Who is speaking at QED?

Joe Nickell

Joe Nickell is one of the most widely-respected and experienced paranormal researchers of all time. Taking skills from his time as a magician, his work as private detective for a world-famous detective agency and his career in academia, Joe's long history of investigations include discovering the techniques behind the making of the Turin Shroud and uncovering the true story behind the Amityville house. Alongside authoring more than twenty-five books, Joe has consulted on a number of films - including the 2007 horror The Reaping, in which a character was loosely based on his own experiences.

Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders is a podcaster and professional origamist. The current Vice President of the Australian Skeptics, he's featured numerous times on radio and TV - notably on the Australian psychic-search TV show The One, and hosts the hugely-popular Skeptic Zone podcast. An expert spoon-bender, Richard was instrumental in the Australian Skeptics' takedown of Power Balance bracelets earlier in the year, and has brought skepticism into the classroom with his many presentations to schoolchildren.

Ophelia Benson

An uncompromising advocate for truth and a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, Ophelia Benson is co-author of The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense, Why Truth Matters, and Does God Hate Women? (for anyone wondering, the answer is yes - quite a lot). Her early experience as a zookeeper has clearly equipped her for regular forays into the skeptical blogosphere, writing for her influential website Butterflies and Wheels. Her work deals with the necessity of defending objective and scientific truth against the threats to rational thinking posed by religious fundamentalism, pseudoscience, wishful thinking, postmodernism, and relativism. In her softer moments she has been known to post links to pictures of cute animals doing funny things.

D.J. Grothe

D.J. Grothe is a former magician and psychic entertainer, who cut his skeptical teeth as Vice President and Director of Outreach Programs at the Center for Inquiry. He has been president of the JREF, since the beginning of 2010 and we're sure he will offer an excellent insight into the global picture of skepticism today.

D.J. Grothe's appearance at QED is sponsored by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason (UK).

Edzard Ernst

Edzard Ernst is the recently retired Professor of Complementary Medicine from University of Exeter. Many will know of his record in taking complementary medicine to task, quite the reverse of what Maurice Laing the builder had hoped for when he funded the post.

In the book he co-authored with past QED speaker Simon Singh, Trick or Treatment, Ernst dedicated the book to Prince Charles, directing his own brand of sarcasm toward the ultimate proponent of magical remedies. If you've heard Edzard in any of his many appearances on TV and Radio, you already know what to expect. Erudite, controversial and always on the side of the evidence.

Massimo Polidoro

Massimo Polidoro is an internationally-recognized 'mystery detective'. A journalist and writer, he began his career as an apprentice of James Randi and is the co-founder and head of the Italian skeptics group CICAP. He is the first professor of Anomalistic Psychology in Italy, at the University of Milano, and the author of over thirty books. Among his works in English are: Final Séance, on the strange friendship between Houdini and Conan Doyle, and Secrets of the Psychics, on his investigations among psychics and mediums. He is often called on TV as an expert or a host for shows related to mysteries: his latest series was Legend Detectives for Discovery Channel. He is a Research Fellow for CSI and a longtime columnist for its magazine, the Skeptical Inquirer.

David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch is an author, broadcaster, and journalist. He has previously written for The Independent, The Guardian and The Observer, winning numerous prestigious awards, including Columnist of the Year 2003 and the 2001 Orwell prize for journalism. A TV and Radio regular he has presented Radio 4's The Moral Maze, been a guest on Have I Got News For You and a member of Manchester's team in the 1975 series of University Challenge. He has enthralled Skeptic in the Pub audiences up and down the country with his thorough debunking of conspiracy theories, a topic comprehensively covered in his 2009 book, Voodoo Histories.

Deborah Hyde

If you type "Jourdemayne" (the online identity of blogger and editor of The Skeptic, Deborah Hyde) into Google, the following keywords appear as the first result; Exorcism, Mrs God, The Vampires of Rhode Island, Good Luck Simon Singh, Uganda's Child Sacrifices, Hilary Mantel and Teenage Mothers, Westminster Skeptics.

In her own blog she explains herself succinctly, "... belief in the supernatural: what and why. Where does it lead us?" But also expect to hear about wandering around in your own dreams and demon names you will definitely not be able to pronounce.

Deborah also works in the film industry specialising in special effects make up, and occasionally acting too! Expect thrills and chills.

Maryam Namazie

Maryam Namazie is a human rights activist, commentator and broadcaster. Born in Tehran, she left the country following the 1980 Iranian Revolution. She has been a thorn in the side of political Islam ever since. She is spokesperson for the One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain. The campaign is opposed to faith based laws and promotes citizenship rights and one secular law for all. She is Spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain which aims to break the taboo that comes with renouncing Islam. She is a National Secular Society Honorary Associate, winner of the NSS 2005 Secularist of the Year award and a distinguished supporter of the British Humanist Association.

Steve Jones

Esteemed academic Steve Jones is former Head of the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London and has written and lectured about science to a general audience for over fifteen years. He is president of The Association of Science Education and a robust critic of the rise of creationism. He has a string of award-winning books on biology and evolution to his name. In 2006 he was named secularist of the year by the National Secular Society, and he is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association. Steve also recently led the BBC Trust review of impartiality and accuracy in the BBC's coverage of science, concluding the media often offers undue weight to fringe beliefs. He is a frequent contributor to radio and television documentaries.

Sarah Angliss

Trained in electroacoustics, music and biologically inspired robotics, Sarah Angliss is known for her salon talks and dreamlike performances inspired by her discoveries in the archives. She's the founder of Spacedog, the award-winning band which mixes human musicians with her own robotic creations. Her recent work has explored the history of dead air; musicians' attitudes to the first drum machines and samplers (for the Smithsonian Institution and Science Museum) and the links between Lancashire clog dancing and Detroit techno (with Caroline Radciffe, as seen at TEDx). Sarah's world-renowned collaboration Infrasonic led to a new special effect, devised with Punchdrunk, which debuted in It Felt Like a Kiss, Manchester International Festival in 2009. In July 2011, BBC Radio 4 broadcast her documentary on the use of birds as primordial, feathered sound recorders.

Ian Ridpath

Ian Ridpath has been a full-time writer, editor, broadcaster, and lecturer on astronomy and space for almost 30 years. With over 40 books to his name, Ian has an encyclopaedic knowledge of UFO folklore, and in 1986 was commended in the British Science Writers Awards for his investigation and explanation of Britain's most famous UFO case in Rendlesham Forest.

Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is best known for his work researching the psychology of luck, self-help, persuasion, and illusion - in books such as 59 Seconds, Paranormality, The Luck Factor and Did You Spot The Gorilla?.

Richard will be presenting QED's Saturday night activities, including the Skeptic Magazine Awards.

Robin Ince

One of the UK's most loved skeptical voices, Robin Ince is the co-host, with Brian Cox, of Radio 4's Infinite Monkey Cage; tours with Cox, Ben Goldacre and former QED speaker Simon Singh as the Uncaged Monkeys; and is the organiser of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People. Robin is a sought-after live performer, who mixes an acerbic wit and comic fury with a genuine enthusiasm for science.

Robin will be performing at QED as part of the Saturday evening entertainment, free for all QED ticket holders.

Paul Zenon

Paul Zenon has long been one of the UK's most recognisable magicians, with sell out runs at festivals across the world and countless TV appearances under his belt. He was one of the pioneers of street magic in the UK, and has long been an outspoken critic of exponents of the paranormal.

Paul will be performing at QED as part of the Saturday evening entertainment, free for all QED ticket holders.