Travis Roy
co-founder and president of Granite State Skeptics
Homepage: http://www.granitestateskeptics.org
Yahoo Messenger: Sc00t978
Jabber/GTalk: Sc00tz@gmail.com
AIM: Sc00t978
Posts by Travis Roy
March Skeptics in the Pub – TONIGHT
Mar 8th
Join us at Milly’s in Manchester tonight for March’s Skeptics in the Pub!
Power Balance Facebook Takedown
Mar 6th
So I’ve talked about this on a couple podcasts, but I figured I would say it in my own words rather than guided by an interview. These podcasts probably won’t come out as fast and furious, but it’s new so I guess that happens. Also, the podcast is now listed in iTunes.
Everybody else is doing it
Mar 3rd
So, here’s the first of what I hope is many podcasts. Welcome to the the podosphere – Ramblings of a Skeptic Organizer
Kitty on Rational Alchemy
Feb 24th
If you missed our meeting where Kitty spoke, or you want to hear more about Bad Alien then head over to this week’s Rational Alchemy where she was the special guest.
Another podcast
Jan 29th
I had the pleasure of being on Rational Alchemy and the podcast got posted the other day. Sorry I didn’t post this sooner. Be sure to check it out, it was great fun. Talked about Power Balance and Facebook in greater detail. So if you caught Skeptically Speaking and want to know more, give this one a listen.
Skeptically Speaking – TONIGHT
Jan 29th
Reminder to everybody that I will be on Skeptically Speaking tonight.
I’ll be on the “Speaking up” segment at the beginning of the show talking about skeptical activism on Facebook. Specifically in regards to our big win getting the Power Balance Facebook page taken down.
Welcome to the new website
Jan 29th
I decided it was time for a change. I dumped the old blogging software for a new one, found a nice theme, customized it and now we’re good to go! I hope you enjoy the new look. This will blowout all the old comments and user accounts, sorry about that. I tried to move them over but it didn’t work out.
Power Balance Powerless
Jan 14th
In an update to my previous story I am happy to say that the Power Balance Facebook page has been taken down. I’m not quite sure if Power Balance took it down, or if Facebook did. It doesn’t really matter why, just that it was.
January Meeting
Jan 4th
Up Up and Away – Alien Abductees:
Kitty Mervine shares her work with alien abductees over the past 6 years. What began as a suggestion from James Randi and Phil Plait has turned into a passion for getting know and helping people that believe they have been abducted by aliens. Along with her web site, Kitty answers questions at several “expert” sites and uses a team of “experts” to help with her advice and answers. Abductees prove to be not only “reality challenged’ but also kind people with problems that in some cases become friends. Kitty just doesn’t educate the abductees, she also educates skeptics about what life is like for an abductee and how compassion and education can make a real difference in the life of an abductee.
It’s time for a positive story
Dec 26th
Last week a video was posted from the Australian show Today Tonight. They were testing Power Balancebracelet.
Australian Skeptics were represented by Richard Saunders and they did some blind testing on the show. As most that come to this site would expect, it failed. But, this is where the story begins in this case.
Dave the Happy Singer and Dr. Rachael Dunlop, who part of the Skeptic Zone team, along with other skeptics joined the Power Balance Facebook Group. I even joined myself.
We started asking for evidence that support their claims. Through this discussion one member of the group started having a bit of a dialog with us. Dave suggested she test the bracelets and I supplied a protocol for double blind testing.
I’m pleased to announce that this person did do the testing and reported the results over two status updates:
“yeah ok… it’s placebo… got a refund this morning…. :p”
“be true to yourself.. test the bracelet.. your mind is a powerful thing.. even il admit I was fooled … grow from this experience … ”
Thanks to Dr. Rachie, Richard, and Dave for bringing attention to this, and thank you to Suzi, the Facebook member that put the claims to the test and sided with science and reason.