Day 1 - 19th Febuary
| Time |
Session |
Speaker |
| 10am - 11am |
A note of welcome.
Inaugural address.
|
Dr. HS Niranjan Aradhya |
| 11am - 1pm |
Debunking Alternative Medicine
Do Homeopathy, Reiki and Naturopathy work? Is Ayurvedic medicine scientific? What is the allure of these systems to the modern psyche? These and more questions tackled in this session.
|
Narendra Nayak |
| 1pm - 2pm |
Lunch and Networking
A sumptuous meal, and a chance to meet fellow participants.
|
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| 2pm - 2.45pm |
Working Professionals, and advantages via scientific temper. Does a more rational outlook help the average professional? What are the ways he can contribute to positive change? These questions will be tackled in this session.
|
Pankaj Kulkarni |
| 2.45pm - 3.30pm |
Logical Fallacies: How They Help You Win Arguments!
Arguments consists of premises and conclusions drawn from premises. This talk will demonstrate the nature of fallacies; from ad-hominem to the strawmen, from the chewbacca defense to begging the question, learn why the best defense is a good offence.
|
Anil Gulecha |
| 3.30pm - 5.00pm |
Lightning Talks
These are consecutive 10 minutes talks, by you, dear participants! If you'd like to present on a topic relevant to the theme of the event, submit a lightning talk!
|
Various |
Day 2 - 20th February
| Time |
Session |
Speaker |
| 10am - 11am |
Humanism and outreach
What role does religion play in the world today? Is religion the only way? Babu Gogineni will consider these questions, and provide a overview of the Humanist outlook along with examples from his international campaigns on the topic.
|
Babu Gogineni |
| 11am - 12pm |
Scriptures in the Modern Age
Why were the Vedas and other religious epitomes written? What role do they play in the world today? What role should they play? These and more questions will be tackled in this sessions.
|
Dr. MN Keshava Rao |
| 12pm - 12.30pm |
Astrology and Vaastu: The Indian Affair with Junk Science
Is there any scientific basis behind the theories of Vaastu and Astrology? Why do the majority of new homes built with 'vaastu compliance' in mind? Does the time of your birth decide your fate? This talk will trace the roots of these theories to their history, test their validity, and point out the modern day ramifications.
|
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| 12.30pm - 1pm |
Rationalist outlook of Life
Douglas Adams said: "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"
Can one look at everyday events with a purely rational outlook? We'll discuss this and more in this session. |
Dolly Koshy |
| 1pm - 2pm |
Lunch and Networking
A sumptuous meal, and a great chance to meet more of your fellow participants.
|
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| 2pm - 4.30pm |
Pseudo science and the paranormal: Debunking for fun and profit
Remember the Ganesha idols reported to have drunk milk? Or the frenzy over crying statues? Or the golden egg produced by the Shirdi baba? Or the seemingly amazing feats of endurance and miracles? This interactive session will take on all of these. Prepare to be amazed by Shri Shri Guru Baba Narendra!
|
Narendra Nayak |
| 4.30pm-5pm |
Conclusion and Valediction
A conclusion to the event. Distribution of possible secret prizes. And details on things to do next.
Participants are welcome to continue with discussions after the conclusion event.
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