Nationality Canadian Occupation Writer, editor | Name Daniel Loxton Role Writer | |
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Books Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids | ||
Tam2014 daniel loxton a rare and beautiful thing
Daniel Loxton (born 1975) is a Canadian writer, illustrator, and skeptic. He wrote or co-wrote several books including Tales of Prehistoric Life, a children's science trilogy, and Abominable Science!, a scientific look at cryptozoology. As editor of Junior Skeptic, Loxton writes and illustrates most issues of Junior Skeptic, a children's science section in the Skeptics Society's Skeptic magazine.
Contents
- Tam2014 daniel loxton a rare and beautiful thing
- Daniel loxton evolution for kids for good reason
- Early life
- Career
- Books
- Podcasts
- References
Loxton has written articles for critical thinking publications including eSkeptic, Skeptic, Skeptical Briefs, and the Skeptical Inquirer as well as contributed cover art to Skeptic, Yes, and Free Inquiry. He also regularly contributes to Skepticblog, a collaboration blog promoting science, critical thinking, and skepticism.
Daniel loxton evolution for kids for good reason
Early life
Loxton credits Barry Beyerstein for his interest in skepticism. In several interviews Loxton talks about attending a science fiction conference in British Columbia in 1991 and hearing Beyerstein speak on behalf of the BC Skeptics. "He calmly and kindly fielded questions from the audience—and I was shocked by almost everything he said. This wasn’t the usual fluff: this guy really knew what he was talking about, in a way that I had never encountered before. Even his 'I don’t know's were substantial in a way that I wasn’t used to hearing."
Loxton worked as a professional shepherd in British Columbia on the Canadian side of the Alaska Panhandle.
Career
Loxton has published articles on skeptical activism. In 2007, he wrote "Where Do We Go From Here?" about the direction of the new generation of skepticism, and which helped to inspire the SkeptiCamp community organized conferences on scientific skepticism. Then in 2009, he wrote "What Do I Do Next?" providing ideas for individual involvement in the skepticism movement, which was featured on an episode of the Skepticality podcast. In 2014, he wrote "Why Is There a Skeptical Movement?" which explores "the roots, founding principles, and purpose of scientific skepticism. Arguing that it is essential for skeptics to “appreciate that we’re caretakers for the work of those who have come before,” Loxton carries forward the discussion about the scope and limits of scientific skepticism that has been raised again in recent days".
Loxton is the author of Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came To Be, which was nominated for the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Norma Fleck Award for Children's Non-Fiction and won the Lane Anderson Award (a $10,000 prize). When pitching Evolution to U.S. publishers, Loxton was told "‘Well of course I love it, but we just think it’s a little too hot,’... Which is a strange thing to say about fundamental biology.” Not so in Canada. About writing a children's book on the topic of evolution Loxton states "People forget to see kids as thinking beings, as people who have existential questions that they want answered. They just need the best information available,” he said. “Keep it simple, but make it true.”
In 2011, he wrote Ankylosaur Attack (Tales of Prehistoric Life), which was nominated for a Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express award from the Ontario Library Association. He also appeared in an interview on the JREF podcast, For Good Reason in the episode dated February 6, 2010 and on Christopher Brown's Meet the Skeptics! podcast.
In 2013, he co-authored Abominable Science!, which he described on the Skepticality podcast episode 213:
"Abominable Science!...discusses the origins of a number of famous cryptids, well known cryptids, including the Yeti, Bigfoot, the Nessie, Sea Serpents, and the Mokele Mbembe (a sauropod dinosaur alleged to live on in the heart of Africa).
"I really take this book as a direct continuation of my life-long fascination with Cryptids, and I think that anyone who is fascinated with Cryptozoology, regardless of how plausible they find these creatures, I think should find plenty of meat in this book to enjoy. It's a hard-hitting book. True believers will find plenty to challenge them, plenty to chew on, but I think that they'll find plenty to love."
In 2015, Loxton was elected a fellow of the Committee of Skeptical Inquiry.
Books
Podcasts
Loxton has been a frequent guest on the Skepticality podcast on a variety of topics:
He has also been a guest on the Token Skeptic podcast: