The Center for Inquiry Indiana is hosting Benjamin Radford on September 25th; he'll be speaking on the topic "Reflections on a Decade of Paranormal Investigation."
There will also be a workshop on paranormal investigating:
Ever wondered how a person goes about investigating a haunted house, a Bigfoot sighting, or a crop circle? In movies and on television it looks easy, but how do real-life paranormal investigators discover what really happened, separating truth from myth? (Hint: Ghost Hunters ain't it!) Come find out in a unique, three-hour intensive workshop taught by Benjamin Radford. Radford is a Research Fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, columnist for LiveScience.com, and author of five books and hundreds of articles on skepticism, investigation, and the paranormal. He will share his experience and insights gained over a decade of first-hand field investigations of mysterious phenomena. Drawing from dozens of case studies involving monsters, psychics, and ghosts, Ben will explain the step-by-step process in investigations, including critical thinking, evaluating unusual claims, interviewing eyewitnesses, and conducting field experiments. Admission includes an investigations workbook and a discount on Radford's new book, Scientific Paranormal Investigation. This event is sponsored by Center for Inquiry Indiana .
The Louisville Area Skeptics is hosting a similar event with Mr. Radford September 27-28.
Now, I've never been to one of these, but I'd certainly like to attend. And I'd expect that, along with discussions of how to take notes and photographs, one might certainly cover how not to trespass, and how not to intrude on people's seclusion, for example. And when writing up the results of one's investigation, one might want pointers on how not to present those results so to present individuals in a defamatory or false light, and how not to use a person's name or image so that one might be accused of misappropriation and other issues. Oh, the paranormal and (legal) fun's just beginning.
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