March 4, 2011

A Skeptic's Guide to Bible Codes

This article first appeared as a Vic Skeptics discussion pamphlet.
The full range of our discussion pamphlets can be downloaded here: http://www.skeptics.com.au/resources/educational/
or by clicking on the “Useful Info” link at the top of this page.

 by Peter Barrett, Canberra Skeptics

In the late 1990s, a book called “The Bible Code” was published. Its author, Michael Drosnin, claimed that a high-powered computer program had uncovered a large number of secret messages in the Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament). The most amazing claim was that a few years before the book’s publication, this program had discovered that the then Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzakh Rabin, faced assassination. Several months after Drosnin and his partners warned him, Mr Rabin was assassinated. View More A Skeptic's Guide to Bible Codes

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February 20, 2011

Homeopathy is safe?

One of the main comments by homeopaths on the 10:23 overdose campaign is that skeptics have yet again demonstrated that homeopathy is safe.
That’s one possibility. Another possibility, and I think a more likely one; is that homeopathy is safe because there isn’t anything in it.

10:23 comments

Skeptics would also argue that homeopathy is unsafe precisely because it has nothing in it. If consumers are convinced enough to treat life-threatening conditions with homeopathy, results can be tragic. Take, for example, the case of Penelope Dingle: the coroner’s report in relation to her death in 2005 was recently released. [PDF]
Warning: this is a coroner’s report; it’s a very graphic and distressing account of her death and the role of homeopathy in the events leading up to her death.
Returning to the broader question of homeopathy being safe, I’ve found the view that homeopathy is safe, and that you can’t overdose on it, is not a universal opinion in the world of homeopathy. View More Homeopathy is safe?

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February 8, 2011

The 10:23 Event in Melbourne

On Saturday, the Victorian Skeptics joined forces with the Melbourne Skeptics and the Young Australian Skeptics to take part in the worldwide 10:23 Campaign.
The campaign was launched last year by the Merseyside Skeptics, as a public education stunt to demonstrate the ineffective nature of Homeopathy.
A video of the Melbourne event was posted a couple of days ago, and as I write this, it’s had over 1,000 views on YouTube.
(If you’re keen, there’s also a great video playlist of 10:23 events around the world).
We also had John, a good friend of the Victorian Skeptics, busily snapping some great stills while we were overdosing.
[slideshow]
Of course while it’s all fun and games in retrospect (and there’s a message in there somewhere too), it almost didn’t happen.
Torrential rain and flash flooding had hit View More The 10:23 Event in Melbourne

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February 6, 2011

10:23 in Melbourne, the video

The 10:23 overdose event in Melbourne went off very well yesterday.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvgRMcfo0Yk&w=448&h=252&hd=1]

The deluge of rain stopped minutes before 10:23am.

This is just a quick post to show you the video. A more detailed blog post about the Melbourne event will go up in the next few days. Thanks to the willing participants that came along from three skeptical groups in Melbourne. I think you’ll agree, great work done by our brilliant cameraman/editor/director Doug Hubbard.

Mal.

————-

UPDATE:

The Great Ocean Road Skeptics were also launched on Saturday, and decided to celebrate the launch with a 10:23 demonstration on the beach.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhDA07jYncU&w=448&h=252&hd=1]

Nice work guys!

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January 30, 2011

"Mixed Bag" February 2011 Answers

1. a. Basic / sick bay ; b.  Welfare / farewell;  c. Zero / rosy; d. Germaine / manger
2. a. 6 Strings on a guitar;  b. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover;  c. 4 Suits in a deck of cards;  d. 1 Giant Leap for Mankind; e. 9 Lives of a Cat; f. 7 colours in the rainbow; g. 206 bones in the human body;  h. 13 stripes on the American flag; i. 76 trombones in the big parade.
3. a. Late date;  b. Glum plum;  c. Current currant;  d. Grape gripe
4. a. Anthony Perkins / Psycho;  b. Anthony Hopkins / The Silence of the Lambs;  c. Jack Nicholson /  A Few Good Men
5. Calpurnia – Julius Caesar;  Katharina – The Taming of the Shrew;  Iago – Othello; Prospero – The Tempest
6. a. Enterprise;  b. Rouseabout;  c. Rudiments
7. A mirror
8. a. Pupils / slipup;  b. Regal / lager;  c. Snoops / spoons;  d. Straw / warts
9.  MARGE LETS NORAH SEE SHARON’S TELEGRAM.  NO MISSES ORDERED ROSES, SIMON.
10. a. Chelsea; b. Aston Villa; c. Southampton; d. West Ham United

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January 29, 2011

New Skeptics In the Pubs

We’re pleased to tell you about three brand new Skeptics In the Pubs.
*Eastern Hills SITP meets at The Knox Club, on the corner of Stud / Boronia Rds Wantirna South. The first meeting will be on Tuesday 15th February, but all subsequent meetings will be on the second Monday of each month.
Details are at http://groupspaces.com/meh-sitp (NOTE CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS ADDRESS)
* Melbourne SITP: The first will be held on Monday, January 31st at the James Squire Brewhouse in Waterfront City, Docklands. RSVP on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123743067689382 The event will kick off at 6:30pm. Future events will be held on the fourth Monday of each month.
http://www.melbourneskeptics.com.au/skeptics-in-the-pub/
* Great Ocean Road SITP launched on Saturday morning 5th February, with regular meetings on the Last
Wednesday of each month from 6.30 pm.  For March 30, the venue is City Quarter Bar on Cunningham Pier Geelong. For further information, contact Carolyn Coulson. CAROLCO(AT)BarwonHealth.org.au. See our article on Great Ocean Road Skeptics below, as well as their 10:23 video

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Well established Victorian Skeptics groups looking forward to 2011 are:
*Borderline Skeptics (Albury Wodonga) meeting 3rd Wednesday of each month; contact Russell Kelly (02) 6072 – 3632 or Laurie Smith (02) 6072 – 3415
*The Celestial Teapot (Mornington) meeting 3rd Thursday of each month; http://www.meetup.com/Teapot-Mornington-Peninsula/
*Mordialloc SITP http://www.meetup.com/Mordi-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/
*Sale SITP meeting at the Star Hotel on the 2nd Friday of each month from 6.30pm. For details contact saleskepticsinthepub@hotmail.com
AND DON’T FORGET our very own Skeptics Café on the 3rd Monday of each month. See our Events section for details.

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January 17, 2011

Darwin Day February 12 2011

BARBECUE:
12 Noon to 4.30 pm

(NOTE CHANGE to PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED TIME)

An Invitation from the Atheists, Humanists, Rationalists & Skeptics to celebrate
Charles Darwin’s birthday
For details, go here: https://skeptics.cafe/events/darwin-day-barbecue-2011/

CELEBRATE DARWIN DAY IN YOUR CLASSROOM:
Here’s a suite of classroom exercises designed to mark Charles Darwin’s Birthday.
https://skeptics.cafe/for-sale/stuff-for-teachers-education-resources/darwin-day-february-12-classroom-suite-of-exercises/

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