Cincinnati Skeptic - Vol 10 No 05 - 2001

Magazine Overview

The Cincinnati Skeptic, Vol. 10 No. 5, published in April/May 2001 by The Association for Rational Thought, is dedicated to promoting rational thought and skepticism. The issue's cover features a quote from Bertholt Brecht: "The aim of science is not to open the door to everlasting wisdom, but to set a limit on everlasting error."

Table of Contents

The issue includes articles on the Drake Equation, a December meeting recap, a discussion on Feng Shui, a review of the Piri Reis Map, an article on 'Holy Water,' a puzzle, and a review of the book 'As Nature Made Him.' It also features a 'Comments Corner' on the Neurological Demonstration, 'What's New' sections on climate change and missile defense, and a report on 'India: A Message from God Ganesh.' Organizational news and upcoming events are also detailed.

Articles and Features

January Meeting: Are We Alone in the Universe? Playing with the Drake Equation

This article discusses the Drake Equation, a framework used by SETI to estimate the number of advanced civilizations in the galaxy. It breaks down the calculation, starting with the estimated 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, and then considers factors like the prevalence of stars likely to have planets, the 'life zone' around stars, and the conditions necessary for life to develop and sustain itself. The article concludes that while the exercise doesn't yield a definitive number, it helps understand the vastness of the possibilities and the low probability of immediate extraterrestrial contact.

December Meeting: Our Annual Free-For-All

This section summarizes the February meeting where members discussed their favorite pseudoscientific topics, with President Roy Auerbach initiating the discussion.

Feng Shui in a Can

This piece satirizes the concept of Feng Shui, using an anecdote about an ad for house paint with 'unique' colors selected to match one's feng shui astrology. It explains Feng Shui as a Chinese practice for arranging spaces to draw 'good energy' and direct 'bad energy' away, noting that its principles are subjective and practitioner-dependent. The author expresses relief that even amidst technical research, house paint is available to assure prosperity and longevity.

Comments Corner: The Neurological Demonstration

This article delves into the historical context of Joseph Rhodes Buchanan's 'new Sciences' in the 1840s, focusing on his phrenological demonstrations. It recounts a specific demonstration on a Mrs. R in 1842, where Buchanan claimed to influence her sensations and induce calculation by touching different parts of her head. The report details how Mrs. R experienced the removal of chills, perspiration, and then a monomaniacal urge to count, highlighting the subjective and potentially theatrical nature of such demonstrations.

India: A Message from God Ganesh

This short report details an incident where a woman claiming to be a 'Seer' named Pallavi Sharma contacted the Airport Authority of India with a prediction of a plane crash. The prediction, involving a specific flight number and time, turned out to be false, and the flight did not exist as described, leading to the conclusion that the prediction was baseless.

Quackwatch - some URLS

This section provides a list of URLs related to Quackwatch, an organization that monitors and critiques health-related pseudoscience. It lists Stephen Barrett, M.D., as the Board Chairman and provides links to their website, archives, and related sites focusing on alternative health topics.

Too Many Books.... Too Little Time.... The Piri Reis Map of 1513

This is a review of Gregory McIntosh's book on the Piri Reis Map. The article highlights the map's accuracy for its time (1513), showing coastlines of the Caribbean, South America, and even the Antarctic, predating known explorations. It discusses the mystery surrounding its creation and the various theories proposed by authors like Berlitz and von Däniken, suggesting extraterrestrial or ancient civilization origins. McIntosh's book argues against these theories, positing that Piri Reis, an Ottoman admiral, compiled the map from existing sources, including a map from Columbus obtained from a prisoner. The review concludes that McIntosh's work demonstrates that the map's accuracy is explainable through historical cartographic practices and not supernatural means.

What's Newby Robert L. Park

This section contains two short items. The first discusses President Reagan's 1983 announcement of the Strategic Defense Initiative and the 1989 announcement of 'cold fusion,' noting the equal progress in both fields and humorously suggesting astrology might be involved. The second item reports on an MIT study calculating the odds on global climate change projections, questioning the public's ability to grasp probabilistic predictions.

Healthy Holy Water

This article, referencing research from the British Medical Journal and other sources, examines the health implications of 'holy water.' It reports on findings of tiny green worms and dirt in holy water fonts and cites studies linking holy water to hospital-acquired infections due to bacterial contamination, including potentially Legionellae. It also mentions research on the effect of holy water on radish plants, presented as a study to disprove prior claims.

A Puzzle for Thinkers

This section presents a geometry problem about finding the number of sides of a regular polygon with interior angles of 165°. It also provides the solution to a previous problem concerning compound interest calculations for professors' salaries.

Fanny Wright or Wrong, but Always Heard

This piece profiles Fanny Wright, an unconventional Scottish woman from the early 19th century who promoted scientific and free thinking. It details her move to the U.S., her involvement with prominent thinkers, her utopian anti-slavery commune in Tennessee, and her public lectures. Wright was known for her rationalist views, opposition to slavery and religion, and advocacy for education, making her a controversial figure.

Synchronicities Out of Sync?

This report from Virginia Jergens discusses the concept of 'synchronicities' – unusual coincidences that appear meaningful. It presents an example of lost records during WWII preventing someone from being sent to the front, which was interpreted as a synchronicity. Other members argued that these are simply memorable coincidences that are not necessarily meaningful.

Details of Upcoming Events...

• This section lists upcoming events for the Association for Rational Thought (ART):
• April 14, 2001: A talk on "Oliver Wendell Holmes as Skeptic" by William B. Jensen.
• May 12, 2001: A talk on "Quack Use of Standardized Tests" by Joe Gastright.
• June 9, 2001: A field trip to Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky, known for its mammalian fossils.

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl

This is a review of John Colapinto's book about David Reimer, who was reassigned as a girl after a circumcision accident. The reviewer criticizes the medical and psychological establishment, particularly Dr. John Money, for promoting the idea that sex is purely a matter of socialization. The review highlights Reimer's eventual insistence on returning to his male identity and praises the Reimer family's resilience. It also touches on other victims of sex assignment and the ongoing debate about gender identity.

No same sex marriage in Dubya land:

This brief item reports on a case in Texas where a transsexual individual, genetically male but identifying as female, was issued a marriage license, highlighting the complexities of legal definitions of gender and marriage.

A.R.T. Business

This section covers the Executive Council News, including decisions to authorize modest travel expenses for speakers, consider e-mailing the newsletter as a PDF, and the renaming of the Membership Chairperson to Recruitment Committee. It also mentions plans for Newsletter Editor Wolf Roder to attend a meeting with other skeptics' groups. The article notes that ART has 105 members and announces a June picnic and field trip to Big Bone Lick State Park. It also provides information on subscribing to the SANE news e-mail list and the website's traffic. The membership duration policy is also updated to align with the fiscal year.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of the Cincinnati Skeptic are skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims, the promotion of rational thought and scientific inquiry, and the critique of unverified beliefs in areas such as Feng Shui, 'holy water,' and historical map interpretations. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking, often using humor and satire to debunk popular myths and questionable practices. The publication actively engages with its members through meetings, newsletters, and online resources, fostering a community dedicated to rationalism.

Title: Cincinnati Skeptics
Issue: Vol. 10 No. 5
Date: April/May 2001
Publisher: Association for Rational Thought (ART)

Content Summary

This issue of the Cincinnati Skeptics newsletter, published by the Association for Rational Thought (ART), serves as a communication tool for local skeptics and promotes rational inquiry into paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. ART is presented as an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization that aligns with the philosophies of CSICOP, The Skeptics Society, and the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF).

The newsletter provides contact information for these organizations, including their addresses, phone numbers, and websites. CSICOP publishes The Skeptical Inquirer, The Skeptics Society publishes The Skeptic Magazine, and JREF publishes the Swift Newsletter.

ART's operational details are outlined: meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month from September through June at 10:00 AM and are open to the public. ART also maintains a database of paranormal claims for local media and investigates local paranormal claims. The organization was founded by Cincinnati area skeptics in 1991. Annual dues are $15.00, which includes a subscription to the Cincinnati Skeptic.

Contact information is provided for key ART personnel: President Roy Auerbach, Lance Moody, and Nurit Bowman for membership questions. A mailing label system is explained, differentiating between active members and lapsed members.

A section encourages support for ART's work through financial contributions, in addition to membership dues. It emphasizes that contributions are greatly appreciated and should be made payable to the Association for Rational Thought. It is noted that contributions are not currently tax-deductible, but efforts are underway to achieve this status.

Skepticism and ART on the Electronic Media

This section highlights the importance of electronic communication for the skeptical community. It promotes joining SANE (Skeptical Area Network Effort) for receiving skeptical news via email, which includes messages from CSICOP, James Randi, local skeptics, and ART. This serves as a means of staying in touch between issues of the Cincinnati Skeptic.

The ART website, http://www.cincinnatiskeptics.org, is promoted as a valuable resource. It contains blurbs on various subjects, links to skeptical thinking resources worldwide, information on joining SANE, definitions of ART's mission, bylaws, meeting information, and methods for sending sample copies of the newsletter. David Wall is identified as the Web Site Manager.

Preview of Coming Attractions

The newsletter details upcoming meetings for the 2000-2001 season:

• Eighth Meeting: Saturday, April 14, 2001. Topic: "Oliver Wendell Holmes as Skeptic." Speaker: William B. Jensen, PhD, Oesper Professor of History of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. Location: Vernon Manor (details to follow).
• Ninth Meeting: Saturday, May 12, 2001. Topic: "Quack Use of Standardized Tests." Speaker: Joe Gastright, EdD, ART member and past president.
• Tenth Meeting: Saturday, June 9, 2001. This is a field trip to Big Bone Lick State Park.

Meeting times are generally from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with a program from 12:15 PM to 2:00 PM followed by lunch. Members are urged to watch their mail for further details.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the promotion of rational thought, scientific investigation, and skepticism towards paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. The Association for Rational Thought positions itself as a facilitator of this discourse, providing a platform for discussion, investigation, and information dissemination. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking, encouraging public engagement through meetings, newsletters, and online resources. The emphasis on accessibility through low dues and the encouragement of contributions further underscores ART's commitment to its mission and community outreach.