Thank you so much to everyone who donated to get me to The Amaz!ng Meeting 9 in Las Vegas, because, as some of you might already know, all the money was raised and I will be in Las Vegas in less than a week! Hooray!
Now, for those who thought it was a blatant ploy by yours truly to score a free holiday1 let me assure you that although it’ll be a fantastic trip and my first time in the United States, my time at TAM 9 won’t be just fun and games. I’m attending as a member of the press and will spending a substantial amount of time interviewing speakers (the list of speakers I will be formally interviewing has yet to be finalised, but informal interviews might also be possible) and blogging my thoughts and experiences for Nature Education’s ConferenceCast, the Young Australian Skeptics, this blog, and possibly others. Hopefully I’ll take vital information away from keynotes and panel discussions that will benefit the skeptical movement in Australia, as well as the submovement of young skepticism.
A lot of TAM is entertainment and frivolity, but it is also an educational experience, for regular skeptical folk who want to get more involved in activism, grassroots leaders who want to learn new strategies and approaches, as well as the prominent figures in the movement, who learn the thoughts and opinions of those they represent in the media and the rest of society. The money that was donated to help make my trip a reality won’t go to waste on some lazy teenager’s fantasy of kickin’ back in Vegas: think of it as an investment into the future of Australian skepticism.
(Plus, I get to meet Eugenie Scott. I mean, that’s both seriously cool and highly educational, right? Right.)
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- May I remind everyone that I didn’t come up with the idea for the fundraising, my friend Heidi Anderson did. ↩
[...] Cross-posted from Homologous Legs [...]
Congrats! Have fun in Vegas. Whatever you do, don't ask anyone if they would like to get coffee at 4 in the morning or you might be accused of naughty things.
[...] thanks to (and congratulations on Heidi for successfully fundraising to get him to the Amazing Meeting 9!) Jack [...]
Awesome dude! (smugly glad I helped in some small way). I eagerly await to hear all about it via the young aus skeptics.
Have a great time, Jack. I hope, amidst your work/interviews there, you do find the time to relax and enjoy that amazing experience (no pun intended).
Safe trip.
Vegas is tacky and "in your face" — but the shows are spectacular, if you can afford them.
With the current value of Aussie dollar, and half price tix… :)
Well, if JS can't afford the show, he might just go over to University of Nevada Las Vegas campus and see the giant abstract flashlight sculpture, 'coz it's free.