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Simon Singh, the BCA, Skeptics & the LAW SKEPTICI S M . SCIENCE . SOCIETY Vol. 30, No 2. June 2010 TRUTH on TRIAL SIMON SINGH, the BCA, SKEPTICS & the LAW MEMORY j BRAINs j HOUDINI j WELLNESS Australian Skeptics . www.skeptics.com.au The Skeptic June 10 Skeptical Groups in Australia Australian Skeptics Inc – Eran Segev Queensland Skeptics Association Inc – Bob Bruce www.skeptics.com.au PO Box 1388 Coorparoo DC 4151 PO Box 262, Roseville, NSW 2069 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] Sydney Skeptics in the Pub – 6pm first Thursday of each month Meeting with guest speaker on the last Monday of every month at the Crown Hotel, corner of Goulburn & Elizabeth Streets in at the Red Brick Hotel, 81 Annerly Road, South Brisbane. Dinner the city (meeting upstairs) from 6pm, speaker at 7.30pm. See our web site for details: www.qldskeptics.com Dinner meetings are held on a regular basis in Chatswood Next dinner: July 24 - guest speaker comedian Sue-Ann Post Bookings online or contact [email protected] Canberra Skeptics – Michael O’Rourke & Pierre Le Count PO Box 555, Civic Square, ACT 2608 Tel: (02) 6121 4483 [email protected] (general inquiries), Hunter Skeptics Inc – John Turner [email protected] (Canberra Skeptics in the Pub). Tel: (02) 4959 6286 [email protected] Monthly talks usually take place on the 13th of each month at We produce a 4-page e-newsletter six times a year; contact the the Innovations Theatre at the ANU. Dates and topics are subject newsletter editor ([email protected]) to add your to change. Canberra Skeptics in the Pub gather from time to email address to receive the e-newsletter. time at King O’Malleys Pub in Civic. For up-to-date details, visit Meetings are held upstairs at The Kent Hotel, Hamilton on the our web site at: http://finch.customer.netspace.net.au/skeptics/ first Monday of each even-numbered month, commencing 7.30pm, with a guest speaker on an interesting topic. Skeptics SA – Laurie Eddie 52B Miller St Unley, SA 5061 Tel: (08) 8272 5881 [email protected] Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc – Terry Kelly Thinking and Drinking - Skeptics in the Pub, on the third Friday GPO Box 5166, Melbourne VIC 3001 of every month. Contact [email protected] Tel: 1 800 666 996 [email protected] www.meetup.com/Thinking-and-Drinking-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/ calendar/10205558 or http://tinyurl.com/loqdrt Skeptics’ Café – Third Monday of every month, with guest speaker. La Notte, 140 Lygon St. Meal from 6pm, speaker at 8pm sharp. WA Skeptics – Dr John Happs More details on our web site www.skeptics.com.au/vic PO Box 466, Subiaco, WA 6904 Tel: (08) 9448 8458 [email protected] All meetings start at 7:30 pm at Grace Vaughan House, 227 Stubbs Terrace, Shenton Park Borderline Skeptics – Russell Kelly Further details of all our meetings and speakers are on our PO Box 17, Mitta Mitta, Victoria 3701 website at www.undeceivingourselves.com Tel: (02) 6072 3632 [email protected] Meetings are held quarterly on second Tuesday at Albury/ Australian Skeptics in Tasmania – Leyon Parker Wodonga on pre-announced dates and venues. PO Box 582, North Hobart TAS 7002 Tel: 03 6238 2834 BH, 0418 128713 [email protected] Skeptics in the Pub - 2nd Thursday each month, 6.30pm, Prince Gold Coast Skeptics – Lilian Derrick of Wales Hotel, Battery Point PO Box 8348, GCMC Bundall, QLD 9726 Tel: (07) 5593 1882; Fax: (07) 5593 2776 [email protected] Darwin Skeptics – Brian de Kretser Contact Lilian to find out news of more events. Tel: (08) 8927 4533 [email protected] Volume 30 • No 2 • June 10 Contents re PO rt S 8 Atheists and Skeptics 8 Kylie Sturgess Religion in Africa 12 12 Leo Igwe FEATURES Truth on Trial 14 Martin Hadley Brain Food - Big Ideas 18 18 Martin Bridgstock & Kylie Sturgess False Memories 22 Krissy Wilson & Chris French Chris French Interview 26 Kylie Sturgess 14 26 art ICL es The Phoenix Project 30 Michael Wolloghan Houdini & the Hoaxers 32 Russell Bauer Wellness Centres 34 40 Loretta Marron 34 The Vegetative State 38 Chris Borthwick 32 The Future of SETI 40 Rex Newsome Sweet Reason - Response 44 54 David Gillespie 38 f O ru M The Universe etc 54 57 Attitude to Science 57 REGU L ARS 48 Editorial 4 Around the Traps 5 Puzzles page 37 What goes around 46 Book reviews 48 5 Letters 58 Astrology column 62 EDITORIAL From the Editor It’s the people … n the huge number of issues of good. You can make your point, but you IThe SkepticI have edited since my should be aware of the consequences of recent enthronement – all three of how you phrase it. Martin reports from them – I have tried to avoid singling the factory floor, so to speak. out specific articles in this column. Thirdly, there’s the interview with ISSN 0726-9897 The effectiveness of articles, letters, Chris French by Kylie Sturgess (again! Quarterly Organ of fora, etc are often in the eye of the just one of three pieces she’s authored Australian Skeptics Inc beholder, and far be it from me to or co-authored this issue). Prof French (ABN 90 613 095 379) suggest that this one is good, and this is the editor of The Skeptic magazine one not so (not that we would ever (UK version) as well as head of the Editor publish any of the latter in these pages). Psychology Department of Goldsmith’s Tim Mendham But breaking with that loosely and College in the University of London, Editorial Board briefly-held tradition, I cannot help where he is also head of the Anomalistic Eran Segev but recommend a few articles in this Psychology Research Unit. Prof French Steve Roberts issue, all of which revolve around the comments on the growing sense of Barry Williams nature of skepticism. community within the Skeptical Michael Wolloghan First of all, there is an excellent movement: “I think that for a long article (there, I’ve done it) by Martin time ‘community’ was something that Design Services Bridgstock and Kylie Sturgess on a religious people had, but skeptics and Nova Consulting P/L couple of the key figures in the world of atheists and humanists didn’t have so All correspondence to: skepticism who are looking at the big much.” No longer so, and that sense Australian Skeptics Inc picture of the future of the movement of community often manifests itself in PO Box 262 and the promotion of the same. There pubs and clubs as much as meeting halls Roseville NSW 2069 are some thought-provoking suggestions and lecture theatres. Australia in the article, some of which might [Just as a side note, Prof French make a few Skeptics uncomfortable, appears elsewhere in this issue as co- Contact details and make a few others smile with author with Krissy Wilson; another Tel: +61 (0)2 8094 1894 recognition while nodding their heads example of how individual Skeptics, Mob: +61 (0)432 713 195 in agreement. sometimes serendipitously, pop up Fax: +61 (0)2 8088 4735 Another article to be noted is that all over the place to put their varied by Martin Hadley. Martin is a barrister points of view.] [email protected] who also speaks English - very plain With people such as these – both www.skeptics.com.au and blunt English if you say something the authors and their subjects – not The Skeptic is published four silly or ill-advised. He has prepared a to mention the many others who times per year by Australian summary of the recent Simon Singh v have contributed to this edition of the Skeptics Inc. the British Chiropractors Association magazine, the Skeptical movement is in Views and opinions expressed in confrontation. The BCA was finally for exciting times indeed. articles and letters in The Skeptic manipulated into conceding defeat, There are many who support the are those of the authors, and are and all praise to Simon for fighting Skeptics in one way or another. Some not necessarily those of Australian a good fight. But Martin takes that are willing to offer their expertise in a Skeptics Inc. story further, and looks at the issues of private capacity; some do likewise in Articles may be reprinted slander, libel, how Skeptics sometimes public; and there are many who simply with permission and with due step over that delicate legal mark and want to add their support through their acknowledgement to The Skeptic. how they might avoid the fate that befell combined number. Long may that Simon without losing their dignity or continue, and long may the individual Editorial submission deadlines the point they wish to make. This is a members – all of them – thrive and July 15, 2010 very salutary piece, as most (all?) of us continue to drive the movement to October 1, 2010 (early issue) at one time or another may have been bigger and better things. January 15, 2011 a tad intemperate and engage in a little April 15, 2011 too much plain English for our own - Tim Mendham, editor 4 N E WS The Skeptic June 10 as far as they were concerned, was proved; end of story. Around the traps ... The upshot of the release of Wakefield’s paper was a great deal of media coverage outlining the supposed Wakefield “erased” dangers of MMR vaccine leading to autism in patients.
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