User:Nmillerche/sandbox/Sharon Hill

Sharon A. Hill is a science writer and speaker known for her research into the interaction between science and the public, with a focus on education and media topics. Hill's research has particularly dealt with topics of the paranormal, pseudoscience and anomalous natural phenomena, and began at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). Hill is the founder of Doubtful News, a news site that links synopses and commentary to original news sources, as well as provides additional information to critically assess claims made in the media. Hill is a contributor to the Huffington Post blog and has appeared in written and podcast media discussing related topics. She writes the Sounds Sciency column for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and has contributed to various skeptical, science and paranormal blogs such as Skeptoid and Aaron Sagers' Paranormal Pop Culture. She contributed articles and reports to Skeptical Inquirer and Skeptical Briefs. Hill has also been a speaker at various science and science-fiction related conferences, including Balticon, The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM), NECSS, and Dragon*Con.

Professional Career
Hill has worked as a geologist with the Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the department's mining office. As a geologist and public policy expert, Hill has been involved in the investigation and remediation efforts of sinkholes, and has presented on public policies related to sinkholes, as well as on mining regulatory issues.

Scientific skepticism
On a March 2013 episode of The Skeptic Zone, Hill was interviewed by Richard Saunders. During the interview, Hill discussed the founding of her Doubtful News web site, the process by which information is gathered, as well as using social media to improve coverage.

In March 2013, Hill launched the "Media Guide to Skepticism" document, an informational resource developed in cooperation with other skeptical thinkers about scientific skepticism "licensed through Creative Commons for reproduction." In an April 2013 episode of the Token Skeptic Podcast, Hill detailed how she assembled drafts of the guide, inspired by Wired.com's "Media Guide to Volcanoes", with the aim of assisting reporters looking to write about scientific skepticism, as well as those new to the movement. Hill's guide focuses on defining skepticism, outlining its importance and addressing common misconceptions.

The James Randi Educational Foundation listed Hill as a main program speaker for The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM) 2013, scheduled to take place in July 2013. Hill led a workshop on coalition building at TAM 2012, which included panelists David Silverman and David Niose.

Hill is also a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post as "a researcher specializing in the interaction between science, the media and the public."



Study of paranormal investigative groups
In 2011, Hill appeared at the Balticon Science Fiction Convention, where she delivered a presentation, "Being Scientifical," which focused on amateur research groups with a particular focus on self-styled paranormal researchers.

The topic of amateur research and investigation groups (ARIGs) was also the subject of Hill's Masters thesis, which examined the "community of amateur paranormal investigators and how they used science." According to the Abstract, Hill's research demonstrated that while "ARIGs often used science-like language, symbols and methods to describe their groups' views or activities," the one thousand amateur paranormal investigation groups that were studied often employed "non-scientific and subjective methods [...] in conjunction with objective methods. Furthermore, what were considered scientific processes by ARIGs did not match with established methods and the ethos of the scientific research community or scientific processes of investigation."

In an interview regarding The Scope of Skepticism, Hill discussed with Kylie Sturgess her opinion, based on research findings, that most paranormal groups can cause harm to the public. According to Hill, many amateur paranormal investigation groups state they "do science... when it's absolutely not." Hill has criticized paranormal investigators telling parents that demons are the cause of noises and their children's odd behavior, characterizing this practice as "mean and unethical."

After attending a the Phenomenology conference in Gettysburg, PA, Hill wrote about her observations for the Center for Inquiry (Committee for Skeptical Inquiry). She described what she saw as a shifting attitude of these paranormal groups from a "sciencey-sounding" approach to a spiritual one. She refers to an example of this change, the Catholicism-influenced TV show Paranormal State, noting a lack of scholarship and that contemporary investigation teams seemed to be able to "do as they please," according to Hill. Of the paranormal groups, Hill wrote that it is critical for observers of paranormal culture to note "how important FEELING is in these experiences, rather than THINKING."

Doubtful News
In 2011, Hill started the Doubtful News web site, which curates news sources while providing commentary and background information. Hill stated on Skepticality, that Doubtful News is "a way to look at weird news in a more skeptical light." A May 2012 article in Skeptical Inquirer documented its launch, which according to Hill, "came about about because there was no one-stop source of breaking news of interest to critical thinkers that was not primarily straight science offerings or opinions."

Cryptozoology
Hill has stated that her first love of the paranormal is cryptozoology, she stated that most of her first books as a child "were about monsters and ghosts."

In February 2013, Hill was interviewed by Huffington Post writer Lee Speigel in her role as a science writer regarding her analysis of Dr. Melba Ketchum's "Sasquatch Genome Project" and its publication in the DeNovo Journal of Science, which Ketchum acquired for the stated purpose of publishing her research into alleged DNA evidence of the sasquatch, a cryptid commonly known as "Bigfoot." In 2013, Hill authored a chronology and analysis of the Ketchum Bigfoot project for Skeptical Briefs, which assembled a comprehensive reference listing of the project, as well as a special report on the subject for Skeptical Inquirer.

Her views on Bigfoot and other paranormal creatures are guarded, as she has stated "I'm not out to say Bigfoot does not exist... I can't say they don't exist... What I can say if after all these millenia of human existence, the evidence that those things are genuine, is unconvincing."



Role of skepticism
Hill has been critical of the narrowing of the focus of skepticism to specifically target religious belief, stating that "[c]riticism of religion really doesn't have a place in scientific framework... But when religious claims cross over into testable claims, then they are fair game for the skeptic." Although Hill works to investigate claims of the paranormal, she has stated that "'Does God exist' is not a skeptic question," and that "[s]cientific skepticism and atheism are very different things."

Hill has encouraged an increase in dialog between paranormal belief and skepticism groups, encouraging skeptics to "[t]ake time to listen to the other side, especially... the believers because there is something to learn from them." On April 29, Hill reviewed a skeptic conference for Aaron Sagers' paranormal entertainment site Paranormal Pop Culture.

Skepticism as consumer protection
On an April 14, 2013 interview on Strange Frequencies Radio, Hill stated that she views the role of scientific skepticism as one of "consumer protection" to help people better evaluate even everyday claims: "We really need to apply skepticism every day in life, or else we'll get scammed, taken by some product that doesn't work, or it could affect our health or checking account."

Honors
In 2012, Hill was named as a Scientific and Technical Consultant for the Center for Inquiry.

Professional Career
Hill has worked with the Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a geologist in their mining office. In 2001, Hill was involved in the study and remediation efforts of the DEP pertaining to sinkhole damage along U.S. Route 33 in Pennsylvania. As reported in The Morning Call newspaper, Hill prepared a report on the sinkhole incident indicating that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) may have "caused the ground to shift and thus caused the holes" when it rerouted part of Bushkill Creek to build the route in Stockertown. In 2005, Hill presented a paper at the 10th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst in San Antonio, Texas, entitled "Resolving Sinkhole Issues: A State Government Perspective," which discussed a model for state agencies to "improve their efforts to effectively deal with sinkhole situations and better serve public needs," and was made available through the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In 2010, Hill was a speaker at the 46th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals, hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, on "21st Century Noncoal Regulatory Issues."

Articles that will link to this one

 * The Amaz!ng Meeting