North Texas Skeptic - Vol 19 No 05 - 2005

Magazine Overview

Title: The North Texas Skeptic
Issue Date: May 2005
Volume: 19
Number: 5
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic features a prominent article on Michael Shermer's visit to Dallas, alongside discussions on Intelligent Design, the history of spiritualism, and critiques of evolutionary theory.

An Afternoon with Michael Shermer

This article by Daniel R. Barnett details a visit by Michael Shermer, director of the Skeptics Society, to Dallas on Sunday, April 3rd. Over 70 people gathered at Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Park to hear Shermer discuss his latest book, "Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown." Despite a prior bicycle accident that bruised his hip and thigh, and a significant flight delay that made his arrival time extremely tight, Shermer managed to make it to the event. The staff at Barnes & Noble, including Maureen Szostek, were helpful in accommodating the audience. Shermer's lecture focused on applying skepticism to science itself, moving beyond debunking psychic fraud. He shared a personal story about his mother's battle with meningioma and how medical science could not save her, leading to the exploration of alternative therapies. He also demonstrated cold reading, a technique used by psychics. After the lecture, Shermer signed books and then joined members of the Skeptics Society and NTS for dinner.

ID Symposium at UT Dallas

Written by Burl Grey, this piece reports on a symposium at UT Dallas concerning Intelligent Design (ID). Grey describes the event as similar to a scientific meeting, with an estimated 30-40 attendees. He posits that Creationists have shifted to promoting ID as a "wedge issue" to challenge the constitutional limit on religion in public spheres. Four Ph.Ds presented: Paul Nelson, Raymond Bohlin, Bruce Gordon, and William Dembski. Grey found Nelson and Bohlin to be authoritative lecturers, while Gordon's attempt to use quantum theory for a metaphysics of human identity was perceived as "flakey and shaky." Dembski was noted for his academic credentials and persuasive delivery. Dembski discussed his role as an expert witness in Dover, Pennsylvania, regarding a school board's proposed minute statement about alternative theories, including Intelligent Design. Grey highlights Dembski's argument based on "irreducible complexity," suggesting that the probability of complex biological structures arising by chance is effectively zero, thus requiring a designer. Grey also mentions Dembski's "Conservation of Information" theory and provides links to critical analyses.

Web News

This section, curated by John Blanton, presents various news items and links.

H. B. McLain and the JFK Assassination

This segment revisits the JFK assassination, featuring an account from Officer H. B. McLain. McLain, who retired in 1980, claims that the noise on the police tape, often interpreted as shots, was actually the sound of a three-wheeler motorcycle three miles away. He argues that the investigation focused on his microphone being stuck "open" and ignored the possibility of multiple shooters or a vast conspiracy. McLain asserts that the noise was radio static, common in old radios, and that investigators failed to listen to the engine sounds.

Amateur video purportedly shows ‘huge' Bigfoot

This brief report mentions an amateur video from Norway House, Manitoba, Canada, that purportedly shows Bigfoot. Residents have been flocking to see the two-minute and 49-second video, described as showing a black, large figure, estimated to be seven or eight feet tall, walking and turning to look at the camera.

Consider intelligent design

By Bryan Payne of Temple News, this opinion piece discusses the resurgence of Intelligent Design (ID) as a topic of debate, drawing parallels to the Scopes Trial. Payne notes that ID proponents argue that the universe's complexity suggests a guiding force, while critics see it as similar to Christian dogma. Michael Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, is quoted stating that Creationism explicitly names God as the creator, whereas ID suggests a powerful force without naming it. The article mentions the Discovery Institute's strategy for advancing ID, which includes research, publicity, and cultural confrontation. It highlights books by proponents like William Dembski and Michael Behe, which have helped legitimize ID. The next phase, "Phase III," is slated to focus on social sciences and humanities.

Intelligent design can't be dismissed from a scientific perspective

This article by David Berlinski critiques the defense of Darwin's theory of evolution, suggesting that biologists are suppressing criticism. Berlinski argues that Darwin's theory has weaknesses, including the lack of a plausible explanation for the origin of life, the "irreducible complexity" of cellular structures, and the absence of clear evolutionary pathways in the fossil record. He also points out that attempts to replicate Darwinian evolution in computer simulations have been unsuccessful, and that fruit fly experiments have not led to speciation. Berlinski questions the utility of Darwin's theory given genetic similarities across organisms and the significant differences between species. He notes that a paper in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, which suggested intelligent design could explain events in the Cambrian era, was retracted after peer review, with editors admitting it was a mistake. Eugenie Scott of the National Council for Science Education is quoted advising scientists to "Avoid debates" to prevent the spread of anti-evolutionary ideas.

The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox

This section features a review by Rob Hardy of Nancy Rubin Stuart's book about the Fox sisters. The review highlights how the Fox sisters created the spiritualism fad in the 19th century through staged phenomena like table tipping and spirit rapping, which they presented as communication from the dead. The article notes that their descendants, such as John Edward and James Van Praagh, continue to profit from similar practices. The review emphasizes that the origin of spiritualism was based on fraud, despite the hopes of bereaved families.

What's new

Evolution: Discovery Institute finds a scientist to debate.

This piece by Robert Park reports on the Discovery Institute's efforts to gain scientific legitimacy for Intelligent Design by arranging a debate. The Institute paid for biologist Will Provine to debate Stephen Meyer, one of their "kept" PhDs, at the National Press Club. The event was sparsely attended, with attendees described as "earnest, well-scrubbed, clean-cut young believers." The only reporter present was from UPI, owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and the only coverage found was in the Washington Times, also owned by Moon's organization.

Kansas: AAAS turns down an invitation to debate evolution.

The Kansas State Department of Education invited the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to provide expert opinion on the mainstream scientific view of evolution. The invitation, framed within the context of the Santorum report, suggested understanding a "full range of scientific views." The AAAS CEO, Alan Leshner, declined, stating that there is only one scientific view of the origin of species: Darwin's natural selection, and that debating a matter of faith is not productive.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims and pseudoscientific ideas, a strong defense of evolutionary theory, and a critical stance against Intelligent Design, which is largely portrayed as a religiously motivated movement masquerading as science. The publication consistently promotes a rational, evidence-based approach to understanding the world, often highlighting the importance of critical thinking and scientific methodology. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific consensus and against what it perceives as attempts to undermine established scientific principles for ideological or religious reasons.