August 11, 2010

Skeptical Podcast Review


If you like to keep up with Skeptical news, either locally or around the world, I think podcasts are a great. I know not all Skeptics like to listen to podcasts.  The main complaint I hear is, “Oh… I don’t have time for that”. You might have more time to listen than you think: maybe you haven’t considered all that time you spend commuting every day.
Are you the same as me?  Do you spend two hours a day in a car or on public transport, as part of your daily grind?  That adds up to 10 hours a week of being totally bored on a tram whilst maintaining your poker-face mask, or being assaulted by the nonsense of commercial radio in your car.  Yes you could listen to your favourite music; I’m not suggesting you must listen to podcasts all the time. Try mixing it up perhaps.  Surely The Best of ABBA is wearing a bit thin by now?  How about trying something new? Listen to something worthwhile instead, something with skeptical content by critical thinkers like yourself.
How to get and play podcasts? It’s very easy, but perhaps I should do a more detailed description View More Skeptical Podcast Review

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August 4, 2010

Competition

For the month of August, we are featuring a competition. We’re looking for the best original articles, reviews, cartoons, puzzles, photographs etc that we receive for publication on this website.
We have a copy of Tony Robinson’s The Unexplained DVD to give to each of the winners. We’re happy to promote this DVD on the basis of favourable reviews it received from our local Skeptics community, including that of Steve Roberts: http://skeptics.cafe/2010/06/23/unexplained/. Please send your contributions to vic@skeptics.com.au. Put “WEBSITE COMPETITION” in the subject line.

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August 3, 2010

Our submission on the Position Paper on the Promotion of Therapeutic Goods

Dr Ken Harvey

When Dr Ken Harvey spoke to Vic Skeptics earlier this year, a lot of us came away feeling that the Therapeutic Goods Administration was not serious about its role in ensuring that Australians have good information about and acess to reliable and safe over-the-counter medicines and therapeutic devices. An opportunity has since arisen for us to have our “two bob’s worth” before the Federal Government looks at revamping the TGA. Our first of two scheduled submissions is included here.

It has been sent primarily to The Hon Mark Butler in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

The Hon Mark Butler MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health

Dear Mr Butler,

Australian Skeptics: Submission on the Position Paper on the Promotion of Therapeutic Goods

The Victorian Branch of the Australian Skeptics is part of a loose confederation of groups across Australia that investigates and debates pseudo-scientific and paranormal claims from a responsible scientific viewpoint. The Australian Skeptics publish a quarterly magazine entitled The Skeptic and host an annual national convention which includes prominent scientists, researchers and authors amongst the keynote speakers. View More Our submission on the Position Paper on the Promotion of Therapeutic Goods

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July 25, 2010

Conspiracy Theories

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.

A Skeptic’s Guide to

by Peter Barrett, Canberra Skeptics

Test 1: Is the argument factually correct?
It’s remarkable how many conspiracy theories are based on arguments which are simply factually incorrect. If you’re presented with a conspiracy theory argument, check the facts. Many incorrect arguments are repeated in ignorance. But there are also some people who knowingly repeat conspiracy arguments they know are wrong. View More Conspiracy Theories

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July 24, 2010

Anti Vaccination Group Investigated on the ABC

We’ve been quite hard on old aunty ABC lately i.e. the recent post about the pseudoscientific practice of Transcendental Meditation on the ABC TV’s number one science program Catalyst.
It’s time to make up and give the ABC a big kiss for this story about the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).  We’ve been banging on for years saying the AVN are hiding the fact that they are an anti vaccination organisation with no interest in giving parents balanced information about vaccines.
The NSW, Health Care Complaints Commission’s report on the AVN is due for release soon.  The report was sparked by a courageous complaint by Ken Macleod.
In case you missed it, the Lateline story about the AVN is now up on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29tciApImhI
A great piece of investigative journalism from Steve Cannane.  Promote him to head of ABC science….. please?
Mal

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July 23, 2010

Creation – Movie Review

Terry Kelly writes:
I saw a preview screening of this film, “Creation”  at the Nova. It was free for the privileged few who were offered tickets, for which I am most appreciative. Unfortunately I spent more than I intended because I almost immediately walked straight into Borders and bought a copy of the book, which was, apparently, the last one in the store.
The film is based on a book called “Annie’s Box; Darwin, his daughter and Human Evolution” by Randal Keynes, a great great grandson of Charles Darwin and a great nephew of John Maynard Keynes (the very famous Economist) – what a pedigree!
The copy of the book I bought is just called “Creation” because it’s a “tie in” with the film.
The film focuses on the human side of Darwin and the excruciating trauma of the death of his beloved eldest daughter, Annie, View More Creation – Movie Review

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July 16, 2010

A Review of "Catalyst" on TM

By Dr Stephen Basser
I try not to watch too much ‘tabloid television’ as I find that the way scientific issues are covered is likely to provoke either the tossing of objects in the direction of the television, or the feeling that my blood pressure is rising to dangerous levels. When medical or health issues are being discussed the reaction is usually a combination of the two.
When I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the latest miracle weight loss treatment, or arthritis cure, I escape to a bit of sound scientific reporting by switching over to the ABC, and watch the normally excellent general science program Catalyst. Tonight, though, I momentarily thought I’d turned on the wrong channel, as Catalyst’s first story – on Transcendental Meditation – was right out of the tabloid guide book. View More A Review of "Catalyst" on TM

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