Latest info on local groups

PENINSULA SKEPTICS

We’ll lead off with the excellent news that after a twelve-month recess, Peninsula Skeptics are re-starting: on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 7:00 PM. The venue is The Peninsula Club, Gibson Street Dromana.

Your convenor Graeme Hanigan says: The night will be primarily social, perhaps a round table suggestion of topics for the future. Please go to the MEETUP GROUP to read more and to RSVP.

Graeme is also keen for Peninsula Skeptics to be involved in Science Week (mid August) and is looking for suggestions and ideas on some of the best ways to achieve this.

VIC SKEPTICS

are travelling nicely with our regular Skeptics Café at La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton.

The next event is on Monday 20th May, where Ken Greatorex will host our Ninth Annual Trivia Extravaganza.

Please join us (with a team of up to six people, or just by yourself) for a meal at 6pm, with the Trivia starting at 7:30 pm. See our EVENTS page for details of Skeptics Cafés well into the future.

Money Well Spent? Dubious Medicine on Medicare

By Mal Vickers

Before you read any further, try to guess the answer to this question:

In Australia, in 2012, how many chiropractic treatments occurred as a result of a doctor’s referral?

To clarify, I’m not asking for the total number of chiropractic consultations that occur per year, just patients consultations for chiropractic treatment where the patient was referred by a medical doctor – how many? Find the answer in the text below highlighted in red. How close were you?

Medicare Dollars are Taxpayer Dollars

Everyone in Australia pays for Medicare rebates through the tax system. Medicare enables community access to a variety of quality health services but that’s not in question. What I’d really like to look at is how much we pay through the Medicare system for treatments that show little or no efficacy.

May Puzzles

This month we let Roy off the leash to provide his magnificent CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

The Picture Puzzles and “Mixed Bag” Questions are at the top of our PUZZLE PAGE. There are a larger than usual number of “Mixed Bag” questions; consider them a practice set for Trivia Night at Skeptics Café on May 20.

Your Logic and Maths Problems for May are HERE

Enjoy!

 

April Puzzles

New Puzzles for March and April 2013 can be found at the top of the PUZZLE PAGE. They include a Picture Puzzle, Skeptical Crossword,  ”Mixed Bag” set and Logic and Maths Puzzles for each month.

All of our previous puzzles are still available!

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 1 (August 2010 to April 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 2 (May 2011 to October 2011)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 3 (October 2011 to November 2012)

PUZZLES ARCHIVE 4 (December 2012 to March 2013)

Sean Faircloth in Melbourne

Announcing the upcoming tour by American author and orator, Sean Faircloth.

Sean Faircloth is the Director of Strategy for the Richard Dawkins Foundation and will be presenting in Melbourne at the Spot Basement Theatre at 6:30pm on Tuesday 26 March, 2013.

Sean Faircloth

Reclaiming a Secular Australia is a topic of interest to anyone with a secular view, including many skeptics. The interference of organised religion in schools, health and government will also be addressed.

Sean Faircloth may be known to some readers as the author of ‘Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Rights is harming us all, and what we can do about it!’

Faircloth’s tour is supported by a number of organisations including the Victorian Skeptics, The Rationalist Society of Australia, Council of Australian Humanist Societies, the Progressive Atheists, the Humanist Society of Victoria and the University of Melbourne Secular Society.

On this tour, Faircloth will also be appearing in Sydney and Perth, before heading to New Zealand for further appearances.

The Spot Basement Theatre is in the new Business and Economics building, at 198 Berkeley St, Carlton.

Tickets are $28 for adults or $12 students and healthcare card holders.

For further details of Sean’s tour and other events in Victoria, please visit the website of Rationalist Society of Australia. Tickets for the Spot Basement Theatre event can be purchased here.

Happenings Feb 2013

by

Mal Vickers

Pharma

I love data and so does ‘Sense About Science’, the UK based pro-science trust. Sense About Science has launched the All Trials Campaign. The campaign aims to have pharmaceutical companies release the data from all the clinical trials they conduct.

Without the release of all data, pharmaceutical companies are free to indulge in selective publishing. That is, they may only publish the clinical trials that show the most favourable results for the products they would like us to consume.

The campaign coincides with the release of Dr Ben Goldacre’s new book ‘Bad Pharma’.

Countering Antivax Anecdotes with Provax Anecdotes

The New Zealand parents of a child that contracted tetanus change their mind about the benefits of vaccination.

“Mrs Williams said they made what they thought was an informed decision not to vaccinate any of their children because of concerns over adverse reactions, but had since changed their minds.”

Mrs Williams is quoted as saying:

“It was hideous. He was spasming every three minutes. He was biting his tongue and bleeding. His arms were spasming and he was arching his back and his whole face and jaw was completely locked.”

A family in the UK came to exactly the same conclusion – that vaccination isn’t so bad, the benefits of avoiding the disease far outweigh the small risks. They were struck

February Puzzles

February Puzzles are now in pride of place at the top of our PUZZLES PAGE
They include the usual monthly Picture Puzzles, Mixed Bag Puzzles, Skeptical Crossword Puzzle and Logic & Maths Puzzles.