Cincinnati Skeptic - Vol 06 No 03 - 1996

Magazine Overview

Title: Cincinnati Skeptic
Issue: Volume 6, Number 3
Date: November 1996
Publisher: The Association for Rational Thought

This issue of the Cincinnati Skeptic newsletter delves into various topics related to skepticism, critical thinking, and the debunking of pseudoscience. It features a report on a presentation by Dick McGrath, book reviews, a humorous take on current events, and a summary of the 1996 Ig Nobel Prize winners.

Presentation of Arguments - Things to Avoid

A significant portion of the newsletter is dedicated to a report on Dick McGrath's presentation, which aimed to help skeptics improve the effectiveness of their arguments. McGrath, a professor of theology and founding member of ART, shared insights from his experience influencing undergraduates. He identified several common pitfalls for skeptics:

• Inaccurate or Fabricated Quotations: Using unverified or invented quotes undermines an argument when discovered.
• Ignoring Historical/Cultural Context: Debating creationists on Genesis as history is pointless, as biblical scholars view it as myth.
• Enlarging Arguments Beyond Facts: Dr. Kubler-Ross lost scientific respect by extending her work on dying to claim near-death experiences reveal a reality beyond death.
• Failing to Understand Opponent's Worldview: Skeptics must understand that people's beliefs are rooted in their worldview, and simply attacking with scientific arguments can cause resistance. Understanding cultural, religious, economic, and historical contexts is crucial.
• Explaining Unusual Events by Guesswork: Nineteenth-century skeptics erred by creating convoluted explanations for biblical events like the loaves and fishes, rather than accepting the miraculous.
• Overstating Evidence: Claiming Carbon 14 dating definitively proves the Shroud of Turin is fake is an overstatement, as the dating had uncertainties.
• Selecting Only Supporting Facts: Focusing only on near-death experiences that support an afterlife notion, while ignoring those that don't, is a flawed approach.
• Failing to Define Terms: Ambiguity in terms like 'euthanasia' can lead to inconclusive arguments.
• Negativism and Slurs: Belittling opponents with humor or insults alienates them and hinders influence. Effective argument requires tolerance, understanding, clear thinking, and good evidence.

Virginia Jergens reported on this presentation.

From the Un-easy Chair

This section addresses the concept of bio-astronomy and its logical extension, bio-astrology. It notes that the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) had its fifth International Conference on Bioastronomy on the Island of Capri, Italy.

President's Corner

The President's Corner discusses a tabloid story about the earth being in danger from 2 x 10^14 tons of sulfur-breathing bacteria. The article cited a scientist who suggested these bacteria could cover continents in a five-foot layer. The author expresses skepticism, noting the story originated from research reported in the mid-twenties by a University of Chicago researcher, Edson S. Bastin. Bastin had surmised that hydrogen sulfide and bicarbonates in water overlying oil deposits were biological outputs of sulfate-breathing bacteria. This hypothesis was initially met with skepticism but was revived in 1987 when research proved deep subsurface bacteria were ubiquitous, thriving at high temperatures and depths, and capable of consuming rock. The section concludes by reminding readers that skepticism is necessary but not sufficient for truth, and that too much of a good thing can be unhealthy.

Book Reviews

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan

Reviewed by Wolf Roder, this book is praised as a worthy successor to Martin Gardner's 'Fads and Fallacies.' Sagan examines various forms of nonsense, from irrationality and quackery to commercial hyperbole, and questions how people accept such claims. The review highlights Sagan's view that scientific thinking—involving questioning, evidence examination, logic, and fact-checking—is the only path to accurate insight. It applies this to all aspects of society, including politics and education. The review notes that people often apply 'feel good' criteria rather than logic to everyday knowledge. The Wall Street Journal's negative review is mentioned, but the reviewer finds Sagan's critique of the commercial world and media hype valid. The book is recommended as a 'must read' for its interconnected view of various forms of 'bunk.'

Guilty: The Collapse of Criminal Justice by Judge Harold J. Rothwax

Also reviewed by Wolf Roder, this book by a New York judge criticizes the American legal system as a 'crap shoot' driven by engaging lawyers rather than truth. The review points out the abandonment of truth-seeking in favor of public spectacle, the US Supreme Court's bias towards the guilty, and the rise of plea bargains as a form of 'medieval torture.' Rothwax offers ten common-sense reforms. The review connects the legal system to social science and social engineering, emphasizing that when rules fail to promote community well-being, the republic is in danger.

Used Chariots for Sale

This section reviews a television program based on Erich von Daniken's 'Chariots of the Gods,' hosted by Richard Karn. The reviewer finds the show enjoyable but notes von Daniken's uncritical embrace of his theories. The review debunks von Daniken's interpretations of Mayan buildings and Celtic megaliths as evidence of advanced alien knowledge, arguing that ancient peoples possessed ingenuity and observational skills. The reviewer also questions von Daniken's claims about Egyptian electric light and Nazca lines, preferring terrestrial explanations over alien intervention. The piece concludes by criticizing von Daniken's specious arguments for alien visitation, despite acknowledging the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Out of the AIR

This section presents excerpts from 'The Annals of Improbable Research,' focusing on the 1996 Ig Nobel Prize winners. The prizes honor achievements that 'cannot or should not be reproduced.'

Notable Winners Included:

• Biology: Anders Baerheim and Hogne Sandvik (Norway) for "Effect of Ale, Garlic, and Soured Cream on the Appetite of Leeches."
• Medicine: James Johnston (R.J. Reynolds), Joseph Taddeo (U.S. Tobaccco), Andrew Tisch (Lorillard), William Campbell (Philip Morris), and Thomas E. Sandefur, Jr. (Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co.) for their testimony that nicotine is not addictive.
• Physics: Robert Matthews (Aston University, England) for studies of Murphy's Law, specifically demonstrating that toast always falls on the buttered side.
• Peace: Jacques Chirac, President of France, for commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Hiroshima with atomic bomb tests.
• Public Health: Ellen Kleist (Greenland) and Harald Moi (Norway) for "Transmission of Gonorrhea Through an Inflatable Doll."
• Chemistry: George Goble (Purdue University) for igniting a barbeque grill in three seconds using charcoal and liquid oxygen.
• Biodiversity: Chonosuke Okamura (Japan) for discovering thousands of extinct 'mini-species.'
• Literature: The editors of the journal 'Social Text' for publishing a paper they did not understand, which claimed reality does not exist.
• Economics: Dr. Robert J. Genco (University of Buffalo) for discovering that financial strain is a risk indicator for destructive periodontal disease.
• Art: Don Featherstone (Massachusetts) for the plastic pink flamingo.

The section also mentions a controversy where the science advisor to the British government asked organizers to stop giving prizes to scientists.

Scientific Correctness Survey

A survey by the U.S. National Science Foundation found that 52% of respondents believe humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time. Readers are invited to vote on 'scientifical correctness' questions, with options including "Dinosaurs and man walked together millions of years ago" (13%), "Dinosaurs and man walked together less than 10,000 years ago" (06%), "Dinosaurs and man walked together, but it was purely platonic" (06%), "Dinosaurs became extinct before the first humans existed" (61%), and "Humans became extinct before the first dinosaurs existed" (14%).

Tales from the Paranormal

This section humorously presents 'proof' that Bill Gates is the Devil, based on converting his name and Microsoft product names (MS-DOS, WINDOWS 95) to ASCII values, which sum to 666. The author clarifies this is a joke.

From the Amazing Randi

This segment provides updates from James Randi:

• TWA800 Crash: A 'psychic' opportunist claimed to have solved the cause of the TWA800 crash, but the details emerging suggest otherwise.
• UK Psychic Claims: The UK Advertising Standards Authority dampened claims made by a psychic selling a 'Mind-Power Kit,' finding no evidence that charms or meditation cards had special powers.
• Fuel Stabilizer Case: Inset Industries, manufacturers of a 'quack device' called the Fuel Stabilizer, are being charged with violating the Consumer Fraud Act in New Jersey.

Randi also reports on the progress of The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), which has moved to a new office in Fort Lauderdale and is cataloging its library. Visitors are welcome for a tour.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the importance of critical thinking and skepticism in evaluating claims, the debunking of pseudoscience and misinformation, and the humorous examination of unusual or questionable phenomena. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rational thought, scientific evidence, and a healthy dose of skepticism towards extraordinary claims, while also maintaining a sense of humor about the absurdities encountered.