April 1 is April Fools’ Day. When some people choose to make ridiculous and outrageous claims for fun and amusement (as opposed to the rest of the year, when some people choose to make ridiculous and outrageous claims either because they are misinformed or because they want to take advantage of others).
April 1 is also the 248th anniversary of the birth of French mathematician Sophie Germain.
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.
On April 8, if you are in the right place at the right time (and it’s not cloudy), you will be able to witness one of the most awe-inspiring celestial events: a total eclipse of the Sun. We invite readers to share their experiences and observations, as a comment on our website or by sending an email to info@centreforinquiry.ca.
This ought to be an April Fools’ joke, but in all seriousness, the World Homeopath Awareness Organization has declared April 10 (the birthday of Samuel Hahnemann) to be World Homeopathy Awareness Day, expanding to designate April 10-16 as World Homeopathy Week, and also claims all of April as World Homeopathy Awareness Month. Since homeopathic treatments are supposed to get stronger when they are diluted, one might think that a femtosecond would be more than sufficient for appropriate recognition. CFIC suggests celebrating on April 10 by studiously ignoring homeopathy — or for those feeling adventurous, perhaps challenging some online or in-person claims. (This article provides an overview of what science says about homeopathy; many other websites committed to critical thinking and education offer comprehensive information about the subject — e.g. Science-Based Medicine.)
More seriously, April 10 is also the International Day of Pink, a day to take a stand against bullying.
Every moment matters: Always, but especially during National Volunteer Week (April 14-20) CFIC appreciates the commitment of our volunteers who freely share their time, skills, empathy, and creativity to make our organization run.
April 14 to 20 is also National Medical Laboratory Week.
April 21 to 27 is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week.
April 22 is Earth Day.