We started these because we just didn't have enough time to meet and chat with people at the speaker nights and they've been a great success. They're relaxed, easy and a great chance to mix in and meet people.

If it's your first time along and you're a bit nervous let us know you're coming and we'll look out for you. You can contact us via facebook, @Brum_Skeptics or birminghamskeptics(at)gmai< style="font: 11px/13px "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">l(dot)com.

Hope to see you there.

Dr Colin Wright will demonstrate a selection of the patterns and skills of juggling while at the same time developing a simple method of describing and annotating a class of juggling patterns. By using elementary mathematics these patterns can be classified, leading to a simple way to describe those patterns that are known already, and a technique for discovering new ones.

Disguised as an entertaining description of juggling, the presentation is really about science and mathematics, how they work, what they mean, and why they’re important. The talk has been given in locations as diverse as New Zealand, Australia, Chicago, Seattle, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, The Isle of Man, and all over mainland UK, including last year’s QED.

Colin is a co-founder of Solipsys Limited along with Andrew Lipson. Colin plays the Game Of Go (badly), piano (worse) and can juggle and unicycle in addition to having a Ph.D. from Cambridge in Combinatorics and Graph Theory, which are areas of mathematics.

With millions of members and over 200 organisations worldwide, the 12 step programme of recovery has been used to help people recover from addiction and dependence since 1935. The most well-known of the 12 step groups is Alcoholics Anonymous, which claims to have in excess of 2 million members.

In his talk, Danny will discuss what exactly the 12 steps are, what they really mean and just how effective they are in tackling addiction. He will also explore questions such as are 12 step groups cults, is a belief in god central to the 12 step programme and if so, can athiests really use the 12 steps?

Danny spent almost three years as a member of a 12 step fellowship. Three years after attending his last 12 step meeting, Danny remains free from addiction. Just for today.

Danny is co-chair of Newcastle Skeptics, you can follow him on twitter @dts1970

Yes folks, it’s the first ever Birmingham Skeptics in the Pub Quiz. It’ll be a bit geeky, it’ll be fun and it’s free to enter with a range of prizes that reflect the cost of entrance. More important though is your chance to prove that you are at the top of the intellectual skeptical tree complete with gloating rights over friends and lesser beings of your acquaintance.

We’re setting the maximum team size to six people but if there’s only one or two of you don’t worry there’ll be chance to mix and find extra team mates before the quiz starts. If you want to come along but it’s your first time or you feel nervous about approaching other people let us know and we’ll help sort something out. Just email us at birminghamskeptics (at) gmail (dot) com.

If you're on Facebook let us know you're coming:

http://www.facebook.com/events/357691290943315/

Ever watched our speakers and figured that you could do that too? Do you have something of a broadly skeptical nature that you need to get off your chest? Well, we’ve got slots free on the open mic night and we’d like to hear from you. Fifteen minutes, a microphone and an audience could be at your disposal, we’ll even throw in a data projector and laptop if you need it. Let us know your talk ideas by the end of August and we’ll select the lucky entrants from all those that have put themselves forward. Just email us at birminghamskeptics (at) gmail (dot) com.

Don't delay, get your thinking caps on and drop us an email now!

If you’re not giving a talk yourself then come anyway and cheer along those that are. 

If you're on Facebook let us know you're coming:

http://www.facebook.com/events/339939716053213/

 Alice Roberts, anatomist, author, broadcaster and now Professor of Public Engagement in Science for the University of Birmingham joins Birmingham Skeptics in the Pub.

We don't know the content of the talk yet so check back here to find out. There is a chance that this event will be ticketed as there has already been a lot of interest. If so we'll let you know well before when and where you can obtain the tickets from.