Editorial
Keith Lockett (May 1, 1987)
By all accounts the first annual meeting of the Society at. Dunedin recently was a great success. This edition of the Skeptic has been designated as a conference special as we thought that members would welcome a permanent record of an historical occasion. The timing of the conference was determined by David Marks' departure and this meant that several of us were unable to go. 1 could not go because I had to supervise the dress rehearsal of the school play (If you want to know, Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco and a great success).
We made arrangements for all sessions to be recorded on tape but unfortunately the microphone functioned only spasmodically with very variable results. Nothing of Mark Plummer's talk was preserved but he has given us a copy of his paper. Dennis Dutton on Cold Reading was completely lost and we reproduce a press report. (Trying to hear the tape was one of the most maddening episodes of my life. All I got was a word here and there, usually followed by peals of laughter). 1 have tried to transcribe the other talks as best I could. The errors are all mine and I apologise to the speakers for mauling their ideas.
I have had a good response to my appeal for articles and cuttings and I will keep them for a later issue. However, one can never have too much and I ask new members to send more material. I am planning an issue on fringe medicine and I would be grateful if anyone could supply me with something on their personal experiences, on how one determines what is fringe. (Can anyone say exactly what happens to the body in acupuncture?) Something on why fringe medicine appears to be more successful than conventional (does anyone know why that seems to be so for the Auckland firemen who inhaled toxic gases?) On why fringe medicine is flourishing at a time when standard medicine is beginning to be scientifically based, or on any other aspect of this intriguing business.
Please write to me, Keith Lockett, 72 Awanui St, New Plymouth.