Speakers in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
Thursday 7 August 2008—Misrepresentation in the area of Conventional Medicine
The speaker was Jon Jureidini, Child Psychiatrist. Jon is the head of the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Adelaide, where he works in Consultation-Liaison psychiatry. He has academic status as Senior Research Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Flinders University, and as Associate Professor in the Disciplines of Psychiatry and Paediatrics, University of Adelaide. He was recently visiting scientist as the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia. He is the Chair, Healthy Skepticism Inc, an organisation devoted to countering misleading drug promotion. He is also a member of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Patient Care Ethics Committee, and a chair of the board of Siblings Australia, an organisation which advocates for the needs of individuals with ill and disabled siblings.
Most people would be familiar with some aspects of the misinformation that characterises complementary or alternative medicine, in his talk Jon examined some examples of the deliberate misrepresentation of information in the area of conventional medicine, using antidepressants as an example.
Jon is Chair of Healthy Skepticism, an organisation aiming ‘to improve health by reducing harm from misleading drug promotion’.
Thursday 5 June 2008—Understanding Climate Change
Darren Ray is Senior Meteorologist in the Climate Services Section of the South Australian Regional Office of the Bureau of Meteorology.
Climate Change is an issue much in the media and the public eye. The presentation focused on the science behind global warming and how the conclusion that global warming and resulting climate changes is a pressing issue are reached, in particular drawing on recent research results. The other current climate issue in the public arena is the current drought and how this is affecting water supplies and farming activity around Australia. The talk examined the links this may have with climate change trends, and some of the issues the science presents.
Reference was made to three topical sites:
Thursday 3 April 2008—The Science of Gambling
The speaker was Paul Murray who has had a lifelong fascination with the racetrack. He worked as a bookmaker’s clerk for his father, a senior bookmaker at Adelaide racetracks, and in 1973 became a licensed bookmaker’s agent and worked in that capacity until 1993. This work gave him a valuable insight into some of the motivation behind punting and the many ways that people approach gambling. Unfortunately, it was during this era that other methods of gambling were extended, and with the widespread introduction of TABs , Keno scratchies, and especially poker machines, the number of racetrack punters dwindled, and with little future as a bookmaker he retired.
He studied Theoretical Physics at Flinders University in the 1960s and returned to university in 1994 where he studied mathematics, probability theory, statistics and international relations, gaining an honours degree in 1998.
He set out to explain, as simply as possible, the importance of understanding the mathematical concepts of probability as they apply to all forms of gambling. The most important concept is the ‘Law of Large Numbers’ which applies whenever repetitions of a single random event become significant, for instance, the tossing of a coin. If the coin is not biased, the law states that the more times the coin is tossed the closer the actual percentage result will be to 50% heads and 50% tails.
He examined various forms of gambling, including lotteries, Keno, horse-racing, roulette and poker machines, providing an accurate analysis of your chances of winning on each form, and recommended methods which may enable you to win over the long term.
Thursday 7 February 2008—Nigel Dobson-Keeffe: Rational Irrationality
As skeptics we like to pride ourselves on the ability to think rationally with well thought out beliefs based on what we know to be facts. When we make decisions we think they are well grounded and objective, unlike all those less rational people. However recent research is now showing that most of our decision making ability might not really be this well constructed. In this talk I discussed some of the recent ideas on how people usually make decisions when in the real world, the world we like to think we exist in during our waking hours.
Many of the processes we use on a day to day basis for all sorts of decisions are not readily available to our conciousness and can be heavily biased leading to suprising decisions. These biases have come about through evolution as a solution to deal with our limited reasoning ability and external constraints.
The talk involved the audience with examples of how our decision making can lead to some interesting results.
Thursday 6 December—Bernie Victory, The Kokoda Track—1942 and 2007
The talk by Bernie Victory, the Assistant Director at Centacare Catholic Family Services, provided a brief historical overview of the battles in Papua New Guinea in 1942 and then concentrated on why the Track has become an appealing journey to increasing numbers of Australians each year.
In 2001 Bernie was given a copy of Peter Brune’s Those Ragged Bloody Heroes and this began an interest, (some would say obsession), in the history and characters of the Kokoda battles and the whole Papuan campaign.
One of Bernie’s roles is to assist to raise funds in support Centacare’s respite centre for children with an intellectual disability, so when in 2003 when Bernie was asked by Centacare’s Fundraising Manager to choose a challenge as the focus of a fundraising event, Bernie thought walking the Kokoda Track would be a good option. This was in spite of the fact that for the past 10 years he had done no more exercise than lifting his briefcase, was 20kg overweight and hadn’t camped out since school days.
In June 2004 Bernie and 15 other fundraisers, who had raised a total of $128,000 for the respite centre, successfully completed the Kokoda Track over the rugged Owen Stanley Ranges of New Guinea. Bernie repeated the venture in 2005 with twelve other fundraisers, including his daughter Claire, and again, in October 2006 he walked the Track with his wife Pauline.
Thursday 4 October—Dr Peter Willis: Mythos and logos, and ways of knowing
Dr Peter Willis is Senior Lecturer, Adult, Vocational and Workplace learning, School of Education, University of South Australia.
The western world has separated two major dimensions of human learning: the logos of science and technical rationality and the mythos of the imagination, religion and the aesthetic. This separation, which can be traced back to the Greek philosophers, has been magnified in the sometimes complementary and often opposing worlds of science and ‘truth’, on the one hand, and advertising and ‘credibility’ on the other. Slung between them in the post modern world is the strange hybrid world of contemporary politics and the role of ‘spin’.
This talk attempted to explore and validate the two approaches as crucial to human life but having their own realms and rules. It wants to suggest ways in which, while defending and validate the mythic world, it is important to develop ways to critique the world of mythos with its huge and largely uncontrolled power and direct access to the human imagination.
Thursday 2 August: A history of the SA Sea Rescue Squadron
Peter Brice spoke on the history of the South Australian Sea Rescue Squadron, its origins and its continued role in the rescue of boats in distress in local waters. The squadron runs extensive training courses, both for its own members and for the public on all aspects ofİ safety on the water.
He discussed a number of incidents and rescues that he and other members of the squadron have been involved with, showing a number of various items that are part of the equipment of their boats. These include the special safety-flotation vests (seen in the picture), flares and EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons).
Peter has been a member of the squadron for 22 years, on call 24 hours a day for emergency operations. For the past eight years he has been teaching marine radio procedures to squadron members and private individuals wishing to obtain their Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency.
Thursday 7 June 2007: Trying to understand heating and cooling on a local scale
Professor Roger Clay discussed the ideas behind heating and cooling through a balance of infra-red radiation and solar heat absorption. On a global scale, this is what the ’greenhouse effect’ is about. On a local scale, the topic of this talk, that balance determines such diverse issues as the ease with which we can heat and cool our homes, whether our crops suffer frost damage, and how we can best transfer electrical power between States.
Prof Clay is an astrophysicist, a member of the Physics Department of Adelaide University for the past 35 years, and an Honorary Life Member of the Astronomical Society of Australia. He has had a broad range of administrative positions in the University. His interest in infra-red radiation comes from a task which required the automatic detection of cloud over observatories.
Thursday 5 April 2007: Frogs
The speaker was Mike Tyler, the ‘Frog man’ speaking on frogs: Frogs have the most complex skin in the animal kingdom, containing skin glands that secrete diverse chemicals. In attempting to harness some of these compounds for human use it is most effective to consider the needs of the frogs. For example, frogs live in lavatories, not the most hygienic environment. How do they survive such conditions: they appear to secrete antibiotic agents. Mike described such areas and the ongoing research that is attempting to isolate certain antibiotic agents for human use.
Mike is Associate Professor in Environmental Biology and Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Adelaide University. He is also an Honorary Associate in Herpetology at the SA Museum.
Thursday 7 December: Mad cows, genetic foods and the politics of public science
Dr Neville Hicks is an ethics consultant to the Commonwealth Special Expert Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (‘mad cow disease’ and its human derivative) and to the Gene Technology Ethics Committee advising the Gene Technology Regulator. He also has interests in the food-and-health production theme with a project on the dynamics of innovation among various different sectors of Australian primary production. His talk emphasised the need for social policy alongside the sciences of microbiology, plant genetics, etc.
Thursday 5 October: Sex, Drugs and Death
Our speaker for the night was none other than Sandra Kanck, MLA. Sandra is well known to most of us for her courageous stands on drug reform and voluntary euthanasia. I (Ronald Evans) have met Sandra at various functions and have always found her to be friendly, committed and genuinely concerned about fairness and justice. Sandra spoke to us on the uncontroversial, not to say banal topic of: Sex, Drugs and Death.
Thursday 3 August: Are we running out of oil?
Professor Richard Hillis is Mawson Professor of Geology and Geophysics and State of SA Professor of Petroleum Geology at Adelaide University. He graduated BSc (Hons), Imperial College, and PhD, Edinburgh University. He is also a non-executive director of JRS Petroleum Research Pty Ltd and Petratherm Ltd.
Richard contrasted the neo-Malthusian and ‘Cornucopian’ views of the problem, showing how energy sources and their costs have changed over time.
Thursday 8 June: Bob Moles
Bob Moles is very concerned about the administration of justice in South Australia. He has a particular interest in the correct application of science in criminal matters. His Web site is at www.netk.net.au Please check it out.
Thursday 6 April: When Evidence is not Enough: Sterilisation of girls with intellectual disability
Paul Jewell, a Senior Lecturer in Education, a philosopher, and a Skeptic, compared legal and ethical thinking with reference to two cases where parents wanted daughters with mental disabilities sterilised to prevent pregnancy and to avoid other problems. Instead of questions, Paul led a short discussion following his address.
Thursday 2 February: The Scientific Method: Whither or Wither
Dr Chris Hamilton, well known throughout Australia as a media and talkback psychologist, is an author and teacher, and has advised hundreds of companies over the years. Chris explored, in an interactive rather than a lecturing way, science, pseudoscience and the scientific method. He particularly looked at coincidence and the way large numbers work.
14 December: Migraines: the inefficiency of alternative cures and as a source of religious experiences
Peter Adamson, a long-time sufferer of Migraines and a founding member of the Migraine Society of Australia, is skeptical of many of the claims made regarding ‘cures’ for Migraines. He discussed some of the claims made for alternative treatments for Migraine.
The ‘success’ of such treatments is mainly based upon anecdotal evidence. By compiling numerous examples of anecdotal evidence and examining them closely he has found that there effectiveness is at best, no better than placebos, and can be attributed to temporary relief, natural remissions, changing symptoms, or successes reported too soon after an imagined improvement. He also discussed the possibility that certain aspects of Migraines, such as the migraine aura, is a pathological source of religious visions, experiences, conversions and convictions.
5 October: The newspaper obituary: a revival of journalism’s dying art
Dr Nigel Starck, Director of the Offshore Program, School of Communication, at the Magill Campus looked at obituaries. Australia's metropolitan daily newspapers in recent years have increased significantly the column space devoted to obituaries. The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Age, The West Australian, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail, The Canberra Times and The Advertiser now publish them in dedicated sections, often allocating an entire page to the obituary art. Some contrasts in style and practice are immediately apparent, however. Obituaries by specialist writers frequently appear alongside homespun pieces submitted for publication by surviving family members or friends. At times, for reasons of expediency, editors are forced to use extracts drawn from eulogies.
Syndicated material from overseas presents some variations in practice too. The American style, so far as quality broadsheets are concerned, is typified by contemporaneous publication, adherence to conventional reporting style, inclusion of date, place and cause of death, liberal use of quotes and attributions, and a detailed list of surviving family. The British approach is markedly different: ignoring in many instances the time factor along with the place and cause of death, adopting a reflective and often ironic style, supplying candid revelation, and entertaining the reader with anecdote and elegance of expression.
3 August: ‘Blood on my hands...’ A brief overview of the use of casualty and wound simulation and special effects makeup
Phil Grummett is a graduate of the University of Adelaide, where he obtained a Diploma in Pharmacy. He conducted his own pharmacy business for 36 years both GP and Ethical, then managed a Full Line Pharmacy for seven years. He has been involved in theatre since the age of twelve as a performer, director and technician, and became involved with stage make-up and special effects when managing a pharmacy in Leicester Square in London. Should you ever need a convincing looking severed limb, disembowelment, or any form of simulated blood and gore, Phil is the man who can supply you with that you need.
For over forty years he has been developing and improving the art of specialised make-up. Now retired, he continues to make and sell specialised make-up to theatrical groups, ambulance services, hospitals, and for local film and television productions.
He explainied how he was introduced to this unusual area of expertise, what qualifications are required and the practical uses of SFX.
Thanks to James Brazel for acting as ‘victim’
1 June: Historic and Prehistoric Archeology in Israel
Dr Richard Smith is a former chief Research scientist in the CSIRO’s Division of Human Nutrition. After retiring, he and his wife worked in the Kimberlies on matters relating to the Aboriginal culture. In 1997 they both worked for a year on archeological digs in Greece and Israel.
His talk set out to demonstrate the importance of historical records in the interpretation of archeological findings by comparing two of the excavations upon which Dr Smith and his wife worked. One of these was the ancient city of Caesarea which was built by Herod the Great around the time of the birth of Jesus. Their second excavation took place at the remains of Sha’ar Hagalon near the Sea of Galilee. This Neolithic site is not recorded in any historical records, so there is no knowledge of its people and culture. As a result, many of the remarkable discoveries made at that site remain a mystery.
6 April 2005: Witness identification
Dr Neil Brewer is Professor and Head of the School of Psychology at Flinders University. His principal research interests are in the area of eyewitness identification and testimony, and juror processing and decision making, and has received grants from the Australian Research Council Discovery to research both areas.
He is the author of some 100 publications that have appeared in numerous international journals, and is the author or editor of books including Psychology and law: An empirical perspective (New York: Guilford, 2005); Conflict management in police-citizen interactions (Sydney: McGraw-Hill, 1998) and Psychology and policing (New Jersey: Erlbaum, 1995).
Dr Brewer spoke on the subject of eyewitness identifications. A major influence on the arrest and conviction of criminal offenders is the identification by witnesses of offenders from a live or photographic lineup. However, there is increasing concern regarding witnesses mistakenly identifying offenders. In recent times forensic DNA tests have revealed that many of those convicted have been mistakenly identified and so wrongfully convicted. Another concern is the frequent failure of witnesses to make a positive ID from a lineup that actually contains the offender. Eyewitness laboratory-based research in psychology has been valuable in raising concerns about eyewitness identification evidence.
Our speaker reviewed some of his research in order to understand when identifications are most likely to be accurate or inaccurate, how identification tests should be conducted if we are to reduce the likelihood of wrongful identifications, and whether there are ways of distinguishing accurate from inaccurate identifications.
2 February 2005: A Life of Exploration
Tim Jarvis is an environmental scientist with Masters qualifications in both environmental science and environmental law. His talks are motivated by a belief that everyone can make a difference, and that people can and should aspire to achieve their goals whatever they might be. He mainly lectures about motivation, leadership, environmental issues and overcoming adversity.
He has a diverse background in the outdoor pursuits, sport and expedition fields, having undertaken expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic, Turkey, Central America and Asia. He is an experienced skier having extensive cross-county ski experience gained in Scotland, Austria and Arctic Norway and was a ski guide in the French Alps.
Tim completed an unsupported ski-manhaul across the Arctic Island of Spitsbergen, involving crossing approximately 600 km of frozen and crevassed ice sheet. He is the joint world record holder, with Peter Treseder, for the fastest unsupported journey to the South Geographic Pole and the longest unsupported Antarctic journey in history (1999 Operation Chillout Expedition). In 2000, with Peter Treseder, he completed the first unsupported crossing of South Australia’s Pedirka Desert. Recently, in April 2004, Tim and his friend Ben Kozel attempted to paddle across Lake Eyre but ran aground after traveling an estimated 25 km.
