North Texas Skeptic - Vol 05 No 01 - 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 5, Number 1
Date: January/February 1991
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The Skeptic newsletter from the North Texas Skeptics provides a comprehensive look at the organization's activities and addresses various topics of skeptical interest.

Board Elections at January Meeting

By Keith Blanton

The January meeting of the North Texas Skeptics (NTS) was dedicated to the annual election of the board members. According to NTS bylaws, at least 5 and no more than 9 board members are elected, each serving a one-year term. Following the election, the board members elect the officers of NTS. The meeting also included a general business session to discuss goals, future projects, the newsletter, finances, and any other matters brought forth by the members.

1990 Treasurer's Report

By Mark Meyer

The treasurer's report for 1990 indicates that NTS is in strong financial health, with its standing being the best since 1988. This was achieved through new memberships and subscriptions, boosted by an August membership drive that targeted subscribers of The Skeptical Inquirer in the Metroplex. The drive, which included flyers and postage, cost less than $200 and yielded significant returns. New expenses included a state tax due to incorporation, but this was offset by reduced newsletter publishing costs, primarily by switching from grey to white paper. Bank service charges increased slightly, but overall account balances remained healthy. For 1991, NTS aims to expand its membership and consider more ambitious projects and research, thanking contributors for their support.

CSICOP European Conference - 1991

CSICOP is scheduled to hold its next European Conference in the Netherlands in 1991, hosted by the Stichting Skeptics organization. The tentative date for the conference is the first weekend in October. Interested parties are encouraged to write to Stichting Skepsis in Utrecht, The Netherlands, with suggestions or papers.

Three Men and a Standee

By Mike Sullivan, Associate Editor

This article debunks the urban legend of a "ghost" appearing in the movie "Three Men and a Baby." The author recounts how a colleague's mother claimed to have seen the ghost of a dead boy in the home-video version of the film. Upon investigating, Sullivan rented the video and, using slow-motion and stop-motion playback, identified a silhouette in a background window. However, further viewing revealed that the silhouette was actually a cardboard cutout, or "standee," of actor Ted Danson, which appeared in another scene. Disney's publicity department confirmed that there was no ghost, family, or dead boy involved, and that the figure was indeed a standee. The story had gained traction through "friend-of-a-friend" accounts and was even reported by USA Today, though critically examined. The article highlights how such urban legends often have a small kernel of truth that is then exaggerated into fabrication.

"Psychic" Catchings Amuck in East Texas

Still Batting Zero

By John Blanton

This piece details the involvement of Dallas-based psychic John Catchings in a missing child case in Marshall, Texas. Despite repeated engagements by the child's family and interventions with law enforcement, Catchings' predictions proved fruitless. He initially claimed the child's body was in the family's driveway, which led to a fruitless excavation. Later, he directed police and trained dogs to search the family property, again with no results. The author, writing on behalf of NTS, questioned the journalistic integrity of the local newspaper, the Longview News-Journal, for treating Catchings' activities as credible. A representative from "America's Missing Children" noted that Catchings was the twelfth psychic employed by the family.

Media Survey

By John Blanton

This section reviews various media reports and predictions from 1990, particularly focusing on psychics. The author expresses skepticism towards the sensational claims made by psychics featured in publications like the National Examiner, listing several individuals and their purported predictions for 1991. These include predictions about the New York Psychic's success with the World Series, a psychic's accuracy in predicting election votes, and another's success in finding missing persons. The author dismisses many of these as vague or unprovable, highlighting the hedging language used by some psychics, such as Jeane Dixon and Tony Leggett, to allow for broad interpretation. The section also includes the author's own "predictions" for 1991, which are framed sarcastically, suggesting that psychics will be unsuccessful, a local psychic will be involved in a missing person case, and that certain educational and financial trends will occur.

GOOD NEWS

This subsection briefly mentions a Dallas Morning News article by Michael Vitez that criticized psychic predictions as "duds."

HEALING

An article from The Dallas Morning News by Nicholas D. Kristof is mentioned, discussing the popularity of "qi gong" healing in China and the establishment's crackdown on it.

AS SEEN ON TV

John Thomas of NTS was interviewed on a local cable channel (Channel 8) in connection with a story on psychics.

Mims Out at Scientific American — Blames Religion

By John Blanton

This article discusses the controversy surrounding Forrest M. Mims III, who was removed from his Amateur Scientist column in Scientific American due to his creationist views. Mims' statements to the Houston Chronicle and Wall Street Journal brought the issue to light. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) requested that SA not use religion as a basis for publication, and the ACLU became involved. The author references an interview with Mims on CNN's "Crossfire," moderated by Cal Thomas and Mike Kinsley, which also featured Eugenie C. Scott of NCSE and CSICOP. The interview is described as an unfortunate episode for Mims, where he struggled to defend his creationist stance, at times claiming it was science-based and at other times attributing it to religion. Mims' attempts to fend off comparisons to other pseudoscience were met with Kinsley's pointed questions about hiring flat-earthers or geocentrists. Mims' disclaimers of knowing about flat-earthers or Eugenie C. Scott are noted as damaging. The article also touches on interchanges between Thomas and Scott, where Thomas attempted to link creationism with religion and questioned Scott about evolutionary theories. Scott is credited with defending legitimate science and CSICOP. The author concludes that Mims lacked the sincerity of a true scientist and should let the ACLU handle his public appearances.

What Is Skepticism?

By Keith Parsons

(Reprinted with permission from the January 1990, Georgia Skeptic)

This article explores the philosophical concept of skepticism. It distinguishes between universal skepticism, which questions the possibility of knowledge in general (as seen in Descartes), and the more practical, scientific skepticism. The author argues that universal skepticism is self-defeating because doubting requires grounds, which themselves rely on prior beliefs. Using the metaphor of a ship's planks, it's suggested that while individual beliefs can be doubted, all cannot be doubted simultaneously. The article posits that scientific skepticism, as practiced by the Georgia Skeptics, aligns with the natural sciences. This approach requires both imagination for new theories and rigorous skepticism to test them. Scientific skepticism assumes an objective, determinate natural world and opposes New Age relativism, which allows for subjective realities. The author concludes that while subjective claims like reincarnation can be accepted as personal realities, claims presented as objective truth, even if based on different assumptions, warrant skeptical scrutiny.

Up a tree: a skeptical cartoon

By Laura Ainsworth

A comic strip by Laura Ainsworth, featuring four panels with dialogue related to subliminal messages and the interpretation of sensory input, ending with a character motivated to "hit the beach."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue consistently promotes a skeptical viewpoint, critically examining claims of the paranormal, psychic abilities, and pseudoscientific beliefs. The North Texas Skeptics organization is presented as a platform for rational inquiry and the debunking of hoaxes and misinformation. The newsletter actively engages with media coverage of these topics, offering counterpoints and analyses. There is a clear editorial stance against the uncritical acceptance of unsubstantiated claims, particularly those presented by psychics and creationists. The importance of scientific methodology and critical thinking is emphasized throughout the articles.