Rebecca Watson is an American atheist blogger, vlogger, and YouTuber. She is the founder of the blog Skepchick and former co-host of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast.
Rebecca Watson is an American atheist blogger and YouTuber. She is the founder of the blog Skepchick and former co-host of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast. She also previously co-hosted the Little Atoms podcast.
Early life and education
Born in 1980, Rebecca Watson grew up in New Jersey.
She graduated from Boston University in 2002, where she majored in communications.
Watson says she had little interest in science until she began working
as a magician while at university and meeting other skeptics including magician James Randi.
Career
Watson blogs about atheism and feminist politics, and has been particularly active in critiquing the modern atheist movement (sometimes called "New Atheism") from within, especially regarding the lack of attention given to the role of women in the movement. Primarily active online, she was described by BuzzFeed as "the first major atheist whose rise has occurred on the web".
Skepchick
Inspired after attending the James Randi's The Amaz!ng Meeting, Watson founded the blog Skepchick in 2005, describing it as "an organization dedicated to promoting skepticism and critical thinking among women around the world". The same year, Watson released The Skepchick Calendar, a pin-up calendar featuring pictures of skeptical women for every month. Proceeds provided the attendance fee for several female applicants to attend The Amaz!ng Meeting.
