NEWS AND EVENTS
- ONLINE Living Without Religion – Hosted by CFIC Virtual Branch: Join Living Without Religion for an open, supportive conversation where you can speak freely, feel understood, and connect with others in a respectful, judgment-free space. (Sunday, February 1st, 2026, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM EST)
- Surrey/Langley Skeptics in the Pub Group Meetup: Do you have questions about unusual claims? We invite you to join the Surrey/Langley Skeptics in the Pub Group. (Sunday, February 1st, 2026, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM PST)
- Book Club (non-fiction): Join our monthly book club where curious minds critically explore bold, controversial ideas and question the truth behind today’s most thought-provoking books. (Monday, February 2nd, 2026, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST)
- Skeptics in the Pub: Ottawa: Meet friendly skeptics, atheists, humanists, and freethinkers for Skeptics in the Pub. (Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST)
- ONLINE Secular Chat – Ottawa West: Every Wednesday evening, the Secular Community Network of CFIC Ottawa will host lightly moderated informal discussions on topics of interest to freethinkers, humanists, and others who are secular. (Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EST)
- Various Nuclear Reactor Types with Dr. Matt Memmott: Join Dr. Memmott to learn about several nuclear reactor types, with the primary focus on molten salt microreactors being developed by Alpha Tech Research Corp. (Monday, February 9th, 2026, 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM EST)
- Online talk: Mission and Misogyny: We’d like to invite you to an online talk on the National Secular Society’s new report on how some religious charities are promoting sexism, patriarchy, and violence against women. (Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET)
- Free Darwin Day Webinar – Journey into Darkness: The Allegory of the Cave: Darwin Day 2026 celebrates the 217th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. To celebrate, the US National Association of Biology teachers are presenting a free webinar: Journey into Darkness: The Allegory of the Cave. (Thursday, February 12th, 2026, 7:00 PM ET)
- CFIC Town Hall Meeting #10 – “The Emerging Geopolitical World Order: How Is It Different, and How Should It Be Shaped?”: At our next Town Hall meeting on 15 February 2026, we will explore this proposed new order: how it differs from the current system, whether it is likely to materialize, and what challenges and risks it presents. Join the discussion via Zoom. (Sunday, February 15th, 2026, at 8:00 pm EST.)
- How researchers can maintain the standards of good science in a world of misinformation: The People’s Case for Curators: Do you benefit from the work done by information curators? Are you one yourself? Join us to hear more about the essential work done by curators in today’s complex information landscape. (Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, 11:00 AM EST)
- How the LNT Model Misled Radiation Science for 70 Years: Rick Mott will be presenting on how the current radiation protection standards came to be accepted worldwide, the issues, errors, and “head scratching” with how we got to this point. Rick will then discuss how radiation protection standards need to be improved, updated, and based on overwhelming scientific data and evidence.
- Early Bird Registration is now open for the World Humanist Congress (August 7 – 9, 2026 in Ottawa): Join the biggest global movement to forge human-centered solutions and turn humanist ideals into powerful, real-world action.
- If You Missed These February Programs: The Renewable Energy Honeymoon: Starting is Easy, the Rest is Hard, or Protecting Blasphemers VII, watch the CFIC’s YouTube channel for recordings.
- Volunteers Needed: Ready to help shape CFIC’s future? Your voice and ideas can lead the way.
- Podcast for Inquiry (PFI) – Recent Episodes
CRITICAL THINKING
- Keith’s Conundrums: The Larger and the Smaller: Ideas of “largeness” are relational and contextual, and can lead to interesting puzzles.
- Predatory Journals (Critical Links Retrospective): Some tools for identifying bad science.
- Critical Thinking QuickLinks – February 2026: Wikipedia turns 25, tool-using cows, bias in social media research, AI.
SCIENCE
- “It’s Only Waste if We Waste it”: Fear isn’t evidence. Coal waste kills quietly and more dangerously, while nuclear waste is the scapegoat.
- Science Quicklinks – February 2026: Vaccines, Mars influencing climate, Neanderthals.
SECULARISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- A New Beacon of Hope: CFI Canada Partners with ARAP to Protect Persecuted Non-Believers: CFI Canada expands its Assistance for Apostates (A4A) program through a new partnership with the Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP). This collaboration strengthens our commitment to protecting those who face danger simply for questioning faith—a core humanist value.
- Secularism QuickLinks – February 2026: Challenging conscientious objection to MAiD, attempted theocracy in Canada, decline of Catholicism in Latin America.
DATES OF INTEREST
- February 2026 Dates of Interest: Darwin’s birthday, women in science, radio day.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Got something you want to say? Check out our Critical Links submission guidelines