14 January 2013 by Steve Thoms
This is a science and music story that I’ve wanted to do for a while, and although it’s over a year out of the news cycle, it’s still reflective of a widespread musical myth that I bet many readers are familiar with: Beat Deafness. Beat deafness is a form of amusia characterized by an inability [...]
03 September 2012 by Steve Thoms
Once in a while, a major Canadian media outlet runs a story on some alternative medicine fad. These stories often have several themes in common: 1) Claims that the fad in question is derived from ancient knowledge and practices. 2) Paradoxically, it’s totally new and hip. 3) It’s also fairly expensive. 4) You have to [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diet and Nutrition, Health, Ontario, Skepticism3 Comments
14 November 2011 by Steve Thoms
So, a little over a year ago, I wrote a piece about one particular anti-WiFi activist named Rodney Palmer. It was a bit of a snarky post, written with the piss-and-vinegar that comes from a long, aggravating day at work. The post caught the attention of Mr. Palmer, who promptly threatened to sue me over [...]
Posted in Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience56 Comments
28 September 2011 by Steve Thoms
Concerns about the safety of WiFi, particularly around school children, has continued to be a contentious issue in small towns across Canada, and Ontario especially. Supporters of the technology have mountains of scientific data on their side, opponents have screaming, hysteria, and the precautionary principle. Even Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May unwittingly [...]
Posted in Canada, Logic and Fallacies, Media, Ontario, Skepticism36 Comments
23 July 2011 by Steve Thoms
Neil Degrasse Tyson once remarked that “If you are scientifically literate, the world looks very different to you.” I would modify this and say that if you’re musically literate, the world sounds very different to you. A recent tweet by Skeptoid’s Brian Dunning raised some questions about an elusive aspect of music: Perfect Pitch. When [...]
Posted in Science, Social Sciences5 Comments
01 June 2011 by Steve Thoms
There is a video going around on facebook at the moment, and it caught my attention. Watch it now, but I ask that you hold off (for the moment) on the “Click Here to find out More” at the end of the video: On the surface, it seems like it has a great message: People [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Conspiracy Theories, Critical Thinking, Health, Media, Pseudoscience, Skepticism17 Comments
25 February 2011 by Steve Thoms
Long time readers may have noticed that I’ve not poked my head around to offer any significant posts in a while. In fact, the last article of any noteworthy length and substance was on Oct 29 (aside from a recent post on my own blog, which was actually written after this post was). An embarrassing [...]
Posted in Critical Thinking, Ontario19 Comments
13 February 2011 by Steve Thoms
I am pleased to announce that the Skeptic North family of bloggers has grown by one today! Dianne Sousa, whom regular readers and commenters will surely recognize, is joining our intrepid team of cross-country* skeptics. She’s been a long-time commenter at our young blog, and many of you have had conversations with her by now. [...]
Posted in Canada, Ontario, Skepticism1 Comment
07 December 2010 by Steve Thoms
We’re trying something new here at Skeptic North, and we want YOU, the readers to help us out! 2010 has been an interesting year of science and skepticism in Canada, and we thought that it would be fun to have a little bit of an award ceremony, but without the ceremony. Or the actual award. [...]
Posted in Canada, Events, Media, Skepticism8 Comments
29 November 2010 by Steve Thoms
Okay, the title is a bit misleading, as the impetus of this post is to re-direct you to my own blog post on the subject. Our experience at the Whole Life Expo was deeply concerning, and despite the tone of welcoming in the comments section of a previous Skeptic North post, the reality was far [...]
Posted in Canada, Events, Ontario, Reviews, SkepticismComments Off
Steve is a professional music teacher living in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied recorded music production at Fanshawe College, and Political Studies/History at Trent University, where he specialized in political economy and global politics. He is an amateur astronomer, and an award-winning astro-photographer. Steve also runs the blog, Oot and Aboot with Some Canadian Skeptic." can can be followed on Twitter, @SomeCndnSkeptic.
