Category: Announcements

Claire Klingenberg, the Chair of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations; and Annika Harrison, Pontus Böckman and András Gábor Pintér of the European Skeptics podcast are coming to Australia to speak at Skepticon 2022 in Canberra.

They will be visiting Melbourne en route.

A Welcome Dinner has been organised for them for the evening of Friday 25th November at Graduate House in Carlton.

If you would like to attend, or are seeking more information, go to: https://www.trybooking.com/CDNVL

November’s Skeptical Crossword Puzzle has Cults & Sects as its theme.

Logic & Maths Puzzles has returned; ten questions each with a worked solution.

There’s another set each of Picture Puzzles and Mixed Bag Questions, and two Bonus Sets; Crossword Clues and High or Low.

All at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

Enjoy!

Aradale: The Making of a Haunted Asylum David Waldron, Sharn Waldron and Nathaniel Buchanan, Arcadia 2022.

See “Reviews“

Our Skeptical Crossword Puzzle for October reverts to General Skeptical Issues.

Accompanying the usual Picture Puzzles and Mixed Bag Questions, we have a special one-off word-quiz about Palindromes.

All at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

Enjoy!

Science & Skepticism in a changed world

3 – 4 December, National Library of Australia
Parkes Pl W, Canberra

and on-line!

(Click to enlarge)

Early-bird pricing until September 14.

http://Skepticon.org.au

September’s Skeptical Crossword Puzzle is about Foretelling the Future.

The Logic & Maths Puzzles have returned to accompany the usual Picture Puzzles and Mixed Bag Questions. 

Find them, blog-style at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

Enjoy!

by Rosemary Sceats

(photo of Bob at the 2002 Australian Skeptics Convention in Melbourne courtesy of Mal Vickers)

The Victorian Skeptics recently received some sad news about the death in February this year of Bob Nixon, a long-time member, including of the management committee. He served for a time as President of the Victorian Skeptics.

Bob was the Chief Investigator for Australian Skeptics for many years, and acted as a sceptical mentor for many a rookie Skeptic, including yours truly and Terry Kelly.

During his time as Chief Investigator, Bob was the coordinator of several attempts by people hoping to win the $100,000 prize money for the Australian Skeptics’ Challenge, by demonstrating psychic or other paranormal powers. Contestants included several dowsers and one who believed he could transmit mental images of Zener cards. He was also one of the behind-the-scenes underwriters who pledged to pay up in the improbable event that someone succeeded in qualifying for the prize. View More Vale Bob Nixon

Skepticon 2022 – December 3-4
The dates for the Australian Skeptics Annual National Convention – Skepticon 2022 – have been moved from the last weekend of November to the first weekend of December – ie December 3-4.

The last-minute change was due a large music festival being held on the original convention date accounting for virtually all hotel accommodation in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

The event will still be held at the National Library of Australia.

The Skepticon website is now live and intending attendees should go to skepticon.org.au to see the speaker schedule and purchase tickets.

The line-up is something special – Claire Klingenberg, President of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations, will be giving the keynote address on skepticism in a changed world, and the hosts of the European Skeptics Podcast will also be in attendance to give presentations and have a live recording of their podcast. Rounding off the international contingent will be livestreamed talks by Skeptics Guide to the Universe host Dr Steven Novella and Skeptoid host Brian Dunning.

There is also a wide variety of excellent domestic speakers including Major General Mike Ryan (ret.), author David Dufty, ACT Academy of Sport psychologist Kristine Dun, scientists such as Hannah Carle and Dr Jose Barrero, and many more!

The convention’s theme is Science and Skepticism in a Changed World and promises to be an exciting event. Please visit the Skepticon website for full details.

This month’s Skeptical Crossword Puzzle is a kind of backhand tribute to the multi-billion dollar Wellness Industry.

You’ll also find a set of the usual Picture Puzzles, this month exclusively about TV series. The Mixed Bag Questions are there, but instead of the Logic & Maths Puzzles we’ve provided a new set of Crossword Clues. This type of vocabulary-testing exercise was among the most down-loaded of our lock-down puzzles of the last two years.

They’re all at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

Scroll down for earlier recent monthly puzzles, or use the ARCHIVE links at the bottom of the page to access puzzles going back to 2010.
Enjoy!