We’re happy to announce that this year’s Australian Skeptics Annual National Convention – Skepticon 2024 – will be held at the Guthrie Theatre in the University of Technology, Sydney, from November 23-24. This is our 40th consecutive convention; we haven’t missed a year since 1985, which we feel is quite
Richard Saunders reports on how ‘mediums’ turn tragedy into bad taste entertainment. In May – June 2026 American Allison Dubois is once again visiting Australia, this time with her “Cold Case” tour, claiming that she will be “working some cold cases that are close to your hearts“. Twenty years ago
Richard Saunders reports on decisive action taken against dangerous quackery. Following her conviction in October 2025 for the unlawful advertising and supply of black salve and other unapproved therapeutic products, Belinda Gae Harris was sentenced on 16 January 2026. Ms Harris, who trades under the cancelled business name Tickety-Boo Herbal,
Tickets for the combined NotACon! and Skepticon 2026 are now available. For this year’s conference Australian Skeptics have partnered with The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe to bring you: Life, The Universe, and Everything! NotACon! + Skepticon’s 42nd conference! The combined event will be held at the Sydney Masonic Centre
Richard Saunders reports on how Dark Age thinking is never far from our modern world. According to some people out there, albeit mostly online, any one of us could be the target of a Psychic Attack! Are you worried? Should you be? Before you reach for your breastplate, bow and
Major German study in accord with The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project The GWUP (Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften – Society for the Scientific Investigation of Pseudosciences) in Germany evaluated 2099 annual predictions from fifty-two sources. One quarter were too vague to test, more than half were clearly wrong,
Kate Thomas is not impressed by non-doctors. Let’s look at the illusion of regulation and naturopath degrees. And when I say degrees, I’m using that word quite wrongly. Naturopaths use words like “qualified”, “trained”, “degree educated”, even “practitioner”. If you’ve ever wondered how someone with as little as a three-hour
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Australian Skeptics Bent Spoon award, one of the least sought-after credits in the Skeptical world … or any world, for that matter. It has been awarded every year since 1982* and it recognises the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or
Kate Thomas is not stuck on miracle cures I came upon a product range and, among other things, they have an offering of the “Metabolise Patch”. The website says it supports energy production, fat metabolism and overall wellness. And it contains bladderwrack, 5-HTP, green coffee bean extract, L-carnitine, zinc citrate,
Richard Saunders reports on health gizmos and their true believers and conspiracy theorists Monica Smit is best known as being an anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown protester during the COVID-19 years. She is the founder of Reignite Democracy Australia (RDA), an anti-lockdown and COVID-19 conspiracy group. Recently, Monica and her mother, Lise
You’ve probably seen it before, promising to balance your hormones, support menopause, or restore natural progesterone levels. The story goes that wild yams contain a compound called diosgenin, which supposedly helps your body make progesterone. Kate Thomas looks at the wild yam claims of 2025 Bend Spoon award winner, Barbara