NZ Skeptics Articles

Articles tagged with "animals"

Thoughts on a billboard

1 May 2012

On a recent visit to New Plymouth I was rather taken aback to see a billboard outside a central city church posing the question: "Evolution? How come we still have apes?" It wasn't so much surprise that someone could know so little about evolutionary theory that they would think this was a persuasive argument - versions of this are often to be seen in the less sophisticated creationist publications - it was more that they should feel the urge to display their ignorance on a busy street corner.

Hokum Locum

1 May 2004

New Zealand soils are deficient in selenium and this can cause serious health problems for animals. A 500kg animal needs about 1mg selenium daily. There is no evidence that New Zealand adults need selenium supplements and this situation has been described as "a deficiency in search of a syndrome".

Report debunks 'organic' benefits

1 November 2001

Scientific studies suggest "organic" foods are neither healthier nor safer than genetically modified products or those grown conventionally.

A Flood of Improbabilities

1 November 1998

John Riddell finds some creationist claims really are testable, unfortunately for them.

Skeptics Conference 1998

1 November 1998

SKEPTICS conferences are always a bag of allsorts. Having piped up at last year's AGM and suggested the next conference should be in Wellington, I was landed with organising it. Thankfully, I had the Wellington Cabal to help: Cynthia Shakespeare, Tony Vignaux, Richard Sadleir, Mike Clear, Bob Brockie and Wayne Hennessey.

The Forest of Flying Sheep

1 May 1996

It is rare that Nelson interests the world's news media. The "sheep suspended from pine trees" story was sufficiently bizarre to get their attention.