Autumn 2007, Vol 27, No 1 Feature Articles 8. Challenging Beliefs 40. It Gets You Thinking Tony Wheeler Ian Jackson 13. SMS = Stupid Message Services 42. Humour: Walkerbout Guy Curtis Steve Walker 18. Welcome to Sunnydale 45. Satire: Healthmanship Pt 2 Chris Borthwick David Brookman 23. The Foolishness of God 47. Report: The Amazing Meeting 5 Brian Baxter Margaret Kittson 26. The Persuaders and Their Pills Elizabeth Pittman 31. Investigation: Ghost Mining Karen Stollznow Forum 36. Skepticism in Africa 50. Do mind & mental illnesses really exist? Leo Igwe Various In the last issue we published an article that suggested 38. Dumb, Dumber & Really Dumb at the ABC they did not. Many readers disagreed and you can read Ken McLeod why in our Forum section. Regular Items 4. Editorial — To Be a Skeptic 56. Letters Barry Williams 61. Notices 6. Around the Traps Bunyip Cover art by Richard Saunders Editorial ISSN 0726-9897 Editor Barry Williams Contributing Editors Tim Mendham To Be a Skeptic Steve Roberts Technology Consultants Richard Saunders Eran Segev The prominent use of the word have good evidence of their own to Chief Investigator ‘sceptic/skeptic’ in the media, often support their conclusion. Ian Bryce in association with rather peculiar Personally I believe that the case ideas, has caused some to question for HIV causing AIDS has been All correspondence to: whether we should consider chang- established but as, like the majority Australian Skeptics Inc ing the name of our organisation. I of Skeptics, I have no qualifications PO Box 268 would argue that skepticism is a in medical or biological sciences, my Roseville NSW 2069 Australia very useful rational mental tool belief is not grounded in any deep (ABN 90 613 095 379 ) under any circumstance, even when understanding of the science in- the position one espouses is ulti- volved. It comes about for a variety Contact Details mately untenable; I would further of reasons; the mounting evidence in Tel: (02) 9417 2071 argue that skepticism is no less favour of the hypothesis, the ad- Fax: (02) 9417 7930 e-mails: [email protected] important when one’s views are vances made in treatment of the [email protected] strongly supported by the evidence. disease, but probably most power- One example of the use of ‘sceptic’ fully because I am more likely to Web Pages was in relation to a South Austral- favour the views of people whose Australian Skeptics ian court appeal by a man who had expertise I have come to respect (Sir www.skeptics.com.au No Answers in Genesis™ been convicted of wilfully infecting Gus Nossal, for instance), rather http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/default.htm women with HIV/AIDS. The defence than people of whom I have never called two witnesses who asserted heard. That’s a natural reaction, but the Skeptic is a journal of fact and opinion, published that there was no evidence that HIV it’s not particularly skeptical. We all, four times per year by Australian Skeptics Inc. Views caused AIDS, or even that the virus even Skeptics, have our own preju- and opinions expressed in articles and letters in the existed — they were described in the dices. Skeptic are those of the authors, and are not necessar- ily those of Australian Skeptics Inc. Articles may be re- press (and by themselves) as “HIV We should, of course, be skeptical printed with permission and with due acknowledgement sceptics”. Arrayed against them was of accepting propositions based to the Skeptic. a battery of highly qualified experts purely on ‘consensus’, even if it is a consensus of the best minds in the Editorial consultants: who exposed their claims to critical scrutiny and who questioned their field at any moment. I have little Dr Stephen Basser (medicine) expertise. At press time the case has doubt that the consensus among Dr Trevor Case (psychology) Dr Richard Gordon (medicine) not been decided. physicists in the late 19th Century Dr Pete Griffith (biochemistry/microbiology) Dr William Grey (philosophy) It would not be at all surprising if would have been that “everything to Prof Colin Groves (anthropology) many of the things presently ‘known’ be discovered has been discovered”, Mr Martin Hadley (law) Dr Colin Keay (astronomy) about HIV and AIDS were later yet a few short years into the new Dr Mark Newbrook (linguistics) found to be in error, and one would century Max Planck, Albert Ein- Dr Andrew Parle (physics) Prof Ian Plimer (geology) expect that the scientists doing the stein, et al showed that the surface Dr Stephen Moston (psychology) Dr Alex Ritchie (palaeontology) research would apply the tool of of discovery had barely been Dr Steve Roberts (chemistry) skepticism to their own work, for scratched. Mr Roland Seidel (mathematics) that is the way science progresses. Closer to home, for much of the Branch correspondents: While the people who deny any latter half of the 20th Century the association between the virus and consensus about causes of stomach ACT: Dr Pete Griffith Gold Coast: Mr John Stear the disease are entitled to be skepti- and intestinal ulcers was that they Hunter: Dr Colin Keay cal that the connection has been were caused by stress, excessive acid Qld: Mr Bob Bruce SA: Mr Allan Lang established, they are not entitled to and other life style factors, and the Tas: Mr Fred Thornett conclude that there is no such disease was treated accordingly. Vic: Mr Ken Greatorex WA: Dr Geoffrey Dean association, at least unless they Barry Marshall and Robin Warren of Page 4 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Perth were skeptical of this consen- tion at large and the media, means Skeptics Around Australia sus and their long and detailed that there is a temptation to rely on research showed that the bacterium spin and hype to sell the message. Helicobacter pylori played a key role Regrettably this often results in New South Wales in the development of these ulcers. reputable scientists (and other Australian Skeptics Inc For their discovery they were experts) impugning the motives or PO Box 268, Roseville NSW 2069 awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in questioning the bona fides of equally Tel: (02) 9417 2071 Fax: (02) 9417 7930 Medicine. reputable scientists who disagree [email protected] It would be a mistake, however, to with them on their conclusions. We Hunter Skeptics think that simply being skeptical of have all seen charges that scientists PO Box 166 , Waratah NSW 2298 the consensus is sufficient to have are ‘toeing the party line’ to ensure Tel: (02) 4957 8666. Fax: (02) 4952 6442 your ideas proven correct (they continuing funding, or being ‘in the didn’t all laugh at Galileo). In most pay of big oil’ to disparage the Victoria cases consensus opinions are closer findings. There might well be cases Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc to the truth than those of their of each, but it is by no means univer- GPO Box 5166AA, Melbourne VIC 3001 critics, but in the end it is evidence sal on either side and we would do Tel: 1 800 666 996 that proves a scientific proposition, well to recognise that. [email protected] not popularity. That there are genuine scientific That brings us to a current major disagreements regarding many of Borderline Skeptics issue that goes under the broad the issues encompassed by this PO Box 17 , Mitta Mitta VIC 3701 Tel:(02)60723632 heading of ‘Climate Change’. This is whole debate should come as a [email protected] not a single problem at all, but a surprise to no one. Science hierarchy of highly complex and progresses precisely because differ- Queensland related issues, the solutions to which ent people have different perspec- Queensland Skeptics Assn Inc are not simply a matter for any tives, but we should also recognise PO Box 6454 , Fairfield Gardens QLD 4103 particular scientific discipline, nor that scientists, like everyone else, Tel (07) 3255 0499 even in some cases, for science at all. have their own prejudices and not [email protected] Partly this arises from the many and everything they do or think is various issues involved: ‘scientific’. In the end, as always, it Gold Coast Skeptics • Is the globe warming and if so, is the evidence, not the spin, that PO Box 8348, GCMC Bundall QLD 9726 by how much? will decides the case. Tel: (07) 5593 1882 Fax: (07) 5593 2776 [email protected] • Are human activities a (or the) Above all we should beware of major contributing factor? falling for any ‘One True Answer’; in ACT the past, that sort of thing has led to • What part do naturally occurring Canberra Skeptics the Inquisition, Auschwitz, the events, or cyclical factors play? PO Box 555, Civic Square ACT 2608 Gulag and equally horrible ‘Final (02) 6231 5406 or 6296 4555 • What are the short- and long- Solutions’. [email protected] term effects? In all it is safer by far to be a • What can be done about it? Skeptic. South Australia A vital and contentious topic, Skeptics SA PO Box 377 , Rundle Mall SA 5000 bound to affect us all, it involves Changes Tel: (08) 8272 5881 many experts in many different We hope you find the improvements [email protected] fields, so how can we lay people in the appearance of the Skeptic to know who is telling us the truth? your taste. We thank the many Western Australia None of us has the time, nor the subscribers who offered suggestions WA Skeptics desire, to become expert in all the for improvement, and in particular PO Box 431, Scarborough WA 6922 disparate disciplines necessary to our gratitude to Tim and Hilda Tel: (08) 9448 8458 understand the problems, let alone Mendham, Guy Burns, Richard [email protected] the solutions.