1
00:00:22,660 --> 00:00:09,080
welcome to the skeptic zone the podcast

2
00:00:32,410 --> 00:00:26,530
yes it's the skeptic zone episode number

3
00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:32,420
189 for the second of june 2012 june

4
00:00:39,950 --> 00:00:38,070
well he is really progressing now before

5
00:00:41,389 --> 00:00:39,960
we get stuck into the show before i tell

6
00:00:42,290 --> 00:00:41,399
you what the show is all about i'm going

7
00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:42,300
to relate to you an interesting

8
00:00:48,020 --> 00:00:44,489
experience i had just yesterday talking

9
00:00:51,590 --> 00:00:48,030
to a group of ah background actors

10
00:00:54,020 --> 00:00:51,600
extras on the set of the new series of

11
00:00:55,489 --> 00:00:54,030
underbelly and those folks listening in

12
00:00:57,889 --> 00:00:55,499
australia will know what underbelly is

13
00:01:01,430 --> 00:00:57,899
all about it's sort of like a series of

14
00:01:02,809 --> 00:01:01,440
crime dramas based on real events police

15
00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:02,819
and baddies and all that sort of stuff

16
00:01:07,850 --> 00:01:05,250
in the series being shot at the moment

17
00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:07,860
i'm playing a detective in the

18
00:01:11,060 --> 00:01:09,330
background they're running around in a

19
00:01:13,580 --> 00:01:11,070
suit looking very concerned all the rest

20
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:13,590
of it but between takes is often time on

21
00:01:18,020 --> 00:01:15,890
set to have a chat to other people and

22
00:01:20,230 --> 00:01:18,030
invariably somebody says weren't you

23
00:01:22,910 --> 00:01:20,240
that skeptic on the TV and it sort of

24
00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:22,920
goes from there or whatever the case may

25
00:01:28,460 --> 00:01:25,170
be and i had an interesting time

26
00:01:31,130 --> 00:01:28,470
yesterday i had to i found myself trying

27
00:01:33,590 --> 00:01:31,140
to explain rather basic concepts to a

28
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:33,600
lot of people i thought without trying

29
00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:36,450
to sound too arrogant about it and the

30
00:01:41,030 --> 00:01:39,510
topic of astrology came up somebody said

31
00:01:42,830 --> 00:01:41,040
what do you think about astrology and I

32
00:01:44,330 --> 00:01:42,840
said what what is your star sign when

33
00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:44,340
were you born and they gave me a date I

34
00:01:51,650 --> 00:01:47,250
quickly ran to a website which gives you

35
00:01:56,870 --> 00:01:51,660
the true your true star sign which is ww

36
00:01:59,000 --> 00:01:56,880
true star sign calm and they gave me

37
00:02:03,170 --> 00:01:59,010
their star sign which for example might

38
00:02:05,630 --> 00:02:03,180
have been a Gemini and I said well your

39
00:02:07,430 --> 00:02:05,640
star signs Taurus so no no I'm Gemini i

40
00:02:09,740 --> 00:02:07,440
was born on this site and i said i know

41
00:02:13,369 --> 00:02:09,750
when you were born the son was in taurus

42
00:02:14,930 --> 00:02:13,379
and confusion how could i say such a

43
00:02:17,330 --> 00:02:14,940
stupid thing because they've known all

44
00:02:20,119 --> 00:02:17,340
their life there have been a Gemini

45
00:02:24,020 --> 00:02:20,129
very interesting to tell people what

46
00:02:25,460 --> 00:02:24,030
their true star sign is I mean there's

47
00:02:27,170 --> 00:02:25,470
no such thing as a true star sign of

48
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:27,180
course but the constellations are there

49
00:02:31,699 --> 00:02:29,610
they are those dots in the sky for

50
00:02:34,550 --> 00:02:31,709
better or for worse because we know they

51
00:02:36,050 --> 00:02:34,560
don't do anything in particular but it's

52
00:02:38,630 --> 00:02:36,060
interesting to tell people where the Sun

53
00:02:40,850 --> 00:02:38,640
really was when they were born for

54
00:02:42,949 --> 00:02:40,860
example and that's just sort of using

55
00:02:46,490 --> 00:02:42,959
this example right now if your birthday

56
00:02:50,660 --> 00:02:46,500
is today the second of june happy

57
00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:50,670
birthday to you you are a Taurus and not

58
00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:52,530
a Gemini as you've always been led to

59
00:02:57,740 --> 00:02:56,310
believe you're a Taurus yes it sounds

60
00:03:02,150 --> 00:02:57,750
like a lot of bull to me but there you

61
00:03:04,460 --> 00:03:02,160
go now in order to help people

62
00:03:06,860 --> 00:03:04,470
understand this when you're talking to

63
00:03:08,839 --> 00:03:06,870
them they they look confused and I drew

64
00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:08,849
lots of diagrams of the Sun and I tried

65
00:03:12,979 --> 00:03:10,950
to draw the sphere of whether the

66
00:03:14,449 --> 00:03:12,989
ellipses and the planets and when the

67
00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:14,459
earth is in relation to the Sun on and

68
00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:16,440
on it went but the best thing I could

69
00:03:20,900 --> 00:03:17,970
have done and I should have done will

70
00:03:23,059 --> 00:03:20,910
simply pull out my iPad and I have a

71
00:03:26,420 --> 00:03:23,069
couple of apps there which come in very

72
00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:26,430
handy one for showing people where the

73
00:03:33,110 --> 00:03:29,310
Sun is in relation to the background

74
00:03:36,170 --> 00:03:33,120
stars I can recommend is called go sky

75
00:03:37,970 --> 00:03:36,180
watch Go Sky Watch which is great also

76
00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:37,980
for when you're out there looking at the

77
00:03:41,420 --> 00:03:39,510
Stars you can have sort of hold up your

78
00:03:43,610 --> 00:03:41,430
iPad or your iPhone and it says all

79
00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:43,620
those Mars and there's Jupiter or thats

80
00:03:48,229 --> 00:03:45,510
Alpha Centauri or whatever the case may

81
00:03:51,770 --> 00:03:48,239
be the other one which is really

82
00:03:55,129 --> 00:03:51,780
fabulous forum just general astronomy is

83
00:03:57,830 --> 00:03:55,139
solar walk solar walk I can certainly

84
00:04:00,970 --> 00:03:57,840
recommend that anyway if you want to get

85
00:04:04,370 --> 00:04:00,980
our discussion going just ask people

86
00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:04,380
what do you when were you born what do

87
00:04:08,509 --> 00:04:06,209
you think your star sign is when they

88
00:04:10,870 --> 00:04:08,519
tell you you can look up easily look up

89
00:04:15,259 --> 00:04:10,880
online what their real star sign is and

90
00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:15,269
watch the sparks fly suddenly people who

91
00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:17,310
have grown up all their lives with

92
00:04:21,979 --> 00:04:18,810
certain characteristics have attributed

93
00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:21,989
to their star sign don't know what to

94
00:04:27,469 --> 00:04:25,110
think all good fun all good fun but

95
00:04:30,469 --> 00:04:27,479
let's get into this week's episode of

96
00:04:31,190 --> 00:04:30,479
the skeptic zone it's more from skeptic

97
00:04:34,460 --> 00:04:31,200
camping

98
00:04:38,660 --> 00:04:34,470
which was a fantastically enjoyable and

99
00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:38,670
successful event held last weekend may

100
00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:41,150
not running around with his microphone

101
00:04:45,380 --> 00:04:43,890
run off his feet I think this week he

102
00:04:47,690 --> 00:04:45,390
has a wonderful interview with the

103
00:04:51,620 --> 00:04:47,700
editor of the Australian skeptics

104
00:04:53,300 --> 00:04:51,630
magazine verse skeptic Tim mendham Tim

105
00:04:56,330 --> 00:04:53,310
will tell may not about the magazine

106
00:04:59,510 --> 00:04:56,340
itself and some of his experiences over

107
00:05:01,970 --> 00:04:59,520
the last or thirty plus years in The

108
00:05:03,830 --> 00:05:01,980
Skeptical movement very interesting

109
00:05:06,380 --> 00:05:03,840
interview with Tim mendham from

110
00:05:08,540 --> 00:05:06,390
Australian skeptics after that Maynard

111
00:05:11,150 --> 00:05:08,550
catches up with Dave the happy singer

112
00:05:13,610 --> 00:05:11,160
who is part of skeptic camp chats to

113
00:05:15,770 --> 00:05:13,620
Belinda bondage about cupcake camp once

114
00:05:18,890 --> 00:05:15,780
again we find out who won cupcake camp

115
00:05:23,390 --> 00:05:18,900
and then has a chat to Robin Hilliard

116
00:05:27,980 --> 00:05:23,400
who is an aviation expert aerodynamics

117
00:05:30,620 --> 00:05:27,990
and flying bricks flying bricks coming

118
00:05:33,260 --> 00:05:30,630
up soon and following the break i chat

119
00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:33,270
to Terry Kelly who is the president of

120
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:37,080
the Victorian skeptics with fantastic

121
00:05:41,420 --> 00:05:39,690
news of the upcoming Australian skeptics

122
00:05:44,210 --> 00:05:41,430
national convention to be held at the

123
00:05:47,090 --> 00:05:44,220
end of november and of course the big

124
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:47,100
big banner headline news is james the

125
00:05:52,250 --> 00:05:49,770
amazing Randi himself will be in

126
00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:52,260
attendance that's something really to

127
00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:54,480
look forward to anybody who missed out

128
00:05:59,630 --> 00:05:57,210
on Tam Australia a couple of years ago

129
00:06:01,670 --> 00:05:59,640
and missed out seeing James Randi now is

130
00:06:05,210 --> 00:06:01,680
your chance melbourne at the end of

131
00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:05,220
november all the details coming up in my

132
00:06:11,180 --> 00:06:08,730
chat with terry kelly later in the

133
00:06:16,550 --> 00:06:11,190
skeptic zone now those folks listening

134
00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:16,560
in sydney run to ww skeptics com au and

135
00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:18,900
book your ticket for the next Australian

136
00:06:23,780 --> 00:06:20,910
skeptics dinner meeting which is on the

137
00:06:26,540 --> 00:06:23,790
twenty-third of June and it will be a

138
00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:26,550
night of magicians and magic something

139
00:06:31,730 --> 00:06:29,190
to really look forward to and why you're

140
00:06:34,220 --> 00:06:31,740
a swatting about the Australian skeptics

141
00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:34,230
website why not nominate somebody in

142
00:06:40,910 --> 00:06:37,050
Australia for the annual bent spoon

143
00:06:43,670 --> 00:06:40,920
award yes the bent spoon award this goes

144
00:06:44,959 --> 00:06:43,680
to the biggest perpetrator of paranormal

145
00:06:47,869 --> 00:06:44,969
or pseudo sign

146
00:06:50,419 --> 00:06:47,879
fect people over the last year and if I

147
00:06:53,719 --> 00:06:50,429
look on the website I see that oh yes

148
00:06:56,329 --> 00:06:53,729
Fran Sheffield from homeopathy plus has

149
00:06:59,479 --> 00:06:56,339
been safely nominated if you want to

150
00:07:01,189 --> 00:06:59,489
nominate somebody else be our guest oh

151
00:07:03,229 --> 00:07:01,199
well there's a lot to get through on

152
00:07:05,269 --> 00:07:03,239
this week's episode of the skeptic zone

153
00:07:07,069 --> 00:07:05,279
I'm going to run downstairs have a nice

154
00:07:10,009 --> 00:07:07,079
you know what my favorite drink in the

155
00:07:11,589 --> 00:07:10,019
world is apart from root beer and my

156
00:07:14,899 --> 00:07:11,599
American friends certainly know that

157
00:07:16,579 --> 00:07:14,909
good old soda water yeah why not I'll

158
00:07:20,569 --> 00:07:16,589
have a nice cool glass of soda water

159
00:07:34,660 --> 00:07:20,579
lots of bubbles and we can all enjoy the

160
00:07:42,909 --> 00:07:39,350
here's my not spooky action at a

161
00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:45,499
now here we are in one of the unused

162
00:07:49,790 --> 00:07:47,490
lecture theatres where just earlier we

163
00:07:51,379 --> 00:07:49,800
had people controversially discussing

164
00:07:52,879 --> 00:07:51,389
all sorts of items with people yelling

165
00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:52,889
back and forth in what I believe they

166
00:07:57,140 --> 00:07:54,810
would call a robust discussion in

167
00:07:59,120 --> 00:07:57,150
Parliament we're here with their Tim Jim

168
00:08:01,189 --> 00:07:59,130
who are you and what do you do your

169
00:08:03,350 --> 00:08:01,199
magazine editor I often wonder what I do

170
00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:03,360
actually my name is Tim mentum I'm the

171
00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:05,490
executive officer of Australian skeptics

172
00:08:08,719 --> 00:08:07,530
plus the editor of the magazine is that

173
00:08:10,430 --> 00:08:08,729
because you've got the best beard I

174
00:08:11,719 --> 00:08:10,440
think I do have the best beard effect on

175
00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:11,729
the committee these days on the only one

176
00:08:16,370 --> 00:08:13,770
with a beer get out really yeah part of

177
00:08:19,189 --> 00:08:16,380
a couple of girls / yeah so you've been

178
00:08:20,810 --> 00:08:19,199
with the movement 30 years or more how

179
00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:20,820
is the place of the magazine changed in

180
00:08:24,050 --> 00:08:22,410
the movement over those 30 years is it

181
00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:24,060
still a centerpiece because it runs

182
00:08:28,730 --> 00:08:26,370
really online now and no one buys dead

183
00:08:29,839 --> 00:08:28,740
wood anymore I think it is still a

184
00:08:31,180 --> 00:08:29,849
centerpiece I mean the Australian

185
00:08:33,850 --> 00:08:31,190
skeptics i was there from the very start

186
00:08:37,310 --> 00:08:33,860
which was 32 years ago as i said before

187
00:08:38,719 --> 00:08:37,320
that that yeah and the magazine was it

188
00:08:40,279 --> 00:08:38,729
basically a form of communication the

189
00:08:41,839 --> 00:08:40,289
occasional dinner and things in cational

190
00:08:42,709 --> 00:08:41,849
convention but the magazine was

191
00:08:44,209 --> 00:08:42,719
definitely the main form of

192
00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:44,219
communication sharing things in the

193
00:08:48,170 --> 00:08:46,290
skeptical community in those days kepta

194
00:08:49,010 --> 00:08:48,180
susan was a dirty secret not the sort of

195
00:08:50,180 --> 00:08:49,020
thing you'd raised it is in the

196
00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:50,190
paintings they all by the way I'm a

197
00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:52,410
skeptic in the bedroom home nowadays

198
00:08:55,340 --> 00:08:53,370
change especially with the new

199
00:08:56,510 --> 00:08:55,350
technology it's grown it's it's got a

200
00:08:58,699 --> 00:08:56,520
lot of younger people in it which is

201
00:09:00,170 --> 00:08:58,709
fantastic it's had a more gender balance

202
00:09:01,340 --> 00:09:00,180
in it which is good because a lot of

203
00:09:03,620 --> 00:09:01,350
times was when the pastor was

204
00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:03,630
male-dominated but I mean it has

205
00:09:06,949 --> 00:09:05,490
expanded through blogs and and and

206
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:06,959
Twitter and all the Facebook and all

207
00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:08,250
that sort of stuff so it's very active

208
00:09:12,410 --> 00:09:11,160
but I think yeah the magazine funds the

209
00:09:14,269 --> 00:09:12,420
skeptics organization Australian

210
00:09:16,610 --> 00:09:14,279
skeptics so it's an important element to

211
00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:16,620
for us to keep doing what we do because

212
00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:18,690
we're organized and we can sort of bring

213
00:09:23,780 --> 00:09:20,610
everyone in under the umbrella and have

214
00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:23,790
a very concerted effort and now how high

215
00:09:27,620 --> 00:09:25,290
is it trying to move a magazine in this

216
00:09:28,970 --> 00:09:27,630
day and age I mean I mean I mean the

217
00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:28,980
packet people have enough trouble doing

218
00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:30,690
it I know two magazines a tough industry

219
00:09:34,130 --> 00:09:32,130
but fortunately ours is by subscription

220
00:09:35,990 --> 00:09:34,140
we're not on open sale so it's a very

221
00:09:38,510 --> 00:09:36,000
select bunch people who subscribe to the

222
00:09:39,889 --> 00:09:38,520
magazine and also a pretty picky bunch

223
00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:39,899
like you know particularly when

224
00:09:44,030 --> 00:09:41,850
something's in print a skeptic will

225
00:09:45,350 --> 00:09:44,040
write and going dear sir that was that

226
00:09:47,030 --> 00:09:45,360
comma was not in the correct place

227
00:09:49,010 --> 00:09:47,040
absolutely we get picked up by the

228
00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:49,020
communists all the time actually but I'm

229
00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:50,490
a night we have a very very lively

230
00:09:53,510 --> 00:09:51,630
letter section actually a lot of

231
00:09:55,430 --> 00:09:53,520
discussion that often extends for if you

232
00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:55,440
after issue that's very good now of

233
00:09:59,990 --> 00:09:57,330
course the big schism in skeptic

234
00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:00,000
movements I what's the one you get most

235
00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:02,130
male about is it still climate change

236
00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:04,050
climate changes one of them and a sort

237
00:10:06,710 --> 00:10:05,370
of fluctuates a bit and then as

238
00:10:08,270 --> 00:10:06,720
sometimes you actually sort of get

239
00:10:09,470 --> 00:10:08,280
religion issues as well but you know

240
00:10:12,260 --> 00:10:09,480
climate change will be one of the ones

241
00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:12,270
with the to-and-fro yeah i don't think i

242
00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:14,370
have you actually ever had legal action

243
00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:15,810
taken against the magazine for something

244
00:10:19,070 --> 00:10:17,850
can you even talk about that we've had

245
00:10:20,780 --> 00:10:19,080
legal action threaten against the

246
00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:20,790
skeptics right I'm not so much the

247
00:10:25,070 --> 00:10:23,610
magazine I'm an experienced editor so

248
00:10:26,630 --> 00:10:25,080
I'm trying to avoid that but the uca

249
00:10:28,670 --> 00:10:26,640
with occasionally so someone writes in

250
00:10:30,140 --> 00:10:28,680
with a letter saying without prejudice

251
00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:30,150
from a bunch of lawyers and this sort of

252
00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:31,410
thing and it's always fun to get that is

253
00:10:34,820 --> 00:10:32,850
actually mmm and what are you working on

254
00:10:35,690 --> 00:10:34,830
for the next issue next issue we're

255
00:10:38,390 --> 00:10:35,700
looking at a couple of things actually

256
00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:38,400
we're having a lot of articles about

257
00:10:41,900 --> 00:10:40,290
them it sounds philosophical the nature

258
00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:41,910
of evidence when people looking at

259
00:10:45,590 --> 00:10:44,250
evidence for various areas and now it

260
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:45,600
says a lot and then we're also getting

261
00:10:48,710 --> 00:10:46,890
back to the fun and games I'm having a

262
00:10:52,250 --> 00:10:48,720
lot of stuff on that what i call cryptic

263
00:10:54,770 --> 00:10:52,260
critters well on evidence that there's

264
00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:54,780
the evidence from I think World Trade

265
00:10:58,400 --> 00:10:56,490
Center 7 that they've got some sort of

266
00:11:00,290 --> 00:10:58,410
paint or something that they think is a

267
00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:00,300
bit of an unusual paint there and I

268
00:11:05,180 --> 00:11:04,170
remember talking to some 911 yeah I

269
00:11:06,470 --> 00:11:05,190
don't want to say truth is I don't

270
00:11:09,170 --> 00:11:06,480
because because that seems to put a

271
00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:09,180
negative connotation but people that

272
00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:10,830
believe there's some anomalies there and

273
00:11:14,030 --> 00:11:12,690
I asked him about the evidence chain and

274
00:11:15,470 --> 00:11:14,040
they said that the evidence chain they

275
00:11:17,270 --> 00:11:15,480
had for this particular paint is better

276
00:11:18,770 --> 00:11:17,280
than what the police would have and that

277
00:11:20,350 --> 00:11:18,780
made me think you know I mean the police

278
00:11:23,630 --> 00:11:20,360
make mistakes with their evidence

279
00:11:25,610 --> 00:11:23,640
sometimes as well so I mean when it

280
00:11:27,470 --> 00:11:25,620
comes to a criminal evidence there's

281
00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:27,480
there can be a possible shadow over it

282
00:11:30,830 --> 00:11:29,730
the area I know criminal evidence and

283
00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:30,840
witness things like the interesting

284
00:11:36,260 --> 00:11:33,510
thing is that when people want to claim

285
00:11:37,940 --> 00:11:36,270
say a UFO sighting or all sorts of

286
00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:37,950
different things they often say it was

287
00:11:42,350 --> 00:11:40,110
seen by policemen and policemen are sort

288
00:11:43,310 --> 00:11:42,360
of you know responsible members of the

289
00:11:44,270 --> 00:11:43,320
community they've seen a lot of

290
00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:44,280
different things so it must be true

291
00:11:47,450 --> 00:11:46,050
alone yet if they disagree with

292
00:11:49,430 --> 00:11:47,460
something it's because the police are

293
00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:49,440
wrong hmm and now of course did that get

294
00:11:53,150 --> 00:11:51,210
back to that great UFO documentary I

295
00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:53,160
like I know what I saw which I believe

296
00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:54,930
most skeptics would declare as an

297
00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:56,490
argument from Authority is that correct

298
00:12:00,410 --> 00:11:57,930
that's what it's called yes yeah yeah

299
00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:00,420
I'm in that pilot some police are much

300
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:02,490
better observing people then observing

301
00:12:05,500 --> 00:12:04,290
unusual things and regular people where

302
00:12:07,090 --> 00:12:05,510
do you sit on this I

303
00:12:08,620 --> 00:12:07,100
think the whole thing is our pilots and

304
00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:08,630
place our regular people I mean they're

305
00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:09,710
looking out for things that they know

306
00:12:12,370 --> 00:12:11,330
they know in their experience with but

307
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:12,380
when something comes that they're not

308
00:12:15,910 --> 00:12:13,970
quite sure about there was you as much

309
00:12:17,980 --> 00:12:15,920
can be there can be as full as anybody

310
00:12:20,140 --> 00:12:17,990
and I believe you've shown a bit of

311
00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:20,150
interest in a story I ran on the ABC and

312
00:12:24,490 --> 00:12:22,250
on the skeptic zone about the gentleman

313
00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:24,500
who cited some sort of black cat in the

314
00:12:27,970 --> 00:12:26,510
upper hunter now I've actually spoken to

315
00:12:30,790 --> 00:12:27,980
a lot of people in the upper hunter

316
00:12:32,830 --> 00:12:30,800
since then and not only has no one ever

317
00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:32,840
seen anything like this no one's ever

318
00:12:36,430 --> 00:12:34,910
heard any stories of there being one in

319
00:12:38,350 --> 00:12:36,440
almost all areas of Australia you might

320
00:12:39,730 --> 00:12:38,360
get big cat stories but there are none

321
00:12:41,710 --> 00:12:39,740
in the upper hunter it's just that

322
00:12:43,030 --> 00:12:41,720
that's the art stories of decides don't

323
00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:43,040
know where this has come from it's a

324
00:12:47,110 --> 00:12:44,450
very interesting siding he had what did

325
00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:47,120
you think your story was fascinating I

326
00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:48,410
thought it was a very interesting story

327
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:50,510
the man sounded very very intriguing he

328
00:12:54,490 --> 00:12:52,010
he certainly sort of had a firm belief

329
00:12:56,410 --> 00:12:54,500
in it which was fine but yeah the

330
00:12:58,210 --> 00:12:56,420
explanation of what he saw he said he's

331
00:13:00,520 --> 00:12:58,220
sorry for a few minutes what are they

332
00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:00,530
sing some foxes are the six or seven

333
00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:01,850
minutes ten-thirty in the morning

334
00:13:06,850 --> 00:13:04,850
dialight yeah i mean like he got a

335
00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:06,860
pretty clear view yeah I mean the thing

336
00:13:09,820 --> 00:13:08,450
is you know do people recognize John

337
00:13:11,590 --> 00:13:09,830
Katz this sort of thing I don't know I

338
00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:11,600
mean it's always a fun area actually

339
00:13:15,310 --> 00:13:13,910
these things I the issue is that where's

340
00:13:16,930 --> 00:13:15,320
the evidence of their existence where's

341
00:13:18,730 --> 00:13:16,940
the bodies whereas the wester baby cats

342
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:18,740
where's all these other things that that

343
00:13:22,420 --> 00:13:20,330
should be around where's the population

344
00:13:23,650 --> 00:13:22,430
to keep these things going and that's

345
00:13:25,780 --> 00:13:23,660
what the issue is the same for Loch Ness

346
00:13:27,070 --> 00:13:25,790
and things like that in a diff an yeah

347
00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:27,080
there's not a lot of harm out of them

348
00:13:31,570 --> 00:13:29,810
what I guess that's the area i tend to

349
00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:31,580
concentrate and I I concentrated in the

350
00:13:37,420 --> 00:13:35,090
non harm areas of skepticism because I'm

351
00:13:39,010 --> 00:13:37,430
not qualified the stuff I mean not you

352
00:13:41,530 --> 00:13:39,020
rarely hear me say stuff on the

353
00:13:43,210 --> 00:13:41,540
vaccination debate because you know I

354
00:13:45,370 --> 00:13:43,220
could damage the cause of open my mouth

355
00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:45,380
so it's probably best to shut up I think

356
00:13:49,540 --> 00:13:46,850
that's very true actually I gave a talk

357
00:13:51,010 --> 00:13:49,550
here the previous skeptic amp one on

358
00:13:53,380 --> 00:13:51,020
dealing with the media things like that

359
00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:53,390
like yourself actually and basically my

360
00:13:56,650 --> 00:13:54,650
response was if you don't know what

361
00:13:58,270 --> 00:13:56,660
you're talking about don't talk right

362
00:13:59,680 --> 00:13:58,280
the other thing is don't lie because

363
00:14:01,030 --> 00:13:59,690
then you get caught out as always doing

364
00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:01,040
the third thing is don't say no comment

365
00:14:04,510 --> 00:14:02,690
because they when they should guilty

366
00:14:06,490 --> 00:14:04,520
when you say there well you know and

367
00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:06,500
although it does look good if you put

368
00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:07,760
like a newspaper in front of your face

369
00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:09,770
or something like that you know i reckon

370
00:14:12,910 --> 00:14:10,910
i mean you know because everyone knows

371
00:14:14,230 --> 00:14:12,920
it's you and you know it that would be

372
00:14:16,390 --> 00:14:14,240
so cool yeah they think about the

373
00:14:18,070 --> 00:14:16,400
skeptics is it a few of us know

374
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:18,080
everything about everything i can take

375
00:14:21,670 --> 00:14:19,370
quite honestly i think probably know

376
00:14:22,870 --> 00:14:21,680
does we tend to have particular areas

377
00:14:24,790 --> 00:14:22,880
that were interested in some of us some

378
00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:24,800
more generalists you able to give a sort

379
00:14:28,329 --> 00:14:26,690
of a reasonable answer in some cases if

380
00:14:30,070 --> 00:14:28,339
it's always best to point to someone who

381
00:14:31,810 --> 00:14:30,080
knows more about it often than than you

382
00:14:33,070 --> 00:14:31,820
do that's a very fair thing to say if

383
00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:33,080
you don't know what it is you just say

384
00:14:35,829 --> 00:14:34,610
sorry I don't know that doesn't mean

385
00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:35,839
that exists but I can point you to

386
00:14:40,350 --> 00:14:36,890
someone else who might have a better

387
00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:40,360
idea now a lot of people I know a

388
00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:42,290
critical of skeptical moving because

389
00:14:46,150 --> 00:14:44,570
they claim that they're very fixed in

390
00:14:47,769 --> 00:14:46,160
their ideas in fact I only got a tweet

391
00:14:49,210 --> 00:14:47,779
the other day from someone who's been on

392
00:14:50,470 --> 00:14:49,220
the skeptic zone that that says I'll

393
00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:50,480
look a couple hundred years ago you

394
00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:51,650
would have been the guys that were

395
00:14:55,900 --> 00:14:54,529
claiming the earth was flat could you

396
00:14:57,430 --> 00:14:55,910
give me an example where the skeptics

397
00:14:59,950 --> 00:14:57,440
have changed their mind on a subject

398
00:15:03,060 --> 00:14:59,960
because of evidence probably there are

399
00:15:05,769 --> 00:15:03,070
some areas where over the years know

400
00:15:07,030 --> 00:15:05,779
quite frankly I mean the whole issue was

401
00:15:09,190 --> 00:15:07,040
that that we're dealing with people who

402
00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:09,200
make outrageous claims right if it

403
00:15:11,860 --> 00:15:10,730
didn't we people to make simple claims

404
00:15:13,090 --> 00:15:11,870
blah blah blah you know that they're

405
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:13,100
okay you can probably find some evidence

406
00:15:16,510 --> 00:15:15,290
to substantiate what they say but in

407
00:15:19,150 --> 00:15:16,520
most cases we are dealing with the

408
00:15:20,710 --> 00:15:19,160
extreme end of the spectrum and they

409
00:15:22,510 --> 00:15:20,720
need extreme evidence they need very

410
00:15:24,130 --> 00:15:22,520
very good evidence immune to virtually

411
00:15:27,790 --> 00:15:24,140
every cases huh they haven't come up

412
00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:27,800
with it so seriously our job is to make

413
00:15:33,610 --> 00:15:31,610
them sort of put up or shut up they

414
00:15:36,220 --> 00:15:33,620
rarely shut up quite frankly but they

415
00:15:37,180 --> 00:15:36,230
often don't put up either so in areas I

416
00:15:39,250 --> 00:15:37,190
mean some of the areas that of course

417
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:39,260
they talk about sort of where things get

418
00:15:42,910 --> 00:15:40,850
okay there is some benefit blah blah

419
00:15:44,590 --> 00:15:42,920
blah it is in some of the health areas

420
00:15:47,199 --> 00:15:44,600
right when something is sort of claimed

421
00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:47,209
as being a slightly out of left field

422
00:15:53,050 --> 00:15:48,890
theory and then you realize you do some

423
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:53,060
work on it I think aspirin is really and

424
00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:54,290
deal with heart issues that sort of

425
00:15:57,579 --> 00:15:55,610
thing has moved across into the

426
00:15:59,920 --> 00:15:57,589
mainstream really and therefore as they

427
00:16:02,140 --> 00:15:59,930
always say as soon as alternative

428
00:16:04,780 --> 00:16:02,150
medicine is proved as medicine simple as

429
00:16:06,070 --> 00:16:04,790
that and what will you have coming up

430
00:16:08,140 --> 00:16:06,080
after this so what's your long-range

431
00:16:09,430 --> 00:16:08,150
story arc for the magazine is there

432
00:16:11,110 --> 00:16:09,440
anything you got planned in there it

433
00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:11,120
will it be a plot twist halfway through

434
00:16:15,790 --> 00:16:13,970
the year yes I'm not going to give it

435
00:16:17,079 --> 00:16:15,800
away we had some we had some great

436
00:16:19,510 --> 00:16:17,089
stories in the past which has got a lot

437
00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:19,520
of coverage one was about a lot of the

438
00:16:22,780 --> 00:16:21,050
universities in Australia cluding this

439
00:16:25,090 --> 00:16:22,790
one teaching some very very strange

440
00:16:26,590 --> 00:16:25,100
courses and things right that got picked

441
00:16:27,940 --> 00:16:26,600
up and was actually quite an inspiration

442
00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:27,950
for a group that's now out there called

443
00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:29,570
Friends of science in medicine who are

444
00:16:32,630 --> 00:16:31,370
raising a big campaign to make the

445
00:16:34,370 --> 00:16:32,640
University of some

446
00:16:36,350 --> 00:16:34,380
think about the courses they're actually

447
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:36,360
teaching we had another one recently

448
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:37,530
about the health funds and what their

449
00:16:40,250 --> 00:16:38,850
funding and the fact they're finding a

450
00:16:42,650 --> 00:16:40,260
lot of pseudoscience you there medicine

451
00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:42,660
with taxpayers money as it turns out

452
00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:44,250
we're looking more and more in those

453
00:16:47,630 --> 00:16:45,510
areas where you get the big

454
00:16:49,190 --> 00:16:47,640
organizations the traditional

455
00:16:51,410 --> 00:16:49,200
organizations if you like not the wacky

456
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:51,420
ones but traditional organizations that

457
00:16:54,530 --> 00:16:52,890
are doing some very very strange things

458
00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:54,540
so we hope to have a bit more of that

459
00:16:59,930 --> 00:16:57,210
actually mmm and how long has it been

460
00:17:01,460 --> 00:16:59,940
since you've been to a spirit festival

461
00:17:02,330 --> 00:17:01,470
or something like that because I imagine

462
00:17:03,710 --> 00:17:02,340
you would have gone to a lot of them

463
00:17:05,660 --> 00:17:03,720
over all these years can you still go

464
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:05,670
never look I can still go but I find

465
00:17:09,740 --> 00:17:07,770
them very disappointing I mean I've been

466
00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:09,750
a member of the skype thing since it

467
00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:12,570
started and that was sort of 30 years

468
00:17:15,380 --> 00:17:14,130
ago obviously oh so you've been drinking

469
00:17:16,699 --> 00:17:15,390
with Dick Smith I've been drinking with

470
00:17:18,530 --> 00:17:16,709
Dick Smith you yeah everything like that

471
00:17:20,510 --> 00:17:18,540
yeah and I was only five well that's not

472
00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:20,520
good dick smith better man yes I mean

473
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:22,140
after a while you get to see a lot and

474
00:17:26,930 --> 00:17:23,730
you really think I've heard the

475
00:17:29,030 --> 00:17:26,940
arguments once or twice before and you

476
00:17:30,590 --> 00:17:29,040
think I you know there are others who

477
00:17:32,090 --> 00:17:30,600
can take a more sort of the the more

478
00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:32,100
Provo wing of the skeptics who can

479
00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:33,570
attack them and I think that's good

480
00:17:37,340 --> 00:17:35,490
especially younger people who can come

481
00:17:39,710 --> 00:17:37,350
there with a lot of enthusiasm and

482
00:17:40,820 --> 00:17:39,720
attack in many cases but you know who

483
00:17:44,330 --> 00:17:40,830
are who are happy to listen to these

484
00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:44,340
people I get bit jaundiced and one last

485
00:17:47,330 --> 00:17:46,050
question of because magazine editors

486
00:17:49,550 --> 00:17:47,340
love this question what's been the

487
00:17:51,140 --> 00:17:49,560
wackiest letter to the editor you've got

488
00:17:53,210 --> 00:17:51,150
there at the skeptic magazine and you

489
00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:53,220
must have got some corkers I got some

490
00:17:56,810 --> 00:17:54,690
beers trying to pick out the the best

491
00:17:58,340 --> 00:17:56,820
one over the year so they get the usual

492
00:17:59,840 --> 00:17:58,350
ones you know the ones the moderate

493
00:18:02,540 --> 00:17:59,850
people who say we should hang every

494
00:18:05,090 --> 00:18:02,550
priest from a telegraph pole yea Lord of

495
00:18:07,490 --> 00:18:05,100
this and that we say AHA radio the

496
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:07,500
wackiest ones is probably not a lot

497
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:10,010
lately actually I haven't printed them

498
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:12,210
there was one talking about the the

499
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:14,370
pygmy tribe who live in North Queensland

500
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:16,950
that's always a good one let me get the

501
00:18:20,780 --> 00:18:18,450
occasion one about cannibalism amongst

502
00:18:22,010 --> 00:18:20,790
the Aborigines that sort of thing really

503
00:18:23,630 --> 00:18:22,020
I think they get a lot of them come from

504
00:18:25,490 --> 00:18:23,640
overseas as the overseas once you're

505
00:18:27,050 --> 00:18:25,500
interesting I also get some occasional

506
00:18:30,770 --> 00:18:27,060
sort of strange article that's submitted

507
00:18:32,780 --> 00:18:30,780
to me all right and this you've got a

508
00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:32,790
tough thing of saying no we're not going

509
00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:34,110
to run that then the person is going to

510
00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:35,310
say why not why not why not why not

511
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:37,110
there's a lot of emotional attachment

512
00:18:39,350 --> 00:18:38,490
just a lot of the things people submit

513
00:18:41,060 --> 00:18:39,360
because they've worked on them for a

514
00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:41,070
long time or something and you try and

515
00:18:45,310 --> 00:18:44,130
point out that it's either the arguments

516
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:45,320
not very good or the

517
00:18:48,340 --> 00:18:46,730
dile needs a lot of work and might help

518
00:18:49,749 --> 00:18:48,350
out people in many cases with the style

519
00:18:51,519 --> 00:18:49,759
and sometimes it might not even be a

520
00:18:53,169 --> 00:18:51,529
skeptic area there are a lot of areas of

521
00:18:55,570 --> 00:18:53,179
people want to talk about our area is

522
00:18:57,519 --> 00:18:55,580
things that can be tested right in the

523
00:18:58,930 --> 00:18:57,529
pseudoscience and paranormal areas

524
00:19:01,899 --> 00:18:58,940
people put forward the things like let's

525
00:19:04,419 --> 00:19:01,909
disprove God I say very hard to do right

526
00:19:06,610 --> 00:19:04,429
trying to find an evidence here a

527
00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:06,620
technique would you know for disproving

528
00:19:09,549 --> 00:19:08,090
god is hard there's proving the

529
00:19:11,799 --> 00:19:09,559
manifestations of God or at least

530
00:19:13,210 --> 00:19:11,809
seeking the evidence on those is easier

531
00:19:14,649 --> 00:19:13,220
when you get a miracle or you get the

532
00:19:17,169 --> 00:19:14,659
weeping statue and that sort of stuff

533
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:17,179
yeah that can be investigated in the way

534
00:19:22,749 --> 00:19:20,090
the skeptics to skeptics it's the

535
00:19:24,970 --> 00:19:22,759
easiest philosophy to understand someone

536
00:19:28,289 --> 00:19:24,980
makes a claim someone says they can fly

537
00:19:30,129 --> 00:19:28,299
and your response is normally show me

538
00:19:32,950 --> 00:19:30,139
simple is that prove it we're all

539
00:19:35,619 --> 00:19:32,960
skeptical when we come to buying a

540
00:19:37,749 --> 00:19:35,629
fridge prove it show me it works you

541
00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:37,759
take a car for a drive prove it right

542
00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:39,230
when you go to buy one same for a

543
00:19:42,039 --> 00:19:40,610
philosophy unfortunately people spend

544
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:42,049
less time on their philosophy than they

545
00:19:46,210 --> 00:19:44,450
do buying a fridge and what is the word

546
00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:46,220
that annoys you the most after all these

547
00:19:50,529 --> 00:19:48,950
years you bit jaded just a touch cynical

548
00:19:52,019 --> 00:19:50,539
about things what's the one that

549
00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:52,029
continues to come up yeah

550
00:19:56,409 --> 00:19:54,110
anti-vaccination I think you'll find

551
00:19:57,970 --> 00:19:56,419
everybody says that actually I've dealt

552
00:19:59,919 --> 00:19:57,980
with a lot of areas my special he might

553
00:20:01,539 --> 00:19:59,929
be the fun ones my real specialty was

554
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:01,549
the unknown animals and that sort of

555
00:20:05,590 --> 00:20:02,690
thing but dealing with the

556
00:20:08,259 --> 00:20:05,600
anti-vaccination people is not funny at

557
00:20:09,490 --> 00:20:08,269
all it makes me brings though that tears

558
00:20:10,810 --> 00:20:09,500
to my eyes when I talk about it cuz I've

559
00:20:12,310 --> 00:20:10,820
seen people who have been damaged by

560
00:20:14,139 --> 00:20:12,320
this and babies and that sort of thing

561
00:20:15,399 --> 00:20:14,149
that have died because of what the

562
00:20:19,539 --> 00:20:15,409
anti-vaccination movement is

563
00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:19,549
promulgating that is not funny I'm I'm

564
00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:22,129
often wonder if it's not so much an

565
00:20:25,779 --> 00:20:23,690
anti-science movement but a bit of an

566
00:20:26,919 --> 00:20:25,789
anti-capitalist movement because yes

567
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:26,929
they have trouble with the signs but

568
00:20:31,450 --> 00:20:28,730
they also have problems with the way the

569
00:20:33,070 --> 00:20:31,460
company's behave do you think that's a

570
00:20:34,299 --> 00:20:33,080
major part of it I think that's

571
00:20:36,129 --> 00:20:34,309
definitely part of it I mean companies

572
00:20:37,509 --> 00:20:36,139
do behave badly from time to time

573
00:20:39,070 --> 00:20:37,519
perhaps even more often than that in the

574
00:20:40,779 --> 00:20:39,080
same way the government's behave badly

575
00:20:42,369 --> 00:20:40,789
from time to time but I think what's

576
00:20:44,049 --> 00:20:42,379
driving a lot of the anti-vaccination

577
00:20:45,999 --> 00:20:44,059
movement they would say it's it's a

578
00:20:48,610 --> 00:20:46,009
scientific or technical issues but there

579
00:20:50,019 --> 00:20:48,620
is definitely an anti-establishment view

580
00:20:52,029 --> 00:20:50,029
in there I think I think that's a major

581
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:52,039
thing and then you'll find its they will

582
00:20:56,140 --> 00:20:55,010
then be promoting the alternatives their

583
00:21:00,100 --> 00:20:56,150
own way

584
00:21:02,470 --> 00:21:00,110
it was like if the anti-vaccination move

585
00:21:03,730 --> 00:21:02,480
is against needles vaccination whatever

586
00:21:05,980 --> 00:21:03,740
they will then promote their own

587
00:21:08,980 --> 00:21:05,990
alternative so which they think is

588
00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:08,990
natural and small-scale and cottage

589
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:10,400
industry and that sort of thing which of

590
00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:12,410
course it's not like homeopathy and that

591
00:21:15,490 --> 00:21:13,730
sort of stuff which is quite big

592
00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:15,500
business I think it's it's as much an

593
00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:16,970
anti-establishment movement as anything

594
00:21:22,690 --> 00:21:20,510
else and to end on a brighter note there

595
00:21:24,970 --> 00:21:22,700
how do you inject a bit of a humor into

596
00:21:26,740 --> 00:21:24,980
the magazine there are no you got to but

597
00:21:28,630 --> 00:21:26,750
they were really difficult for crossword

598
00:21:30,670 --> 00:21:28,640
and you've got the quiz it makes no

599
00:21:32,650 --> 00:21:30,680
sense that's really really cryptic

600
00:21:34,450 --> 00:21:32,660
static like it's beyond a mr. wisdoms

601
00:21:37,060 --> 00:21:34,460
whopper that used to be an australasian

602
00:21:39,070 --> 00:21:37,070
post the thing about Australian skeptics

603
00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:39,080
especially is that we've always had a

604
00:21:42,310 --> 00:21:40,910
lot of fun I mean it's not just a bunch

605
00:21:43,570 --> 00:21:42,320
of spoiled sports getting together and

606
00:21:46,300 --> 00:21:43,580
saying how run for a run for a run from

607
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:46,310
their armchairs we in fact other groups

608
00:21:49,450 --> 00:21:47,690
overseas I said there's too much humor

609
00:21:51,190 --> 00:21:49,460
in your magazine we say there's never

610
00:21:52,030 --> 00:21:51,200
too much in the magazine now you've

611
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:52,040
always had a lot of light-hearted

612
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:54,410
servants we were strolling up your bum

613
00:21:57,370 --> 00:21:56,090
that's exactly exactly right actually

614
00:21:59,650 --> 00:21:57,380
and then this is this is the attitude we

615
00:22:01,030 --> 00:21:59,660
have which is sort of it's fine we take

616
00:22:02,530 --> 00:22:01,040
the mickey occasioning some things are

617
00:22:05,470 --> 00:22:02,540
more serious than others so but I mean

618
00:22:06,910 --> 00:22:05,480
yeah we always try and keep it as an

619
00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:06,920
element of lightheartedness in the

620
00:22:11,050 --> 00:22:09,170
magazine so it's it covers a range of

621
00:22:12,490 --> 00:22:11,060
emotions well that's it I'm going to get

622
00:22:14,230 --> 00:22:12,500
right down and send a letter to the

623
00:22:16,990 --> 00:22:14,240
editor please do I look forward to

624
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:17,000
seeing it I will then reject it and

625
00:22:20,260 --> 00:22:18,530
what's the website for the skeptic

626
00:22:21,580 --> 00:22:20,270
magazine yeah the magazine that the

627
00:22:25,900 --> 00:22:21,590
website is are pretty straightforward as

628
00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:25,910
ww skeptics ske pti cs.com Dada you

629
00:22:29,140 --> 00:22:27,590
you'll find on there a lot of

630
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:29,150
information about the skeptics including

631
00:22:31,930 --> 00:22:30,530
out that little shop where you can

632
00:22:34,420 --> 00:22:31,940
subscribe to the magazine which is

633
00:22:36,370 --> 00:22:34,430
called cleverly the skeptic original

634
00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:36,380
that one and because we have the twitter

635
00:22:41,070 --> 00:22:38,050
as well which is all skeptic aust

636
00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:44,009
hook up look I'm just stay here with

637
00:22:47,409 --> 00:22:45,950
Davey hang I'm going right around the

638
00:22:49,269 --> 00:22:47,419
table now because let me tell you an

639
00:22:50,860 --> 00:22:49,279
interview with Dave the happy singer is

640
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:50,870
well worth the kilometers you have to

641
00:22:53,860 --> 00:22:52,850
walk to get it now I usually only talk

642
00:22:55,749 --> 00:22:53,870
to you at lunch time but it's got a

643
00:22:57,489 --> 00:22:55,759
lunchtime feel now I want to bring up

644
00:22:59,739 --> 00:22:57,499
the controversial aspects that you

645
00:23:02,769 --> 00:22:59,749
brought up of the atheist conventions

646
00:23:04,509 --> 00:23:02,779
catering you push the boundaries as far

647
00:23:07,149 --> 00:23:04,519
as I think anyone could push catering

648
00:23:08,919 --> 00:23:07,159
controversy in catering is very very

649
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:08,929
important yeah and and there was a

650
00:23:12,460 --> 00:23:10,490
problem with the Atheist catering and

651
00:23:13,899 --> 00:23:12,470
that they didn't have vegetarian food or

652
00:23:15,730 --> 00:23:13,909
their definition was different from

653
00:23:17,590 --> 00:23:15,740
every other vegetarians it was very

654
00:23:18,850 --> 00:23:17,600
shambolic on the first day it was very

655
00:23:20,529 --> 00:23:18,860
difficult to find the dietary

656
00:23:24,249 --> 00:23:20,539
requirements table which is like the

657
00:23:25,629 --> 00:23:24,259
special table the first atheist

658
00:23:27,190 --> 00:23:25,639
convention that just had a separate

659
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:27,200
table next to it but this was just miles

660
00:23:30,700 --> 00:23:28,850
away the first one they didn't even have

661
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:30,710
one but we complained on Twitter and it

662
00:23:34,269 --> 00:23:32,330
works you complain on Twitter everything

663
00:23:35,919 --> 00:23:34,279
works and you and you got the food you

664
00:23:38,169 --> 00:23:35,929
wanted giggle there was no dairy

665
00:23:39,310 --> 00:23:38,179
products it was it was all good the only

666
00:23:41,889 --> 00:23:39,320
problem was the queue was quite long

667
00:23:43,930 --> 00:23:41,899
because atheists tend to have high

668
00:23:45,730 --> 00:23:43,940
ethical standards and therefore much

669
00:23:47,830 --> 00:23:45,740
many more vegetarian for the general

670
00:23:49,210 --> 00:23:47,840
population and just harking back to the

671
00:23:51,850 --> 00:23:49,220
Atheist convention which you cover on

672
00:23:52,869 --> 00:23:51,860
your podcast quite well um did you think

673
00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:52,879
there was a few moments of could have

674
00:23:55,509 --> 00:23:54,110
gone horribly wrong where the two guys

675
00:23:58,859 --> 00:23:55,519
were kissing in front of the Muslim

676
00:24:01,230 --> 00:23:58,869
protesters um there was one moment when

677
00:24:04,060 --> 00:24:01,240
look aight i think it was a powder keg

678
00:24:06,460 --> 00:24:04,070
there was a very very high tension we

679
00:24:08,919 --> 00:24:06,470
were all piled together emotions were on

680
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:08,929
our side we were having a very exciting

681
00:24:13,419 --> 00:24:11,450
day we were seeing our friends for the

682
00:24:15,159 --> 00:24:13,429
first time in a long time we were seeing

683
00:24:16,629 --> 00:24:15,169
incredible speakers we'd had a little

684
00:24:18,850 --> 00:24:16,639
sleep because we were out partying

685
00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:18,860
because we like that kind of thing so we

686
00:24:22,749 --> 00:24:20,450
were all very very tense and obviously

687
00:24:24,759 --> 00:24:22,759
the the Muslim guys were very very

688
00:24:28,060 --> 00:24:24,769
passionate about their thing and they

689
00:24:30,159 --> 00:24:28,070
were they were very persuasive very

690
00:24:31,570 --> 00:24:30,169
urgent about what they were trying to

691
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:31,580
say and we were all crammed in this

692
00:24:37,749 --> 00:24:34,490
little space under a lot of pressure it

693
00:24:39,159 --> 00:24:37,759
could have gone up it didn't well that

694
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:39,169
they were obviously in a hurry judging

695
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:41,570
from the the punctuation on their signs

696
00:24:45,659 --> 00:24:44,090
and that well yeah the you know I would

697
00:24:49,430 --> 00:24:45,669
have preferred more apostrophes less

698
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:51,600
that means one for you people have their

699
00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:53,770
clerical college yeah I'm not going to

700
00:24:57,620 --> 00:24:55,510
take a theological argument seriously

701
00:25:00,180 --> 00:24:57,630
from somebody who can't spell atheist

702
00:25:01,980 --> 00:25:00,190
well look and look I believe there's

703
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:01,990
been a winner of Cupcake camp but it's

704
00:25:06,870 --> 00:25:04,090
it's under wraps into its embargo it's

705
00:25:08,580 --> 00:25:06,880
it's the it is embargoed I don't even

706
00:25:09,810 --> 00:25:08,590
know it myself for security reasons I'm

707
00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:09,820
only allowed to know half of the

708
00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:12,310
person's name what's the idea of the

709
00:25:16,350 --> 00:25:14,470
prize being a night with some guy who

710
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:16,360
watches psychic TV that's a terrible

711
00:25:22,380 --> 00:25:18,610
prize well and you've got to bring your

712
00:25:27,300 --> 00:25:22,390
own drinks some in really well the

713
00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:27,310
prizes are surprised as well and now

714
00:25:31,170 --> 00:25:28,990
that we're talking quietly now because

715
00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:31,180
the winner of Cupcake can hasn't been

716
00:25:35,910 --> 00:25:33,310
announced but I can talk to you in very

717
00:25:39,150 --> 00:25:35,920
conspiratorial tones who won and why do

718
00:25:41,180 --> 00:25:39,160
you think they want well Ruth one now

719
00:25:43,890 --> 00:25:41,190
this is hush-hush until the announcement

720
00:25:45,630 --> 00:25:43,900
Ruth one and I think it's because her

721
00:25:47,700 --> 00:25:45,640
cupcakes as well as tasting good they

722
00:25:49,650 --> 00:25:47,710
always look so pretty now which ones

723
00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:49,660
were they again they were the ones with

724
00:25:55,770 --> 00:25:53,890
the swirly frosting and the toffee stuck

725
00:25:58,830 --> 00:25:55,780
in the top ok well I mean what does she

726
00:26:00,900 --> 00:25:58,840
get for that what surprise well um first

727
00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:00,910
prize was meant to be Louis worthington

728
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:02,710
for a night but since i'm watching

729
00:26:07,500 --> 00:26:04,930
psychic TV i believe yes that's right um

730
00:26:08,970 --> 00:26:07,510
but since you know Bruce does live in

731
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:08,980
Canberra it's difficult for her to take

732
00:26:15,030 --> 00:26:11,050
her prize home we may be giving her a

733
00:26:16,260 --> 00:26:15,040
book about a skype date with Lewis it's

734
00:26:16,980 --> 00:26:16,270
pretty much the same thing really but

735
00:26:18,660 --> 00:26:16,990
you've been however they mean it was

736
00:26:20,850 --> 00:26:18,670
like oh yeah no I think that's a good

737
00:26:22,260 --> 00:26:20,860
idea we'll offer that as well wow that's

738
00:26:23,610 --> 00:26:22,270
exciting well good luck with it is and

739
00:26:25,350 --> 00:26:23,620
now that a surprise do you think the

740
00:26:27,690 --> 00:26:25,360
icings what took her over the top there

741
00:26:30,270 --> 00:26:27,700
a little bit of visualizing it was

742
00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:30,280
beautiful and that it had toffee in the

743
00:26:35,190 --> 00:26:32,710
Santa is it going to influence the way

744
00:26:36,570 --> 00:26:35,200
you'd bake for next year oh yes Ruth is

745
00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:36,580
very inspirational when it comes to

746
00:26:44,030 --> 00:26:42,440
okay because we got the skeptic zones

747
00:26:46,850 --> 00:26:44,040
aviation correspondent who we got here

748
00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:46,860
Robin Hilliard here hi now now remember

749
00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:48,300
last time at skip to camp we talked

750
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:50,130
about all sorts of aviation things you

751
00:26:54,140 --> 00:26:52,410
gave a chat you're talking today I'm

752
00:26:56,030 --> 00:26:54,150
also talk about aviation today but it's

753
00:26:57,980 --> 00:26:56,040
more of a fun sort of topic no really I

754
00:26:59,540 --> 00:26:57,990
go yeah but sort of doing a in the same

755
00:27:02,120 --> 00:26:59,550
way that transitional fossils help

756
00:27:03,770 --> 00:27:02,130
explain you know how current creatures

757
00:27:05,450 --> 00:27:03,780
work I thought the best way to sort of

758
00:27:07,610 --> 00:27:05,460
cover the basics of aerodynamics was to

759
00:27:10,100 --> 00:27:07,620
talk about things that barely fly so i'm

760
00:27:12,260 --> 00:27:10,110
starting with bricks and working up from

761
00:27:14,090 --> 00:27:12,270
there I've got a flight simulator and

762
00:27:15,890 --> 00:27:14,100
just going to be doing a little talk and

763
00:27:17,780 --> 00:27:15,900
some demonstrations very topical given

764
00:27:19,910 --> 00:27:17,790
that fantastic wingsuit flight that

765
00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:19,920
happened a few days back yeah looking at

766
00:27:24,770 --> 00:27:22,230
things that don't that only just fly and

767
00:27:26,390 --> 00:27:24,780
then explaining why they work and why

768
00:27:28,910 --> 00:27:26,400
they different to a brick look but it's

769
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:28,920
just lift plus thrust isn't I mean look

770
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:30,930
at the bloody phantom jet like that

771
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:32,730
doesn't look like a very I mean it's a

772
00:27:36,260 --> 00:27:34,410
jet it's the right shape but it's heavy

773
00:27:38,030 --> 00:27:36,270
and it's weird that it was a huge

774
00:27:40,340 --> 00:27:38,040
engines had push that thing along yes

775
00:27:42,020 --> 00:27:40,350
and so to keep things nice and simple

776
00:27:44,780 --> 00:27:42,030
today they're everything's a glider in

777
00:27:48,260 --> 00:27:44,790
my talk ok all right ok right so you

778
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:48,270
won't be having any stealth fighters or

779
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:49,890
things like that no no there should be

780
00:27:52,940 --> 00:27:51,570
there should be a few a few sort of a

781
00:27:55,250 --> 00:27:52,950
surprise but we just basically starting

782
00:27:56,660 --> 00:27:55,260
with the humble house brick and working

783
00:27:59,570 --> 00:27:56,670
at what would actually take to make one

784
00:28:01,490 --> 00:27:59,580
fly in various ways well an example of

785
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:01,500
what can go wrong is when on top gear

786
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:03,450
they tried to launch the Robin reliant

787
00:28:07,700 --> 00:28:05,490
the triangular shaped car into space and

788
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:07,710
they try the glide it down with the

789
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:09,930
brick like results that was one of the

790
00:28:13,430 --> 00:28:11,130
best bits of television I've ever seen

791
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:13,440
but the who knows what would have

792
00:28:16,790 --> 00:28:15,210
happened if it had separated yeah if the

793
00:28:19,670 --> 00:28:16,800
viet tan could actually come off i wish

794
00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:19,680
i would actually pay money to a hood pay

795
00:28:22,850 --> 00:28:21,330
money to actually see that be done again

796
00:28:25,100 --> 00:28:22,860
i'd love to see that separator would

797
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:25,110
have been brilliant but it made a huge

798
00:28:28,490 --> 00:28:27,330
boom when hit the ground in it the best

799
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:28,500
thing was the look on their faces

800
00:28:32,060 --> 00:28:30,570
basically as they watch it I just think

801
00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:32,070
they could not believe that they'd

802
00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:34,020
actually that actually done something

803
00:28:37,340 --> 00:28:35,850
that crazy and actually what is the

804
00:28:38,900 --> 00:28:37,350
crazy thing that you would like to do if

805
00:28:41,060 --> 00:28:38,910
you had a bit of funding at all what

806
00:28:42,590 --> 00:28:41,070
does it what do Aeronautics fans dream

807
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:42,600
about at night when they go in life I

808
00:28:45,530 --> 00:28:44,250
could do this and do that okay we want

809
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:45,540
to launch a satellite that's that's my

810
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:47,370
plan okay a SpaceX prices are getting

811
00:28:51,130 --> 00:28:49,530
very cheap I think very soon small

812
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:51,140
companies will actually be able to

813
00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:52,850
you know to actually put satellites up

814
00:28:56,380 --> 00:28:54,530
you know it's not going to be big

815
00:28:58,630 --> 00:28:56,390
company stuff hmm for too much longer

816
00:29:00,460 --> 00:28:58,640
okay um I don't know what it would do

817
00:29:01,630 --> 00:29:00,470
yet but we're working on that you need

818
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:01,640
to have like a catchy name for your

819
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:04,130
company you know like I'm Aerodyne or

820
00:29:06,940 --> 00:29:05,450
something like that have a name it

821
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:06,950
sounds important but doesn't no one

822
00:29:10,450 --> 00:29:08,510
knows what it means well our company's

823
00:29:12,100 --> 00:29:10,460
already called rocket boots and that's

824
00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:12,110
actually an IT company but it's in there

825
00:29:16,450 --> 00:29:13,130
but you're not going to get any cribbing

826
00:29:17,830 --> 00:29:16,460
like that I know yeah maybe if you ran

827
00:29:20,830 --> 00:29:17,840
the two names together rocket boots like

828
00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:20,840
one word that would get good I sorry

829
00:29:23,980 --> 00:29:22,250
this is a bit of a flood but our company

830
00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:23,990
is rocket boots with one word oh really

831
00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:26,870
it is mmm like everybody you design apps

832
00:29:30,580 --> 00:29:28,910
tang yeah we build apps and we've done

833
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:30,590
some robots and some embedded systems as

834
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:32,090
well just doing some computer vision

835
00:29:35,380 --> 00:29:33,290
stuff at the moment sorry this is all

836
00:29:37,510 --> 00:29:35,390
game a bit spooky but I don't get you

837
00:29:39,070 --> 00:29:37,520
know very often religious media champ

838
00:29:41,710 --> 00:29:39,080
here and look and so what is your degree

839
00:29:44,020 --> 00:29:41,720
in computer science and maps where'd you

840
00:29:46,870 --> 00:29:44,030
get that at Sydney that means you were

841
00:29:50,050 --> 00:29:46,880
there for at least two three years maybe

842
00:29:52,210 --> 00:29:50,060
longer I think seat like I just said in

843
00:29:53,770 --> 00:29:52,220
my talk I left at the end of you 11 so

844
00:29:57,550 --> 00:29:53,780
I've got no idea what's going on in the

845
00:30:00,100 --> 00:29:57,560
academic world um I look at all you know

846
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:00,110
university is it like it so it's more

847
00:30:02,950 --> 00:30:01,610
school it's more sort of more of the

848
00:30:05,050 --> 00:30:02,960
same I mean there's a lot of there's a

849
00:30:05,980 --> 00:30:05,060
lot of you cannot underestimate how

850
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:05,990
important real-life experience

851
00:30:10,900 --> 00:30:07,730
particularly retail experience does that

852
00:30:12,850 --> 00:30:10,910
mean the wedgies are more severe uni the

853
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:12,860
wedgies are internal intellectual

854
00:30:18,130 --> 00:30:15,770
wedgies yes your self effacing web the

855
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:18,140
web which is really a self-effacing

856
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:20,330
Reggie's yes it requires wearing

857
00:30:24,190 --> 00:30:21,650
underpants on your head I supposed to do

858
00:30:25,570 --> 00:30:24,200
that face oh wait no but anyway and one

859
00:30:26,890 --> 00:30:25,580
last moment last time we had a

860
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:26,900
discussion about great new what do you

861
00:30:29,740 --> 00:30:28,490
reckon is a hot new plane on the planet

862
00:30:33,730 --> 00:30:29,750
what's the one that you would like to

863
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:33,740
get a look at that we know of um I think

864
00:30:37,990 --> 00:30:36,650
the new diesel system the diesel engines

865
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:38,000
are finally coming to light aircraft and

866
00:30:41,140 --> 00:30:39,650
i would love to look at it that means it

867
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:41,150
going to be a lot noisier and you have

868
00:30:44,710 --> 00:30:43,010
to warm them up along though no actually

869
00:30:47,410 --> 00:30:44,720
the diesel works brilliantly for planes

870
00:30:49,450 --> 00:30:47,420
it and and it also means that they can

871
00:30:51,010 --> 00:30:49,460
run a much lighter fuels they have much

872
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:51,020
better range more efficient all sorts of

873
00:30:54,220 --> 00:30:52,610
nice things it's just been very hard to

874
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:54,230
make the engines light enough to work

875
00:30:57,010 --> 00:30:55,310
well are they going to sound like a

876
00:30:59,260 --> 00:30:57,020
tractor no actually some of the ones

877
00:31:01,360 --> 00:30:59,270
that they've got really quiet and yeah

878
00:31:03,460 --> 00:31:01,370
so really nicely done there's a German

879
00:31:05,380 --> 00:31:03,470
plane there's a new diamond between

880
00:31:07,029 --> 00:31:05,390
that's just come out and there's a new

881
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:07,039
one at thanks town that someone owns and

882
00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:08,570
I think you University New South Wales

883
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:12,110
have some of them but they took twin

884
00:31:16,330 --> 00:31:14,210
diesel engines lovely fast plane very

885
00:31:17,710 --> 00:31:16,340
quiet all electric you know comment

886
00:31:20,289 --> 00:31:17,720
cockpit so that's what I'd like to a

887
00:31:21,850 --> 00:31:20,299
diamond da40 I think they are twin star

888
00:31:23,529 --> 00:31:21,860
would that's what I'd like to see and if

889
00:31:25,330 --> 00:31:23,539
we want to follow you we were are you on

890
00:31:26,980 --> 00:31:25,340
Twitter and your website I'm just very

891
00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:26,990
boring on Twitter Robin Hilliard our OB

892
00:31:31,450 --> 00:31:30,110
IM hilliard HR double l IA ID and rocket

893
00:31:34,810 --> 00:31:31,460
boots calm is our website since you

894
00:31:36,039 --> 00:31:34,820
asked well but we spoke to earlier but

895
00:31:37,690 --> 00:31:36,049
you've just given you talk about how to

896
00:31:39,370 --> 00:31:37,700
make it a brick fly which I thought was

897
00:31:41,919 --> 00:31:39,380
pretty fascinating you modeled your

898
00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:41,929
brick using explain and he successfully

899
00:31:46,029 --> 00:31:43,970
landed it yeah I wasn't sure that I'd be

900
00:31:47,140 --> 00:31:46,039
able to do it because but yeah it's

901
00:31:49,029 --> 00:31:47,150
actually very hard it's the same thing

902
00:31:50,350 --> 00:31:49,039
that Gary Connell had to put up with

903
00:31:52,990 --> 00:31:50,360
when he was landing his wingsuit there's

904
00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:53,000
only you have to save your energy for

905
00:31:55,899 --> 00:31:54,530
the exactly the right moment to stay in

906
00:31:58,419 --> 00:31:55,909
the air long enough to actually land and

907
00:31:59,980 --> 00:31:58,429
basically just combining science and

908
00:32:02,560 --> 00:31:59,990
entertainment and a bit of aerodynamic

909
00:32:03,610 --> 00:32:02,570
Theory and play play I'd like to think I

910
00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:03,620
mean I think that's the way that a lot

911
00:32:07,029 --> 00:32:05,090
of people sort of come to science and

912
00:32:10,060 --> 00:32:07,039
stuff or enjoy a way to enjoy science is

913
00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:10,070
playing with it and and when I was

914
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:11,090
looking at I was thinking of the old

915
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:12,890
adage they were then given enough power

916
00:32:17,860 --> 00:32:15,010
a brick can fly do you think that's true

917
00:32:19,450 --> 00:32:17,870
completely I mean so you can knock off

918
00:32:20,860 --> 00:32:19,460
the aerodynamic wings and add more power

919
00:32:22,450 --> 00:32:20,870
and it could do anything well you

920
00:32:24,430 --> 00:32:22,460
sensually you've got a helicopter there

921
00:32:25,870 --> 00:32:24,440
so you know I'm sure that there are

922
00:32:27,580 --> 00:32:25,880
brick has flown in a helicopter at some

923
00:32:29,409 --> 00:32:27,590
point in the past so yeah what do you

924
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:29,419
think is the most brick-like plane in

925
00:32:35,380 --> 00:32:34,010
the world today ah I I don't know I used

926
00:32:37,690 --> 00:32:35,390
to think it was the star fighter but

927
00:32:39,250 --> 00:32:37,700
probably the the stealth fighters

928
00:32:41,470 --> 00:32:39,260
probably one of the ones that's very

929
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:41,480
very brick-like I'm in all angles and

930
00:32:44,649 --> 00:32:43,370
things like that and the computers are

931
00:32:46,750 --> 00:32:44,659
doing the work all the time and as soon

932
00:32:47,890 --> 00:32:46,760
as you get a reboot you're going to the

933
00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:47,900
ground well they do have a lot of

934
00:32:51,370 --> 00:32:49,970
computers but well I mean that they have

935
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:51,380
to use computers because they make them

936
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:52,610
deliberately unstable I didn't have

937
00:32:55,930 --> 00:32:53,690
enough time in the talk to talk about

938
00:32:57,070 --> 00:32:55,940
how important balance was but that's

939
00:32:58,480 --> 00:32:57,080
actually what I spent the majority of my

940
00:32:59,649 --> 00:32:58,490
time preparing for the talk doing was

941
00:33:02,200 --> 00:32:59,659
actually getting all the balance right

942
00:33:03,310 --> 00:33:02,210
so that the planes would you have enough

943
00:33:04,659 --> 00:33:03,320
authority to be able to pull the nose up

944
00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:04,669
but also that you wouldn't just fall

945
00:33:08,289 --> 00:33:06,110
backwards out of the sky the moment you

946
00:33:09,570 --> 00:33:08,299
let go of the plane so so four people

947
00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:09,580
playing along at home

948
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:12,610
their own unusual object to fly INX

949
00:33:16,140 --> 00:33:15,010
explained that we use and what's the

950
00:33:18,090 --> 00:33:16,150
next challenge I mean it bricks your

951
00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:18,100
obvious one there may be some sort of

952
00:33:22,740 --> 00:33:21,310
animal or something um I was doing the

953
00:33:25,020 --> 00:33:22,750
other big project I did in x-men i'm at

954
00:33:26,730 --> 00:33:25,030
a Pegasus a flying horse that would be

955
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:26,740
hard but I think you'd spend most of

956
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:28,570
your time doing the 3d modeling rather

957
00:33:32,580 --> 00:33:31,210
than the flying part and but the thing I

958
00:33:35,010 --> 00:33:32,590
did have a lot of fun doing with a few

959
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:35,020
years ago was the red bull flugtag

960
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:36,850
challenge and I actually did a lot of

961
00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:38,410
work bottling something we could build

962
00:33:42,030 --> 00:33:40,090
for our team and they didn't accept it

963
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:42,040
so I've had a grudge against Red Bull

964
00:33:45,930 --> 00:33:44,650
ever since it's because I did that's

965
00:33:48,270 --> 00:33:45,940
because they don't have any eggheads on

966
00:33:49,860 --> 00:33:48,280
the staff obviously not my theory of the

967
00:33:51,690 --> 00:33:49,870
mind what I tell myself is that it would

968
00:33:53,940 --> 00:33:51,700
have flown too well and would have posed

969
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:53,950
an insurance risk to the crowd when it

970
00:33:56,730 --> 00:33:55,450
moved around a few times and then

971
00:33:58,890 --> 00:33:56,740
managed to land in the middle of them

972
00:34:00,450 --> 00:33:58,900
well look you had that you talked about

973
00:34:01,950 --> 00:34:00,460
airplane accidents last year you've

974
00:34:04,230 --> 00:34:01,960
talked about a flying brick this year

975
00:34:06,750 --> 00:34:04,240
what are you going to next year I owe to

976
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:06,760
trick pony yeah I think I should

977
00:34:10,380 --> 00:34:08,410
probably do something a bit more bit

978
00:34:12,420 --> 00:34:10,390
more about skeptical activism I was

979
00:34:14,130 --> 00:34:12,430
involved with you know stop the avian

980
00:34:16,470 --> 00:34:14,140
over the last year but I didn't think

981
00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:16,480
they're as much I could present on you

982
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:18,490
know in what we win what we did because

983
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:19,810
I think everybody knows what we've done

984
00:34:23,910 --> 00:34:22,330
um but yeah I think I'll keep looking

985
00:34:25,590 --> 00:34:23,920
out but I do like the whole wonder of

986
00:34:39,340 --> 00:34:25,600
science and sharing you know something

987
00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:41,780
hi this is brian dunning from the

988
00:34:48,530 --> 00:34:45,210
sceptile podcast i am about to make your

989
00:34:51,290 --> 00:34:48,540
brain fail July twelfth through the 15th

990
00:34:54,260 --> 00:34:51,300
at the amazing meeting in Las Vegas I'm

991
00:34:56,240 --> 00:34:54,270
giving my newest live show your brain

992
00:34:59,060 --> 00:34:56,250
sucks I'm going to prove to you that

993
00:35:01,070 --> 00:34:59,070
your personal experiences are broken and

994
00:35:03,530 --> 00:35:01,080
are a terrible way to learn what's real

995
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:03,540
and what's not moreover i'm going to

996
00:35:07,940 --> 00:35:05,850
give you the tools to take back and show

997
00:35:10,250 --> 00:35:07,950
your friends the same thing their

998
00:35:12,260 --> 00:35:10,260
personal experiences whether it's the

999
00:35:14,990 --> 00:35:12,270
perception of a ghost or the sampling of

1000
00:35:18,620 --> 00:35:15,000
an alternative medicine are absolutely

1001
00:35:22,130 --> 00:35:18,630
unreliable i guarantee that every brain

1002
00:35:24,410 --> 00:35:22,140
in the room will be made to fail but

1003
00:35:26,180 --> 00:35:24,420
your brain sucks is just one small part

1004
00:35:27,980 --> 00:35:26,190
of the amazing meeting if you've never

1005
00:35:30,110 --> 00:35:27,990
been to one before all i can tell you is

1006
00:35:32,450 --> 00:35:30,120
that once you do you won't be able to

1007
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:32,460
imagine not going back year after year

1008
00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:34,890
of course you'll get to personally meet

1009
00:35:39,830 --> 00:35:37,290
the amazing Randi he insists on meeting

1010
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:39,840
every attendee magicians Penn & Teller

1011
00:35:43,370 --> 00:35:42,150
will be there as always among the other

1012
00:35:45,470 --> 00:35:43,380
presenters are some of the world's top

1013
00:35:47,690 --> 00:35:45,480
experimental psychologists who will

1014
00:35:49,460 --> 00:35:47,700
twist your brains even worse than I will

1015
00:35:51,470 --> 00:35:49,470
and of course more of your favorite

1016
00:35:53,150 --> 00:35:51,480
comedians and magicians will make sure

1017
00:35:55,550 --> 00:35:53,160
that you never get to come up for air

1018
00:35:58,190 --> 00:35:55,560
you will leave the amazing meeting not

1019
00:36:00,650 --> 00:35:58,200
only amazed but recharged and ready to

1020
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:00,660
help spread rationality and scientific

1021
00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:03,930
skepticism come to amazing meeting calm

1022
00:36:07,550 --> 00:36:05,730
and register today it's at the beautiful

1023
00:36:09,770 --> 00:36:07,560
new South Point Resort in Las Vegas

1024
00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:09,780
where everything is ridiculously

1025
00:36:14,780 --> 00:36:12,510
inexpensive also we plan to stun the

1026
00:36:16,940 --> 00:36:14,790
casino with how low their take will be

1027
00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:16,950
I'll be at my table the whole weekend

1028
00:36:20,510 --> 00:36:18,570
and I also want to meet and shake hands

1029
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:20,520
with every one of you amazing

1030
00:36:25,700 --> 00:36:23,490
meeting.com it sells out every year so

1031
00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:25,710
please register today amazing meeting

1032
00:36:37,370 --> 00:36:29,370
calm i'm brian dunning from sceptile

1033
00:36:42,660 --> 00:36:40,260
joining me now all the way from sunny

1034
00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:42,670
sunny Melbourne in Victoria it's the

1035
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:44,650
president of the Victorian skeptics

1036
00:36:49,860 --> 00:36:47,770
Terry Kelly hello Terry I return now

1037
00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:49,870
Terry you must be absolutely beside

1038
00:36:54,150 --> 00:36:52,390
yourself with excitement as I know many

1039
00:36:55,860 --> 00:36:54,160
people in Melbourne are in Victoria

1040
00:36:58,260 --> 00:36:55,870
because you're holding this year's

1041
00:37:01,560 --> 00:36:58,270
annual Australian skeptics convention

1042
00:37:02,820 --> 00:37:01,570
yeah it's six years since the last time

1043
00:37:06,090 --> 00:37:02,830
Melbourne host of the National

1044
00:37:08,850 --> 00:37:06,100
Convention was at the the IHC of the

1045
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:08,860
University of Melbourne 2006 and we

1046
00:37:13,650 --> 00:37:11,530
thought it was a great conference and it

1047
00:37:16,530 --> 00:37:13,660
was a fairly serious Connor conference a

1048
00:37:19,020 --> 00:37:16,540
lot of scientists feber talk about

1049
00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:19,030
climate change keynote speaker was dr.

1050
00:37:24,870 --> 00:37:22,510
John long from the Museum Victoria this

1051
00:37:26,610 --> 00:37:24,880
is going to be quite different and just

1052
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:26,620
the whole the way of the conference is

1053
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:28,090
organised and the way things are done

1054
00:37:33,330 --> 00:37:30,970
has changed a lot in six years yes and I

1055
00:37:34,500 --> 00:37:33,340
can certainly tell your stories about

1056
00:37:37,230 --> 00:37:34,510
what it's like to hold a major

1057
00:37:40,230 --> 00:37:37,240
convention yes right yes I have to tell

1058
00:37:42,690 --> 00:37:40,240
you that's right as of course it was

1059
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:42,700
only just a very short few years ago

1060
00:37:48,060 --> 00:37:45,850
that we had town here in Sydney yeah but

1061
00:37:50,460 --> 00:37:48,070
the exciting thing of course of course

1062
00:37:52,050 --> 00:37:50,470
although it's not officially at am that

1063
00:37:54,180 --> 00:37:52,060
you're holding in Melbourne it's the

1064
00:37:56,250 --> 00:37:54,190
next best thing because the keynote and

1065
00:37:59,850 --> 00:37:56,260
the major attraction is none other than

1066
00:38:02,250 --> 00:37:59,860
James Randi james randi himself yes look

1067
00:38:05,310 --> 00:38:02,260
it's interesting that the whole concept

1068
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:05,320
of that I was at the time in sydney in

1069
00:38:14,430 --> 00:38:10,810
2010 and it was fabulous we toyed with

1070
00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:14,440
the idea of doing that um well and once

1071
00:38:18,740 --> 00:38:16,570
that we had I certainly had the idea

1072
00:38:22,110 --> 00:38:18,750
that we might have a more of a

1073
00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:22,120
grassroots conference and have people

1074
00:38:26,580 --> 00:38:24,570
that weren't very well known to have

1075
00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:26,590
focus on people particularly around

1076
00:38:30,810 --> 00:38:29,110
Victoria who were doing skeptical things

1077
00:38:34,290 --> 00:38:30,820
and we're being involved in a lot of

1078
00:38:37,410 --> 00:38:34,300
skeptical activism and when we started

1079
00:38:40,530 --> 00:38:37,420
planning the conference we just thought

1080
00:38:42,210 --> 00:38:40,540
let's have a bit of a wish list of who

1081
00:38:44,130 --> 00:38:42,220
might be the most prominent sort of

1082
00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:44,140
guest speakers you could get around the

1083
00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:44,510
world

1084
00:38:49,150 --> 00:38:47,330
so we drew up a bit of a wish list and

1085
00:38:51,310 --> 00:38:49,160
who would be number one oh okay James

1086
00:38:53,650 --> 00:38:51,320
Randi be number one so right well just

1087
00:38:55,930 --> 00:38:53,660
well send an email to change Randy and

1088
00:38:59,260 --> 00:38:55,940
see what happens and to our shock horror

1089
00:39:03,370 --> 00:38:59,270
and surprise he said yes or is some DJ

1090
00:39:05,620 --> 00:39:03,380
Grothe said yes so then it became a

1091
00:39:08,770 --> 00:39:05,630
slightly different concept so it is

1092
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:08,780
going to be perhaps somewhere in between

1093
00:39:14,790 --> 00:39:10,930
your normal sort of grassroots

1094
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:14,800
Australian conference and at am so

1095
00:39:20,950 --> 00:39:17,330
certainly in Ephesus it'll be like that

1096
00:39:23,050 --> 00:39:20,960
and even possibly in numbers I know that

1097
00:39:24,130 --> 00:39:23,060
the TAM in Sydney had something like six

1098
00:39:27,610 --> 00:39:24,140
or seven hundred people something

1099
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:27,620
Isabella yeah and I think when we had

1100
00:39:32,620 --> 00:39:29,330
the conference in Melbourne last time it

1101
00:39:34,690 --> 00:39:32,630
was somewhere around that 200 250 mark

1102
00:39:38,650 --> 00:39:34,700
which for a national conference was

1103
00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:38,660
fairly big so we've booked a 400-seat

1104
00:39:44,770 --> 00:39:41,930
theater which is going to make it much

1105
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:44,780
smaller than the tam but much bigger

1106
00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:47,090
than anything we've done before Wow sort

1107
00:39:51,790 --> 00:39:49,610
of aiming for the best of both worlds

1108
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:51,800
here was yeah bigger names and some more

1109
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:55,070
grassroots activity and I guess the

1110
00:40:00,160 --> 00:39:57,290
message is at the moment because we can

1111
00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:00,170
talk about some of the other names that

1112
00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:01,970
are coming along the messages at the

1113
00:40:07,630 --> 00:40:03,650
moment get ready out there to get your

1114
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:07,640
tickets yes look the tickets for the

1115
00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:09,770
general public go on sale this Saturday

1116
00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:13,610
we did have an early bird ticket launch

1117
00:40:19,090 --> 00:40:16,130
release last sad day for people who are

1118
00:40:20,830 --> 00:40:19,100
actually subscribers to the magazine and

1119
00:40:22,300 --> 00:40:20,840
there were early bird tickets with

1120
00:40:27,580 --> 00:40:22,310
people got some rewards like for example

1121
00:40:29,410 --> 00:40:27,590
I got a t-shirt but so this saturday

1122
00:40:32,020 --> 00:40:29,420
they go on sale for the general public

1123
00:40:34,270 --> 00:40:32,030
all right there's the word folks and of

1124
00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:34,280
course as you're listening to the

1125
00:40:38,890 --> 00:40:36,110
skeptic zone those tickets should more

1126
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:38,900
or less be ready to go and you can find

1127
00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:41,810
out more about the convention and where

1128
00:40:49,450 --> 00:40:45,310
to get tickets by visiting vic skeptics

1129
00:40:50,950 --> 00:40:49,460
wordpress com which is not only the site

1130
00:40:53,710 --> 00:40:50,960
of the Victorian skeptics but has

1131
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:53,720
information about the convention and of

1132
00:40:57,130 --> 00:40:55,370
course looking on that website i can see

1133
00:40:58,180 --> 00:40:57,140
there are photographs of the spot

1134
00:40:59,920 --> 00:40:58,190
theater

1135
00:41:03,370 --> 00:40:59,930
they just look fantastic I think you've

1136
00:41:04,930 --> 00:41:03,380
chosen a good one yeah yeah so we gear

1137
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:04,940
that's we've we've made up of a priority

1138
00:41:09,430 --> 00:41:07,010
of picking nice venues not only will

1139
00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:09,440
James Randi be there but DJ Grothe the

1140
00:41:13,180 --> 00:41:10,730
president of the James Randi Educational

1141
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:13,190
Foundation will be there we've got Brian

1142
00:41:16,660 --> 00:41:15,050
Thompson who's the outrage coordinator

1143
00:41:19,780 --> 00:41:16,670
from the James Randi Educational

1144
00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:19,790
Foundation rebecca watson the famous

1145
00:41:24,730 --> 00:41:22,250
rebecca watson from either skeptics

1146
00:41:27,490 --> 00:41:24,740
guide to the universe we've got loans

1147
00:41:28,390 --> 00:41:27,500
lung has seen on national television of

1148
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:28,400
course are these are unbelievable

1149
00:41:33,820 --> 00:41:31,130
program dr. rachel dunlop will be

1150
00:41:36,790 --> 00:41:33,830
speaking linden kelly wonderful in kelly

1151
00:41:39,220 --> 00:41:36,800
dr. chrissy wilson choice magazines

1152
00:41:42,250 --> 00:41:39,230
consumer of the year dr. ken harvey and

1153
00:41:45,550 --> 00:41:42,260
many more what a lineup yeah actually

1154
00:41:48,490 --> 00:41:45,560
I've just noticed that one of my

1155
00:41:51,190 --> 00:41:48,500
favorites for the convention we have

1156
00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:51,200
actually got listed there which is adam

1157
00:41:58,120 --> 00:41:55,970
van langenberg who is sort of to some

1158
00:42:00,340 --> 00:41:58,130
extent that epitomizes what we're on

1159
00:42:02,290 --> 00:42:00,350
about in terms of promoting skeptical

1160
00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:02,300
activism at the grassroots level because

1161
00:42:08,470 --> 00:42:05,930
he he's the schoolteacher who set up the

1162
00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:08,480
skeptics club or skeptics society at

1163
00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:11,810
McKinnon Secondary College and within a

1164
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:14,690
very short time ended up on national

1165
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:17,210
television on the circle I believe

1166
00:42:21,750 --> 00:42:18,290
you've had a fair bit to do within

1167
00:42:24,250 --> 00:42:21,760
yourself Richard well he very kindly

1168
00:42:26,290 --> 00:42:24,260
refers to me as the man who sort of

1169
00:42:29,020 --> 00:42:26,300
inspired him a little bit to get that

1170
00:42:31,870 --> 00:42:29,030
going and I was very lucky enough or

1171
00:42:33,430 --> 00:42:31,880
some months ago now even as long ago as

1172
00:42:35,530 --> 00:42:33,440
last year I've sort of lost track of

1173
00:42:37,720 --> 00:42:35,540
time I visited his school and performed

1174
00:42:39,940 --> 00:42:37,730
or spoke for his group so that's very

1175
00:42:43,300 --> 00:42:39,950
exciting he's a guy an average guy at

1176
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:43,310
just a teacher who decided to try it out

1177
00:42:47,590 --> 00:42:45,170
for himself and started a skeptics club

1178
00:42:49,660 --> 00:42:47,600
and we're very proud of the work he's

1179
00:42:51,790 --> 00:42:49,670
been doing and of course somebody I

1180
00:42:53,770 --> 00:42:51,800
neglected to mention on that on the list

1181
00:42:55,090 --> 00:42:53,780
is some guy called Richard Saunders who

1182
00:42:57,460 --> 00:42:55,100
might be coming along to benders that's

1183
00:43:00,400 --> 00:42:57,470
right yes you didn't mention responders

1184
00:43:03,340 --> 00:43:00,410
is what we have some of the usual stars

1185
00:43:06,850 --> 00:43:03,350
like Richard Saunders and dr. Aegean and

1186
00:43:09,370 --> 00:43:06,860
Chrissie Wilson and of course ken harvey

1187
00:43:11,079 --> 00:43:09,380
the choice magazine consumers year award

1188
00:43:13,450 --> 00:43:11,089
winner and the Fred thorn at a war

1189
00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:13,460
winner from last year but yeah so we've

1190
00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:16,729
also got some of the lesser-known people

1191
00:43:22,269 --> 00:43:19,729
part from Adam who I think van

1192
00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:22,279
langenberg who I think he's really is

1193
00:43:28,749 --> 00:43:25,130
like I said what we're on about we've

1194
00:43:31,299 --> 00:43:28,759
also got someone from friends of science

1195
00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:31,309
in medicine or very worthwhile I can't

1196
00:43:38,499 --> 00:43:35,690
cam Martin who was recommended I think

1197
00:43:41,219 --> 00:43:38,509
Loretta Maron it was actually one of our

1198
00:43:43,479 --> 00:43:41,229
star performers in the skeptics movement

1199
00:43:45,910 --> 00:43:43,489
she's also a member of friends of

1200
00:43:51,249 --> 00:43:45,920
science and medicine she recommended him

1201
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:51,259
so we've got them because to me what

1202
00:43:58,809 --> 00:43:54,890
active skeptics of skepticism is and I'm

1203
00:44:02,440 --> 00:43:58,819
quoting directly from rebecca watson is

1204
00:44:05,140 --> 00:44:02,450
where science education and consumer

1205
00:44:10,089 --> 00:44:05,150
rights overlap right right that's not

1206
00:44:11,559 --> 00:44:10,099
bad yeah and that's pretty much what

1207
00:44:13,539 --> 00:44:11,569
some of those people are about and

1208
00:44:16,809 --> 00:44:13,549
particularly the the people the Friends

1209
00:44:20,019 --> 00:44:16,819
of science in medicine coming from the

1210
00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:20,029
position of scientific knowledge but

1211
00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:22,130
also looking at the rights of consumers

1212
00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:24,650
to to get a good product and get what

1213
00:44:32,049 --> 00:44:28,249
they paid for and they've been quite

1214
00:44:33,940 --> 00:44:32,059
active in addressing some of the issues

1215
00:44:36,069 --> 00:44:33,950
and what's taught at universities for

1216
00:44:39,450 --> 00:44:36,079
example and what sort of courses are

1217
00:44:42,219 --> 00:44:39,460
actually accepted in academic circle so

1218
00:44:43,660 --> 00:44:42,229
there another one so there's two there

1219
00:44:45,910 --> 00:44:43,670
that I'd mention on the website

1220
00:44:47,620 --> 00:44:45,920
currently is adam van langenberg and the

1221
00:44:49,029 --> 00:44:47,630
Friends of science and medicine well I'm

1222
00:44:51,700 --> 00:44:49,039
sure they'll make their way onto the

1223
00:44:53,859 --> 00:44:51,710
website now one of the highlights of

1224
00:44:55,959 --> 00:44:53,869
course every year of the the convention

1225
00:44:58,599 --> 00:44:55,969
beard big or small is the annual

1226
00:45:01,839 --> 00:44:58,609
convention dinner and I hope you've got

1227
00:45:03,459 --> 00:45:01,849
a signed up for that yes we're still um

1228
00:45:06,849 --> 00:45:03,469
we're still being a little bit flexible

1229
00:45:09,069 --> 00:45:06,859
we're a fair way out actually from the

1230
00:45:09,969 --> 00:45:09,079
convention and we're living our options

1231
00:45:11,979 --> 00:45:09,979
open with a couple of things

1232
00:45:13,719 --> 00:45:11,989
interestingly when we approached

1233
00:45:15,969 --> 00:45:13,729
Lawrence long we thought of him as

1234
00:45:19,660 --> 00:45:15,979
possibly being a performer at the dinner

1235
00:45:21,969 --> 00:45:19,670
he preferred to be a presenter during

1236
00:45:24,039 --> 00:45:21,979
the body of the conference I think one

1237
00:45:24,950 --> 00:45:24,049
of our star performers at the dinner is

1238
00:45:27,890 --> 00:45:24,960
going to be Bryant

1239
00:45:30,230 --> 00:45:27,900
who is the outreach coordinator of the

1240
00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:30,240
jf two of the other events apart from

1241
00:45:35,990 --> 00:45:32,970
the dinner there's the meet and greets

1242
00:45:37,970 --> 00:45:36,000
on the Friday night from 5 30 to 7 30

1243
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:37,980
which embed the Magnificent Melbourne

1244
00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:40,050
immigration museum and and the

1245
00:45:44,450 --> 00:45:42,570
convention dinner is at the Art Center

1246
00:45:46,430 --> 00:45:44,460
in Melbourne so there once again that

1247
00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:46,440
looks like a pretty nice thing so that

1248
00:45:52,609 --> 00:45:49,650
with the three menus that we've got a

1249
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:52,619
pretty good when we approached Randy he

1250
00:45:57,859 --> 00:45:54,450
said that he thought I said he would

1251
00:45:59,720 --> 00:45:57,869
come but DJ and Brian volunteered

1252
00:46:02,150 --> 00:45:59,730
themselves that's right well I'm not

1253
00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:02,160
surprised I know that James Randi loves

1254
00:46:06,380 --> 00:46:04,170
Australia dearly and any opportunity he

1255
00:46:08,690 --> 00:46:06,390
can to come here he does after all these

1256
00:46:10,609 --> 00:46:08,700
years and he's made many trips to this

1257
00:46:12,770 --> 00:46:10,619
country but it would be such a pleasure

1258
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:12,780
to see other members of the James Randi

1259
00:46:17,210 --> 00:46:15,570
Educational Foundation here as well and

1260
00:46:18,650 --> 00:46:17,220
especially to come to Melbourne at that

1261
00:46:21,290 --> 00:46:18,660
time of the year the end of november

1262
00:46:23,180 --> 00:46:21,300
friday the 30th november and starts to

1263
00:46:25,400 --> 00:46:23,190
sunday the second a December that's a

1264
00:46:27,260 --> 00:46:25,410
really nice time to be in Melbourne I'll

1265
00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:27,270
look I was going to make that point

1266
00:46:30,700 --> 00:46:29,130
myself it is it's a great time in the

1267
00:46:33,589 --> 00:46:30,710
other than norm because as we know

1268
00:46:37,430 --> 00:46:33,599
melbourne is famous for its variable and

1269
00:46:38,870 --> 00:46:37,440
interesting weather and that is probably

1270
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:38,880
one of the better times because

1271
00:46:42,349 --> 00:46:40,490
melbourne can get ugly hot in

1272
00:46:44,359 --> 00:46:42,359
january-february people don't realize

1273
00:46:47,230 --> 00:46:44,369
being at the bottom of the continent we

1274
00:46:50,180 --> 00:46:47,240
good always wins come off the desert so

1275
00:46:52,910 --> 00:46:50,190
january-february hard but november

1276
00:46:54,890 --> 00:46:52,920
december should be pretty good October's

1277
00:46:57,410 --> 00:46:54,900
the wettest month of the and that's over

1278
00:46:59,390 --> 00:46:57,420
I don't realize that too it's spring in

1279
00:47:00,770 --> 00:46:59,400
Melbourne and springing them can be

1280
00:47:03,109 --> 00:47:00,780
pretty wet but by then it should be

1281
00:47:05,750 --> 00:47:03,119
really nice lots of things to do is a

1282
00:47:07,250 --> 00:47:05,760
very big Cafe Society in Melbourne

1283
00:47:08,660 --> 00:47:07,260
particularly around log on Street which

1284
00:47:12,349 --> 00:47:08,670
is only a couple hundred meters from the

1285
00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:12,359
convention theatre so yeah I think it's

1286
00:47:15,290 --> 00:47:13,650
a good time to be coming to melbourne oh

1287
00:47:16,849 --> 00:47:15,300
I think anytime is a good time to visit

1288
00:47:18,650 --> 00:47:16,859
mel burden if you're from out of town

1289
00:47:20,839 --> 00:47:18,660
it's a wonderful city it's full of art

1290
00:47:22,670 --> 00:47:20,849
and culture and wonderful cafes but

1291
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:22,680
we're all very much looking forward to

1292
00:47:26,450 --> 00:47:24,810
visiting Melbourne for the Australian

1293
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:26,460
skeptics annual convention I can't wait

1294
00:47:31,099 --> 00:47:28,410
to see who wins the bench spoon this

1295
00:47:32,870 --> 00:47:31,109
year that's always a lesser I to me yeah

1296
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:32,880
that's I mean getting back to the dinner

1297
00:47:36,050 --> 00:47:35,010
as you mentioned apart from the people

1298
00:47:38,750 --> 00:47:36,060
who are going to be performing or

1299
00:47:41,780 --> 00:47:38,760
speaking there is the

1300
00:47:44,240 --> 00:47:41,790
the award for the bent spoon there is

1301
00:47:46,610 --> 00:47:44,250
there possibly be the skeptic of the

1302
00:47:50,330 --> 00:47:46,620
year and the presentation of the Fred

1303
00:47:51,860 --> 00:47:50,340
thorne at award again so that'll take up

1304
00:47:54,290 --> 00:47:51,870
a bit of time the other thing was the

1305
00:47:57,680 --> 00:47:54,300
dinner is that it's just a good chance

1306
00:48:00,380 --> 00:47:57,690
to be able to get together and have a

1307
00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:00,390
bit of fun and neat people so we're

1308
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:03,770
trying to reach a balance between

1309
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:06,330
entertaining people because if they're

1310
00:48:09,550 --> 00:48:07,770
paying for the dinner they need to get

1311
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:09,560
some content and get something out of it

1312
00:48:14,750 --> 00:48:12,090
with the opportunity still for people to

1313
00:48:16,310 --> 00:48:14,760
socialize so if it's too crammed with

1314
00:48:18,650 --> 00:48:16,320
speakers and people can't get a chance

1315
00:48:20,450 --> 00:48:18,660
to talk to the people on the table it

1316
00:48:22,850 --> 00:48:20,460
sort of defeats the purpose so it's

1317
00:48:24,500 --> 00:48:22,860
going to be an action-packed night but

1318
00:48:26,870 --> 00:48:24,510
it's also we're going to encourage

1319
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:26,880
people to to meet other people from all

1320
00:48:30,470 --> 00:48:29,010
around Australia and perhaps around the

1321
00:48:31,850 --> 00:48:30,480
world I think that's a wonderful idea

1322
00:48:34,070 --> 00:48:31,860
and it's certainly one of the things I

1323
00:48:36,290 --> 00:48:34,080
always look forward to when I'm going to

1324
00:48:38,210 --> 00:48:36,300
meetings be at the the town and Las

1325
00:48:40,010 --> 00:48:38,220
Vegas or conventions anywhere around the

1326
00:48:42,050 --> 00:48:40,020
world it's so nice just to meet people

1327
00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:42,060
have a drink and have a chat with them

1328
00:48:45,020 --> 00:48:43,530
and this sounds like a golden

1329
00:48:46,970 --> 00:48:45,030
opportunity now folks you've had the

1330
00:48:49,490 --> 00:48:46,980
word it's on at the end of november

1331
00:48:52,010 --> 00:48:49,500
friday the 30th or november to sunday

1332
00:48:54,530 --> 00:48:52,020
the second or december and since there

1333
00:48:56,150 --> 00:48:54,540
are only a limited number of tickets you

1334
00:48:58,910 --> 00:48:56,160
can bet those tickets are going to be

1335
00:49:00,290 --> 00:48:58,920
selling very fast I wouldn't miss out I

1336
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:00,300
certainly had never miss out on an

1337
00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:03,090
opportunity to see James Randi that

1338
00:49:07,130 --> 00:49:05,490
should be fantastic and the website once

1339
00:49:11,180 --> 00:49:07,140
again to grab those tickets while you

1340
00:49:14,510 --> 00:49:11,190
still can it's Vic skeptics word press

1341
00:49:15,980 --> 00:49:14,520
com Terry Kelly president of the

1342
00:49:18,380 --> 00:49:15,990
Victorian skeptics I wish you all the

1343
00:49:20,180 --> 00:49:18,390
best of luck in it in the coming month

1344
00:49:21,830 --> 00:49:20,190
thank you very much thank you very much

1345
00:49:23,690 --> 00:49:21,840
thank you for supporting us and thank

1346
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:23,700
you for agreeing to be one of the

1347
00:49:28,430 --> 00:49:26,130
presenters at the conference also here

1348
00:49:31,790 --> 00:49:28,440
like you said quite a number of tickets

1349
00:49:33,710 --> 00:49:31,800
have gone already I guess we had a

1350
00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:33,720
hundred early bird specials and they

1351
00:49:40,610 --> 00:49:37,170
went within a day or two so there's

1352
00:49:42,890 --> 00:49:40,620
steadily going up there are still plenty

1353
00:49:45,499 --> 00:49:42,900
available but so far the only tickets

1354
00:49:47,139 --> 00:49:45,509
have been available to me

1355
00:49:49,219 --> 00:49:47,149
the Victorian skeptical and and

1356
00:49:52,879 --> 00:49:49,229
particularly subscribers to the magazine

1357
00:49:54,799 --> 00:49:52,889
so there will be plenty left but so six

1358
00:49:57,019 --> 00:49:54,809
months out we think we're making real

1359
00:49:58,579 --> 00:49:57,029
progress so if you're thinking of

1360
00:50:01,339 --> 00:49:58,589
leaving at the last minute the buy a

1361
00:50:03,139 --> 00:50:01,349
ticket if you liked it that's right

1362
00:50:05,419 --> 00:50:03,149
folks don't leave it to the last minute

1363
00:50:07,219 --> 00:50:05,429
to buy your tickets Terry I can't wait

1364
00:50:09,949 --> 00:50:07,229
for the convention and I look forward to

1365
00:50:21,639 --> 00:50:09,959
seeing you at the end of november thanks

1366
00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:24,739
I'm Eugenie Scott executive director of

1367
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:26,130
the National Center for Science

1368
00:50:30,919 --> 00:50:29,130
Education in oakland california we

1369
00:50:32,749 --> 00:50:30,929
defend and support the teaching of

1370
00:50:34,609 --> 00:50:32,759
evolution and climate change when it

1371
00:50:36,739 --> 00:50:34,619
comes under attack for religious and

1372
00:50:39,169 --> 00:50:36,749
political reasons we help teachers

1373
00:50:41,809 --> 00:50:39,179
parents school boards and other citizens

1374
00:50:45,349 --> 00:50:41,819
defend good science in the schools come

1375
00:50:47,929 --> 00:50:45,359
visit us at ncc calm and on youtube and

1376
00:50:50,539 --> 00:50:47,939
facebook and let us know if science

1377
00:51:04,250 --> 00:50:50,549
comes under attack in your community we

1378
00:51:10,230 --> 00:51:06,840
thank you for listening to the skeptic

1379
00:51:13,560 --> 00:51:10,240
zone well it's all systems go now for

1380
00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:13,570
the amazing meeting before the amazing

1381
00:51:16,590 --> 00:51:14,890
meeting I'm going to be spending about a

1382
00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:16,600
week in the bay area which will be

1383
00:51:21,570 --> 00:51:18,970
really fabulous catching up with Eugenie

1384
00:51:23,910 --> 00:51:21,580
Scott I think I'm even giving a talk and

1385
00:51:25,530 --> 00:51:23,920
more details about that soon for those

1386
00:51:28,590 --> 00:51:25,540
in the Bay Area who may not be going to

1387
00:51:33,720 --> 00:51:28,600
Tam you can come by and see me talk on

1388
00:51:36,180 --> 00:51:33,730
the 11th I think it is the 11th of july

1389
00:51:38,130 --> 00:51:36,190
in the Bay Area more details about that

1390
00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:38,140
coming up in the next few weeks of the

1391
00:51:43,080 --> 00:51:41,170
skeptic zone as always I think most

1392
00:51:46,620 --> 00:51:43,090
people who chip into the skeptic zone

1393
00:51:49,380 --> 00:51:46,630
only 99 cents a week there are options

1394
00:51:51,390 --> 00:51:49,390
on the skeptics own TV website to chip

1395
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:51,400
in a bit more if you so wish or if you

1396
00:51:55,980 --> 00:51:54,010
just enjoy the show then I'm delighted

1397
00:51:57,630 --> 00:51:55,990
please keep enjoying the show you don't

1398
00:52:01,020 --> 00:51:57,640
have to subscribe but if you do I am

1399
00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:01,030
grateful but before I go let's do a

1400
00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:03,970
little prediction test I think I do this

1401
00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:05,530
a few months ago on the skeptic zone I'm

1402
00:52:12,180 --> 00:52:08,770
going to roll my 20-sided die here in

1403
00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:12,190
about 10 seconds 20 seconds everybody

1404
00:52:18,270 --> 00:52:14,530
think of a number between 1 and 20 come

1405
00:52:24,900 --> 00:52:18,280
on enough time you got the number in

1406
00:52:28,710 --> 00:52:24,910
your head here it comes to where's the

1407
00:52:30,660 --> 00:52:28,720
number folks who got it right until next

1408
00:52:39,830 --> 00:52:30,670
week this is Richard Saunders signing

1409
00:52:43,380 --> 00:52:42,240
you've been listening to the skeptic

1410
00:52:48,240 --> 00:52:43,390
zone

1411
00:52:51,299 --> 00:52:48,250
visit our website at www skeptics on TV