Skepticon
Across the weekend, Skepticon is being held at City Recital Hall. The name might seem silly, or it might seem catchy, and it is exactly what it says – a sceptic convention. The dictionary definition of a sceptic is someone inclined to ‘question or doubt accepted opinions’, and that’s what Skepticon is all about. The convention is essentially a variety of lectures and talks focused on encouraging people to adopt scientific-based approaches to life and refrain from blindly accepting information. Kate Browne is a successful journalist, and is one of the fantastic speakers for the weekend’s event. She’s currently employed at CHOICE, an organisation dedicated to the publication of unbiased reviews of consumer products. She is also involved with the ABC program ‘The Checkout’, as a script-writer and presenter. If you’re unfamiliar with the program, it is essentially a satirical, yet educational approach to consumer affairs. Kate’s talk is called ‘Guilty as Charged’, and is much like her segment in The Checkout wherein she’s discussing the marketing of often obtuse products to anxious new parents, and the potential dangers these products hold.
