talkmagic.co.uk

Quite an interesting chat with Prof Richard Wiseman:

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/cultu ... nline-news

I went along to that as it was about 5 mins down the road from my house.

To be honest, it wasn't particularly informative if you've read Tricks of the Mind but it was good fun and you got to hear him talk for an extended period without a show script. There were lots of lay people in the audience and the questions were not very focused.

I bought into the hype while there and purchased myself a shiny new signed book of his Portraits.

I've read Tricks of the Mind and Confessions of a Conjuror, as well as seeing a number of his T.V. specials/shows, and I must say that Mr. Brown comes across as a truly fascinating character. And very funny too!

and Dr Todd is in Prospect Magazine this month

Pages 79-82.....

Why does Derren seem to be able to 'hang out' as it were with the scientific community. Since he studied law and German at University and has had to retract his claims of psychological techniques, I'm not really sure why people take him seriously as some kind of scientific authority.

Any ideas?

DrTodd wrote:and Dr Todd is in Prospect Magazine this month

Pages 79-82.....

Fame at last!

Derren's thingy about luck in Todmorden has had some unexpected consequences: http://www.todmordennews.co.uk/news/loc ... -1-4476716" target="_blank

DrTodd wrote:and Dr Todd is in Prospect Magazine this month

Pages 79-82.....

Link?

Grimshaw wrote:Why does Derren seem to be able to 'hang out' as it were with the scientific community. Since he studied law and German at University and has had to retract his claims of psychological techniques, I'm not really sure why people take him seriously as some kind of scientific authority.

Any ideas?

In this case, I believe it was simply the case that Richard Wiseman had a chance to interview him as he was doing his show in Glasgow and the Science Fest was an ideally opportunity to market the occasion. I seem to remember Derren making an off hand comment about the lack of science during. They used the "Psychology" as a tenuous link (or excuse) since that's obviously also Richard's field. it kind of made sense to bill it that way but it ended up as a pleasant chat with laughs.

DrTodd wrote:and Dr Todd is in Prospect Magazine this month

Pages 79-82.....

Thinking on, you'll also be in PC Plus in a month or two!

DaveM wrote:

Grimshaw wrote:Why does Derren seem to be able to 'hang out' as it were with the scientific community. Since he studied law and German at University and has had to retract his claims of psychological techniques, I'm not really sure why people take him seriously as some kind of scientific authority.

Any ideas?

In this case, I believe it was simply the case that Richard Wiseman had a chance to interview him as he was doing his show in Glasgow and the Science Fest was an ideally opportunity to market the occasion. I seem to remember Derren making an off hand comment about the lack of science during. They used the "Psychology" as a tenuous link (or excuse) since that's obviously also Richard's field. it kind of made sense to bill it that way but it ended up as a pleasant chat with laughs.

Hmmm. While that is a really tenuous link, I also meant it in regard to other things too. Derren presented some kind of diluted Tomorrow's World program as well didn't he? The science of attraction? Its a personal gripe of mine all this 'I can do science, me'. I know this is getting off topic, but Derren follows the same route as Tim Minchin. Tim is a funny, talented individual, but bangs on about science as if he was personally consulted on the design and construction of the LHC. I took him up on something he put on Twitter once, and he answered me like I was the GCSE student and he the professor. Yet we were both as qualified as each other on the subject we were talking about. The power of celebrity gone to their heads?

Derren didn't come across as per your Tim Minchin example. To be honest, I think he was bemused with the idea that he was doing a talk at a science festival. Not once did he claim any scientific knowledge or did he try to explain any principles outside of his own area.

I can imagine that people in the spotlight get offered cash to do such interviews and it's daft to turn them down. I certainly wouldn't.

Derren is not a scientific expert, just one who has joined forces with Richard Dawkins and a adds celebrity endorsement to the science community.

Madelon: the link is here

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2012/ ... id-blaine/

The full content is available only to subscribers

Best wishes

Dr Todd

DrTodd wrote:Derren is not a scientific expert, just one who has joined forces with Richard Dawkins and a adds celebrity endorsement to the science community.

Does the scientific community need celebrity endorsement?

Grimshaw wrote:

DrTodd wrote:Derren is not a scientific expert, just one who has joined forces with Richard Dawkins and a adds celebrity endorsement to the science community.

Does the scientific community need celebrity endorsement?

If we have Brian Cox saying on QI that his research is not deemed valid, then maybe it helps...

Grimshaw wrote:

DrTodd wrote:Derren is not a scientific expert, just one who has joined forces with Richard Dawkins and a adds celebrity endorsement to the science community.

Does the scientific community need celebrity endorsement?

The scientific community and the rational thought, unfortunately, needs at the moment all the "marketing" help it can have.