The 2005 National Convention will be held at Bond University on the Gold Coast over the two days of the weekend 13th and 14th of August.
Please visit this website for more information: http://www.skeptics.com.au/convention/2005/index.html
Homeopathy For Pets??? Vet Says “No Way!” (Public Talk)
Homeopathy is an unusual kind of medicine that was invented in the early 19th century as an alternative to the leaches and blood-letting that were popular at the time. It’s so popular these days that homeopathic remedies can be found in almost every local chemist, and every health food shop. It’s a multi-million dollar industry.
The only trouble is that, despite many personal endorsements, there’s no real proof that it actually works. Further, it also claims to break a basic law of chemistry (and cooking!): the more you dilute something – the stronger it becomes. A tiny amount is stronger than a larger amount. Could this be? (see Homeopathy)
In recent times shops have even started selling homeopathic remedies for pets. In his talk for the Skeptics, outspoken vet, Dr Chris Andrews, will tell you why it’s just not on.
Dr Chris Andrews has been practicing as a vet for 28 years and is outspoken about his fears that clear thinking is being clouded in the veterinary profession.
Dr Andrews says that the public is demanding homeopathic treatments for their pets. “It is a great opportunity to make money which must not be taken. Homeopathy has a 200 year history of failing to get any runs on the board.”
“You are not treating the animal, you are treating the owner who is always already a believer in homeopathy.”
“Homeopathy texts talk about assessing the human psyche and treating the whole person, involving an emotional and spiritual assessment. How can this possibly be applied to animals?”
| Date | 13th July 2005 |
| Time | 8:00 pm (dinner 6:30pm) |
| Where | Imperial Hotel, function room |
| Entry | Gold coin donation |
extra keywords: homoeopathy
The Victorian Skeptics occasionally hold events at the Imperial Hotel.
Please find more information about the Imperial Hotel, including a map at the following website:
Jupiter visible today – 4pm. Visible with the naked eye during the day, but best with binoculars. http://theage.com.au/articles/2005/06/15/1118645848098.html
Astronomy Details: http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm#Occult
| This article is taken from The Australian Skeptic magazine and was written by Christopher Short, President of the Victorian Skeptics | See also Sensing Murder overview, Murders and Clairvoyants |
Taking a look at “Sensing Murder” – a shabby and insulting TV show
It is night in the suburbs. A street-lamp pole bears a tattered poster with the photos of three girls, information wanted. Under the bright star-lit sky stands an eldritch Rebecca Gibney.
“Many people are reticent to believe in psychic phenomena until there is scientific proof. What many people don’t realise is that there already is.”
At this, the stars in the sky coalesce into the Greek letter ‘psi‘�
“Psychic phenomena or �psi’ has been shown to exist in thousands of scientific experiments. Virtually all the scientists who have studied the evidence, even the hard-nosed sceptics, now agree that psi merits serious attention. The question is now no longer �What proof is there?’ but rather �What does the proof reveal about ourselves and the universe?’”
(Accompanying photographs show tests being performed with the words “Princeton University“)
Despite Channel Ten billing “Sensing Murder” as a show in which psychics work with police to solve murder cases, the police are not View More Sensing Nothing
The township of Mitta Mitta, in North-Eastern Victoria holds an annual event over the Victorian Labour Day long week-end. This part of Victoria is also home to a small enthusiastic group promoting rational thinking, the Borderline Skeptics.
The Australian Skeptics offer a standing prize of $110,000 to anyone who can demonstrate psychic phenomena or supernatural ability that can be established within normal rules of Scientific evidence.
There are many individuals in Australia who believe that they have a special gift for finding water in apparently barren landscapes using techniques beyond established geological and hydrological methods. Such people are known as “Water Diviners“,”Dowsers” or “Geomancers“.
Many of these people have been prepared to accept the Skeptics’ challenge Borderline Skeptics, with the assistance of visiting colleagues, have taken to staging a special event within the Muster. Dowsers are given the opportunity in a test set up by a third party to differentiate between covered containers of water and of sand. The only stipulation is that before the test commences, all parties must agree on a standard of proof which would indeed indicate a performance which is statistically better than average.
To date, no-one has taken away the $110,000 cheque.
Unfortunately, the Town of Mitta Mitta was ravaged by bushfires early in 2003 (see Hellfire), and as a result The Water Divining Challenge did NOT take place.
THE GREAT WATER-DIVINING DVD is available fom Australian Skeptics on-line shop
The VCE – year 12 – external Psychology Written Examination I was sat on Tuesday, 10 June by thousands of Victorians and contained an embarrassingly bad question about “mind over matter“.
12th June 2003
Dear VCAA,
As a physics teacher of long standing, I was given a copy of this semester’s psychology exam by a very embarrassed psychology teacher. I was shocked to read Question 14.
Question 14, Page 19 reads:
Consider the amazing examples of mind over matter that you might have heard about or seen on television. For example, people lying on beds of nails, piercing themselves with spikes or walking on hot coals. How might an altered state of consciousness explain the resistance to pain in these situations?
For many years I have used the distribution of weight over the 1000 or so nails as an example of distributed pressure and a simple calculation by junior secondary students to show that the resultant pressure from each nail is far too low to cause pain. I have lain upon a Bed of Nails and can verify the lack of pain.
For many years I have used the pit of hot coals as an example of the difference between heat and temperature, and the importance of considering heat capacity and transfer in the calculation. My students know you can walk across a pit of hot coals without pain due to physics, not mind over matter – whatever that might be. I have walked across a pit of hot coals and can verify there is no pain involved.
What would well educated physics students do when confronted with Question 14? Will they be disadvantaged in the marking because they have studied physics?
What would poorly educated physics students take home from Question 14 except even worse physics?
The spike piercing bit is also explainable by simple science with no hint of View More Psychology Exam
A variety of Skeptical products are available for purchase over the internet at http://www.skeptics.com.au
Here are some highlights with special relevance to the Victorian Skeptics.
In 1988, Bob Hawke introduced the term “The Clever Country” while opening Canberra’s Questacon . While attracting some derision, not least from many of the elite in Australia’s scientific community, the phrase did catalyse wide debate about the opportunities and difficulties confronting the Australian community in an era of enormous technological change. A focus on Education was inevitable.
At the same time, Victorian Education Policy underwent a sweeping revision. A plethora of year 11 and 12 courses were rationalized into the VCE, years 1 to 10 being subjected to the Curriculum and Standards Framework. The framers of the CSF held that the Curriculum could be divided into a small number of Key Learning Areas, and that prescriptive guidelines should commence at Junior Primary level.
Science is a Key Learning area. Victorian Government schools are required to provide a Science education based on the CSFII document, with non-Government schools generally following suit.
There is a wide range of passionately held opinions about the teaching of Science to younger students, but they can be categorized as follows:
Chris Krishna-Pillay, Manager of CSIRO Education in Victoria will address these issues on Wednesday May 21 in The Barton Room, Whitehorse Inn Hotel, 5 Burwood Road Hawthorn.
(Transcript of the talk – May 2003 Talk) Admission is $10 at the door, with refreshments provided.
Chris will commence his presentation at 8.00 pm. We suggest you try the excellent bistro before the talk.
Whitehorse Inn Hotel has plenty of parking space, is a one-minute walk from Hawthorn Station, and is served by tram route 75.
Vic Skeptics are planning more events at this venue in 2003.
Teachers! There’s a new source of material designed to help you promote critical thinking in YOUR classroom! Australian Skeptics Teacher Resource http://www.skeptics.com.au/features/teachers.htm
Hogan, Peter (Ed.), 1992. pub Australian Skeptics Inc.
This small book gives the main arguments used by creationists against evolution (using original creationist material) with concise, readable rebuttals by science educators. Will help non-scientists understand why creation “science” can’t be taken seriously.
This handy little book is available for A$4.00 (including P & H) from Australian Skeptics Inc., Victorian Branch (Contact Details)
Also available electronically on the “Great Skeptics CD” (http://www.skeptics.com.au/features/news/greatcd.htm)