North Texas Skeptic - Vol 17 No 11 - 2003

Magazine Overview

The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 17, Number 11, dated November 2003, is published by The North Texas Skeptics. The issue features a program for November with guest speaker Taner Edis and includes articles on paranormal claims, scientific explanations, and societal issues.

Program for November: The Ghost in the Universe

This section announces the November program featuring Taner Edis, an assistant professor of physics at Truman State University. Edis will discuss his new book, "The Ghost in the Universe: God in Light of Modern Science," and will be available to sign copies. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. at the Center for Non-Profit Management in Dallas. A lunch with Edis is also planned for that evening at the Black-eyed Pea Restaurant. The article provides background on Edis, including his birthplace in Istanbul, his academic career culminating in a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, and his involvement with skeptical inquiry stemming from concerns about Islamist politics and anti-evolutionary thought. His critique of "Intelligent Design" and his book, which won the Morris D. Forkosch award, are highlighted. Donations to offset Edis's travel expenses are solicited, and are tax-deductible.

Stiffed, again

This article, written by John Blanton, recounts a failed attempt by the North Texas Skeptics (NTS) to host a debate with a creationist named Jason Gastrich. Gastrich, who had previously debated various atheists and was running for governor of California, proposed a debate with an atheist at the NTS convention. After initial correspondence, the NTS agreed to a phone debate. However, Gastrich failed to appear for the scheduled call, citing various reasons including the NTS's description of him as a "kook." Blanton expresses frustration with the situation, noting it's the second time the NTS has been "stood up" by a creationist. The article humorously details Gastrich's explanation for not debating and his subsequent write-in campaign for governor. The NTS decided to proceed with a program about creationism instead of the planned debate.

The San Antonio Ghost Children

This article, by Virginia and Daniel Barnett, investigates the urban legend of the "San Antonio Ghost Children." The legend describes a school bus full of children that stalled on railroad tracks and was hit by a train in San Antonio in the 1930s or 1940s. Reports of strange phenomena at the site include cars being pushed uphill over the tracks and unexplained fingerprints appearing on vehicles. The article details how the legend became a tourist attraction. However, the Barnetts' research reveals that the accident, which killed 23 students and the bus driver, actually occurred on December 1, 1938, in Midvale, Utah, not San Antonio. The story was likely misattributed to San Antonio due to media saturation. Furthermore, the "uphill" grade at the San Antonio site is explained as an optical illusion; the road actually slopes downhill for a significant portion, allowing cars to roll over the tracks due to momentum. The fingerprints are explained by the durable oils left by fingers. The article concludes that the phenomena are attributable to basic physics and natural explanations, rather than paranormal activity. It also mentions the involvement of Actuality Productions for a Discovery Channel documentary and the North Texas Skeptics' appearance on the program "Miracle Hunters."

What are your chances of being lucky?

Written by Prasad Golla, this article explores the concept of luck and its relationship to superstition and psychology. Golla questions whether luck is a real phenomenon or a state of mind. He references psychologist Richard Wiseman, who suggests that luck is largely superstition and that characteristics of lucky people include feeling lucky, thinking lucky, denying fate, and creating chance opportunities. Wiseman's research is based on his book "The Luck Factor." The article contrasts "chance," which is physical, with "luck," which is psychological. It uses Las Vegas casinos as an example of how superstition can influence behavior, despite the odds always favoring the house. Golla concludes that a positive frame of mind, which he equates with feeling lucky, is beneficial and has a survival advantage.

Skeptic Ink

This section, by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, presents a comic strip illustrating a personal anecdote about seeking miracles. The strip depicts a woman who, after being diagnosed with cancer, appeals for a miracle, seeks medical treatment, and is eventually cured. She attributes her recovery solely to the "Sacred Mother." The accompanying text reflects on the nature of miracles and risk assessment, suggesting that relying on luck is unrealistic and that a realistic perception of chances, based on calculating risks, is wiser. It references Richard Wiseman's book "The Luck Factor" and its principles.

What's new

This section, by Robert Park, presents several short news items:

• Mother Teresa: a Nobel's nice, but she's gotta have a miracle: This item discusses a claim of a miracle involving Mother Teresa, where a woman was reportedly cured of cancer by a beam of light from a picture of Mother Teresa. However, her doctor attributes the recovery to a cyst treated with medicine, not a miracle.
• Intelligent design: urgent appeal to Texas scientists: This item highlights an appeal to Texas scientists to sign a letter to the Texas Board of Education regarding the adoption of science textbooks. The Discovery Institute is pushing for the inclusion of "Intelligent Design" and the dilution of arguments for evolution.
• Hafnium-178 bomb: some believe it, but few have seen it: This item reports on claims that the Hf-178 isomer can be triggered to release energy via X-rays. Despite a group at Argonne failing to replicate the effect, some in the Pentagon are advocating for a costly program to develop Hf-178 technology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The North Texas Skeptic revolve around the critical examination of paranormal claims, pseudoscientific beliefs, and the promotion of scientific reasoning. The magazine consistently adopts a skeptical stance, aiming to debunk myths and urban legends with evidence-based explanations, as seen in the articles on the "Ghost Children" and the discussion of luck. There is a clear emphasis on distinguishing science from superstition and advocating for rational inquiry. The publication also engages with contemporary issues such as the "Intelligent Design" debate and the scrutiny of claims made in scientific or quasi-scientific contexts. The editorial stance is one of promoting critical thinking and a scientific worldview, as evidenced by the organization's mission statement and the content selection.