UPCOMING WEBINARS AND CONFERENCES
- “It’s Only Waste if We Waste it”. Spent Nuclear Fuel or “Nuclear Waste” is a Valuable Resource.: Cal Doucette webinar covers the ARC sodium fast reactor and spent nuclear fuel as a resource. (Nov. 8, 2026, at 8:00 PM)
UPCOMING MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS, AND GATHERINGS
- 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. (Nov. 1, 2026, at 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET)
- 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. (Nov. 1, 2026, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT)
- Ottawa Watch Party: 2026 US Midterms: Join our group of friendly atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, and critical thinkers at The Lieutenant’s Pump for an exciting evening as we watch the first returns roll in at 8 PM until the pub closes at midnight. (Nov. 3, 2026, 8:00 PM to 11:59 PM ET)
- Skeptics in the Pub: Ottawa: Meet friendly skeptics, atheists, humanists, and freethinkers for Skeptics in the Pub. (Nov. 3, 2026, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET)
- ONLINE Secular Community Network – Hosted by SCN Ottawa West: The Secular Community Network hosts lightly moderated informal discussions on topics of interest to freethinkers, humanists, and others who are secular. (Nov. 4, 2026, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM ET)
- Secular Brunch – Ottawa Centretown: Secular Brunch – Ottawa Centretown is a new in-person and lightly-moderated discussion group for atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, and other free-thinkers in the National Capital Region. (Nov. 15, 2026, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET)
- Recovering from Religion: Ottawa Potential Volunteers: Are you interested in learning about becoming a volunteer Support Group Leader for the new Recovering from Religion (RfR) chapter starting in Ottawa-Gatineau later this year? (Nov. 15, 2026, 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET)
CFIC UPDATES
- Assistance for Apostates (A4A): The First Lives Saved: Ramin Saberi Jafari and Anahita Morovvati, Iranian atheist filmmakers, in Victoria, July 2026: the first lives saved by Assistance for Apostates, with the Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP) of Ateizm Derneği, the one and only legally recognized atheist human rights organization in the Muslim world. (centreforinquiry.ca/a4a)
- Podcast for Inquiry (PFI) – What’s New?
CRITICAL THINKING
- Keith’s Conundrums: November 2026: On the Pinocchio Paradox.
- Critical Thinking QuickLinks – November 2026: AI, nitrogen “memory”, learning styles.
SCIENCE
- Science Quicklinks – November 2026: Leap-seconds, health good news and bad news, orca vs boat.
SECULARISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- The Lie at the Hospital: She carried her severed finger into a hospital and lied to keep their jobs.
- Secularism QuickLinks – November 2026: Blasphemy, religion in US military, preachers supporting domestic violence.
DATES OF INTEREST
- November 2026 Dates of Interest: Science for peace, anti-bullying, standing against violence, buy nothing.
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Close-Up Of A Seashell, photo by Arndt-Peter Bergfeld, via Pexels