North Texas Skeptic - Vol 14 No 10 - 2000

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 14 Number 10, dated October 2000, features a cover story titled 'Creationism: is it science?' by John Blanton. The newsletter also includes sections on 'Web news' and 'Skeptical ink'.

Creationism: is it science?

John Blanton's article summarizes a talk given at the Philosopher's Forum in Dallas, focusing on the legal battle over teaching creationism in public schools. The article details how Christian fundamentalists, unable to teach biblical creationism directly due to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, developed the concept of 'creation science' to present Genesis as a scientific theory. This led to Act 590 in Arkansas, the 'Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act,' signed into law on March 19, 1981.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supported a lawsuit challenging Act 590, arguing that creationism was not science but a religious tenet. The trial, presided over by Judge William Overton, commenced on December 7, 1981. The article quotes from Judge Overton's decision, which highlighted the religious origins of the definitions of 'creation science' provided in the act. These definitions, such as 'sudden creation of the universe' and 'explanation of the earth's geology by catastrophism, including the occurrence of a worldwide flood,' were directly linked to Genesis. The judge also noted that the act's secular purpose was questionable, with its model drafted by Paul Ellwanger, who viewed the effort as a 'religious crusade.' Notably, no scientists testified at the hearing, nor was any representative from the State Department of Education called.

Duane Gish, a prominent creationist, admitted that the Creator's processes are unknown and not operating today, thus referring to creation as 'Special Creation.' Stephen Jay Gould is quoted as stating that creationists falsely claim mainstream science has shut them out. The article points out that leading creationist writers like Morris and Gish acknowledged creation as a concept by God. Edward J. Larson, in the Nova program 'God, Darwin and Dinosaurs,' noted that the judge stated science is what scientists do, and creationism is not science. The defendants failed to produce any papers refused publication, refuting claims of being shut out by mainstream science.

Judge Overton's decision on January 5, 1982, declared creationism not science, effectively ending Act 590. An attempt to revive the act was vetoed by Governor Bill Clinton. The article notes that nineteen years after the McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education trial, creationists have shifted tactics to 'Intelligent Design' (ID), attempting to distance themselves from overt religious claims and hiding the 'miracle' of Genesis in complex biological processes. Michael Behe's concept of 'irreducibly complex' systems in his book 'Darwin's Black Box' is presented as an example of this new approach, implying design in biological mechanisms like blood clotting.

The article concludes that while scientists continue to make progress, creationists are still not providing scientific explanations for their claims, instead relying on the idea of design. Robert Pennock's 'Tower of Babel' is mentioned for its discussion on the consequences of relying on miracles to explain science.

Web news

This section, also by John Blanton, covers several topics sourced from the web.

Exorcism

An article from Fox News.Com discusses the resurgence of interest in 'The Exorcist' and mentions a program on exorcism by the North Texas Skeptics featuring Danny Barnett. Father Dave Creamer, a Jesuit priest, recounts his experience observing an exorcism in India. The article presents skeptical viewpoints, citing physiological disorders like Tourette's syndrome, childhood schizophrenia, and temporal lobe syndrome as possible explanations for what appears to be demonic possession. Danny Barnett, vice president of the North Texas Skeptics, attributes such phenomena to 'folie à deux' or shared delusion, and states that in his observations, he has found no evidence of paranormal activity during exorcism rituals. However, Barnett, a Christian, admits he cannot convince himself that possession is not possible, but emphasizes that all medical options must be exhausted first.

Change sought in way evolution is taught

An article from the St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press by John Welbes details Mike Steiner's conflict with the Rosemount-Eagan-Apple Valley school district over the teaching of evolution. Steiner believes evolution should be taught as a theory, not as 'scientific fact,' and sought to have books questioning evolution, such as Michael Behe's 'Darwin's Black Box' and Phillip Johnson's 'Darwin on Trial,' added to the high school library shelves. Media specialists reviewed the books and decided not to accept them, citing their poor reception in scientific literature. The school district assured Steiner that evolution was being taught as a theory, despite an earlier incident where a child's biology textbook did not mention this.

Good and bad science in US schools

Lawrence S. Lerner, emeritus professor of physics and astronomy, discusses the unsatisfactory standards for teaching evolution in one-third of US states. He emphasizes that evolution is the central organizing principle of historical sciences, including biology, geology, and astronomy. The article notes that teaching evolution in US public schools often evokes controversy, unlike in much of the rest of the world.

Report card on evolution

A report from WASHINGTON (AP) evaluates the teaching of evolution in public schools, with six states receiving perfect scores for their science education standards. The article lists states categorized by their scores (A, B, C, D, F, F-) based on an Associated Press article, with Iowa excluded for not having statewide standards.

NASA: The big lie

This section, posted by Snopes, questions the authenticity of the 1969 NASA moon landings. Ralph Rene, a self-taught engineer, investigated the Apollo missions and concluded that America never put a man on the Moon. His webpage lists nine reasons for this claim, including the 'Spacey Twins' photo, divergent shadows, 'Hollywood Type' letters on space rocks, backdrops for mountains, astronauts jumping out of shadows, lack of craters, photos taken by astronauts without cameras, radiation effects, and the absence of stars in moon pictures.

Arthur C. Clarke demands cold fusion rethink

An article from BBC News reports that author Sir Arthur C. Clarke is urging society to reconsider the idea of cold fusion. He argues that with the end of fossil fuels approaching, society needs new energy sources, and cold fusion or other 'anomalous sources of energy' might provide the answer. Despite the discrediting of initial researchers Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, others continue to pursue cold fusion. Clarke notes that there have been numerous reports of anomalous energy sources from qualified people and institutions worldwide, suggesting that 'something strange is going on.'

Something for the space conspiracy buffs

This section highlights an article by Dr. Tony Phillips from http://spacescience.com, discussing unusual square craters found on asteroid 433 Eros. The article notes that while most impact craters are circular, these were square, prompting speculation about their origin and linking it to Richard Hoagland's work.

Skeptical ink

This section contains a comic by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, copyrighted 2000, which allows free, non-commercial reuse. The comic depicts a man claiming miraculous recovery from pain, clearer mind, regular bowel movements, and no longer needing glasses due to 'Magnetic therapy,' followed by a second panel where one character asks another about a blank report, implying the magnetic therapy claims are unsubstantiated or a fabrication.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around skepticism towards claims lacking scientific evidence, particularly in the realms of creationism, paranormal phenomena (exorcism), and conspiracy theories (moon landing hoax). The North Texas Skeptics, as indicated by the publication's title and content, maintain a stance that prioritizes empirical evidence, scientific methodology, and rational explanation over faith-based assertions or unsubstantiated claims. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific reasoning and critical thinking, challenging pseudoscientific and religiously motivated arguments presented as science, and questioning extraordinary claims that lack robust supporting data. The publication also shows an interest in the challenges faced by science education in public schools and explores fringe scientific or pseudoscientific topics with a critical lens.