North Texas Skeptic - Vol 06 No 09 - 1992

Magazine Overview

This issue of "The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics," Volume 6 Number 9, dated September 1992, focuses on skepticism, health fraud, and various paranormal and fringe topics. The cover headline announces the "CSICOP Conference next month in dallas," with other listed topics including "Healthy skepticism," "Fringe theory of the month," "The third eye," and "Up a tree."

CSICOP Conference next month in dallas

The North Texas Skeptics (NTS) are hosting the 16th annual CSICOP convention from October 16-18 at the Harvey Hotel D/FW in Dallas. The event is expected to draw hundreds of scholars and critical thinkers. The opening session on Friday will address multicultural approaches to science and pseudoscience in schools, moderated by Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education. The keynote address on Friday night will be delivered by zoologist and author Richard Dawkins, known for his work on natural selection. Saturday afternoon features a session titled "Crashed Saucers," moderated by UFO investigator Philip J. Klass, focusing on the "Roswell Crash" and featuring coauthors Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt. Sunday morning offers an optional guided tour of Dinosaur Valley State Park, led by NTS technical advisor Ron Hastings, to examine "mantracks" claimed by creationists as proof of dinosaurs coexisting with humans. The NTS is also seeking about 20 volunteers to assist with the conference, with Mike Sullivan serving as the contact person.

Healthy skepticism

This monthly column by Dr. Tim Gorski, an NTS technical advisor and chairman of the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth Council Against Health Fraud, addresses health quackery. This installment focuses on L-Tryptophan, an essential amino acid that acts as a precursor to serotonin and can aid sleep. Despite its benefits, promoters of nutritional supplements pushed it as a safe mood enhancer. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was aware of significant health risks as early as 1973. Canada restricted its availability in 1985. In 1990, after a 1989 outbreak of Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS) in the U.S. that caused at least 27 deaths and affected 1500 people, the FDA finally removed L-Tryptophan from shelves. Research suggests impurities associated with L-Tryptophan preparation, or possibly chemical forms of the amino acid itself, are candidate culprits for EMS. Dr. Gorski emphasizes that while L-Tryptophan is essential, it's not normally found in the human diet by itself or ingested in supplement amounts. He advises caution, stating the null hypothesis should be that a substance is unsafe until proven safe, and that the burden of proof lies with those making claims. The D/FW Council Against Health Fraud is mentioned as a resource for combating false health claims.

Fringe Theory of the Month

This new series, introduced by Mike Sullivan and featuring guest columnist Ralph Dousette, aims to publish coherent, less hysterical fringe theories. The first entry, by Tony Dousette (former editor of The Skeptic), is titled "The Uncle of All Conspiracies." It posits that the "real truth" behind many theories is suppressed by "the media." The author suggests that the widespread success of conspiracy revelations is suspicious and that they might be distractions from a greater conspiracy. He identifies Walt Disney as the mastermind behind a conspiracy that has shaped Western Civilization, arguing that Disney's movies, particularly "Bambi," have altered public perception of nature and led to negative societal trends like environmentalism, feminism, and gun control advocacy. The author humorously suggests that publishing such theories might be a tactic to discredit them.

The third eye

Written by Pat Reeder, this column touches on various unusual stories. It notes that a space alien, previously reported to have met with President Bush and Ross Perot, has now reportedly thrown support to Bill Clinton, according to the Weekly World News. The article satirizes the tabloid's doctored photo of Clinton with an alien, and the media's tendency to interpret any mention as confirmation. Reeder also discusses a project by the Dutch Cargo Foundation to build and sink a large bread-stuffed effigy in the North Sea as a "National Gift To The Sea," drawing criticism from environmentalists and church leaders. The column briefly mentions the Loch Ness Monster expedition yielding no firm evidence, a psychic tip provided to UN inspectors regarding Iraqi weapons sites, and an alleged Virgin Mary apparition in Marlboro, New Jersey, attended by thousands. Finally, it recounts a ghost hunt at the Tanglewood Music Festival involving John Williams and mentions a witness's account of Leonard Bernstein's reaction to a perceived ghostly presence.

Up a tree: a skeptical cartoon

This section features a single-panel cartoon by Laura Ainsworth. The cartoon depicts a graphologist, identified as "PROFESSIONAL GRAPHOLOGIST," examining handwriting. The graphologist states, "I SEE BY YOUR HANDWRITING SAMPLE THAT YOU ARE PERFECTLY SUITED FOR GOVERNMENT WORK." The second panel shows the graphologist noting, "THE FACT THAT IT'S WRITTEN IN RED INK PROVIDES ME NO CLUE WHATSOEVER!" The third panel shows a character handing over money with the caption "TWENTY DOLLARS, PLEASE."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, health fraud, and conspiracy theories. The editorial stance is clearly critical of pseudoscience and unsubstantiated claims, promoting rational inquiry and scientific evidence. The newsletter actively debunks or questions phenomena such as UFOs, alleged psychic abilities, and dubious health supplements. The "Fringe Theory of the Month" column, while presenting theories, does so with an implicit skeptical framing, and the "Healthy Skepticism" column directly addresses health quackery. The overall tone is informative and aims to educate readers on critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning.