35-772: Kylie Sturgess is a past President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia , an award-winning blogger, author and independent podcast host of The Token Skeptic Podcast . A Philosophy and Religious Education teacher with over ten years experience in education, Sturgess has lectured on teaching critical thinking , feminism, new media and anomalistic beliefs worldwide. She is a Member of the James Randi Educational Foundation ( JREF ) Education Advisory Panel and regularly writes editorial for numerous publications, and has spoken at The Amazing Meeting Las Vegas, Dragon*Con (US), QED Con (UK). She
70-463: A Blue Girl , Bella Morte , Chick Corea , Edgar Winter , Emerald Rose, Ghost of the Robot , Godhead , Iced Earth , Voltaire , Jefferson Starship , The Misfits , GWAR , Man or Astroman? , The Bloodhound Gang , Spock's Beard , and Mindless Self Indulgence . The Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival presents the "finest independent short films of the fantastic". Awards are distributed for
105-804: A consultant to the media on the topic of women and paranormal beliefs for the Australian National Times column "Skeptic Science". In 2016 she promoted the Census No Religion Campaign as the President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia Sturgess regularly writes editorials for numerous publications, including: Sturgess' work has featured in Educational Journals and Publications: Other notable publications: Sturgess has featured in
140-407: A fan-voted award "to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy literature, comics, gaming and filmed entertainment". The award process consists of a nomination step, where each voter can nominate one work of choice in every category, and a voting step where the nominated works are voted for to receive the award. The nominations and votes are collected electronically. Participation
175-557: A number of categories. Dragon Con hosts a variety of gaming sessions and tournaments. These include board games , miniature games , collectible card games , console games , live action and other role-playing games, tables hosted by gaming companies, and panel sessions. In 1998, Dragon Con established the Julie Award, in honor of Julius "Julie" Schwartz , bestowed by a panel of industry professionals in honor of "universal achievement spanning multiple genres". Schwartz presented
210-712: A panel at the QED Convention 2011 in Manchester, UK, called 'Reaching Out Reasonably’ with Eugenie Scott, Sile Lane, David Kirby, and moderated by Janis Bennion. In 2011, Sturgess was the Australian co-ordinator of the 10:23 campaign and was recognised with First Place for 2011 for her activism efforts by the Secular Student Alliance Best Individual College Activist Awards. She has acted as
245-887: A parade through downtown Atlanta, which ran from Centennial Olympic Park to the Marriott Marquis , and featured thousands of costumed participants. The parade is an annual event, televised by WUPA-TV and streamed online. In 2015, Dragon Con attracted some 70,000+ attendees and had a direct economic impact of $ 65 million, as reported by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau in the Atlanta Business Chronicle . According to statistics provided by Georgia State University , Robinson College of Business , Dragon Con brought in over $ 21 million. Dragon Con routinely raises funds for designated charities. In 2005, Dragon*Con raised US$ 20,000 for
280-717: A particular focus on Gifted and Talented education and gender issues. For the final unit for her second Masters of Education, her thesis was on "Anomalistic beliefs in Australians ;: a Rasch analysis", and she was a co-author on a paper raising questions about the Wiseman and Watt’s short scales of positive and negative superstitions. Her professional background includes working for a number of private schools in Western Australia. In 2010 Sturgess taught Religious Education, Philosophy and Ethics. Currently, she
315-575: A private for-profit corporation , with the help of a 1,500-member volunteer staff. Dragon Con has hosted the 1990 Origins Game Fair and the 1995 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). Dragon Con was launched in 1987, as a project of a local science fiction and gaming group, the Dragon Alliance of Gamers and Role-Players (DAGR). It was founded by a board of directors including John Bunnell, David Cody, Robert Dennis, Mike Helba, Pat Henry, and Ed Kramer . The name "Dragon" for
350-537: A young age Sturgess was influenced by art, literature, and film. Her interest in investigative journalism exposed her to the negative results of scams and pseudoscience. Sturgess also credits the feminist writer Julie Burchill and popular science writer Mary Roach as being positive influences. Female skeptics Karen Stollznow and Lynne Kelly are also important figures in Sturgess's skepticism background. Since 2003, Sturgess has gained Levels 1 and 2 accreditation in
385-667: Is a lecturer at Murdoch University in Strategic Communication, Podcasting and Radio, whilst completing her PhD in podcasting and further graduate studies in Science Communication at ANU. Sturgess' influence in skepticism began during The Amazing Meeting 3 where she helped as a volunteer. At the beginning of 2006, after an influential lecture on 'Teaching Critical Thinking in the Physical Sciences' by Liam McDaid of Sacramento City College ,
SECTION 10
#1732779982847420-810: Is freely available to everyone, without cost or requirement of membership. The finalist shortlist for the first edition of the awards was announced on August 11, 2016; the winners were announced on September 4. Additional awards include the Futura Award, paying homage to the Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis ; the Parsec Awards ; and the Georgia Fandom Award, renamed in 2008 as the Hank Reinhardt Award, after its first recipient . In 2002, Dragon Con began hosting
455-592: The Labor Day weekend in Atlanta , Georgia . As of 2017 , the convention draws attendance of over 80,000. It features hundreds of guests, encompasses five hotels in the Peachtree Center neighborhood of downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park , and runs thousands of hours of programming for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other elements of fan culture. It is owned and operated by
490-724: The Australian Skeptics National Conference in Adelaide, South Australia with "On Sex, Smarts and Where The SkepGrrls At: An Investigation into Gender Differences and Belief In Weird Things". She has been a speaker on a number of panels on the SkepTrack at Dragon*Con from 2009 to 2011 and in 2010 spoke at Global Atheist Convention , Melbourne 12–14 March 2010 on "Sex and Skepticism: a Study of Belief in Australian Women". and presented on
525-532: The Dragon Con parade would only be open to those who hold badges. Some of the virtual features from 2020 would also be maintained, including a "virtual marketplace", and streaming content (including free content and a paid " DragonConTV " streaming membership). On August 17, it was also announced that all attendees must present proof of vaccination for COVID-19 or a negative test from within the past 72 hours in order to claim their badges. As of 2008, Dragon Con
560-794: The Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Association's ‘Philosophy / Teacher Educator’. She went on to begin a Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Monash University by distance education in 2006 and completed several Masters Degrees in Education and qualifications in Radio Broadcasting. At the beginning of 2007 Sturgess had completed her first Masters of Education in Special Learning needs, with
595-617: The Foundation are: The foundation organised the 2010 Global Atheist Convention in conjunction with Atheist Alliance International , and also helped organise the second Global Atheist Convention in 2012. The foundation ran a campaign encouraging people to mark "No religion" on the 2011 Australian Census . Then-President David Nicholls stated that many people "simply marked down the religion they were born into, despite not now being religious people at all", and that as census results are used to gauge public funding to religious groups, this
630-570: The Pierremont Plaza Hotel, drew 1400 fans, and featured Guest of Honor Michael Moorcock , Lynn Abbey and Robert Asprin , Robert Adams , Ultima creator Richard "Lord British" Garriott , co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax and Toastmaster Brad Strickland . Miramar recording artist Jonn Serrie delivered his keyboard arrangements from within a real NASA flightsuit and Michael Moorcock performed onstage with Blue Öyster Cult 's Eric Bloom , singing " Veteran of
665-505: The Psychic Wars " and " Black Blade ". Thomas E. Fuller's Atlanta Radio Theatre Company performed H. P. Lovecraft 's Call of Cthulhu , which was broadcast via radio live from onsite. The 1988 convention included guests Alan Dean Foster , Fred Saberhagen , Margaret Weis , Tracy Hickman , Gary Gygax , and Larry Elmore . The convention grew rapidly. In 1989, it drew 2,400 fans (many to see Guest of Honor Anne McCaffrey ), and
700-805: The Rings , British and American science fiction television, dark fantasy, the Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival, and general programming which specific Guests of Honor attend (e.g., Clive Barker 's Lost Souls and Storm Constantine 's Grissecon ). As of 2017, Dragon Con is a five-day event, beginning the Thursday before Labor Day. From its origin, music has also been a significant feature of Dragon Con, with performances by groups and artists such as Abney Park , Blue Öyster Cult , The Crüxshadows , Celldweller , Ego Likeness , I:Scintilla , Black Tape for
735-549: The West Australian Skeptic Association ran an Award for challenging pseudo-scientific and paranormal claims. Sturgess used this opportunity as a 'theme' for her Term 2 upper-ability English class (along with studies of Macbeth , GATTACA and The Chrysalids ) who subsequently submitted six group reports. The class was commended with two awards and one honourable mention; later repeated in 2007 with two Awards and three honourable mentions. Sturgess
SECTION 20
#1732779982847770-408: The award each year prior to his death in early 2004. The inaugural recipient was Ray Bradbury ; additional recipients of the award include Forrest Ackerman , Yoshitaka Amano , Alice Cooper , Will Eisner , Harlan Ellison , Neil Gaiman , Carmine Infantino , Anne McCaffrey , Jim Steranko , Peter David , and Paul Dini . In March 2016, Dragon Con announced the introduction of " Dragon Awards ",
805-567: The club was derived from Kramer's Dragon Computer , which hosted a local Bulletin Board System ("The Dragon") that initially served as a central hub for both organizations. The inaugural Dragon*Con flyers debuted at the 1986 Atlanta Worldcon , ConFederation . Within a year, Dragon*Con had been selected to be the host of the 1990 Origins convention, to take place at the Atlanta Hilton. The 1987 inaugural Dragon*Con took place at
840-663: The convention's 20th anniversary in 2007, there were 22,000 attendees, and the convention continued to grow, drawing 40,000 attendees in 2010, 57,000 in 2013, and over 80,000 in 2017. On July 6, 2020, it was announced that Dragon Con had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with a virtual event being organized in its place on the original dates. The event announced that it would return for 2021 with enhanced health and safety protocols; it would be capped at around 40,000 attendees, badges would only be sold online and not on-site, masks would be mandatory within indoor spaces, and
875-450: The convention, but still owned 34% of the company. In 2011, Kramer sued the organizers, leveling charges that he was not receiving his fair share of the con's profits. Kramer's relationship with the convention was fully severed in July 2013 in a cash-out merger, at which point the name of the convention and business officially changed to "Dragon Con" (replacing the asterisk with a space). At
910-593: The event had moved to the Omni Hotel and Convention Center. In 1990, the convention had doubled again, added a Comics Expo, hosted the Origins convention, this time with Guest of Honor Tom Clancy , and expanded to include the Atlanta Sheraton hotel. In 1991 the first "Robot Battles" robotic competition event was added to the list of Dragon*Con events, making it the second oldest robotic competition event in
945-492: The existence of a god, gods, or the supernatural." It rejects belief in a deity , the supernatural and superstition in general. The foundation considers religion unnecessary and often harmful. It favours the scientific method , and the discovery of physical laws , as the best way to understand the truth about reality. The foundation believes that humans are rational and ethical beings, capable of making responsible and creative contributions to society . The objects of
980-484: The following media: Atheist Foundation of Australia The Atheist Foundation of Australia ( AFA ) was established in South Australia in 1970, when The Rationalist Association of South Australia decided upon a name change to better declare its basic philosophy, namely atheism . The foundation defines atheism as "the acceptance that there is no credible scientific or factually reliable evidence for
1015-630: The proceeds to begin her Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Sturgess was a presenter of a paper at the James Randi Educational Foundation's The Amazing Meeting 5, with the title "The West Australian Skeptics Awards for Young Critical Writers: Investigations and Questions about Future Directions when Studying High School Students’ Beliefs in the Pseudoscientific and the Paranormal.". In 2008 she presented at
1050-493: The top response. In 2016, then-President Kylie Sturgess objected to non-religious individuals answering with joke answers in the census in response to the Jedi census phenomenon , as this would result in an underrepresentation of non-religious Australians. Dragon*Con Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon ) is a North American multigenre convention , founded in 1987, which takes place annually over
1085-754: The world. In 1993, Dragon*Con was the home of the Wizard Fan Awards . By 1995, when Dragon*Con hosted the North American Science Fiction Convention , attendance had grown to over 14,000 fans, and Dragon*Con was also hosting the International Starfleet Conference . In 1999, Dragon*Con's TrekTrak introduced the first Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant, an annual event that has since garnered national media attention. In 2000, Ed Kramer ceased to have an active role in managing
Kylie Sturgess - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-626: Was a four-day event comprising approximately 3500 hours of panels, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops, with over 30 specialized programming tracks that include writing , alternate history , art , anime , gaming , science fiction and fantasy literature, comic books , costuming , space, science , online media , independent film , podcasting , Asian cinema and culture, robotics , filk , scientific skepticism , Star Trek , Star Wars , Military Scifi Media , X-Files , apocalyptic themes, Anne McCaffrey 's Pern , Robert Jordan 's Wheel of Time , J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of
1155-586: Was a presenter and Master of Ceremonies for the 2010 Global Atheist Convention and returned to the role in 2012. Her most recent book The Scope of Skepticism was released in 2012. She is a presenter at Perth's community radio station RTRFM , and a winner at the 2018 CBAA Community Radio Awards in the category of Talks, with the show Talk the Talk In 2020 she was in the final eight in the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Asia-Pacific virtual showcase. From
1190-437: Was giving religion more tax-payers' money than its entitlement. The AFA hired billboards around the country promoting the campaign. The 2011 census results showed that the percentage of people declaring no religion had risen from 18.7% in 2006 to 22.3%, becoming the second largest response. The AFA ran a similar campaign for the 2016 census ; results showed the percentage of people declaring no religion rose to 30.1%, becoming
1225-757: Was recognised for this work by a runner-up award by the Australian Skeptics in 2006. At that conference, she presented a speech written by the West Australian Skeptics regarding their project and their request for support. As a result, she was invited to present an essay for Radio National in December 2006, which also became an article in the Australian Skeptics . When she won the Australian Skeptics Critical Thinking Prize in 2007, she used
#846153