To receive notification of upcoming Victorian Skeptics events, send an email to vic_skeptics_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com All events are open to the general public. Most of our events are based in and around Melbourne. (Events will get added to this list through the year as we organise them.)

2006

( = events organised by or with other groups)

10 January	Atheist Get together
16 January	Skeptics Cafe
14 February	“Can Psychics Solve Murders?” (Atheist Soc)
20 February	Skeptics Cafe – The Soapbox
20 March	Skeptics Cafe – Trivia Night
17 April	Skeptics Cafe – Social Evening
15 May	Talk: Steve Roberts UFOs – An Unusual Ally
19 June	Skeptics Cafe
17 July	Skeptics Cafe Dr John Perkins Is there too much religion in politics?
12,13,19 and 20 August	Australian Skeptics at ScienceWorks
21 August	Talk: Mark Mayer – A Magician vs TV show Medium
18 September	Skeptics Cafe Bob Aikenhead, President Science Teachers Association of Victoria: Initiatives for Improving Science Education in the State of Victoria
16 October	Skeptics Cafe Dr Neil Thomason, History & Philosophy of Science, Melbourne Uni; Should We Be Skeptical About Scientists?
30 October	Science Talent Search Exhibition and Awards Day, Latrobe University
18-19 November	Australian Skeptics 2006 Convention – Melbourne
18 November	Inaugural Skeptics Awards Dinner, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne
19 November	Free Talk “The Fossil Record – What Gaps?” Dr John Long – see Convention Program
20 November	Skeptics Cafe – “Towards a Nuclear Future” Dr Colin Keay
18 December	Skeptics Cafe Social Night

There are other Victorian organisations of interest that regularly have Public Events (Other) Previous events: Calendar 2005, Calendar 2004 Extra keywords: sceptics

“Intelligent Design is creationism, not science“ World News: A court case in Dover, US has declared that Intelligent Design cannot be taught in school science classes as it is not science but religious creationism. This was despite presentations being given by founders and supporters of the ID movement. http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2005/12/21/1135032080312.html

To receive notification of upcoming Victorian Skeptics events, send an email to vic_skeptics_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
All events are open to the general public. Most of our events are View More Calendar 2005

Various Topics

• Intelligent Design (ie religion pretending to be science)
• Intelligent Design Letters 1 (from “The Age“)
• Intelligent Design Letters 2 (from “The Age“)
• The ID Letter (from 70,000 Australian Scientists and teachers) [sorry – letter no longer available]
• Tarot cards – originally used for games [sorry – cards no longer available]
• A review of TV Show “Sensing Murder” – Sensing Nothing
• Murders and Clairvoyants
• Some Events of 2004 – Pictures
• Real psychics should be able to win our Paranormal Prize Money
• Fake Psychics use Cold Reading
• Tv Show Sensing Murder
• The Wine Clip [sorry, link no longer available] – magnetically improving wine ?
• The 2004 Science Drama Awards
• Stavcon 2003 (Science Teachers Assoc Victoria) [link no longer available]
• On the lighter side: a crossword [sorry – crossword no longer available]
• On the lighter side: Mind Reading
• On the lighter side: Tuits [sorry – link no longer available]
• Our Bed of Nails
• The Mitta Mitta Muster water divining challenge
• Creation v Evolution
• Homeopathy Pamphlet
• Ways to Get Involved with the Australian Skeptics
• Look for Aliens with the Australian Skeptics! Skeptics SETI [sorry – link no longer works – no aliens found 🙂 ]
• Year 12 Psychology Exam Complaint (2003)
• May 2003 Talk Transcript: “Primary Science Education – a Cause for Concern?“
• Vic Skeptics DVDs
  • DVD – Melbourne Convention 2002 (Australian Skeptics National Convention)

Previous Newsletter Articles

• Newsletter Article: Primary Science Education – a Cause for Concern?
• Sceats’ Specially Selected Southern Skeptics’ Social Snippets SSSSSSS
• Borderline Skeptics Survive Hellfire and Dam(Nation)
• What is the Price of a Man’s Soul? / Lawrence Leung – Skeptic
• Peter Hogan Creates Concern Among Creationists (Creationist Concern)

The Victorian Skeptics are very proud to be a major sponsor for the 2005 STAV Science Talent Search. (Prep-12) We look forward to meeting many of the winners at the upcoming awards day and intend to display photographs from the event as well as a list of sponsored winners on this site.

Creation v Evolution – Sensing Murder – Bed of Nails – Murders and Clairvoyants – Homeopathy

Philip J. Klass, 85 died Aug 9. Klass was an aviation journalist who investigated UFO sightings and wrote books debunking reports of visits from outer space. “In nearly 30 years of searching, investigating famous cases, I have yet to find one that cannot be explained in down-to-earth prosaic terms” In 1988 he offered a reward of $10,000 to any victim whose abduction by aliens could be confirmed by the FBI. No-one ever collected. http://www.csicop.org/klassfiles/Home.html

Shockingly, Education Minister Brendan Nelson has said he thinks schools should be allowed to teach Intelligent Design (Creationism) in science classes, presented as an alternative to evolution. The minister clearly has fallen for the con and missed ID’s main point that a cosmic Intelligent Designer (God) superceded natural laws to make the world and all living things. This is not science it is religion.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/10/1123353386917.html

The 2005 National Convention will be held at Bond University on the Gold Coast over the two days of the weekend 13th and 14th of August.
Please visit this website for more information: http://www.skeptics.com.au/convention/2005/index.html