North Texas Skeptic - Vol 16 No 06 - 2002

Magazine Overview

Title: The North Texas Skeptic
Issue: Volume 16 Number 6
Date: June 2002
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic delves into various topics from a skeptical perspective, with a primary focus on the marketing of homeopathy, the passing of evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould, and a collection of "What's New" scientific and pseudoscientific updates.

Recent Trends in the Marketing of Homeopathy

By Daniel R. Barnett, this article critically examines how homeopathic remedies are being marketed to the American public. Barnett highlights that while many homeopathic products are clearly labeled, some, such as King Bio Pharmaceuticals' SafeCare line and The Roblin Group's ALLER-EZE lozenges, omit the word "HOMEOPATHIC" from their front panels. These products are found in mainstream supermarkets and pharmacies, often advertised with claims of being "BREAK-THROUGH MEDICINE" with "NO SIDE EFFECTS," and capable of treating or preventing illnesses. Barnett notes that the ingredients, while listed on the side of the box and often including Latin names of substances like arsenicum album and pulsatilla, are prepared according to homeopathic potentization, meaning only minuscule amounts, if any, of the original substance remain. He contrasts this with well-known brands like Hyland's Calms Forté and Boiron's Oscillococcinum, which do prominently feature the "HOMEOPATHIC" label. The article also discusses strategies for promoting homeopathy, citing articles from "Homeopathy Today" which suggest avoiding technical terms like "law of similars" and instead focusing on concepts like "symptoms are defenses of the body" and using words like "safe" and "natural." The author expresses concern over the lack of transparency in the marketing of these products, questioning the honesty and ethics of downplaying their homeopathic nature.

Barnett also touches upon the historical context of homeopathy in America, mentioning the American Institute of Homeopathy's founding in 1844 and the advocacy of figures like Royal Copeland. He contrasts the historical efforts to bar incompetent practitioners with the modern marketing push. The article concludes by expressing greater regard for companies like Boiron, Boericke & Tafel, and Standard Homeopathic Company, which are open about their homeopathic nature, compared to those that deliberately obscure it.

What's New

This section, compiled by Robert Park, presents a series of brief updates on various scientific, pseudoscientific, and policy-related topics:

• EMF: California is revisiting the debate on whether power lines cause cancer, despite previous scientific conclusions finding no link. A review by three scientists has suggested a possible increased risk, which is expected to reignite public concern.
• Evolution: Representatives John Boehner and Steve Chabot from Ohio have joined creationists in the debate over Intelligent Design in schools, aligning with the Santorum Amendment's push.
• Misconduct?: Bell Labs has appointed an independent panel to investigate serious misconduct charges, a move noted as significant for a major research lab.
• "Lifters": This anti-gravity technology is being discussed, with developers not denying rumors that the concept originated from wreckage from the Roswell UFO crash, although official reports describe the wreckage as simple materials.
• Depression: A new analysis suggests that sugar pills (placebos) performed as well as or better than antidepressants like Prozac in clinical trials, affecting the same brain areas, indicating the potential role of the mind in recovery.
• Alternative Medicine: The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy has delivered its report. The article highlights the "catch-22" that if CAM therapies are rigorously tested and proven effective, they cease to be "alternative" and become standard medicine. It notes that many CAM therapies have persisted due to a lack of scientific testing.
• Alternative Publishing: Pierre-Marie Robitaille, a professor of Radiology, published a paper titled "The Collapse of the Big Bang and the Gaseous Sun" as a full-page ad in The New York Times, bypassing peer review and using his own timing and platform to present his views, particularly in the context of the debate over Intelligent Design in Ohio.
• Health Problems: Senator Tom Harkin's executive order created a commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, which is expected to recommend legislation for insurance coverage of alternative therapies. The article expresses hope that the Bush White House will have medical experts review the report, given the commission's composition of "true believers" rather than legitimate scientific researchers.

Punctuated equilibrium: Stephen Jay Gould dies at 60.

This short piece by Robert Park pays tribute to Stephen Jay Gould, a prominent evolutionary biologist and champion of science. Park eulogizes Gould as an eloquent and beloved figure who, despite intense pain from cancer, maintained his humor and determination to explain evolution clearly. He emphasizes Gould's argument that evolution is characterized by abrupt spurts of adaptation rather than a steady progression, and that bacteria, not humans or dinosaurs, define the current age.

Stephen Jay Gould

By John Blanton, this article provides a biographical sketch of Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard paleontologist and noted opponent of creationism, who died at age 60 from cancer. It details his collaboration with Niles Eldredge in developing the theory of punctuated equilibria to explain the patterns in the fossil record, which posits that species remain stable for long periods, with rapid speciation occurring in small populations. The article notes that creationists have used the debates surrounding punctuated equilibria to claim confusion within mainstream science. A comprehensive list of Stephen Jay Gould's books is provided, spanning from 1977 to 2002, covering topics in natural history, evolution, and science.

The Structure of Evolutionary Theory

This section reviews Stephen Jay Gould's landmark publication, "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory." It describes the book as a work of significant explanatory force, detailing the history and core commitments of classical Darwinism, such as natural selection acting on organisms and incremental change. It then outlines Gould's examination of three critiques of Darwinism: selection operating at multiple levels, evolution driven by various mechanisms beyond natural selection, and the role of broader-scale events like catastrophes. Finally, the review highlights Gould's proposal for a new system integrating these classical ideas and critiques into a unified structure of evolutionary thought. The review also mentions Gould's recognition as one of America's "Living Legends" by the Library of Congress.

Skeptical Ink

This is a comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, copyrighted in 2002. It humorously depicts a conversation where one person praises John Edward, a psychic medium, for contacting her deceased father. The other person questions this, and the first person reveals a shared secret with her father about falling into a lake and ruining a shirt, implying that such confidences would not have been known by Edward, thus questioning his abilities.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The North Texas Skeptic consistently adopts a critical and evidence-based stance, promoting scientific literacy and skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims. The magazine actively debunks or questions marketing strategies that obscure scientific facts, particularly in the realm of alternative medicine like homeopathy. It champions evolutionary theory and critical thinking, as evidenced by its coverage of Stephen Jay Gould and its "What's New" section, which dissects various scientific and pseudoscientific developments. The publication appears to value transparency, intellectual honesty, and the rigorous application of the scientific method.