All Meetings Online Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Philadelphia Community College is closed. All PhACT meetings are now being held online, using the Zoom web conferencing platform. Registration is required to attend the meetings. See the links in the meeting descriptions below. Monthly Lectures Monthly lectures are usually held on the third Saturday of each month (except in the summer and December), at 2:00 PM at the Community College of Philadelphia's Main campus in Center City Philadelphia, PA. Exceptions are noted below.

NOTE: The Community College of Philadelphia is now requiring visitors to sign in with photo ID. This includes PhACT meetings. Please allow extra time when coming to meetings to complete this process.

Parking is available for $4.00 in the college parking garage on 17th St. The garage is open until 6 PM.

Click here for a campus map.



PhACT thanks Dr. David Cattell and the Philadelphia Community College for providing us with an excellent meeting space.



The general public is more than welcome to attend our lectures. You do not need to be a PhACT member to attend.

For more information, contact Bob Glickman at president@phact.org

Executive meetings are held prior to the monthly lectures, at 1:00 p.m. Any member may attend. Upcoming Meetings Saturday, October 17, 2020 - Behind the Scenes on a TV Ghost Show Time: 2:00 PM Location: Online, using Zoom Details Speaker: Benjamin Radford



Preregistration is required. Most of us have seen “reality” TV shows about ghosts, including Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Ghost Adventures, and others. But what’s it really like between takes and in front of the camera? How real is the “reality” TV on these ghost shows? Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Research Fellow Benjamin Radford recently investigated a famous haunted house for the History Channel’s MysteryQuest. Come for an insider’s behind-the-scenes look at ghosts, investigation, and the reality of TV production.Preregistration is required. Please click here to register. Benjamin Radford is author or contributor to over 20 books (including Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits) and has appeared on Good Morning America, MysteryQuest, MonsterQuest, Is It Real? and many other shows.





Benjamin Radford is author or contributor to over 20 books (including Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits) and has appeared on Good Morning America, MysteryQuest, MonsterQuest, Is It Real? and many other shows. Saturday, November 21, 2020 - The Psychology of Superstition Time: 2:00 PM Location: Online, using Zoom Details Speaker: Stuart Vyse

While we live in a technologically and scientifically advanced age, superstition is as widespread as ever, perhaps more so. Not limited to athletes and actors, superstitious beliefs are common among people of all occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. Why?



Stuart Vyse will discuss the psychological motivations for the enduring appeal of superstitious beliefs, the influence of culture on superstition, and the role of superstition in the economy. Finally, he will discuss alternative ways of coping with the uncertainties of life. Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, teacher, and writer. He writes the monthly “Behavior & Belief” column for Skeptical Inquirer and personal essays in a variety of places—lately for the Observer, Medium, The Atlantic, The Good Men Project, and Tablet.



Vyse's book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association and has been or will be translated into four languages. His book Going Broke: Why Americans Can’t Hold On To Their Money is an analysis of the current epidemic of personal debt and has been translated into Chinese.



As an expert on irrational behavior, Vyse has been quoted in many news outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR”s Science Friday.



Vyse holds a PhD in psychology and BA and MA degrees in English literature and is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The majority of his teaching career was spent at Connecticut College in New London, CT, where he was the Joanne Toor ’50 Professor of Psychology. His academic interests are in decision making, behavioral economics, philosophy, behavior analysis, and belief in the paranormal. Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, teacher, and writer. He writes the monthly “Behavior & Belief” column for Skeptical Inquirer and personal essays in a variety of places—lately for the Observer, Medium, The Atlantic, The Good Men Project, and Tablet.Vyse's book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association and has been or will be translated into four languages. His book Going Broke: Why Americans Can’t Hold On To Their Money is an analysis of the current epidemic of personal debt and has been translated into Chinese.As an expert on irrational behavior, Vyse has been quoted in many news outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR”s Science Friday.Vyse holds a PhD in psychology and BA and MA degrees in English literature and is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The majority of his teaching career was spent at Connecticut College in New London, CT, where he was the Joanne Toor ’50 Professor of Psychology. His academic interests are in decision making, behavioral economics, philosophy, behavior analysis, and belief in the paranormal.