You really have no excuse for not going out this week. Except those of you on house arrest. (But there’s even something for you near the end of this post.)

A variety of skeptical, humanist, atheist, sciencey stuff is going on this week—from Marian Call’s last concert before leaving for Europe to Ben Radford’s talk on his experiences as a paranormal investigator, from local meetups to the premiere of a documentary on the Texas textbook battles.

Oh, and how could I ever forget X-rated Jesus? (No, really. Please. Tell me HOW.)

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• Mice can learn to sing together in harmony
• Curiosity rover finds rock type that’s never been seen on Mars – Every time I read new Mars info, I hear, “Some ancient astronaut theorists believe…” in my head.
• Who needs DNA to bring back a T-Rex? – We’ll just make our own dinosaur blueprints. Sweet!
• A primer on sexism in the tech industry – With a nice list of definitions of terms to start out with.
• Cute Animal Friday! Elyse’s new love is this orphaned baby walrus. Pitbulls and babies shows the true (super snuggly!) demeanor of pitbulls. And I think we need a dose of the cutest baby animal, red pandas.

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Sometimes here at Skepchick, it’s pretty easy to see the good work we do.  Take Elyse’s last AI as an example. Get people talking about voting, get folks doing something. And then sometimes, there’s me.

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Last week on SGU, the guys and I were chatting about ye ol’ WTC 7 collapse and about how Truthers are still insisting that there’s no way it could have collapsed without being purposely demolished by a slimy money-grubbing Jew real estate mogul. I mentioned as an aside that not only is their science all screwed up, but a lot of them are just giant anti-semites. Well! One person wrote in to correct me on that point: it turns out, the 9/11 Truth Movement is not full of anti-semites because Ed Asner.

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Sometimes, as skeptics, it is really easy to get bored with those same old “woo woo” topics that have been done to death again and again. And it is so easy to dismiss claims and experiences off the cuff because, dammit, we know these things have been investigated before. Ghost hunting is one of those topics where the techniques have been talked about and exposed and, dare I say, debunked time and time again. And yet, they are still so popular in the mainstream. Why? I decided it was about time to find out with a first hand experience into the dark and spooky world of the ghost hunt.

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• Bullied teen sparkles at homecoming – She was nominated as a joke, but decided to still participate in homecoming to stand up against the bullying. Here’s some more back story from CNN. From Ginger.
• My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit – If you love an eloquent, impassioned rant as much as I do you should absolutely read this post at Tiger Beatdown. From Absinthia.
• Jane Austen meets neuroscience – Reading a good, immersive book has positive effects on your brain.
• Rape victim shocked when court ordered her computer records – From Donnie.
• Humble Indie E-Book Bundle – You may be familiar with the gaming version of this charitable project, and now they have a version for bookworms. And look, they include women authors!

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Do you have sexy questions but you don’t have access to Google, a therapist, or a close friend who isn’t a complete shithead? Send them in to Jezebel’s new sexpert, Karley Sciortino – AKA “Slutever”! The edgy name should give you a hint about the edgy content in store for you. If you’re lucky, she might not suggest you sexually assault someone!

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On October 10, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty came into force. It basically establishes space law and forbids countries who signed the treaty from stationing weapons of mass destruction anywhere in space. Most major countries have signed and ratified the document.

• Australia’s Female Prime Minister Rips Misogynist a New One in Epic Speech on Sexism – Oh SNAP. Someone notify the Burn Ward, we have one patient to admit.
• The “Great Man” Theory of Rape – “Overlooking sexual harassment and rape for the sake of WikiLeaks’ reputation does more harm than good to the organization’s name.” From Bug.
• Just A Quick Note to Atheists (From an Atheist) – From Otoki.
• The Evolution of Halloween Costumes, From Girls to Women – There seems to be a trend here. From Kammy.
• ‘Slut dropping’ and ‘Pimps and Hoes’ – the sexual politics of freshers’ week – From Steph B.
• Pakistani Activist, 14, Is Shot by Taliban – This girl has an unbelievable amount of guts.
• Rob Schneider’s Hellish Nonsense – Rob Schneider does another radio interview except this time the hosts are prepared for his rant. From Elyse.

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