Editor’s note: Some of the following event descriptions were written by the speakers and staff of the Center for Inquiry.
Whether you’ve never been to CSICon before or you’ve attended them all, the 2026 celebration is sure to offer some new fun experiences while also bringing back many of the events that attendees have enjoyed for years. The 2026 CSICon—to be held from June 11–14 in Buffalo, New York—will be a joyous celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of both Skeptical Inquirer magazine and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). This article will help you get everything you can out of this wonderous event. Before diving into the schedule, let’s begin with a few basic tips:
1) Arrive on Wednesday, June 10, so that you can hit the ground running on Thursday morning. Depart on Monday (or very late on Sunday), so you can fully enjoy every aspect of the conference.
2) Book your hotel room early. Most attendees will be staying at the Hyatt Regency, making this hotel the place to be. However, rooms will likely sell out. Fortunately, we do have some overflow hotels nearby, but it’s generally more fun to stay at the main hotel.
3) Plan your meals in advance with reservations when possible. Compared to conferences held in Las Vegas, there will be fewer restaurants near the Buffalo Convention Center. Finding food at the last minute will be tricky given that hundreds of skeptics will also be seeking food at the same times.
4) Keep in mind which meals you can get at the conference itself. Although you’ll be on your own for most meals, the Thursday night reception will have some free appetizers and a cash bar. On Saturday, we have a VIP luncheon, but that will have very limited seating (and it’s a fundraiser, so its ticket is admittedly pricey). Also requiring an extra ticket, Saturday night will include our 50th Anniversary Awards Dinner and Mystifying Variety Show. Please note that on Friday and Sunday, none of the conference events include food. Free coffee will be available in the mornings.
5) Most of the extra tours and workshops have limited tickets available and will probably sell out. As I write this, I’m mindful of the fact that emphasizing scarcity is one of the tactics of persuasion, so feel free to apply your critical thinking as you read this tip. That said, many of the events requiring an extra ticket have tended to sell out in years past.
6) Most of the advertised presentations will be included with your general admission ticket. Thus, even if you don’t pay for any of the extras, you’ll still be able to celebrate with the biggest names in skepticism and science communication, including filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy and several SI columnists, including Andrea Love and Stuart Vyse. Our online columnist Nick Tiller will also be co-presenting with journalist Rina Raphael.
7) To get even more tips about how to get the most out of CSICon, read Susan Gerbic’s article “CSICon 101” at skepticalinquirer.org.
Now, let’s look at the general schedule for each day. Events requiring an extra ticket will be marked with an asterisk symbol (*).
Thursday (June 11)
The Center for Inquiry History and Mystery Tour* (8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.)
Experience the history of organized skepticism during a tour through the headquarters of the Center for Inquiry. CSI Chief Investigator Kenny Biddle will tell tales of the most intriguing curiosities in the building, and CFI Director of Libraries Timothy Binga will guide you through the building while discussing the history and architecture and taking you through an extensive collection of books authored by—and even owned by—the world’s greatest mystery solvers, skeptics, and freethinkers. Transportation will be provided.
Investigating Extraordinary Claims Workshop* (12:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m.)
Join veteran investigators Jim Underdown and Benjamin Radford as they share their decades of experience in this split workshop focused on mysteries and superpowers! The world is full of mysteries, and with over half our population still holding onto various paranormal beliefs, we need all the tools we can get to investigate, test, and solve them. When it comes to claims of fearsome monsters, extraterrestrials, and haunted houses, where do you start? Radford, author of Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries and deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, will go over the methods, tips, and tricks he uses to not only investigate paranormal claims but to solve the mysteries. But what about those individuals who claim to have superpowers beyond those of regular people? That’s where Underdown shines. He’ll go over the processes and detail specific methods he and the CFI Investigations Group (CFIIG) employ when designing properly controlled tests for the CFIIG $500,000 Paranormal Challenge, which happens to be the largest such prize in the world.
Don’t Believe Everything You Believe Workshop* (2:15 p.m.–4:00 p.m.)
Think you’re immune to bias? That’s exactly what a person with biases would think! Join Bertha Vazquez and Melanie Trecek-King for a lively, eye-opening workshop on how tribal thinking hijacks our beliefs. Learn how to argue with yourself more productively and catch your inner caveman in the act. You’ll try out critical thinking tools for escaping your echo chamber, practice the fine art of being wrong (gracefully), and even learn how to outsmart your own brain. Vazquez is the director of education for CFI, and Trecek-King is the founder of Thinking Is Power.
Magic for Skeptics Workshop* (4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.)
Join Richard Wiseman, Raymond Hall, and Massimo Polidoro as they undertake a three-part journey into the fascinating world of magic and skepticism. In the first part, you will discover the key psychological principles that magicians use to astound their audiences and find out how to perform several mind-blowing miracles. In part two, you will be invited into the mysterious realm of scientific sorcery and learn physics-based stunts that can be used to both educate and entertain. Then, in the third and final part, you will go backstage with the psychics and uncover some of the tricks of the paranormal trade. Together we will take a deep dive into deception, psychology, science, skepticism, and the paranormal. This will be a hands-on and highly interactive session in which you will discover how to perform amazing card tricks, read minds, predict the future, transform a tea towel into a chicken, and much more.
Opening Reception and Presentation (7:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.)
The opening reception will include appetizers and a cash bar. Stephen Hupp (CSI’s executive director and editor of Skeptical Inquirer), Robyn Blumner (CFI’s president and CEO), and Eddie Tabash (chair of CFI’s board of directors) will provide opening remarks before a yet-to-be revealed headliner will set the stage for the rest of the conference with an inspiring presentation.
Friday (June 12)
Morning Session and History Panel (8:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.)
Conference emcee and comedienne Leighann Lord will open the morning session with some humor that will wake everyone up before she begins introducing the morning speakers. The session will culminate in a history panel hosted by Massimo Polidoro that includes James E. Alcock, Eugenie Scott, Barry Karr, and Ruth Frazier.
Afternoon Session and SGU Podcast (2:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.)
After several riveting afternoon presentations, the cohosts of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast—Steven Novella, Jay Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Bob Novella, and Evan Bernstein—will be joined by Geroge Hrab for a live recording of the show. The SGU recently celebrated twenty years of podcasting and were featured on a cover of SI.
Banachek’s Telepathy Show (7:45 p.m.–8:45 p.m.)
You may know Banachek from Project Alpha, when he teamed up with Michael Edwards and James Randi to deceive parapsychologists into believing he and Edwards had real paranormal abilities. Or perhaps you know Banachek from CSICon 2024, when he performed his mentalism show called “Mind Games.” During the 2026 CSICon, attendees will be amazed by his other show called “Telepathy.” Banachek includes audience participation in his shows, so be ready to have your mind read (and blown).
A Skeptical Extravaganza of Special Significance* (9:15 p.m.–11:15 p.m.)
A Skeptical Extravaganza of Special Significance is an interactive stage show from the award-winning Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast. With musician and fellow podcaster George Hrab as your host, the team uses improv games, illusions, and playful challenges to reveal how easily perception and memory can be fooled. The audience takes part throughout, solving puzzles, joining experiments, and trying to beat the SGU at trivia. Expect sharp improv, live music, and counterintuitive tests to see just how easily your brain can fool you.
Saturday (June 13)
Morning Session and International Panel (8:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.)
Leighann Lord returns for another day of comical introductions. After a few energizing speakers, the session will once again culminate in a panel, but this time the panelists will represent the international community of skeptics. Richard Saunders will host Leo Igwe (from Africa), Alejandro Borgo (from South America), and Amardeo Sarma (from Europe).
VIP Luncheon and Panel* (12:15 p.m.–2:00 p.m.)
Join this VIP luncheon featuring special guests Bill Nye, Michael Mann, and Peter Hotez. After the meal, CFI President and CEO Robyn Blumner will host a once-in-a-lifetime conversation with this panel of award-winning science communicators.
Afternoon Session and Project Alpha Interview (2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.)
After a few electrifying afternoon presentations, Brian Brushwood (host of the World’s Greatest Con podcast) will interview Banachek and Michael Edwards about their experience working with James Randi on Project Alpha.
50th Anniversary Awards Dinner and Mystifying Variety Show* (6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.)
Over dinner, drinks, and song, experience a celebration like never before fit for our fiftieth. Find out who will win our most coveted awards and behold the amazing talents of CSICon’s spectacular speakers. The evening will be filled with mystifying magic, skeptical comedy, celebratory music, and genuine appreciation for science communication. CFI West Executive Director Jim Underdown will host Leighann Lord, Richard Wiseman, George Hrab, Malorie Mackey, Daniel Reed, Peter Hotez, Michael Mann, and a few other surprise guests. Dress up like it’s 1976, 2026, or even 2076!
Fireside Chat with Bill Nye (8:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.)
Through his show Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bill Nye has taught millions of children the value of science and critical thinking. His other shows—including The Eyes of Nye, Bill Nye Saves the World, and The End Is Nye—reached even more generations of emerging critical thinkers. From his books, such as Everything All at Once, to his advocacy work, including his role as the CEO of The Planetary Society, Nye’s enthusiasm for science always shines brightly. The year 2025 was a big one for Nye: in addition to guest editing a special issue of SI, he also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Experience the passion, beauty, and joy—or PB&J as he calls it—of science with this one-of-a-kind champion of skeptical inquiry. He’ll be joined on the stage by SI’s editor, Stephen Hupp.
Sunday (June 14)
Morning Session (9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)
CFI Ambassador Susan Gerbic and SI online columnist Rob Palmer open the morning by hosting several presenters who applied to make it to the CSICon stage. Then comedian Justin Robert Young will host a new event called “Skeptical Inquirer Presents: The Fast Talkers” in which presenters such as Meagan Ankney (from the Spooky Science Sisters podcast), Katie Suleta (from a recent cover of SI), and Dan Wilson (from the Debunk the Funk YouTube channel) will zip through lightning fast presentations that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Movie Screening (9:30 a.m.–11:45 a.m.; held concurrently with the above session)
Experience a special screening of the new documentary Heathens joined by the film’s creators, David Cowan and Shawn Hardin, who will participate in an enthralling Q&A session after the screening.
Niagara Falls Excursion and Maid of the Mist Boat Ride* (1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.)
Experience breathtaking views of Niagara Falls from the deck of the Maid of the Mist as the boat departs from the American side to the “basin of Horseshoe Falls—the dramatic passage leading you through the roiling waterfall whitewater and massive rock formations” (you don’t even need a passport). Test your knowledge of science-themed trivia during the thirty-minute bus ride to (or from) the falls with Brian Dunning—host of the Skeptoid podcast and leader of the Skeptoid Adventures tours—and some spooky trivia with Kenny Biddle, CSI’s chief investigator of paranormal claims. Discover Harry Houdini’s connection to Niagara Falls while you explore the roar! Which CSICon speakers will join the journey? There’s only one way to find out!