Gobo
Name: Crystal Yates-White
Online Handle: Gobo
Date of Birth: July 28, 1983
Location: Glenwood Springs, CO
Occupation: Land Manager
   
 
Favourite SGU Panelist: Perry.  Because he's direct, he's hilarious, and he doesn't believe in the matrix.
Favorite Interviewee: Susan Blackmore
Favourite Scientific Topic: Biogeochemistry
Most disliked Pseudoscience: The "Diet Industry"
Most disliked true-believer: Anyone who denies their true self in order to fit into a socially acceptable mold
Likes: Biking, Travel, Appalachian Harmonies, Learning about how the world works, Precise Language, Laughing with Family and Friends, Organizing Everything.
Dislikes: Imprecise language.  Dogma.  Self-Righteousness.

ALSO: Using the word "less" (rather than "fewer") as a comparative adjective describing items that can be counted individually. 

For example: "10 items or less" or "30% less calories."  It's fewer, folks. FEWER. Look it up: http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000214.htm. 
:)
Favourite Food(s): Watermelon, Grapefruit, Grapes
Favourite Book(s):

The Complete Sherlock Holmes.  Full Catastrophe Living
Favourite Movie(s): Dead Poet Society.  Red River.  The Muppet Movie
Favourite TV Show(s): Jeopardy.  (1980's) Sesame Street. Conan Obrien.  Planet Earth
Favourite Music: Blues and Old-Time Folk and Country
Drink/Smoke: Not really
What would you like to accomplish before you die: Enjoy my life
About me:

I enjoy precise language and direct conversation. To me, skepticism is about having a commitment to communication and questions, and a willingness (even eagerness) to being proven wrong.
Anything Else:

I love science and research, but I think that the skeptical movement could be served well if it focused more on how to apply the "scientific method" to everyday interactions with each other and with ourselves.  Learning to ask questions about --- rather than simply reacting to --- events in my life has helped me learn to stay on an even keel and given me a greater sense of appreciation for my life.  I believe this skill is the basis of what meditation and other contemplative religious doctrines are about.   

Unfortunately, the word "skepticism" has connotations that scare away many people --- especially women.  Likewise "critical thinking."  I would like to find a new label for the "skeptic" that is softer, deeper, and broader --- one that still emphasizes the importance of evidence and logic, but which also brings in the importance of communication and asking questions.
Return to Fan Bios Page