About VoF

About the Swedish Skeptics Association

Vetenskap och Folkbildning (VoF) is a Swedish non-profit organization set out to promote popular education about the methods of science and its results. By engaging in open debate, the organization particularly sets its task to discredit false ideas about matters that can be resolved scientifically. An important part of this education is to make clear what questions can and cannot, respectively, be resolved through scientific means. The organization tries to investigate what science-based arguments there are for – or against – controversial phenomena such as astrology, healing, homeopathy, dowsing, telepathy, UFO and so forth. The organization is open to anyone who supports its purpose. All work is conducted on a voluntary basis.

To define science and pseudoscience is not all that easy. VoF uses the following definition:

Science is the systematic search for such knowledge that is independent from any single individual, but that anyone could rediscover or verify. Pseudoscience is characterized by statements not based in science, but presented in a way which gives them an impression of being so.

 
VoF publishes a quarterly magazine, Folkvett, and have many meetings (lectures and social meetings) per year. Each year we give two awards: Enlightener of the Year and Obscurantist (or ”Confounderer”) of the Year (see example here). We also have local chapters in several cities.

Get in touch with us through our international contacts, Pontus Böckman, at pontus.bockman@vof.se and Lotten Kalenius, at lotten.kalenius@vof.se