ThinkCon

Kate Russell is a journalist and reporter who, by her own admission, spends far too much time online. For the past decade she has dedicated her life to staying on top of online developments, commenting on the Internet, social media and mobile apps for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and a frightening number of print and online publications. In that time she has seen a lot of things done well - but less widely reported are the disasters she's witnessed. From monumental social media screw-ups (like the Facebook party invitation that ended in a full-scale riot), to the truth behind how much information you're giving to 'The Man'. This revealing talk is not for the faint-hearted and might make you think twice about how well you know the Internet.

Described as 'one of the sharpest and best sceptical commentators out there', Hayley Stevens has addressed international audiences about researching the paranormal as a non-believer. She is one of Britain's most vocal skeptical paranormal researchers and has been actively investigating ghosts and monsters since her teens.In her talk 'I'm a ghost hunter, get me out of here!' Hayley will introduce you to the often confused & somewhat scary world of modern paranormal research where things regularly go bump in the night...

How did Newton, Galileo, Einstein and myriad Nobel laureates create the modern world? Through anarchy. In science, Michael Brookes explains how anything goes...

'Astrobiology' is a brand new field of science, encompassing research into the origins and limits of life on our own planet, and where life might exist beyond the Earth. But what actually is 'life' and how did it emerge on our own world? What are the most extreme conditions terrestrial life can tolerate? And where in the cosmos might we reasonably expect to find ET?

Stephen Law's latest book, Believing Bullsh*t, is a guide to avoid getting sucked into "intellectual black holes". Law "Belief in homeopathy, psychic powers, alien abduction - these are examples of intellectual black holes. As you approach them, you need to be on your guard because if you get sucked in, it can be extremely difficult to think your way clear again.

Jane Gregory, Martin Robins and John Naughton come together for an hour session answering questions on the future of science communication.

Gia Milinovich chairs a panel with Rhys Morgan, Michael Marshall, Prof David Colquhoun, Changing the Libel Laws, Nicola Buckley and Rebekah Higgitt on the topic of 'Can you make a Difference?'. The final session of ThinkCon 2011

In January 2010, nearly 400 activists joined the 10:23 Campaign, in taking to the streets across the UK to participate in a mass 'overdose' of homeopathic products to protest their sale in pharmacies and NHS funding. Michael Marshall of the Merseyside Skeptics Society, who founded the campaign, talks about the birth of the protest, the unique approach to getting everyday people involved, the success of the campaign, and how an idea born in a small pub in Liverpool went on to make headlines across the world.

David Colquhoun is a professor of pharmacology at UCL. His research interests are in single ion channels, both experiments and the underlying stochastic theory. He is also interested in pseudo-scientific nonsense, whether it comes from quacks or from university managers. His hope is that we are beginning to emerge from the last 30 or 40 years of endarkenment, during which wishful-thinking has been an adequate substitute for reason. One reason for the resurgence of common sense is that the Internet has changed the world. Now anyone at all can publish their views at the click of a mouse and blogs can get results in the real world.

Rhys' talk from ThinkCon 2011 covers what he discovered when he went in search of the truth about a miracle cure, the backlash that resulted and the impact his work has had. The most impressive part of this, though, is that Rhys achieved all of this while being only 15 years old.

Sense About Science is a small charity that equips people to make sense of science and evidence. It supports and encourages scientists to speak out in public debates on scientific issues. Sile joined Sense About Science in February 2009 after a career as a stem cell researcher. As Public Liaison, she is concerned with the use of evidence in civic society and she also coordinates the libel reform campaign. Sile talks about why scientists, medics, editors and bloggers took on England's unfair and outdated libel laws and how they got the Government to pledge to protect our right for free speech.