Lidia Thorpe and The Voice; peer review, the system; the most beautiful piece of music

Published: Tue, 06/20/23

RSA Daily

For atheists, rationalists and secular humanists in Australia

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Rationale, the magazine of the Rationalist Society of Australia

Good morning ,

If The Voice goes down, the one person most responsible will be, IMHO, Lidia Thorpe. By her behaviour, she represents everything the Undecideds fear.

Lead stories

'Violation of our ancient protocols': Thorpe seeks to join Hanson, Coalition in writing Voice No case

In a reversal of her position declared less than a month ago, Thorpe made clear her intention to…

Charming soul mates.

No, I Have Not Discredited Peer Review.

Peer-review is as strong as the peers and their review methods

Helen Pluckrose, in her usual impeccably logical manner, defends the scientific method and the system of peer review in academia: "We know that the peer-review system, which should filter out the biases that enable these problems to grow and gain influence, is inadequate within grievance studies. This isn’t so much a problem with peer review itself as a recognition that peer review can only be as unbiased as the aggregate body of peers being called upon to participate."

Vienna Philharmonic - Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op.11 (Summer Night Concert 2019)

Is this the most beautiful piece of music ever composed? Send me your thoughts (president@rationalist.com.au) Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic at the incomparable Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. It brings tears ...

Other stories of interest

Religious endorsement needed to "confirm faith" of school chaplains in new program | Rationalist Society of Australia

Labor has updated the National School Chaplaincy Program and confirmed it is not a religious program. Why then does it continue to require appointments under the program to have religious endorsement??

Reacting to pandemics - Rationale Magazine

Psychologist Jack Dikian writes, "My take on post-COVID healing may be rooted in a laundry list of banalities couched in pollyanna-ish optimism. But when it comes to how rapidly and successfully first AstraZeneca and then Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax rolled out their multi-valent vaccines in Australia, it requires no embellishment."

Got a comment on any of these stories?

Write to me at president@rationalist.com.au