Category: Skeptical Article

August 10, 2011

A Skeptic’s Guide to Free Energy Machines

This article first appeared as a Vic Skeptics discussion pamphlet. It was written several years ago by our good friend Peter Barrett of Canberra Skeptics, but it’s up to date: from time to time these machines still get promoted in niche magazines and websites. 
The full range of our discussion pamphlets can be downloaded here: http://www.skeptics.com.au/resources/educational/or by clicking on the “Useful Info” link at the top of this page.

Imagine you have an ordinary one litre jug. Two things which I’m sure you’d agree with are that you couldn’t pour more than a litre of water into it or empty more than one litre out of it.

Now imagine you had two such jugs, one full to the brim with water and the other empty. Pour the water from one jug to the other and back again. Repeat this process as often as you like. Is there any way you could imagine that you’d end up with more than one litre of water split between the two jugs?

The logical answer is “No.” In fact, due to spillage and evaporation, it’s more likely that you’d end up with less than one litre of water.

This is a fairly accurate representation of one of the most basic principles of physics, known as Conservation of Energy. This principle states that energy can change form, but can’t be destroyed or created. A good example of this is the production of household electricity in Australia. Most electricity in Australia is generated by burning coal. The coal has chemical energy. When it’s burned, it releases heat energy.

This energy heats water to steam, which turns a turbine (kinetic energy). The turbine drives a generator, producing electrical energy. We then use this electrical energy for heating, cooling, running the TV, and so on. View More A Skeptic’s Guide to Free Energy Machines

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August 5, 2011

The Census and Question 19

Tuesday 9th of August is Census Night in Australia. Question 19 asks What Is the Person’s Religion? It’s the only optional question.

Skeptics generally do not get involved in mainstream religious matters, preferring to concentrate on pseudoscience, fraud and the paranormal. However, from time to time we react to perceived abuses; examples include teaching Creationism in Science classes, government spending taxpayer’s money on a papal visit, and arguably unconstitutional School Chaplaincy programs at the expense of secular ethics classes.

The Census Form’s Question 19 may well be considered such an abuse. Whether by design or accident, it is almost a text-book example of push-polling in favour of entrenched interest. Our advice, if you believe in the principle of enlightened self-interest, is to answer Question 19 honestly, for yourself and for every member of your household. View More The Census and Question 19

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May 1, 2011

Herbal Remedies: new Rules in the EU

Under new stringent guidelines adopted from this weekend, herbal medicines will now have to be registered. Products must meet safety, quality and manufacturing standards, and come with information outlining possible side-effects. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/01/new-eu-rules-on-herbal-remedies
For many people, the surprise is that such regulatory oversight has not already been automatic.
This is the kind of approach that Skeptics have been asking Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to adopt. At present, manufacturers can choose whether to apply for registration of each remedy as a Listed Product. The TGA’s rule-of-thumb is that listed products must be safe and efficacious; however, the TGA rarely tests Listed Products.
See our earlier article: http://skeptics.cafe/2011/03/19/aca-miracle-fruit-or-fruity-marketing/

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April 28, 2011

The Great Debate – Evolution vs Creationism

By PTH

One of the many amazing stories in the Bible is the story of The Great Flood.
Before The Great Flood Noah was commanded by his God to build an ark (a large boat) and to collect a pair of all the animals on Earth. The Great Flood wiped out all the other animals, including humans, and those on Noah’s Ark repopulated the Earth after the flood subsided.

Given our present knowledge of evolution, genetics, geology, physics and archeology, few people, even practising Christians, believe the story to be literally true. However there are some people who insist that all the Bible stories are literally true. As well as the story of Noah’s Ark they also believe that:
 The Earth and all living things on it were created in six 24-hour days.
 This occurred about 10,000 years ago.
 All present day animals are descended from those on Noah’s Ark.
 The theory of evolution is incorrect because it is not consistent with the Bible stories.
These are the fundamental beliefs of Creationism. But why are the religious beliefs of Creationists of concern to scientists? Does it matter if people’s religious beliefs are in disagreement with scientific knowledge?
View More The Great Debate – Evolution vs Creationism

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March 7, 2011

Vic Department of Health's "Better Health Channel"

by Graeme Hanigan

This is the background to a petition addressed to The  Minister of Health, David Davis MLC, calling for a review of the Victorian Department of Health’s Better Health Channel. 

Penelope Dingle was 45 years old when she died of colorectal cancer on the 25th of August, 2005. Had her cancer been detected and treated when symptoms were first observed 4 years earlier, she may still be alive today.  Instead of seeking medical treatment, Penelope put her health into the incompetent hands of a deluded Homeopathic quack.
At the conclusion of the inquest into the sad death of Penelope Dingle, the W.A. State Coroner made two recommendations. View More Vic Department of Health's "Better Health Channel"

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March 4, 2011

A Skeptic's Guide to Bible Codes

This article first appeared as a Vic Skeptics discussion pamphlet.
The full range of our discussion pamphlets can be downloaded here: http://www.skeptics.com.au/resources/educational/
or by clicking on the “Useful Info” link at the top of this page.

 by Peter Barrett, Canberra Skeptics

In the late 1990s, a book called “The Bible Code” was published. Its author, Michael Drosnin, claimed that a high-powered computer program had uncovered a large number of secret messages in the Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament). The most amazing claim was that a few years before the book’s publication, this program had discovered that the then Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzakh Rabin, faced assassination. Several months after Drosnin and his partners warned him, Mr Rabin was assassinated. View More A Skeptic's Guide to Bible Codes

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February 20, 2011

Homeopathy is safe?

One of the main comments by homeopaths on the 10:23 overdose campaign is that skeptics have yet again demonstrated that homeopathy is safe.
That’s one possibility. Another possibility, and I think a more likely one; is that homeopathy is safe because there isn’t anything in it.

10:23 comments

Skeptics would also argue that homeopathy is unsafe precisely because it has nothing in it. If consumers are convinced enough to treat life-threatening conditions with homeopathy, results can be tragic. Take, for example, the case of Penelope Dingle: the coroner’s report in relation to her death in 2005 was recently released. [PDF]
Warning: this is a coroner’s report; it’s a very graphic and distressing account of her death and the role of homeopathy in the events leading up to her death.
Returning to the broader question of homeopathy being safe, I’ve found the view that homeopathy is safe, and that you can’t overdose on it, is not a universal opinion in the world of homeopathy. View More Homeopathy is safe?

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December 10, 2010

A Skeptic's Guide to Life in the Universe

This article first appeared as a Vic Skeptics discussion pamphlet.
The full range of our discussion pamphlets can be downloaded here: http://www.skeptics.com.au/resources/educational/
or by clicking on the “Useful Info” link at the top of this page.

 by Peter Barrett, (Canberra Skeptics)

It’s one of the great questions: is there life elsewhere in the universe, apart from the Earth? Skeptics would say, “Almost certainly, but at the moment we don’t know how likely it might be.”
Life thrives on Earth, particularly in the tropical and temperate latitudes. Life exists even in the harsh desert and polar regions. But most importantly, life has been found to exist in places previously thought inhospitable, such as inside rocks in the dry valleys of Antarctica or around geothermal vents, where the water is boiling hot. The fact that life can survive in such unlikely places dramatically increases the range of potential habitats for life elsewhere. So are there places where life could exist elsewhere in our own Solar System?
View More A Skeptic's Guide to Life in the Universe

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November 18, 2010

Sceptic Science in The Age

Journalist Brad Newsome has today launched a new blog, “Sceptic Science“, in The Age’s National Times section.

With a dearth of skeptical content in the mainstream media (indeed, a dearth of anything resembling skepticism), it’s fantastic to see this kind of content getting a run on that kind of forum.
Archaic spelling aside (what, no “k”?) Brad’s blog is shaping up to be an interesting, accessible look at a broad range of skeptical issues.
Right out of the gate, Brad bravely namechecks a number of potentially controversial topics (anti-vax, alternative medicine, chemtrails) before even bravelier (seriously? – Ed.) putting out the call for comments.
We wish Brad all the best with the new blog, and we’d like to encourage our readers to run on over, have a read and indeed leave a comment.
Be quick, though. With any luck the conspiracy-theory-laden-anti-science hordes will be descending soon. This should be fun!
Matt

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