Welcome to Newcastle Skeptics, a community dedicated to promoting critical thinking, science, and reason in the heart of the North East. We are a diverse group of individuals who share a passion for questioning the world around us, from debunking pseudoscience to discussing the latest developments in scientific research and philosophy.
Our monthly meetings feature guest speakers, lively debates, and opportunities to engage with like-minded people in a friendly, open environment. Whether you’re a seasoned skeptic or just beginning your journey into the world of critical inquiry, Newcastle Skeptics offers a welcoming space to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and connect with others who value rational discourse.
May event: Icy Sedgwick – The Ethics of Ghost Hunting: When Science Meets Commercial Interests
Ghost hunting has evolved from a pseudoscientific pursuit in the 19th century into a lucrative commercial powerhouse, driven in part by the success of TV shows like Ghost Hunters and podcasts like Uncanny. Yet an evolution based so heavily upon profit means that both integrity and ethics can be sidelined, if not entirely disregarded, in the process.
This talk will examine the ethical friction between entertainment and inquiry. Is it possible to investigate the paranormal without exploiting the dead or lying to the living? Setting aside the question of the reality of ghosts, Icy will explore the fraught ethics of paid ghost hunts and the commodification of tragedy.
Tickets are PAYF – please note free tickets are only available on the door.
Dr Icy Sedgwick is the host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast, investigating the fascinating world of European folklore with a focus on the British Isles, and the author of Rebel Folklore, Ghostlore, and Bring Me Love. Former ghost hunter Icy also holds a PhD in Film Studies after examining the representation of haunted houses in contemporary Hollywood cinema.
June social
Join us from 7.30pm on Tuesday 2nd June in The Library at the Town Wall on Pink Lane (near Newcastle Central Station) to meet fellow Toon skeptics.
June event: Skeptics Summer Sessions!
Saturday 20 June, 3pm
1867 cafe bar (Tyne Theatre & Opera House)
For this month’s event, instead of one talk, we have four shorter 15-minute talks by the fabulous skeptics in our community. Please keep an eye out for our socials for full descriptions of the titles, and join us for a lovely social summer evening for drinks and interesting facts!
Dr Andrew Shail – How much is pretend?
Elaine Francis –Mrs Marta Maudlin Explains It All: Christmas pudding and a silver sixpence: why your grandma wants you to break your teeth
Remy Heiskanen – Vlad the Impaler & the mistaken identity of Count Dracula
Simon Brophy – Return of airship travel
Past events archive
| 10 Oct 2024 | Nikolas Lloyd – How your body lies to you about pain |
| 14 Nov 2024 | Michael Marshall – Using data to counter quackery and alternative medicine |
| 12 Dec 2024 | Professor Anqi Shen – When blessings turn to curses: scammers’ exploitation of supernatural beliefs |
| 09 Jan 2025 | Dr Rebecca Woods – What’s a question to start with?: Why interrogatives are so weird (in English) |
| 13 Feb 2025 | Dr Tom Nicholson – “We’re all just a little bit ADHD, right?!” – How the world makes life harder for neurodivergent adults |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Dr Alex Niven – How to Get a Rise out of the North-East: A History of the Future in the Deep North |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Brian Eggo – The Truth is Nowt There |
| 15 May 2025 | Professor Richard Wiseman – How to Transform a Tea Towel into a Chicken and Other Mysteries |
| 12 Jun 2025 | Dr Joel Wallenberg – Stealing money from old people slowly, or How We Came to Charge for the Future |
| 10 Jul 2025 | Shayna Weisz – What’s wrong with me? How mental health awareness might actually be making us feel worse |
| 14 Aug 2025 | Maeve Hanan – When healthy eating turns harmful: How ultra-processed food panic fuels anxiety and disordered eating |
| 11 Sep 2025 | Professor Jamie Tehrani – The Natural History of Narratives: how stories evolve, spread and survive, and how they decay and die |
| 09 Oct 2025 | Dr. Darrel Ray – Sexy Evolution: What the Pope Doesn’t Know About Human Sexuality |
| 13 Nov 2025 | Dr Jane Stewart – XX/XY: not always what you think |
| 4 Dec 2025 | Dr George Locke – Apostasy in the UK: on leaving a high-control religion |
| 14 Feb 2026 | Heidi Mounsey – The Woo of Wee |
| 14 March 2026 | Professor Bruce Baker – Recognized More and More: Frederick Douglass and Newcastle’s role in ending slavery in the United States |
| 11 April 2026 | Robin Ince: A Monkey Escaped |