Young Australian Skeptics

The Pseudo Scientists — Episode 34

INTRO: Elliot, Jason and Belinda. Belinda/​Belder, Skepticamp Melbourne.

INTERVIEW: Jen McCreight (recorded at TAM 9 in Las Vegas).

NEWS: The end of the Blackmores/​Pharmacy Guild saga, and Rick Perry’s attempted censorship of an environmental report.

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You can find this weeks interviewee, Jen McCreight, at her blog Blag Hag, over on the Freethought Blogs network.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip was Deepak Chopra answering a question by mangaka, TED fellow and skeptic Sara Mayhew.

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The Pseudo Scientists — Episode 33

INTRO: Jack, Jason and Belinda. Jason’s footy team, Jack and Belinda’s adventures in the wonderful world of science.

INTERVIEW: Dick Smith.

NEWS: The Nobel Prizes in Physics and Medicine and Physiology, the death of Steve Jobs, and Channel 7’s “The One” is back on the air.

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Find out more about Dick Smith’s $1 million prize for young people at The Wilberforce Award website.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip was Republican presidential nominee Herman Cain singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” in a… creative way.

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Australia’s own Shelley Segal has just released the music video for her debut single “Saved” from the forthcoming “An Atheist Album”:

As featured on Pharyngula, Camels With Hammers, Too Many Questions and the AFA’s Facebook, she sure is getting a lot of love from the freethought community.

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, if you like the track why not purchase it from iTunes or Amazon?

While we’re on the topic of atheism and music, below the fold are some of my favourite #atheismanthems. What are yours?

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Book review: Nonsense on stilts (Massimo Pigliucci)

How do we define science, what is a soft or a hard science and how do we determine whether not something is scientific in nature? Massimo Pigliucci delves into this topic in a highly informative and easily interpreted manner, but not pulling punches when appropriate. It may be helpful to think of the book as composing of two sections; the first being a fully fleshed out explanation of the scientific method, where he begins with what constitutes good science as opposed to quasi-​​science (SETI unfortunately is included here) and finally pseudoscience.

I found it to be most useful when reading the current research within my field, for it explains the basics of what constitutes a good study and helps you develop a keen BS detector – I would recommend it to first year university students, research students or anyone interested in reading research.

Although at first glance this book may just appear to ba a dry tome regarding philosophy of science, but this could not be any further from the truth.  In politics, debates about religion, creationism, postmodernism, scientific fraud and global warming; Pigliucci makes convincing arguments on all of these real-​​life issues and if you have not read any books of philosophy of science, I would most certainly recommend this book and if you have, well it’s a good read all the same.

Note:

This semester has been pretty hectic at Uni so I haven’t had much time to dedicate to sitting down and reading a book, let alone reviewing one! However, I aim to get at least one book review out per month and I’ll try mixing up the theme so one month it may relate to neuroscience, general science, philosophy or anything that peaks my fancy; in the comments feel free to suggest any books that you are looking at reading and I’ll try my best to help you out. Just don’t suggest war and peace or atlas shrugged

Next Bookend: “Bad Science” By Ben Goldacre

The Pseudo Scientists — Episode 32

INTRO: Belinda, James, Elliot and James. Elliot being creepy, daylight savings.

INTERVIEW: George Hrab.

NEWS: The Ig Nobel Prizes, the Christian National Anthem, and climate change in the media.

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Find out more about George Hrab’s music and podcast at Geologic Records.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip was “Creation Song” from the Christian children’s TV show The Flizbins.

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The Pseudo Scientists — Episode 31

INTRO: Belinda, Jason, Jack and James. New panelist, James Cooper, TAM 9, Belinda’s Masters studies.

ON THE STREET: Martin Pribble at Think Inc. 2011.

INTERVIEW: Eugenie Scott.

NEWS: Faster-​​than-​​light neutrinos, Blackmores’ pharmacy deal, secularism in the Israel/​Palestine conflict.

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It’s no secret that the topic of Religious Education in Victorian schools is one of great contention.

It has evoked strong responses from parents of all faiths and of no faith, who wish for a general education about different religious persuasions and doctrines. In our multicultural, multi-​​faith community the notion of a monopoly in one uncompromising faith does’t sit well. Equally, the hint of dissent has evoked strong combative responses from defenders of RE and the CEO of Victoria’s ACCESS ministries, who on June 1^st bemoaned “a deliberate attempt by the media to start a faith war — to divide Christians against other Christians; faiths against faiths; congregations against congregations”.

Understandable. If history has taught us anything it is that religious faith cannot possibly be responsible for creating any division or unrest. Evonne Paddison further ranted that the Christian faith was under attack, taking a secular beating. Parents who, due to current guidelines will be arguing religious discrimination against non-​​Christian children in VCAT this December, are “a rat in the ranks”. Questioning the Religious Education Act is “a schism in the foundation”, reported sensationally and promoting “atheistic comment”.
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Each week on ABC’s The Gruen Transfer, two advertising agencies are pitted against each other and challenged to “sell the unsellable”. The segment is called “The Pitch”, and last week agencies Loud & Clear Creative and Play Communications went head to head to sell “banning all religions”.

The clip was soon after uploaded to YouTube and has since gone viral, attracting over 150,000 views and 10,000 shares on Facebook.

If you haven’t already, do check it out. Which pitch do you find more convincing?

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