Post by Tamrin on Nov 8, 2009 20:06:25 GMT 10
History of the Bent Spoon Award
[Excerpt - Article by Barry Williams, Australian Skeptics - Linked Above]
[Excerpt - Article by Barry Williams, Australian Skeptics - Linked Above]
In 1982, Australian Skeptics instituted an award to be presented annually at the National Convention to individuals or organisations who made the most outrageous claim of a paranormal or pseudoscientific nature in the preceding year. After conferring with leading American Skeptic and illusionist, James Randi, who had earlier instituted a Bent Spoon award, it was decided that our award would also commemorate one of the less useful, though widely acclaimed, alleged paranormal claims; the psychic ability to distort items of cutlery. So was born the Australian Bent Spoon Award. Some years later, in a masterpiece of alliteration, it was decided that the preamble to the award should read “presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle”.
As this award was designed to rival the Nobels, the Miles Franklins, the Oscars and the Ernies in its impact on public awareness, hardly any expense was spared in the construction of the trophy. A piece of timber, which we had no reason to doubt was an off cut of gopher wood from the Ark construction site, was polished to a high gloss and thereupon was affixed a spoon, which, rumour suggests, may have been used at the Last Supper. The spoon, having been tastefully bent into a graceful curve, by energies that are, we suspect, unknown to science, is plated with gold by means of a deposition process long thought lost with the submergence of Atlantis.
As this award was designed to rival the Nobels, the Miles Franklins, the Oscars and the Ernies in its impact on public awareness, hardly any expense was spared in the construction of the trophy. A piece of timber, which we had no reason to doubt was an off cut of gopher wood from the Ark construction site, was polished to a high gloss and thereupon was affixed a spoon, which, rumour suggests, may have been used at the Last Supper. The spoon, having been tastefully bent into a graceful curve, by energies that are, we suspect, unknown to science, is plated with gold by means of a deposition process long thought lost with the submergence of Atlantis.
