Tag: Australian Skeptics

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

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

“Primary Science Education – a Cause for Concern?”

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:

• Is there sufficient emphasis and importance being placed on Primary Science?
• Who and what is Primary Science for?
• Is Science being taught well enough in Primary Schools?
• Should Science be taught at all, at this level?
• Does it Matter?

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.

Related links

• http://www.asta.edu/primary/hardy_prisci.html
  • An address on the role of Primary Science, by Tim Hardy, Associate Professor of Education, University of Canberra
• http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/csfcd/sc/kssc.htm
  • Victorian Science Curriculum and Standards Framework (Primary = levels 1 to 3)
• http://www.atse.org.au
  • ASTE Website which contains their report on the teaching of Science in Australian Schools.

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

Year 12 Psychology Exam Complaints (2003)

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“.

1. Response from Lynne Kelly, Physics Teacher
2. Response from Ken Greatorex, Victorian Skeptics Secretary

Lynne Kelly

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