Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Full Deck of Skeptic Trumps

It was about this time last year that Neil Davies and I began a fun project to combine his brilliant artistic skills with my churlish ability to insult well known skeptics. Thus Skeptic Trumps where reborn. Since then I still regularly receive numerous requests to produce a physical copy of the deck (An idea I do hope to bring to fruition one day, hopefully via a magazine giveaway). But despite still missing numerous notable Skeptics the deck hasn't grown since October last year, and it occurred to me that since then I have never actually published the set of trumps in their entirety. So, together for the first time, here are the complete set of Skeptic Trumps…





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37 comments:

  1. brian t16 May 2010 at 13:39

    If you're looking for more names, I can recommend Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland. He's been active in the battle against Ireland's bizarre new blasphemy laws, to the point where it's going to be put to a referendum.

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  2. Fredrik16 May 2010 at 15:20

    Also, the list is (understandably) very anglo-american dominated. Some more international variety wouldn't hurt. One guy who should be included is Sanal Edamaruku, the Indian skeptic who challenged a guru to kill him on live-TV. This was possibly the single biggest skeptical success in media history (Randy vs Geller at Johnny Carson Show, a close competitor) http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/03/23/tantric-guru-in-india-fails-to-kill-skeptic/

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  3. Susi Bocks16 May 2010 at 16:34

    what about Bill Maher!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

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  4. Crispian Jago16 May 2010 at 16:53

    Sanal Edamaruku and Michael Nugent are both excelent suggestions, but I'm not so sure about Bill Maher, I think his comments on vaccinations should exclude him.

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  5. Neil Davies16 May 2010 at 16:59

    I let Crispian make the choices of skeptics for the cards, and I'm happy to keep doing whoever he thinks should be included. Definitely can't keep up the pace I've been doing so far though, so it'll have to be a bit intermittent from now on I'm afraid :)

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  6. Ed Bradburn17 May 2010 at 11:26

    Victor Stenger!!!

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  7. Michael Kingsford Gray17 May 2010 at 13:42

    Deepak Chopra!

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  8. Anonymous9 June 2010 at 17:50

    Jen McCreight of blaghag.com and the Boobquake, perhaps?

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  9. Anonymous30 August 2010 at 00:47

    Time to delete Kaku's card:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pw13F7ahjY

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  10. brian t30 August 2010 at 12:37

    Anonymous: did you listen to what Dr, Kaku actually said? "No smoking gun". He's using a process of elimination, and speculating about the 5% unexplained sightings, but stopping short of saying "they're aliens". It reminded me of Clarke's Law: any sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".

    He's not claiming to have knowledge that he doesn't have. Why can't he have a little fun with these ideas? I know I do, while being skeptical at the same time.

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  11. AdmiralCasey3 March 2011 at 02:01

    Don't forget dan barker

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  12. Anonymous30 March 2011 at 02:51

    What about the other SGU rogues?

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  13. Anonymous30 March 2011 at 12:48

    come see the last!

    in your room where time stands still...

    infidelguy.com/ftopict-2036.html

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  14. Anonymous30 March 2011 at 12:49

    crispian - u didnt make it...

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  15. Anonymous2 April 2011 at 11:49

    Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou must surely be a strong contender.

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  16. Michael Kingsford Gray2 April 2011 at 13:40

    I can't see Rebecca Watson in the pack.
    Special Power: Snark.

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  17. Gordon Bonnet2 April 2011 at 17:21

    I now have a Life Goal: to merit having my face on a Skeptic Trump card.

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  18. Lady Hawke6 April 2011 at 00:19

    Hey! Put me on one of those... I'll represent the unemployed American housewife contingent... skeptical that there really are 1001 uses for baking soda.

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  19. Anonymous14 May 2011 at 17:19

    @Susi Bocks:

    Bill Maher can be on the list when he abandons his anti-vaxxer and anti-medicine stance. It takes a real numbskull to appear irrational when interviewing Bill Frist.

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  20. Anonymous24 May 2011 at 19:25

    Justin Trottier of CFI Canada deserves a card!

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  21. Anonymous24 May 2011 at 19:25

    What about David Silverman, president, American Atheists?

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  22. Anonymous28 May 2011 at 13:31

    LOL - soo awesome!

    You really have to get this published. I wouldn't have thought it would cost that much to produce. And think of the turnover...

    (Need to put Victor Stenger on there though)

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  23. Wendy M. Grossman4 June 2011 at 16:40

    Some other thoughts...

    Ian Ridpath (who did the original work on the Rendelsham UFO and whose analysis, derided at the time by UFO enthusiasts, is now widely accepted as correct)

    Amardeo Sarma, head of the German Skeptics

    wg

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  24. Ash Pryce10 July 2011 at 23:41

    Some suggestions maybe (apologies if they are on the list and I missed them!)

    Would be cool to see a few more on here too!

    Michael Marshall. Why? co host of one of the most popular skeptic podcasts around. Co creator of the 10:23 campaign and the biggest skeptical weekend conference outside of TAM- QED.

    Hayley stevens. Why? Again, co host, editor and co producer of Righteous Indignation podcast, founder of the British Anomalistic Research Society and Bath skeptics as well one of few skeptics focused on claims of the paranormal.

    Matt Parker. Why? comedian and mathematician who uses comedy to bring rational thought to the public eye. Regular contributor to skeptical events and ridiculously hard working (anyone who saw him during the edinburgh fringe last year knows how much he puts into promoting skepticism and rational thought)

    Keir Liddle. Why? Co-founder of the popular 21st Floor blog, created the Skeptics on the Fringe idea and has campainged and spearheaded campaigns in Scotland to promote reason and science.

    Not sure how nominations work, or if you're taking any more but would love to see these here.

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  25. Anonymous5 September 2011 at 04:29

    Uhh I know he has died but Carl Sagan... you have to have Sagan. I guess he might be too powerful to have a card of though :)
    What about Stephen Hawking, not really a debunker type of skeptic more of an educator and all-round genius.

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  26. max doughies11 November 2011 at 14:12

    would bill hicks be appropriate? I'd like to think so.

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  27. Anonymous1 August 2012 at 20:55

    How about Lawrence Krauss?

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  28. Anonymous3 March 2013 at 20:31

    How about Matt Dillahunty, of the Atheist Community of Austin and "The Atheist Experience"? Would make for a great caricature too!

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  29. Anonymous3 March 2013 at 20:32

    How about Matt Dillahunty of the Atheist Community of Austin, and "The Atheist Experience"? Would make for a great caricature too!

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  30. Anonymous11 March 2013 at 07:00

    How about carl fucking sagan

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  31. Unknown20 March 2013 at 00:13

    so, maybe i just havn't found them, but i would love to buy a deck of these

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  32. Anonymous23 March 2013 at 16:58

    Ben Goldacre is, surely a 100% shoo-in for this list?

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  33. Anonymous30 March 2013 at 06:50

    Would Abraham Lincoln be a good one.... since he didn't exist! #alincolnism

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  34. Anonymous31 March 2013 at 15:51

    Great collection! You need the 4th horseman though to go with Dan, Hitch and Dawkins... Sam Harris! Also, should Hitchens' stats not be better?!

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  35. Anonymous10 April 2013 at 23:47

    Bill Maher and Bill Nye!!

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  36. Alan Bird29 May 2013 at 12:40

    Edzard Ernst! His very profession is de-bunking!

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  37. Anonymous10 June 2013 at 10:12

    Bill maher, Lawrence Krauss and/or Ricky Gervais could be added.
    Also I agree that Hitch should be much much better.

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