North Texas Skeptic - Vol 15 No 05 - 2001

Magazine Overview

The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 15, Number 5, dated May 2001, is a newsletter from The North Texas Skeptics, published online at www.ntskeptics.org. The issue features a critical examination of Therapeutic Touch, a report on the organization's participation in a health expo, and a discussion on the future of the skeptic movement.

Quack: NTS does TT

This article by John Blanton critically analyzes Therapeutic Touch (TT), a practice involving the manipulation of a supposed "human energy field." The author introduces TT through Lu Ann Wahl, a registered nurse and TT practitioner, who presented TT to the North Texas Skeptics. TT is described as being rooted in concepts similar to 18th-century mesmerism and Theosophy, with co-developer Dora Kunz having been president of the Theosophical Society of America. Wahl, like other believers, views TT within the context of an "energy field" and claims practitioners can manipulate it with their hands, sometimes perceiving it as an "aura."

The article highlights a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Emily Rosa, which tested 21 TT practitioners. The study found that their ability to detect the "energy field" was no better than chance, effectively debunking a core claim of TT. The author notes that TT advocates often respond to such tests by claiming a positive attitude is required for success or that skepticism itself causes failure.

Blanton also addresses Wahl's use of scientific terms like "non-local" and "electromagnetic radiation," suggesting a potential misuse or metaphorical application. He points out that while Wahl apologized for this, it could lead to patient misunderstanding or deception. The article includes a link to additional documentation provided by Diane Wardell, Healing Touch Research Director for Healing Touch International.

Laura Ainsworth, a volunteer subject, shares her impressions of a TT session. She describes the experience as "amusing" and notes that while Wahl made some accurate observations inferred from nonverbal cues, she missed significant physical issues like Meniere's disease. Ainsworth suggests Wahl might be using "cold reading" techniques and advises her to present TT as a matter of faith rather than attempting to back it with inaccurate science. Ainsworth believes Wahl could do good work if she embraced scientific fact.

North Texas Skeptics at TWU Health Check 2001

Daniel R. Barnett reports on the North Texas Skeptics' participation in the Health Check 2001 expo at Texas Woman's University. The NTS staffed a table, offering newsletters and information, and engaging with attendees. Heather Matthies, an expo organizer who developed a skeptical response to alternative therapies after being trained in practices like Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, invited the NTS. The organization aimed to counterbalance unproven alternative treatments, noting a previous expo had featured excessive claims about aromatherapy and homeopathy.

The expo included chiropractic kiosks, and the NTS observed a kinesiologist using a laser pointer and arm pressure tests. The NTS table featured back issues of their newsletter, particularly those on "energized water" and veterinary homeopathy, along with a display of alternative medicines, including a trace mineral supplement and Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment. The article notes ongoing public confusion regarding alternative medicine, such as the misconception that homeopathy encompasses nutritional supplements. The NTS clarified the differences between homeopathy, herbalism, and nutritional therapy.

Barnett concludes that the NTS's appearance was successful in providing attendees with a better understanding of how skeptics approach alternative medicine. The organization's goal is to empower individuals to make rational health choices.

The State of the Skeptic Nation

Curtis Severns, President of the North Texas Skeptics, discusses his participation in a brainstorming session organized by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) to celebrate its 25th anniversary and promote local skeptic groups. The session, held at CSICOP's Center for Inquiry in Amherst, NY, brought together leaders from various North American skeptic organizations.

The primary focus of the weekend was to share ideas on how different groups could collaborate more effectively. Key themes included leveraging the internet, CSICOP's support for local groups, inter-group cooperation, efficient growth strategies, and better promotion of skeptic organizations. Severns mentions a site-seeing trip to Niagara Falls with Keith Taylor of the San Diego Association for Rational Inquiry.

Severns recounts an evening at Hooters with Bela Scheiber, CSICOP's Groups Liaison and President of the Rocky Mountain Skeptics, where much of the brainstorming occurred. He notes that Joe Nickell, CSICOP senior research fellow, discussed the difference between "top down" and "bottom up" approaches to membership organizations.

Discussions within smaller groups, particularly the internet group, focused on expanding e-mail lists, creating a central skeptic news database, and sharing newsletter archives. The idea of sites like skepticnews.com and skepticplanet.com as central resources was explored. CSICOP expressed interest in hosting newsletter archives and starting a syndicate for article sharing.

A major outcome of the sessions was the consensus on forming an international membership organization to promote skepticism, while addressing concerns about liability and group autonomy. A proposal for this organization is to be developed by CSICOP. The groups also tentatively planned to meet again in Atlanta in November to officially charter this new organization.

Severns emphasizes that significant changes are expected at NTS and within the broader skeptic community, including adjustments to meeting times, locations, membership campaigns, speaker recruitment, and awards. He urges members to get involved, either by attending meetings or providing financial support for initiatives like membership drives, speaker honorariums, and investigations. The article concludes with a call to action, inviting readers to be part of the "flood of rational thinking."

What's new

This section, by Robert Park, presents a collection of brief news items and scientific updates:

• Mars: NASA reported findings of magnetite crystals in a Mars meteorite that might suggest a biological origin, reigniting interest from the Mars Society for human exploration. Park suggests a robotic sample return might be more prudent.
• Censoring Darwin: The Arkansas legislature considered a measure to bar mention of evolution or radio-carbon dating from state-funded textbooks, a move that mirrors a previous unconstitutional law. (An editor's note indicates the bill was defeated but Representative Jim Holt vowed to try again.)
• EMF and cancer: Consumer groups in Rome linked a cancer cluster around the Vatican to a high-powered radio transmission tower used by the Church.
• Science advice: President George W. Bush reactivated the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), co-chaired by venture capitalist Floyd Kvamme and an as-yet-unnamed White House Science Advisor.
• Polygraphs: Following the discovery of a Russian spy in the FBI, the agency planned to polygraph 500 employees. Scientists at Sandia Labs are boycotting these exams due to privacy concerns, and the article questions the polygraph's effectiveness, noting no spy has been unmasked by it.
• Oxygenated water: The New York Times reported on oxygenated water scams, which have proliferated despite previous FTC charges and fines against makers of "Vitamin O." The article calculates the impracticality of achieving a 1% oxygen boost through such water.
• Cold fusion: A report from the Naval Research Laboratory discussed an "open" electrolysis study of excess heat using a Pd-B alloy cathode, involving Martin Fleischmann. The article notes that after twelve years, cold fusion research still struggles with the same issues of experimental reliability that plagued earlier experiments.

Skeptical ink

This section features a comic by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, humorously depicting the progression of claims about cold fusion from "science of the future" to "the force of the stars is at our disposal" to the ability to "power an entire city."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of pseudoscientific and alternative medical practices, particularly Therapeutic Touch. The North Texas Skeptics consistently advocate for evidence-based reasoning, scientific rigor, and the debunking of unsubstantiated claims. The organization actively engages with the public through events like the TWU Health Check expo to promote critical thinking and informed decision-making regarding health and science. There is also a strong emphasis on community building within the skeptic movement, with discussions on improving communication, collaboration, and the establishment of international organizations to advance the cause of skepticism. The "What's New" section demonstrates a commitment to reporting on current scientific developments and debunking pseudoscience across various fields. The editorial stance is clearly one of promoting scientific literacy and skepticism against the backdrop of widespread belief in unproven therapies and claims.