SKEPTICISM . SCIENCE . SOCIETY Vol. 31, No 3. September 2011 Steve Novella’s BS detector +KEN HARVEY SensaSlim the TGA & Me LEO IGWE Interview Australian Skeptics . www.skeptics.com.au Skeptic_Cover_Mar11.indd 1 13/09/11 10:26 AM The Skeptic September 11 Skeptical Groups in Australia Australian Skeptics Inc – Eran Segev Queensland Skeptics Association Inc – Bob Bruce www.skeptics.com.au PO Box 3480, Norman Park QLD 4170 PO Box 20, Beecroft, NSW 2119 Tel: (07) 3255 0499 Mob: 0419 778 308 [email protected] Tel: 02 8094 1894; Mob: 0432 713 195; Fax: (02) 8088 4735 Hear Bob on 4BC Paranormal Panel - 9-10pm Tuesdays [email protected] Meeting with guest speaker on the last Monday of every month Sydney Skeptics in the Pub – 6pm first Thursday of each at the Red Brick Hotel, 81 Annerley Road, South Brisbane. Dinner month at the Mezz Bar, Coronation Hotel, Park St in the city from 6pm, speaker at 7.30pm. (meeting upstairs) Dinner meetings are held on a regular basis. Annual Skeptics Convention: November 19 - Bookings online or Canberra Skeptics – Michael O’Rourke & Pierre Le Count contact [email protected] NOTE: May be booked out PO Box 555, Civic Square ACT 2608 http://www.canberraskeptics.org.au Tel: 0417 253 044 [email protected] (general inquiries), [email protected] (Canberra Skeptics in the Pub). Hunter Skeptics Inc – John Turner Monthly talks usually take place on the 13th of each month at Tel: (02) 4959 6286 [email protected] the Innovations Theatre at the ANU. Dates and topics are subject to change. Canberra Skeptics in the Pub gather at 1pm on the Meetings are held upstairs at The Cricketers Arms Hotel, Cooks third Sunday of each month at King O’Malleys Pub in Civic. For Hill (Newcastle) on the first Monday of each even-numbered up-to-date details, visit our web site at: www.meetup.com/ month, commencing 7.00pm, with a guest speaker on an SocialSkepticsCanberra/ interesting topic. Visitors welcome. For further information visit our website www.hunterskeptics.com.au or contact the secretary at: [email protected] Skeptics SA – Laurie Eddie 52B Miller St Unley, SA 5061 Tel: (08) 8272 5881 [email protected] Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc – Terry Kelly GPO Box 5166, Melbourne VIC 3001 Thinking and Drinking - Skeptics in the Pub, on the third Friday of every month. Contact [email protected] Tel: 1 800 666 996 [email protected] www.meetup.com/Thinking-and-Drinking-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/ Skeptics’ Café – Third Monday of every month, with guest calendar/10205558 or http://tinyurl.com/loqdrt speaker. La Notte, 140 Lygon St. Meal from 6pm, speaker at 8pm sharp. More details on our web site www.skeptics.com.au/vic WA Skeptics – Dr John Happs PO Box 466, Subiaco, WA 6904 Tel: (08) 9448 8458 [email protected] All meetings start at 7:30 pm at Grace Vaughan House, Borderline Skeptics Inc – Russell Kelly 227 Stubbs Terrace, Shenton Park PO Box 17, Mitta Mitta, Victoria 3701 Further details of all our meetings and speakers are on our Tel: (02) 6072 3632 [email protected] website at www.undeceivingourselves.com Meetings are held quarterly on second Tuesday at Albury/ Wodonga on pre-announced dates and venues. Australian Skeptics in Tasmania – Leyon Parker PO Box 582, North Hobart TAS 7002 Gold Coast Skeptics – Lilian Derrick Tel: 03 6238 2834 BH, 0418 128713 [email protected] PO Box 8348, GCMC Bundall, QLD 9726 Skeptics in the Pub - 2nd Monday each month, 6.30pm, Ball and Tel: (07) 5593 1882; Fax: (07) 5593 2776 Chain restaurant, Salamanca Place, Hobart [email protected] Contact Lilian to find out news of more events. Darwin Skeptics – Brian de Kretser Tel: (08) 8927 4533 [email protected] Volume 31 • No 3 • September11 Contents REPORTS TGA action and inaction 7 8 Tim Mendham Hear & loafing at TAM 9 8 7 Martin Hadley FEATURES The BS detector 11 Steve Novella The SensaSlim Saga 16 Ken Harvey 20 Leo Igwe interview 20 11 Tim Mendham 16 36 ARTICLES How Mud Sticks 26 Ullrich Ecker & Stephen Lewandowsky How I became a skeptic 29 John Smyrk Success of vaccination 30 Ian Gust 29 30 The newer broom 35 26 Elliot Birch The miracle of Calanda 36 42 Brian Dunning Biodynamic wine 40 48 Brian Miller Two cultures redux 42 Helen Dale Not wasting water 48 Rob Holmes 40 REGULARS Editorial 4 53 Around the Traps 5 Puzzles page 19 Astrology column 39 The logical place 41 What goes around 46 46 Book reviews 53 Letters 60 EDITORIAL From the Editor The need for information common dilemma facing Skeptics others, those who are not so familiar is how to present information with the topic, and need a good and A to the public, and especially to those simple exposition on it. Ian’s article is who might be leaning toward belief just that – it may very well have much in unproven and disproven concepts. information of interest to Skeptics, but ISSN 0726-9897 Whether its belief in UFOs and it also makes an excellent hand-out that Quarterly Journal of psychics, cults or homeopathy, there is can be used to give the ‘target market’ Australian Skeptics Inc a duty and desire of Skeptics to inform an overview of all the major issues that (ABN 90 613 095 379) people, however ‘dickishlessly’ – of the that might not be available elsewhere. Editor scientifically-based evidence regarding Brochures on this subject handed out Tim Mendham any suspect practice or belief system. in doctors’ surgeries are very useful, but Finding such information should often limited to the technical issues in Editorial Board not be that difficult. Searching the a fairly formal way. Ian’s article, again to Steve Roberts net will give a plethora of sources and me, is a great supplement to that – it is Eran Segev documents that will fill the purpose. It easy reading, and it covers the issues in Martin Hadley will also bring up a plethora of less- enough depth to serve any reader in the Barry Williams than-scientific comments and articles, general public. some of which are ill informed, some of The various Skeptic groups website Design Services which are stupid and some of which are have much of this sort of information. Nova Consulting P/L downright dangerous. But I think we need more. All correspondence to: We modestly pride ourselves on the Too often Skeptics are accused of Australian Skeptics Inc information in this journal. As editor, preaching to the converted. But our PO Box 20 I’ve always aimed to have a spread of outreach to the public is often limited Beecroft NSW 2119 information in each issue covering to the opportunities that present Australia different topics and often disparate styles. themselves – press, radio and TV You need only look at a selection of interviews and invited articles. In these, Contact details articles in this issue to see what I mean. those who take part try to present a Tel: +61 (0)2 8094 1894 The interview with Leo Igwe looks at reasoned and reasonable argument, Mob: +61 (0)432 713 195 activism and witchcraft in Africa, tinged but it’s not always easy. Fax: +61 (0)2 8088 4735 with a view on international influence As a recent example, on a Seven [email protected] and cooperation between Skeptical Network Sunrise program, Peter www.skeptics.com.au groups. The short piece by Elliot Birch Bowditch, well-known Ratbag and of the Young Australian Skeptics looks former president of Australian Skeptics, The Skeptic is published four times at the use of social media by Skeptics and Bill Chalker (probably the most per year by Australian Skeptics Inc. (and not without a sense of humour on reasonable and approachable person Views and opinions expressed in articles the history and the limitations on past in the UFO believer field in Australia), and letters in The Skeptic are those of methods of communication.) And Prof were given about a minute each to the authors, and are not necessarily Ian Gust gives what is, in my opinion, respond to some plainly ridiculous those of Australian Skeptics Inc. an excellent overview of the background UFO claims. Both Peter and Bill were Articles may be reprinted with and issues with vaccination and the anti- understandably peeved. permission and with due acknowledge- vaccination movement. Those sorts of opportunities are often ment to The Skeptic. The inclusion of this last article needs annoying and unproductive. A waste All effort is made to ensure correct a little more comment, I believe. To of time. Therefore it is important for us acknowledgement of all contributions. man of our readers, what Ian is saying to present factual and to a certain extent We are happy to update credit when so may be well understood. The history detailed information in a more proactive informed. of vaccination, the troubles with side way. It should not preach, it should effects, and the dangers of the anti- not demean, but it should be readily Editorial submission deadline vaxers are known to them, in no small there in response to any query that for the next issue: amounts. But, as above, what we do might arise. October 15, 2011 need is information we can give to - Tim Mendham, editor 4 NEWS The Skeptic September 11 Around the traps ... health Spinal manipulators – NSW in May, but the council dismissed Griffith Uni rejects one in, one out the claim that Weiner was guilty of false homeopathy link advertising or that he was exploiting the Two alternative health practitioners public’s ignorance of medical research.