Australian Skeptic’s Guide to Numerology – Update

pay-937882_1280You may have noticed that we’ve been  updating and recycling our “Australian Skeptics Guide to ….” features. Usually we wait five years or more between reposts, but so much has happened recently that an update of the January 2016 update of An Australian Skeptic’s Guide to Numerology seems like a good idea. 

It takes into account the election of Donald Trump, the demotion of Sussan Ley, and the enthusiam for numerology displayed by Bollywood celebrities. Scroll down to January 2016, or go HERE

The Great Debate: Evolution vs Creationism

This article first appeared as a Vic Skeptics discussion pamphlet and was first posted here in March 2011.

With Charles Darwin’s impending 208th birthday on February 12 it seems appropriate to revisit it.

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

Puzzles For January 2017

jazzyruefulparsonJanuary 2017 Skeptical Crossword is about General Skeptical issues.

77-january-2017-crossword-general-skeptical-issues [.pdf form]

January 2017 Logic & Maths Problems 

54-logic-and-maths-puzzles-january-2017 [.pdf form] has ten new problems of varying degrees of difficulty

Seven new Picture Puzzles and twenty “Mixed Bag” (general knowledge / trivia) questions, are at the top of the PUZZLES PAGE

 Explore our Puzzles Archive View More Puzzles For January 2017