On a fine Saturday afternoon, I attended a seminar from Pediatric Chiropractor, Nimrod Weiner, entitled Vaccinations: Make an Informed Decision. Sounds like a loaded title doesn’t it? And it was, as you’re about to find out. To set the scene, the audience consisted of about 20 people, mostly women (several pregnant) and assorted couples with very young … Read on »
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2010: The year in science, skepticism and woo.
What were your highlights for science and scepticism in 2010? There were some big “wins” for critical thinking in 2010, but sadly alternative medicine and scams continued to abound, with the explosion in popularity of Power Balance bracelets a very good example of the continuing gullibility of the general public. On the plus side, the anti-vaccination movement … Read on »
TAM Australia, Day One
TAM Australia day one is complete. The microphones are off, the laptops packed away and the attendees are scattered across the city in search off food, drinks and conversation. The only word for day one is this: “Amazing”. A fuller blog post will follow later, once thoughts have been gathered and opinions solicited, but for … Read on »
Power Balance … or Placebo
Ah, the Power Balance band. You’ve probably heard of it. It was ubiquitous in this year’s AFL season and made headlines around the world when the likes of Shaquille O’Neal started wearing them. However, we here at Victorian Skeptics are nothing if not open to new ideas. So with that in mind, we would like to draw your attention … Read on »
Unbalancing The Power
Unbalancing The Power Written by Richard Saunders Sometime in the 1970s I saw a TV report on how colors could change your strength and balance. It was just, to use the word without permission, “amazing.” The subjects would have their strength tested by holding out their arms and resisting as best they could the downward pressure … Read on »
Are Power Balance bands just a con trick?
From the Mail Online UK with mention of test and videos from Australian Skeptics. From Rolex watches to Hermes bangles, celebrities have always liked to wear their status on their wrists. But the latest must-have symbol isn’t made from diamonds, or gold — it’s plastic. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1305593/Power-Balance-bands – A-listers-love-con.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0xV5e3W00 Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on … Read on »
AVN publicly humiliated
The Australian Vaccination Network, an antivax organisation fronted by Meryl Dorey, has long been an anti-science group devoted to spreading any kind of nonsensical rhetoric they can. The good news? Now they’re being called out on it. More at Bad Astronomy … Read on »
Flu Vax Reactions; Bad Batch Ruled Out, the Search for the Cause Continues
One of the criticisms being leveled at the government for the recent adverse flu events is the question of how thoroughly the current 2010 seasonal flu triple antigen has been tested. This year’s vaccine contains three viral components, A/California/7/2009 (NYMC X-181) (A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) – like) 7.5 µg haemagglutinin per dose, A/Wisconsin/15/2009 (NYMC X-183) (A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) – like) 7.5 µg haemagglutinin per … Read on »
Meryl Dorey’s Fear Factor: Hypocrisy in print.
From Vaccinate You Children In May 2009, the AVN’s Meryl Dorey penned Pertussis: The Fear Factor, an article that could best be described as a work of fiction, and at worst an exercise in deliberate deception. About the only accurate point in Meryl’s article is the loose comparison she makes between seatbelts and vaccines. Quite appropriate, given … Read on »
Climate debate: opinion vs evidence
Stephan Lewandowsky is a Winthrop Professor and an Australian Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia. This article was originally published on the ABC’s The Drum Unleashed. What exactly is “balance”? Our society rightly strives for balance, and many issues are deservedly considered by presenting a balanced set of opinions. There are however clear cases in … Read on »
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