North Texas Skeptic - Vol 03 No 01 - 1989

Magazine Overview

Title: The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics
Issue: Volume 3 Number 1
Date: January/February 1989

This issue of The Skeptic newsletter focuses on the organization's activities, critiques of pseudoscience, and reviews of relevant books and events.

NTS News and Events

The newsletter begins with an update on NTS's evaluation of predictions made by The Association for Parapsychology (formerly the North Texas Parapsychology Association) at the Meta-Psychic Fair in Richardson. NTS is preparing a press release on the results. The psychics made their predictions for 1989, and Channel 8 News covered this event, featuring NTS Chair John Thomas, who commented on their poor performance in 1988. Channel 8 News also contacted NTS for comment on the Rapha counseling group in Arlington, and Dr. Tom Woods, an NTS member and psychiatrist, provided an interview. The organization also addressed the use of graphology at a Texas Employment Commission seminar, challenging its scientific validity and providing information to prevent personnel managers from being misled.

The NTS Board has decided that meetings in 1989 will be held on the third Sunday of each month.

NTS Needs Some Volunteers

With a growing membership of almost 120, NTS is seeking volunteers to expand its activities. Specific areas needing help include: Programs (chair to identify and schedule speakers), Publicity (preparing press releases and handling campus publicity), and Newsletter Production (using a desktop publishing system for production).

Year-End Program Reviews

NTS concluded the year with three programs. The November 20 meeting featured Professors Ray Eve and Dana Dunn of UTA discussing their research on pseudoscience beliefs among high-school science teachers. Their study found alarming results, with a significant percentage of teachers believing in creationism, the co-existence of dinosaurs and humans, racial intelligence differences, and psychic powers. The professors noted that a lack of science-related degrees among teachers might contribute to these beliefs. The December program featured B. Premanand from India, a magician and skeptic who investigates claims of 'godmen.' He demonstrated how to reproduce 'miracles' using conjuring tricks. Dan Korem, a Dallas journalist and former magician, presented on cold reading techniques used by psychics and astrologers, detailing six methods for readers to gain control over clients. Korem emphasized that cold reading is a technique of control and that psychics and astrologers are not harmless.

Tough Times for Psychic Seers

This section, written by Tony Dousette, reviews the predictions made at the MPTA-sponsored Meta-Psychic Fair for 1988. The results were consistently poor, with psychics often using ambiguity to avoid clear evaluation. Several psychics admitted to having difficulty with time, which they used as an excuse for past failures. The article highlights specific examples of vague or incorrect predictions, including sports forecasts and predictions of disasters. While a few predictions came true (e.g., Ronald Reagan living out his term, the space shuttle flying twice), these were often trivial or based on publicly available information. NTS members Mark Meyer and Jay Woods provided critiques of specific psychics' predictions, finding a high percentage of misses.

Travels by Michael Crichton (Book Review)

Reviewed by Tony Dousette, this section critiques Michael Crichton's book 'Travels,' which chronicles his transformation from a Harvard-educated M.D. to a believer in psychic phenomena. The reviewer finds Crichton's arguments unconvincing, suggesting he draws vast conclusions from inadequate evidence. The book covers Crichton's medical training, vacations, and experiences with psychic phenomena, including channeling, auras, and spoon bending. The review questions Crichton's susceptibility to cold reading and his interpretation of events like spoon bending and interactions with a cactus. The reviewer notes Crichton's assertion that science is a religion and his questioning of the germ theory of disease, while also pointing out his later denial of belief in UFOs and other paranormal phenomena. The review concludes that the book is an excellent defense of the paranormal for believers but will likely aghast skeptics.

Questions that Left Michael Crichton Speechless

This section, also by Tony Dousette, addresses points made by Michael Crichton, questioning his arguments. It challenges his view that history favors paranormal claims over science, noting that science has a self-correcting nature. The critique also questions Crichton's comparison of medical procedures to superstition and his assertion that scientists resist new discoveries. The author's argument that a lack of theory hinders acceptance of data for phenomena like remote viewing is contrasted with the independent development of Darwin's theory of natural selection. The review highlights an error in Crichton's understanding of Darwin and Wallace and references an article from The Skeptical Inquirer on remote viewing.

Late News

This brief section mentions an article by Larry Powell in The Dallas Morning News that discussed psychic predictions and North Texas Skeptics' efforts to monitor Dallas psychics. Mr. Powell quoted NTS Chair John Thomas.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes skepticism and critical thinking, particularly concerning paranormal claims and pseudoscience. It actively debunks psychic predictions, analyzes the methods used by psychics (like cold reading), and critiques books and media that promote paranormal beliefs without sufficient scientific evidence. The organization also engages with the public through news media and public programs, seeking to educate and counter misinformation. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific rationality and evidence-based reasoning.