Skepticism, evidence, science, mythbusting, consumer protection
News headlines from Europe about skeptical activism, mythbusting, science related policy decisions, consumer protection, frauds, health scams, alternative medicine, bad scientific practices, pseudoscience etc.
A ‘faith-healer’ who operated from Leicester, England, has had his nine-year prison sentence extended by five years as he has not paid back £613,500 conned from his victims. ‘However, the extension to Mohammed Ashrafi’s sentence could be cut if he pays back the missing cash. Ashrafi (51) was found guilty last year of 14 counts of fraud involving 18 victims, by falsely claiming that in return for payments for materials required for prayer, they would win the lottery, between January and April 2014. He called himself Kamal-Ji, and purported to be in spiritual contact with an Indian Saint, Sai Baba, with special powers to solve problems and financial difficulties.’
This science communication session will be held during the morning of the 18th November at the University of Alicante and addresses the two issues in the title as well as closing with the session:
Fecalmagnetism: the art of selling shit. A case study where two friends invented a pseudoscience just to see how far they could get with barefaced lies? The answer is highly disturbing.
Why not remember the great man by Reading these two articles from past editions of El Escéptico magazine.
On Tuesday November 1st a meeting organised by Sense About Science was held in the Speaker’s room in the UK Parliament. It was attended by MPs, civil servants and 100 members of the public. The purpose of the event – ‘Evidence Matters’ – was to promote the importance of evidence to people across all walks of life. Sense About Science put out a call for stories of the importance of evidence, and collated them into a booklet that was handed out at the meeting.
It appears the legal threats of American–Italian fringe scientist Ruggero Santilli to Dutch skeptic Pepijn van Erp are not as empty as first thought. At a Florida court, Santilli has now officially sued both Van Erp, the company that hosts his website, and Frank Israel, president of the Dutch skeptics foundation Stichting Skepsis. He claims to have been ‘defamed’, and demands damages in excess of 15,000 dollar.
Van Erp is quite confident it will not lead to a conviction:
It’s an undeniable fact that Santilli is seen as a fringe scientist by mainstream scientists. And I think it’s a fair and justifiable question to ask about anyone who sells telescopes which simply cannot work as described, whether he does this out of a completely wrong understanding of science (“a mad professor”) or perhaps, more cynical, just to make money fully aware that what he states cannot be true (“a cunning scam artist”).
Finnish Skeptics had their own table at “Hengen ja tiedon messut” (annual new age / paranormal event) in Helsinki where Uri Geller was one of the main attractions this year. The skeptics came well prepared and had Miika Pelkonen (European Champion of Card Magic) performing at their table as a counter example to all the extraordinary claims made everywhere else in the area. Metal was bending, minds were read, and cards changed their their colours, all this in front of 10-20 people gathered close around Miika, and without any claims of paranormal. More impressive than Uri Geller? Yep. Check out a video of Miika in action from Skepsisfinland’s YouTube Channel.
Any skeptics out there with an interest in practising their Spanish might want to check out the ARP-SAPC’s public Facebook page. There are now over 6000 members.
The Swedish Humanist society protested the current visit of Pope Francis in Sweden. Hours before a sermon held by Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Lund, Sweden on October 31, activists posted a poster containing ten theses on the Cathedral door, mimicking Martin Luther’s protest 500 years ago. The poster was swiftly removed by church officials, but contained a call for reforming the Catholic church regarding:
A leading Co Kildare member of the Genesis II Church was convicted at Naas District Court yesterday for manufacturing a miracle cure which is said to cure autism.
Patrick Merlehan, Newtown House, Newtown, Moone, Co Kildare, was charged with manufacturing a product, not in accordance with the Health Products Regulatory Authority, contrary to 2007 Regulations, on November 6, 2014.
The man who calls himself a “Bishop” of the the Genesis II Church was also charged with placing Miracle Mineral Solution( MMS) on the market, contrary to 2007, control of placing on the market regulations.
The conviction came about after authorities were alerted about the malpractice by skeptical activist Fiona O’Leary, founder of ART Autistic Rights Together. (http://autisticrightstogether.ie/index.php/)
Skeptics in the UK rightly campaign against money being wasted by the National Health Service on alternative medicine. But it seems that much more money is being spent on ineffective treatments and procedures that come from within mainstream medicine. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC) has announced that dozens of treatments for ailments ranging from small wounds to cancer make little or no difference compared with no treatment at all, while also potentially incurring side effects. The organisation, which represents 22 royal medical colleges, has called for doctors to think more carefully and critically before they prescribe the treatments, warning that ‘more doesn’t always mean better’. The AMRC has previously estimated that up to £2bn per year may be wasted on pointless treatments.