It was nice to see one of the greats of the Skeptical community, PZ Myers along to one of our third Monday, Skeptic café events.
Melbourne is a long way from home for PZ, he resides in Minnesota. For those that don’t know, P.Z. Myers is an active blog writer. PZ’s blog called Pharyngula covers topics such as biology, evolution, religious thinking and other topics of interest to Skeptics. Highly recommended reading.
Mal.
The National Curriculum statement was released on Monday 1st March 2010. A number of commentators have made claims and suggestions. Here are a few of my thoughts based on the experience of over 30 years teaching including a strong role in science education. Firstly, I would like to make a couple of points based on the following extract from the ‘Cross Curriculum Dimensions’.
Curriculum content that relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and contexts is represented implicitly in the content descriptions, and explicitly in the content elaborations. Specific knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is incorporated where it relates to science and relevant phenomena,
View More Concern Over Science in the National Curriculum
Dr Bob’s quiz, known the world over as the most diabolically difficult quiz, has been cracked for the first time by our own Vic Skeptics El Presidente, Terry Kelly. It’s not enough to answer the quiz correctly. Your answer needs to be funny and correct. And if it’s not correct, you need to find something wrong with the question or make Dr Bob crack up with fits of laughter so much that he gives you the points anyway.
Congratulations Terry!
See the results for February 2010.
Mal
Hi all,
Ron Gray has announced the inaugural Skeptics In the Pub in Sale, Victoria.
Friday 19th February
The Star Hotel, cnr Raymond and Macalister St Sale, 6pm for dinner in a room called The Glasshouse, followed by drinks and lively skeptical discussion from around 7pm.
Early indications are that it could be a winner. Good luck Ron, Nik et al.
Ken
Hi all,
I noticed that our friend Dr John Long, recently shifted to Los Angeles will be lecturing back here in April at the Royal Society.
8 April Dr. John Long Death, Sex and Evolution – Extraordinary Fossils Revealing Intimate Details of Sexual Behaviour in the Early Vertebrates
Vice-President Research & Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Royal Society of Victoria’s Calendar of events can be found here: http://www.sciencevictoria.org.au/events.html
Here’s your chance to catch up with Dr Long, and also find out what them there Early Vertebrates used to get up to.
Regards,
Ken
Your Shout: Skeptics question climate policies
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 14/02/2010
Reporter: Barrie Cassidy
Phil Kafcaloudes from Radio Australia Today talks to Australian Skeptics in Melbourne about scepticism of Government and the Opposition.
PHIL KAFCALOUDES: Hi, I’m Phil Kafcaloudes, host of Radio Australia Today.
Well we certainly had a week for the sceptics here in Australia. We’ve got the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader both trying to sell their climate change policies. And we’ve just said farewell to the world’s best climate change sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton.
So what a week to sit down and have a coffee here in Melbourne with members of the group Australian Skeptics to see if they’re sceptical.
Okay, what is a sceptic?
SCEPTIC 1: The sceptics try to examine the evidence before making up their mind about something.
SCEPTIC 2: As sceptics we want to reclaim the word sceptic from those people who don’t believe in climate change.
SCEPTIC 3: People who tend to deny climate change, we tend to call them deniers. So I mean they’re not going with the evidence. They’re going, they’re usually cherry picking evidence. View More ABC Insiders, Vic Skeptics on Climate Change
8pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
Free public lecture followed by questions and discussion:
Evolution’s Controversial History: Lamarck, Darwin and Wallace.
Speaker – Rick Barker (Philosophy Forum).
Venue – Unitarian Hall, 110 Grey Street, East Melbourne.
Enquiries – David Miller, Secretary. Tel: 9467 2063 Email – atheist_agnostic@lycos.com
Future lectures and past transcripts – http://www.vic.TheAtheist.net
Invitation to celebrate Charles Darwin’s birthday at the Melbourne Darwin Day Barbeque
on Monday, 12th February 2007 from 5:30 pm till 8 pm
at Alexandra Avenue Melbourne Melways, 2G D11 Just west from the Morell Bridge and Anderson Street. Next to the Botanic Gardens.
All Welcome Free BBQ facilities available BYO food and drinks
RSVP: – – An RSVP is not required however it would assist with organising if you could RSVP (with YES, NO or MAYBE and numbers) to Andrew on (03) 9894 1443 or email ar2team@yahoo.com.
Since the early 1990’s, Darwin Day has been celebrated around the world including in Melbourne but this year’s celebrations will be the biggest party so far. Come along and enjoy a summer’s evening BBQ by the Yarra.
EMAIL: If you can be contacted by email then please include details with your RSVP.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: This information is advisory only – please check before travelling. The closest tram/train is Tram 70 in Swan Street. Walk from the Swan Street Bridge or maybe from tram stop 46 (will need to check if access paths still exist). The 2002 Melways shows a path to Richmond Station which is about the same distance as the Swan Street Bridge. Buses 246 and 605 may stop near the Hoddle Street Bridge and that is closer than either the Swan Street Bridge or Richmond Railway Station.
The new location for the Victorian Skeptics events.
140 Lygon St, Carlton
Melway ref: 43 H5
(03) 9663-6861
Map: http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/map?mode=geo&id=30375871&lat=-378038&lon=1449664Trams: many tram lines pass along Swanston Street going to or from Melbourne University, a 5 minute walk will take you to Lygon Street.
Car Parking: on-street parking is supplemented by a below-ground carpark opposite the Lygon St park
Location reviews
http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=la_notte_restaurant
19 January
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Margaret Kittson Brain Gym?
Around 12 February
VARIOUS DARWIN DAY CELEBRATIONS Darwin Day Suggestions
16 February
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Darren Freeman Curing the Incurable: We can’t do It so Neither can You
16 March
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Chris Krishna-Pillay The Use of Performance in Science Education and Communication
20 April
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Ian Robinson : Topic TBA
19 May
Skeptics Cafe ”Fifth Annual Skeptics Trivia Extravaganza”
15 June
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Professor Dick Gunstone: Why Creationism Has no Place in Science Education
20 July
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Dr Andrew Prentice. (Melbourne Mathematician and Astronomer).
14 August
A National Science Week 2009 Event: Vic Skeptics and Young Australian Skeptics at Hypothesis from 5pm – 10pm MA15+ BMW Edge Federation Square
17 August
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Peter Bowditch: The Antivaccination Lobby
22&23 August
National Science Week 2009 Event: Vic Skeptics at Scienceworks Spotswood
21 September
A Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Trevor Hand: Presentation of meteorite and fossil evidence for Deep time and biological evolution.
19 October
Skeptics Cafe Video Night
16 November
Skeptics Cafe Speaker: Steve Roberts: Astronomical Hoaxes
21 December
Skeptics Cafe Social Evening