Australian Skeptics Celebrate Thirtieth Consecutive National Conference KENDRICK FRAZIER
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[ NEWS AND COMMENT Australian Skeptics Celebrate Thirtieth Consecutive National Conference KENDRICK FRAZIER The Australian Skeptics (founded 1980) vironmental sustainability (see sidebar is the third oldest skeptical group in “The Planetary Adventures of Austra- the world, and its quarterly magazine, lia’s Dick Smith”). Dr. Karl, who has de- The Skeptic, is the world’s second oldest grees in physics and medicine, is Austra- skeptical publication (after the Skeptical lia’s best-known science communicator, Inquirer). So because the latest Australian a popular television and radio figure, and Skeptics National Convention, in Sydney, author of thirty-two books—most re- November 28–30, 2014, was the group’s cently Game of Knowns, which examines thirtieth consecutive national confer- the knowns, unknowns, and unknown ence—something no other group can unknowns of science. say—the event was quite a well-deserved Dick Smith’s keynote talk asked and celebration. I was invited to the festivities implicitly answered the question, “Is and happily flew south. the human power to self-delude un- Australian skeptic leaders such as limited?” as he surveyed instances of Richard Saunders and Barry Williams water diviners being dumbfounded by (past presidents), Eran Segev (current their not passing controlled tests and president), Tim Mendham (editor of promoters of “above-unity” machines The Skeptic and executive director), Ian advocating with a straight face for what Bryce (chief investigator), and Joanne would otherwise be called perpetual Benhamu were everywhere in evidence. motion machines. No amount of bad George Hrab (from the United States) evidence adds up to good evidence, he emceed, introduced all speakers, en- noted, while cautioning, “We all have tertained, and also gave a moving talk our self-delusions.” And he noted it during the conference on a subject would be boring if we were all rational skeptics usually ignore—dealing with all the time, mentioning love as a prime loss and grief. An evening social event example. Dick Smith preceded the two days of sessions (none Smith’s main concern now is the concurrent), and there was plenty of clash between limited resources and time for hobnobbing throughout. worldwide economic systems set up to In some ways the big stars of the require 2 to 3 percent growth a year or event were Steven Novella’s six-mem- collapse. Everything depends on having ber Skeptics Guide to the Universe pod- rising populations of still more people cast team, all the way from the United in the future buying more things than States. Obviously highly popular among they need. “It’s a kind of Ponzi scheme” skeptics in Australia, the SGU people and “complete madness,” Smith said. (Steve, Jay, and Robert Novella, Evan A businessman himself, “I have little Bernstein, and Rebecca Watson), joined doubt that we can have capitalism with- here at times by Hrab, did two live out growth.” What we need, he empha- d’Silva Alistair and Ellison Ruth Photos: shows during the conference, plus one sized, is growth in quality not quantity. Karl “Dr. Karl” Kruszelnicki the night before it and another in Can- Astronomer Amanda Bauer (Austral- about all this with a big smile and a berra preceding that, before heading off ian Astronomical Observatory) took at- contagious enthusiasm for the science to New Zealand for more of the same. tendees to the ultimate end of the uni- that enables us to learn even things like The conference proper led off with verse (or at least our galaxy) four billion this. The motto on her last slide: “I love not one but two officially designated years from now when our neighboring the universe.” “Living Treasures of Australia,” Dick Andromeda Galaxy, now hurtling to- Peta Ashworth, a social scientist Smith and Karl (“Dr. Karl”) Kruszel- ward us at 250,000 miles per hour, will nicki. Dick is a founder of the Austra- collide with our Milky Way Galaxy. and leading researcher in understand- lian Skeptics and also a legendary figure Such is the space between stars that ing public perception of climate change in aviation (e.g., solo helicopter trips only a few stars will actually collide, but (CSIRO Science into Society Group), around the world, landing at the North the gravitational forces will neverthe- spoke on a slightly more timely topic, and South Poles, etc.), business, and en- less tear both galaxies apart. She talked the politics of communication about Skeptical Inquirer | March/April 2015 5 published—that event was the extreme I spoke about the skeptical move- heat wave and accompanying wildfires ment in the United States (see my that hit Australia and New Zealand in Commentary in this issue), and Ste- 2013). But she cautioned that climate ven Novella concluded the conference science is seen as a culture war. “It’s with a thoughtful talk on “Being Better less about the science and more about Skeptics.” One of his key tips recalls the values,” and so understanding why one of the most memorable in Ray people choose (her emphasis) not to Hyman’s classic “Proper Criticism.” believe the evidence is important. She Being charitable to the other person’s referred to Dan Kahan’s explanations Amanda Bauer argument and responding as a profes- that people use ideological filters that sional “is remarkably effective,” Novella reflect their own group identity, give extra weight to arguments that support said. Before making a counterargument their belief, and devote huge efforts to decide what you are trying to do and refuting contrary evidence. All these what you want to achieve: persuasion very human psychological processes or understanding? “Listen to their mo- contribute to the problem. tivations and respond on an emotional And so it went. Bronwyn Hemsley, level,” Novella advised. “Until then, a certified speech therapist and profes- facts don’t matter.” He concluded sor at Australia’s University of Newcas- with a tribute to scientific skepticism: tle, discussed a flurry of recent studies “It is my privilege to be a member of Peter FitzSimons confirming once again that Facilitated the skeptical community.” Skeptics, he Communication—sometimes also said, are honest, and “they want to leave called “supported typing”—for people the world a better place.” with autism and other communications There was one spontaneous moment disabilities not only has no validity just a bit earlier that may have been the but also is “unjustified and unethical.” highlight of the conference. During the Nevertheless, despite being disproven, final Skeptics Guide to the Universe show it is regaining lost ground. Facilitated Communication is alive and well, she Sunday afternoon, host George Hrab lamented. She ended her talk with an suddenly interrupted with a confession image of a badge every skeptic could and apology. He was supposed to have Steven Novella treasure. “I [Heart] Evidence.” given a special James Randi Award for Michael (Marsh) Marshall of the Excellence to the Australian Skeptics. Merseyside Skeptics in Liverpool, United He was so sorry, he had totally for- Kingdom, added a lively talk on a whole gotten. He had to run offstage to get variety of investigations and exposés of the plaque. When he returned he had self-proclaimed psychics and hucksters. with him not an award plaque but the Peter FitzSimons, Australia’s best- real James Randi, just arrived from the selling nonfiction author over the past United States to start his Australian ten years, wearing his trademark red ban- tour the next day promoting the new danna, gave a mesmerizing, mind-bend- movie about him, An Honest Liar. To ing, rush-of-words talk that ranged over enormous cheers Randi took a seat with Photos: Ruth Ellison and Alistair d’Silva Alistair and Ellison Ruth Photos: how travel and reading enable you to ques- the podcast team and spoke to the live James Randi tion your core beliefs, to his bemusement and taped audience. One of the biggest over people’s attachment to what Stephen rewards he gets is when someone comes Frye calls the “Magic Sky Daddy,” to the climate change in Australia. Like every- horrors and tragedy of the World War I up to him and says, “Mr. Randi, you where, climate change is a big topic in battle of Gallipoli one hundred years ago have changed my life.” Randi paused, Australia, and she said most Australians that he bluntly calls “a catastrophe.” He’s then added softly, “You can’t buy that. care about this issue. (She didn’t men- recently published a book on Gallipoli You can’t buy that. What we do is tion it, but five scientific papers linking that conveys the participants’ bravery and important.” Kendrick Frazier is editor of the SKEPTICAL climate change to an extreme weather appalling losses and also tries, he says, to INQUIRER event for the first time were recently portray the humanity of the other side. 6 Volume 39 Issue 2 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT The Planetary Adventures of Australia’s Dick Smith KENDRICK FRAZIER Skeptics come in many stripes, but I don’t think any other fellows of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry have quite the list of achievements of Australia’s Dick Smith, keynote speaker at the Australian Skeptics National Conference 2014 in Sydney (see main story). A legendary aviator, adven- turer, and entrepreneur, Smith is a founder and patron of the Australian Skeptics, hav- ing set up Australia’s first tests of dowsing with James Randi in 1980. He was elected a CSI fellow about that time. Since then he’s facilitated many other skeptical inves- tigations, including into such claims as “above-unity” (perpetual motion) devices. He finds no end to people’s self-delusions. He often modestly describes himself as simply a “car radio installer,” but in Australia Frazier Ruth Photo: he is famous and respected; his name is Dick Smith (left) with SI Editor Ken Frazier.