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2012 Bent Spoon Award
On the night of the 1st of December, at a glittering dinner at the Melbourne Arts Centre for the Australian Skeptics National Convention, the annual Skeptics awards were announced. These cover both positive and negative awards for good works and,at the other end of the scale, the Bent Spoon for the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle. And … Read on »
Media Watch blasts AVN – “deceptive”, “baloney” and “bulldust”
ABC-TV’s Media Watch program has described the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) as “deceptively-named” and an “obsessively anti-vaccination pressure group that’s immunised itself against the effect of scientific evidence”. In a segment of the program titled “False balance leads to confusion”, which went to air on October 1, host Jonathan Holmes also referred to an AVN claim about … Read on »
Conduct
Australian Skeptics Inc. has learnt that one of our Committee Members has received an Application for an Apprehended Personal Violence Order to be made against them. The Applicant is Meryl Dorey from the Australian Vaccination Network. She alleges that threats were made against her online by that person. Unless the allegations are withdrawn or resolved … Read on »
If you knew Shuzi
Over the past couple of years, the attention of Australian Skeptics has been drawn to a long line of so called “Power Bands”. Yet another contender — the Shuzi ‘nano-vibrational technology’ — has recently been investigated by the Skeptics. Broadly speaking, the promoters of these ‘power bands’ claim the devices can affect your well-being, balance, strength and so forth. Most use … Read on »
Skepticamp Sydney 2012
Australian Skeptics Science and Education Foundation (ASSEF) is pleased to sponsor Skepticamp Sydney for the second year running. This year’s Camp will be held on May 26 at the University of Technology Sydney. Skepticamp has established itself as a positive, thought-provoking and fun venue for skeptics to meet and present their own views to an appreciate audience of their … Read on »
Anti-vaccination off the air(line)
In what can be seen as a victory for common sense, American Airlines has reversed a decision to play an interview with anti-vaccine campaigner Meryl Dorey on its in-flight entertainment service. In a Twitter message, the airline said that “This interview has not been submitted to AA yet. We have decided not to air this audio. … Read on »
Open Letter to Rebel Sport and NRG
UPDATE : 3 April 2012 Despite the claims of “…a breakthrough in negative Ion technology…” and such like, the NRG Titanium Ion Bands seem at last to have found their true home. At one time these bands cost $49.99 each, now they can be yours for just $2.00 at a Sydney’s ‘Reverse Garbage’ trash and treasure store. Australian Skeptics … Read on »
Psychics a Waste of Police Time
Once again, valuable police time and resources have been wasted on a wild “psychic” goose chase. On Wednesday the 8th of June, Australians awoke to the awful news that a mass grave with up to 30 bodies, some children, had been discovered in the US state of Texas following a tip off. Details were sketchy but … Read on »
Who to Blame?
With the recent and tragic events in Japan, we look back to 2004 when the world saw another terrible tsunami, that time in the Indian Ocean. Shortly after, the former editor of The Skeptic, Barry Williams, penned the following editorial. We feel Barry’s sentiments apply just as well in 2011. Who to Blame? Few people could have remained unaffected by the … Read on »
The Australian Government needs to wise up about Homeopathy
Tweet Apparently this week has been MedicineWise Week in Australia. I didn’t know this until out of curiosity I went to a website which has been heavily advertised over the last week on Australian television – the NPS website. I knew of this Australian government organisation since I follow them on Twitter but only after visiting the website did I … Read on »
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