Update Time

Right, so, now that I'm back in the land of the living, it's time to bring you guys up to speed on what's been going on.

As I mentioned, I've been working like crazy on my lecture for the Star Trek convention. First I was working on creating it, then on transcribing it. That's all done now. So, if you're interested in reading it, take a look here.

Hide recorded a video of the lecture, but there were sound issues (read: I am too tall, and the microphone wasn't close enough to my mouth to provide any magnification at all to my voice, but was just the right height for me to keep bashing it with my remote control). So I don't know if it will be salvageable enough to post. But if Hide is able to work her magic on it, you will be the first to know.

Next, there have been tremendous happenings aboard the USS Dauntless. We lost our old domain, so I was forced to come up with another plan in a hurry. Fortunately I think about these sorts of things, and within a couple of days, we had a fully operational new website at our new domain and hosted by my dear, dear friends over at Google. You can find it here!

I highly recommend the Google Apps backbone if you're looking for a one-stop web solution for your organisation. It's basically a web-based substitute for Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Office, all in one. Awesome. Plus, it's free for non-profit organisations, and very reasonably priced for companies. Check it out!

Other than our new website, it's been a very busy few weeks for the Dauntless. We've welcomed several new members aboard, including our first Israeli, we've had a number of Away Missions, we've had our photo published in the newspaper, and our friends over at Skepchick took notice of our SciOps Homeopathic Suicide Attempt, which sent our numbers soaring.

Well, that's about all I can think of right now. I'm sure there'll be more to come. I'm going to try my hardest to resume a more regular blogging schedule, but, as usual, no promises.

Swart out

Yes, still alive

No, the homeopathic sleeping pills haven't killed me off in a delayed-reaction effect... yet.

I've just been really busy preparing my talk for the SFSA Star Trek convention this past weekend. Since then I've been really busy writing the transcript of it for you guys.

So I'll be back and posting again as soon as it's done. Promise! And this time there will be a video of it. Maybe!

Still Alive!

That's right, I'm still alive.

What does that mean? It means that homeopathy is made of suck.

Homeopathic Suicide Attempt Recap Video

Hide made an awesome follow-up video chronicling my homeopathy experiment. Enjoy!

Homeopathic Suicide Attempt

Part 1:




Part 2:




Part 3:




Part 4:




Part 5:




Thanks to Hide for directing, filming and editing!

Killing myself

The experiment has begun... head on over to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=7994869585 for the latest updates.

Teetotalers

I stumbled upon this list of teetotalers on Wikipedia.

Clearly I'm not famous enough to be on the list. But that's okay, George Hrab isn't on there either, and he's more famous than me.

It seems Geo and I are in good company on that list: Bruce Lee, Penn & Teller, Kim Cattrall (Lt. Valeris from Star Trek VI), Isaac Asimov and Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts (who may have been acquainted with my ancestor, Edward "Blackbeard" Teach).

Of course there are some less-than-impressive names on that list as well. But I won't talk about those.

My point is that there appear to be some interesting, intelligent and respectable people who have made similar lifestyle choices to my own. It's comforting to know that, since I am often accosted by drinkers who don't understand or respect that choice.

I wonder how often Warren Buffett gets hassled about it.

Lessons from cults

While I wouldn't dream of condoning cults, it has become increasingly clear to me that there are some valuable things we can learn from them.

To clarify, when I refer to 'cults' I'm using the term quite strictly in reference to small superstitious communities bound together by minority religious beliefs, as opposed to the more general application of the term which refers to small sub-cultures.

Cults are generally not good things. People who are suckered into joining are frequently badly mistreated, and coerced into doing all sorts of things they would not otherwise have done. This can mean being taken advantage of (be it financially or sexually), isolated from their loved ones or even mass suicide.

The thing about cults that I find remarkable is their ability to recruit, retain and motivate their members. As the leader of a volunteer organization, those are issues I've wrestled with.

So cults seem like as good a place as any to look for inspiration. How do they do it?
My research into the matter has yielded the following list:

1. A charismatic and attractive leader. This seems to be common to all cults: a leader who is both physically attractive and personally engaging. He (it's usually a 'he') should be easy on the eyes so that his followers will gladly gaze at him endlessly, and should present himself in such a way that followers will gladly listen to what he says.
   
   As far as my own recruiting ability is concerned, I may already be at a disadvantage. Perhaps I should employ a body double.
   
   
2. Restricted access to information. Followers need to be isolated from any competing influences or dissenting opinions. This can be achieved by physically isolating them from the outside world, indoctrinatinq them with the message that outside influences are not to be trusted or teaching them to fight off dissenters. Or even a combination of the three.
   
   For my purposes this is obviously no good. I'm trying to promote an ideology based on egalitarianism, free inquiry and global unity. Isolation and insulation would be counter-productive.
   
   
3. Us vs Them. Creating a strong In-Group vs Out-Group mentality is a useful way of retaining members. Followers are made to feel as if they belong to a family, and that anyone outside that family is somehow out to get them. This triggers a very deep-seated instinctual desire to be part of a tribe, hence it's effectiveness.
   
   Various techniques are employed to create this effect ranging from paranoia-inducing indoctrination to what has been called 'love-bombing'.
   
   Love-bombing is, in my opinion, the technique that is most applicable to most social organizations. It can be performed easily and without moral complications.
   
   It boils down to an intense effort to make new arrivals feel welcome. A barrage of sincere and warm welcome messages is all it takes to make someone feel special, accepted and comfortable. It requires some follow-up effort to make sure the feeling doesn't go away, but that's not difficult.
   

And that, I think, is the most valuable lesson we can learn from cults: if you make an effort to make new members feel good about joining, they'll be more likely to stick around. Whether you're starting a sceptics' group, a small business, a Star Trek fan club or a barber-shop quartet, the same advice applies. Just bombard them with love, and they'll feel like they belong.

Plus it doesn't hurt if you look like Brad Pitt.

My God... it's full of stars!

Arthur C. Clarke, 1917 - 2008