Not Just IEEE
IMHO, there have been a number of questionable presentations through Engineers Australia, too. At such presentations, positions presented have been ones that I would describe as "fringe", and I have wondered why these presenters have been given the stage at such a reputable institution.
Here are some questions to which I suggest readers provide their own answers. Could it be that senior members and/or management of prestigious institutions represent archaic views that, while they once might have held sway, have been largely or completely debunked now? Are there ties between business and professional institutions that influence the nature of some presentations? Are some professional institutions, or some of their influential members, guided by a political agenda?
Reading of professional institution periodicals, particularly editorials and letters from members, reveals some rather astounding viewpoints - views that concern me greatly given their impact on the general image of the related profession; views that I would have thought no educated professional member would hold given the wealth of reliable information available on the topics at hand.
Above all, I think it is valid to ask who it is that these professional institutions serve first and foremost - IMHO, it does not seem to be the members!