| Rebecca Watson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 18, 1980 United States |
| Other names | The Skepchick |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Skeptical Rogue to Steven Novella on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, science communication, atheism |
| Website | |
| skepchick.org | |
Rebecca Watson (born October 18, 1980) is a blogger and independent podcast host. She is the founder of Skepchick who also co-hosts The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe and Little Atoms podcasts.[1][2]
Contents |
Skepchick was founded in 2005 by Rebecca Watson, who described it as "an organization dedicated to promoting skepticism and critical thinking among women around the world."[3] Originally the site consisted of a forum and a monthly online magazine, Skepchick Magazine, which was launched January 15, 2006.[4]
In 2006, Rebecca released The Skepchick Calendar, a pin-up calendar featuring pictures of skeptical women for every month. Proceeds provided the attendance fee for several female applicants to attend the James Randi Educational Foundation's The Amaz!ng Meeting.[5] New calendars have been made in subsequent years, including Skepdude Calendars since 2007.[6]
On February 12, 2006, Watson created a blog titled Memoirs of a Skepchick, as an addition to the magazine.[7] Eventually the blog, now simply titled Skepchick, became the main site, as Skepchick Magazine was discontinued in July 2006. Fourteen other bloggers beside Rebecca Watson now contribute regularly, including one man.[8]
Rebecca Watson's first appearance on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast was on episode 33 (March 9, 2006), where she was interviewed about her work on Skepchick. She returned on episode 36 (March 29, 2006) as a regular member of the panel.[9]
In May 2007, Rebecca Watson entered The Public Radio Talent Quest, a contest aimed to find new public radio hosts.[10] The contest claims to have received more than 1,400 entries.[11] Watson's entries won the popular vote in every round,[12] and she was declared one of three winners who each would receive $10,000 to produce a public radio pilot.[13]
Watson's pilot, Curiosity, Aroused,[14] was an hour-long program focused on science and skepticism.[15] It featured interviews with Richard Saunders of Australian Skeptics and Mystery Investigators, and Richard Wiseman, author of Quirkology and Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She also investigated claims of poisonous amounts of lead in lipstick, went on a ghost tour in Boston and visited a Psychic Fair.
Her show was the only one among the three winners not to receive funding by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for being turned into a one-year show.[16][17]
Watson was a guest speaker at the James Randi Educational Foundation's The Amaz!ng Meeting 5.5.[18] As well as lecturing on the topic "How to Get Off Your Lazy Can and Do Something", she took part in a panel discussion on podcasts and a Q&A panel.[19] At TAM 5 Watson presented a paper with the title "How to Be a C-List Internet Celebrity in Just 30 Days: Finding an Audience Online".[20]
At The New Humanism conference at Harvard April 21, 2007, Rebecca Watson was on a panel discussing "The Next Generation of Humanism".[21]
As a part of the New York City Skeptics' public lecture series Rebecca Watson spoke on "Women and Skepticism" February 16, 2008.[22]
Watson was also invited to London Skeptics in the Pub, UK to give a public lecture entitled "Women's Intuition and Other Fairytales" January 19, 2009.[23]
A speaker at Skepticon II and Skepticon III and will be featured again at Skepticon IV.[24]
Also spoke at Kritisk Masse, Norway October 30, 2010.[25]
Spoke at UCLA, May 13, 2011 in Royce Hall Room 164 at UCLA with a presentation entitled "The Religious Right vs. Every Woman on Earth"[26]
On July 11, 2009, she and Sid Rodrigues were married in a surprise ceremony during The Amaz!ng Meeting 7.[27] However, on April 8, 2011, she announced that she and Rodrigues were separated and seeking a divorce.[28]
In June 2011, Watson described an experience at a skeptical conference, concerning an approach by a man in an elevator, who invited her to his room for coffee and a conversation late at night.[29] In a video blog, among other things, she stated that incident made her feel sexualized and uncomfortable and advised, "Guys, don't do that".[30] Her statement sparked a controversy among the skeptic community.[31] Her critics said she was over-reacting to a trivial incident, most notably Richard Dawkins, who wrote a satirical letter to an imaginary Muslim woman, sarcastically contrasting her plight to Rebecca's complaint.[32] This in turn caused him to be greatly criticized by those supporting her on the issue, including several famous figures in the community.[33][34] Watson announced that she would not buy or endorse Dawkins's books and lectures in the future.[33]
The Mail & Guardian summarized the incident as "a fairly useful debate about feminism, sexism and appropriate sexual boundaries between men and women [that] descended into all out troll warfare and an attendant witch-hunt to persecute sexists in the atheist community."[35]
An outer main-belt asteroid discovered March 22, 2001 by David H. Healy was named 153289 Rebeccawatson.[36] The description states:
Rebecca Watson (b. 1980) of Brookline, Massachusetts, once a street juggler and magician, promotes science and rational thinking by means of radio broadcasts, podcasts and an internet blog.[36]
<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named talent; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text