The tagline for the fiftieth-anniversary CSICon said it all: “Celebrate Our History … Chart Our Future.” From June 11–14, the City of Buffalo was filled with skeptics representing every (habitable) continent. It was my first CSICon as the executive director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), and the event offered thrills and exhaustion for me and my family (and I have the sense that a lot of people felt the same). I’m going to provide a quick overview and then you can head over to skepticalinquirer.org to read more about the monumental skeptical event of the year.
We were there to celebrate the founders of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), including Paul Kurtz, James Randi, Ray Hyman, Carl Sagan, Martin Gardner, many other luminaries, and, of course, Kendrick Frazier. The CFI History and Mystery Tour at the Center for Inquiry’s headquarters set the stage while the History Panel and International Panel expanded on the story.
We were there to honor science communicators of all stripes. Barry Karr received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as CSI’s prior executive director, including his work in organizing every previous CSICon (and many other events). There would be no CSICon without Barry. Ronald Lindsay also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for everything he accomplished as the previous president and CEO of CFI and for his more recent stint as editor of Free Inquiry. Author Mary Roach accepted the Public Education in Science Award, all while joking along with Richard Wiseman. Two nights later, Bill Nye accepted the Isaac Asimov Award, all while joking along with me. During the Awards Dinner and Mystifying Variety Show, Michael Mann and Peter Hotez received the Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking for their book Science under Siege.
We were there to be part of a community. It’s rare for so many skeptical inquirers to be in the same room, eat the same food, share the same laughs, and solve the same problems affecting us all today. From a surprising Skeptical Extravaganza and a mesmerizing mentalism show to the inspiring CSICon Singers and a soaking wet excursion to Niagara Falls, we joined together in various forms of entertainment, engagement, and exploration alongside old friends and new.
We were there to chart our future. Filled with new voices, Sunday’s program offered diverse perspectives on today’s state of organized skepticism, while still maintaining a forward-looking eye. Katie Suleta offered the final presentation of the event, with a focus on “Recruiting the Next Generation of Critical Thinkers.” Off the stage, in the audience, through the halls, and at the bars, the conversations about the future of organized skepticism continued: How can we reach more people? How can we best promote science? How can we best defend scientists? What will the future hold?
Our best answers will continue to be explored in this magazine and at the next CSICon in Philadelphia from July 15–18, 2027. Register today at csiconference.org!
All photos below by Karl Withakay unless otherwise stated:
