FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skeptics to walk on fire at annual conference

The NZ Skeptics will demonstrate the power of physics over the mind, with a firewalk planned as part of their annual conference in Auckland this August.

"Firewalking can be scary and exhilarating, whether you know the physics behind it or not," says Skeptics Chair-entity Vicki Hyde. "But if you´ve ever grabbed a hot loaf of bread out of the oven, or quickly tossed a stray ember back onto the fire, you´ll understand that it doesn´t take special powers to handle the heat."

The heat is on in other topics as well, with the traditional mix of critical thinking, cutting-edge science and the out-right weird making for a diverse and fascinating conference lineup. The wide range of subjects includes the end of the world, attitudes to the use of 1080, the New Zealand Atheist Bus Campaign, how memory can fool us, and the science and history of mass delusions. A range of medical topics will cover immunisation controversies (including the MMR vaccine hoax), an analysis of at the "Unfortunate Experiment" at National Women´s Hospital, and the demonization of fat.

"It´s a great meeting for anyone who wants to find out more about how we think about things, and what we don´t know we know. Along the way you learn a lot, and laugh a lot too," says Hyde.

The event will include the formal announcement of the Bent Spoon Award, the NZ Skeptics annual award for the greatest example of gullibility in the public arena.

"We had nominations come over the past year ranging from Fonterra´s tacit support for treating serious cattle ailments with water to TVNZ touting the use of psychics to find missing toddlers. We´ve also had nominations for our Bravo Awards for people who demonstrate the rare moments of critical thinking in our media."

The Butterfly Creek venue near Auckland Airport will provide its own distractions with birds, tropical fish, lizards and crocodiles. The Skeptics say they have no plans to try walking over the latter.

The conference is open to the public. Registrations and further details can be found at the New Zealand Skeptics website: http://skeptics.org.nz

ENDS

BUDGET 2012:
Parliament Debate Live - Video Of Budget 2011
Keith Ng Interactive Graphic: How the Budget Breaks Down
BUDGET 2012 - FULL COVERAGE: Reports / Analysis - Press Kit - Reaction (from everybody) - Previews (from everybody) - Pre-Budget Announcements

Gordon Campbell: On the Budget’s Spreadsheet Victories

It wasn’t as if expectations were sky high, exactly. Chances are, it was always more likely that we’d be seeing Bigfoot rampage through the Beehive lock-up than catch a glimpse of a credible growth agenda from this government. More >>

Sludge Budget Report - Short The Dollar! MEMO: To international bankers FROM: C.D. Sludge Please short the dollar! It'll be good for both you and us. And you know you want to. Greexit, Eurogeddon... watch out... flight to quality and all that. Follow your instincts. The NZ Debt Management Office has been so surprised at the unprecedentedly low interest rates that it can borrow at that it has already entirely pre-funded the 2013 fiscal deficit - all $8 billion of it! More >>

Pattrick Smellie Comment: Doddling along the best we can hope forCriticising Budgets for lacking vision or imagination is like shooting fish in a barrel, but even so, this year's Budget again feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps it's the intrusion of real world needs that means the government couldn't make better political use of the $558.8 million it expects to gather in its first partial asset sale. More >>