NZ Skeptics Articles

Articles tagged with "case"

EMF WooWoo

28 April 2025

The last newsletter held an especially interesting topic for me; “EMF”, as I have many years of practice in this field.

Ring around Uranus: My Colonic, part 1

23 December 2024

Okay, the title's a little crass, but it was suggested to me as something that would help to tie my article in with the Alien/Space theme of this week's newsletter, and I've not managed to think of anything smarter since.

Equine Touch

29 October 2024

Equine Touch (ET) is a horse therapy modality started in 1997 by Scotsman Jock Ruddock. Ruddock, who passed away in 2011, was an interesting character. Here's a brief list of his past occupations:

Stop crediting the placebo effect, it doesn't make you better!

8 July 2024

Over a year ago my wife and I were on a cavalcade. Present on the same cavalcade was a woman who was an equine vet. While we were discussing various 'alternative' treatments and such she happened to say “but I'm a real believer in the power of placebo, though…”. I found that statement a little surprising, coming from (I assume) a qualified medical person, but perhaps in a way this is telling.

How to shoot yourself in the foot: Alabama, rights of the Embryo

4 March 2024

In December 2020, a patient at the Mobile Infirmary Medical Centre in Alabama accessed or wandered into the hospital's fertility clinic through an unsecured door. Said patient then also accessed the cryogenic nursery, and removed several frozen embryos from containment.

Facilitated Communication

5 February 2024

This article is a brief introduction to facilitated communication (FC) - what it is, and what harm it can do for a person being facilitated. I will also give some guidance on what you can do to help.

Spooky Special

30 October 2023

I'm happy to let everyone know that the result of the recent Jehovah's Witness court case has been released. This was the High Court case I visited on my lunch break a couple of weeks ago, where the JWs were trying to argue that they shouldn't be investigated as part of the government's current Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. Thankfully the church has lost its case, and its argument that it doesn't “care” for its members was not enough to allow them to escape scrutiny. The Commission put out a short press statement after the decision was made public:

Builders of the Adytum: The tarot cards and Qabalah in Naenae

1 May 2023

Since publishing Part 1 last week, I've had the opportunity to do further investigating into the backgrounds of Paul Foster Case and Ann Davies. Some parts became verifiable facts, while other elements of their lives remained obscured. So, before heading into the kiwi-side of the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) story, let's confirm and correct some of the aspects of their biographies.

The Baby blood case

19 December 2022

You would have to have been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks to not have heard about the case of the 4 month old baby at Starship Hospital needing heart surgery and, as part of that, donated blood products.

Homeopathic product placement

17 October 2022

I'm encouraged by news from the Center for Inquiry (CFI), a skeptical organisation in the US. They are suing the CVS and Walmart pharmacies for their placement of homeopathic products alongside real efficacious medical products.CFI refers to Homeopathy as “Fake Medicine”, which it surely is.

Elections, Court Decision and Soap

10 October 2022

With local council elections closing this week, there was concern that Voices for Freedom's efforts to have their members run for office without disclosing their affiliation would result in councils being stuffed with conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers. Thankfully that appears to not be the case, as a Stuff article claims that fewer than a dozen VfF aligned candidates were voted in.

Peter Ellis case

13 June 2022

We've covered the Peter Ellis case before, and indeed, it was a particular focus of NZ Skeptics activity in the 1990s.

The 'Hood NZ loses case

7 February 2022

In another topic I've written about before, a Voices for Freedom spinoff group The 'Hood NZ were taking a case to the High Court to attempt to stop the rollout of the COVID vaccine, specifically for 5 - 11 year olds.

Givealittle being used to fund bogus treatments

15 November 2021

About a year ago Daniel Ryan and I wrote to Givealittle, an organisation in NZ that runs an online platform which allows people to fundraise for needy causes. We expressed our concerns about misuse of the platform:

Peter Ellis

11 October 2021

This past week has seen an appeal of the Peter Ellis child sex abuse case being heard in the Supreme Court.

Alex Jones loses in court, again

4 October 2021

I'm sure Alex Jones is no stranger to most skeptics. The Info Wars host has an illustrious history of pushing nonsense ideas about the US - from the ridiculous (chemicals in the water supply are turning the frogs gay) to the downright dangerous (restriction of gun rights will cause a second revolution in the US). And somewhere in the midst of all that nonsense, Alex Jones decided to start pushing the ridiculous theory that the Sandy Hook massacre of school children in the US was a false flag operation, secretly organised by the government as a way to push for tighter gun controls.

Non-Overlapping Magisteria?

31 May 2021

Over the next couple of months I'm hoping to visit a few interesting religious groups, to get a feel for them - what they believe, how they act, who attends their events. So, all being well, after this week's report into Christian Science you can expect to hear about the Theosophical Society, Druids, and maybe more!

Sue Grey court case

24 May 2021

The week before last we saw Sue Grey, a Nelson-based lawyer and co-leader of the NZ Outdoors party, bringing a case against the NZ Government claiming that the rollout of the COVID vaccine was illegal under the Section 23 of the Medicines Act.

Newsletter Feedback

15 February 2021

One of the joys or risks (depending on your perspective) of writing these newsletters is that we sometimes receive negative feedback. A few weeks ago I wrote about QAnon and the realisations that believers were having that the predictions of Q hadn't panned out. From this I received the following feedback. My comments in [red].

2020: A Desert Odyssey

30 November 2020

I'm sure most people saw the intriguing news that a tall prism shaped metal structure, now known as the Utah Monolith, had been found by conservationists in the desert in the US, sticking out from the rock floor of a canyon. It's been great to see sleuths figure out where the monolith is located, using flight plans and google maps satellite view (in a slot canyon in Lockhart Basin in San Juan County, Utah), approximately when it was placed, using historical satellite photos (between August 2015 and October 2016) and how it was made, with several people visiting the site (it's hollow and made from riveted stainless steel sheets). However, the mystery of who put it there has still not been solved.

Colour Therapy

30 November 2020

For those who followed Craig's link last week to a colour therapy site, you may have thought that some of the claims on the site were pretty egregious - including such gems as “incurable means curable from within” and “synthetic fibres have a frequency that is detrimental to our health and well being”.

A Skeptics' Guide to Free Speech

1 February 2019

The 'free speech' debate is not a new one for NZ. But the past couple of years have certainly brought it into the spotlight. The screening of the anti-vaxxer film Vaxxed, the racist cartoons of Al Nisbet, the visits of the controversial Canadians Southern and Molyneux – the contentious case studies seem just to keep on coming. Magnified through the lens of social media, these have broadened the discussion about important matters, but have also risked polarisation and at times confusion, as half-truths and memes have sometimes replaced informed discussion.

HRV fined for false claims

28 October 2018

HRV has had to pay out $400k for bad claims it made about its water filters. The interesting thing about this case, in my opinion, is that the fine was given because it was shown that HRV didn't have the evidence for its claims when it made them.

Spontaneous Human Combustion in London

17 December 2017

In September, a 70 year old man apparently burst into flames in London. It's a sad event, and a horrible way to die. The press have started calling it a case of Spontaneous Human Combustion - the idea that people sometimes just randomly burn.

New Sensing Murder Episode being recorded

25 September 2016

Despite much criticism of both the original broadcasts and the recent reruns, it appears that TVNZ are recording a new episode of Sensing Murder. The episode focuses on a murder in Napier in 2008.

Witch Doctor in Wellington

21 August 2016

There were several witch doctors in Auckland last year, and they eventually left the country after efforts were made to clamp down on them, including some successful ASA complaints.

Child cancer a battleground

1 May 2013

In Issue 100 of the NZ Skeptic I commented on how issues of concern to this society never seem to go away. A classic example of the moment is the case of Neon Roberts, the seven-year-old English boy whose New Zealand-born mother took him into hiding rather than have him subjected to radiotherapy along with chemotherapy to treat his aggressive brain tumour, and fought in the courts for her right to use alternative therapies instead.

The murder that never was

1 August 2012

George Gwaze was first cleared of the murder of his adopted daughter Charlene Makaza on 21 May 2008. At the time I wrote in NZ Skeptic 88's Newsfront that it had taken since the first week of 2007 for him to be acquitted of a non-existent crime: Charlene had died from a massive Aids:related infection. Little did I realise the Crown would retry the case - the only time a Not Guilty verdict has been overturned in a New Zealand court - and Gwaze would have to face another four years to clear his name.

History denied is history repeated

1 February 2009

Today, gonorrhoea infections in young girls are taken as certain evidence of sexual abuse. Yet there is an extensive but now-forgotten literature showing that this is not necessarily the case. This article is based on a presentation to the NZ Skeptics 2008 conference in Hamilton, September 26-28.

Hokum Locum

1 August 2006

There is little doubt there are criminals who are prepared to drug women in order to sexually assault them. History records the commonest drug used was chloral hydrate in an alcoholic drink (Mickey Finn). The modern equivalent is rohypnol, a drug discontinued in New Zealand owing to its abuse potential. However, as Ogden Nash observed "liquor is quicker" and alcohol remains the most likely cause of incapacity leading to unwanted sexual activity.

Goff Wins Bent Can Opener Award from Skeptics

1 November 2003

Justice Minister Phil Goff has won the first-ever Bent Can Opener Award from the New Zealand Skeptics, for "refusing to open the can of worms that is the Christchurch Civic Creche case".

Going Grey with Colloidal Silver

1 August 2003

The Skeptics flyer on colloidal silver (see the resources section on the Website) prompted this interesting correspondence from a doctor dealing with it.

Never Mind That White Powder, Just Pass Me a Face Mask

1 May 2003

These are nervous times. By an astounding coincidence, as I wrote that line and paused to think of what to put next, I had a call from a friend to tell me there was a Sars case at the Waikato Hospital and to ask whether, in my other role as a subeditor at the Waikato Times, I would want to pass that on.

Newsfront

1 February 2003

A Feng Shui practitioner who died while on a life mastery course in Fiji was ready to leave his body, his widow believes. Stephanie Challis, pictured in the Nelson Mail (11 December 2002) smiling happily with her three children, told how her 41 year old husband Will had undergone a course of body cleansing which involved colonic hydrotherapy and drinking quantities of good quality water.

Warwick Don replies

1 February 2003

In this issue Ian Wishart responds to Warwick Don's critique of his article on Intelligent Design.

How To Stop a Witch-Hunt

1 November 2002

This article is based on an address to the Skeptics Conference 2002. A condensed version has also been produced for the NZ Listener.

Parental Rights

1 February 2000

It's my right as a parent to decide what is best for my child. After all, I'm a caring parent who dearly loves her children and would do only what is best for them.

So why are the Skeptics Giving Money to Convicted Child Abusers?

1 August 1998

Chair-entity Vicki Hyde responds to a letter from a member who resigned from the society over the Skeptics' donation to the Peter Ellis Defence Fund. We reprint her letter as a clear statement of the Society's position on a controversial issue.

Therapeutic Folie-a-Deux

1 May 1996

Folie-a-deux can be defined as a paranoid disorder in which the same delusion is shared by two (or more) persons. The delusion is thought to be transmitted from a dominant but paranoid person to his or her dependent intimate(s), and the latter may recover "normal" reality testing after separation from the former.

Justice Lives

1 August 1995

The Geller case has ended -- the "psychic" is to begin a court-ordered payment of up to $120,000 to CSICOP USA.

Hokum Locum

1 May 1995

The recent decision to award compensation to a lawyer who suffered depression because his bank loan was turned down is but one example of increasingly bizarre decisions by the ACC (Anything-goes Compensation Corporation). Money has also been paid out to victims for "memories" of childhood sexual abuse but in one recent case the alleged offender was aquitted and we are still waiting to see whether ACC will ask for their money back. (see Skeptic 34).

Forum

1 February 1994

The Indian Skeptics sometimes seem to be up against some very big opponents. Our Chair recently received the following letter:

Satanic Panic in Christchurch

1 November 1993

There is a worldwide epidemic of satanic child abuse allegations. Are they true? Has satanic child abuse happened here in New Zealand?

Forum

1 August 1993

Several of my friends are orchardists, and two of them lost their crop last year due to a hailstorm.

UFO Update

1 February 1993

Dr J.F. De Bock gave the 1992 Conference an update on the study of UFOs.

Why Creationists Do So Well

1 August 1992

Creationists are winning hands-down in the publicity stakes, despite, one presumes, no real assistance in the form of Divine Guidance.

Forum

1 May 1992

In reference to Ruth Walker's article "Absurdities of Creationism" [Skeptic 22], I would like to remind fellow Skeptics that it is not only "fundamentalist" Christian schools that teach creationism.

Skeptics Videotape Library

1 November 1991

NZSCICOP now has a videotape library in the capable hands of Alastair Brickell, RD 2 Kuaotunu, Whitianga. Tapes may be hired for the cost of packaging and posting, around $5 (more will be gratefully received). If anyone has something interesting on video, Alastair would, no doubt, be delighted to receive a copy. There are already three under request: the Oprah Winfrey show on UFOs, a programmne on European tests which showed scientific backing for homeopathy, and one from a few years back involving James Randi and Australian water diviners. In the meantime, here are the current titles.

A Creationist Fable

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.

News wanted on crop circles

1 May 1990

You may be aware that 'crop circles' have been much in the news recently in the UK. In case you have not seen them, they are perfect rings or discs of flattened crops which apparently form overnight, sometimes in groups.