Skeptics in the Pub Köln

Skeptics in the Pubis a British pub-based edutainment format that is now also held in various German cities. You can look forward to an engaging talk in a relaxed atmosphere, followed by a Q&A and discussion.
More info atsitp.koeln—hosted bySkeptics in the Pub e. V.

Why do people keep searching, time and again, for things that can’t be found? What is the fascination with the hopeless? What lengths do cryptozoologists go to in order to track down these mythical creatures? And what do Sisyphus and Žižek have to do with it? Does it matter whether people are searching for Bigfoot, the Holy Grail, the Blue Flower, or unicorns? Why are cryptids so strongly rooted in regional folklore, and are there also globally widespread search movements? What makes the Wolpertinger Bavarian, Nessie Scottish, and the Yeti Nepalese—or rather, how does the Wolpertinger construct Bavaria, how does the Yeti constitute the Himalayas, and how do Nessie tourists consume Scotland? Which regions are particularly well-suited for this game of hide-and-seek with hybrid creatures, and do local heritage and cultural preservation efforts here also take steps to conserve their habitats? Theoretical reflections on, as well as practical and impractical suggestions for, the hunt for the impossible and the opening up of spaces of possibility within the most improbable scenarios are the focus of this evening. Friendly house cryptids are welcome (when accompanied by a qualified adult).

Claudia Preis earned her doctorate in European Ethnology at a time when wishing still made things happen; she is interested in all the real and imaginary, present-day and historical oddities of life, and has been actively engaged in skeptical thinking and action for at least a quarter of a century. She is a member of Skeptix e.V., the Bavarian State Association for Local History and Heritage, and would hunt down Wolpertingers much more vigorously if they didn’t look like they didn’t smell particularly good.