April 16, 2010

British Chiropractic Association Withdraws Libel Action.

Simon Singh

There has been a major development in the Simon Singh case. The libel action against Dr Singh has collapsed.
You may recall Simon spoke to the Victorian Skeptics at a special dinner last year. The proceeds of that function were donated to the Sense About Science campaign.
Simon Says:

It still staggers me that the British Chiropractic Association and half the chiropractors in the UK were making unsubstantiated claims. It still baffles me that the BCA then dared to sue me for libel and put me through two years of hell before I was vindicated.  And it still makes me angry that our libel laws not only tolerate but also encourage such ludicrous libel suits. My victory does not mean that our libel laws are okay, because I won despite the libel laws. We still have the most notoriously anti-free speech libel laws in the free world.

Here is a link to the BBC announcement of the news. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8621880.stm
For those who are new to the Simon Singh Saga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Singh
Ken

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April 12, 2010

General Information (Originally posted at our old site)

We are the Victorian branch of the Australian Skeptics, a science-based organisation run by volunteers.
http://www.keypoint.com.au/~skeptics/skepbits/australia.gif The Skeptics encourage people to be careful about what they believe. Things that sound “too good to be true” – usually aren’t true! Science has revealed many amazing things, but amazing claims are also used to deceive and to rip-off innocent people.
The Skeptics also encourage thoughtful, rational exploration of the world around us, especially in matters considered ‘paranormal‘. To this end, the Skeptics are keen to promote scientific education and a sense of wonder in the natural world.
http://www.keypoint.com.au/~skeptics/skepbits/prism_sm.jpeg

Weird and Wonderful – Read about all manner of supernatural and scientific matters on our Articles page including these popular topics
Creation v Evolution – Sensing Murder – Bed of Nails – Murders and Clairvoyants – Homeopathy
(Yes, “sceptical” & “sceptics” are the correct spellings but we’re so clever we spell them with a k instead. 🙂

April 11, 2010

Sixth Annual Skeptics Trivia Extravaganza

Take Your Partners for the Sixth Annual Vic Skeptics Trivia Extravaganza

La Notte Restaurant

140 Lygon Street Carlton

Monday 17th May 2010

at the special time of 7.30 pm .

or join us for the traditional Third Monday meal at 6pm.

Previous Trivia Nights have been among our most popular events; – this year, get your team organised early , and if you’re having a meal at the restaurant before the Trivia, please arrive and order early.

If you can’t come equipped with a ready-made team, don’t stay home and mope! We can organise consortia of suitable intellects on the evening.

Lotsa individual and team prizes!

A donation is requested from each participant.

April 10, 2010

A Skeptics Guide to Homeopathy

Homeopathy Week is upon us! To celebrate, here is our view on Homeopathy. (This and many other discussion topics can be found at our  “Useful Info” link).

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Homeopathy is an “alternative medicine” invented in the early 19th century by German doctor Samuel Hahnemann. Despite numerous experiments showing homeopathy to have no effect, it has become a multi-million dollar international industry with its own special rules in advertising law.
View More A Skeptics Guide to Homeopathy

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April 8, 2010

April Bulletin


Current and upcoming activities and news from the Victorian Branch of the Australian Skeptics.  Please see our latest April Bulletin [PDF].

News Group

Vic Skeptics has an email news group. We send about one bulletin per month, listing and describing our upcoming events and activities, as well as supplying contact information for similar organisations. To join this group, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vic_skeptics_news/
Ken

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April 6, 2010

Terry's book browsing

I’m just back home from seeing, and enjoying, “God Is Bullshit: And That’s The Good News” by Catherine Deveny at the Trades Hall and on the way home I dropped in to Readings for a browse (as one does).

Conceiving God

My eyes fell upon a book called “Conceiving God: the Cognitive Origin and Evolution of Religion” by David Lewis-Williams. Like a good skeptic I read the blurb and the start and the last page, to see how it ended.
On the last page was a lovely line something, from memory, like this…

Repeatedly, science is modifying religion, never vice versa.

How true.
View More Terry's book browsing

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March 30, 2010

Skeptics at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Charles and Catherine after the show

The Victorian Skeptics stepped out on Friday 26th March to support one of our former speakers the well known comedienne and journalist Catherine Deveny. With a show titled: ‘God is Bullshit: and that’s the good news’ Catherine put it out there in her real in-your-face style. There was certainly an attraction to Skeptics, Atheist and most of the thinking population to attend. How could we not go. We were not let down.
View More Skeptics at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

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March 29, 2010

TAM Australia

The 2010 Australian Skeptics National Convention will be held in Sydney in the last weekend of November.
You’ll want to mark it in your diaries guys, because it’s shaping up to be a corker.
This year the event will be known as TAM Australia, continuing the fine tradition of “The Amazing Meeting” held annually in Las Vegas by the James Randi Educational Foundation.
And TAM Australia will be boasting a stellar line-up of guests.
Those currently confirmed are JREF president D.J. Grothe, Australia’s own Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki, the cast of the incredibly popular podcast Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com, skeptical musician extraordinaire George Hrab, the NCSE’s Dr Eugenie Scott and of course the man himself, The AmazingTM James Randi.
Tickets for the event will go on sale sometime in June.
Watch this space for further updates.
…Matt

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