What is the European Skeptics Congress?

The European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) is an umbrella group for Europe’s various national skeptical organisations. It co-ordinates the critical investigation of pseudo-scientific statements and claims regarding observations of paranormal phenomena and it makes the results of these investigations known to the general public.

ECSO also organises a congress every two years where delegates from all over Europe meet to discuss a particular theme of skeptical interest.

 
13th European Skeptics Congress

This year, for the first time, the congress will be held in Dublin, hosted by the Irish Skeptics Society. It will run from Friday, September 7th to Sunday, September 9th at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin. The theme will be The Assault on Science: constructing a response.

Science is under attack on many fronts. This is evidenced in the continuing rise in popularity of the complementary and alternative medicine sector, the ongoing battles between evolutionary biologists and the intelligent design movement, the increased activities of fundamentalist religious movements, the granting of degrees in science to students of alternative practices such as homeopathy and so on.

Skeptics organisations across the world are involved in responding to these varied threats to science and rationality. At this, the 13th European Skeptics Congress we will explore the range and depth of the assault on science and discuss the potential to respond in coherent and concerted ways to varied threats to the integrity of the scientific enterprise.

At the congress in Dublin we will gather together an impressive group of eminent speakers to address issues of concern and together with delegates from all over Europe and beyond we will focus on strategic actions that might usefully be taken to promote science and to resist harmful opposition.

Constructive criticism within science and from outside is always welcome and serves to focus and develop its endeavours. What concerns us in this instance are destructive, irrational kinds of criticism that serve only to confuse and to denigrate scientific progress.

The congress will take place in the Davenport Hotel in the centre of Dublin. It will begin at 2.00pm on Friday September 7th and will run through to 1.30pm on Sunday September 9th. There will be a reception on Friday evening and a congress dinner in the Davenport Hotel on Saturday evening.

A number of rooms have been reserved at the Davenport Hotel and will be released on a first come first served basis. A separate form is available for hotel booking. We will post details on additional accommodation options shortly.

We look forward to welcoming you to Dublin.