North Texas Skeptic - Vol 25 No 11 - 2011

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 25, Number 11, dated November 2011, focuses on skeptical analysis of various claims and phenomena. The cover headline highlights 'Challenge activity,' and the magazine includes regular sections like 'Events Calendar' and 'Web news.'

Challenge activity

The lead article, "Challenge activity" by John Blanton, details the North Texas Skeptics' ongoing Paranormal Challenge, which offers a monetary prize (currently $12,000) for the demonstration of paranormal claims under controlled conditions. The process involves an informal demonstration before a controlled test. Blanton notes that despite numerous demonstrations over 20 years, no claimant has ever progressed to the controlled test stage, and no signs of the paranormal have been observed.

The article then presents correspondence with Anita Ikonen, who claims paranormal ability in medical dowsing. She has undergone several tests, including one with the Independent Investigations Group (IIG) in November 2009, where she attempted to identify individuals missing a kidney. While she expressed confidence in some trials, her results did not meet the 100% accuracy required to 'pass' the test, though her confident answers were statistically significant. She also participated in a seed and fungi test, where her results aligned with random chance when not performing her claimed paranormal ability.

Ikonen requests further testing from the NTS, suggesting either informal readings or a formal test format. The NTS acknowledges her claim and the need for further testing, but highlights statistical challenges and the requirement for a high degree of accuracy to eliminate luck. They propose a test involving two panels of seven people, requiring 100% accuracy for the claim of detecting a missing kidney.

The NTS is also publishing the full correspondence with Ikonen on their website. Blanton offers advice to claimants, emphasizing the need to present facts clearly and concisely, focusing on what they can do and how they propose to demonstrate it.

Events Calendar

The 'Events Calendar' section announces the November Program on Saturday, November 17th, at 2 p.m., featuring a talk by Ben Radford, deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer, at the Center for Community Cooperation in Dallas. It also lists a Board Meeting and Social Dinner on Saturday, December 3rd, at 7:00 p.m., at Fadi's Mediterranean Grill in Dallas. Attendees are advised to call to confirm event details.

Web news

John Blanton's 'Web news' section curates interesting items from the internet for skeptics.

Suffer, Earthlings!

This section discusses creationists, particularly young-Earth creationists (YEC), and their views on science and history. It critiques the Hovind family's arguments, noting their rejection of radiometric dating and their belief in the coexistence of humans and dinosaurs. The article references a discussion between Eric Hovind and Paul Taylor about science on the Creation Today Show.

Why even bother consulting the scientists at all?

This part of 'Web news' focuses on the alleged censorship of scientific reports in Texas. It details how officials in Rick Perry's administration reportedly purged mentions of climate change and sea-level rise from an environmental report on Galveston Bay. Scientists involved removed their names from the report due to this political interference. The article quotes an author stating that such actions constitute 'straight forward censorship.' It also mentions a similar situation involving Virginia's attorney general Ken Cuccinelli investigating a climate scientist.

Watts wrote a check he couldn't cash

This segment discusses Anthony Watts' reaction to the results of the Berkeley Earth Project, which measured global temperature records. Watts, who had expressed confidence in the project's findings regardless of the outcome, reportedly dismissed the paper as 'fatally flawed' when its results aligned with existing NASA and NOAA temperature records, indicating a warming trend.

What's new

Robert Park's 'What's New' column presents several brief reports:

Climate: it's true; the world really is getting warmer.

This report summarizes a comprehensive scientific review of historical temperature records by a group of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley. The review indicates that the average global land temperature has risen by about 1°C since the mid-1950s, and the findings have been submitted for publication.

Steve Jobs: near the end, a little science might have helped.

This brief item notes that Steve Jobs, during his battle with cancer, reportedly declined surgery and relied on 'alternative therapies.' His biographer suggests that a better understanding of the first law of science (causality) might have been beneficial. It also mentions the death of Dennis Ritchie, a developer of the Unix Operating System.

Vaccine: there is no inoculation against ignorance.

This report addresses remarks made by Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, who characterized the HPV vaccine as a 'potentially dangerous drug.' The article refutes this claim, stating there is no medical support and that the vaccine prevents cervical cancer. It also references the discredited claim by Andrew Wakefield linking the MMR vaccine to autism and notes Wakefield's subsequent operation of an autism clinic in Texas.

Cell phoneys: brain cancer link is rejected again.

This segment discusses a Danish epidemiological study that found no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer. It references a 2001 JNCI editorial and a recent study that again found no link, questioning the ongoing 'cell-phone/cancer scare.'

Skeptic Ink

This section features a comic strip with skeptical viewpoints on evolution, global warming, and reincarnation. It also includes a brief discussion on the alleged dangers of cell phones, particularly when kept inside a bra, and the focus of a Wireless Safety Summit on blocking smart meters.

Wi-Fi refuge: United States National Radio Quiet Zone.

This report describes a 34,000 km² area in Virginia and West Virginia designated as a 'National Radio Quiet Zone' to protect the Green Bank Telescope. The zone has also attracted individuals who claim to suffer from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), a condition not medically recognized in the US.

Homeopathy: the dilution limit and the culture of credulity.

This article critically examines homeopathy, focusing on the French company Boiron suing an Italian blogger for questioning the active ingredient in their flu medication. The author explains the concept of dilution in homeopathic remedies, stating that the extreme dilutions used render the active ingredient virtually non-existent, reaching the dilution limit of the visible universe. The article criticizes the antiquated laws that sanction homeopathy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of pseudoscientific claims, paranormal investigations, and the promotion of scientific literacy. The editorial stance is clearly skeptical, advocating for evidence-based reasoning, rigorous testing of claims, and the debunking of pseudoscience, creationism, and unproven medical treatments like homeopathy. The magazine actively engages with current events and scientific debates, often highlighting instances where science is challenged by ideology or misinformation.