North Texas Skeptic - Vol 17 No 02 - 2003

Magazine Overview

Title: The North Texas Skeptic
Issue Date: February 2003
Volume: 17
Issue Number: 2

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic focuses on debunking pseudoscientific claims and practices, with a prominent article examining Victor Baines and the Nostradamus Society, alongside critical reviews of various alternative health techniques.

Victor Baines and the Nostradamus Society

John Blanton details his initial contact with Victor Baines, an author and self-proclaimed advocate of topics like ESP and astrology, who heads the Nostradamus Society of America. Baines initially sent a dismissive e-mail to the North Texas Skeptics, but later responded to an inquiry, expressing offense at being dismissed as a hoax. Blanton recounts how an attempt to engage Baines in the NTS Paranormal Challenge was thwarted by a bogus return address, and a Google search revealed Baines's association with the Nostradamus Society. The article discusses Baines's book, "Remember the Future: The Prophecies of Nostradamus," and the Nostradamus Society's online presence. A significant portion of the article addresses hoax e-mails that circulated after the September 2001 attacks, falsely claiming Nostradamus had predicted them. Victor Baines himself pointed out the hoax, noting that the quoted lines were a "collage" of different quatrains and that the dates and latitudes cited were inaccurate. The article also touches upon the nature of predictions, suggesting they often function as "postdictions" – interpretations made after an event. James Randi's book, "The Mask of Nostradamus," is mentioned as a skeptical examination of Nostradamus's prophecies, highlighting how interpretations are often bent to fit events after the fact. The author humorously notes that Nostradamus's obscure writing style might be a way to avoid being proven wrong.

Applied Foolishness: Critiques of Pseudoscience

This section, also by John Blanton, delves into several practices that the magazine deems pseudoscientific, primarily focusing on alternative health and diagnostic methods that rely on muscle testing or energy fields.

Applied Kinesiology (AK)

The article explains that AK is distinct from legitimate kinesiology and was developed by George J. Goodheart. It describes how AK practitioners claim to assess glandular and organ function, suggest nutrition, and correct spinal and joint problems using muscle tests. The practice is criticized for its broad claims and its susceptibility to suggestion. The magazine highlights a $10,000 challenge offered to any AK professional who can prove its efficacy through a double-blind test, suggesting it cannot be done.

Neural Organization Technique (N.O.T.)

N.O.T., developed in Brooklyn, N.Y., is described as a "total body program" that addresses deficits by viewing the body as an integrated biological entity. It claims to address almost any human condition by understanding that everything affects everything else.

Contact Reflex Analysis (CRA)

CRA is presented as a method for analyzing the body's structural, physical, and nutritional needs by identifying "reflex areas" on the skin. It claims that nerve energy interruptions, similar to a "hot circuit breaker," indicate problems. The article notes that CRA's claim about nerves carrying electrical energy contradicts established biology.

Health Kinesiology (HK)

HK claims to find and correct "disturbed energy flow" in the body/mind using muscle testing. It is said to help with allergies, physical toxicity, emotional traumas, and learning blocks. The approach is based on the work of Dr. [Jimmy] Scott, who expanded on traditional Chinese medicine and applied kinesiology, focusing on the human electromagnetic energy system.

Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)

NET is described as a "Holistic Alternative Method" that uses muscle testing, body reflex points, and semantic reactions to recall and address negative emotions and their associated spinal subluxations.

Jaffe-Mellor Technique (JMT)

JMT is presented as a bioenergetic system created by Carolyn Jaffe and Judy Mellor. They claim to have found "adaptive pathogens" associated with various chronic illnesses and developed a method involving holding a vial of a substance while testing arm strength to identify needs.

The Dawson Program

Developed by Cameron Dawson, this program is based on the concept of the body's "controlling and organizing energy matrix." It posits that ancient cultures understood this technology, which relates to electric fields governing living organisms, as proposed by Dr. Harold Saxton Burr. The program suggests that emotional, structural, physical, and chemical imbalances can alter this matrix, leading to physical illness.

What's New

This section, curated by Robert Park, includes several brief news items:

Stop cloning around: Clonaid has started backpedaling.

The article reports on Clonaid's backtracking regarding the verification of the cloning of baby Eve. Physicist Michael Guillen was initially tasked with overseeing the verification, but the parents of Eve reportedly resisted the test. A lawsuit was filed claiming Eve was being abused or exploited. Clonaid, a commercial entity, is noted for its goal of making money from immortality.

Scientific hoax? No, no, not the cloning, Michael Guillen.

This item questions Michael Guillen's credentials, noting that he claimed to be a Professor of Physics at Harvard and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, which the article disputes based on biographical information.

The North Texas Skeptic comments on the Columbia tragedy

This editorial reflects on the loss of seven astronauts in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. It acknowledges the risks of manned space flight and the human drive for exploration, stating that people will continue to venture into space not because they need to, but because they can.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims and practices, particularly in the realm of alternative health and paranormal phenomena. The North Texas Skeptics clearly advocates for scientific rigor, empirical testing, and critical thinking. The editorial stance is one of challenging unsubstantiated claims, exposing hoaxes, and promoting a rational approach to understanding the world. The magazine actively engages with topics like Nostradamus predictions, various forms of kinesiology, and controversial scientific claims like cloning, all through a lens of skepticism and a commitment to evidence-based reasoning. The publication also acknowledges the inherent risks and human drive behind endeavors like space exploration, even in the face of tragedy.