Out with the old, in with the new
24th January 2023
I guess the biggest news this week is that our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is resigning, and that she will be replaced by Minister Chris Hipkins. However, I’m not sure there’s much of skeptical interest that I can say about this news. I think Ardern did a good job steering us through tough times, and obviously I’m dismayed about the vitriol she’s had hurled at her from the conspiracy cheap seats. I don’t know too much about Hipkins, but again he seems competent, and he’s been working to remove Religious Instruction from schools - which I see as a positive step for an increasingly irreligious and secular country like ours.
Instead of talking about politics, in this week’s newsletter I look at a recent article about cryptids and explanations for their sightings, and I wonder if maybe the article (and the data scientist it’s about) missed a reason behind many of the sightings - fraud. I’ve also been annoyed recently by a podcast I’ve started listening to, so you can join me in my frustration. And finally Bronwyn has written the first half of a thorough look into the Science of Identity Foundation, a cult I’d not even heard of until today!
