Category: Announcements

November 20, 2017

The 2017 Science Talent Search

Followers of this site will be well aware that Australian Skeptics are proud long-term sponsors of the Science Teachers Association of Victoria’s annual Science Talent Search.

Here are the statistics for 2017:

2017 was the 66th year of the STS.

3,369 Victorian students entered; the largest level of participation for several years.

704 Cash bursaries were awarded.

There were 42 sponsors, ranging from multinational companies to private individuals.

The Australian Skeptics were a major sponsor: 90 students received bursaries funded by the Australian Skeptics.

Science Talent Search: Bursary Winners sponsored by The Australian Skeptics

We congratulate Janice Teng and her team of volunteers for a great event. If you are interested in STS and would like to know more, go to  http://www.sciencevictoria.com.au/sts/

No Comments
November 8, 2017

The Whack – a – Mole Project and the TGA.

by Ken Greatorex

 

Whack-a-Mole?

Whack-a-Mole was a popular 1970s arcade game which consisted of repeatedly hitting cartoon moles on the head with a cartoon hammer. Moles nevertheless kept cropping up with undiminished energy more or less at random; so the term Whack-a-mole came to signify “a repetitious and futile task.”

Problems with Regulation of Therapeutic Goods

The situation regarding the regulation of therapeutic goods in Australia is unsatisfactory. The complaints process is frustrating, exhausting and often ineffectual. Complaints to the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) must be made against one product or service at a time. Because such complaints are almost invariably made by volunteers, and there is no financial incentive to complain, only a relatively tiny number of questionable products ever get put under the microscope.

An astonishing 87 % of such complaints have historically been upheld. Yet the offending companies rarely receive more than “a slap on the wrists”.

View More The Whack – a – Mole Project and the TGA.

No Comments
October 31, 2017

Puzzles for November 2017

November’s puzzles include:

– seven new Picture Puzzles

– twenty “Mixed Bag“ trivia / general knowledge questions

– a Skeptical Crossword about General Skeptical Issues

– set 64 of our Logic & Maths Puzzles.

For the first time, the Mixed Bag Questions, the Crossword and the Logic & Maths Puzzles are all supplied as .pdf files for easy access

All monthly puzzles are accessible from the Puzzles Page.

No Comments
September 30, 2017

Puzzles for October 2017

This months puzzles include

  • seven new Picture Puzzles
  • twenty “Mixed Bag” trivia / general knowledge questions
  • a Skeptical Crossword about Cults and Sects
  • set 63 of our Logic & Maths Puzzles.

The Crossword and the Logic & Maths Puzzles are available in both HTML and .pdf form.

All monthly puzzles are accessible from the Puzzles Page.

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 1  (August 2010 to April 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 2 (May 2011 to September 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 3 (October 2011 to November 2012)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 4 (December 2012 to June 2013)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 5 (July 2013 to September 2014)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 6 (October 2014 to December 2015)

No Comments
August 3, 2017

SPECIAL EVENT: Artificial Intelligence / Human Possibilities

Thursday 17 August 2017: 

Assessing emerging risks and opportunities in machine cognition.

Ben Goertzel, Marcus Hutter, Peter Cheeseman and Joscha Bach – experts in the field of artificial intelligence – will discuss the human impact of artificial intelligence.

Doors open at 6:15pm for a 7:00pm start; Tentative end time is 10:00pm.
Ibis Melbourne Hotel, 15-21 Therry Street, Melbourne.

Book for the event through either Meetup or TryBooking.
https://www.meetup.com/Science-Technology-and-the-Future/events/242163071/
https://www.trybooking.com/RIYT

CONTACT DETAILS: 1800 666 996 vic@skeptics.com.au

This is a free public session of the 10th Artificial General Intelligence Conference sponsored by the Australian Skeptics Victorian Branch.

No Comments
July 31, 2017

Puzzles for August 2017

Our August 2017 Skeptical Crossword is about Telling the Future.

or

84 Aug 2017 Crossword (Telling the future) [pdf version].

Our

AUGUST 2017 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS [HTML version]
Logic and Maths Puzzles 61 August 2017 [pdf version] is the 61st such monthly set of ten puzzles with solutions that we’ve published.

Seven new Picture Puzzles and twenty “Mixed Bag” trivia / general knowledge questions are at the top of the Puzzles Page

Enjoy!

No Comments
June 30, 2017

Dr Ken Harvey receives the AM

Prominent Vic Skeptic Dr Ken Harvey has been awarded the AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Read all about it HERE

More on Dr Ken Harvey
https://skeptics.cafe/2015/09/13/dr-ken-harvey-on-the-radio-chiropractic-advertising/
https://skeptics.cafe/videos/dr-ken-harvey-chiropractors-abcrn-10915/
https://skeptics.cafe/2012/04/02/dr-ken-harvey-awarded-choice-consumer-champion/
https://skeptics.cafe/2012/03/06/tga-dr-ken-harvey-and-sensaslim-news/
https://skeptics.cafe/2011/06/11/the-sensaslim-libel-action-against-dr-ken-harvey-how-did-it-happen/
https://skeptics.cafe/2010/06/26/dr-ken-harvey/

No Comments
June 30, 2017

Death of Eric Fiesley

We are saddened to report that Eric Fiesley died earlier this month, several weeks after a road accident in Mildura.

A retired TAFE teacher, Eric was well-known to the Skeptical community, as a good friend and as contributor to and administrator of on-line Skeptical and social chat groups, and an enthusiastic supporter of campaigns. We also remember his devotion to caring for his sick wife Pam over many years.

Eric played euphonium with the Mildura and District Brass Band. He was also an administrator of both the Ulysses Social Club (for motorcyclists over the age of 40) , and the Mildura Working Man’s Club.

He will be missed.

 

No Comments