August 29, 2005

Intelligent Design Letters 2

Just when the discussion in “The Age” over Intelligent Design seemed to have petered out, religion editor Barney Zwartz gave it another kick with a pro-ID article
“Let’s have a proper scientific debate” (18/08/05) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/17/1123958129538.html
These replies were published in “The Age“. (Several replies were not published and are listed after them).
(also a subsquent article “Intelligent Design is Taking Us Backwards” (24/08/05) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/23/1124562864552.html)

Cool heads and intelligent design

Barney Zwartz’s call for some cool heads in the intelligent design versus evolution debate (Opinion, 18/8) is timely and appropriate.
As an agnostic, I am fearful of the worldwide move towards fundamental View More Intelligent Design Letters 2

August 23, 2005

Skeptical Film Night

  • When: Wednesday 9th February, 2005, 7pm (early)
  • Where: The Whitehorse Inn (Upstairs)
  • Cost: FREE

The Victorian Skeptics have decided to try a new kind of event, a Skeptical Film Night. During this FREE event, we will show two documentaries, each followed by a discussion on the topic.
The two films will be

Water Divining Test : James Randi & Dick Smith
Guru Busters
  • Water Divining Test : James Randi & Dick Smith
    • In a dusty country field in 1980 Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith and American magician James Randi watched 16 water dowsers demonstrate their abilities. The Skeptics’ Prize waited for any who displayed clear abilities outside the range of random chance.
    • http://www.skeptics.com.au/journal/divining.htm
  • Guru Busters
    • India is renowed for its gurus and mystical psychics, but the Indian Rationalists want the world to know that these gurus are fakes who use crude magic tricks to prey on innocents. Some frauds such as the infamous Satya Sai Baba even have immense political power.
    • http://www.eagletv.co.uk/home/guru.htm

The Water Divining Test is one of several documentaries available on the Australian Skeptics’ “Great Water Divining DVD” available at http://vs240081.server-store.com/store/products/item127.inetstore
Guru Busters is shown with the permission of “Eagle & Eagle Ltd”
(keywords: water dowsing / dowsers / dousers / water divining / water dousing / psychics)

August 23, 2005

SSSSSSS

Sceats’s Specially Selected Southern Skeptics’ Social Snippets

(by Rosemary Sceats, April 2003)
As regular readers of this prestigious publication would be aware, Melbourne Skeptics have an informal gathering at Pugg Mahones Irish Pub in the CBD, on the third Monday of each month. In March, this coincided with St Patrick’s Day on the 17th, and since we figured that there would be standing room only at Puggs that day, decided to hold the event at The Whitehorse Inn, Hawthorn, instead (the new venue for our quarterly dinner/speaker meetings). Whether it had anything to do with St Patrick or not, there was a bumper turnout at the Burwood Road venue, and a jolly good time was had by all in attendance. Perhaps it had more to do with the fact that we were welcoming a pair of visiting Skeptics from the USA, Marilyn and Len Levine, who were on their first visit to Australia View More SSSSSSS

August 23, 2005

Mark Mayer

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kengreatorex/mypic33.jpg
During GASS 2003 at the Melbourne Museum, our guest, well-known Sydney magician and Skeptic Steve Walker introduced Vic Skeptics to Melbourne performer, Mark Mayer. Mark, as it turns out, apart from being a consummate performer, has highly developed Skeptical credentials of his own.
Mark was invited to feature at our November 12 public meeting. His theme was “The History of Spiritualism“, and was as much a lecture as a magic show. He illustrated his presentation at each stage with an appropriate baffling, audience involving illusion.
Following positive feedback from the show, Mark developed his performance into the one-man theatre show “Talking With the Dead – Or Lying to the Living?”
Mark is a full-time professional entertainer, and does a lot of work at View More Mark Mayer

August 19, 2005

Intelligent Design Letters 1

The following two articles appeared in the Age, detailing the attempts by an evangelical Christian group to get religious Creationism studied in schools by claiming it to be a leading scientific theory called Intelligent Design. The Federal Education minister Brendan Nelson said that he approved of it being taught if parents wished.
“Creation crusade marches again, under new banner” (06/08/05) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/05/1123125907323.html
“‘Intelligent design’ an option: Nelson” (11/08/05) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/10/1123353386917.html
“Intelligent design-ists hide under science cloak” (12/08/05) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/11/1123353439397.html

Letters

(12/08/05)

The end of critical thought

What is Brendan Nelson on about (“Intelligent design an option: Nelson“, The Age, 11/8)? To teach pseudo-creationism in schools View More Intelligent Design Letters 1

August 12, 2005

Science Week 2005

http://www.scienceweek.info.au/img/header.jpg
Following the great success of the Victorian Skeptics stands at the “Great Australian Science Show” in previous years, we will have a stand at “Science Week 2005“. It should be lots of fun with science, magic, fortune telling, lots of debate – and the bed of nails!
http://www.orthogonal.com.au/gallery/gass02/thumb2/AA_0_016.jpg
Where?
ScienceWorks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood
Price: entry to ScienceWorks, for prices and deals see: http://scienceworks.museum.vic.gov.au/
View More Science Week 2005

August 12, 2005

Sad News – Philip Klass

Philip J. Klass, 85 died Aug 9. Klass was an aviation journalist who investigated UFO sightings and wrote books debunking reports of visits from outer space. “In nearly 30 years of searching, investigating famous cases, I have yet to find one that cannot be explained in down-to-earth prosaic terms” In 1988 he offered a reward of $10,000 to any victim whose abduction by aliens could be confirmed by the FBI. No-one ever collected. http://www.csicop.org/klassfiles/Home.html

August 11, 2005

Brendan Nelson and Intelligent Design

Shockingly, Education Minister Brendan Nelson has said he thinks schools should be allowed to teach Intelligent Design (Creationism) in science classes, presented as an alternative to evolution. The minister clearly has fallen for the con and missed ID’s main point that a cosmic Intelligent Designer (God) superceded natural laws to make the world and all living things. This is not science it is religion.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/10/1123353386917.html

August 2, 2005

Homeopathy

http://www.randi.org/images/030703-Homeopathy.jpg 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. In the 19th century, homeopathy was seen as a welcome alternative to dangerous medical practices of the time such as blistering, purges, leeches, and blood-letting. Although homeopathy has declined with advances in mainstream medicine, many people are nervous about the complex array of medicines that they do not understand, and which may have adverse side-effects. To them, homeopathy sounds great. Homeopathic remedies are advertised as safe. They have no side-effects, you can’t overdose, they are non habit-forming, and have no “use by” date. Why? Homeopathic preparations contain no medicine.
Some people feel better when they take homeopathic potions or pills. Some people don’t. In the modern world it’s easy to think that every time we are sick we should take medicines to make us better, (despite the fact that conditions like colds, flu and hangovers run their course and go away without medical intervention). Maybe homeopathic potions don’t work, but some people just View More Homeopathy

July 29, 2005

2005-07-29 News

Echinacea doesn’t work, study finds Being sick with a cold is nothing to sneeze at, but new research finds that taking the popular herbal remedy echinacea does nothing to treat or prevent it. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/07/28/1122143939019.html

This reminds us of a 2003 study by “Choice” Magazine (ACA) which found that even if you assume echinacea works, there isn’t enough of it in common products to deliver any result. http://www.choice.com.au/goArticle.aspx?id=104058&p=1