May 15, 2013

Latest info on local groups

PENINSULA SKEPTICS

We’ll lead off with the excellent news that after a twelve-month recess, Peninsula Skeptics are re-starting: on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 7:00 PM. The venue is The Peninsula Club, Gibson Street Dromana.

The Peninsula Club

Your convenor Graeme Hanigan says: The night will be primarily social, perhaps a round table suggestion of topics for the future. Please go to the MEETUP GROUP to read more and to RSVP.

Graeme is also keen for Peninsula Skeptics to be involved in Science Week (mid August) and is looking for suggestions and ideas on some of the best ways to achieve this.

VIC SKEPTICS

are travelling nicely with our regular Skeptics Café at La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton.

The next event is on Monday 20th May, where Ken Greatorex will host our Ninth Annual Trivia Extravaganza.

thinker

Please join us (with a team of up to six people, or just by yourself) for a meal at 6pm, with the Trivia starting at 7:30 pm. See our EVENTS page for details of Skeptics Cafés well into the future.

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May 4, 2013

Money Well Spent? Dubious Medicine on Medicare

By Mal Vickers

Before you read any further, try to guess the answer to this question:medicare chiro acu

In Australia, in 2012, how many chiropractic treatments occurred as a result of a doctor’s referral?

To clarify, I’m not asking for the total number of chiropractic consultations that occur per year, just patients consultations for chiropractic treatment where the patient was referred by a medical doctor – how many? Find the answer in the text below highlighted in red. How close were you?

Medicare Dollars are Taxpayer Dollars

Everyone in Australia pays for Medicare rebates through the tax system. Medicare enables community access to a variety of quality health services but that’s not in question. What I’d really like to look at is how much we pay through the Medicare system for treatments that show little or no efficacy. View More Money Well Spent? Dubious Medicine on Medicare

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April 30, 2013

May Puzzles

This month we let Roy off the leash to provide his magnificent CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

The Picture Puzzles and “Mixed Bag” Questions are at the top of our PUZZLE PAGE. There are a larger than usual number of “Mixed Bag” questions; consider them a practice set for Trivia Night at Skeptics Café on May 20.

Your Logic and Maths Problems for May are HERE

Enjoy!

 

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April 30, 2013

“Mixed Bag” May 2013 – Answers

1. TW is the odd pair. In all the other pairs, the two letters are the same distance apart in the alphabet. T and W are much closer together

2. All start with a vowel.
When you drop that vowel, they each form a different English word.

3. Indian Ocean

4. “Nelson”

5. blue

6. Jeff Kennett

7. Courtroom
(A tipstaff is a Judge’s Clerk)

8. The gift of eloquence

9. stream

10. A wind blew all the other applicants away

11. GM Holden

12. The Hours

13. A gold coin used in Europe from mediaeval times

14. 1981

15. South Australia

16. Whooping Cough

17. Horton

18. Smersh was a Russian anti-spy organisation, Spectre was an international criminal ring (Also, Smersh was real, Spectre is fictional)

19. How to Win Friends and Influence People

20. A. Light green

21. San Francisco

22. The Vulcans

23. The Phillipines

24. Victoria and New South Wales

25. 4 million

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March 30, 2013

April Puzzles

New Puzzles for March and April 2013 can be found at the top of the PUZZLE PAGE. They include a Picture Puzzle, Skeptical Crossword,  “Mixed Bag” set and Logic and Maths Puzzles for each month.

All of our previous puzzles are still available!

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 1 (August 2010 to April 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 2 (May 2011 to October 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 3 (October 2011 to November 2012)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 4 (December 2012 to March 2013)

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March 28, 2013

“Mixed Bag” April 2013 Answers

1. About 80 metres. It’s an East-West line through Boundary Islet, Bass Strait. Victoria owns the north and Tasmania owns the south.

 

2. (a) head;   (b)work   (c) light   (d) box

 

3. Vancouver

 

4. 75 million years ago

 

5. The Pacific Ocean

 

6. Patrick White

 

7. The Burke & Wills Expedition

 

8. The Eyes

 

9. Paul Keating

 

10. Scary & Sporty

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March 27, 2013

Logic & Maths Puzzles April 2013 – solutions

1. 7

2. 13

3. 34

4. 78

5. 14

6. 4

7. a. 50 pigs     b. 20 horses      c. 1280 animals

8. a. 28   number x 3 + 1         b. 13   number ÷ 2 + 6        c. 20  (number – 4) x 2

9. Four: (this works if Alice’s sister is married to Alice’s husband’s brother. The mother of both men is Alice’s mother’s sister and married to Alice’s paternal uncle)

10. The 400 litre barrel:

(Customer 1 buys 300 + 360 litres = 660 litres of wine. Customer 2 buys 320 + 380 + 620 = 1320 litres 0f wine. This leaves the 400 litre barrel which must contain beer)

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