Surf Coast Summer Skepticamp VIII

Skepticamps are designed to give many members the opportunity to briefly (20 minutes) present on a topic of their choice. Skepticamps have been run in hundreds of locations and in many countries since the first one was held in 2007 in Denver, USA.

So, if you want to share something on a skeptically-related topic in which you are interested; or highlight some practices that you see as dubious that need to be bought to the attention of the skeptics community; or just something that we might find interesting please offer to share your thoughts. This is a sharing event, where many contributors combine to a great day. in an idyllic location.

Speaking of having a great day. Aireys Inlet is a picturesque township located on the Victorian Surf Coast. The summertime is a great time to enjoy the delights of this location, so why not make a weekend of it and stay in the area for the night - or a few nights. Feel free to enjoy the location and the views. At the end of the day we adjourn to the Aireys Pub for a drink, a bite to eat and, of course, accompanied by skeptical discussion.

Speakers for 2020 Announced

Richard Saunders 'Strange Energies put to the Test'. Richard Saunders is a Life Member and former President of Australian Skeptics Inc., a CSI Fellow, author and podcaster.

Mal Vickers 'Why Clinical Trials Are Not Always the Best Choice and Other Public Health Issues'. Mal Vickers was awarded Life Membership of the Australian Skeptics for his work addressing medical quackery. He is currently a mature age student studying Public Health.

Joanne Benhamu. 'Informed consent in research. Have we got it all wrong?”'. Jo Benhamu is a Senior Clinical Research Nurse at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre with almost twenty years of experience in clinical nursing. She has a Masters in Bioethics and teaches ethics to medical students at Monash University. She is a founding member of Stop the AVN and has co-authored several papers challenging anti-vaccination papers in the scientific literature. She is Vice President of Australian Skeptics Inc.

Dr Scott Power 'Climate change in Australia: fact vs. fiction'. Dr Scott Power, Dip Ed, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Bureau of Meteorology; Climate Science Advisor to the Climate Change Authority.

Tina Hanigan 'Exposing the Rorts in Tertiary Education - an Update on How to Not be Bamboozled'. Tina is a retired TAFE educator and skeptic with respect for Australia's Qualifications Framework, disturbed at how the system is being manipulated and people misled for financial gain.

Karl Hemphill 'Crowdfunding Scams'. Karl Hemphill is a long time Skeptic on the side of those of a less skeptical nature, being tricked into throwing their money away.

Jess Porciuncula 'Creating links in the Community'. Jess works in Occupational therapy and is interested in evidenced based health.

Ross Finlay 'Maths - Exams = Fun'. Ross is a Scottish Engineer and a Maths/Science evangelist. As a Trainer, he has noted that people don't learn much whilst asleep.

Aung Ko Oo & Arghavan Shafiei 'Update on the Whack-a-Mole Project' - which is headed by Dr Ken Harvey.

FAQs

Is there a Post Event Social Gathering?

Of course! A Skepticamp would not be a Skepticamp without the social debriefing opportunity. This year we have found the Aireys Pub is hosting a wedding reception, so we have made a booking at the Little Feast Restaurant http://littlefeastaireys.com.au/ . It's about 1.5 km from the SCSSVIII venue at 85 Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet. The restaurant comes highly recommended and mains are in the range $25 - $32. Once dinner is finished we may well repair to the Pub - for old times sake.

Will lunch be provided?

Lunch will not be provided as there are a number of very good options within the local environs - or bring your own.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available all day from 10.00 am.

What is the cost of the SCSS VIII?

It is free to register. We might ask for a small contribution ($5 maybe) to cover general costs. This depends on the level of support from skeptic community.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Offers to present should be made to the Skeptic Groups of Victoria e-mail address at sgofvic@gmail.com.

Similarly, questions about the events should be forwarded there.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, but registering helps with planning for numbers.

Who are the speakers? See above.

We will update you regularly, but since this is a participatory event, you should consider making a contribution yourself.