TAM 2012 - a Few Memorable Quotes

Last year, following my first TAM experience, I was excited to quickly write a blog post detailing the many memorable moments that I knew would stay with me for a long time. That post, my TAM Top 10 List, is far and away my greatest success as a blogger (in terms of readership)

This year, although many of the things that made 2011 memorable for me were still in place (particularly in that I got to share the experience again with my sons James and Ryan), I don’t find myself quite as fired up and full of memories.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it - I certainly did. I think it’s more that, after hearing about TAM for several years, going to that first one was something I’ll never forget. Sure, the speaker lineup this year had less star power, but it was still solid. The evenings were fun, the parties were great, we attended some podcast tapings that were unique - but I guess it’s true what they say: you never forget your first time (or is it "your first TAM"?)

So, rather than write up a list of top moments, I thought I’d just share a few of what I consider to be the top quotes from the conference. So, in no particular order, here are some of the insightful, funny and memorable quotes from TAM2012:

Ben Radford: “Some say the world will end in horrible ways, you know disembowelings, Pauly Shore movies, you know.”

Jamy Ian Swiss: “Atheism is skepticism directed at one extraordinary claim”.

Dierdre Barrett: “We are raising free range chickens to feed to couch potato people.”

Tim Farley: Stop wasting so much of your time online. Do something online that will actually make a difference.

Lawrence Krauss: “You are far more insignificant that you can possibly imagine. We are just some cosmic pollution in a universe of dark matter.”

Penn Jillette: “I have been attacked more for not being a liberal than being an atheist.”

Carrie Poppy: “Truth without compassion makes you right, but makes you lonely.”

Jennifer Michael Hecht: “The meat wrote Paradise Lost, ...the meat made the iPad.”

The Amazing Randi: “Geller’s a charming guy. A snake is charming too."

Jamy Ian Swiss: “In Israel, magicians are born with a bent spoon in their mouths.”

Barbara Drescher: “Climate change deniers will cause a ruckus at TAM15, to be held at the South Point Casino and Seaport.”

And my personal favorite:

Dr. Steven Novella: “Science works, bitches!”