January 20, 2012

Darwin Day Barbecue 2012

You are invited to join us in celebrating  Charles Darwin’s birthday with a Barbeque on Sunday, 12th February 2012  from about noon till ??? on the banks of the Yarra at Alexandra Avenue Melbourne.

Melways, 2G D11 Just west from the Morell Bridge and Anderson Street. Next to the Botanic Gardens.

All Welcome

Free BBQ facilities available

BYO food and drinks.

Since the early 1990s, Darwin Day has been celebrated around the world including in Melbourne. Every year we’ve said  “this year’s celebrations will be the biggest party so far”, and we’ve been pretty much right. Come along and enjoy a summer BBQ by the Yarra.

TEACHERS: for our suite of Darwin Day Classroom Exercises, go here: https://skeptics.cafe/for-sale/stuff-for-teachers-education-resources/darwin-day-february-12-classroom-suite-of-exercises/

For a brief article about Charles Darwin, go here: https://skeptics.cafe/2007/11/27/about-charles-darwin/

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January 8, 2012

2011 Psychic Predictions … Revisited

Early in 2011 we examined the Psychic predictions of Mr. John Gold, one of Australia’s most respected psychics.

Mr Gold was notable for making some quite specific predictions for the year ahead, which would have been sensational had they panned out.

Usually psychics will throw out a bunch of generic and non-specific “predictions” which can easily be retrofitted to reality later … but not Mr Gold. He went out on a series of impressive limbs with specific events and specific times.

If even half of those predictions had come true, we might have had a serious contender for the Australian Skeptics’ $100,000 challenge.

We are now one year down the track, and it’s definitely worth our time to  examine the predictions and see how Mr. Gold did.

Results below the fold.

View More 2011 Psychic Predictions … Revisited

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December 31, 2011

“Mixed Bag” January 2012 Answers

1. Baden Baden is in Germany; Bora Bora is in French Polynesia; Dum Dum is in India; Mitta Mitta is in Victoria, Australia; Wagga Wagga is in New South Wales, Australia;  Walla Walla is in the USA

2. a. Nectarine   b. Rhetorical   c. segregate

3. He was the first Australian to win a VC.

4. Jack (of Jack and Jill)

5. Men’s trousers

6. The USA  (On a goodwill mission around the world)

7. Finland, Russia, Norway, Sweden

8.  Calorie

9. A. Lewis Carroll

10. Three

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December 29, 2011

Where Did the TGA Reforms Go?

by: Mal Vickers

I think everyone is aware of the problem – magnetic underlays, ear candles, homeopathy and bogus weight loss products, to name but a few examples of modern day snake oil; products that make therapeutic claims but are unsupported by evidence that they work. The government agency responsible for protecting consumers from the greed and self-interest of quack medical products, the Therapeutic Goods Agency (TGA) appears powerless to stop it.

For quite some time there have been calls for change and the government appeared to be listening. With the SensaSlim scandal, the deaths of Gloria Sam and Penelope Dingle and the astonishing 90% level of non-compliance found with a random check of the ARTG by the Auditor General, changes seemed inevitable.

What happened? Where did the expected reforms go?

The first week of December saw some strange goings-on at the TGA View More Where Did the TGA Reforms Go?

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December 11, 2011

Terry Kelly on SYN FM

President, Terry Kelly

Last week our illustrious president Terry Kelly was interviewed on the SYN FM show Strength of Unicorns.

This is an atheist-themed radio show, so it’s actually a rare opportunity to hear a prominent Skeptic talk about issues of religion and spirituality.

Terry also talks about the sort of work in which the Australian Skeptics get involved, like the recent Sensaslim saga and the Australian Skeptics Paranormal Challenge.

It was a great interview and our thanks go to David and Milo for having Terry on the show.

You can listen to the audio here:

or download the MP3 file.

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December 1, 2011

“Mixed Bag” December 2011 Answers

1. He makes a mound of earth and stands on it to reach the skylight

2. Newspaper

3. Pierces, precise

4. Jerusalem

5. Paul VI

6. Timbertop, Geelong Grammar

7. Kidney(s)

8.  Hair

9. Tasmania

10. Sydney

11. (a) Melbourne  (b) On the Beach  (c) Neville Shute

12. Ten

13. C.S. (Lewis and Forester)

14. Ice Figure skating

15. Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen

16. Fatima

17. Massachussetts

18. sword

19. Polio

20. Sao Paulo (about 20 million)

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