Category: Announcements

October 30, 2014

Australian Skeptics National Convention 2014

November 28-30

The Concourse, Chatswood Sydney NSW

2014stripThis year, Australian Skeptics celebrate our 30th consecutive annual convention, the only skeptical group in the world to achieve this feat. A stellar lineup of presenters includes

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe team,

The ABC’s Checkout/Chaser team,

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki,

Dick Smith,

Peter FitzSimons,

Michael Marshall,

Sonya Pemberton,

Robyn Williams,

Dr Rachael Dunlop,

Alan Kirkland,

Delia Rickard,

George Hrab,

Kendrick Frazier,

Peta Ashworth,

Dr Amanda Bauer,

Dr Bronwyn Hemsley,

Dr Alex Wodak,

Adam vanLangenberg

and Nicholas J Johnson

Information and bookings: http://convention.skeptics.com.au/

 

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October 30, 2014

Randi Returns to Australia

randitour

The Amazing James Randi is returning to Australia. The Think Inc organisation are bringing him out for a whirlwind 5 city tour.

Randi will be in Melbourne on Friday 5th December at the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre.

His other tour dates are:

Adelaide on Monday December 1st at the Science Exchange;

Perth on Wednesday 3rd in Perth at the Octagon Theatre;

Brisbane on Thursday 4th at the BCEC

Sydney on Sunday 7th in at the Enmore Theatre.
Hosted by Richard Saunders and Lawrence Leung, the evenings will have a fireside chat format as well as a screening of the fascinating new documentary of his life and work called “An Honest Liar” plus a Q & A session at the end.

Tickets start from $49 for students, $69 for general admission, $89 for VIP tickets and $169 for Meet and Greet tickets. Further details and tickets sales are available from the Think Inc website.

http://thinkinc.org.au/jamesrandi/

This is a unique opportunity for the general public to see and hear the 86 year old Amazing Randi, the world’s most prominent skeptic, in person.

Think Inc plan to regularly bring to Australia prominent Scientists and Skeptics. The next will be Bill Nye, “the Science Guy“, in February 2015.

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July 8, 2014

Collected Logic & Maths Puzzles

unnamed2Our monthly LOGIC & MATHS PUZZLES are proving popular. Here are shortlinks to every set of L&M puzzles published so far: August 2012 , September 2012,  October 2012,  November 2012,  December 2012,   January 2013, February 2013,  March 2013,  April 2013,  May 2013,  June 2013,  July 2013,  August 2013,  September 2013,  October 2013,  November 2013,  December 2013,  January 2014,  February 2014,  March 2014,  April 2014,  May 2014,  June 2014,  July 2014.

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June 23, 2014

National Curriculum, Gonski and Education for All

by Don Hyatt

The National Curriculum 2008

Don Hyatt
Don Hyatt

The current National Curriculum was initiated by the Rudd government in 2008. The task of development and implementation was given to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), an independent, non-political body, and agreed by the Ministers of Education in all states and territories in 2009. It was framed around the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, December 2008) and the implementation was to be consultative and phased in over a several  years in 3 phases.  The National Curriculum frames the school curriculum from Foundation (= Prep) to Year 12 (F-12).

The construction of the curriculum was in four steps: View More National Curriculum, Gonski and Education for All

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June 1, 2014

June Puzzles

gg57257402WORKEDJune’s Picture Puzzles and “Mixed Bag” Questions occupy pride of place at the top of our PUZZLES PAGE

If you believe our pollies, Australia is the most profligate nation on Earth, while still managing to retain a Triple-A Credit Rating. To celebrate this remarkable feat, our JUNE SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE has Finance and Economics as its theme.

There are ten new LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS

Enjoy!

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May 18, 2014

Video – Professor Peter Doherty

[youtube=http://youtu.be/eH50DFEVA5M]

The Vic Skeptics were honoured to have Professor Peter Doherty, scientist, author and Nobel prize winner deliver a talk at one of our regular ‘Third Monday’ events. Peter Doherty spoke on Skepticism, Denial and Ignorance: There is a Difference in March 2013. I should, of course, extend a kind thanks to Adam Ford for producing the video and allowing it to be posted here. View More Video – Professor Peter Doherty

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April 30, 2014

SPECIAL EVENT! Big News About the Big Bang

easthher mack poster

(click above for full size poster)

Cosmology has been front page news all over the world this year — “Space Ripples Reveal Big Bang’s Smoking Gun” said the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/science/space/detection-of-waves-in-space-buttresses-landmark-theory-of-big-bang.html?_r=0

Come and ask theoretical cosmologists and particle physicists Prof. Richard Easther (University of Auckland, @reasther) and Dr Katherine (Katie Mack (University of Melbourne, @astrokatie) what this means, what happens now, and what we are doing about in Australasia!

mg20026861.500-1_300 Wednesday May 7 2014

La Notte Restaurant 140 Lygon Street Carlton 8 pm

(Al Fresco Dinner From 6pm)

$10 entry to the presentation

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