New Zealand Skeptics

New Zealand Skeptics
Formation	1986
Location	New Zealand
Leader	Gold[1]
Website	www.skeptics.org.nz

The New Zealand Skeptics comprises a network of New Zealanders including magicians, teachers, scientists, health professionals and many others from all walks of life. Members have a variety of worldviews, but are all interested in examining what objective scientific support there is for claims of such things as psychic abilities, alternative health practices, creationism and other areas where science and pseudo-science interact.

Skeptics question practices that take advantage of people at their most vulnerable - cancer patients seeking alternative cures, grief-stricken bereaved seeking contact with the dead. These kinds of practices often prey upon the trust, hopes and fears, and exploit the lay public's lack of specialist knowledge. Where the potential for harm exists - whether physical, mental, emotional or economic - sceptics consider it unethical not to challenge such claims.

History

The New Zealand Skeptics were co-founded (as the New Zealand Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal) by David Marks, Denis Dutton and others in 1986. Other similar organisations exist in the USA (Committee for Scientific Inquiry), Australia (Australian Skeptics), and India (Indian CSICOP). Denis Dutton was the first chair, Vicki Hyde the first chair-entity (a title devised by Hugh Young both to be all-inclusive and to parody inclusiveness^[2]) from 1997–2010; the present chair-entity is Gold (his only name), who founded New Zealand Skeptics in the Pub, but Hyde continues as media spokes-entity.

Bob Brockie, a cartoonist, columnist and scientist is member.^[3] A prominent member was journalist Frank Haden.^{[citation needed]}

Activities

The New Zealand Skeptics hold an annual conference, usually in August–September during the school holidays, about one in the South Island for every two in the North Island. Each year the New Zealand Skeptics give awards, notably the 'Bravo Awards' for "critical thinking in the public arena",^[4] and a 'Bent Spoon' award for "the most gullible or naive reporting in the paranormal or pseudo-science area".^[5][6] The name "bent spoon" is a reference to the psychic power claimed by Uri Geller.

On 30 January 2010, members in Christchurch participated in a mass overdose, a protest against the selling of homeopathic remedies in pharmacies.^[7] The protest was in line with similar activities held on the same day by the 10:23 campaign in the UK.^[8][9]

References

1. ^ NZ Skeptics Officers and Committee New Zealand Skeptics. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
2. ^ New Zealand Skeptic Number 97, Spring 2010
3. ^ New Zealand Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (Inc.) Newsletter Winter 2003
4. ^ "Skeptics' prize goes to education group". New Zealand Herald. 2005-09-24. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&ObjectID=10347025. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
5. ^ "Skeptics: Critical Coverage Needed at the Listener". Scoop. 2006-09-20. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0609/S00179.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
6. ^ "TV3 wins praise and criticism from Skeptics". New Zealand Herald. 2007-09-19. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10464647. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
7. ^ "Plea for pharmacists to ditch stock". Stuff.co.nz. 2010-01-30. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3277310/Plea-for-pharmacists-to-ditch-stock. 
8. ^ "Liverpool anti-homeopathy campaigners stage protest". BBC News. 2010-01-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8488946.stm. 
9. ^ "Mass "overdose" in Leicester city centre". Leicester Mercury. 2010-01-30. http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Mass-overdose-Leicester-city-centre/article-1782650-detail/article.html. 

External links

• New Zealand Skeptics