The Skeptic Zone

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:22 Homeopathy on Trial On January 13, the Center for Inquiry reached a major milestone in its groundbreaking consumer-protection lawsuits against retail giants Walmart and CVS. CFI is suing these mammoth corporations over their deceptive sale and marketing of homeopathic products under the Consumer Protection laws of the District of Columbia, and on January 13, CFI Legal Director Nick Little presented oral argument for our cases before the DC Court of Appeals. https://centerforinquiry.org/news/cfi-meets-walmart-and-cvs-in-dc-court-over-homeopathy-lawsuit/ https://cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/14130827/CFI-v-Boiron-Complaint-FINAL.pdf 0:18:46 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:26:22 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Out of Body, Out of Mind. Part 2. By Prof. Marcello Costa Pinocchio, self-mutilation, h

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:35 Science Friction with Brain Dunning You know those TV documentaries you see, and the science experts they feature? Did you know that producers often edit them out of context, and twist their words, to make it seem like they promoted some pop sensationalism instead of the real facts? Science Friction exposes this practice and gives the scientists a chance to clear the record. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B09RQFWJ4L https://tubitv.com/movies/661210/science-friction 0:18:54 Maynard' Spooky Action A visit to Manard's International Studios (annex) in Sydney. http://maynard.com.au 0:27:47 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Out of Body, Out of Mind. Part 1. By Prof. Marcello Costa Pinocchio, self-mutilation, having someone else's limbs and feeling presences - our sense of body is strange and wonderful thing. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 30 No. 1 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:40:24 A Dive into a Trove A wander through

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:10 Bob Swanson's Critical Thinking Videos Bob Swanson, Instructor / Lab Coordinator from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Mississippi State University, tells us of his videos about critical thinking, inspired by the claims of Power Balance wrist bands. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4znmeoL66Lkpaae5DYMHQWqQQl4jkG23 0:23:04 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:30:40 An Eye to the Sky By Tim Harding A look at the history of Astrology and Astronomy. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 33 No. 4 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:47:53 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Astrology". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au 1950, 27 March - South Coast Times 1941, 17 May - Smith's Weekly Also Sydney Skeptics in the Pub https://www.meetup.com/

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:38 AVN Lose Again We talk to noted skeptical activist Ken McLeod about the Federal Court of Australia and its decision made against the Australian Vaccination Risks Network. Why is it that this anti-vax organisation keeps losing court battles? PDF of the court's ruling https://tinyurl.com/2hfubwkj 0:16:38 Nurses and Midwives Protest Once again nurses and midwives in New South Wales feel compelled to take to the streets to voice their concerns. Richard Saunders catches up with some nurses after a recent protest in Sydney to hear about their concerns regarding staff to patient ratios. 0:21:25 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham The Call of the Quack. Part 2. By Tim Harding A look at the history of the word 'Quack'. This week, ancient Rome. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 33 No. 3 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:32:12 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Jame

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:30 Meta Sued by Australian Watchdog Over Scam Ads Facebook owner Meta is being sued by Australia's competition watchdog for publishing scam ads for crypto on its platform. We look at even more questionable ads appearing on Facebook every day for such things as medical products and psychics. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-18/meta-sued-by-australian-watchdog-over-scam-crypto-advertisements 0:14:24 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:23:16 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham The Call of the Quack. Part 1. By Tim Harding A look at the history of the word 'Quack'. This week its place in ancient Greece. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 33 No. 3 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:38:20 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to the parnormal and

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:10 Arjun Nidigallu and Vulture Watch Vulture Watch is about creating awareness of exploitation, irrationality, discrimination or misinformation. It delves into the motives of such vulturous activities and looks at how it can hold such behaviour accountable. https://youtube.com/c/VultureWatch https://www.tga.gov.au/media-release/healy-world-australia-pty-ltd-fined-26640-alleged-unlawful-advertising-tens-device 0:23:52 Another Milestone for GSoW Susan Gerbic joins us to annouce a huge milestone for her team. If that is not enough, she also has information about her upcoming talk for the Gold Coast Skeptics in April. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/301133136317 0:29:38 From Russia with Sorrow We read a letter sent to Brian Dunning from the Skeptoid podcast from a listener in Russia. An interesting if melancholy look into the state of affairs in that country at the moment. 0:34:50 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of di

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:32 Former TV Celebrity Chef Blunders Again Trolls are hijacking the death of 52-year-old Australian cricket legend Shane Warne to spread wild conspiracy theories. Report of the strange actions by Bent Spoon winner, Pete Evans. https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/antivaxxer-trolls-hijack-shane-warnes-death/news-story/c1b84e32411c5ed37f34c2f12a72274f 0:12:22 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:26:40 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham The Dunning-Kruger effect is the cognitive bias whereby people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 38 No. 1 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:33:52 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "UFOs Paranormal Psychics". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders and Stefan Sojka 0:11:35 You Can Count on Adrienne. With Adrienne Hill. Since this is The Skeptic Zone's 700th episode, Adrienne decided to see if there was anything interesting that she could find about the number 700 and she wasn't disappointed. Get ready for some math facts, more Barnum statements, and the significance of three and seven as it relates to 700. 0:21:08 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Tim looks at Designs, Accidents, Villainy and Stupidity. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 41 No. 1 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:31:14 A Dive into a Trove This week we look at a new age magazine from 1993 called "Southern Crossings". What are the some of the strange and bizarre advertisements from all those years ago? http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:26 UFOs... Again? Today's skeptics tend to look upon reports of UFOs with more a sense of nostalgia than any real expectation of new and startling evidence of alien visitation being produced. As decade after decade passes and the aliens remain... shy... we can look back at all the UFO documentaries, books, TV specials and so on that each promised so much, but delivered so little. https://www.facebook.com/282292778554961/posts/4813523685431825/ UFO TV Special https://youtu.be/bSMfOPw8JA0 Mick West videos https://tinyurl.com/35znrfrs 0:12:58 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:21:56 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham This week Tim looks at Movies, Monsters and Magicians. This reading comes from The Skeptic, Vol. 41 No. 4 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:29:10 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:22 Nurses' Protest We head to the parliament building in Sydney Australia to report on the protest by nurses and midwives about the tough conditions they are facing since the outbreak of COVID-19. What we find is a sea of blue scrubs and a sea of blue facemasks. This report includes interviews with some of the nurses who took the time to make their voices heard in the protest. 0:17:12 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham This week Tim looks at the origins of the word "bunk". Why do we call something bunkum? Where was this term first used and why do we use it today? This reading comes from The Skeptic, Vol. 33 No. 3 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:29:07 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Festival of Mind Body Spirit". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Richard Saunders on the radio to talk about the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project. https://www.4bc.com.au/podcast/australian-

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:48 Any Day Now... I Promise! From the pages of 'The Skeptic', the journal of Australian Skeptics, Richard Saunders looks at the bait that keeps the believers hooked for years, decades, centuries, and millennia. 0:17:50 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:28:38 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Numerology". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/feburary-gold-coast-skeptics-in-the-pub-online-tickets-251674534307

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:09 You Can Count on Adrienne This week Adrienne looks at the mystical and mysterious meanings behind the number 7. Is 7 good luck, bad luck, out of luck, lucky duck, or none of the above? What does numerology have to say about your personality? 0:14:29 An Award for Susan Gerbic CSI awards the Robert P. Balles Annual Prize in Critical Thinking annually. The $2,500 award is given to the "creator of the published work that best exemplifies healthy skepticism, logical analysis, or empirical science." Also Susan and the trivia crew try their luck at predicting the roll of a six sided die. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_for_Skeptical_Inquiry#Robert_P._Balles_Prize 0:24:17 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Spoon Bending Kids from the 1970s".   1976.01.04    -    The Santa Ana Register http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Richard Saunders on the radio t

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:36 Interview with Craig Good "Relax and Enjoy your Food" is a new book from Craig Good. The diet and wellness industries, along with the supplement industry, have deep pockets and ill intent. Their primary victims are women, but everybody gets caught up in their web. After reading this book you'll be able to leave all that behind, eat a healthy diet, even reach and maintain a healthy weight. In short, you'll be able to relax and enjoy your food. https://www.relaxandenjoyyourfood.com 0:19:34 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:28:45 Bits and Pieces News and events from tne skeptical world including a sad report of a death from COVID and various online talks coming up. https://canberraskeptics.org https://www.meetup.com/austskeptics https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/feburary-gold-coast-skeptics-in-the-pub-online-tickets-2516

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:38 Sweden Survey Pontus Bockman drops by to tell us about the results of a recent survey into what people in Sweden believe. How many people still believe in a young earth, how many people are into astrology, how many people believe in conspiracy theories? http://www.vof.se 0:25:38 Bits and Pieces From around the Internet we find stories about people and their continuing refusal to take COVID-19 seriously. also your chance to make contact with extra terrestrials. 0:38:38 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian and international newspapers on a search for references to "Remote Viewing". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au https://web.archive.org/web/20001030065625/www.ph.utexas.edu/~rwynar/RemoteViewing.html Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:30 Facebook and Foot Pads A look at some of the ridiculous advertisements that appear on Facebook news feeds. From Foot Patches to Psychic Fairs and even Astral Projection, just what nonsense is being pushed out to thousands of Facebook users. 0:23:26 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:34:26 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Crop Circles". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:40 Sydney Skeptics in the Pub Trivia Join Adrienne Hill and Richard Saunders as they deliver 30 tricky skeptical trivia questions. Have you got what it takes to get a good score? Test your skeptical knowledge with our curly questions. 0:28:30 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Power Balance". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Power Balance tested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd0Gb9EgkHA Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:30 Fired for getting a Vaccination A woman in Australia has been sacked from a wellness clinic for the terrible crime of getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Also we look into the claims of cures using cannabis. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-16/byron-bay-church-of-ubuntu-worker-covid-vaccination/100703588 0:23:52 The Skeptical Fairy The Skeptical Fairy Angel Godmother from the Internet visits a pub to bring cheer and merriment. Starring the voice talents Michelle Bijkersma, Maynard, Lara Benham and Richard Saunders Thursday night, 6th January, Sydney Skeptics in the pub trivia night. https://www.twitch.tv/australianskeptics 0:27:38 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Cancer Quacks". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Can John Braund cure cancer? Video. https://youtu.be/G4PUkDX9X2U Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:02 Flags, Magna Carta and Anti-Vaxxers We take a look at why some anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists and 'sov-cits' carry upside down flags and quote the Magna Carta of 1215 while marching in the streets. What would King John say?? 0:20:11 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:34:16 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Orgone Energy". Orgone is a pseudoscientific concept variously described as an esoteric energy or hypothetical universal life force.   1963.10.31    -    The Highpoint Enterprise 1972.05.14    -    The Jefferson City News and Tribune http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders The Great Australian Prediction Project From the pages of 'The Skeptic', the journal from Australian Skeptics, comes the long awaited offical report into the accuracy of so-called "psychic predictions". Find out the background, the methodology and the all important results and conclusions. Read by Adrienne Hill and Richard Saunders. 00:02:14: The Great Aust. Psychic Prediction Project 00:05:19: History of Prophecies 00:10:37: The Project 00:13:34: Methodology 00:17:53: The Flow of Time 00:19:49: Assessing the Predictions 00:23:03: Correct or Wrong 00:27:41: Too Vague 00:30:30: Expected 00:32:34: Unknown 00:33:50: Many Predictions in One 00:34:56: Easy to Predict but Difficult to Analyse 00:36:29: Predictable Complaints 00:43:10: Self-Assessment, Cherry Picking and Shoehorning 00:49:12: They did not see that coming 00:50:22: Control Group 00:51:54: If predictions worked as claimed 00:54:08: Looking into the Future 00:55:57: Conclusions 00:58:41: Some Statistic

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:45 The Ockham Awards We talk to Michael Marshall from the UK about the recent Ockham Awards. Michael is the project director of the Good Thinking Society and president of the Merseyside Skeptics Society. https://www.skeptic.org.uk 0:18:20 The Book of Tim Tim Mendham calls in to give us an overview of what to expect in the new addition of 'The Skeptic' the journal from Australian Skeptics. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:31:06 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Seances". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-468508573/view?partId=nla.obj-468562297#page/n3/mode/1up Also Corona Conspiracy - Upload Images https://coronaconspiracy.cloud