The Skeptic

Magazine Overview

This issue of "The Skeptic," the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, dated March 1993, focuses heavily on a report from the 1992 CSICOP conference. The cover headline highlights this "Conference Report," which is presented as the last of four parts, prepared by Jim Lippard of The Phoenix Skeptics.

Conference Report

The conference report delves into several key topics. The first section, "The Kecksburg Meteor," details Robert Young's examination of the 1965 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, alleged UFO crash. Young analyzed 91 eyewitness reports, explaining them as a fireball that disintegrated over Southwest Ontario. He criticizes media portrayals, such as those on Fox TV's "Sightings" and "Unsolved Mysteries," for relying on flawed calculations and omitting contradictory information, like a newspaper statement about searchers failing to find anything. Young also debunks claims from five witnesses who reported a crashed object, pointing out inaccuracies in their accounts and noting a statement signed by 46 people asserting no object crashed or was recovered.

The next section covers the "Roswell Incident." Donald R. Schmitt, a co-director of CUFOS, presented evidence suggesting a peculiar event occurred in Roswell on July 8, 1947. His central argument relies on wire transmissions between Roswell, Ft. Worth, and Washington, D.C., and an "official press release" about a "Flying Disc in Army Possession." Schmitt questions the two-hour delay in identifying the object as a radar device and dismisses explanations like V2 launches or balloon bombs. He claims to have spoken with 150 people, including 30 military personnel whose records are missing. Schmitt also cites witnesses who reported alien bodies and military threats, including six deathbed statements, one from a general, stating it was "no goddamn weather balloon." Phil Klass, surprisingly, agreed that there was a "major saucer crash cover-up," but disagreed on who was responsible. Klass presented information from a letter by Lt. Gen. Nathan Twining, which stated the UFO phenomenon was real but lacked physical evidence of crash-recovered exhibits, leading Klass to suggest Twining was either lying, uninformed, or there was no crash.

The report also mentions the premiere of the new CSICOP video, "Beyond Belief," which covers astrology, fire-walking, and the Gulf Breeze UFO. The video will be made available to local groups.

Awards Banquet

The CSICOP conference also included an awards banquet. The "In Praise of Reason" award went to Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins for his contribution to critical inquiry. Dawkins urged scientists to leverage the "awe factor" to stimulate interest in science. The "Distinguished Skeptic" award was presented to magician and columnist Henry Gordon for his efforts in establishing a skeptics column. Andrew Skolnick, associate editor of JAMA, received the "Responsibility in Journalism" award for an article criticizing a marketing scheme. Skolnick, facing a lawsuit over his article, urged skeptics to unite against SLAPP suits. The evening concluded with a spoon-bending demonstration by Steve Shaw of Project Alpha, who, along with other young conjurors, had previously fooled scientists at the McDonnell Lab for Psychical Research into believing they had psychokinetic powers.

James Randi was also honored for his legal battles against alleged psychic Uri Geller.

Dinosaur Valley State Park / Dealey Plaza

Following the conference, optional trips were offered. One was to Dinosaur Valley State Park to examine dinosaur tracks claimed by creationists as evidence of humans living with dinosaurs. Another group visited Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of John F. Kennedy's assassination, exploring The Sixth Floor museum and the grassy knoll, encountering conspiracy theorists.

The third eye

Pat Reeder's column, "The third eye," addresses the overwhelming amount of "unscientific, occult nonsense" on TV and radio. Reeder discusses the February 25 edition of "Hard Copy," which featured the upcoming Paramount film "Fire In The Sky," based on the Travis Walton UFO abduction story. Reeder criticizes "Hard Copy" for its one-sided presentation, using special effects from the movie and failing to mention Walton's motivations or the fact that he sold his story to the National Enquirer shortly after the incident. Reeder recommends Phil Klass's book, "UFOs: The Public Deceived," as a source for a real investigation of Walton's story.

The column also praises ABC's "PrimeTime Live" for its undercover expose of psychic 900-Lines, detailing how operatives were hired as "psychics" and used miniature cameras to reveal the workings of these hotlines. Reeder notes Dionne Warwick's refusal to appear on "PrimeTime Live" after hosting a "Psychic Friends" infomercial. The segment highlights the financial aspect, with producers noting that calls would increase when "AFDC checks are in the mail."

Reeder then recommends several books: "I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional: The Recovery Movement And Other Self-Help Fashions" by Wendy Kaminer, which criticizes the 12-step program mentality and New Age pursuits. "The Fringes of Reason: A Whole Earth Catalog" is also mentioned for its compendium of various beliefs, including UFOs and CSICOP. A reprint of a Jerome Clark article from "Omni Magazine" is highlighted, which portrays CSICOP as a powerful group silencing opposing voices. Reeder humorously recounts feeling powerful after reading this, celebrating by convincing a waitress that Travis Walton is a "money-grubbing fibber."

Finally, Reeder mentions "The Only Astrology Guide You'll Ever Need" and Rush Limbaugh's "The Way Things Ought To Be," praising Limbaugh's chapter on "junk science" and political agendas, agreeing with his call for commonsense skepticism.

Quick stories from the Associated Press include Alan Marcus's phone service offering horoscopes for pets and Rev. Thane E. Ford's "Compact Mini 22-Minute Worship Service."

Healthy skepticism

Dr. Tim Gorski's column, "Healthy skepticism," in its final installment, focuses on "Medical 'Pathies.'" The section on "Osteopathy" traces its origins to Andrew T. Still in the 19th century, who developed spinal manipulation therapy. Still incorporated religious elements, viewing his methods as "God's law." Daniel David Palmer, founder of chiropractic, is noted to have borrowed from Still's ideas. Osteopathy, however, was quickly directed towards mainstream medicine, with its faculty including scientifically trained members. By the 1950s, osteopathy had accommodated medication and surgery, leading to an identity crisis where spinal manipulation is the only distinguishing feature, though many osteopaths do not heavily utilize it.

The column also defines "Allopathy" as a term coined by homeopath Samuel Hahnemann for medical practices not fitting his "like cures like" principle. It notes that "allopathy" is sometimes used by M.D.s and D.O.s to distinguish themselves, but more often by quacks to discredit legitimate medicine and scientific approaches. The column concludes that medical "-pathies" are vestigial identifiers of outdated ideas, irrelevant to modern medical science.

Elections

Mike Sullivan's report on "Elections" details the North Texas Skeptics' annual business meeting on January 23, 1993. The members elected seven Directors for 1993: Laura Ainsworth, John Blanton, Ron Hastings, John Park, Pat Reeder, Mike Sullivan, and Joe Voelkering. The board then appointed officers: Joe Voelkering (President), Pat Reeder (Vice-President), Mark Meyer (Treasurer), and John Blanton (Secretary). A new "Director Emeritus" position was created, with John Thomas, an original founder, named to it. The members also proposed establishing a North Texas Skeptic's "hotline" for members, media, and the public, and agreed to investigate voice mail systems for this purpose.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critical examination of paranormal claims, particularly UFO incidents like Kecksburg and Roswell, through a skeptical lens. The newsletter actively critiques media sensationalism and the presentation of unsubstantiated claims. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and the debunking of pseudoscience, as exemplified by the CSICOP conference coverage and the "Healthy skepticism" column. The publication also engages with issues of health fraud and the responsible reporting of scientific and medical topics. The editorial stance is clearly one of promoting skepticism, scientific literacy, and a discerning approach to information presented in the media and by various organizations.