates various religions, psuedosciences, alternative medical approaches, and more. They actually subject themselves to the process and report back in a podcast episode.  Ever wonder about Kabbalah? Accupuncture? Mormonism? Ear Candling? Just check out Oh No, Ross and Carrie! to hear their first hand accounts. In our interview, Ross and I talk about his advenures with the podcast, his efforts and time with the Independent Investigations Group, his conversion from devout Christian, and much more. Check them out on Facebook at: ONRAC on FB

Brian Keith Dalton is far better known as Mr. Deity, regularly depicting his own take on the stories and circumstances depicted throughout the bible in a humorous web series that has become a "must see" for anyone serious about biblical criticism. While the series itself tends not to shine a very favorable light on the stories from scripture, it has ironically been embraced even by many within the Christian community as a great starting point for discussion. During our interview we talked about his past, living in a mixed marriage (religious vs. non), the many wives of Joseph Smith, and much more. Brian is an "Forman" (Former Morman) who now splits his time between producing new Mr. Deity episodes and public speaking engagements. You can check out his stuff on the web at any of the links below, or even watch the very first episode of Mr. Deity right here. Facebook: Mr. Deity FB Page YouTube Channel: Mister Deity on YouTube Mr. Deity Website Twitter: @MrDeity

Derek Bartholomaus is best known as the creator and publisher of the Jenny McCarthy Body Count website. Since 2007 he has been compiling statistics to demonstrate that the anti-vaccine movement in the United States (with its figurehead Jenny McCarthy) has had a solid, measurable, negative impact in the form of an ever increasing number of preventable deaths and illnesses. In addition to the JMBC website, Derek also has a website devoted to the Billy Meier UFO Case and another as a fun lure for unsuspecting, self deluded psychics. In our interview we spoke about these sites, his activities with the IIG, and much more. You can follow Derek on Twitter at: @derekcbart Websites: www.BillyMeierUFOCase.com www.JennyMcCarthyBodyCount.com www.Psychic-Union.org

Jeff Wagg has been a recognizable name in the Skeptics community for quite some time. He worked at the JREF for several years, managing the Million Dollar Prize. He started and ran a website; IndieSkeptics.com before handing it over to Andrew Gould. Most currently, Jeff runs a travel business known as Skeptours. While I haven't yet had the chance to attend one of these tours, I can tell you that any self respecting skeptic with an excess of cash and a spirit of adventure should absolutely check it out. Skeptical, science minded vacations head to such places as The Bermuda Triangle, The Galapagos Islands, Alaska, and the Mayan Ruins of the Yucatan. Follow Jeff on Twitter at @JeffWagg.

I'm really not quite sure how Sharon Hill handles all her different projects. She blogs on a whole bunch of different sites, investigates the (paranormal) investigators, and somehow holds down a day job as a Hydrogeologist (boy, I hope I spelled that correctly). We talked about all that stuff, her "coming of age" as a Skeptic, interests in cryptozoology, and her Masters Degree program with the Center for Inquiry. You can check out Sharon at any of the following: I Doubt It  Skeptoid SheThought Who Forted? Spook Spot Twitter: @IDoubtIt

Maria Walters is about as well travelled as they come, having lived in India, Hong Kong & Trinidad, but currently calls Atlanta "home." Also known as Masala Skeptic, Maria is a blogger for Skepchick and the first (but hopefully not the last!) Skepchick we've had on the show. Maria and I talked about her involvement in Atlanta Skeptics, Skepchick, her support and work at spreading the importance of immunizations, life in various foreign countries, her "elevator pitch" for Skepticism, and much more.  Check out some of Maria's writings at: http://skepchick.org/author/ottle/ OR follow her on Twitter: @masalaskeptic

Emery Emery has been in Stand-Up Comedy for years, and now brings his formidable talents to his radio show/podcast Ardent Atheist. Somehow or another he manages to pull together an incredibly impressive panel for discussions on Religion and its place in the world today. Never allowing himself to take the easy way out, Emery almost always has at least one religious person on the panel, which makes for a great debate without fail. During our interview, we talked about freedoms, Emery's work on the movie "The Aristocrats," his conversion from a strong believer on track to becoming a preacher, the use of language, and much, much more. Ardent Atheist Website  Follow Emery on Twitter: @ArdentAtheists Ardent Atheist on iTunes New Dissident Radio

Donald Prothero is an instructor of Physical and Historical Geology, Sedimentary Geology, and Paleontology. We had a chance to talk about his participation during the very early days of the Skeptical movement, hisincredible track record of book publishing, Skeptic Geology Tours, and what it's like to work in dusty museum basements. Skeptic Blog The video below is a fantastic presentation regarding the proofs of Evolution. His presentation begins at about the 12:30 mark.

Brian Gregory is the creator and host of Virtual Drinking Skeptically. While this is particularly great for those of us who do not have a Skeptical social group nearby, it's also a fun evening if you do. All you need is a webcam, some good bandwidth, and a bottle of something potable in the fridge.  Brian and I spoke about his time in an evangelical church, his involvement with the Capital Area Skeptics and a recent Skepticamp, dowsing for electrical lines, and much more. Follow Brian on Twitter! @Briandgregory or check out his blog full of amusing findings from around the world of the Internet; Things I've Missed.

Paul Provenza is the host of Showtime's "The Green Room with Paul Provenza." He has been working in the field of Stand-Up Comedy for over 30 years now, and is the man responsible for the movie The Aristocrats and the book Satiristas: Comedians, Contrarians, Raconteurs & Vulgarians. In addition to Comedy, Paul is an accomplished actor who has played parts in such shows as The Facts of Life, Northern Exposure, and The West Wing. Paul comes to the Skeptics movement from the point of view of a comedian. While we may think of Magicians as experts of deception and Scientists as experts in diligently uncovering scientific truths, Comedians are often expert analysts of human behavior.  During TAM9 Paul will be hosting a Live Satiristas show with several very special guests. Paul has made it a habit to bring together comedians to entertain, challenge, and inform audiences while having a blast of a time in the process. This is what he does on his Showtime Show and it's what he is doing for the Skeptics movemen

Ashley Paramore is one of those people that you can't help notice popping up all around in various places in the Skeptiverse. She is the Development Director for the Secular Student Alliance and seemingly attends every conference remotely connected to Science, Skepticism and Atheism. Ashley assists students in setting up groups to promote critical thinking and secular/humanistic values in a non-religious setting. She travels to conferences to network and expand the impact of the SSA, making more opportunities available to students both in college and high school. Ashley's YouTube Channel Secular Student Alliance Twitter: @Healthyaddict

Mark Edward is a unique interviewee. While his Skeptical credentials aren't at all in question, he actually works and has worked as a "Psychic Entertainer." To be sure, Mark is a highly skilled mentalist, but in our talk he made some very clear distinctions between the skills of a good Mentalist versus the skills of a "Psychic." Mark pulls back the mask to show how psychics operate and explains clearly just why people walk away with the impression that "he knew stuff that he never could have known." Check out Mark's website at www.TheMarkEdward.com and look for his new book "Psychic Blues - Confessions From a Happy Medium."

Magician, Skeptic, Author, Inventor, and lover of all things weird, Andrew Mayne is an interesting guy to chat with to say the least. He has published a large number of magic books, but more recently has delved into the world of fiction with The Grendel's Shadow and Public Enemy Zero. Andrew worked at the JREF for several years, specifically involved with The Million Dollar Challenge. Now he splits his time between writing, recording the "Weird Things" podcast, inventing new magic tricks, and taking on the occasional stint performing live magic shows. Make sure to check him out at: www.AndrewMayne.com or follow Andrew on Twitter at @AndrewMayne

When you meet John Rennie in person, you quickly realize that he's pretty much the same guy that his writing would indicate. He has a unique ability that was no doubt honed to a razor sharp edge during his 2 decades at Scientific American Magazine, 15 as Editor in Chief. John has a special way of explaining science in an easy to understand fashion while avoiding any appearances of condescension. We talked about his years at Scientific American, his newer role as blogger, ways in which science education can be improved, what books he's reading, his stint as a Guest Rogue on SGU and so much more. You can follow John on Twitter at @tvjrennie. John's Website: http://johnrennie.net/ The Gleaming Retort Blog Recommended Reading: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks