ASKE was founded in 1997 by a steering committee of several people, including Anne Corden, Michael Heap, Marky O’Leary, Wayne Spencer, Tony Youens and Mark Gould.

[1] Once established, ASKE published a regular magazine, the Skeptical Intelligencer,[1] initially edited by Wayne Spencer.

[2][3] Due to the University's safety regulations, however, the rational scientists (including Chris French, Michael Heap, Kevin McClure, Bob Morris, David Stretch, Tim Taylor, Richard Wiseman and Tony Youens[2]) had to drop their plans of gleefully breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, and even ushering black cats across their paths.

[4] Also, archaeologist Taylor criticised writer Graham Hancock's "ludicrous" hypothesis about several structures built across the world in ancient times were the product of a single global lost civilisation; he branded his work on this topic as "pseudo-archaeology" and being "far beyond the facts of the matter in terms of things like radio carbon-dating.

[7] In 2005 self-proclaimed psychic "Shirley Ghostman" brought cameras to be tested by Youens (ASKE), French (APRU), Wendy M. Grossman (The Skeptic) and two others, and failed.

In the early years, there were very few enquiries, and for some time ASKE offered to screen potential claimants for other major international prizes instead.