Category: skeptical events

June 1, 2016

2016 Convention latest

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AUSTRALIAN SKEPTICS NATIONAL CONVENTION 2016 will be hosted in Melbourne at The Carrillo Gantner Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, University of Melbourne from 25-27 November, with the annual Dinner at The Leopard Lodge, Melbourne Zoo on Saturday evening 26 November.

Early-bird ticket sales commence on-line from the Convention website,

http://convention.skeptics.com.au/

on Saturday 4th June.

Early-bird ticket purchasers will receive a discount and will be able to reserve seats close to the stage.

We can confirm that speakers at the convention will include Lawrence Krauss, Edzard Ernst, Harriet Hall, Michael Marshall, Katie Mack and Mel Thomson, with more great speakers to be announced soon. Nicholas J. Johnson is our M.C. for the annual Dinner. Information about our speakers is available from the Convention website.

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November 30, 2015

Special Event – Dinner with Ross Balch

 

Ross Balch speaking at 2015 Australian Skeptics Convention
Ross Balch speaking at 2015 Australian Skeptics Convention

Ross Balch BAppSc(MedSc) BAppSc(Microbiol) is a medical researcher, currently studying genetic diversity in dengue virus.

A skeptical activist, Ross is President of the Brisbane Skeptic Society. He is also a Science Populariser, Podcaster, Musician and Photographer.

Vic Skeptics will host Ross at a Dinner where he will speak and perform. His topic will be Emerging Viruses.

“Emerging viruses continue to be a significant challenge for health authorities around the world. In this presentation I examine 3 case studies of emerging viruses; Ebola, Dengue and SARS. I will describe the circumstances that contribute to the spread of each virus, what we can do to limit future out break and what features make a virus more likely to be emergent than others. If you would like some more skepticism I can also discuss some of the pseudoscience that has followed these outbreaks.”

Monday 14th December

La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton,

The Club Room, 6:30 for 7:00 pm

$10 entry at the door then meal and drinks at normal prices.

You can see and hear Ross at https://www.youtube.com/user/rossbalch

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August 27, 2015

Special Event – Susan Gerbic

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Thursday 1st October 2015

Affectionately called The Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic is the co-founder of Monterey County Skeptics, and a regular contributor to SKEPTICALITY podcast and the founder of the GUERILLA SKEPTICISM on WIKIPEDIA project. She received the “In the Trenches” award at CFI’s 2012 Skeptic’s Toolbox, and the James Randi award for Skepticism in the Public Interest in 2013. Gerbic’s efforts to clean up pseudoscience on Wikipedia and create pages for well-known skeptics has made her a “super villain” in the eyes of the paranormal community. You can contact her at SusanGerbic.com

7.30 pm

The Club Room,

La Notte Restaurant 140 Lygon Street Carlton

($5 entry)

(Join us for an al fresco meal from 6pm)

 

 

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October 30, 2014

Australian Skeptics National Convention 2014

November 28-30

The Concourse, Chatswood Sydney NSW

2014stripThis year, Australian Skeptics celebrate our 30th consecutive annual convention, the only skeptical group in the world to achieve this feat. A stellar lineup of presenters includes

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe team,

The ABC’s Checkout/Chaser team,

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki,

Dick Smith,

Peter FitzSimons,

Michael Marshall,

Sonya Pemberton,

Robyn Williams,

Dr Rachael Dunlop,

Alan Kirkland,

Delia Rickard,

George Hrab,

Kendrick Frazier,

Peta Ashworth,

Dr Amanda Bauer,

Dr Bronwyn Hemsley,

Dr Alex Wodak,

Adam vanLangenberg

and Nicholas J Johnson

Information and bookings: http://convention.skeptics.com.au/

 

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October 30, 2014

Randi Returns to Australia

randitour

The Amazing James Randi is returning to Australia. The Think Inc organisation are bringing him out for a whirlwind 5 city tour.

Randi will be in Melbourne on Friday 5th December at the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre.

His other tour dates are:

Adelaide on Monday December 1st at the Science Exchange;

Perth on Wednesday 3rd in Perth at the Octagon Theatre;

Brisbane on Thursday 4th at the BCEC

Sydney on Sunday 7th in at the Enmore Theatre.
Hosted by Richard Saunders and Lawrence Leung, the evenings will have a fireside chat format as well as a screening of the fascinating new documentary of his life and work called “An Honest Liar” plus a Q & A session at the end.

Tickets start from $49 for students, $69 for general admission, $89 for VIP tickets and $169 for Meet and Greet tickets. Further details and tickets sales are available from the Think Inc website.

http://thinkinc.org.au/jamesrandi/

This is a unique opportunity for the general public to see and hear the 86 year old Amazing Randi, the world’s most prominent skeptic, in person.

Think Inc plan to regularly bring to Australia prominent Scientists and Skeptics. The next will be Bill Nye, “the Science Guy“, in February 2015.

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April 30, 2014

SPECIAL EVENT! Big News About the Big Bang

easthher mack poster

(click above for full size poster)

Cosmology has been front page news all over the world this year — “Space Ripples Reveal Big Bang’s Smoking Gun” said the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/science/space/detection-of-waves-in-space-buttresses-landmark-theory-of-big-bang.html?_r=0

Come and ask theoretical cosmologists and particle physicists Prof. Richard Easther (University of Auckland, @reasther) and Dr Katherine (Katie Mack (University of Melbourne, @astrokatie) what this means, what happens now, and what we are doing about in Australasia!

mg20026861.500-1_300 Wednesday May 7 2014

La Notte Restaurant 140 Lygon Street Carlton 8 pm

(Al Fresco Dinner From 6pm)

$10 entry to the presentation

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July 5, 2012

Gippsland Skeptics In the Pub – update

Gippsland Skeptics In the Pub now has two meetings a month, one in Sale and one in Morwell.

The Sale meetings happen on the Fourth Friday of the month at Relish At the Gallery http://www.menumate.com.au/relish-at-the-gallery from 6.30 pm.

The Morwell Venue is The Top Pub (Morwell Hotel) http://www.morwellhotel.com.au/ and meetings are on the Second Friday of each month, also from 6.30 pm.

Just turn up and ask for The Skeptics!

For information about Skeptics groups around Victoria, subscribe to our monthly news bulletin:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vic_skeptics_news/

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November 9, 2011

The Sixtieth Science Talent Search

by Ken Greatorex

Victoria’s mainstream media have pulled off a remarkable feat! It was the Diamond Anniversary of an annual Good News event involving thousands of intelligent, motivated Victorian children, staged in a city which thrives on Major Events; and yet, the Media still pretty much managed to keep it quiet!

The Science Talent Search celebrated its 60th birthday this year with the theme “React to Chemistry“. Students entered original projects in categories of creative writing, experimental research, inventions, working models, photography, posters, games, computer programs and video productions. The adjudged cream of Victoria’s budding young scientists made the annual pilgrimage to Latrobe University to receive cash bursaries and other rewards from prominent local scientists.

Terry Kelly and I attended Exhibition Day on behalf of Australian Skeptics Science and Education Foundation. ASSEF funded more than seventy bursaries this year along with other major sponsors including The Department of Early Childhood Development, Swinburne and Latrobe Universities,  the Catholic Education Office, The Royal Society of Victoria, Rio Tinto, CSIRO and BHP Billiton. It was impossible for us to meet all of the hundreds of bursary winners; however we were able to interview a small cross-section whose contributions intrigued and impressed us. View More The Sixtieth Science Talent Search

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