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welcome to the skeptic zone the podcast

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from Australia for science and reason

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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yes it's the skeptics own podcast

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episode number 581 for the 1st of

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December 2019 richardsaunders here with

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you from Sydney Australia coming up on

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this week's show skeptical activism

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getting out there getting up there in

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public doing something not sitting in

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your armchair being active I think you

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understand what I'm trying to say a week

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ago the talking to the dead performer

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John Edward was in Sydney and members of

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the Australian skeptics were on hand in

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the street to hand out information

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leaflets what happened was it a success

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what did we achieve did we have fun find

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out at the top of the show following

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that it's Tim Mendham the executive

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officer of Australian skeptics and

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editor of the skeptic magazine back

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again with a look at the history of

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skeptics in the pub in a segment called

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pint-sized fun and to round off the show

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in honor of the convention skeptic on

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coming up oh this time next week we'll

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be at skeptic on we're going to look at

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the media attention gained by the bent

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spoon award over the years other bent

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spoon award of course is awarded to the

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most preposterous piece of paranormal or

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pseudo scientific peer fall and if I

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remember now the very first Australian

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skeptics convention I attended was 20

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years ago 1999 it was in Adelaide and

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that year the winner of the bent spoon

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award was I think my Quilici the

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journalist my Quilici and the following

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year was a woman called yes machine or

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jazz Mahim a breatharian she claimed

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that she could live quite happily on air

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and she didn't need to eat or drink or

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anything like that anyway a rich history

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on the bent spoon find out some of the

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reports going back over the years later

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on in the show

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keep listening at the end of the show

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there's some more important

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announcements from me but now it's time

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for me to run downstairs and feed these

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to skeptics owned cats Henny Henrietta

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the skeptical cat one of the skeptical

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cats somehow managed to get herself

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locked in the studio last night and did

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a check but she was hiding somewhere so

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when I woke up this morning there were

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various meows coming from the door I

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opened it up in this little black and

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white streak of lightning zapped out of

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the room and ran downstairs for her

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breakfast sorry any okay you two come

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downstairs for breakfast while I do that

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I hope you enjoy the skeptic zone

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[Music]

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John Edward McGee known professionally

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as John Edward claims as do thousands of

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people around the world that he can talk

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with the dead not to the dead but with

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the dead in other words getting answers

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to questions or hearing messages from

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the dead Edward has been visiting

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Australia for many many many years

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usually coming in the middle of the year

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to do some speaking for the tour he

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conducts towards the end of the year it

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is a foregone conclusion that various

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media outlets magazines so on will

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automatically invite him on to be a

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guest and do the mind of the producer

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running a TV show or a magazine or a

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radio program a sceptical voice would

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only matter if they think that sceptical

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voice would add to the publicity in

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other words let's have a skeptic in to

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create some false balance other than

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that they know their audience and

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largely the audience wants to hear about

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people who talk to the dead inspired by

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actions taken in the UK Australian

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skeptics earlier this year fronted up to

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the performance of Sally Morgan a UK

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psychic who also does the rounds of

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Australia regularly and handed up flyers

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to people audience making their way in

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to see the show at the State Theatre

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here in Sydney a grand old theater

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I regret I was not available on that

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occasion however in the past week the

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occasion of John Edward appearing at the

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same Theatre arose and the Australian

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skeptics decided to front up once again

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it was thought best that me being a

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middle-aged man and could be conceived

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as being a bit intimidating although

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those who know me half would never think

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that however however to a stranger some

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tall bloke

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coming over with gray hair saying

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they'll do this or do that or whatever

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anyway it was decided that Trish and

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Lara would be the best to simply hand

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out flyers at the entrance to the State

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Theater

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I took position across the street to

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photograph and be on hand in case some

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people got particularly annoyed with

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Trish and Lara and there is a precedent

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for this because some years back at a

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Sally Morgan performance when skeptics

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were there to hand out flyers

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Sally Morgan's husband came out and was

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abusive and rude and threatening and

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this is all being captured on video

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nevertheless we pick up the story as I

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make my way to meet Lara and Trish at

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the Sydney Town Hall today is Sunday the

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24th of November 2019

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I'm downtown Sydney just outside of the

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Sydney Town Hall sitting at one of the

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new tram stops and the tram will start

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operating officially in about two weeks

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I think he comes one now under test

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there it goes gliding past

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[Music]

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I'm here to take part in a little

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exercise we're going to be handing out

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skeptical fliers to people outside the

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state theater because of the state

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theater none other than John Edward is

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appearing this afternoon John Edward who

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has been coming to Australia for roughly

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20 years and I think without fail every

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six months during those 20 years he

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appears once in the middle of the year

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to do a little bit of media and spooking

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and then that towards the end of the

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year to perform his stage routine

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talking to the dead talking to the dead

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and for years there's I guess the

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attitude is well what can we do this

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happens here after year after year after

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year many years ago many years ago the

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TV took an interest in a skeptical angle

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and I appeared on one of the TV shows

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about it but that was over a decade ago

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easily over a decade ago the investor

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with media don't care anymore he's just

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a fixture and he always gets a run on

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other media you know the good morning

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chat shows or this doubt of the women's

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magazines I don't want to sound make

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that sound the way it came out that

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trashy magazines usually aimed at women

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fashions and royal mews and Hollywood

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anyway that's his his territory is the

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tram sails away so I'm going to be

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meeting Lara from the committee and

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Trish Han and we'll see how it goes

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at the moment I'm scheduled to sort of

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hang in the background a little bit

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because for me to appear outside a

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psychic show like John Edward I my face

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is still after all these he's still

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reasonably known so it that might

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backfire and it was thought that it

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would be better not to have the

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middle-aged man trying to hand out

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leaflets at one of these things it would

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be a better approach to have young

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younger people anyway I can see Trish

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sitting on the steps we'll see how it

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goes it should be a very interesting

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Trish Han we were just approached by

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this kite handing out Scientology

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literature how about that yeah weird as

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right in the middle of town hall on the

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steps there's all sorts of things going

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on here there's no people protesting

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down there there's people going about

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their business and this dude's just

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handling it real casually yeah

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occasionally just handing out

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Scientology players yeah happy happy as

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Larry we might say now you've been

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involved with

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something similar to what we're going to

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do this afternoon in fact here in this

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country and also in the UK with Sally

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Morgan indeed yes so yeah it was back in

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in the winter so I think it was July I

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want to say she was here doing a show it

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didn't sell very well it was maybe two

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three hundred seats I think something

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like that in Sydney so we came along and

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we handed out the same flyers over

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handing out tonight just informing

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people of what to look for in with

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regards to you know cold reading and the

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usual things that the psychics go for

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that's not a sound effect by the way

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folks it's a real town hall clock chime

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proved that we're in town hall and we're

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not in a soundstage yeah so it's just

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about things like to look out for like

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one of the usual predatory things they

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go for and also to actually just look

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after yourself and make sure that you're

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not being vulnerable yes and and we're

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not being what's the word we're not

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being pigheaded about it bombastic no

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it's very it's very general I hope yeah

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I mean the whole idea of it is is to

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educate people and you don't educate

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them by either scaring them or

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threatening them yeah so the way that

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you educate people is by saying like hey

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have you considered this have you looked

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at this and the good thing as well is

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the wording of the leaflet is it's very

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its benign like it's not accusatory in

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any way it's just hey look here some

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things to look out for see if you spot

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any of them and if you don't then

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fantastic you're gonna have an

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entertaining night but here are some red

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flags that you need to be aware of yeah

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yeah now you you worked on that I worked

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on that some other people worked on that

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and I think is pretty good the flyer

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yeah it just points out some things give

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some URLs and so on yeah it gets taken

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from a fly that was having that I won't

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name the guy but a few years back in

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London I was involved in a an event

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shall we say where a guy handed out

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flyers outside of a selling Morgan event

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in London and it all went a bit south

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because Sonny Morgan's husband came out

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and threatened really really very

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aggressively and so I was there like all

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the people there filming just so she see

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it happened before at a previous date

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and he wanted to get some backup this

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time so he filmed it and it was pretty

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horrific to watch actually yeah so yeah

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the wording is very very well thought

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it's all happening here at the Town Hall

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steps folks it's it's a popular meeting

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place here in Sydney and all sorts of

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things are happening is that all no

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there's a proposal

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look at this that was funny or yet now

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you're just getting back to yes so Sally

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Morgan's husband who in a bit ballistic

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and I must say a similar thing happened

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to me in a respect years and years ago I

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went to mind buddy wallet and I was

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pointing out something to one of the

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people selling a certain brand of Magic

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Band and he got very short with me very

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00:13:03,379 --> 00:13:01,319
quickly and said a very rude word to be

274
00:13:04,939 --> 00:13:03,389
indeed and told me basically will you

275
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:04,949
please remove yourself from my vicinity

276
00:13:12,410 --> 00:13:09,410
or the way he broke was nice a bit more

277
00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:12,420
so and I thought it could me later of

278
00:13:15,259 --> 00:13:14,910
course they don't want someone like you

279
00:13:17,119 --> 00:13:15,269
or me

280
00:13:19,429 --> 00:13:17,129
tumbling now there you're threatening

281
00:13:22,249 --> 00:13:19,439
their livelihood and the thing is as

282
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:22,259
well it's it's a go-to reaction of

283
00:13:25,970 --> 00:13:23,730
people that know that they are actually

284
00:13:27,199 --> 00:13:25,980
in the wrong if you if you're in the

285
00:13:28,699 --> 00:13:27,209
right then you'll usually counter it

286
00:13:30,139 --> 00:13:28,709
with like the proof that you're in the

287
00:13:31,850 --> 00:13:30,149
right and their evidence and that kind

288
00:13:33,289 --> 00:13:31,860
of stuff and like maybe you get a bit

289
00:13:34,850 --> 00:13:33,299
exasperated and then you start swearing

290
00:13:36,289 --> 00:13:34,860
later on but if your first option is to

291
00:13:38,179 --> 00:13:36,299
start throwing punches and start getting

292
00:13:40,460 --> 00:13:38,189
aggressive you know that you're on

293
00:13:42,070 --> 00:13:40,470
totally yeah and it's a dead giveaway to

294
00:13:43,750 --> 00:13:42,080
us

295
00:13:46,030 --> 00:13:43,760
I think that would be the case see if

296
00:13:48,370 --> 00:13:46,040
you truly believe in something a lot of

297
00:13:50,380 --> 00:13:48,380
the times you want to try and impart

298
00:13:53,110 --> 00:13:50,390
your you want to evangelize you want to

299
00:13:55,930 --> 00:13:53,120
evangelize I saw this great movie let me

300
00:13:57,250 --> 00:13:55,940
tell you about exactly and that's the

301
00:14:00,220 --> 00:13:57,260
thing as well is that when these people

302
00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:00,230
are there at these events the last thing

303
00:14:03,070 --> 00:14:01,250
they want is for other people to

304
00:14:04,780 --> 00:14:03,080
overhear and eavesdrop on these

305
00:14:06,580 --> 00:14:04,790
conversations so they actually if they

306
00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:06,590
can threaten you really short and sharp

307
00:14:09,730 --> 00:14:08,690
get you gone then it's not a drawn-out

308
00:14:11,110 --> 00:14:09,740
thing ways if you're standing there

309
00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:11,120
asking questions over and over and over

310
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:12,170
again people might be listening and

311
00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:14,210
going that's a very good point so I

312
00:14:17,290 --> 00:14:15,710
think it's in their interest actually to

313
00:14:20,020 --> 00:14:17,300
be really aggressive very very quickly

314
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:20,030
so that you do disappear then the next

315
00:14:23,890 --> 00:14:21,650
you know the next mark can come along

316
00:14:26,290 --> 00:14:23,900
and be scanned and hopefully this this

317
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:26,300
flyer what it says on it and things to

318
00:14:31,930 --> 00:14:29,810
look out for sadly you know why is the

319
00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:31,940
psychic asking so many questions and

320
00:14:33,850 --> 00:14:33,650
getting so much all sorts of things like

321
00:14:35,590 --> 00:14:33,860
that

322
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:35,600
yeah and just little things as well like

323
00:14:39,130 --> 00:14:37,370
are you currently grieving are you

324
00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:39,140
currently vulnerable are you looking for

325
00:14:42,460 --> 00:14:40,970
actual answers to things or do you just

326
00:14:44,290 --> 00:14:42,470
want reassurance it's that kind of stuff

327
00:14:46,150 --> 00:14:44,300
as well because you know a term quite

328
00:14:48,340 --> 00:14:46,160
frequently used as their grief vampires

329
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:48,350
and they absolutely are and my concern

330
00:14:52,420 --> 00:14:49,970
is that how many of these people going

331
00:14:54,580 --> 00:14:52,430
to the show are actually like suffering

332
00:14:56,170 --> 00:14:54,590
like how many of them have recently lost

333
00:14:57,550 --> 00:14:56,180
someone maybe there's someone they lost

334
00:14:58,420 --> 00:14:57,560
a long time ago and they just cannot

335
00:15:00,040 --> 00:14:58,430
deal with it

336
00:15:01,740 --> 00:15:00,050
they are absolutely vulnerable and

337
00:15:04,420 --> 00:15:01,750
they're paying like hundreds of dollars

338
00:15:06,100 --> 00:15:04,430
oftentimes to you know it'll be just

339
00:15:07,330 --> 00:15:06,110
your local person that you go along and

340
00:15:10,020 --> 00:15:07,340
chat to but sometimes it is for these

341
00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:10,030
big stage shows and they're very

342
00:15:16,890 --> 00:15:13,450
it's just so unscrupulous it really is

343
00:15:19,530 --> 00:15:16,900
it really is all right so let's see The

344
00:15:24,150 --> 00:15:19,540
Times just says Big Ben behind us just

345
00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:24,160
from 2:00 to 2:30 just after 2:30 there

346
00:15:28,020 --> 00:15:25,690
goes another one of these / new trams

347
00:15:30,030 --> 00:15:28,030
how about that in fact I was sitting at

348
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:30,040
the trans stop just a minute ago and I

349
00:15:33,350 --> 00:15:31,450
had tourists coming up to me asking me

350
00:15:35,370 --> 00:15:33,360
where they could buy tickets not yet

351
00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:35,380
they're still under testing where they

352
00:15:40,530 --> 00:15:37,690
look great next month next month come to

353
00:15:43,110 --> 00:15:40,540
Sydney next month all right stay tuned

354
00:15:47,610 --> 00:15:43,120
in a moment we will find out what

355
00:15:52,470 --> 00:15:49,940
[Music]

356
00:15:54,810 --> 00:15:52,480
I'm standing on the opposite side of the

357
00:15:56,310 --> 00:15:54,820
state theatre on the other side of the

358
00:16:00,009 --> 00:15:56,320
door of the State Theatre the entrance

359
00:16:04,319 --> 00:16:02,230
they're pliers and they

360
00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:04,329
it's really working

361
00:16:09,890 --> 00:16:06,610
people are interested they're looking as

362
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:13,490
live at the state psychic medium john

363
00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:16,210
edwards sunday 24th an event

364
00:16:22,210 --> 00:16:19,260
so far

365
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:22,220
it's very low-key

366
00:16:30,830 --> 00:16:28,390
taking the Flyers

367
00:16:32,510 --> 00:16:30,840
we have a situation now that the crowds

368
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:32,520
lined up outside the door person doors

369
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:37,190
we've got a hundred people so waiting

370
00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:43,389
soon I think I'll open the doors and

371
00:16:51,940 --> 00:16:49,430
too many people wolf impossible to

372
00:16:57,750 --> 00:16:51,950
collect the clients

373
00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:07,199
80% of women

374
00:17:13,300 --> 00:17:08,639
the surprise I think that's the target

375
00:17:18,130 --> 00:17:16,300
okay a couple of couple women through

376
00:17:19,980 --> 00:17:18,140
their Flyers baguette races they cook

377
00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:19,990
together

378
00:17:39,299 --> 00:17:33,570
none unexpected I guess it's over Cheers

379
00:17:40,889 --> 00:17:39,309
hmm oh that's nice whoo Trish and Lara

380
00:17:43,409 --> 00:17:40,899
what a fantastic job it went very well

381
00:17:45,830 --> 00:17:43,419
it was brief but good yep it was about

382
00:17:48,210 --> 00:17:45,840
15 20 minutes

383
00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:48,220
it was about half an hour wasn't really

384
00:17:54,149 --> 00:17:50,850
a time flies when you're interested in

385
00:17:56,130 --> 00:17:54,159
how was it yeah I mean you all have that

386
00:17:57,389 --> 00:17:56,140
constant state of mild anxiety but

387
00:17:58,830 --> 00:17:57,399
someone's gonna punch you in the back of

388
00:18:00,389 --> 00:17:58,840
the head as they walk away and having

389
00:18:03,299 --> 00:18:00,399
read it and there were some people that

390
00:18:04,649 --> 00:18:03,309
were a bit annoyed but most people

391
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:04,659
actually just read it and realize that

392
00:18:08,580 --> 00:18:06,250
it wasn't aggressive and it wasn't

393
00:18:10,380 --> 00:18:08,590
confrontational and I'm sure a lot of

394
00:18:13,799 --> 00:18:10,390
people just going for fun and therefore

395
00:18:16,019 --> 00:18:13,809
no worries yeah and you were giving up

396
00:18:17,909 --> 00:18:16,029
quite a few flies too you're on you're

397
00:18:19,529 --> 00:18:17,919
on the side where the people and the

398
00:18:21,139 --> 00:18:19,539
people most peculiar on your side Trish

399
00:18:23,430 --> 00:18:21,149
outside the door but you were still

400
00:18:24,899 --> 00:18:23,440
quite successfully giving away flies

401
00:18:26,610 --> 00:18:24,909
yeah so I was just having to try to

402
00:18:27,930 --> 00:18:26,620
guess who was going in and then ask them

403
00:18:30,510 --> 00:18:27,940
the question are you going into the show

404
00:18:32,220 --> 00:18:30,520
and they for the most part I didn't have

405
00:18:33,930 --> 00:18:32,230
the most negative thing I had happened

406
00:18:35,490 --> 00:18:33,940
was one lady had a bit of a read and

407
00:18:37,649 --> 00:18:35,500
handed it back to me extremely politely

408
00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:37,659
and then her the person she was with

409
00:18:42,180 --> 00:18:40,809
came and asked to take one anyway they

410
00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:42,190
were they were literally coming in like

411
00:18:45,330 --> 00:18:43,510
some people were coming in asking for a

412
00:18:47,190 --> 00:18:45,340
couple more for their friends so I

413
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:47,200
didn't have any dramas at all well you

414
00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:51,010
said earlier to John Edward welcome

415
00:18:56,370 --> 00:18:53,710
skeptics yes so they should be delighted

416
00:18:58,169 --> 00:18:56,380
to get it like that and nothing on that

417
00:18:59,639 --> 00:18:58,179
flyer is much different from what he was

418
00:19:01,350 --> 00:18:59,649
saying himself about there are people

419
00:19:04,350 --> 00:19:01,360
out there who are predatory who make

420
00:19:06,210 --> 00:19:04,360
stuff up fantastic it accepts you know

421
00:19:07,769 --> 00:19:06,220
it's the whole thing of like atheists

422
00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:07,779
only believe in one less God than you do

423
00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:11,470
it's that whole kind of you know folks

424
00:19:15,539 --> 00:19:13,510
what I'll do is I'll put a link in this

425
00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:15,549
week's show notes to the flyer itself

426
00:19:21,149 --> 00:19:19,330
and next I'll see what we can do maybe

427
00:19:22,419 --> 00:19:21,159
we can have a generic version that has

428
00:19:24,430 --> 00:19:22,429
mmm

429
00:19:27,730 --> 00:19:24,440
without certain information on even

430
00:19:29,620 --> 00:19:27,740
Everland it was amazingly successful and

431
00:19:32,260 --> 00:19:29,630
what I hope what I hope is to inspire

432
00:19:34,049 --> 00:19:32,270
other people around the world to do the

433
00:19:42,220 --> 00:19:34,059
similar sort of thing so once again

434
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:42,230
Trish and Lara cheers and build up if

435
00:19:47,169 --> 00:19:44,450
you're interested in printing out this

436
00:19:50,649 --> 00:19:47,179
flyer for yourself just follow the link

437
00:19:51,669 --> 00:19:50,659
in this week's show notes it's it's a

438
00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:51,679
good overview

439
00:19:58,659 --> 00:19:54,470
it's very gently written and you can

440
00:20:01,000 --> 00:19:58,669
download and print out the PDF it's not

441
00:20:03,639 --> 00:20:01,010
easy to front up and hand out flyers to

442
00:20:06,610 --> 00:20:03,649
people going into a psychic show with

443
00:20:08,110 --> 00:20:06,620
the ever-present thought in the back of

444
00:20:09,730 --> 00:20:08,120
your mind that somebody might take

445
00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:09,740
particular offense and get a beautiful

446
00:20:16,210 --> 00:20:13,760
rude or even worse I'm full of

447
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:16,220
admiration for Trish Hann and Lara

448
00:20:23,019 --> 00:20:20,510
Benham and I suspect we'll be back next

449
00:20:26,889 --> 00:20:23,029
year to do it all over again because for

450
00:20:28,470 --> 00:20:26,899
john edward australia is indeed a very

451
00:20:41,830 --> 00:20:28,480
happy hunting ground

452
00:20:47,659 --> 00:20:44,960
hi everyone my name's sue you're Archie

453
00:20:49,789 --> 00:20:47,669
I'll be presenting at skeptic on this

454
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:49,799
year what I'll be talking to you about

455
00:20:55,269 --> 00:20:53,730
is presenting anti-science bingo where

456
00:20:58,970 --> 00:20:55,279
we go through all of the most common

457
00:21:00,409 --> 00:20:58,980
anti science tropes I hope you debunk

458
00:21:02,539 --> 00:21:00,419
them and I'll give you all the

459
00:21:04,789 --> 00:21:02,549
information that you need to have a

460
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:04,799
discussion at your next dinner party I

461
00:21:23,220 --> 00:21:07,410
look forward to seeing you there

462
00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:23,230
[Music]

463
00:21:28,210 --> 00:21:25,970
hi I'm Jim Enderman the executive

464
00:21:29,350 --> 00:21:28,220
officer of Australian skeptics and I'd

465
00:21:30,730 --> 00:21:29,360
like to talk to you about some of the

466
00:21:37,330 --> 00:21:30,740
stuff we've published in the skeptic

467
00:21:39,610 --> 00:21:37,340
magazine in the past this episode called

468
00:21:43,330 --> 00:21:39,620
pint-sized fun and it comes out of the

469
00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:43,340
skeptic magazine volume 37 number 4

470
00:21:53,620 --> 00:21:51,620
which was published in December 2017 in

471
00:21:55,630 --> 00:21:53,630
Australia we've had a long and close

472
00:21:57,790 --> 00:21:55,640
association with the history of those

473
00:22:00,880 --> 00:21:57,800
informal gatherings known as skeptics in

474
00:22:04,180 --> 00:22:00,890
the pub now wikipedia defines skeptics

475
00:22:06,190 --> 00:22:04,190
of the pub as quote an informal social

476
00:22:08,380 --> 00:22:06,200
event designed to promote fellowship and

477
00:22:10,180 --> 00:22:08,390
social networking among skeptics

478
00:22:11,590 --> 00:22:10,190
critical thinkers free thinkers

479
00:22:14,140 --> 00:22:11,600
rationalist and other like-minded

480
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:14,150
individuals it provides an opportunity

481
00:22:18,820 --> 00:22:16,970
for skeptics to talk share ideas and

482
00:22:21,010 --> 00:22:18,830
have fun in a casual atmosphere and

483
00:22:24,220 --> 00:22:21,020
discuss whatever topic issues come to

484
00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:24,230
mind while promoting skepticism science

485
00:22:28,450 --> 00:22:26,810
and rationality now of course that

486
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:28,460
leaves out a key ingredient which is the

487
00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:30,890
pub meeting in a convivial environment

488
00:22:34,390 --> 00:22:32,450
with drinks and hopefully a meal a

489
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:34,400
speaker and probably some interesting

490
00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:37,490
intriguing and/or rude questions means

491
00:22:42,610 --> 00:22:39,650
the venue has to lend itself to such

492
00:22:44,350 --> 00:22:42,620
activities and generally not charging

493
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:44,360
for admission which means there aren't

494
00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:46,010
that many places where such gatherings

495
00:22:51,730 --> 00:22:49,370
can take place some are quite small a

496
00:22:54,370 --> 00:22:51,740
table in the corner may do and others

497
00:22:55,810 --> 00:22:54,380
require a room dedicated to the event so

498
00:22:58,060 --> 00:22:55,820
your choice of venue will be very much

499
00:23:00,790 --> 00:22:58,070
decided by what sort of meeting you

500
00:23:02,530 --> 00:23:00,800
intended to be the skeptics in the pub

501
00:23:05,740 --> 00:23:02,540
movement it's generally agreed to have

502
00:23:07,270 --> 00:23:05,750
started in London in 1999 and here's

503
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:07,280
where the Australian connection raises

504
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:09,890
its head doctor Scott Campbell was

505
00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:11,330
associate professor and reader in

506
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:13,190
philosophy at the University of

507
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:16,730
Nottingham a creeper tonicity was born

508
00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:18,770
in Tasmania he got his doctorate from

509
00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:20,330
the University of New South Wales in

510
00:23:24,490 --> 00:23:22,310
Sydney and was on the committee of

511
00:23:25,470 --> 00:23:24,500
Australian skeptics Inc in Sydney during

512
00:23:27,820 --> 00:23:25,480
the midnight

513
00:23:30,700 --> 00:23:27,830
he also spoke of the third-world

514
00:23:32,710 --> 00:23:30,710
skeptics convention in 2000 at that time

515
00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:32,720
the largest sceptical event ever held in

516
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:35,510
Australia the London skeptic in the pub

517
00:23:40,510 --> 00:23:37,850
started in February 1999 with the first

518
00:23:42,340 --> 00:23:40,520
speaker being Wendy Grossman who was the

519
00:23:45,310 --> 00:23:42,350
founder and editor of the UK skeptic

520
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:45,320
magazine Campbell based the idea around

521
00:23:50,110 --> 00:23:47,810
philosophy in the pub and science in the

522
00:23:52,930 --> 00:23:50,120
pub there were two groups which had been

523
00:23:54,340 --> 00:23:52,940
running in Australia for some time with

524
00:23:57,490 --> 00:23:54,350
the first London skeptic of the pub

525
00:24:00,790 --> 00:23:57,500
attracted 30 attendees it's still going

526
00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:00,800
and now joined by many others Wikipedia

527
00:24:05,950 --> 00:24:03,710
suggests more than 100 active satellite

528
00:24:07,990 --> 00:24:05,960
chapters around the world including more

529
00:24:10,930 --> 00:24:08,000
than 30 in the US and more than 40 in

530
00:24:11,860 --> 00:24:10,940
the UK calling them satellites of course

531
00:24:14,110 --> 00:24:11,870
is misleading

532
00:24:16,450 --> 00:24:14,120
while some skeptics in the pubs are

533
00:24:18,610 --> 00:24:16,460
activities run by more established

534
00:24:20,230 --> 00:24:18,620
skeptical groups one of the key aspects

535
00:24:23,740 --> 00:24:20,240
of skeptics in the pub is that they are

536
00:24:25,570 --> 00:24:23,750
informal and run their own programs the

537
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:25,580
Glasgow skeptics decided to investigate

538
00:24:30,850 --> 00:24:28,010
the true status of the phenomenon and

539
00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:30,860
did a global survey of skeptics in the

540
00:24:36,220 --> 00:24:33,710
pub managers and organizers Glasgow

541
00:24:38,860 --> 00:24:36,230
sceptics itself was formed in 2009 and

542
00:24:41,380 --> 00:24:38,870
runs two pub meetings per month as well

543
00:24:44,140 --> 00:24:41,390
as other meetings and lectures the glass

544
00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:44,150
regions contacted 115 organizations

545
00:24:48,010 --> 00:24:46,220
around the world by the skeptics and the

546
00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:48,020
pub's own websites Facebook Twitter

547
00:24:55,090 --> 00:24:50,510
Email etc whatever means the particular

548
00:24:57,310 --> 00:24:55,100
si TP used they heard back from 53 of

549
00:25:00,430 --> 00:24:57,320
them in the UK Ireland they approached

550
00:25:02,170 --> 00:25:00,440
53 and had 28 responses both sets of

551
00:25:05,530 --> 00:25:02,180
responses can be seen to be a good

552
00:25:08,050 --> 00:25:05,540
representative sample of the entirety of

553
00:25:10,330 --> 00:25:08,060
the skeptics in the pub movement one

554
00:25:12,790 --> 00:25:10,340
issue is knowing whether those skeptics

555
00:25:15,010 --> 00:25:12,800
in the pub that did not respond or

556
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:15,020
either inactive or just a bit apathetic

557
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:17,330
it can be a frustration to would-be

558
00:25:22,750 --> 00:25:19,730
attendees if they visit a meet-up page

559
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:22,760
and see little to indicate whether a

560
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:24,410
meeting is on or not is even more

561
00:25:27,310 --> 00:25:26,090
frustrating if they take the plunge and

562
00:25:29,610 --> 00:25:27,320
turn up for a skeptics in the pub

563
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:29,620
meeting and find there's no one there to

564
00:25:34,660 --> 00:25:31,850
a certain extent however this is

565
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:34,670
understandable skeptics in the pubs are

566
00:25:38,710 --> 00:25:37,010
launched with the best of intentions but

567
00:25:41,290 --> 00:25:38,720
because of various factors such

568
00:25:43,540 --> 00:25:41,300
there just isn't an audience or key

569
00:25:45,970 --> 00:25:43,550
organizers move on they can fall by the

570
00:25:47,650 --> 00:25:45,980
wayside there have been various like

571
00:25:50,140 --> 00:25:47,660
that in Australia though currently there

572
00:25:52,750 --> 00:25:50,150
are 19 groups listed in the pages of our

573
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:52,760
skeptic magazine most of which but not

574
00:25:56,700 --> 00:25:54,770
all are active in holding meetings and

575
00:25:58,870 --> 00:25:56,710
sometimes take on more active roles

576
00:26:01,720 --> 00:25:58,880
should add DAC to you that the skeptics

577
00:26:05,110 --> 00:26:01,730
in the pub in Sydney was founded by your

578
00:26:07,630 --> 00:26:05,120
host Richard Saunders now the UK groups

579
00:26:09,610 --> 00:26:07,640
5 had only one organizer which puts

580
00:26:11,770 --> 00:26:09,620
groups at a risk of fading if that one

581
00:26:13,540 --> 00:26:11,780
person decides enough is enough gets

582
00:26:15,090 --> 00:26:13,550
transferred or for whatever reason pulls

583
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:15,100
out of the organiser role

584
00:26:19,090 --> 00:26:17,450
conversely 8 groups had five or more

585
00:26:21,850 --> 00:26:19,100
organizers which implies a good backup

586
00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:21,860
for all contingencies and hopefully not

587
00:26:26,620 --> 00:26:24,890
many arguments over the direction 34 the

588
00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:26,630
skeptics and the pub's who responded

589
00:26:31,630 --> 00:26:28,310
have Facebook pages and tweety have

590
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:31,640
Facebook groups three years 2030 to meet

591
00:26:39,130 --> 00:26:34,970
up nine years YouTube and three each for

592
00:26:40,570 --> 00:26:39,140
both Instagram and Google+ six groups

593
00:26:43,180 --> 00:26:40,580
frequently are always paid for

594
00:26:45,850 --> 00:26:43,190
advertising with five occasionally seven

595
00:26:49,330 --> 00:26:45,860
rarely and the vast majority 31 never

596
00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:49,340
using paid advertising but if they do

597
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:51,050
use a wide range of media to promote

598
00:26:55,810 --> 00:26:53,570
events apart from facebook twitter and

599
00:26:58,450 --> 00:26:55,820
meetup there is promotion via other

600
00:27:01,300 --> 00:26:58,460
groups asking speakers to promote their

601
00:27:03,790 --> 00:27:01,310
own talk newsletters boosted Facebook

602
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:03,800
events using keywords flyers selecting a

603
00:27:07,540 --> 00:27:05,930
couple of high-profile speakers during

604
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:07,550
the year to encourage a regular audience

605
00:27:11,830 --> 00:27:10,250
and of course word of mouth one even

606
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:11,840
resorted to using posters in the pub

607
00:27:18,550 --> 00:27:14,810
toilets with Facebook followers nine

608
00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:18,560
groups had 250 of less or less and four

609
00:27:24,790 --> 00:27:21,170
had more than 2,000 the rest are largely

610
00:27:27,250 --> 00:27:24,800
gathered around the 350 to 1000 mark so

611
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:27,260
how often do they meet at the bottom end

612
00:27:33,490 --> 00:27:30,410
10 groups hosted 5 or less events per

613
00:27:35,470 --> 00:27:33,500
year at the top end two groups hosted

614
00:27:37,660 --> 00:27:35,480
more than 30 which is close to three per

615
00:27:40,990 --> 00:27:37,670
month it's a lot

616
00:27:42,820 --> 00:27:41,000
the vast majority hosts between 6 and 15

617
00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:42,830
events so we can say monthly meetings

618
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:45,440
are the norm as to the size of the

619
00:27:49,450 --> 00:27:46,730
meetings 5 groups had an average

620
00:27:52,180 --> 00:27:49,460
attendance of 10 people or less which is

621
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:52,190
intimate with 7 averaging more than

622
00:27:57,970 --> 00:27:55,970
50 the Sydney skeptics in the pub does

623
00:28:00,009 --> 00:27:57,980
get more than 50 on a general basis

624
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:00,019
the rest are fairly evenly staggered

625
00:28:05,259 --> 00:28:02,570
between 11 and 15 in the UK the average

626
00:28:08,740 --> 00:28:05,269
donation made by 10 bees is 2 pounds and

627
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:08,750
seventy pence in Australia we don't

628
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:10,129
charge for attendance and will take

629
00:28:16,029 --> 00:28:13,730
anybody so what advice did these these

630
00:28:18,249 --> 00:28:16,039
groups and these managers of the STPs

631
00:28:20,499 --> 00:28:18,259
offer up for those who would like to set

632
00:28:23,619 --> 00:28:20,509
up a skeptics in the pub or get their

633
00:28:26,019 --> 00:28:23,629
running more smoothly consistency of

634
00:28:28,180 --> 00:28:26,029
timing and format is an important aspect

635
00:28:31,269 --> 00:28:28,190
of keeping audiences interested same

636
00:28:33,039 --> 00:28:31,279
venue same time same date said 1 UK

637
00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:33,049
group and that's pretty good advice

638
00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:35,570
generally one Australian sceptic in the

639
00:28:40,119 --> 00:28:37,730
pub put it promote early and promote

640
00:28:42,639 --> 00:28:40,129
often get on the podcast especially for

641
00:28:44,499 --> 00:28:42,649
bigger events like sketchy camps we

642
00:28:46,419 --> 00:28:44,509
rarely if ever pay for a promotion you

643
00:28:47,919 --> 00:28:46,429
share links into the regional skeptical

644
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:47,929
groups we regularly get people from

645
00:28:52,690 --> 00:28:50,210
interstate for our sceptic amps we get

646
00:28:55,779 --> 00:28:52,700
people sharing the events another

647
00:28:57,460 --> 00:28:55,789
Australian group tip number one develop

648
00:29:00,430 --> 00:28:57,470
an ongoing relationship with a manager

649
00:29:02,110 --> 00:29:00,440
of the venue always bear in mind it is a

650
00:29:03,279 --> 00:29:02,120
business for them and holding your event

651
00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:03,289
has to be commercially viable

652
00:29:07,149 --> 00:29:05,000
particularly if they are putting on

653
00:29:08,499 --> 00:29:07,159
extra staff for the event for instance

654
00:29:10,330 --> 00:29:08,509
some will actually charge you to use the

655
00:29:13,299 --> 00:29:10,340
venue others will say you have to have a

656
00:29:14,889 --> 00:29:13,309
minimum spend on on booze and and meals

657
00:29:18,789 --> 00:29:14,899
and I know that I did my fair share

658
00:29:20,049 --> 00:29:18,799
relating to that minimum spend being

659
00:29:21,820 --> 00:29:20,059
properly prepared as a regular

660
00:29:24,460 --> 00:29:21,830
suggestion especially with appropriate

661
00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:24,470
seating theater-style or dinner and

662
00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:26,870
ensuring you have the correct AV for all

663
00:29:31,509 --> 00:29:29,450
occasions one group suggested providing

664
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:31,519
laptops for presenters to make sure they

665
00:29:35,889 --> 00:29:34,370
are compatible with the venue having a

666
00:29:38,379 --> 00:29:35,899
well thought-out checklists for both

667
00:29:40,690 --> 00:29:38,389
prior and during the event is obviously

668
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:40,700
vital make sure everyone knows what they

669
00:29:45,399 --> 00:29:44,090
have to do and they're prepared finding

670
00:29:47,769 --> 00:29:45,409
good speakers can be a challenge

671
00:29:49,419 --> 00:29:47,779
generally recommendations from attendees

672
00:29:52,090 --> 00:29:49,429
or committee members is a good starting

673
00:29:53,860 --> 00:29:52,100
point once you have one prepping them is

674
00:29:56,139 --> 00:29:53,870
important so they are aware of how much

675
00:29:57,490 --> 00:29:56,149
time they have what they can expect from

676
00:30:00,279 --> 00:29:57,500
the audience and what level of

677
00:30:01,749 --> 00:30:00,289
information they will need to have most

678
00:30:04,749 --> 00:30:01,759
sceptical audience are pretty well

679
00:30:06,070 --> 00:30:04,759
educated have an interest in science but

680
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:06,080
few of them have PhDs in

681
00:30:09,430 --> 00:30:07,970
advanced mathematical theory so try and

682
00:30:12,820 --> 00:30:09,440
steer clear of the really heavy end of

683
00:30:15,159 --> 00:30:12,830
the scale always have a plan B it says

684
00:30:16,570 --> 00:30:15,169
one New Zealand group and most

685
00:30:19,860 --> 00:30:16,580
importantly is one Danish groups

686
00:30:22,149 --> 00:30:19,870
suggests a good place with decent beer

687
00:30:23,799 --> 00:30:22,159
after all the quantitative stuff and

688
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:23,809
good advice the Glasgow survey allowed

689
00:30:29,230 --> 00:30:26,690
respondents free reign to wax lyrical on

690
00:30:30,100 --> 00:30:29,240
issues they faced sometimes you wonder

691
00:30:32,049 --> 00:30:30,110
why they do it

692
00:30:34,870 --> 00:30:32,059
for instance for one New Zealand group

693
00:30:37,299 --> 00:30:34,880
they said that was a cold rainy night

694
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:37,309
and there was me and one other person

695
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:40,130
who turned up so not a lot of

696
00:30:44,139 --> 00:30:41,450
interesting questions I don't think at

697
00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:44,149
that meeting they could be particularly

698
00:30:48,039 --> 00:30:45,289
embarrassing when you have a high

699
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:48,049
profile speaker who arrives and there

700
00:30:52,029 --> 00:30:49,370
are more people behind the bar than in

701
00:30:53,169 --> 00:30:52,039
the audience when European group

702
00:30:56,110 --> 00:30:53,179
reported on a particularly challenging

703
00:30:59,080 --> 00:30:56,120
event we had a sceptical event about

704
00:31:01,750 --> 00:30:59,090
Satanism they said when two very drunk

705
00:31:03,970 --> 00:31:01,760
bonafide esata neurs turn up and ended

706
00:31:06,810 --> 00:31:03,980
up in a drunken fight that was

707
00:31:09,669 --> 00:31:06,820
interesting but the talk was very good

708
00:31:10,030 --> 00:31:09,679
if only they could all be as exciting as

709
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:10,040
they

710
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:28,300
the reason was the interview show from

711
00:31:31,870 --> 00:31:30,530
the Merseyside skeptic society where

712
00:31:33,820 --> 00:31:31,880
each month I speak to someone about

713
00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:33,830
their fringe beliefs over the Earth's

714
00:31:38,170 --> 00:31:36,110
are spoken to psychics UFO believers

715
00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:38,180
moon landing and ayahs flat earthers

716
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:40,310
Hollow Earth as an all manner of unusual

717
00:31:44,590 --> 00:31:42,170
conspiracy theorists but I've also

718
00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:44,600
talked to a denialists white supremacist

719
00:31:47,830 --> 00:31:46,310
gay conversion therapy

720
00:31:49,690 --> 00:31:47,840
I even interviewed Jim Humble the

721
00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:49,700
inventor of miracle mineral supplement a

722
00:31:53,050 --> 00:31:51,410
form of industrial bleach that he and

723
00:31:55,780 --> 00:31:53,060
his followers used to treat cancer and

724
00:31:57,910 --> 00:31:55,790
HIV this isn't a debate show my aim

725
00:32:00,220 --> 00:31:57,920
isn't to win an argument but when we

726
00:32:02,350 --> 00:32:00,230
listen to how people promote and justify

727
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:02,360
the ideas that we disagree with even the

728
00:32:06,070 --> 00:32:04,370
dangerous ones I think we become much

729
00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:06,080
more effective at countering those ideas

730
00:32:09,970 --> 00:32:07,910
if that sounds like something you'd be

731
00:32:11,950 --> 00:32:09,980
interested in look for be reasonable on

732
00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:11,960
Apple podcasts and everywhere else a

733
00:32:36,749 --> 00:32:12,850
podcast

734
00:32:39,999 --> 00:32:36,759
[Music]

735
00:32:42,129 --> 00:32:40,009
now by this time next week we will all

736
00:32:45,850 --> 00:32:42,139
know the winner of the Australian

737
00:32:48,489 --> 00:32:45,860
skeptics bent spoon award given annually

738
00:32:50,409 --> 00:32:48,499
at the National Convention for the most

739
00:32:54,070 --> 00:32:50,419
preposterous piece of pseudo scientific

740
00:32:54,690 --> 00:32:54,080
or paranormal piffle in the previous

741
00:32:56,859 --> 00:32:54,700
year

742
00:32:59,129 --> 00:32:56,869
so I thought it would be interesting to

743
00:33:02,830 --> 00:32:59,139
dive back through the pages of history

744
00:33:05,019 --> 00:33:02,840
to see what the Australian media have

745
00:33:08,289 --> 00:33:05,029
made of the bent spoon award over the

746
00:33:12,419 --> 00:33:08,299
years and a good place to do that is at

747
00:33:16,419 --> 00:33:12,429
a website called trove which is tea ROV

748
00:33:20,409 --> 00:33:16,429
en la for National Library of Australia

749
00:33:24,730 --> 00:33:20,419
but gov dot au a wonderful resource

750
00:33:26,859 --> 00:33:24,740
actually it's it's for anyone doing

751
00:33:30,159 --> 00:33:26,869
research it's probably one of your first

752
00:33:33,279 --> 00:33:30,169
ports of call documented newspapers and

753
00:33:36,310 --> 00:33:33,289
articles and journals going back over a

754
00:33:37,899 --> 00:33:36,320
century and in no particular order here

755
00:33:41,019 --> 00:33:37,909
are some of the references to the

756
00:33:48,190 --> 00:33:41,029
Australian skeptics bent spoon over the

757
00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:48,200
years the Canberra Times published on

758
00:33:55,869 --> 00:33:53,450
Sunday the 12th of June 1994 lavage

759
00:33:58,119 --> 00:33:55,879
takes out piffle honours the

760
00:34:00,369 --> 00:33:58,129
Commonwealth Attorney General has been

761
00:34:03,159 --> 00:34:00,379
awarded the Australian skeptics highest

762
00:34:04,810 --> 00:34:03,169
honor the bent spoon award for this

763
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:04,820
year's most preposterous piece of

764
00:34:10,329 --> 00:34:07,490
paranormal piffle national president

765
00:34:12,129 --> 00:34:10,339
Barry Williams said yesterday talking

766
00:34:13,359 --> 00:34:12,139
from the Australian skeptics annual

767
00:34:16,030 --> 00:34:13,369
convention in Sydney

768
00:34:19,599 --> 00:34:16,040
mr.william said the award which bestowed

769
00:34:21,309 --> 00:34:19,609
great ignominy on the receiver was in

770
00:34:23,470 --> 00:34:21,319
recognition of the department's

771
00:34:26,770 --> 00:34:23,480
Enterprise Agreement that would allow

772
00:34:30,669 --> 00:34:26,780
staff to present sickness certificates

773
00:34:33,039 --> 00:34:30,679
from alternative practitioners rather

774
00:34:35,589 --> 00:34:33,049
than from medical practitioners the

775
00:34:37,990 --> 00:34:35,599
award which features a bent spoon

776
00:34:41,619 --> 00:34:38,000
mounted on a piece of wood from Noah's

777
00:34:44,079 --> 00:34:41,629
Ark has only been claimed once mr.

778
00:34:45,790 --> 00:34:44,089
Williams said that was last year by the

779
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:45,800
tonight live television

780
00:34:51,909 --> 00:34:49,010
and was awarded for their widows stories

781
00:34:54,430 --> 00:34:51,919
the Attorney General Michael avouch was

782
00:34:57,580 --> 00:34:54,440
not invited to the ceremony to collect

783
00:34:59,350 --> 00:34:57,590
the award mr. William said he probably

784
00:35:02,980 --> 00:34:59,360
would have had us arrested for sedition

785
00:35:05,350 --> 00:35:02,990
on troubling mr. livadas not mentioned

786
00:35:07,630 --> 00:35:05,360
by name on the plaque knowing this

787
00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:07,640
government he'd probably be Foreign

788
00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:09,890
Minister by next week the award has been

789
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:12,110
in existence since 1982

790
00:35:17,710 --> 00:35:14,810
this year's runner-up for the award was

791
00:35:20,530 --> 00:35:17,720
the Brisbane City Council for enacting

792
00:35:23,530 --> 00:35:20,540
an ordinance that directed that in all

793
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:23,540
new developments the number-four was not

794
00:35:32,650 --> 00:35:25,970
to be used as a street number because

795
00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:32,660
the Chinese find it to be unlucky the

796
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:34,850
next search result on the list is from

797
00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:38,450
again the Canberra Times this time

798
00:35:46,540 --> 00:35:43,310
Sunday the 19th of April 1987 skeptics

799
00:35:48,430 --> 00:35:46,550
award spoon to brach the Australian

800
00:35:50,770 --> 00:35:48,440
skeptics bent spoon award was awarded

801
00:35:52,990 --> 00:35:50,780
yesterday to racing driver and

802
00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:53,000
businessman mr. Peter Brock for his

803
00:35:57,490 --> 00:35:55,730
controversial energy polarizer the

804
00:35:59,470 --> 00:35:57,500
president of Australian skeptics mr.

805
00:36:03,280 --> 00:35:59,480
Barry Williams announcing the award now

806
00:36:06,180 --> 00:36:03,290
in its 50-year said it's sort of a Nobel

807
00:36:09,220 --> 00:36:06,190
Prize for nuttiness an Oscar for

808
00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:09,230
irrationality the polarizer when fitted

809
00:36:15,070 --> 00:36:12,290
to a car was said to realign the

810
00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:15,080
molecules to make the vehicle run more

811
00:36:20,349 --> 00:36:17,060
smoothly and improve its performance

812
00:36:23,770 --> 00:36:20,359
using energies unknown to science the

813
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:23,780
skeptics first $1,000 journalism award

814
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:26,210
went to my Quilici for a two-part

815
00:36:31,410 --> 00:36:28,970
television investigation of the Jewish

816
00:36:33,790 --> 00:36:31,420
psychic mr. uri geller

817
00:36:36,099 --> 00:36:33,800
second prize in the category went to

818
00:36:37,990 --> 00:36:36,109
science writer Bob Beal of The Sydney

819
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:38,000
Morning Herald for an article on

820
00:36:44,530 --> 00:36:40,810
creationists and the Museum of Australia

821
00:36:47,109 --> 00:36:44,540
about 100 people attended yesterday's

822
00:36:50,890 --> 00:36:47,119
convention at the Australian National

823
00:36:57,380 --> 00:36:55,160
and now we come to and I guess this

824
00:36:58,970 --> 00:36:57,390
search result does favor the Canberra

825
00:37:01,520 --> 00:36:58,980
Times because most of these returns are

826
00:37:04,670 --> 00:37:01,530
from the camera time so that's fine we

827
00:37:09,380 --> 00:37:04,680
come to the Edition published on

828
00:37:12,590 --> 00:37:09,390
Saturday the 31st of August 1985 why

829
00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:12,600
detector earns award the Melbourne and

830
00:37:18,170 --> 00:37:14,910
metropolitan Board of Works was awarded

831
00:37:20,300 --> 00:37:18,180
the bench spoon award for 1985 at the

832
00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:20,310
Congress yesterday the Australian

833
00:37:25,700 --> 00:37:22,770
skeptics a group dedicated to exposing

834
00:37:28,730 --> 00:37:25,710
bogus science gives the award as a

835
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:28,740
reminder of the psychic spoon bending

836
00:37:34,130 --> 00:37:31,770
claims made by magician uri geller some

837
00:37:38,180 --> 00:37:34,140
years ago the Melbourne and metropolitan

838
00:37:41,060 --> 00:37:38,190
Board of Works employed an American

839
00:37:43,970 --> 00:37:41,070
designer to locate no longer visible

840
00:37:47,330 --> 00:37:43,980
buildings in a park near Melbourne the

841
00:37:50,780 --> 00:37:47,340
designer mrs. Karen hunt used a pair of

842
00:37:54,740 --> 00:37:50,790
coat hangers electro-magnetic photo

843
00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:54,750
field detectors to map out the park the

844
00:37:59,300 --> 00:37:57,090
president of the Australian skeptics mr.

845
00:38:02,270 --> 00:37:59,310
Mark Plummer praised the board for its

846
00:38:04,370 --> 00:38:02,280
naivety and gullibility at the same

847
00:38:06,020 --> 00:38:04,380
session of the Congress mr. Ronald

848
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:06,030
strong of the Australian Museum

849
00:38:12,109 --> 00:38:08,810
criticized creation scientists as

850
00:38:19,090 --> 00:38:12,119
duplicitous authoritarian and anti

851
00:38:23,599 --> 00:38:19,100
intellectual and here's a result from

852
00:38:25,810 --> 00:38:23,609
1989 published on Sunday the 26th of

853
00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:25,820
March again in the Canberra Times

854
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:29,490
skeptics scratch for silly claims and

855
00:38:37,250 --> 00:38:33,090
this is by Keith Scott there was a lack

856
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:37,260
of silly claims in 1988 in fact 1988 was

857
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:39,930
such a bad year for way-out suggestions

858
00:38:44,420 --> 00:38:42,330
that the Australian skeptics had trouble

859
00:38:47,690 --> 00:38:44,430
finding candidates for their annual been

860
00:38:49,790 --> 00:38:47,700
spoon award the skeptics presenter bent

861
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:49,800
spoon annually to the person they judge

862
00:38:55,099 --> 00:38:52,530
makes the most preposterous paranormal

863
00:38:58,130 --> 00:38:55,109
or pseudo scientific claim of the year

864
00:39:01,099 --> 00:38:58,140
some previous awards have been given to

865
00:39:03,300 --> 00:39:01,109
Tom woods the world's silliest

866
00:39:05,190 --> 00:39:03,310
clairvoyant the Melbourne metro

867
00:39:07,650 --> 00:39:05,200
Politan Board of Works for endorsing a

868
00:39:10,140 --> 00:39:07,660
psychic archaeologists and dankbaar

869
00:39:13,230 --> 00:39:10,150
who claimed to have found the Colossus

870
00:39:16,650 --> 00:39:13,240
of Rhodes and Peter Brock for his energy

871
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:16,660
polarizer this year however was shaping

872
00:39:23,610 --> 00:39:20,170
up to be an almost silly claim-free year

873
00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:23,620
until that is Diane McCann came up with

874
00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:26,710
quite a remarkable claim in the adelaide

875
00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:30,490
based magazine the Golden Age exploring

876
00:39:35,130 --> 00:39:33,370
new horizons in the New Age according to

877
00:39:38,610 --> 00:39:35,140
the president of Australian skeptics

878
00:39:41,970 --> 00:39:38,620
Barry Williams there was very little

879
00:39:45,050 --> 00:39:41,980
overt activity on the psychic paranormal

880
00:39:47,970 --> 00:39:45,060
and pseudo scientific fronts at all

881
00:39:49,950 --> 00:39:47,980
until miss McCann saved the skeptics

882
00:39:52,350 --> 00:39:49,960
from the embarrassing position of having

883
00:39:55,650 --> 00:39:52,360
nothing in particular to be skeptical

884
00:39:58,740 --> 00:39:55,660
about in an article in the Golden Age

885
00:40:01,040 --> 00:39:58,750
which also had a message from the Lord

886
00:40:04,500 --> 00:40:01,050
Mayor of Adelaide Steve khandhas and

887
00:40:07,590 --> 00:40:04,510
stories on dolphins abductions by UFOs

888
00:40:09,930 --> 00:40:07,600
and palmistry miss McCann made the

889
00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:09,940
somewhat surprising claim that Adelaide

890
00:40:15,030 --> 00:40:12,850
was founded on one of the major temples

891
00:40:17,130 --> 00:40:15,040
of Atlantis Australian skeptics was

892
00:40:20,130 --> 00:40:17,140
unsure whether miss McCann meant that

893
00:40:22,110 --> 00:40:20,140
Adelaide was actually built on the site

894
00:40:24,540 --> 00:40:22,120
of one of the temples of Atlantis or

895
00:40:28,350 --> 00:40:24,550
whether she meant that the city's layout

896
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:28,360
was the same as an Atlantean temple so

897
00:40:32,250 --> 00:40:30,970
it wrote to her and received a reply in

898
00:40:35,730 --> 00:40:32,260
the nick of time

899
00:40:39,030 --> 00:40:35,740
last week the reply as it turned out was

900
00:40:41,610 --> 00:40:39,040
even more surprising than the original

901
00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:41,620
article although it appeared miss McCann

902
00:40:46,620 --> 00:40:44,650
had changed her story a little in her

903
00:40:49,650 --> 00:40:46,630
letter she told the skeptics that I

904
00:40:52,470 --> 00:40:49,660
cannot give you any more information on

905
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:52,480
the fact that Adelaide is built on an

906
00:40:56,310 --> 00:40:56,050
ancient the Marian site but it is dot

907
00:40:59,280 --> 00:40:56,320
dot

908
00:41:02,370 --> 00:40:59,290
it is well known amongst the psychic

909
00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:02,380
people and actually anyone who comes

910
00:41:07,710 --> 00:41:04,810
here is immediately impressed with the

911
00:41:11,070 --> 00:41:07,720
energy and the love this city generates

912
00:41:14,150 --> 00:41:11,080
Lemuria according to the Encyclopedia

913
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:14,160
Britannica was a hypothetical

914
00:41:17,140 --> 00:41:16,810
prehistoric continent in the Indian

915
00:41:19,990 --> 00:41:17,150
Ocean

916
00:41:24,170 --> 00:41:20,000
supposedly now represented chiefly by

917
00:41:26,210 --> 00:41:24,180
Madagascar even more astonishing given

918
00:41:29,570 --> 00:41:26,220
miss McCann's claim about the ancient

919
00:41:31,820 --> 00:41:29,580
temple generating energy and love is the

920
00:41:34,430 --> 00:41:31,830
encyclopedias description of lemare

921
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:34,440
ian's who are supposed to have inhabited

922
00:41:41,150 --> 00:41:37,650
the lost land Britannica hasn't that the

923
00:41:44,510 --> 00:41:41,160
Lemurians existed in Roman religion and

924
00:41:47,750 --> 00:41:44,520
peered in grotesque and terrifying forms

925
00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:47,760
haunted their former homes and visited

926
00:41:52,790 --> 00:41:50,250
relatives and friends sometimes causing

927
00:41:55,190 --> 00:41:52,800
them injury Australian skeptics did some

928
00:41:57,880 --> 00:41:55,200
checking of its own on MS McCann and

929
00:42:00,590 --> 00:41:57,890
discovered that she had a company called

930
00:42:03,140 --> 00:42:00,600
accelerated business technologies which

931
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:03,150
handled the South Australian end of a

932
00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:06,450
business motivation course called money

933
00:42:12,650 --> 00:42:09,380
and you its parent group is the

934
00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:12,660
Accelerated Learning Institute which is

935
00:42:18,020 --> 00:42:15,570
trying to set up what it calls a global

936
00:42:21,890 --> 00:42:18,030
energy network to solve problems such as

937
00:42:23,930 --> 00:42:21,900
hunger trade and third-world poverty the

938
00:42:27,050 --> 00:42:23,940
Institute runs motivational courses

939
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:27,060
which are very much a part of the

940
00:42:33,050 --> 00:42:30,690
so-called New Age as McCann is

941
00:42:36,530 --> 00:42:33,060
apparently qualified in neuro linguistic

942
00:42:40,010 --> 00:42:36,540
programming educational kinesiology

943
00:42:43,910 --> 00:42:40,020
psycho peristaltic massage chakra

944
00:42:46,700 --> 00:42:43,920
balancing and past life regression she

945
00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:46,710
is also the co-founder of the Australian

946
00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:49,650
Institute of rebirthing holds

947
00:42:54,890 --> 00:42:52,650
firewalking evenings and believes that

948
00:43:00,020 --> 00:42:54,900
when a critical mass of people are

949
00:43:02,060 --> 00:43:00,030
together major shifts occur addressing

950
00:43:03,860 --> 00:43:02,070
the skeptics annual convention at the

951
00:43:06,410 --> 00:43:03,870
Science and Technology Centre in

952
00:43:08,630 --> 00:43:06,420
Canberra yesterday mr. Williams said I

953
00:43:11,690 --> 00:43:08,640
have great delight in announcing that

954
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:11,700
Miss McCann who may or may not be

955
00:43:17,690 --> 00:43:14,850
related to Terry McCann of minder is the

956
00:43:21,290 --> 00:43:17,700
recipient of the 1988 bench spoon award

957
00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:21,300
and as a quick aside from me for those

958
00:43:26,110 --> 00:43:23,310
of you who don't know minder was a very

959
00:43:28,730 --> 00:43:26,120
popular show in the 1970s and 1980s

960
00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:28,740
based in London about

961
00:43:35,299 --> 00:43:31,410
wheeler dealers and dodgy enterprises

962
00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:35,309
and things like that we read on the

963
00:43:39,349 --> 00:43:37,650
skeptics more serious award to the

964
00:43:41,569 --> 00:43:39,359
journalist who produced the most

965
00:43:44,180 --> 00:43:41,579
skeptical story of the year went to

966
00:43:46,970 --> 00:43:44,190
Robin Williams from ABC Radio's the

967
00:43:50,089 --> 00:43:46,980
science show mr. Barry Williams said

968
00:43:52,279 --> 00:43:50,099
that mr. Williams represented voice of

969
00:43:54,529 --> 00:43:52,289
rational thinking in Australia and

970
00:43:56,510 --> 00:43:54,539
produced high quality programs which

971
00:43:59,990 --> 00:43:56,520
maintained people's interest in science

972
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:00,000
and rational thought mr. Williams said

973
00:44:04,099 --> 00:44:01,650
he believed that since Australian

974
00:44:06,170 --> 00:44:04,109
skeptics was founded the media in

975
00:44:08,720 --> 00:44:06,180
general apart from some tabloid

976
00:44:11,359 --> 00:44:08,730
newspapers had become more skeptical

977
00:44:13,579 --> 00:44:11,369
than it used to be and did not rush to

978
00:44:15,620 --> 00:44:13,589
interview visiting psychics with such

979
00:44:17,390 --> 00:44:15,630
frequency he said that the greatest

980
00:44:19,789 --> 00:44:17,400
perpetrators of a rational thought in

981
00:44:22,569 --> 00:44:19,799
Australia today were the New Age

982
00:44:25,299 --> 00:44:22,579
followers who promoted such things as

983
00:44:28,370 --> 00:44:25,309
numerology crystals astrology and

984
00:44:31,460 --> 00:44:28,380
dolphins and new earth people or

985
00:44:34,370 --> 00:44:31,470
creationists who deny the evolution of

986
00:44:38,180 --> 00:44:34,380
man and believe that human history is

987
00:44:40,430 --> 00:44:38,190
only 6,000 years old the ideas promoted

988
00:44:43,700 --> 00:44:40,440
by these people are the ideas of

989
00:44:46,670 --> 00:44:43,710
ignorance he said everything they are on

990
00:44:50,029 --> 00:44:46,680
about his old hat dressed up in modern

991
00:44:52,609 --> 00:44:50,039
super salesman jargon mr. Williams said

992
00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:52,619
later that the Australian skeptics was

993
00:44:57,440 --> 00:44:54,690
like a consumer protection agency

994
00:45:00,039 --> 00:44:57,450
against silly claims his greatest

995
00:45:03,039 --> 00:45:00,049
concern was that people who are already

996
00:45:06,049 --> 00:45:03,049
emotionally or psychologically disturbed

997
00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:06,059
sometimes come to greater harm by

998
00:45:11,150 --> 00:45:07,890
following the advice of cults or

999
00:45:13,010 --> 00:45:11,160
psychics we require evidence and the

1000
00:45:15,380 --> 00:45:13,020
evidence for most of these things we

1001
00:45:18,500 --> 00:45:15,390
criticize is pretty thin on the ground

1002
00:45:21,620 --> 00:45:18,510
he said the whole New Age phenomenon is

1003
00:45:24,559 --> 00:45:21,630
clearly the greatest sham of the late

1004
00:45:27,410 --> 00:45:24,569
1980s it tends to attract people like

1005
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:27,420
Shirley MacLaine and other people think

1006
00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:29,970
that if someone like that is involved

1007
00:45:33,789 --> 00:45:31,170
then it must be good

1008
00:45:36,769 --> 00:45:33,799
I Spit when I see Japan killing dolphins

1009
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:36,779
but that's not because I think dolphins

1010
00:45:42,220 --> 00:45:39,210
are spiritual beings

1011
00:45:46,130 --> 00:45:42,230
[Music]

1012
00:45:50,930 --> 00:45:46,140
now we jump to another resource

1013
00:45:54,890 --> 00:45:50,940
altogether Google and one more one more

1014
00:45:57,320 --> 00:45:54,900
and slightly more recent this one comes

1015
00:46:01,250 --> 00:45:57,330
from Discovery magazine published on the

1016
00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:01,260
or at least online by none other than

1017
00:46:07,370 --> 00:46:03,330
dr. Phil Plait the bad astronomer third

1018
00:46:10,130 --> 00:46:07,380
of December 2009 Australian skeptics gia

1019
00:46:12,140 --> 00:46:10,140
Merrill Dori Merrill Dori

1020
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:12,150
the truth impaired mouthpiece of the

1021
00:46:17,090 --> 00:46:14,010
Australian vaccination at work

1022
00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:17,100
a group of anti vaccination conspiracy

1023
00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:19,170
mongers who couldn't find reality with

1024
00:46:25,250 --> 00:46:21,510
both hands a compass and detailed

1025
00:46:27,710 --> 00:46:25,260
instructions was honored by the

1026
00:46:30,020 --> 00:46:27,720
Australian skeptics this week Richard

1027
00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:30,030
Saunders and Rachel Dunlop on behalf of

1028
00:46:35,930 --> 00:46:32,610
the Australian skeptics gave Dory their

1029
00:46:37,340 --> 00:46:35,940
annual bent spoon award awarded to the

1030
00:46:39,380 --> 00:46:37,350
perpetrator of the most preposterous

1031
00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:39,390
piece of paranormal or pseudo scientific

1032
00:46:45,650 --> 00:46:43,170
piffle Dory certainly fits the bill she

1033
00:46:48,230 --> 00:46:45,660
hasn't met a conspiracy theory she

1034
00:46:50,390 --> 00:46:48,240
hasn't loved or couldn't use to threaten

1035
00:46:52,250 --> 00:46:50,400
the public health with Merrill appeared

1036
00:46:55,250 --> 00:46:52,260
on national television telling a

1037
00:46:57,920 --> 00:46:55,260
reporter that we didn't die from these

1038
00:47:00,650 --> 00:46:57,930
diseases 30 years ago and we're not

1039
00:47:03,590 --> 00:47:00,660
going to die from them now juxtaposed

1040
00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:03,600
alongside footage of babies gasping for

1041
00:47:07,940 --> 00:47:05,850
breath as the journalist detailed the

1042
00:47:10,340 --> 00:47:07,950
story of the death of Dana McCaffrey

1043
00:47:14,540 --> 00:47:10,350
from the vaccine preventable disease

1044
00:47:17,180 --> 00:47:14,550
whooping cough Dory is also an HIV

1045
00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:17,190
denier and as you can see from reading

1046
00:47:22,220 --> 00:47:20,130
those links doing her darndest to

1047
00:47:24,950 --> 00:47:22,230
threaten Public Health it's a shame

1048
00:47:27,050 --> 00:47:24,960
someone like that has any voice at all

1049
00:47:29,090 --> 00:47:27,060
in the media and she spreads

1050
00:47:31,730 --> 00:47:29,100
misinformation that can lead to the

1051
00:47:34,850 --> 00:47:31,740
deaths of many people and we know for a

1052
00:47:37,190 --> 00:47:34,860
fact the drop in herd immunity in areas

1053
00:47:40,430 --> 00:47:37,200
where the AV end is loudest has resulted

1054
00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:40,440
in deaths from preventable diseases Dory

1055
00:47:44,750 --> 00:47:42,780
is going on the offensive issuing a

1056
00:47:47,990 --> 00:47:44,760
press release going on the radio and

1057
00:47:51,110 --> 00:47:48,000
being interviewed in papers saying that

1058
00:47:53,170 --> 00:47:51,120
she's proud to get this award since the

1059
00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:53,180
skeptics are obviously just

1060
00:47:59,920 --> 00:47:56,210
matic shills for Big Pharma Nick Sarah

1061
00:48:02,529 --> 00:47:59,930
and while she says this people including

1062
00:48:05,109 --> 00:48:02,539
babies stricken and some died due to

1063
00:48:08,529 --> 00:48:05,119
vaccine preventable illnesses

1064
00:48:15,430 --> 00:48:08,539
nice work dory I'm so glad you're proud

1065
00:48:17,470 --> 00:48:15,440
of the damage you've done and that's

1066
00:48:18,279 --> 00:48:17,480
just some of the press mentions I can

1067
00:48:20,769 --> 00:48:18,289
find online

1068
00:48:23,740 --> 00:48:20,779
of mentions of the Australian skeptics

1069
00:48:27,010 --> 00:48:23,750
bent spoon award in more recent years in

1070
00:48:29,769 --> 00:48:27,020
fact last year the current holder of the

1071
00:48:31,870 --> 00:48:29,779
been spoon is Sarah Stevenson who wrote

1072
00:48:34,450 --> 00:48:31,880
a blog I think she's probably still does

1073
00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:34,460
called Sarah's day for the promotion of

1074
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:37,490
questionable natural health remedies via

1075
00:48:41,980 --> 00:48:40,010
her vast network of followers before

1076
00:48:45,010 --> 00:48:41,990
that the National Institute of

1077
00:48:47,740 --> 00:48:45,020
complementary medicine before that Julie

1078
00:48:49,930 --> 00:48:47,750
Y Lehman and Brian Martin and the

1079
00:48:52,329 --> 00:48:49,940
Faculty of science at the University of

1080
00:48:55,269 --> 00:48:52,339
Wollongong for awarding Y Lehman a

1081
00:48:58,210 --> 00:48:55,279
doctorate on the basis of a PhD riddled

1082
00:49:00,059 --> 00:48:58,220
with errors then there's Pete Evans the

1083
00:49:02,940 --> 00:49:00,069
celebrity chef for promoting

1084
00:49:05,079 --> 00:49:02,950
questionable diets and health advice

1085
00:49:08,470 --> 00:49:05,089
Larry Marshall who was the chief

1086
00:49:11,109 --> 00:49:08,480
executive of the CSIRO for his support

1087
00:49:13,750 --> 00:49:11,119
of water divining chiropractors

1088
00:49:16,750 --> 00:49:13,760
Association Fran Sheffield of homeopathy

1089
00:49:18,549 --> 00:49:16,760
plus for advocating the use of magical

1090
00:49:21,279 --> 00:49:18,559
sugar and water in the place of

1091
00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:21,289
tried-and-true vaccinations and on it

1092
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:25,130
goes back into history a link to all

1093
00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:28,490
those interesting winners or we might

1094
00:49:33,650 --> 00:49:44,220
[Music]

1095
00:49:48,550 --> 00:49:47,320
i'm mick west in my podcast tells from

1096
00:49:49,900 --> 00:49:48,560
the rabbit-hole i have extended

1097
00:49:52,300 --> 00:49:49,910
conversations with people who've been

1098
00:49:53,890 --> 00:49:52,310
involved in conspiracy culture i do this

1099
00:49:55,270 --> 00:49:53,900
for a couple of reasons firstly because

1100
00:49:56,890 --> 00:49:55,280
it's really interesting these people

1101
00:49:58,510 --> 00:49:56,900
have great stories about how they fell

1102
00:50:00,430 --> 00:49:58,520
down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole

1103
00:50:02,170 --> 00:50:00,440
or they did down there and what it was

1104
00:50:03,940 --> 00:50:02,180
that helped them out sometimes i also

1105
00:50:05,020 --> 00:50:03,950
talk to people to investigate conspiracy

1106
00:50:06,580 --> 00:50:05,030
theories and they have equally

1107
00:50:08,860 --> 00:50:06,590
fascinating stories from the other side

1108
00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:08,870
secondly i want to understand how best

1109
00:50:11,890 --> 00:50:10,370
to prevent the spread of conspiracy

1110
00:50:13,450 --> 00:50:11,900
theories and misinformation which is an

1111
00:50:15,940 --> 00:50:13,460
increasing problem in a time when

1112
00:50:17,140 --> 00:50:15,950
alternative media is exploding the best

1113
00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:17,150
way to do this is to communicate

1114
00:50:21,670 --> 00:50:19,490
effectively with the people involved and

1115
00:50:24,820 --> 00:50:21,680
the best way to do that with a nice long

1116
00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:24,830
chat check it out tales from the rabbit

1117
00:50:42,380 --> 00:50:27,890
hole TFG rh calm

1118
00:50:47,190 --> 00:50:44,640
thank you for listening to the skeptic

1119
00:50:51,839 --> 00:50:47,200
zone and thank you to trish han and lara

1120
00:50:55,710 --> 00:50:51,849
Benham the real stars of the moment when

1121
00:50:58,549 --> 00:50:55,720
it came to handing out those flyers to

1122
00:51:01,710 --> 00:50:58,559
people attending the John Edward

1123
00:51:03,809 --> 00:51:01,720
performance and again in this week's

1124
00:51:07,410 --> 00:51:03,819
show notes you'll find the link that fly

1125
00:51:09,299 --> 00:51:07,420
yourself non-confrontational just here's

1126
00:51:12,450 --> 00:51:09,309
some information if you want to read it

1127
00:51:14,910 --> 00:51:12,460
that's fine it worked I think it worked

1128
00:51:16,829 --> 00:51:14,920
very well I mean I don't think we're

1129
00:51:20,249 --> 00:51:16,839
going to get John Edward or any of his

1130
00:51:22,489 --> 00:51:20,259
ilk standing on the stage holding one of

1131
00:51:24,870 --> 00:51:22,499
these flyers and saying to the audience

1132
00:51:27,059 --> 00:51:24,880
look I've got something to tell you you

1133
00:51:30,210 --> 00:51:27,069
know I really can't talk to the dead

1134
00:51:31,829 --> 00:51:30,220
it's all being a performance no that's

1135
00:51:35,519 --> 00:51:31,839
not going to happen will it bring the

1136
00:51:38,339 --> 00:51:35,529
industry down no will it change some

1137
00:51:42,029 --> 00:51:38,349
minds will it make people think I think

1138
00:51:43,499 --> 00:51:42,039
yes and that surely is worth it and we

1139
00:51:46,380 --> 00:51:43,509
can talk about that if you wish at

1140
00:51:48,900 --> 00:51:46,390
skeptic on in Melbourne this is the last

1141
00:51:53,339 --> 00:51:48,910
chance the last few days you have to get

1142
00:51:56,039 --> 00:51:53,349
tickets and just looking online now and

1143
00:51:57,210 --> 00:51:56,049
seeing the photographs from the first

1144
00:52:00,269 --> 00:51:57,220
day of the New Zealand

1145
00:52:02,279 --> 00:52:00,279
skeptics conference what a large turnout

1146
00:52:04,529 --> 00:52:02,289
and everyone seems to be having a great

1147
00:52:06,299 --> 00:52:04,539
time there and lots of the stars

1148
00:52:08,759 --> 00:52:06,309
appearing there will be appearing in

1149
00:52:10,739 --> 00:52:08,769
Melbourne our main art and I are heading

1150
00:52:12,630 --> 00:52:10,749
down to Melbourne you know and will in a

1151
00:52:16,499 --> 00:52:12,640
couple of days we're going to have a

1152
00:52:20,130 --> 00:52:16,509
sceptical road trip oh yes from Sydney

1153
00:52:22,279 --> 00:52:20,140
to Melbourne and in the skeptic 'mobile

1154
00:52:25,460 --> 00:52:22,289
the skeptic zona Beale will be carrying

1155
00:52:28,349 --> 00:52:25,470
the bent spoon award

1156
00:52:29,759 --> 00:52:28,359
mmm-hmm looking forward to seeing all

1157
00:52:32,220 --> 00:52:29,769
our friends in Melbourne and looking

1158
00:52:34,220 --> 00:52:32,230
forward to seeing you at the Australian

1159
00:52:36,630 --> 00:52:34,230
skeptics National Convention skeptic on

1160
00:52:39,420 --> 00:52:36,640
links in this week's show notes again

1161
00:52:41,299 --> 00:52:39,430
this is your last opportunity in the

1162
00:52:44,700 --> 00:52:41,309
coming week to get your tickets and

1163
00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:44,710
after next weekend you'll have to wait

1164
00:52:49,710 --> 00:52:47,410
till 2020 and I'm looking forward to

1165
00:52:52,079 --> 00:52:49,720
seeing the the skeptic zone report as I

1166
00:52:53,420 --> 00:52:52,089
rarely see Mandy Lee Noble Heidi

1167
00:52:55,880 --> 00:52:53,430
Robinson

1168
00:52:57,829 --> 00:52:55,890
our doctor Paulie it'll be great to see

1169
00:52:59,720 --> 00:52:57,839
you all and thank you to those people

1170
00:53:03,260 --> 00:52:59,730
who continue to support the skeptic zone

1171
00:53:05,630 --> 00:53:03,270
financially at PayPal patreon via

1172
00:53:07,970 --> 00:53:05,640
skeptic zone TV or should I say via

1173
00:53:10,190 --> 00:53:07,980
PayPal and patreon at skeptic zone TV I

1174
00:53:12,799 --> 00:53:10,200
think you know what I mean and thank you

1175
00:53:15,980 --> 00:53:12,809
to those people who just recently came

1176
00:53:18,319 --> 00:53:15,990
on board to help to support the show a

1177
00:53:20,480 --> 00:53:18,329
lot of people have decided that five

1178
00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:20,490
dollars a month is a good level to

1179
00:53:24,470 --> 00:53:22,170
support the show and I'm very grateful

1180
00:53:27,410 --> 00:53:24,480
for that and I'm very grateful to those

1181
00:53:29,630 --> 00:53:27,420
people who pay less or pay more every

1182
00:53:32,180 --> 00:53:29,640
cent thank you very much and the whole

1183
00:53:33,890 --> 00:53:32,190
team thanks you and The Skeptical Cats

1184
00:53:36,440 --> 00:53:33,900
thank you they've they're quite happy

1185
00:53:37,160 --> 00:53:36,450
they've just had their breakfast but for

1186
00:53:39,650 --> 00:53:37,170
this week

1187
00:53:46,339 --> 00:53:39,660
this is Richard Saunders signing off

1188
00:53:48,410 --> 00:53:46,349
from Sydney Australia you've been

1189
00:53:53,870 --> 00:53:48,420
listening to the skeptic zone podcast

1190
00:53:56,900 --> 00:53:53,880
please visit our website at WWDC because

1191
00:53:59,559 --> 00:53:56,910
your notes contacts and to access the

1192
00:54:02,870 --> 00:53:59,569
bat catalog of episodes going back to

1193
00:54:06,500 --> 00:54:02,880
2008 you can follow the skeptic zone

1194
00:54:08,900 --> 00:54:06,510
podcast on twitter at skeptic zone visit

1195
00:54:09,789 --> 00:54:08,910
our facebook page or leave a review on

1196
00:54:12,470 --> 00:54:09,799
itunes

1197
00:54:15,859 --> 00:54:12,480
you can also support the skeptic zone

1198
00:54:18,579 --> 00:54:15,869
via patreon or PayPal the skeptic zone

1199
00:54:20,960 --> 00:54:18,589
podcast is an independent production

1200
00:54:23,089 --> 00:54:20,970
reviews and opinions expressed on the

1201
00:54:25,430 --> 00:54:23,099
skeptic zone are not necessarily those

1202
00:54:27,260 --> 00:54:25,440
of Australian skeptics or any other