The Skeptic

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 10, Number 7
Date: July 1996
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The Skeptic, the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, offers a range of articles focusing on critical thinking, media analysis, pseudoscience, and astronomical events. The cover story, "The third eye: News and Commentary from the Weird World of the Media," by Pat Reeder, delves into various topics, including a public relations misstep by a San Diego atheist group, the controversial use of spiritual advisors by public figures, and the broader implications of the "Freedom From Religion" movement.

"The third eye: News and Commentary from the Weird World of the Media" by Pat Reeder

Pat Reeder's lead article addresses a letter from Dr. Tim Gorski concerning an incident where a San Diego atheist group secured a park permit for Easter morning, leading to a clash with Christians who traditionally used the park for sunrise services. Reeder argues that the atheists handled the situation poorly from a public relations standpoint, suggesting they could have appeared magnanimous by yielding the permit. He criticizes the "Freedom From Religion" movement for its approach, particularly regarding the issue of a concrete cross in a public park, questioning the consistency of applying religious symbol removal while allowing art like Andre Serrano's "Piss Christ." Reeder also touches upon the debate surrounding religious icons in schools and the potential for censorship.

Reeder then shifts to the media's coverage of Hillary Clinton consulting a "spiritual advisor," Jean Houston. He notes the White House's defense of these consultations as therapeutic exercises and discusses the media's framing of such practices as mainstream. Reeder satirically illustrates the concept of self-consultation by imagining a conversation with Albert Einstein about eating a Snickers bar, highlighting how such methods can lead to predetermined conclusions.

"Healthy skepticism" by Tim Gorski, M.D.

Dr. Tim Gorski contributes several short pieces under the "Healthy skepticism" banner. His first section, "Quacks' Criticism of Medicine Unfounded," debunks the common claim by alternative medicine proponents that only 10-20% of medical procedures are evidence-based. Gorski explains that this figure originated from an outdated and irrelevant study and that a more recent British study indicated 82% of patient management was evidence-based.

In "Lies For Sale," Gorski reports on veterinarian Joel Wallach, who is selling tapes promoting the idea that doctors are unhealthy due to their reliance on conventional medicine. Gorski counters this by citing studies showing physicians are among the longest-lived Americans and dismisses Wallach's Nobel Prize nominee claim as easily achievable.

"Aids Quack Charged" details the SEC's charges against Lazare Industries Inc. and its CEO, Richard J. Harley, for defrauding investors with unproven "ozone-oxygen enemas" for AIDS patients. The FDA had previously seized records from the company.

Finally, "Dental Amalgam Foe's License Revoked" reports that Hall Huggins, a Colorado Springs dentist who claimed mercury amalgam fillings were a health threat, had his license revoked. Huggins' practices, which included charging patients $6,000 for treatments and falsely claiming to have cured his own MS, were deemed unfounded and evidence-defying by an Administrative Law Judge.

"Jupiter Effect Redux" by James Rusk

James Rusk addresses the renewed interest in planetary alignments, specifically the "Son of the Jupiter Effect" predicted for May 5, 2000. He explains that this event, where several planets will appear to align, has been sensationalized by New Age proponents and religious fundamentalists as a harbinger of doom, including massive earthquakes and floods. Rusk clarifies that the gravitational effect of such an alignment is negligible, citing historical precedents like the February 4, 1962, alignment, which caused no unusual events. He also notes that the year 2000 will feature several alignments, but the May 5th one will not be particularly spectacular from Earth. Rusk provides a bibliography of related articles and concludes that the predictions are unfounded.

Planetary Alignment FAQ

Under the "Planetary Alignment FAQ" section, Rusk answers common questions about planetary alignments. He states that alignments vary, averaging about every 125 years, with the last significant ones occurring in 1962 and 1821. He reiterates that the May 5, 2000, alignment will not cause earthquakes or floods due to the minimal gravitational force involved. Rusk also clarifies that scientists were largely correct in predicting no disaster from the 1982 Jupiter Effect and that Nostradamus did not predict a 2000 planetary alignment disaster.

"They're Everywhere!" Book Review by John Blanton

John Blanton reviews Tom McHugh's book, "Flying Saucers are EVERYWHERE," illustrated by John Kloss. Blanton describes the book as a humorous, tongue-in-cheek take on UFO phenomena, suggesting that McHugh might not take UFOs seriously enough. He highlights some of the book's satirical content, including a humorous account of aggressive chickens and a redefinition of "Close Encounters" categories. Blanton notes the book's irreverent illustrations and suggests it might be difficult to find in mainstream bookstores, recommending direct purchase or borrowing from the NTS library.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The overarching theme of this issue is the promotion of skepticism and critical thinking in the face of pseudoscience, media sensationalism, and unfounded beliefs. The North Texas Skeptics, through its publication, aims to debunk claims that lack scientific evidence, analyze media narratives critically, and provide rational explanations for phenomena often shrouded in mystery or superstition. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of evidence-based reasoning, scientific understanding, and a healthy dose of skepticism towards extraordinary claims, particularly those related to health, religion, and the paranormal.