Issues

Skeptics Crush Baby Rabbits

1 November 1992

The abuse of the Skeptics as "arrogant, narrow-minded bigots" by defenders of Consumer is annoying, but it doesn't yet surpass an art teacher who wrote an article for a Wellington paper in 1986. Overseas -- or rather underseas -- skeptics, he warned, had once tried to disprove ESP by going down in two submarines. In one, skeptics rushed baby rabbits to death, while in the other submarine skeptics measured the reactions of their mother to see if she was getting the terrible psychic vibes. Despite her pathetic shudders, delivered on cue, those awful skeptics still wouldn't believe in ESP!

Once When My Back Was Crook

1 August 1992

I was struggling with the vacuum hose to reach an awkward corner of the kitchen.

A chance to find out there is life beyond TV, A Soap Opera, Forum, German Triptych, Great Skeptics of History #4, Hocum Locum, News Front, Psychics' Predictions Fizzle in 1991, Reviews, Skeptic's Agenda, The Skeptical Environmentalist

1 May 1992

Simon Upton, the Minister of Health, recalls a childhood and adolescence without television, and warmly welcomes the "Great New Zealand Television Turn-Off"

Absurdities of Creationism, An Uncommonly Brave Sacrifice, Auckland doctor struck off, Court hears saga of baby's death, homeopathy belief, Even Skeptics Believe in National Radio, Forum, Girl died after insulin stopped, Great Skeptics of History, No. 3, Hokum Locum, Lee backs Bible prophecy, Nostradamus: The End of the Millennium, 1992-2000, Quackpots and Science, School Teachers and Skepticism, Skepticism—Wet & Dry

1 February 1992

Fundamentalists suffer contortions in trying to make their assumptions fit Biblical accounts.

Cartoon, Cold Fusion Chickens, Confronting Creationism: Defending Darwin, Forum, Great Skeptics Of History #2, Hokum Locum, How the corn-circle hoaxers run rings round the gullible, Journalism — Good, Bad, and Ugly, Kinder cut for possums possible, Messing About With Books, New Age 101, Out There, Rocketing To Health, Skeptics Videotape Library, Terminal gullibility at the New Zealand Listener, The Dragon's Triangle, The Numbering Of Parts

1 November 1991

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A Creationist Fable, Back Out Gracefully, Clairvoyants' clues about missing man draw blank, Cloning Our Lord, Do Dogs Need Shrinks?, Dutton Dressed Up As Flim-Flam, Food Fads — Food Follies, Forum, Gaia In New Zealand, Gaia Revisited, Hokum Locum, Knowing Chance, Mind Over Matter?, New Age Bad Taste, News Front, Randi Needs Help, Self-Improvement Courses, Touch Wood: An Encyclopaedia of Superstitions

1 August 1991

In August 1989, the Christchurch Press published two articles from The Economist which were highly critical of "scientific" creationists and their "discipline". The articles sparked a correspondence under the heading "Evolution", which attained Guinness Record proportions — 118 letters, involving 52 correspondents over 86 days.

A natural cancer remedy dangerous?, Alternative Cancer Clinic Kills Patients Faster, Astrology On Death Row, Brother Can You Paradigm?, Chemicals In Food, Even Psychics Can Only Be Medium, Forum, Great Skeptics Of History #1, Homeopathy an option, Homeopathy Au Bard, Magnetic Healing and Other Realities, Maori Science: Hit Or Myth?, Medical Roundup, Philippine Psychics Say No War, Secrets of Science, The Discovery of Noah's Ark: How the World's Greatest Archaeological Mystery was Solved, The New Age, 'Wilson's Almanack'

1 May 1991

The Lancet article on survival of patients with breast cancer attending the Bristol Cancer Help Centre (BCHC) has provoked widespread comment and badly shaken the confidence of those who believed that, at the very least, complementary therapies in cancer couldn't do any harm.

A skeptical look at organic gardening., Anthroposophical medicine: an exchange of letters, Bay Area Skeptics are Spot-on, Before I go, Bound for glory, Calling all graphologists, Creationism in Wellington schools, Doctor claimed telepathic diagnosis says report, Doubts and certainties, Heady stuff, His-stories, Horror-scope, Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences., Life—How did it get here? By evolution or by creation?, Medical roundup, The Milan Brych Story, The Occult Conspiracy, The physics of a dowsing pendulum, Use of tinted lenses defended, Whatever happened to Mrs Lot?

1 February 1991

On Thursday evening, 26 June 1990, a large number of members and friends gathered at the University of Canterbury Staff Club in Christchurch, to hear Prof. T.W. Walker, late of Lincoln University, talk on Organic Gardening.

1909 Coming of the phantom airship, Are there UFO landing sites at the bottom of your garden?, Down the tunnel, His & Hers Paranormality: Part 1, Implicate order, Medical roundup, Natural remedies, New Truth's Whitianga whittler has cloudy memory, Skeptics' after-dinner speaker finds something to believe in?, The creme de la Creme, The low-down on “mushroom rings”, There goes the neighbourhood!

1 November 1990

An intention to celebrate the New Zealand Sesquicentennial with a series "Great Paranormal Moments in New Zealand History" has been abandoned. Readers may, however, be interested in the following item from "100 Years of News', a publication of the New Zealand Herald on the occasion of its centennial in 1963.

A Skeptical logo, And on Planet Earth, the Skeptics are the real Aliens, Commonsense shaken, Faith and expectation in the placebo effect, Hawking and other forms of hunting, In memoriam..., Letters, Medical roundup, On becoming a confident, well-adjusted busboy..., Procrustes is alive and well, State-sponsored baloney, The Enigma of Samson

1 August 1990

The above is a suggested logo for NZCSICOP. It was designed by a Wellington Skeptic, Hugh Young. Hugh has provided the following commentary:

1989 A.G.M., 1989 Conference Issue, 1990 MEDIA AWARDS, A New Zealand Crop Circle?, Book Review: Communion, Forum, Going Forever Around on Circles, Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight, Letters, Message to Members from Denis Dutton & Bernard Howard, New Chairman of NZCSICOP, News wanted on crop circles, NZCSICOP Fifth Annual Conference, Philippics, SCOOP! New Truth Recycles Old Rubbish, Shaky Step to Realm of Skeptics, The Psychic Dog of Fendalton, the Horrible Severed Hand, and Other Colonial Wonders

1 May 1990

The 1989 Annual General Meeting of NZCSICOP was held at the Science Lecture Theatre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, on 3 September 1989.

Editorial, Electronic Skeptical Network, For Readers of German, From the Chairman, Homeopathy, Join us in Christchurch…, Letter to the Sunday News, Nibiru, The spiritual Science of Alpha Beta, healer to the stars, Twins, souls and abortion

1 February 1990

This will be the last editorial that I write as in September, my wife and I will leave for Thailand, where we shall be doing voluntary work. The first issue of the Newsletter went to 80 members, the last one went to 180 (with another 55 going in bulk to the U.S.A.). Such growth in just over 3 years is very gratifying and the credit for that belongs to our members who have so faithfully sent in articles and cuttings. (Especial thanks to Malcolm McCleary who has just sent me more material on the infamous Time Life series of loony books. $35 a throw). I am not naturally efficient, and if I have failed to use your contribution, I apologise. It was my policy to use everything sent to me and if I failed in this it was not intentionally. Thanks are also due to Mark Davies and his gang at Vic who, apart from the first few issues, typed out the material, duplicated it and stapled it together. If you look back over the past issues, you can immediately tell when Mark took over by the startling improvement in the layout and appearance of the newsletter.

Editorial, Extract from Kelly. — biography of Kelly Tarlton, From the Chairman, Gems from the Organum, Healing, science and realities, Homeopathy, Philippics, Randi wins 1989 American Physical Society's Forum Award, Tarawera, UFO's (or at least UAP's) Exist, US CSICOP Education subcommittee's Projects

1 November 1989

Thanks again to members who have sent me material. I now have so much, that for the first time, I shall have to hold some over until the next issue. Thanks to H. Ruis of Tokoroa who kindly sent me the reply from Irene F. Hughes. It now appears that the psychic never visited N.Z. at all and her facilities are only available from her Chicago office and not from Auckland. She was not willing to send out copies of her citations for crime busting.

Bias claimed over Lotto, Book Reviews, Come in Homeopathy! Your Time is Up!, Editorial, From the Chairman, Magnetic health expert visits, Recognizing Pseudoscience, The great documentary heist, Urinating insects in 'healing tree'

1 August 1989

THE Lotteries Commission has been accused of tacitly supporting crackpot lucky number schemes to boost the sales of Lotto tickets.

Astrology; The Evidence of Science., Britain's first Parapsychology Professor, Cartoon, Cartoon, Don't blame Satan, Dragons, Editorial, Flower power a big buzz …, From the Chairman, Healing stones gather interest, Jam-eating ghost was not the Truth, Magda Palmer, Pseudo-Skepticism, Science vs Religion—A Mythical Confrontation?

1 May 1989

Book Review of “Astrology; The Evidence of Science”, by Percy Seymour (Lennard Publishing, £12.95).

Act of God, Belief in the Stars is not a Good Sign, Cartoon, Creation Science — Telling Lies For God and Mammon, Irene F. Hughes, Join us in Auckland!, New Zealand Skeptics' 1988 Media Awards, Parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh, Pearl and Mrs Fulton take on the seers, Psychic's lotto claim debunked, Reagans Take Star Gazer's Advice, Some get hurt, Talkback Ghosts, TV and Gullibility

1 February 1989

Extract From Act of God by F. Tennyson Jesse, a novel published in the 1930's.

A Note, Cartoon, Cartoon, Editorial, Fossil Man Tracks in Texas Officially Rebuked, Letter to the Editor, Membership Subscriptions, Nostradamus — ornamental prophecy, Science and Pseudoscience, Soothsayers predict scandals, disasters, The Case of the Living Fossil, The Thomas G Barnes Institute of Physics, Trouble with Numbers, When the belief wish is hard to drown..., Why I Don't Feel Well, 'Yogic flying' competition

1 November 1988

We recently received through the kindness of skeptic Malcolm McCleary information on the thought of Barry Long. It comes from the "Barry Long Centre (NZ)" in Auckland. Mr. Long is an Australian who left his career in journalism and PR "when he started to question the purpose of his life. He was made aware that the truth or spirit was entering him and directing his life."

American Faith Healers Again, Another note from the typesetters, "Cancer Line"—a Commentary, Cartoon, Commentary on the Following Report Concerning Retroactive Psychokinesis or Backward Psychic Causality and the Sabotage of Psychic Experiments, Conference Postscript, 'Crass' story a winner, Critical Thinking, Ham-fisted in Rhodes, Health Delusions, Health skills course opposed, NZCSICOP Archive, On fanatical religious belief, Proper Criticism, Sceptics put challenge to psychic sex healer, Skeptics on Radio, Space walker hunts for Ark's remains, Statement of Aims, Trivialising the art of Te Maori

1 August 1988

I had intended to make this issue one devoted to the conference and was going to reprint all the talks and discussions there. However the conference was such an overwhelming success and there was such a fine attendance, that it would be a waste to reprint what so many had heard in person. I therefore asked all those who spoke to give me their second thoughts on their talks, the things they meant to say but forgot, the replies they would like to have made in the discussions, the witty rejoinders that came to them in the middle of the night after we had all gone home. Most of the speakers have had nothing to add but I should like to make a correction to the impression left with my hearers.

An appeal (possibly two) from your typesetters, Battles in the psychic arms race, Better Believe it, Chairman's message..., Code of Ethics (extracts), Geller doesn't care what they print, Genesis hauled before the court, Healing Hands bring relief, How Creationists Debate, Introducing Colin Hooper, Jesus on Venus — believe it, Medical orthodoxy defended, Opportunity knocks for would-be mediums, Religious Fundamentalists Dealt Court Blow, Skeptics make charitable offer

1 May 1988

You know those little white areas you don't see at the bottom of newspaper columns, it would be nice if we could avoid them here too. Were it not for this message you would be looking at a blank (possibly shaded) space. In order that this catastrophe be avoided in future issues we make the following appeals:

Alternative Cancer Treatment and the Problems it Presents, Ancient Method For Flying, Avalanche Dowsing, Join us in Wellington, New Zealand Skeptics' 1987 Media Awards, No miracle in fire's dying, Sceptic teaching, Still Shrouded in uncertainties

1 February 1988

Peter Dady, MD, MRCP, Director, Oncology Department, Wellington Hospital.

Alternative Healing Methods, American Faith Healers, Amery's tarot suit, Astrologist a 'Sceptic', Cartoon, Cartoon, Creation versus evolution debate coming closer, Editorial, Everyone's into psychic advice in the Big Apple, Fringe Medicine, From the Chairman..., Medicine: Orthodox, Fringe and Quack, Psychic zapped after complaint

1 November 1987

Since ancient times, alternative healing methods have been used by medical practitioners and spiritual adepts to soothe the irritation of body and soul. Many people today are drawn towards the mystical and transcendental as alternatives to orthodox methods. Before people condemn these alternatives, they must look carefully at them, not shutting their eyes to the unsatisfactory and disastrous results that happen when they have ignorantly employed. For those wanting to channel their research into the area of alternative medicine, I give a list of practices currently being carried on in New Zealand.

Big Time Faith Healing, Well intentioned or deliberate Fraud?, Cartoon, Editorial, From The Chairman., From the newspapers, Holistic Health., Medicine: Orthodox, Fringe & Quack, Need Doctors Cringe?, Sceptic wants esp test, The Road to En-Dor

1 August 1987

Faith healing, like the fundamentalism it is often associated with, is a generic term, rather than a specific one. The New Guinea tribesman consulting a witch doctor for a potent spell to cure him, the quiet prayer meeting for a friend in hospital, the Indian girl who immerses herself in the waters of the Ganges to aid her infertility are all exercising faith healing. The oft- reported efficacy of placebos on people suffering from chronic pain serves as a reminder that the power of faith may sometimes outdo rational, modern medicine.

'Blame Halley's Comet', Cartoon, Chch man leads 'psychic' sleuths, Creationism and the Misuse of Biology, Debunking the psychic myth, Editorial, Geller's gold for fools, say Australian Skeptics, Hard fact or cold reading?, Mediums with a message — life on the other side is dead boring, Psychic pretender pleases sceptics, Psychic sad over communication lack, Psychics I Have Known, Radio New Zealand Responds, Randi: amazing good fortune, Report from the new Chairperson, Rewards offered for paranormal 'proofs', Science and Pseudoscience, Skeptic's Alert, Skeptics want disclaimer with astrology columns, Society may take Healer to Court, The Australian-New Zealand stop-over for International Psychics, Two Messages from the Treasurer, Women's Weekly Responds

1 May 1987

An Auckland astrologer who predicted the space shuttle accident says the American space shuttle accident says the American space programme will face further disasters this year.

Chch doctor undeterred, Creationism in Queensland - A Personal View, Diagnoses of herbicide poisoning rejected, Don't Be So Dotty Doris, Editorial, Message from the Chairperson, Pesticide testing planned, Quacks on increase, "The New Zealand Skeptics" First Annual Convention

1 February 1987

A Christchurch doctor, Dr Robert Blackmore, who uses the same diagnostic method for alleged chemical poisoning as Dr Tizard, would like the method to be scientifically validated.

Aims of the New Zealand C.S.I.C.O.P., An Open Letter to All New Zealand Skeptics, Application for Membership, Cartoon, N.Z. Skeptics Press Awards, Psychics Challenged, Skeptical Inquirer, Some Recent Publications, "The New Zealand Skeptics" First Annual Convention

1 November 1986

To investigate scientifically and with an open mind, claims and events of an apparently paranormal nature.