North Texas Skeptic - Vol 07 No 03 - 1993

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 7, Number 3
Date: March 1993
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The Skeptic, the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, features a comprehensive conference report from Jim Lippard of The Phoenix Skeptics, covering the 1992 CSICOP conference. The report delves into several key topics, including the Kecksburg meteor incident, the Roswell UFO crash, and the media's handling of such phenomena.

Conference Report

The Kecksburg Meteor

The article begins by detailing Robert Young's report on the 1965 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, alleged UFO crash. Young, education director of the Harrisburg Astronomical Society, presented evidence that the brilliant bolide seen that year was determined to have disintegrated 14 kilometers above southwest Ontario, Canada, a finding published in a Canadian astronomical journal in 1967. Young examined 91 eyewitness reports, all of which he found could be explained by this Ontario fireball. He contrasted this with media portrayals, noting his brief appearance on Fox TV's "Sightings" and a similar experience on "Unsolved Mysteries." Both shows, he stated, relied on information like Ivan Sanderson's calculations (which contained errors showing the fireball changing direction) and a newspaper headline from the Greensburg Tribune-Review that suggested an "Unidentified Flying Object" probe, omitting the later story about searchers finding nothing. Young also addressed five witnesses who claimed to have seen a crashed object retrieved by the military. He scrutinized their accounts, pointing out inaccuracies in their claims about their roles and the timeline of events. For instance, one witness claimed to be fire chief in 1965, but was actually fire chief in 1964. Another witness's account of a recovered object was disputed by 46 people who signed a statement asserting no object crashed and no recovery occurred, a statement that "Unsolved Mysteries" failed to mention.

Roswell Incident

Donald R. Schmitt, a medical illustrator and co-director of J. Allen Hynek's Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), presented evidence for a peculiar event in Roswell, New Mexico, on July 8, 1947. Schmitt, who has credentials as a skeptic and notes CUFOS debunked other claims, focused on wire transmissions from July 8, 1947, between Roswell, Ft. Worth, and Washington D.C. An "official press release" that day announced a "Flying Disc in Army Possession." By 5:30 p.m., a reporter was allowed to examine debris. However, at 6:30 p.m., Major E.M. Kurtan dismissed it as a high-altitude sounding device. Schmitt questioned why it took two hours to identify the object as a radar device, especially since similar balloon devices were used for visual tracking before radar. He argued that what was found was not a radar device and eliminated other explanations like a V2 launch or Japanese balloon bombs. Schmitt stated he spoke to 150 people involved, including 30 military personnel whose records could not be found. He cited witnesses who claimed alien bodies were observed by a nurse at the base hospital, who was allegedly transferred and died in a plane crash, though Schmitt found no record of such a crash or nurse. Instead of concluding witnesses were mistaken, Schmitt suggested a cover-up. He also mentioned six deathbed statements, including one from a general, stating it was "no goddamn weather balloon." Schmitt also noted claims of military threats against witnesses and their families.

Phil Klass, addressing the Roswell incident, agreed there was a "major saucer crash cover-up" but disagreed on who was covering it up. He highlighted a letter from Lieutenant General Nathan Twining, Wright-Patterson base commander, to the chief of staff of the Army Air Force in September 1947, assessing UFOs. Twining stated the phenomenon was "real and not visionary or fictitious." However, Klass pointed out that Twining also noted a "lack of physical evidence in the shape of crash-recovered exhibits." Klass proposed three implications: Twining was lying, he wasn't informed about a crashed saucer, or no saucer crashed. Klass cited numerous classified documents after Roswell that commented on UFOs but made no mention of a crash.

CSICOP Video and Awards Banquet

Following sessions on crashed saucers and qi gong, CSICOP premiered its video, "Beyond Belief," hosted by magician Steve Shaw, which covered astrology, firewalking, and the Gulf Breeze UFO. The video would be made available to local groups.

At the Awards Banquet, three skeptics were honored. Richard Dawkins received the "In Praise of Reason" award for his contribution to critical inquiry. He urged scientists to leverage the "awe factor" to stimulate interest in science and expressed dismay that 54% of U.S. charitable contributions go to religious institutions. Henry Gordon, a Toronto magician and columnist, received the "Distinguished Skeptic" award for his efforts in establishing a regular skeptics column. Andrew Skolnick, associate editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), received the "Responsibility in Journalism" award for an article criticizing a Maharishi Ayur-Veda scheme. Skolnick mentioned a lawsuit against him and JAMA by Ayur-Veda organizations and urged skeptics to combat SLAPP suits. The evening concluded with a spoon-bending demonstration by Steve Shaw. James Randi also received an ovation for his legal battles against alleged psychic Uri Geller.

Dinosaur Valley State Park / Dealey Plaza

On Sunday, an optional trip was offered to Dinosaur Valley State Park to examine dinosaur tracks claimed by creationists as evidence of humans living with dinosaurs. However, many attendees visited Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of the John F. Kennedy assassination, where they could visit The Sixth Floor museum and discuss conspiracy theories.

The third eye

Media and UFOs

Pat Reeder's column, "The third eye," addresses the overwhelming amount of "unscientific, occult nonsense" on TV and radio, particularly tabloid TV shows. Reeder states he will generally ignore such content unless it features a space alien with a major political figure. He breaks this rule to discuss the February 25 edition of "Hard Copy," which featured the upcoming Paramount Pictures film "Fire In The Sky," based on the alleged UFO abduction of Travis Walton. Reeder notes that "Hard Copy" used special effects from the movie to make the story seem "irrefutable." He points out that Walton has told his story multiple times for profit to the National Enquirer, a book publisher, and tabloid TV shows. Reeder criticizes "Hard Copy" for presenting a one-sided account, failing to mention the numerous holes in Walton's story or his motivations, only noting that he sold his story to the media less than a month after the incident. Reeder recommends Phil Klass's book, "UFOs: The Public Deceived," for a real investigation of Walton's story.

Psychic Hotlines Exposed

Reeder praises ABC's "PrimeTime Live" for its undercover expose of psychic 900-Lines. The show demonstrated how anyone can become a telephone psychic in three days and used miniature cameras to show how these operations work. The expose revealed that bored actors and waiters are hired to keep callers on the line, using oven timers to avoid exceeding 30 minutes and keeping bills under $100. Dionne Warwick, who hosted a "Psychic Friends" infomercial, declined an invitation to appear on "PrimeTime Live." The segment highlighted how the producers showed an office manager laughing that calls would increase because "AFDC checks are in the mail," implying that money intended for families with dependent children was going to psychic hotlines.

Book Recommendations

Reeder 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 compares New Age pursuits to pop psychobabble. He also suggests "The Fringes of Reason: A Whole Earth Catalog," which includes information on UFOs, parapsychology, and cults, and reprints an article by Jerome Clark that portrays CSICOP as a group that silences opposing voices. Reeder humorously recounts his positive reaction to this article, feeling empowered by the idea of CSICOP's influence. He also 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 his call for commonsense questioning of findings, regardless of political views.

Quick Stories

Two brief stories from the Associated Press are included: Alan Marcus has started a phone service offering horoscopes for pets, and Rev. Thane E. Ford of Pensacola offers a "Compact Mini 22-Minute Worship Service" to make church services shorter.

Healthy skepticism

Medical "Pathies"

Dr. Tim Gorski, M.D., in the final part of his series on medical "pathies," discusses osteopathy. He traces its origins to Andrew T. Still in the 19th century, who practiced magnetic healing and bonesetting, developing a belief in spinal manipulation therapy for various illnesses. Still incorporated religious elements, viewing it as "God's law." Daniel David Palmer, founder of chiropractic, is said to have borrowed from Still's ideas. While chiropractic remained focused on its "one cause" theory, osteopathy was directed towards the mainstream, with faculty trained in scientific medicine. By the 1950s, osteopathy had accommodated medication, surgery, and other medical theories. Today, osteopathy faces an identity crisis, with spinal manipulation being the main distinguishing feature, though many osteopaths use it little. Medical doctors can also learn these techniques.

Allopathy Double-talk

Gorski explains that "allopathy" was coined by homeopath Samuel Hahnemann to describe medical practices that did not fit his "like cures like" principle. He notes that the term is sometimes used innocently by D.O. physicians to distinguish themselves from M.D.s, but often it's used by quacks to discredit their opponents and portray themselves as "alternative" to a "nebulous (and nefarious) scheme of 'allopathic,' 'orthodox,' and/or 'traditional' medicine." He concludes that medical "-pathies" are vestigial identifiers of outdated ideas and irrelevant to modern medical science.

Elections

North Texas Skeptics Business Meeting

Mike Sullivan reports on the North Texas Skeptics' annual business meeting and election of Directors held on January 23, 1993. The members elected the Board of Directors for 1993: Laura Ainsworth, John Blanton, Ron Hastings, John Park, Pat Reeder, Mike Sullivan, and Joe Voelkering. A new "Director Emeritus" position was created, with John Thomas, an original founder, past president, and spokesman, being the first to receive this honor. The board appointed officers for 1993: Joe Voelkering (President), Pat Reeder (Vice-President), Mark Meyer (Treasurer), and John Blanton (Secretary). Mike Sullivan and Keith Blanton will continue as Newsletter Editor and Associate Newsletter Editor, respectively. The members also discussed establishing a North Texas Skeptic's "hotline" for members, media, and the public, to be used for meeting news, directing media inquiries, and recording public information requests. The group agreed to investigate costs for voice mail systems.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, critical examination of media portrayals of alleged phenomena like UFOs, and the importance of scientific evidence and reason. The newsletter consistently promotes a skeptical viewpoint, debunking sensationalized stories and highlighting logical explanations. There is a strong emphasis on journalistic responsibility and the critique of pseudoscience and health fraud. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning, as demonstrated by the analysis of the Kecksburg and Roswell incidents, the critique of psychic hotlines, and the discussion of medical "pathies."