North Texas Skeptic - Vol 24 No 10 - 2010

Magazine Overview

The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 24, Number 10, dated October 2010, is published by The North Texas Skeptics and features a cover story on Conservapedia. The magazine focuses on skeptical inquiry into paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, with this issue heavily critiquing creationist and Intelligent Design arguments.

Conservapedia: A Conservative Alternative to Wikipedia

The lead article, "Conservapedia," by John Blanton, examines the online encyclopedia Conservapedia. Blanton describes it as an attempt to create a science book with editable solutions, driven by a desire to align with conservative political and social views rather than physical reality. He highlights Conservapedia's redefinition of evolution, presenting it as a theory with "several theories of evolution" and noting the prominence of atheists among its defenders. The article cites claims that "over 700 scientists" have expressed skepticism about Darwinian evolution and mentions Creation Ministries International's "Question evolution" campaign. Blanton points out that Conservapedia's entry on evolution defines it as "the change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations," omitting its status as the primary scientific explanation for biological diversity. He also references Jonathan Wells' book "Icons of Evolution," which Conservapedia promotes as evidence that "evidences" for Darwin's theory have been exaggerated or faked.

Conservapedia is described as an English-language wiki project from an American conservative Christian viewpoint, started in 2006 by Andy Schlafly to counter the perceived "liberal bias" of Wikipedia. The article notes that Conservapedia has received negative reactions from the mainstream media and various political figures. It has been criticized for bias and inaccuracies. The magazine also touches on the "Sternberg affaire," suggesting that Richard Sternberg's expulsion was exaggerated in the "Expelled" video, which Conservapedia reportedly presents more favorably than mainstream journalism.

SMU Professors Speak Out Against Darwin Presentation

Another article by John Blanton, "SMU professors speak out against Darwin presentation," details an event at Southern Methodist University (SMU) titled "4 Nails in Darwin's Coffin: New Challenges to Darwinian Evolution." This event, sponsored by Victory Campus Ministries (also known as PULSE), was presented by the creationist Discovery Institute (DI) and its subsidiary, the Biologic Institute. Eight SMU professors penned an op-ed in the SMU Campus Daily.com, calling the presentation a "dishonest attempt to present a particular form of religion as science." The article notes that the DI has been associated with creationist texts like "Of Pandas and People" and has a history of promoting Intelligent Design. Jerret Sykes, heading PULSE, responded to the professors' critique, asserting that DI fellows are not pseudo-scientists and highlighting a correlation between acceptance of Intelligent Design and religious faith. The NTS expresses its intent to continue scrutinizing such claims.

The Facts of Life: ICR's Failed Accreditation Bid

This section discusses the Institute for Creation Research's (ICR) unsuccessful attempt to obtain state accreditation for a Master of Science degree at its new Dallas headquarters. The Texas Commissioner of Higher Education rejected the request, and a federal judge also denied their plea. The article quotes Henry Morris III from the ICR Web site, stating that while their legal battle is over, they will not retreat from public efforts to fight what they perceive as "the Dragon." The BioLogos Foundation is mentioned as being funded by evolutionists, which the ICR believes emboldens them to attack those who hold to the "inerrant Word." The ICR's School of Biblical Apologetics is noted for offering degrees without requiring accreditation.

Skeptic Ink: A Cartoon Commentary

A cartoon by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, titled "Skeptic Ink," humorously depicts a person reading a book on channeling by Shirley MacLain and questioning if it will cure their compulsion to read Intelligent Design books. The response is "No. But it will get you accustomed to having your intelligence insulted."

What's New

Robert Park's "What's New" column addresses the shift from print news to e-news, likening the evolution of communication devices to Darwinian evolution, where the public selects preferred platforms. He notes that entertainment often overshadows information, leading to a focus on celebrity gossip. Park also briefly touches on Conservapedia's view that the theory of relativity is a "mathematical system that allows no exceptions" and is promoted by liberals to encourage "relativism." He mentions Stephen Hawking's theory on marketing his book by sending copies to those who would be offended, suggesting that science can explain the universe's origin without invoking God.

Events Calendar

The magazine includes an "Events Calendar" listing the October program, including a meeting on October 16th in Dallas and an NTS board meeting and social dinner on October 23rd in Mesquite. Future meeting dates for November are also provided.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critique of creationism and Intelligent Design, the examination of media bias and the presentation of science, and the promotion of skeptical inquiry. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific rigor and evidence-based reasoning, contrasting it with what the magazine perceives as the biased and pseudoscientific approaches of organizations like Conservapedia and proponents of Intelligent Design. The NTS positions itself as a defender of scientific integrity against what it views as attempts to inject religious dogma into scientific discourse.