North Texas Skeptic - Vol 16 No 05 - 2002

Magazine Overview

Title: The North Texas Skeptic
Issue: Volume 16 Number 5
Date: May 2002
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic delves into various topics, primarily focusing on skepticism towards paranormal claims, pseudoscientific endeavors, and questionable scientific research. It features articles on remote viewing, psychic predictions, scientific controversies, and the ongoing debate between evolution and creationism.

Sunday Morning

This section, authored by John Blanton, examines CBS's assessment of America's interest in the paranormal. It highlights the popularity of shows and movies dealing with psychic phenomena, such as "The Six Sense" and "Crossing Over with Jonathan Edward." The article profiles Prudence Calabrese, a remote viewer whose company claims to have predicted the World Trade Center disaster and the Washington anthrax attacks. It also mentions Paul Smith, a retired U.S. Army Major who utilized remote viewing skills for espionage. Conversely, the piece includes the perspective of Professor Paul Kurtz, who dismisses such claims as "bunk" and founded the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims in the Paranormal. The article notes the confusion regarding the University of Virginia's involvement in the Star Gate program. Calabrese's background in remote viewing, knosomatics, and other intuitive techniques is detailed, along with her claims of assisting the FBI. The Star Gate program itself, a $20 million CIA research initiative into remote viewing, is discussed, noting its termination in 1995 due to a lack of useful results. The article also references interviews with Paul Smith and other remote viewing researchers.

Gonzo Science Interview with 'Psychic Spy' Paul Smith

This column by Jim Richardson and Allen Richardson features an interview with Paul Smith, a veteran of the "remote viewing" program, also known as the "Psychic Spies" program. Smith discusses the project's controversial history, its ties to academic institutions like Stanford Research Institute, and the role of the American Institutes of Research (AIR) in scrutinizing the project. He touches upon the CIA's agenda and the relationship between the CIA and AIR in publishing reports on the declassified remote viewing program. Smith also comments on research into postmortem survival being conducted at the University of Virginia, led by Dr. Bruce Greyson, and the broader implications for science and understanding consciousness.

Psychic predictions for 2002

Authored by Jimmy Reynolds, this section offers a humorous take on psychic predictions for the year 2002, inspired by the notoriety of figures like Miss Cleo. The predictions are satirical and outlandish, including scenarios such as Gary North being arrested for an act with a bald eagle, Uri Geller claiming credit for Herbert Hoover's election, a UFO landing on the White House lawn seeking legal counsel, Martha Stewart mistaking James Van Praagh for the Pillsbury Doughboy, Geraldo Rivera finding Osama bin Laden with Sasquatch, and Noam Chomsky joining the Bush administration. Other predictions involve conspiracy theorist David Icke being abducted by lizards, Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat becoming domestic partners, Kent Hovind relocating his creationist theme park to Iran, a skeptic being arrested for selling homeopathic plutonium, NASA admitting Capricorn One was partially accurate about Mars landings, and The North Texas Skeptics receiving a cease and desist order from Disney over the use of the word "quack."

What's new

This section, compiled by Robert Park, presents clippings of interest. It covers "Bubble fusion," questioning its scientific validity and noting that claims were initially pitched to the media, a sign of "voodoo science." The article criticizes the journal Science for its handling of the bubble fusion paper, suggesting it sensationalized the work and potentially suppressed dissenting views by issuing an embargoed press release. Another topic is "Free energy: Perpetual-motion huckster indicted in Kentucky," detailing the legal troubles of Dennis Lee for consumer fraud related to free-energy scams. The section also discusses "Free energy: Perpetual motion scams are at an all-time high," referencing patent 6,362,718 for a "motionless electromagnetic generator" and other purported free-energy devices. Finally, it addresses "Lie detectors: Has the polygraph ever uncovered a spy?" and "Lie detectors: FBI expands the use of polygraph tests," noting the National Academy of Sciences' review of polygraph validity and the FBI's use of polygraphs after the Hanssen spy case, with seven agents reportedly failing the test.

Vacuum energy: How do you patent a perpetual-motion machine?

This article explains that the Patent and Trademark Office denies patents for perpetual-motion devices. It discusses Joe Newman's lawsuit against the PTO and his claims of a new physics involving "zero-point energy of the vacuum." Patent 6,362,718 for a "motionless electromagnetic generator" is presented as an example of tapping this energy.

Free energy: Perpetual-motion huckster indicted in Kentucky

This piece reports on Dennis Lee and his companies being barred from business in Kentucky and indicted on consumer-fraud charges. Lee is described as using old-fashioned perpetual-motion ideas to scam the scientifically unsophisticated, selling dealerships rather than patented devices.

Free energy: Perpetual motion scams are at an all-time high

This section highlights the prevalence of perpetual motion scams, referencing a demonstration by Dennis Lee and several recent patents and systems related to "free energy" and "motionless electromagnetic generators" that claim to extract energy from the vacuum.

Lie detectors: Has the polygraph ever uncovered a spy?

This article questions the effectiveness of polygraph testing, stating that the government has never acknowledged its success in uncovering spies. The National Academy of Sciences is conducting a review of polygraph validity and reliability, with expectations that the report will deem it ineffective.

Lie detectors: FBI expands the use of polygraph tests

Following the Hanssen spy case, the FBI has expanded its use of polygraph tests. Seven agents reportedly failed these tests, though the FBI maintains they are not suspects, reiterating that polygraphs have not historically uncovered spies.

Letters to the Editor

This section includes a letter from Tim Gorski MD, NTS Technical Advisor, to John Blanton. Gorski clarifies a point from a previous Q&A session regarding evolution, stating that evolution does not require a directional culmination in human beings and that it is reasonable for organisms to have more genes or chromosomes than people. He also addresses the fossil record, suggesting that if creationism were true, one would expect to find flowering plants fossilized alongside trilobites, which has not been observed. Gorski thanks Blanton for agreeing with his points and notes that Mr. Patton glossed over the first question and brought up the Paluxy "man tracks" in response to the second.

Skeptical Ink

This is a comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, copyright 2002, with free, non-commercial reuse permitted. The comic features four panels with satirical predictions: Jerry Falwell embracing evolution, John Edward succeeding in talking to the dead, a pedophile priest leaving the church, and a state department spy being nabbed by a polygraph examination. The panels are captioned with these humorous scenarios.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The North Texas Skeptic are skepticism towards paranormal phenomena, pseudoscience, and questionable scientific claims. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of critical thinking, scientific rigor, and the debunking of unfounded beliefs. The publication actively promotes a rationalist perspective, challenging claims that lack empirical evidence and exposing potential fraud or misrepresentation in areas such as remote viewing, psychic predictions, and free energy schemes. The inclusion of satirical content, like the "Psychic predictions for 2002" and the "Skeptical Ink" comic, further underscores the publication's commitment to humorously dissecting and critiquing irrationality.