Philippics

No doubt the dates for the 1988 conference were selected after consultation with the noted Christchurch psychic Omniscia. The vibes clearly showed 20/21 August to be good for discussing paranormality: that same weekend was chosen for a Psychic Fair in Dunedin and for the Theosophists' Festival of Life—"An open day for alternative spiritualities in Auckland". Conspiracy theorists, however, will see these latter events as attempts to derail the Skeptics' publicity machine.

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I'd like to thank the members who very kindly send in clippings and articles for the archive. By chance I discovered a huge article on crystals in the New Zealand Herald and wondered if someone would send me a copy. Someone did, thanks. Many of the items have been sent anonymously, or have come to me indirectly, but I'd like to acknowledge the following IAC's (Identified Archive Contributors): Barry Cleal, Eric Bell, Mag Holmes, Denis Dutton, Claire Shakespeare, John McCleary, Reg McLean, Hugh Young, Bill Morris, Gordon Hewitt, Tony Vignaux and Charles Sullivan. I'm sure we are only scratching the surface. Suburban rags are a good source of material—not just for their small ads either.

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Have there been some unfavourable prognostications lately for the astrology book trade? In Booktown, Lambton Quay "Astrology" used to be one of the half dozen or so categories marked on the wall. Now the shop has been nicely redecorated and Astrology isn't mentioned at all. In Whitcoulls books-on astrology, tarot, numerology, etc are all displayed on the bottom shelf of a stand marked "Humour", This reminds me that Dr Wilder-Smith's Creationist seminar on 18 June was the sole advertisement in an Evening Post column headed "Amusements".

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Last year I attended a seminar on cosmology conducted by Skeptic Frank Andrews. It was most worthwhile, but I hope Frank will forgive me when I say that what made the biggest impression on me was a video taken from satellite Giotto as it approached the nucleus. of Halley's Comet. Frank said Television New Zealand declined to show the film because of "lack of public interest". I couldn't help recalling this, with a sense of irony, while watching the appalling "UFO cover-up" programme on TV2.

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Frank Andrews' cosmology seminar was in the WEA's 1987 Spring Programme. It is pleasing to see that both he and another Skeptic Jeanne Van Gorkhom appear on the WEA's Spring Programme for 1988. However I am worried about some of the WEA's other offerings. The courses cover rather a lot of things Skeptics are doubtful about: Graphology—Handwriting Analysis; Introduction to Hand Analysis; Introduction to Astrology; Massage & Reflexology. WEA has offered this sort of thing before.

I was therefore surprised to read in the report of the interim advisory group on non-formal education (November 1987) that the WEA has "regular funding from Vote: Education". It seems that New Age education could benefit even more in future.

The report recommends that non-formal education receive 2 per cent of the funding now granted to post secondary education. The report's first principle for servicing and supporting non-formal education is that "given the resources, people themselves are the best judges of what they need and how to achieve it". It would therefore seem to follow that if people want to be taught nonsense you, the taxpayer, will have to help them get it. One may raise the question of educational standards, and, if there should be any, who sets them. However, the report declares "non-formal groups control their own learning independently of imposed curricular, of outside professionals or of institutions." Evidently insistence on standards would make non-formal education "formal". The report is woolly, if not wet, but, from what I gather, its recommendations are being acted upon. Where do New Zealand Skeptics draw the line? I can see nothing in the report preventing Creationism benefiting from the advisory group's proposals.

Avoiding being considered would-be censors can be a problem for Skeptics. But the things on which public money may be legitimately spent is a valid philosophical consideration.

P.A.B.

Wellington November 1988