The schedule and speaker list for the Very Big Atheist Conference of 2012 has been finalized! Set to be held in Devil's Corner, Wisconsin, there are some very exciting sessions planned, and some of your favorite atheist bloggers, writers, and activists will be there. The 2011 conference sold out early -- so be sure to get your tickets now!
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
Noon - 1:00 pm
The Santa Delusion: Building the Next Generation of Atheists
Workshop for toddlers
Nosmo King
Co-sponsored by the Secular Pre-School Alliance 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
The 2012 Mayan Calendar, and How My Boobs Will Bring About The End of the World -- This Time For Sure!
Jen McCreight 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Atheism and Caprian Combustibility
Dr. David Mabus 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
American Atheists unveil new billboard campaign:
"Oh, Come On, You Can't Possibly Believe This Stupid Bullshit"
David Silverman, president 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Dinner and keynote address:
Look, I'm Sorry About The Whole Narwhal Thing, Okay?
PZ Myers 8:30-pm - 10:00 pm
Cocktails
Hosted by JT Eberhard, Rebecca Watson, and Jen McCreight
10:00 PM - 6:00 AM
Horizontal networking
Main hotel; specific locations TBD
MONDAY, APRIL 2 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast with new friends
Hotel buffet
(Alternate breakout session: Awkward sneaking back to original rooms)
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Diversity Panel: How Can Atheism Be More Welcoming to Women and People of Color?
Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett Noon - 1:00 pm
Lunch; discussion of diversity panel
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Post-Diversity Panel Infuriated Smackdown
Debbie Goddard, Anthony Pinn, Amanda Marcotte, and Sikivu Hutchinson 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Post-Smackdown Defensive Excuses/ Sheepish Apologies/ Fervent Hopes That This Won't Be The One Thing Anyone Remembers About The Conference
Conference organizers 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Dinner/ obsessive re-hashing of diversity panel kerfuffle/ crushing of conference organizers' hopes
All attendees are welcome 8:30-pm - 10:00 pm
Serious, much-needed drinking
Hosted by JT Eberhard, Rebecca Watson, and Jen McCreight
(hosts subject to change in case of hangover)
Karaoke mandatory
10:00 PM - 6:00 AM
Horizontal networking -- follow-up sessions
Main hotel; specific locations TBD: see previous day's schedule for details
(Alternate breakout session: Awkward avoidance of eye contact with contacts from previous day's session)
TUESDAY, APRIL 3 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast with new friends; exchanges of phone numbers; insincere promises to stay in touch after conference
Hotel buffet
(Alternate breakout session -- see previous day's schedule) 9:00 am - 10:00 am
How To Do An Inspiring And Hilarious Conference Presentation First Thing In The Morning After A Night Of Drunken Karaoke
JT Eberhard 10:30 am - 11:30 pm
Should Atheism Be Falsifiable?
PZ Myers and Jerry Coyne
Death-match in the Octagon! Two philosophies enter -- one philosophy leaves! Noon - 1:00 pm
Post death-match lunch. Feast on the entrails of the defeated.
Cookies and pop provided by Hemant "Friendly Atheist" Mehta 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Why "Intelligent Design" Isn't Science -- And Why I Have To Waste My Valuable Time And Considerable Brainpower Making This Argument When It Should Be Obvious To A Freaking Ten Year Old
Hector Avalos 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Angry mob
Greta Christina, ringleader
BYO pitchfork
If you have suggestions for next year's program, please make them in the comments. Hope to see you there!
Awesome! I almost missed the jokes, just looking at the pics.
Posted by: Jalyth | March 30, 2011 at 03:12 PM
Sweeeeeeeet: they booked me for my specialties!
I wasn't going to attend until I saw you were leading the angry mob. Now I can't justify staying away. :)
JT
Posted by: JT Eberhard | March 30, 2011 at 03:22 PM
HAHAHAH I loved this, especially the Diversity panel and post-diversity panel panel. Well done.
Posted by: Mike Frieda | March 30, 2011 at 03:39 PM
No no no, you've got it all wrong! Hemant wouldn't feast on the entrails of defeated gladiators. He only devours infants, as we should all know perfectly well.
Posted by: Ebonmuse | March 30, 2011 at 05:01 PM
Like last year's, this had me on the floor. The Diversity panel and fallout are genius, but I confess my favourite part was 'Atheism and Caprian Combustibility' because I have never understood the 'goats on fire!' parts of those spam posts. (I mean, they are even less comprehensible than the rest of the rants.)
Posted by: AnneS | April 01, 2011 at 04:38 AM
What's the joke? I kinda like the billboard idea. :)
Posted by: David Silverman | April 01, 2011 at 06:08 AM
haha! That is so great!
Posted by: Box Brown | April 01, 2011 at 06:15 AM
I'm psychic - I Gnu this was going to happen. Booking my flight as we speak, so to speak. Cheers.
Posted by: Locutus7 | April 01, 2011 at 06:22 AM
What a great event!!
Despite the tremendous cost to go from Spain to Devil's Corner... I'll sure try!
Posted by: Luiyo | April 01, 2011 at 06:22 AM
Inspired! Is there a sign-up sheet for the angry mob?
Mike.
Posted by: NoAstronomer | April 01, 2011 at 06:54 AM
Did a spit take all over my computer at the diversity conference. I'm booking my flight as I type....
Posted by: Doug | April 01, 2011 at 07:15 AM
I volunteer for cocktail party bar duty. Rebecca just keeps bringing carboys of vodka for the bar back, and we godless drunkards deserve better.
-- Bertrand's Teapot Catering - the teapot's in your head, but the drink is in your hand --
Posted by: William Donohue | April 01, 2011 at 07:26 AM
Where do I buy tickets?
Posted by: K.C. Hill | April 01, 2011 at 07:45 AM
I think I need more information about the horizontal networking sessions ^_^
Posted by: themann1086 | April 01, 2011 at 07:50 AM
Love it! You should include Evid3nc3! He's an atheist Youtuber with over a million views, that just converted back to Christianity because of CS Lewis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk8qkyguBXk&feature=channel_video_title
(This video was released today as well...)
Posted by: Conrad Hudson | April 01, 2011 at 09:53 AM
HAHA the David Silverman billboard and Diversity Panel both made me laugh aloud :P
Posted by: Jeanette | April 01, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Where's Ophelia Benson? It's a real angry mob without OB.
Posted by: Sili | April 01, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Obsessive rehashing of diversity panel. Nice.
Posted by: Konquererz | April 01, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Oh, dear. That's what I was afraid of. I should have known Silverman would think this was a good idea. If American Atheists launches the infamous "Stupid Bullshit" billboard campaign next year, I'll have only myself to blame. :-)
Posted by: Greta Christina | April 01, 2011 at 11:50 AM
If conference schedules were honest, a lot of them would look more like this ;)
Posted by: S Barnett Cormack | April 01, 2011 at 12:02 PM
Would certainly attend this, it'd be my first atheist con too.
Not sure if I'd attend the PZ Myers/Jerry Coyne deathmatch or not. I'm not into wrestling/fighting/etc, but that sounds more amusing than disgusting.
Posted by: Kassul | April 01, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Oh... I want the Stupid Bullshit billboard to be real sooo much...
This is my favorite April Fool's gag of 2011, methinks.
Posted by: Jen | April 01, 2011 at 12:45 PM
You forgot to mention that there will be a discussion of next year's conference being held at Intercourse, PA or Hell, MI.
Posted by: ER | April 01, 2011 at 01:09 PM
The deathmatch should be easy to determine. Just announce that the judge will be God Almighty Himself, who is entering the room right now....!
If PZ turns his head to look -- he loses.
Posted by: Sastra | April 01, 2011 at 01:21 PM
Honestly, the billboard is a genuinely good I idea. Seriously. I mean it! Look, I don't do this April's Fool's shit so take me seriously!!
And since when do atheists celebrate Catholic holidays? I thought everybody knew this holiday originated as "The Feast of Saint Fool."
Posted by: satan augustine | April 01, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Ha! I'm definitely going to the goats panel.
*******************************************************************************************************888eleven!!
Posted by: Ophelia Benson | April 01, 2011 at 02:45 PM
He-he. I love it!
Posted by: Ani Sharmin | April 01, 2011 at 03:38 PM
But you forgot PZ's poetry reading!
Posted by: Cath the Canberra Cook | April 01, 2011 at 05:15 PM
I call bullshit! You know full well PZ Myers is not, and never will be, sorry for the Narwhals!
Posted by: Flewellyn | April 01, 2011 at 05:47 PM
The American Atheists campaign is rather good, but I personally prefer the British Atheists' billboard campaign:
"Religion, what a load of bollocks!" :)
Posted by: malta | April 01, 2011 at 08:01 PM
With the end of the world happening in 2012, perhaps the 2013 conference should be held in Hell (Norway).
Posted by: ckitching | April 01, 2011 at 08:25 PM
I'm worried to see that Silverman really thinks such a billboard would be a good idea...
The Santa workshop for toddlers has its merits, maybe the idea could be expanded to include the tooth fairy, god and the devil next year ! "Nothing to see here, they don't really exist, here are the party pies".
Posted by: Rorschach | April 01, 2011 at 11:04 PM
We should call the Boobquake sequel "Assteroid".
Posted by: steve | April 02, 2011 at 04:05 AM
I so wish this was real :-D
Posted by: twitter.com/blogmum | April 03, 2011 at 02:40 PM
I hope you are going to have live webcasts or at least recorded podcasts available. I am especially looking forward to the Harris, Dawkins, dennet and hitchens session.
Posted by: Prashanth | April 04, 2011 at 04:22 AM
Sounds suitably tongue-in-cheek, with fire and brimstone only present ironically. Expect a hipster swarm.
Posted by: westwood | April 04, 2011 at 08:35 AM
I like the pitchforks, but can we bring torches too?
Posted by: Janice in Toronto | April 18, 2011 at 06:48 AM