Skeptics Café

by Rosemary Sceats

(photo of Bob at the 2002 Australian Skeptics Convention in Melbourne courtesy of Mal Vickers)

The Victorian Skeptics recently received some sad news about the death in February this year of Bob Nixon, a long-time member, including of the management committee. He served for a time as President of the Victorian Skeptics.

Bob was the Chief Investigator for Australian Skeptics for many years, and acted as a sceptical mentor for many a rookie Skeptic, including yours truly and Terry Kelly.

During his time as Chief Investigator, Bob was the coordinator of several attempts by people hoping to win the $100,000 prize money for the Australian Skeptics’ Challenge, by demonstrating psychic or other paranormal powers. Contestants included several dowsers and one who believed he could transmit mental images of Zener cards. He was also one of the behind-the-scenes underwriters who pledged to pay up in the improbable event that someone succeeded in qualifying for the prize. View More Vale Bob Nixon

Skepticon 2022 – December 3-4
The dates for the Australian Skeptics Annual National Convention – Skepticon 2022 – have been moved from the last weekend of November to the first weekend of December – ie December 3-4.

The last-minute change was due a large music festival being held on the original convention date accounting for virtually all hotel accommodation in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

The event will still be held at the National Library of Australia.

The Skepticon website is now live and intending attendees should go to skepticon.org.au to see the speaker schedule and purchase tickets.

The line-up is something special – Claire Klingenberg, President of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations, will be giving the keynote address on skepticism in a changed world, and the hosts of the European Skeptics Podcast will also be in attendance to give presentations and have a live recording of their podcast. Rounding off the international contingent will be livestreamed talks by Skeptics Guide to the Universe host Dr Steven Novella and Skeptoid host Brian Dunning.

There is also a wide variety of excellent domestic speakers including Major General Mike Ryan (ret.), author David Dufty, ACT Academy of Sport psychologist Kristine Dun, scientists such as Hannah Carle and Dr Jose Barrero, and many more!

The convention’s theme is Science and Skepticism in a Changed World and promises to be an exciting event. Please visit the Skepticon website for full details.

This month’s Skeptical Crossword Puzzle is a kind of backhand tribute to the multi-billion dollar Wellness Industry.

You’ll also find a set of the usual Picture Puzzles, this month exclusively about TV series. The Mixed Bag Questions are there, but instead of the Logic & Maths Puzzles we’ve provided a new set of Crossword Clues. This type of vocabulary-testing exercise was among the most down-loaded of our lock-down puzzles of the last two years.

They’re all at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

Scroll down for earlier recent monthly puzzles, or use the ARCHIVE links at the bottom of the page to access puzzles going back to 2010.
Enjoy!

For this month’s skeptical crossword puzzle, we return to a favourite theme of Greek & Roman Mythology, together with the usual Picture Puzzles, Mixed Bag Questions and Logic & Maths Puzzles. They’re all at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE. Scroll down for earlier recent monthly puzzles, or use the ARCHIVE links at the bottom of the page to access puzzles going back to 2010.
Enjoy!

June’s Puzzles  are at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE, where you’ll find seven new rebus-type Picture Puzzles, followed by links to twenty Mixed Bag (Triva / General Knowledge); a Crossword puzzle, based on Frauds and Scams.; and a set of ten Logic & Maths Puzzles, with worked solutions provided.
Enjoy!

Puzzles for the month of May 2022 are at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

The Crossword puzzle is themed towards General Skeptical Issues. 

Scroll down the puzzles page to find previous puzzles from May 2021. For earlier puzzles go to the archives links at the bottom of the PUZZLES PAGE..

View More Puzzles for May 2022

Picture Puzzles, Mixed Bag questions, Logic & Maths Questions and Skeptical Crossword for the month of March 2022 have pride of place at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

The Crossword puzzle delves  into Cryptids and Mythical Creatures (acknowledging that one person’s cryptid IS another person’s mythical creature).

Scroll down the puzzles page to find all previous puzzles from May 2021. Earlier puzzles going back to 2010 are available from the archives links at the bottom of the PUZZLES PAGE..

View More Puzzles for March 2022

Skeptics, Rationalists, Humanists and other like-minded people world-wide have gravitated towards February 12 as an annual opportunity to celebrate the things that unite us. This year, that date marks Charles Darwin’s 213th birthday.

We invite you to visit Darwin-related material already on this website:

Charles Darwin Articles

“About Charles Darwin”

https://skeptics.cafe/2007/11/27/about-charles-darwin/

Darwin – A Great Scientist by Rosslyn Ives https://skeptics.cafe/events/darwin-a-great-scientist/

Darwin Day 2022 – Musings on the Voyage https://skeptics.cafe/2022/02/10/darwin-day-2022-musings-on-the-voyage/ 

For Schools: – The Darwin Day Suite of Classroom Exercises

https://skeptics.cafe/2019/01/22/for-schools-darwin-day-february-12-2/

Charles Darwin Crosswords

42 Crossword feb 2014

64 Crossword (Darwin) Dec 2015

116 Crossword (Darwin Special) Feb 2020

by Ken Greatorex

As a former teacher of evolutionary biology and subsequent enthusiastic promoter of Darwin Day, it is perhaps surprising that actually reading On the Origin of Species only recently made my bucket list. View More Darwin Day 2022 – Musings on The Voyage

February’s Picture Puzzles, Mixed Bag questions, Logic & Maths Questions and Skeptical Crossword are at the top of the  PUZZLES PAGE.

The Crossword is fairly modest this month, with allusions to Science vs Pseudoscience.

Scroll down the puzzles page to find all previous puzzles from May 2001. Earlier puzzles going back to 2010 are available from the archives links at the bottom of the PUZZLES PAGE..

View More Puzzles for February 2022