North Texas Skeptic - Vol 18 No 04 - 2004

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 18, Number 4, dated April 2004, focuses on a lecture given by Robert C. Koons at UT Dallas. The magazine is published by The North Texas Skeptics and is based in Carrollton, Texas.

Robert Koons at UT Dallas

The main article, by John Blanton, reports on a lecture by Robert C. Koons, a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and a supporter of Intelligent Design (ID) creationism. The lecture was attended by members of the North Texas Skeptics (NTS) and the UT Dallas Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Club. The IDEA Club, founded by Wilston Nkangoh, aims to discuss the scientific controversy over human origins and has expanded its topics to include philosophy of science, metaphysics, morality, and epistemology.

Koons argued that Darwinism, defined as naturalism, is insufficient to explain current life forms and that ID is distinct from creationism. He asserted that the burden of proof in the creation/evolution controversy lies with Darwinists, citing Thomas Reid's concept of intelligent agency. Koons presented a five-stage model for the acceptance of Darwinism:

• Stage 0: Naively presume design.
• Stage 1: Develop an alternative mechanism, such as Darwinism.
• Stage 2: Detail Darwinistic pathways leading to adaptive forms with sufficient understanding of genetic and developmental processes.
• Stage 3: Demonstrate that these pathways were likely taken, requiring excellent proof.
• Stage 4: Explain nearly every case of "apparent design" in Darwinian terms with overwhelming evidence.

Koons suggested that Darwinism has only reached Stage 1. The article also mentions other ID proponents like Jonathan Wells and Michael Behe, referencing Behe's argument for irreducible complexity, particularly the bacterial flagellum. The author of the article questions how many examples of irreducible complexity would need to be explained to refute the argument, with Koons suggesting thirty or forty.

Koons also discussed the concept of "design," noting that while people design things, the origin of design in nature is a key question. The article touches upon the debate between materialism and teleology (purpose), posing questions about the refutation of the Argument for Design and the strength of the scientific case for Darwinian explanations.

Background

The article provides background on the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Center and the International Society for Complexity Information and Design (ISCID). Dr. Robert Koons is described as a fellow of ISCID and a professor at UT Austin, with research interests in philosophical logic, artificial intelligence, metaphysics, and the theory of causation. ISCID is presented as a cross-disciplinary society investigating complex systems. William A. Dembski is noted as the Executive Director of ISCID and an author of creationist books.

Events Calendar

The calendar highlights an upcoming April program featuring physicist and author Victor Stenger discussing his book "Has Science Found God?" The event is presented by The North Texas Skeptics and will take place at the Center for Non-Profit Management in Dallas.

What's New

This section, compiled by Robert Park, features several short news items:

• Busted! The sordid story behind our fabricated interviews: A humorous confession from "What's New" (WN) about fabricating interviews, referencing past instances of journalistic fabrication.
• Polygraph: Is telling the truth publicly as bad as lying?: Discusses the National Academy of Sciences' review of polygraph tests for DOE employee security screening, concluding they are unacceptable due to false positives, and mentions the resignation of a nuclear scientist from Sandia National Laboratories.
• Political science: The administration answers the scientists: Reports on the White House's response to a statement by 60 scientists about the Bush administration manipulating the science advisory process, including the ejection of stem cell research advocates from the Council on Bioethics.
• Bubble fusion: Corpse of “sonofusion" is said to be twitching: Updates on claims of desktop fusion from collapsing bubbles, noting difficulties in independent confirmation.
• The hydrogen initiative: What would it take to make it work?: Examines the "Freedom Car" program and the Hydrogen Initiative, highlighting performance gaps and the reliance on fossil fuels for early production.
• Cold fusion: True believers see DOE review as "vindication.": Notes that the Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to review cold fusion claims, which believers see as vindication.

Skeptic Ink

This section features a comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton titled "Skeptic Ink," which humorously depicts a person's reliance on eyeglasses. It also includes short articles:

• The hafnium bomb: The DARPA motto is “high risk, high payoff.": Discusses DARPA's support for research into triggering energy release from a hafnium-178 isomer, noting the lack of payoff despite high risk.
• Anti-terrorism: Psychic tip prompts bomb search of airliner. A report on an American Airlines flight being searched due to a psychic's tip, questioning the psychic's liability and the TSA official's judgment.
• Managing the news: How Libya's nuclear effort was exaggerated: Critiques the media's portrayal of Libya's nuclear weapons program, suggesting it was exaggerated by DOE spin doctors.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a skeptical viewpoint, critically examining claims related to pseudoscience, creationism, and controversial scientific or political issues. The editorial stance is clearly against Intelligent Design, equating it with creationism and questioning its scientific validity. The publication emphasizes the importance of scientific evidence, rational inquiry, and the refutation of pseudoscientific claims. There is a strong focus on debunking or questioning claims that lack empirical support or rely on faith-based reasoning. The "What's New" section reflects a broad interest in current events, often with a critical or skeptical lens applied to government initiatives, scientific controversies, and media reporting.