Category: Skeptical Article

November 16, 2010

TGA calls on Power Balance to withdraw claims and advertising

The promoters of Power Balance wrist bands are in trouble again. This time the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has ruled against them. 
In part the decision says:

In reaching this conclusion, the Panel noted that the claims made in the advertisements were extraordinary to such a degree that no reasonable retailer could publish them on the basis of assurances from the product sponsor, without requesting evidence that such claims could lawfully be made about the product.

The TGA are asking for the: Withdrawal of representations, Withdrawal of advertisement and the Publication of a retraction.
To re-cap;  Power Balance wrist bands are coloured silicone rings with two small plastic holograms glued on.  The popular silicone bands sell for about $60 (Aus).  A pendant version of the Power Balance sells for about $90 (Aus). The promoters of Power Balance claim View More TGA calls on Power Balance to withdraw claims and advertising

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October 27, 2010

Your Very Own Skeptics in the Pub?

 One of the interesting developments in Victoria and World Wide in recent years has been the growth of local “Skeptics In the Pub” groups.
In the past, we’ve often had the odd lone enquiry along the lines of “I live too far away from the City to attend your events. Is there a Skeptics group near me?”
The short answer was mostly “No”. However, we often chased up the enquiry, in an attempt to get some interest going. On most occasions, this lead nowhere.  Then we were shown how to do it, by enterprising  people in Country Victoria,  the beachside  suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula.
View More Your Very Own Skeptics in the Pub?

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October 20, 2010

A Skeptic's Guide to Dowsing

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.

Dowsing, (also known as Divining) is widely practised in Australia. Dowsers claim the ability to detect useful substances in the ground using processes which are not able to be explained by current scientific principles.
The most frequently dowsed substance in drought-prone Australia is water. Many Australians can claim a friend or relative who is a water-diviner.
Australian Skeptics have long been interested in dowsing. It clearly lies within the range of paranormal activities which come under scrutiny. We offer a sum of money, (currently $100,000) to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal ability of any kind. Our only stipulation is that candidates must pass a proper scientific test, the protocols of which have been agreed upon by all parties before the test commences. Most acceptors of this challenge have been water-diviners; probably because they are genuine people who believe in their abilities, and are as interested in being tested as we are to test them.
View More A Skeptic's Guide to Dowsing

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October 17, 2010

Some pointers on critically assessing the validity of claims

by Lucas Randall
Wide-scale access to the Internet has resulted in unprecedented access to information for the average citizen of any developed nation, and the more recent proliferation of mobile data devices and networks have exponentially increased our ability to reference the collective body of knowledge on a whim.
This access comes at a price however, as tech-savvy marketers have outstripped science and education practitioners’ resources, funding and drive to make information easily accessible, effectively saturating the search-engine and news-reporting info-spheres with commerce-driven interpretations of research, opinion, tradition and in many cases, out-right pseudo-science or fraudulent claims.
Whilst most developed economies provide some levels of consumer protection, in Australia including bodies such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) various industry ombudsmen and voluntary ‘societies’ with industry codes-of-practice, most consumers have very limited understanding of the significant differences in evidentiary support pharmaceuticals require, for example, as compared with “complimentary” or “alternative” medicines.
View More Some pointers on critically assessing the validity of claims

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September 29, 2010

PestXit – A Follow-up

by Ken Greatorex
Peter Bromley’s experiences with his mum’s PestXit Duo (11th September) interested me strangely. This device does not rely on nasty chemicals, paranormal energy or the doubtful therapeutic effect of magnetic fields. You plug it in and turn it on, and it makes a continuous irritating noise beyond the human frequency threshold. That’s plausible. Why shouldn’t it work? View More PestXit – A Follow-up

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September 26, 2010

A Skeptic's Guide to Firewalking

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.

What is firewalking?
Typically, firewalking involves walking with bare feet across a level bed of hot glowing coals, the remnant of a wood fire. On the Pacific Islands, heated stones are substituted for coals. View More A Skeptic's Guide to Firewalking

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September 20, 2010

Superheros Are Amongst Us!

by Lucas Randall (aka Codenix)
I used to think superheros were the domain of fiction, existing only in comic-books and on film, their powers limited to battling their super-villain foe, equally the domain of fiction. I didn’t realise superheros and super-villains are actually real, living amongst us and affecting our lives in very real ways. View More Superheros Are Amongst Us!

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September 11, 2010

PestXit – Have they built The Better Mousetrap?

by Peter Bromley
A few years ago I spent hours of endless fun at my mother’s house chasing mice…or emptying traps.  They seemed to be fairly regular visitors and she hated them almost as much as the telemarketers who specialised at calling at tea time.  A mouse with a phone – the ultimate pest!

When she saw the PestXit somewhere (probably Bunnings or Dick Smith) she wanted to try it.  My experience with this sort of thing had been extensive – I bought one for mosquitoes when I was young and woke up eye to eye with a mozzie that was actually sitting on the device.  It didn’t look stressed at all.  In fact, all it needed was a cigarette and magazine. View More PestXit – Have they built The Better Mousetrap?

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April 11, 2010

Sixth Annual Skeptics Trivia Extravaganza

Take Your Partners for the Sixth Annual Vic Skeptics Trivia Extravaganza

La Notte Restaurant

140 Lygon Street Carlton

Monday 17th May 2010

at the special time of 7.30 pm .

or join us for the traditional Third Monday meal at 6pm.

Previous Trivia Nights have been among our most popular events; – this year, get your team organised early , and if you’re having a meal at the restaurant before the Trivia, please arrive and order early.

If you can’t come equipped with a ready-made team, don’t stay home and mope! We can organise consortia of suitable intellects on the evening.

Lotsa individual and team prizes!

A donation is requested from each participant.