TONIGHT on the big, scary Zoom machine: The QAnon Storm is Upon Us

See @rothschildmd on tonight's Skeptical Inquirer Presents live online event at 7pm ET: "How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything"

Register right now: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… Starting in MERE MOMENTS. Register now to join the Zoom before the Lizard People catch you. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Now my charms are all o’erthrown, and it’s time for The Morning Heresy news roundup.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/cults-of-… First off, don’t forget that tonight Mike Rothschild is on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, a free, live Zoom event, in which he’ll prepare us for the QAnon storm that is, alas, upon us. Register now. It kicks off at 7pm ET.

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Welcome to The Morning Heresy news roundup, and yes, this is all still really happening.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/hyper-opt… At @SkeptInquirer, @KennyBiddle42 investigates a gadget that’s supposed to help with ghost hunting called a “REM Pod.” So, what’s the frequency, Kenneth? (GET IT?) skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/ghos…

Good morning, heretics. Yes, it’s only Tuesday. And while that technically means time is moving in one linear direction, it really feels like maybe we’re in a time loop. Let’s do the news roundup.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/bear-the-… Hey don’t forget that Mike Rothschild will be on the next Skeptical Inquirer Presents live online event Thursday night to talk about the sturm und drang of QAnon. Register now, it’s free for goodness sake.

centerforinquiry.org/news/the-qanon…

Welcome to a new week, heretics. Time for The Morning Heresy’s roundup-thread of all the weird, disturbing, and bewildering goings-on in the news.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/virus-por… Benjamin Radford looks at how the coverage of mass shootings often begins with a scramble to name the race of the perpetrator, which he says is “counterproductive, can perpetuate racism, and distract from far more salient factors.”
centerforinquiry.org/blog/the-futil…

One day, CFI's legal director Nick Little was scrolling through Facebook, which he totally doesn't spend too much time doing. He can quit any time. Anyway, he was scrolling and look what he found! An advertisement!

(Oh, this is a thread.) Facebook is FULL of ads, of course, but this one was special. It was by a company called Modern Allergy Management (or "MAM"), and they offer an AMAZING service: they can tell you what you're allergic or intolerant to by analyzing a sample of your hair! WOWEE WOW WOW.

The Morning Heresy, parsing the emotional, unpredictable, and completely incomprehensible, usually well before lunchtime.

Let us begin our news roundup thread.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/emotional… Nick Little, our legal director, saw an ad on Facebook promising to detect his “intolerance” to “GMOs.” This is obviously nonsense, so Nick sent them a letter and warned them as much. And, well, it looks like they backed down. Read all about it.
centerforinquiry.org/blog/can-you-d…

Before we get to today's Morning Heresy news roundup (titled "Costumed Adventurers"), let me just clear the air. I totally thought yesterday was Wednesday, and it totally was NOT. It was Tuesday. Today is Wednesday. I was gently corrected on Twitter, I made corrections and mea culpas, and felt pretty dumb, especially since we’re supposed to be the facts-and-reality organization. Getting the day of the week right is table stakes. So, you know, sorry about that.

Happening now! You can still hop in by registering at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

https://twitter.com/center4inquiry/status/1374444852507643920

Here's a look at why the legal landscape is so bloody treacherous for the secular movement right now. Look who got to pick all the judges (in just one term).

Happy Tuesday, heretics. Look upon these links, ye mighty, and despair!!! It’s time for The Morning Heresy news roundup. Today's episode, "Manifesting in My Biofield."

Ew.

centerforinquiry.org/blog/manifesti…

Thread ahead. We’ll start with what your friendly neighborhood Center for Inquiry is up to. Perhaps most importantly, there’s a lot of news about COVID, the vaccines, and various scams that gets covered over at our Coronavirus Resource Center. Go see. centerforinquiry.org/coronavirus/?u…

Good morning, heretics, and welcome to a the Morning Heresy news roundup for a new week, and yes, a new month, because, no, this is not the same “March” as when all this started. It’s actually one whole year later from *that* March! I KNOW! Thread time. centerforinquiry.org/blog/some-of-m… .@RichardDawkins has a new piece up at @PenguinUKBooks on how the tragedy of the pandemic may also yield immense progress for science, and a much greater appreciation for it. penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/…

Good morning, heretics. Shall we begin this thread of news and links? We shall.

Today's Morning Heresy episode, "I’ve Just Sucked One Year of Your Life Away." Ominous!

centerforinquiry.org/blog/ive-just-… The big thing, which should appeal to us skeptic-secular types as well as normals, is that @NASAPersevere has persevered, landing safely on Mars and snapping photos. LOOK HOW HAPPY THESE PEOPLE ARE.
cnn.com/2021/02/18/wor…

Starting soon, @MichaelEMann on Skeptical Inquirer Presents with @LeighannLord! Starts at 7pm ET. Register free right now. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… About to get started! You can still register for the Zoom event now to tune in right here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Happy Thor's Day, heretics. Let's get to today's news roundup for seculars and skeptics with the Morning Heresy.

Today's episode, "Don’t Poke the Behemoth." Begin the thread! centerforinquiry.org/blog/dont-poke… Tonight, get ready to get…

😎

Mann-splained.

On Skeptical Inquirer Presents at 7pm ET we have the four-star general of the climate wars, Michael Mann. Register free right now. centerforinquiry.org/news/winning-t…

Welcome to Odin’s Day, heretics. Shall we go forth with our news roundup for secular-skeptic types? We shall. Today's Morning Heresy episode, "A Fiction Created By Some People." Thread! centerforinquiry.org/blog/a-fiction… First, a reminder that tomorrow at 7pm ET on Skeptical Inquirer Presents we have the climate warrior himself, Michael E. Mann, who’s going to tell us how to win the new climate war. Get thyself registered!

centerforinquiry.org/news/winning-t…

Welcome back to the work week, heretics, unless of course your workplace gives you President’s Day off, in which case you might be sleeping in, in which case good afternoon. Let’s see what’s up in the news. Thread ahoy.
centerforinquiry.org/blog/an-unusab… More drama from our lawsuit on behalf of Secular Celebrants in Texas: an appeals court dismissed the case on some nitpicky, technical grounds about standing and redressability, so we’re just going to come right back.

centerforinquiry.org/press_releases…

With a 2-for-1 $50,000 match for #GivingTuesday, it seems like a good time for a reminder of the many, many, MANY ways CFI is working to advance reason, science, secularism, and humanist values.
centerforinquiry.org/giving-tuesday/ We're working to get religion and pseudoscience out of government and policy, fighting discrimination, religious privilege, and science-denial on issues like climate, science education, vaccines, and COVID. centerforinquiry.org/our-issues/ #GivingTuesday

It's not just Tuesday, heretics, it's #GivingTuesday, something you'll no doubt be reminded of many times today! Let's kick off today's Morning Heresy news roundup, "Cheeky and Terrible." centerforinquiry.org/blog/cheeky-an… 1/13 You already know that the kind of good we’re doing at CFI is more important than ever, you know, what with the infodemic and rise of theocracy and whatnot. We’ve got a 2-to-1 match going on for #GivingTuesday, so your help will go a really long way. centerforinquiry.org/giving-tuesday… 2/13

Prepare ye the way of the cuddliest of all news roundups, The Morning Heresy! Behold, "A Big Sofie." centerforinquiry.org/blog/a-big-sof… 1/8 .@tribelaw & @dorfonlaw say the recent SCOTUS decision quashing New York’s pandemic restrictions on religious gatherings foreshadows an “increasingly unrecognizable” America that resembles Gilead from The Handmaid’s Tale.
usatoday.com/story/opinion/… 2/8

In a time when misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories saturate our media and erode trust in science and reality, the role of the public skeptic has never been more critical. (Thread!!) Science denial, alternative facts, and magical thinking test the very integrity of society and threaten the health and freedoms of everyone. Those at the vanguard for the advance of science, reason, and critical thinking are indispensable.

Let’s all gather ‘round for a story about fake medicine, why people might use it, and why it’s so dangerous, especially during a global pandemic. Don’t worry! This story has pictures! Say hello to Ben. Hi, Ben! Ben is a very famous and important man. He used to be famous for being a neurosurgeon! Wow! That’s super-impressive. Now he’s the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Go Ben!