March 3, 2010

Dr Vaux's Talk Raises Concerns


At January 18th’s  Skeptics Cafe, Dr David Vaux, (Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) drew attention to a number of examples of lack of integrity by the authors of mainstream scientific research papers, including the manufacturing of data. These articles had been published in peak academic journals and had escaped their editorial processes. He attributed this largely to a lack of an Office of Research Integrity of the kind that exists in other countries. Dr Vaux’s talk caused concern among some of his listeners for the status of Australian research. Statements in 2004 (see Nature Article Feb 2004 )by the then opposition Senator Kim Carr, were supportive of such an oversight body. Senator Carr is now Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research but his government seems to have no immediate plans to proceed. If you wish to send a letter to your local MP in support of the enhancement of standards of research integrity in Australia, please click letter to MP to view and download an example. Contact details for Federal MPs can be found here: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memlist.pdf
Ken

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March 3, 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.
This year even the prizes are more trivial!
A donation is requested from each participant.
Ken

March 3, 2010

Nature Article Feb 2004

NATURE|VOL 427 | 19 FEBRUARY 2004
Misconduct row fuels calls for reform
Carina Dennis,Sydney
A fierce row over misconduct allegations has prompted Australian researchers to call for an office of research integrity to be set up. The issue came to a head on 10 February, when Senator Kim Carr, research spokesman for the opposition Labor Party, released to parliament an unpublished report of an inquiry into allegations made about an immunologist at the University of New South Wales.
The case centres on Bruce Hall, a transplant immunologist working on graft tolerance. In 2001,Hall was accused by four complainants in his laboratory of fabricating and falsifying experimental results in an abstract and paper, providing false data in a grant application, misattributing authorship credit and workplace bullying. The experiments in question involved the use of cells from the immune system � called CD4_ T cells � to transfer graft tolerance to rats with transplanted hearts.Hall emphatically denies the allegations. View More Nature Article Feb 2004

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February 24, 2010

Our good friend Dr John Long

Hi all,
I noticed that our friend Dr John Long, recently shifted to Los Angeles will be lecturing back here in April at the Royal Society.
8 April Dr. John Long  Death, Sex and Evolution – Extraordinary Fossils Revealing Intimate Details of Sexual Behaviour in the Early Vertebrates
Vice-President Research & Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Royal Society of Victoria’s Calendar of events can be found here: http://www.sciencevictoria.org.au/events.html
Here’s your chance to catch up with Dr Long, and also find out what them there Early Vertebrates used to get up to.
Regards,
Ken

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February 22, 2010

ABC Insiders, Vic Skeptics on Climate Change

Your Shout: Skeptics question climate policies
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 14/02/2010
Reporter: Barrie Cassidy
Phil Kafcaloudes from Radio Australia Today talks to Australian Skeptics in Melbourne about scepticism of Government and the Opposition.
PHIL KAFCALOUDES: Hi, I’m Phil Kafcaloudes, host of Radio Australia Today.
Well we certainly had a week for the sceptics here in Australia. We’ve got the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader both trying to sell their climate change policies. And we’ve just said farewell to the world’s best climate change sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton.
So what a week to sit down and have a coffee here in Melbourne with members of the group Australian Skeptics to see if they’re sceptical.
Okay, what is a sceptic?
SCEPTIC 1: The sceptics try to examine the evidence before making up their mind about something.
SCEPTIC 2: As sceptics we want to reclaim the word sceptic from those people who don’t believe in climate change.
SCEPTIC 3: People who tend to deny climate change, we tend to call them deniers. So I mean they’re not going with the evidence. They’re going, they’re usually cherry picking evidence. View More ABC Insiders, Vic Skeptics on Climate Change

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February 7, 2010

Darwin Day Barbecue

Invitation to celebrate Charles Darwin’s birthday at the Melbourne Darwin Day Barbeque
on Monday, 12th February 2007 from 5:30 pm till 8 pm
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
RSVP: – – An RSVP is not required however it would assist with organising if you could RSVP (with YES, NO or MAYBE and numbers) to Andrew on (03) 9894 1443 or email ar2team@yahoo.com.
Since the early 1990’s, Darwin Day has been celebrated around the world including in Melbourne but this year’s celebrations will be the biggest party so far. Come along and enjoy a summer’s evening BBQ by the Yarra.
EMAIL: If you can be contacted by email then please include details with your RSVP.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: This information is advisory only – please check before travelling. The closest tram/train is Tram 70 in Swan Street. Walk from the Swan Street Bridge or maybe from tram stop 46 (will need to check if access paths still exist). The 2002 Melways shows a path to Richmond Station which is about the same distance as the Swan Street Bridge. Buses 246 and 605 may stop near the Hoddle Street Bridge and that is closer than either the Swan Street Bridge or Richmond Railway Station.

January 28, 2010

La Notte Cafe

The new location for the Victorian Skeptics events.

140 Lygon St, Carlton
Melway ref: 43 H5
(03) 9663-6861

Map: http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/map?mode=geo&id=30375871&lat=-378038&lon=1449664Trams: many tram lines pass along Swanston Street going to or from Melbourne University, a 5 minute walk will take you to Lygon Street.
Car Parking: on-street parking is supplemented by a below-ground carpark opposite the Lygon St park
Location reviews
http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=la_notte_restaurant