Bent Spoon Award

The Bent Spoon Award is an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The name of the award is a reference to the spoon bending of Uri Geller. [http://www.skeptics.com.au/spoon/aboutthespoon.htm About the bent spoon] ] Although awarded yearly since 1982, only one copy of the trophy exists, as "anyone wishing to acquire the trophy must remove it from our keeping by paranormal means," and no winner has yet overcome this obstacle.

The winner should either be an Australian or have carried out their activities in Australia.

List of winners

* (2007) "Marena Manzoufas", Head of Programming at the ABC for authorising the television show "Psychic Investigators", and for putting it to air in the "Catalyst" timeslot. [http://www.skeptics.com.au/spoon/spoon.htm Recent winners, nominees and nominations] ] [ [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2007/2106437.htm The Science Show, ABC] ] [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20838028-30417,00.html News from The Australian] ]
* (2006) "Pharmacists of Australia" who sell quackery and snake oil in places where consumers should expect to get real medical supplies and advice. [ [http://www.6minutes.com.au/articles/z1/view.asp?id=51085 6 Minutes] ]
* (2005) Second Opinion for being a show that presents an uncritical look at an aspect of alternative medicine, even encouraging its use. [ [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16453267-1244,00.html News item from Mercury] ]
* (2004) The New Inventors for giving consideration to the AntiBio water conditioning system.
* (2003) "The Complementary Healthcare Council" - an industry group consisting of manufacturers and practitioners of alternative therapies and products that lobbied hard to keep scrutiny to a minimum and sought taxpayer funding for advertising.
* (2002) "Gentle Heal Pty Ltd" for selling homeopathic products that clearly label themselves as vaccines, such as "Hepatitis C Vaccine"
* (2001) "The Lutec "Free Energy Generator" - a device claiming to produce 30 times more output than input, but actually outputs 33% of input power.
* (2000) Jasmuheen for continuing to claim people can live solely on air and light, despite repeated exposure as fallacy
* (1999) Mike Willessee for obtaining the assistance of scientists and theologians on a TV show then ignoring their input [ [http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/02/dec/8/16.html Catholic Weekly] ]
* (1998) Southern Cross University for publicising one of its academics' support for "empowered water", and for both offering a degree course in naturopathy while simultaneously conducting research into the validity of naturopathy
* (1997) Dr. Viera Scheibner for her high profile anti-immunisation campaign [ [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s249.htm ABC news item] ]
* (1996) Marlo Morgan
* (1995) Tim Macartney-Snape for promotion of Jeremy Griffith's Foundation for Humanity’s Adulthood [ [http://web.archive.org/web/19990210104846/www.skeptics.com.au/features/spoon/bs-about.htm Archive of winners list] ]
* (1994) Commonwealth Attorney General's Office
* (1993) Tonight Live on Channel 7
* (1992) "Allen S. Roberts" - fundamentalist pastor who stated he visited the site of Noah's Ark
* (1991) Women's Day magazine
* (1990) "Mafu" ("Penny Torres Rubin") - a channeled ancient entity
* (1989) (None awarded)
* (1988) "Diane McCann" - prominent new age proponent, proclaimed the City of Churches was the location of part of Atlantis.
* (1987) "Anne Dankbaar" - Adelaide psychic
* (1986) Peter Brock - promoted an energy polariser
* (1985) Rev. "Willard Fuller" - psychic dentist
* (1984) "Karen Hunt" - psychic archaeologist
* (1983) "Dennis Hassell" - Melbourne mystic
* (1982) "Tom Wards" - psychic

ee also

*Ig Nobel Prize
*Pigasus Award

References