North Texas Skeptic - Vol 23 No 04 - 2009

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 23, Number 4, dated April 2009, is published by The North Texas Skeptics and focuses on critical examination of scientific and pseudoscientific claims. The cover prominently features Prasad Golla presenting an analysis of Ben Stein's creationist video 'Expelled'.

Prasad Golla presents Expelled

The magazine begins with an analysis of Ben Stein's creationist video 'Expelled' by Prasad Golla, who holds a Ph.D. in computer engineering. Golla's points include that the video claims freedom is at stake, that Darwinists are dogmatic and expel dissenters, that Darwinism is blind to evidence and non-democratic, and that open-minded academics were expelled for challenging the dogma. The video's attacks on Darwinism are summarized as: it doesn't explain the origin of life, there is controversy among scientists about it, it leads to atheism, it devalues life and morals, and it can be attributed to atrocities like those in Nazi death camps.

Events Calendar

The April Program includes a presentation on Evolutionary Psychology by Rodrigo Neely on Saturday, April 18, 2009, at 2 p.m. at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas. The presentation will discuss whether IQ determines intelligence and if social problems stem from biological inheritance.

North Texas Skeptics Organization

Details about the North Texas Skeptics organization are provided, including its officers (President John Blanton, Vice President John Brandt, Secretary Mike Selby, Treasurer Barbara Neuser), staff (Newsletter Editor Keith Blanton, Webmaster John Blanton, Meetings and Social Director Claudia Meek), Board of Directors, and Directors Emeritus. Scientific and Technical Advisors are also listed, including Joe Barnhart (Philosophy) and Raymond A. Eve (Sociology).

The organization is described as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) scientific and educational organization. Members receive the newsletter and may attend events at reduced cost. The newsletter is published monthly and mailed from Carrollton, Texas.

The movie does get some things right:

This section acknowledges that 'Expelled' correctly points out that Darwinism does not explain the 'origin of life,' which is a separate scientific subject. It also notes that media opposition to Intelligent Design (ID) might stem from ID being perceived as non-scientific and not evidence-based.

Some troubling facts plague the Darwin-Nazi-racism connection:

This section critiques the connection made in 'Expelled' between Darwinism and Nazism. It states that Nazis burned Darwin's books, but the Holocaust was facilitated by European Christianity's antipathy toward Jews, and churches sometimes preached racism. The article argues that the video's premise is wrong, as academics cited were not expelled for creationism, and specific examples of alleged expulsions are debunked, such as Richard Sternberg's lab move and a journalist not being blacklisted.

Prasad summarized the real world:

Prasad Golla's perspective on the real world is presented: science does not endanger freedom, science is not a democracy, 'equal time' does not exist in science, science resolves evidence-based court cases, and a 'free society' is tied to how it views science. He summarizes, "Truth is truth, let's deal with it."

An IDEA whose time has passed

This article by John Blanton discusses the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Club, an initiative of the Discovery Institute aimed at starting chapters on college campuses. The author traces the history of the UTD IDEA Club, noting its apparent decline after the founder's graduation. He questions the vitality of the movement, citing a lack of activity on many IDEA Club websites and unresponsiveness to inquiries. Blanton suggests that the shelf life for Intelligent Design expired 150 years ago and that modern creationists are trying to keep it alive, similar to how Casey Luskin approaches IDEA clubs.

Creationist Speciation: A Case Study

This section discusses the Oklahoma University IDEA Club, which was formerly the Creation Science Society. It notes that while some IDEA Club chapters are active, others show little or no activity, with broken links and unresponsiveness to inquiries. The author finds it interesting that the IDEA Center site does not link to an active University of Oklahoma essay contest with the theme 'Explain why Darwin's views remain so important today.'

What's new

This section by Robert Park presents several brief science news items:

• Cold fusion: Twenty years after its announcement, cold fusion (or LENR) is still being researched, with many papers presented at the American Chemical Society meeting. The author doubts its importance but considers it science.
• Canada: election did not go well above the 49th parallel: The newly elected Conservative Prime Minister appointed Gary Goodyear, a chiropractor and acupuncturist with no science background, as Minister of Science and Technology. Goodyear has overseen science funding cuts and has expressed views against same-sex marriage and for the rights of fertilized eggs. His stance on evolution was initially evasive, then affirmative, but he confused genetic inheritance with adaptation, possibly believing in Lamarckian evolution.
• Turkey: Islamization of Turkish society: The editor of Science and Technology magazine was fired for planning a Darwin year cover, which was replaced by a cover marking the end of a secular society in Asia.
• Lie detector: Homeland Security is exploring the use of human odor detection for identifying deception, though the article notes it shares the polygraph's flaw of not clearly distinguishing between nervous liars and innocents.
• The anthropic principle: is the universe designed for life? This article discusses the anthropic principle, which suggests the universe is designed for life. It contrasts this with the idea that the universe is inefficiently designed and that life's existence is not necessarily planned. It also touches on the moral law and the idea of instinct wired by natural selection.

Skeptic Ink

A comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton titled 'Skeptic Ink' depicts a conversation about doing research in Intelligent Design for the Discovery Institute, with one character suggesting the other is going into show business.

Disaster: did string theorists make a financial black hole?

This piece questions whether theoretical physicists, through complex financial 'derivatives' like credit default swaps (CDS), have contributed to the world's financial crisis. It references a '60 Minutes' report and compares CDS to an IED.

Enlightenment: spring arrives for American science.

This short piece references a guest editorial in 'Science' magazine, highlighting President Obama's Memorandum on Scientific Integrity, which directs administration officials to uphold scientific findings and make government-developed information public. The author suggests "Our long winter is over."

Weight-loss: science confirms the “physics plan."

This article discusses various diet plans and concludes that they work because they raise consciousness about calorie intake. It refers to the "physics plan" based on the Conservation of Energy ('burn more calories than you consume') and cites a study in the New England Journal of Medicine confirming that people lose weight by cutting calories, regardless of the macronutrient source.

Future Meeting Dates

A list of upcoming North Texas Skeptics meetings is provided for April through December 2009.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critique of creationism and Intelligent Design, particularly in contrast to scientific consensus on evolution. The magazine champions scientific integrity and rational inquiry, as evidenced by its examination of the 'Expelled' film and the IDEA Clubs. There is a consistent skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims and a focus on evidence-based reasoning. The editorial stance is clearly pro-science and critical of movements that attempt to present non-scientific ideas as legitimate scientific alternatives. The publication also engages with broader science news, offering a skeptical perspective on current events and research.