102-540: Richard Saunders is an Australian scientific skeptic and podcaster . In 2001, he was awarded a life membership by Australian Skeptics and has twice served as their president. He has presented on skepticism, represented the Australian Skeptics on television and radio shows, and is the co-host of The Skeptic Zone podcast . Saunders was born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales , Australia. His father, R. H. Saunders,
204-448: A reverend , was posted in Tribune, Saskatchewan , where he lived in 1968 and 1969. After graduating from high school, Saunders joined educational publisher Ashton Scholastic and sold educational software for Apple II and Commodore 64 home computers. He also worked as a web designer for The Advance Bank of Australia and Commonwealth Bank and in 1999 was transferred to EDS, where he designed
306-469: A Skeptical Africa , which received endorsements from multiple public activists in Africa, as well as skeptical endorsers around the world. He is a Nigerian human rights advocate and campaigner against the impacts of child witchcraft accusations. Igwe came into conflict with high-profile witchcraft believers, leading to attacks on himself and his family. In 2018, Amardeo Sarma provided some perspective on
408-461: A commitment to science, reason, evidence, and the quest for truth. Carl Sagan emphasized the importance of being able to ask skeptical questions, recognizing fallacious or fraudulent arguments, and considering the validity of an argument rather than simply whether we like the conclusion. Similarly, Steven Novella described skepticism as selecting "beliefs and conclusions that are reliable and valid to ones that are comforting or convenient" and as
510-409: A community and background. Skeptical organizations typically tend to have science education and promotion among their goals. The skeptical movement has had issues with allegations of sexism. Mary Coulman identified a disparity between women and men in the movement in a 1985 skeptic newsletter. The skeptic movement has generally been made up of men; at a 1987 conference the members there discussed
612-523: A convincing demonstration to deceive people about the effect of the product. In 2011, Power Balance had to recognize the marketing claims made about the product were not supported by science and paid a large settlement in response to a lawsuit He also penned a letter to Australian pharmacies in March 2009 asking them to take products not backed by medicine off the shelves, such as homeopathic preparations and magnetic pain relief devices. In 2010 he helped organise
714-423: A cover for quackery . According to AFIS, science itself cannot solve humanity's problems, nor can one solve them without using the scientific method . It maintains that people should be informed about scientific and technical advancements and the problems it helps to solve. Its magazine, Science et pseudo-sciences , attempts to distribute scientific information in a language that everyone can understand. In 1976,
816-501: A cut in funding of $ 43 million over three years when accounting for inflation. In the 2019–20 federal budget funding was around $ 3.2 billion over three years ($ 1.06 billion per year) for the ABC. The Enhanced Newsgathering Fund , a specialised fund for regional and outer-suburban news gathering set up in 2013 by the Gillard government , was $ 44 million over three years as of
918-455: A cut of $ 254 million (4.6% ) to funding over the following five years together with the additional unfunded cost of the news channel meant that the ABC would have to shed about 10% of its staff, around 400 people. There were several programming changes, with regional and local programming losing out to national programs, and the Adelaide TV production studio had to close. In November 2016
1020-777: A debunking tale as told in some versions of the Old Testament , where the Prophet Daniel exposes a tale of a "living" statue as a scam. According to Loxton, throughout history, there are further examples of individuals practicing critical inquiry and writing books or performing publicly against particular frauds and popular superstitions, including people like Lucian of Samosata (2nd century), Michel de Montaigne (16th century), Thomas Ady and Thomas Browne (17th century), Antoine Lavoisier and Benjamin Franklin (18th century), many different philosophers, scientists and magicians throughout
1122-450: A form of ritualized divination . While the anthropological approach attempts to explain the activities of astrologers and their clients, the skeptical movement's interest in the cultural aspects of such beliefs is muted. According to sociologist David J. Hess, the skeptical discourse tends to set science and the skeptical project apart from the social and the economic. From this perspective, he argues that skepticism takes on some aspects of
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#17330937720031224-700: A grant making foundation and no longer accepting applications for the Million Dollar Prize from the general public. Other influential second-generation American organizations were The Skeptics Society (founded in 1992 by Michael Shermer ), the New England Skeptical Society (originating in 1996) and the Independent Investigations Group (formed in 2000 by James Underdown ). After the Revolutions of 1989 , Eastern Europe saw
1326-462: A lecture on the claims of water divining as part of the "Pseudoscience" block and a lecture and workshops on origami as part of the "Beauty of Numbers" block. As a teenager, he became a scientific skeptic after watching television documentaries on the subject. In 2001, he became a member of the Australian Skeptics committee, later becoming president and vice president of the organisation. He
1428-620: A licensing scheme administered by the Postmaster-General's Department was established, allowing certain stations (with "Class A" licences") government funding, albeit with restrictions placed on their advertising content. In 1928, the government established the National Broadcasting Service to take over the 12 A-Class licences as they came up for renewal, and contracted the Australian Broadcasting Company ,
1530-496: A methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". Roots of the movement date at least from the 19th century, when people started publicly raising questions regarding the unquestioned acceptance of claims about spiritism , of various widely held superstitions , and of pseudoscience . Publications such as those of the Dutch Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (1881) also targeted medical quackery . Using as
1632-444: A new logotype and brand positioning under its tagline, Yours . The 2002 silver logo is no longer in use by the corporation. The operations of the ABC are governed by a board of directors, consisting of a managing director, five to seven directors, and until 2006, a staff-elected director. The managing director is appointed by the board for a period of up to five years, but is eligible for renewal. The authority and guidelines for
1734-594: A new system, similar to that of the BBC, for appointing members to the board. Under the new system, candidates for the ABC Board would be considered by an independent panel established "at arm's length" from the Communications Minister. If the minister chose someone not on the panel's shortlist, they would be required to justify this to parliament. The ABC chairman would be nominated by the prime minister and endorsed by
1836-417: A priori grounds—rather they argue that one should critically examine claims of paranormal or anomalous phenomena and that extraordinary claims would require extraordinary evidence in their favor before they could be accepted as having validity. From a scientific point of view, skeptics judge ideas on many criteria, including falsifiability, Occam's Razor , Morgan's Canon and explanatory power, as well as
1938-715: A private company established in 1924, to supply programs to the new national broadcaster. After it became politically unpopular to continue to allow the Postmaster-General to run the National Broadcasting Service, the government established the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) on 1 July 1932, under the Australian Broadcasting Commission Act 1932 . to take over the Australian Broadcasting Company and run
2040-631: A project he had been working on since at least 2018, dubbed the "Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project". As of 2021, the project found psychic predictions to have an 11% success rate, out of 3224 predictions, with approximately 650 yet to be evaluated. In addition to Saunders, the team includes Adrienne Hill, Michelle Bijkersma, Rob Palmer, Leonard Tramiel, Paula Lauterbach, Louis Hillman, Wendy Hughes, Angie Mattke, Kelly Burke and Susan Gerbic . The project aims to systematically gather and assess psychic predictions that have been published in Australia since
2142-564: A recurring segment for the Mike Williams Saturday Night Live radio program called Myths and Mysteries. In 2011 and 2012 he was a regular on The Dirty Disbelievers, a radio program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio network. In July and August 2008 (series #1) and in 2011 (series #2), Saunders appeared as the resident sceptic judge on The One , an Australian reality television program on
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#17330937720032244-452: A reduced amount". In all, over a five-year period, there were 737 redundancies, a further 866 resignations, and 203 retirements; but the total number of staff only fell by 313 due to the ABC hiring 650 staff over that period. In June 2021 the ABC announced its plan to move around 300 staff to offices in Parramatta , in a plan which would see 75% of journalists and producers moving out of
2346-528: A result of commercial agreements with digital platforms flowing from the Morrison government 's News Media Bargaining Code . In May 2024 the ABC started moving from its Ultimo office to a new Parramatta office. The first program to be broadcast from the new studio in Parramatta was ABC Radio Sydney Mornings . The ABC logo is one of the most recognisable logos in Australia. In the early years of television,
2448-545: A sacred discourse, as in Emile Durkheim 's Elementary Forms of the Religious Life —Science, seen as pure and sacred (motivated by values of the mind and reason), is set apart from popular dealings with the paranormal, seen as profane (permeated by the economic and the social); obscuring the confrontation between science and religion. Hess states as well a strong tendency in othering : both skeptics and their opponents see
2550-734: A source of violence (notably in The God Delusion ), and considers creationism a threat to biology. Some skeptics, such as the members of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, oppose certain new religious movements because of their cult-like behaviors. Leo Igwe , Junior Fellow at the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies and past Research Fellow of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), wrote A Manifesto for
2652-634: A surge in quackery and paranormal beliefs that were no longer restrained by the generally secular Communist regimes or the Iron curtain and its information barriers. The foundation of many new skeptical organizations was as well intending to protect consumers . These included the Czech Skeptics' Club Sisyfos (1995), the Hungarian Skeptic Society (2006), the Polish Sceptics Club (2010) and
2754-773: A template the Belgian organization founded in 1949, Comité Para , Americans Paul Kurtz and Marcello Truzzi founded the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) , in Amherst, New York , in 1976. Now known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), this organization has inspired others to form similar groups worldwide. Scientific skeptics maintain that empirical investigation of reality leads to
2856-658: Is Australia 's national broadcaster . It is principally funded by the Australian taxpayer and is administered by a government-appointed board . The ABC is a publicly owned body that is politically independent and accountable such as through its production of annual reports and is bound by provisions contained within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, with its charter enshrined in legislation,
2958-402: Is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking scientific evidence . In practice, the term most commonly refers to the examination of claims and theories that appear to be unscientific , rather than the routine discussions and challenges among scientists. Scientific skepticism differs from philosophical skepticism , which questions humans' ability to claim any knowledge about
3060-512: Is closely associated with skeptical investigation or rational inquiry of controversial topics (compare list of topics characterized as pseudoscience ) such as U.F.O.s , claimed paranormal phenomena, cryptids , conspiracy theories , alternative medicine , religion , or exploratory or fringe areas of scientific or pseudoscientific research. Further topics that scientifically skeptical literature questions include health claims surrounding certain foods, procedures, and alternative medicines ;
3162-517: Is important to continue to address them and the underlying habits of thought that lead to them so that we do not "have a lot more people believing that 9/11 was an inside job, that climate change is a hoax, that our government is controlled by aliens, and so forth—and those beliefs are far from harmless". With regard to the skeptical social movement, Daniel Loxton refers to other movements already promoting "humanism, atheism , rationalism, science education and even critical thinking" beforehand. He saw
Richard Saunders (skeptic) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-414: Is little evidence for such beliefs. According to Hammer, the bulk of the skeptical movement's literature works on an implicit model, that belief in the irrational is being based on scientific illiteracy or cognitive illusions. He points to the skeptical discussion about astrology: The skeptical notion of astrology as a "failed hypothesis" fails to address basic anthropological assumptions about astrology as
3366-647: Is more likely to teach and change minds than debunking. A striking characteristic of the skeptical movement is the fact that while most of the phenomena covered, such as astrology and homeopathy , have been debunked again and again, they stay popular. Frazier reemphasized in 2018 that "[w]e need independent, evidence-based, science-based critical investigation and inquiry now more than perhaps at any other time in our history." The scientific skepticism community has traditionally been focused on what people believe rather than why they believe—there might be psychological, cognitive or instinctive reasons for belief when there
3468-492: Is no evidence of efficacy, can result in destructive actions. James Randi often wrote on the issue of fraud by psychics and faith healers. Unqualified medical practice and alternative medicine can result in serious injury and death. Skeptical activist Tim Farley , who aims to create catalogue of harmful pseudoscientific practices and cases of damage caused by them, estimates documented number of killed or injured to be more than 600,000. Richard Dawkins points to religion as
3570-505: Is produced weekly and is billed as "The Podcast from Australia for Science and Reason". Saunders has produced every episode of The Skeptic Zone podcast. Saunders has also appeared as a guest on many other podcasts and vodcasts including The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe , Skepticality , Dragon*Pod , The Reason Driven Podcast , The Amateur Scientist Podcast , Bad Psychics TV , and Meet The Skeptics! . In 2020 Saunders assembled an international team of sceptics to help him complete
3672-477: Is skepticism of critics and [their] criticisms of paranormal studies." According to skeptic author Daniel Loxton , "skepticism is a story without a beginning or an end." His 2013 article in Skeptic magazine "Why Is There a Skeptical Movement" claims a history of two millennia of paranormal skepticism. He is of the opinion that the practice, problems, and central concepts extend all the way to antiquity and refers to
3774-669: Is strong. For example, in 1994, Susan Blackmore , a parapsychologist who became more skeptical and eventually became a Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) fellow in 1991, described what she termed the "worst kind of pseudoskepticism": There are some members of the skeptics' groups who clearly believe they know the right answer prior to inquiry. They appear not to be interested in weighing alternatives, investigating strange claims, or trying out psychic experiences or altered states for themselves (heaven forbid!), but only in promoting their own particular belief structure and cohesion ... Commenting on
3876-468: The ABC Australia satellite channel. News and current affairs content across all platforms is produced by the news division. The postal address of the ABC in every Australian capital city is PO Box 9994, as a tribute to the record-breaking Test batting average of Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman . After public radio stations were established independently in the state capitals from 1924,
3978-541: The Australian Broadcasting Act that meant the ABC would receive its funding directly from the federal government. Licence fees remained until 1973, when they were abolished by the Whitlam Labor government , on the basis that the near-universality of television and radio services meant that public funding was a fairer method of providing revenue for government-owned radio and television broadcasters. In 2014
4080-604: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 . ABC Commercial , a profit-making division of the corporation, also helps to generate funding for content provision. The ABC was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of federal parliament. It effectively replaced the Australian Broadcasting Company , a private company established in 1924 to provide programming for A-class radio stations. The ABC
4182-586: The Australian Labor Party at the 1972 election), as well as Sir Henry Bland, David Hill was close to Neville Wran , while Donald McDonald was considered to be a close friend of John Howard . From 2003 the Howard government made several controversial appointments to the ABC Board, including prominent ABC critic Janet Albrechtsen , Ron Brunton , and Keith Windschuttle . During their 2007 federal election campaign Labor announced plans to introduce
Richard Saunders (skeptic) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-959: The Center for Inquiry , a US think-tank, brought the CSICOP and the Council for Secular Humanism (CSH) under one umbrella. In January 2016, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science announced its merger with the Center for Inquiry. In 2010, as a form of skeptical outreach to the general population, Susan Gerbic launched the Guerrilla Skepticism on Misplaced Pages (GSoW) project to improve skeptical content on Misplaced Pages. Books Magazines Television programs Podcasts Notes Further reading Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC )
4386-458: The FM band, broadcasting from Adelaide . It was initially known as ABC-FM (later ABC Classic FM) – referring both to its "fine music programming and radio frequency". ABC budget cuts began in 1976 and continued until 1998, the largest cuts (calculated by the ABC as 25% in real terms) coming between 1985 and 1996. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 changed the organisation's name to
4488-632: The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) and created the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge , where anyone who could demonstrate paranormal abilities, under mutually agreed-upon controlled circumstances, could claim the prize. After Randi's retirement in 2015, the Paranormal Challenge was officially terminated by the JREF with the prize unclaimed: Effective 9/1/2015 the JREF has made major changes including converting to
4590-638: The Seven Network that tested the powers of several alleged psychics. Saunders produced the Vaccination Chronicles in 2014. The film is a 30-minute documentary collects first-hand anecdotes about the horrors faced by parents of recent generations, whose children died from diseases which are now preventable with vaccines. Saunders was producer and host of The Tank Vodcast (aka The Skeptic Tank ). In 2008 this podcast became The Skeptic Zone podcast, which released its 500th episode on 19 May 2018. It
4692-487: The leader of the opposition . A new merit-based appointment system was announced on 16 October 2008, in advance of the new triennial funding period starting in 2009. In 2013 the Coalition government introduced a merit-based system for appointing the board based on the recommendations of a nominations panel. However, the panel was ultimately only advisory, with almost all of the board members in 2018 directly appointed by
4794-451: The 19th and early 20th century up until and after Harry Houdini . However, skeptics banding together in societies that research the paranormal and fringe science is a modern phenomenon. Two early important works influential to the skeptical movement were Daniel Webster Hering 's Foibles and Fallacies of Science (1924) and D. H. Rawcliffe's The Psychology of the Occult . Loxton mentions
4896-489: The 2019–20 budget, a reduction of $ 28 million per year since the 2016 Australian federal election . This came after speculation that the fund would be removed, to which Acting managing director David Anderson wrote to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield expressing concerns. Despite the cuts made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the freeze introduced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield,
4998-449: The ABC absorbed $ 254 million in federal budget deficits. In the 2018–19 budget handed down by then-Treasurer Scott Morrison , the ABC was subject to a pause of indexation of operation funding, saving the federal government a total of $ 83.7 million over 3 years. In fiscal year 2016–17, the ABC received $ 861 million in federal funding, which increased to $ 865 million per year from 2017 to 2018 to 2018–19, representing
5100-472: The ABC announced that ABC News 24, ABC NewsRadio , as well as its online and digital news brands, would be rebranded under a unified ABC News brand, which was launched on 10 April 2017. Michelle Guthrie took over from managing director Mark Scott , whose second five-year contract finished in April 2016. Between July 2017 and June 2018, the whole of the ABC underwent an organisational restructure, after which
5202-447: The ABC had been using Lissajous curves as fillers between programmes. In July 1963, the ABC conducted a staff competition to create a new logo for use on television, stationery, publications, microphone badges and ABC vehicles. In 1965, ABC graphics designer Bill Kennard submitted a design representing a Lissajous display, as generated when a sine wave signal is applied to the "X" input of an oscilloscope and another at three times
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#17330937720035304-583: The ABC music label. In 1991 the corporation's Sydney radio and orchestral operations moved to a new building, the ABC Ultimo Centre, in the inner-city suburb of Ultimo . In Melbourne, the ABC Southbank Centre was completed in 1994. In 1992 Australian children's television series Bananas in Pyjamas first aired. International television service ABC Australia was established in 1993, while at
5406-553: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1983. The ABC provides radio, television, online, and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia. ABC Radio operates four national networks, a large number of ABC Local Radio stations, several digital stations, and the international service Radio Australia . ABC Television operates five free-to-air channels, as well as the ABC iview streaming service and
5508-408: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, effective 1 July 1983. Although funded and owned by the government, the ABC remains editorially independent as ensured by the 1983 Act. At the same time, the newly formed corporation underwent significant restructuring, including a split into separate television and radio divisions, and ABC Radio was restructured significantly again in 1985. Geoffrey Whitehead
5610-596: The Australians Skeptics convention DVDs. He was the acting artistic director and layout manager for The Skeptic Magazine from Australian Skeptics until Tim Mendham was appointed the new editor in June 2009. In 2003, Saunders co-founded Mystery Investigators with Alynda Brown and Ian Bryce. The program teaches students to use science and critical thinking to investigate claims of the paranormal, such as water divining , spoon bending , and firewalking . In 2008 Brown left
5712-548: The Belgian Comité Para (1949) as the oldest "broad mandate" skeptical organization. Although it was preceded by the Dutch Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (VtdK) (1881), which is therefore considered the oldest skeptical organization by others, the VtdK only focuses on fighting quackery, and thus has a 'narrow mandate'. The Comité Para was partly formed as a response to a predatory industry of bogus psychics who were exploiting
5814-519: The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) since November 2006, was founded in the United States . Some see this as the "birth of modern skepticism", however, founder Paul Kurtz actually modeled it after the Comité Para, including its name. Kurtz' motive was being "dismayed ... by the rising tide of belief in
5916-564: The Communications minister, despite some being rejected by the panel or not being considered at all. As of March 2024 board members include: The ABC is primarily funded by the Australian government , in addition to some revenue received from commercial offerings and its retail outlets . The ABC's funding system is set and reviewed every three years. Until 1948 the ABC was funded directly by radio licence fees; amendments were also made to
6018-899: The JREF in Las Vegas had been the most important skeptical conference since 2003, with two spin-off conferences in London , UK (2009 and 2010) and one in Sydney , Australia (2010). Since 2010, the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Greater Manchester Skeptics jointly organized Question, Explore, Discover (QED) in Manchester , UK. World Skeptics Congresses have been held so far, namely in Buffalo, New York (1996), Heidelberg , Germany (1998), Sydney, Australia (2000), Burbank, California (2002), Abano Terme , Italy (2004) and Berlin, Germany (2012). In 1991,
6120-710: The National Broadcasting Service. The ABC became informally referred to as "Aunty", originally in imitation of the British Broadcasting Corporation's nickname . The structure and programming was broadly modelled on the British Broadcasting Corporation, and programs not created in Australia were mostly bought in from the BBC . In 1940 one of the ABC Board 's most prominent members, Dick Boyer ,
6222-472: The Radio and Television Divisions were no longer separate entities each under a director, instead being split across several functional divisions, with different teams producing different genres of content for television, radio and digital platforms. The Entertainment & Specialist (E&S) team focussed on comedy, kids' programs, drama, Indigenous-related programs, music, other entertainment and factual content;
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#17330937720036324-454: The Russian-speaking Skeptic Society (2013). The Austrian Skeptical Society in Vienna (founded in 2002) deals with issues such as Johann Grander's "vitalized water" and the use of dowsing at the Austrian Parliament . The European Skeptics Congress (ESC) has been held throughout Europe since 1989, from 1994 onwards co-ordinated by the European Council of Skeptical Organizations . In the United States, The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM) hosted by
6426-419: The Ultimo building by 2025 to reduce costs. Rental from some of the vacant space in the city centre would earn additional income to offset the ongoing effects of the significant funding cuts since 2014 and the recent indexation freeze. In December 2021 the ABC announced that, in addition to the 83 additional positions already established, it was to create an additional "50-plus" new jobs in regional Australia as
6528-509: The appointment of directors is provided for in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 . Appointments to the ABC Board made by successive governments have often resulted in criticism of the appointees' political affiliation, background, and relative merit. Past appointments have associated directly with political parties – five of fourteen appointed chairmen have been accused of political affiliation or friendship, include Richard Downing and Ken Myer (both of whom publicly endorsed
6630-439: The case. In June 2020 the ABC announced it needed to cut 229 jobs, a number of programs, and reduce its travel and production budgets after the Turnbull government 's announcement of a freeze to indexation of its budget in 2018 this was estimated at the time to cost the ABC A$ 84 million over three years, however the actual appropriation did not decrease and the ABC chair was quoted as saying it would actually increase "but by
6732-469: The degree to which their predictions match experimental results. Skepticism in general may be deemed part of the scientific method ; for instance an experimental result is not regarded as established until it can be shown to be repeatable independently. The Sci.Skeptic FAQ characterizes the skeptic spectrum as divided into "wet" and "dry" sceptics, primarily based on the level of engagement with those promoting claims that appear to be pseudoscience;
6834-458: The demand for the new movement—a movement of people called "skeptics"—as based on a lack of interest by the scientific community to address paranormal and fringe-science claims. In line with Kendrick Frazier , he describes the movement as a surrogate in that area for institutional science. The movement set up a distinct field of study, and provided an organizational structure, while "the long-standing genre of individual skeptical writing" lacked such
6936-414: The dry skeptics preferring to debunk and ridicule, in order to avoid giving attention and thus credence to the promoters, and the "wet" skeptics, preferring slower and more considered engagement, in order to avoid appearing sloppy and ill-considered and thus similar to the groups all skeptics opposed. Ron Lindsay has argued that while some non-scientific claims appear to be harmless or "soft targets", it
7038-412: The examination of over 9,200 documents, including internal emails. In February 2020 the case was dismissed by the federal court . In June 2020, the AFP sent a brief of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), the federal public prosecutor, recommending charges be laid against journalist Dan Oakes for breaking the Afghan Files story, but in October 2020, the CDPP dropped
7140-481: The fact that the attendees were predominantly older white men and a 1991 listing of 50 CSICOP fellows included four women. Following a 2011 conference, Rebecca Watson , a prominent skeptic, raised issues of the way female skeptics are targeted with online harassment including threats of sexual violence by opponents of the movement, and also raised issues of sexism within the movement itself. While she received some support in response to her discussion of sexism within
7242-410: The first The Amaz!ng Meeting Australia in Sydney . The meeting featured presentations by several high-profile members of the skeptical community, including James Randi , Brian Dunning , and Eugenie Scott . Saunders is frequently interviewed by the media as an expert on consumer protection and the paranormal, notably the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and international media. In 2007 he did
7344-465: The frequency at the "Y" input. The letters "ABC" were added to the design and it was adopted as the ABC's official logo. Kennard was presented with £ 25 (about AU $ 850 in 2024) for his design. On 19 October 1974 the Lissajous curve design experienced its first facelift with the line thickened to allow for colour to be used. It would also be treated to the 'over and under' effect, showing the crossover of
7446-669: The grieving relatives of people who had gone missing during the Second World War . In contrast, Michael Shermer traces the origins of the modern scientific skeptical movement to Martin Gardner 's 1952 book Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science . In 1968, the French Association for Scientific Information (AFIS) was founded. AFIS strives to promote science against those who deny its cultural value, abuse it for criminal purposes or as
7548-481: The interface for netBank online banking and worked for two years before joining GreenStone Pty Ltd as a web designer for three years. Saunders appeared in the background of Superman Returns and Home and Away . In 2013, he was invited to be a member of the "World Competition Jury" at Academia Film Olomouc 's 48th International Festival of Science Documentary Films or AFO48 in the Czech Republic . He also gave
7650-429: The labels "dogmatic" and "pathological" that the "Association for Skeptical Investigation" puts on critics of paranormal investigations, Bob Carroll of the Skeptic's Dictionary argues that that association "is a group of pseudo-skeptical paranormal investigators and supporters who do not appreciate criticism of paranormal studies by truly genuine skeptics and critical thinkers. The only skepticism this group promotes
7752-491: The line in the design. To celebrate its 70th anniversary on 1 July 2002, the ABC adopted a new logo, which was created by (Annette) Harcus Design in 2001. This logo used a silver 3D texture but the crossover design was left intact and was then used across the ABC's media outlets. After the on-air revival of the 1974 logo since 2014, the ABC gradually reinstated the classic symbol. The most recent change happened in February 2018, with
7854-442: The more dangerous for his success in appropriating the mantle of the unbiased and open-minded inquirer". Some advocates of discredited intellectual positions (such as AIDS denial , Holocaust denial and climate change denial ) engage in pseudoskeptical behavior when they characterize themselves as "skeptics". This is despite their cherry picking of evidence that conforms to a pre-existing belief. According to Wilson, who highlights
7956-754: The most reliable empirical knowledge , and suggest that the scientific method is best suited to verifying results. Scientific skeptics attempt to evaluate claims based on verifiability and falsifiability ; they discourage accepting claims which rely on faith or anecdotal evidence . Paul Kurtz described scientific skepticism in his 1992 book The New Skepticism , calling it an essential part of scientific inquiry. The Skeptics Society describes it as "the application of reason to any and all ideas—no sacred cows allowed." Robert K. Merton introduced Mertonian norms , which assert that all ideas must be tested and are subject to rigorous, structured community scrutiny. Kendrick Frazier said that scientific skeptics have
8058-511: The movement, she later became a target of virulent online harassment, even from fellow skeptics, after posting an online video that discussed her discomfort with being propositioned in a confined space. This became known as " Elevatorgate ", based on Watson's discussion about being propositioned in a hotel elevator in the early morning after a skeptic event. The verb "to debunk" is used to describe efforts by skeptics to expose or discredit claims believed to be false, exaggerated, or pretentious. It
8160-531: The nature of the world and how they perceive it, and the similar but distinct methodological skepticism , which is a systematic process of being skeptical about (or doubting) the truth of one's beliefs. The skeptical movement ( British spelling : sceptical movement ) is a contemporary social movement based on the idea of scientific skepticism. The movement has the goal of investigating claims made on fringe topics and determining whether they are supported by empirical research and are reproducible , as part of
8262-551: The new ABC Specialist team created content across the arts, science, religion & ethics, education and society & culture; while the Regional & Local team focussed on regional and local content. Around 23 September 2018 Guthrie was fired. A leadership crisis ensued after allegations arose that Chair, Justin Milne , had, according to the MEAA , engaged in "overt political interference in
8364-493: The other as being driven by materialistic philosophy and material gain and assume themselves to have purer motives. While not all pseudoscientific beliefs are necessarily dangerous, some can potentially be harmful. Plato believed that to release others from ignorance despite their initial resistance is a great and noble thing. Modern skeptical writers address this question in a variety of ways. Bertrand Russell argued that some individual actions based on beliefs for which there
8466-478: The paranormal and the lack of adequate scientific examinations of these claims." Kurtz was an atheist and had also founded the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion . While he saw both aspects as being covered in the skeptical movement, he had recommended CSICOP to focus on paranormal and pseudoscientific claims and to leave religious aspects to others. Despite not being the oldest, CSICOP
8568-417: The phenomenon in his 2008 book Don't Get Fooled Again , the characteristic feature of false skepticism is that it "centres not on an impartial search for the truth, but on the defence of a preconceived ideological position". Scientific skepticism is itself sometimes criticized on this ground. The term pseudoskepticism has found occasional use in controversial fields where opposition from scientific skeptics
8670-719: The plausibility and existence of supernatural abilities (e.g. tarot reading ) or entities (e.g. poltergeists , angels , gods —including Zeus ); the monsters of cryptozoology (e.g. the Loch Ness monster ); as well as creationism / intelligent design , dowsing , conspiracy theories , and other claims the skeptic sees as unlikely to be true on scientific grounds. Skeptics such as James Randi have become famous for debunking claims related to some of these. Paranormal investigator Joe Nickell cautions, however, that "debunkers" must be careful to engage paranormal claims seriously and without bias. He explains that open minded investigation
8772-452: The running of the ABC that is in clear breach of the ABC charter and the role of the chairperson" by interfering in editorial and staffing matters. After pressure for an independent inquiry or statement from Milne, or his resignation, following meetings by ABC staff in various locations, on 27 September Milne resigned. In February 2019, after the roles of ABC chair and managing director had been vacant for more than four months, Ita Buttrose
8874-619: The same time Radio Australia increased its international reach. Reduced funding in 1997 for Radio Australia resulted in staff and programming cuts. The ABC Multimedia Unit was established in July 1995 to manage the new ABC website, which was launched in August. The ABC was registered on the Australian Business Register as a Commonwealth Government Entity on 1 November 1999. In 2001 digital television commenced (see Online, below ). At
8976-461: The same time the ABC's multimedia division was renamed "ABC New Media", becoming an output division of the ABC alongside television and radio. In 2002 the ABC launched ABC Asia Pacific , the replacement for the defunct Australia Television International operated previously by the Seven Network . A digital radio service, ABC DiG , was also launched in November that year. On 8 February 2008 ABC TV
9078-449: The show and was replaced by biologist Rachael Dunlop . In 2013, the show celebrated 10 years of performing. In December 2009, Saunders conducted an informal double-blind test of the popular Power Balance hologram bracelet on the Australian television program Today Tonight . The results of the test showed evidence that the holograms' effect wasn't different than a placebo. Saunders had previously demonstrated how someone could put together
9180-485: The state of the skeptical movement by addressing "the essence of contemporary skepticism and [highlighting] the vital nonpartisan and science-based role of skeptics in preventing deception and harm." He emphasized the dangers of pseudoscience as a reason for prioritizing skeptical work. Richard Cameron Wilson, in an article in New Statesman , wrote that "the bogus sceptic is, in reality, a disguised dogmatist , made all
9282-506: The study of "pitfalls of human reason and the mechanisms of deception so as to avoid being deceived by others or themselves". Brian Dunning called skepticism "the process of finding a supported conclusion, not the justification of a preconceived conclusion.'' Skeptics often focus their criticism on claims they consider implausible, dubious or clearly contradictory to generally accepted science. Scientific skeptics do not assert that unusual claims should be automatically rejected out of hand on
9384-482: The vast area to be serviced. In 1947 a proposal to increase the fee for a broadcast listeners' licence from £1 to £1/5/ was scotched, and in 1949 the Chifley government decided that the ABC would be directly funded by the taxpayer, with licence fees subsumed into general revenue. Later funding was supplemented with commercial activities related to its core broadcasting mission. The Australian Broadcasting Commission became
9486-504: The year 2000. These predictions cover a wide range of topics, predominantly related to Australia, including politics, scandals, celebrities, natural disasters, real estate trends, sports, and weather patterns. The project's creator, Richard Saunders, expressed the intention of using this collection to examine the accuracy of these predictions. Scientific skepticism Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism ), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry ,
9588-878: Was "the first successful, broad-mandate North American skeptical organization of the contemporary period", popularized the usage of the terms "skeptic", "skeptical" and "skepticism" by its magazine, Skeptical Inquirer , and directly inspired the foundation of many other skeptical organizations throughout the world, especially in Europe. These included Australian Skeptics (1980), Vetenskap och Folkbildning (Sweden, 1982), New Zealand Skeptics (1986), GWUP (Austria, Germany and Switzerland, 1987), Skepsis r.y. (Finland, 1987), Stichting Skepsis (Netherlands, 1987), CICAP (Italy, 1989) and SKEPP (Dutch-speaking Belgium, 1990). Besides scientists such as astronomers , stage magicians like James Randi were important in investigating charlatans and exposing their trickery. In 1996 Randi formed
9690-478: Was appointed to the ABC, becoming chairman on 1 April 1945. Today known for the continuing series of Boyer Lectures initiated by him in 1959, he had a good but not too close working relationship with Sir Charles Moses (general manager 1935–1965 ), and remained chair until his retirement in 1961. He was determined to maintain the autonomy of the ABC. The ABC commenced television broadcasting in 1956. ABN-2 in Sydney
9792-407: Was given statutory powers that reinforced its independence from the government and enhanced its news-gathering role. Modelled after the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ), which is funded by a television licence , the ABC was originally financed by licence fees on households with a broadcast receiver. However, the licence fees soon proved to be insufficient due to Australia's small population and
9894-415: Was inaugurated by prime minister Robert Menzies on 5 November 1956, with the first broadcast presented by Michael Charlton , and James Dibble reading the first television news bulletin. Television relay facilities were not in place until the early 1960s, so news bulletins had to be sent to each capital city by teleprinter , to be prepared and presented separately in each city. In 1975, colour television
9996-442: Was later awarded a life membership in the organisation and as of 2023 was their Chief Investigator. In 2013, he described himself as an "old school skeptic" interested in the paranormal and consumer protection, but uninvolved in religious debates. He initiated The Skeptic Tank radio show on Net.FM with Stefan Sojka, produced The Australian Skeptics collection on "Theories of Everything" for TVS local Sydney TV, and created several of
10098-602: Was named chair. Buttrose named David Anderson as managing director in May 2019. On 5 June 2019 Australian Federal Police (AFP) raided the headquarters of the ABC looking for articles written in 2017 about alleged misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, later dubbed the Afghan Files . The raid was countered by lawyers for the ABC in litigation against the AFP, challenging
10200-415: Was permanently introduced into Australia, and within a decade, the ABC had moved into satellite broadcasting , greatly enhancing its ability to distribute content nationally. Also, in 1975 the ABC introduced a 24-hour-a-day AM rock station in Sydney, 2JJ ( Double Jay ), which was eventually expanded into the national Triple J FM network. A year later, a national classical music network was established on
10302-445: Was rebranded as ABC1 , and a new channel for children, ABC3 , was funded and announced by the Rudd government in June. A new online video-on-demand service launched in July of the same year, titled ABC iview . ABC News 24 , now known as ABC News, a channel dedicated to news, launched on 22 July 2010. On 20 July 2014, ABC1 reverted to its original name of ABC TV. In November 2014
10404-512: Was the managing director of the ABC at this time. Following his resignation in 1986, David Hill (at the time chair of the ABC Board) took over his position and local production trebled from 1986 to 1991. Live television broadcasts of selected parliamentary sessions started in 1990, and by the early 1990s, all major ABC broadcasting outlets operated 24 hours a day. In 1991 the ABC helped launch Australian children's music band The Wiggles , under
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