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.[1]
Daniel Loxton | |
|---|---|
 Daniel Loxton | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, editor |
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. From 2009 to 2014 he regularly contributed to Skepticblog, a collaboration blog promoting science, critical thinking, and skepticism.[2] Since 2014, Loxton has been the editor of The Skeptics Society's INSIGHT.[3]
Early life
editLoxton 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."[4][5]
Loxton worked as a professional shepherd in British Columbia on the Canadian side of the Alaska Panhandle.[6]
Career
edit
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,[7] and which helped to inspire the SkeptiCamp community organized conferences on scientific skepticism.[citation needed] Then in 2009, he wrote "What Do I Do Next?" providing ideas for individual involvement in the skepticism movement,[8] which was featured on an episode of the Skepticality podcast.[9] 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".[10]
Loxton is the author of Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came To Be,[11] which was nominated for the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Norma Fleck Award for Children's Non-Fiction[12] and won the Lane Anderson Award (a $10,000 prize).[13] 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.[14][15] 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.[5]
In 2013, he co-authored Abominable Science!.
In 2015, Loxton was elected a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.[16]
Books
edit- Loxton, Daniel (2010), Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be, Kids Can Press, p. 56, ISBN 978-1554534302 (translated into Slovenian, Korean, Norwegian, Persian, and, in a modified form as the separate book Evolução, Portuguese).
- Loxton, Daniel; Smith, Jim W.W. (2011), Ankylosaur Attack, (Tales of Prehistoric Life), Kids Can Press, pp. 32, ISBN 978-1554536313
- Loxton, Daniel; Smith, Jim W.W. (2013), Pterosaur Trouble, (Tales of Prehistoric Life), Kids Can Press, pp. 32, ISBN 978-1554536320
- Loxton, Daniel; Prothero, Donald R (2013), Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids, Columbia University Press, pp. 432, ISBN 978-0231153201
- Loxton, Daniel; Smith, Jim W.W. (2014), Plesiosaur Peril, (Tales of Prehistoric Life), Kids Can Press, p. 32, ISBN 978-1554536337
References
edit- ^ Jones, Jason B. (March 16, 2010). "The Junior Skeptic Explains Evolution". Wired. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ "Skepticblog (Daniel Loxton)".
- ^ Loxton, Daniel (September 17, 2014). "Welcome to INSIGHT at Skeptic.com". The Skeptics Society. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "Interview With Daniel Loxton of Junior Skeptic Magazine". University of Phoenix - Geek Mom. September 1, 2011. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "MTS: Meet Daniel Loxton". Christopher Brown. March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ "Skeptic Magazine 'Meet the Creators'".
- ^ Loxton, Daniel. "Where Do We Go From Here?: Has classic skepticism run its course?" (PDF). Skeptic.com. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "What Do I Do Next?" (PDF).
- ^ Swoopy; Colanduno, Derek (October 16, 2007), "Ep. #63 - Where Do We Go From Here?", Skepticality, Skeptic Magazine, retrieved November 27, 2011
- ^ "Why Is There a Skeptical Movement?". February 6, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ Loxton, Daniel (2010). Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came To Be. Kids Can Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-55453-430-2.
- ^ Angela Hickman (June 14, 2011). "Shortlists for Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards released". Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
- ^ "Evolution wins Lane Anderson Award". The Canadian Children's Book Centre. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Silver Birch Express 2013". Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. He was featured in an interview on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast #194, and again in #414.
- ^ "Episode 194". Official Skeptics' Guide Site.
- ^ "Ten Distinguished Scientists and Scholars Named Fellows of Committee for Skeptical Inquiry - CSI". www.csicop.org. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2015.