Scientists who have come under a negative and unjustified spotlight will be featured at Skepticon XL, this year’s national convention in Sydney later this month.
Among them will be Prof Dominic Dwyer, who was the Australian member of the World Health Organisation’s mission to explore the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.
Dwyer wrote in The Conversation that “Much has been said of the politics surrounding the mission to investigate the viral origins of COVID-19. So, it’s easy to forget that behind these investigations are real people.”
It is real people that the “15 Minutes of Infamy” session at Skepticon XL will feature: Prof Dwyer (USyd); Prof Greg Dore (UNSW/St Vincents); Prof Kristine Macartney (National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance); Prof Edward Holmes (USyd); with moderator Dr Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, who was also put under the spotlight over his part in the revelations of false ivermectin research.
All of them, largely through their role in researching and dealing with the COVID pandemic, suffered unwarranted criticism in the media and social media. The session will look at what they were faced with, how they coped, and what lessons can be drawn from their experience.
Other presenters at Skepticon include Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (ABC science communicator), Robyn Williams (ABC Science Show), Young Scientist award winners (primary and secondary school students presenting their award-winning projects), international paranormal researcher Ben Radford in discussion with UFO and cryptid researchers, Walkley Award winning journalist Amelia Willmer on promoting skepticism, and Caitlin Creak, a researcher into the sex lives of funnel web spiders.
MC for the event will be comedian and science communicator Alanta Colley.
Skepticon XL – the Skeptics’ fortieth convention – will be held at the University of Technology, Sydney, from November 23-24. The public can attend either in-person or via live streaming.
Program and event details available at skepticon.org.au.
