How I Got Hooked on the Skeptical World SUSAN GERBIC rowing up in Salinas, California, during the 1970s, if people to each other even though you wanted to know anything, the outlets for find- I knew no one. They must have G ing it out were minimal. We relied on the newspaper, been quite amused. I had never been surrounded by such smart radio, and a couple of TV channels for our information. If people before. I should have been you wanted more detail, there was always the Encyclopedia completely intimidated, but they Britannica and the public library. Finding anything critical were so nice. My confidence of the paranormal back then was difficult. (completely faked) and their re- If it was mentioned, it was one. My subscription began with action to it allowed me to find my inevitably sensationalized—either the September/October 1997 people, and I had never before felt advocating for the phenome- issue. Inside I found answers to so accepted. non or leaving you with “no one lots of questions—about ghosts, After that weekend, I was in- really knows. .” I was extremely psychics, Bigfoot, all that fasci- vited by Carol and Ben Baumgart- gullible and naive, had no one nated me. I learned about things ner to attend Ray Hyman’s to ask, and the Cold War was in I had never thought of, and upon Skeptic’s Toolbox (a CSICOP full swing. It was a time of badly reading some articles I thought, workshop held in Eugene, Ore- wanting to believe in the para- “People believe that?” Other arti- gon), and after that weekend in normal, life after death, and that cles made me say, “Wait, that isn’t August 2002, I was completely a caring deity would not allow real?” In early 2002, I received a hooked on this world. WWIII to happen. That is just flyer from CSICOP (now CSI); Fast-forward a few years, and what life was like then. only an hour drive away there everything completely changed; When I discovered SKEPTI- would be a gathering of skeptics. the Internet became popular and CAL INQUIRER magazine in 1996, I walked in and decided to change nearly everyone had email. The it was eye-opening. I believe the my life. I acted as the hostess, in- James Randi Educational Foun- first issue I picked up was the viting people to sit at a large table dation (JREF) forum allowed me January/February “Star Cradle” I had chosen and introducing to meet other local skeptics, which Skeptical Inquirer | November/December 2016 45 ODYSSEYS IN SCIENTIFIC SKEPTICISM: 40th Anniversary Celebration allowed me to cofound Monterey millions of people I will never ence, grief vampires. I have or- County Skeptics in 2007. Then meet. GSoW has been about ganized several projects (again Facebook expanded the commu- the people in our community. calling on our community—look nity even further. JREF cruises I wanted to support those who up Operation Bumble Bee, Op- were without Internet, which were doing the science, writing eration Ice Cream Cone, and forced us to sit and talk for long the articles and books, lecturing, Operation Tater Tot for more hours. I met more amazing peo- and podcasting. Not only so that information). ple, again building even stronger when they are in the public eye I want to thank CSI for giv- communities. Finally, I attended readers will have something to ing me an opportunity to speak a lecture where Tim Farley was see, but because I want people to to you; I would never ever have speaking about Wikipedia and know our history, to be inspired imagined that my name would be why skeptics should care about by our spokespeople as I am. printed in the pages of SKEPTI- it. Months passed and I finally My personal focus in the CAL INQUIRER as it has been sev- GSoW has been about the people in our community. I wanted to support those who were doing the science, writing the articles and books, lecturing, and podcasting. started making small edits, community mostly has been to eral times. Sometimes I think I’m completely self-taught. I started support people and projects—to still faking the confidence and mentioning on Facebook what I find, train, and motivate people you are just too nice to call me on was doing, and people asked me to do more to make our com- it. Congratulations on forty years questions. When people asked if munity stronger and grow. I’m a of amazing work, SKEPTICAL I might talk to their group and major advocate for conferences, INQUIRER; I hope we can tango ■ then more people were inter- as I know from personal expe- together for many more. ested, eventually I had to take it rience that great things hap- seriously; that was the birth of pen when people meet face to Susan Gerbic is founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wiki- face. Share a glass of something Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia pedia (GSoW). and learn together. Outside of (GSoW) project and cofounder of The project is, and always has GSoW, I try to remain relevant, the Monterey County Skeptics. She been, about more than repairing to be a thorn in the side of my is a CSI Scientific and Technical Con- Wikipedia in order to educate favorite purveyors of pseudosci- sultant. 46 Volume 40 Issue 6 | Skeptical Inquirer.