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\nTim Farley is a computer software engineer, skeptic, and creator of the \npopular website What\u2019s the Harm? His site answers this salient \nquestion with over 670,000 stories of people who have indeed been \nharmed, damaged, injured, or even killed by pseudoscience and the \nparanormal\n

\nWhat\u2019s the Harm\u2019s catchphrase is: \u201c368,379 people killed, 306,096\n injured and over $2,815,931,000 in economic damages.\u201d However, these \nstatistics are calculated from randomly-caught, modern cases documented \nin English-speaking countries. Many stories are left untold. How much \nbigger could the problem be?\n

\nIn this interview with Karen Stollznow, Tim reveals the real-life \ndangers, and the hidden dangers, of these beliefs and practices. He \ntreats the lack of regulatory bodies for these industries, and what \nrecourse can be taken when harm is done. Tim talks about the question \n\u201cWhat\u2019s the Harm?\u201d as used in defense of pseudoscience and the \nparanormal, and why this is wielded as a \u201ccheckmate\u201d argument. He \ndiscusses the power of anecdotal evidence, and whether people are \ninfluenced by cautionary tales, or more persuaded by their own personal \nexperiences.\n

\nTim is a prominent activist and a frequent speaker at events including \nSkeptics in the Pub, Skepticamp, and the James Randi Educational \nFoundation\u2019s Amazing Meetings. An expert in computer security and \nreverse engineering, he is at the forefront of the Skepticism 2.0 \nmovement. He talks about finding your own \u201cniche\u201d as an online activist,\n how you don\u2019t need to be a magician or have a PhD to be a skeptic, and \nhow we all have our own expertise to bring to the skeptical movement.\n