Announcing special guests: Massimo Pigliucci and Julia Galef. They will be joining us on Friday, July 8 at 9pm ET for a few hours to answer your questions in ‘virtual’ person.

You probably already know this incredibly smart duo does the blog and podcast thing called “Rationally Speaking”. And you’ve probably seen one or both of them speak at TAM, NECSS, or other places. No doubt you’ve also read, “Nonsense on Stilts”. Well, if you ever wanted to ask one or both of them something specific, or general, or just want to get another chance to hear them speak, well here you go.

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Prof. Pigliucci has a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara (Italy), a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has done post-doctoral research in evolutionary ecology at Brown University and is currently Chair of the Philosophy Department at Lehman College and Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, in particular the structure and foundations of evolutionary theory, the relationship between science and philosophy, the relationship between science and religion, and the nature of pseudoscience.

Prof. Pigliucci is the Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal Philosophy & Theory in Biology. He has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack.” 

In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national magazines such as Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, Philosophy Now, and The Philosopher’s Magazine among others. He has also been elected a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Pigliucci pens the “Rationally Speaking” blog, hosts the podcast by the same name, and publishes the “5-minute Philosopher” videos on YouTube.

At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 113 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 12 technical and public outreach books, including Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism and the Nature of Science (Sinauer), Making Sense of Evolution: Toward a Coherent Picture of Evolutionary Theory (with Jonathan Kaplan, University of Chicago Press), and most recently Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press).

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Julia Galef is a New York-based writer and public speaker specializing in science, rationality, and design. She serves on the board of directors of the New York City Skeptics, co-hosts their official podcast, Rationally Speaking, and co-writes the blog Rationally Speaking along with philosopher of science Massimo Pigliucci. She has moderated panel discussions at The Amazing Meeting and the Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism, and gives frequent public lectures to organizations including the Center for Inquiry and the Secular Student Alliance. Julia received her B.A. in statistics from Columbia in 2005.

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A few things to note about this chat: Unfortunately, Massimo can only commit an hour to the event due to other engagements, so if you want to talk w/ him, make sure to show up on time. I’m going to limit the number of people on video during that hour to minimize problems, but if you “raise your hand”, I’ll put you on video to ask your question. Also, since Julia appears to be quite busy this week as well, there is a chance she might not make it all.

Anyway, since I know we get a fun and intelligent crowd, I have no doubt that they will enjoy the experience enough that we’ll be able to get them back again sometime.

Be there!

Here’s the link to join:
http://connectpro30341441.adobeconnect.com/massimojulia20110708/