North Texas Skeptic - Vol 12 No 01 - 1998

Magazine Overview

This issue of "The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics" from January 1998, Volume 12 Number 1, delves into several topics that challenge conventional scientific and societal views. The main articles cover the unconventional ideas of biologist Rupert Sheldrake, the darkly humorous 'Darwin Awards,' and the increasing prevalence of 'miracles' in public belief.

The Amazing Ideas of Rupert Sheldrake

By John Blanton, this article introduces Rupert Sheldrake's book "Seven Experiments That Could Change the World." Sheldrake, a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society and scholar at Clare College, Cambridge, and Harvard University, proposes experiments that could revolutionize our understanding of nature and ourselves. His work, particularly his book "A New Science of Life," has been met with skepticism from the scientific community.

The article discusses Sheldrake's concept of "morphic resonance," which suggests that things of the same form resonate and exchange information. This principle is applied to both inanimate objects, such as the crystallization of new chemical substances, and living organisms. Sheldrake argues that crystals of a new substance should form more readily globally because they have already formed elsewhere, a concept that defies conventional physics.

Sheldrake's emphasis is on living organisms, where "like forms" seem to learn as a collective. The article recounts the "hundredth monkey" phenomenon, where a learned behavior (washing sweet potatoes) allegedly spread spontaneously among monkeys after a critical number adopted it. This is compared to blue tits learning to remove caps from milk bottles to access cream, a habit that spread without direct communication.

Another example provided is the solving of crossword puzzles. Sheldrake claims that puzzles become easier to solve as the day progresses, suggesting a collective learning effect. Tests conducted with students in Nottingham, England, reportedly showed positive results, with participants performing better on puzzles released later in the day.

Sheldrake's book "Seven Experiments That Could Change the World" is subtitled "A Do-It Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science" and outlines seven experiments, including: Pets knowing when owners are returning, pigeon homing, termite organization, the sense of being stared at, phantom limbs, variability of fundamental constants, and experimenters' expectations.

The article notes that Sheldrake cautions against three taboos hindering serious research with pets, the first being "The Taboo Against Investigating the Paranormal." The author criticizes "Skeptics" (with a capital S and K) for upholding a mechanistic worldview and dismissing paranormal phenomena as nonsensical or a sign of intellectual weakness.

Sheldrake also cites cases of pets sensing their owners' return. The phenomenon of phantom limbs is discussed through tests with Casimir Bernard, Ingo Swann, and Alexander Imich, where subjects attempted to sense a missing limb. The article references James Randi's previous reporting on Ingo Swann's tests at Stanford Research Institute.

The author critiques Sheldrake's approach in "Seven Experiments," stating that he asks readers to perform experiments without providing firm hypotheses, essentially saying, "Just do this and see what happens." The concept of "morpho-genetic fields" from Sheldrake's book "The Presence of the Past" is also mentioned, suggesting that the past is always with us and living organisms hold inherited memories from ancestors.

Figure 1 from "The Presence of the Past" illustrates how morphogenetic fields relate to conventional genetics. Genes carry the code for physical traits, passing information to the morphogenetic field, which receives input from the organism and environment, and in turn influences the organism. Morphogenetic fields are presented as a mechanism for inheriting experiences across generations, distinct from genes.

Sheldrake has appeared on PBS programs like "A Glorious Accident," featuring interviews with prominent scientists and thinkers. Links to his homepage and a Theosophical appraisal are provided.

The Darwin Awards

By John Blanton, this section introduces the first annual NTS Darwin Awards, held at the December meeting. The awards celebrate individuals who have removed themselves from the gene pool through "imaginative exercise of stupidity." The article notes that the concept has been around for some time and provides a link to the official Darwin Awards homepage.

The 1996 winner was Garry Hoy, a lawyer who died demonstrating the strength of skyscraper windows by crashing through one and falling 24 floors. The runner-up was Robert Puelo, who choked to death on a stolen hot dog in a St. Louis market.

The article also touches on "Mr. Impala," a story about a man who allegedly bolted a JATO bottle to his car for a speed record, resulting in a catastrophic crash. This story is presented as a myth, exemplifying how legends are debunked by Occam's Razor.

A "Skeptics Choice" section recounts a story from the Dallas Morning News about a $2.17 million wrongful death award to the family of John Wesley Combs, who was electrocuted in 1984. The incident also led to the deaths of two other men and an injury to a fourth while re-enacting the accident.

The section concludes by asking readers to submit nominations for the 1997 awards, reminding them that there is "more untapped genius out there than you would believe."

The Third Eye

By Pat Reeder, this section reflects on the prevalence of "miracles" in society, particularly around the Christmas season. A Pew Research Center poll found that 71% of Americans believe in God, and 61% believe God creates miracles, a significant increase from 1987.

The author notes the success of shows like "Touched By An Angel" and the sales of related merchandise, attributing it to "miracle-mania." The author humorously suggests using the word "miracle" to boost the newsletter's circulation and sales of his book, "Hollywood Hi-Fi."

The article critiques the "skeptic-knocking tradition" that began with the "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" editorial 100 years prior. It mentions politicians like Bob Dole participating in anti-skeptic sentiments.

The author criticizes media coverage, particularly ABC's "Nightline" during the Kyoto global warming conference. He argues that John Stossel is one of the few skeptics left at ABC News, and the network's coverage now includes admonitions about scientific consensus on global warming, leading to a drop in ratings. The article highlights Ted Koppel's dismissive remark comparing skeptics to those who believe the earth is flat.

The author satirizes the idea of Al Gore promoting a "global flattening" crisis due to SUVs. He also mentions Paul Erlich and Jeremy Rifkin as influences on Gore.

A story about the God's Salvation Church in Garland, Texas, is presented as a "homegrown miracle." The church leader claims God will arrive in a flying saucer on March 31 to pick up followers, with Garland chosen for its name sounding like "God's Land."

The article then shifts to a different kind of "miracle": Hidenori Onishi's development of a hands-free remote control device operated by brain waves, called the Mind Control Tool Operating System (MCTOS), expected to be available for $4,800.

Fans of Art Bell's radio show are informed that KLIF is now running it in its entirety from midnight to 5 a.m. The article describes Bell's show, which covers topics like UFOs, alternative medicine, apocalyptic prophecies, and "reverse speech." The author expresses skepticism about "reverse speech," believing that subjective interpretations can find patterns in random babble.

The article humorously describes commercials on Bell's show, including canned gourmet meals for a holocaust shelter. It highlights listener call-ins as a source of non-skeptical conversations, posing a hypothetical scenario about discovering alien structures on Mars and suggesting that choosing to ask about their age is characteristic of Art Bell's audience.

Finally, the article mentions Mary Sanderson of Concord, New Hampshire, who won $66 million in the Powerball lottery after dreaming of the winning numbers. Her husband initially doubted her, calling her a "fruitball."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently champions skepticism and critical thinking, actively debunking paranormal claims, pseudoscientific theories, and sensationalized news. The editorial stance is one of rational inquiry, often employing humor and satire to critique beliefs that lack empirical evidence or logical consistency. The publication seems to view the rise of "miracle" beliefs and the media's sometimes uncritical reporting on such topics as a cause for concern, advocating for a more evidence-based approach to understanding the world. The articles also highlight the challenges faced by skeptics in a society that often embraces the extraordinary.