Phactum - 2009 01 - January

Magazine Overview

Title: Phactum
Issue: January 2009
Publisher: Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking
Country: USA
Language: English

Main Feature: In Search of Time

The lead article focuses on science journalist Dan Falk and his book, "In Search of Time: The Science of a Curious Dimension." Falk's book, published by St. Martin's Press in November 2008, explores humanity's understanding of time from ancient history to modern physics. The article highlights Falk's background as a science writer for various Canadian publications and his awards, including a Gold Medal for Radio Programming and the Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy. The issue announces a book signing for Falk's new book and provides his website address. The article delves into the mystery of time, how our ancestors measured it, its origins, potential ends, and the physics of time travel.

PhACT Council and Membership

The PhACT Council members are listed, including Eric Krieg (President), Bob Glickman (Secretary), Ray Haupt (Treasurer), and Wes Powers (Webmaster), along with other council members. The newsletter is described as the main propaganda organ for the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking, published six times a year. Subscription options are detailed: $15 for a one-year membership with email Phactum subscription, $25 for a US Mail subscription, and $10 for students (email only). Donations are also welcomed. Readers are encouraged to send letters, ideas, and essays to the editor, Ray Haupt.

PhACT Calendar

The PhACT Calendar lists upcoming events and courses:

• January 17, 2009: A PhACT meeting at the Community College of Philadelphia featuring science journalist Dan Falk discussing his book "In Search of Time."
• February 21, 2009: Dr. Barrie R. Cassileth discusses Integrative Oncology: Complementary Therapies and Botanicals in Cancer Care.
• March 21, 2009: TBA.
• January 9, 2009: Delaware Valley Mensa General Membership Meeting.
• February 5, 2009: Univ. of Penna. Museum event, "The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man."
• February 26, 2009: Wagner Free Institute of Science lecture by Dr. Alan Mann on "The Origin of Humanness."
• February 27, 2009: New England Educational Institute seminar on Asperger's Disorder & Autism.
• Ongoing (through April 19, 2009): "Hadrosaurus foulkii: The Dinosaur That Changed the World" exhibit at The Academy of Natural Sciences.
• Every Monday: Socrates Cafe discussion group at Springfield Township Library.

Additionally, the Wagner Free Institute of Science offers several free Spring 2009 courses, including "Grasses, Rushes, and Sedges," "Genetics in the Wild," "Field Paleontology," "Park, Cemetery, and Garden: The Landscapes of Philadelphia," and "Spring Flora of Fairmount Park."

Various Ruminations

This section includes several short articles and reports:

• Quack Device Recall: A report on Vibe Technologies issuing an FDA-prompted recall for its "Vibrational Integrated Bio-photonic Energizer (VIBE) Machine Multi-Frequency Field Generator" due to far-fetched health claims. The article encourages support for Quackwatch and Dr. Stephen Barrett.
• The Wicked Vicar: A brief, humorous anecdote about a vicar's unusual hospital visit.
• New Member: An introduction to a new PhACT member who identifies as a Luddite, eschewing new technology.
• January 17 Birthday Boys: Mentions Benjamin Franklin and Al Capone, both born on January 17, noting their Philadelphia connections and historical significance.
• Al Capone's Philadelphia Experience: Details Al Capone's arrest and stay at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, and his subsequent agreement to help organize a muscular fundraising effort for PhACT.
• Homeopathic Flu Product: Reports that Dr. Stephen Barrett has asked the FDA to stop the sale of "Influenzinium," a homeopathic flu product.
• Evolution in Romania: Discusses the removal of evolution from the national school curriculum in Romania.
• Evolution as Theory and Fact: An excerpt from Stephen Jay Gould's "Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes" explaining the difference between scientific facts and theories, and affirming evolution as a fact.
• Vaccine Fears: Reports on the rise of measles cases in the UK among children whose parents shunned the MMR vaccine due to discredited autism claims. It also notes an editorial in Pediatrics criticizing Dr. Bob Sears' "Alternative Vaccine Schedule."
• November 2008 Meeting Report: A report by Becky Strickland on a PhACT meeting featuring Dr. Pamela Freyd of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, discussing the history and status of recovered memories and how they are made. The report highlights the dangers of uncritical thinking and the impact of the recovered memory movement.

Letters to the Editor

• Lending Library: Wes Powers seeks volunteers to help manage the PhACT lending library and offers books on skeptical topics.
• Sense About Science Publication: Dr. Leonor Sierra promotes "I've got nothing to lose by trying it," a guide from Sense About Science on weighing claims about cures and treatments.
• Phillies Stats Discrepancy: Bill Pastor offers an explanation for a statistical discrepancy related to the Phillies, discussing random chance versus team talent.
• Climate Change Skeptics: Joel Kauffman responds to Tom Napier, citing articles related to climate change skepticism and his own work published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration.
• Religion Bashing Debate: A letter discussing the debate on religion bashing within Phactum, critiquing arguments made by Don Baldino regarding the proof of a negative and the impossibility of God.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Phactum include the promotion of critical thinking, skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims (such as those related to homeopathy and unproven medical devices), and an emphasis on scientific literacy. The publication actively engages with scientific topics like the nature of time, evolution, and the importance of evidence-based medicine, as seen in the discussions on vaccines and cancer therapies. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rationalism, scientific inquiry, and debunking misinformation, as evidenced by the critiques of recovered memory claims, quackery, and flawed arguments. The publication also serves as a platform for members to share their views and engage in debate, fostering a community around these principles.

Phactum, January 2009, Volume 12. This issue features articles on nuclear fusion, historical mysteries, and a commentary on child labor.

Nuclear Fusion for Novices by Tom Napier

This article, written by physicist and PhACT founding member Tom Napier, explores the principles of nuclear fusion for a general audience. It begins by contrasting nuclear fission and fusion, noting that both processes convert excess mass into energy, with iron being the least energetic end product for both. Fission, exemplified by uranium, can be self-sustaining through a chain reaction and is used in power reactors and atomic bombs.

Fusion of light elements into heavier ones yields more energy per unit mass but is significantly harder to achieve due to the strong repulsive force between positively charged nuclei. The article explains that overcoming this repulsion requires nuclei to be practically touching, a state that can be achieved through "brute force" by heating a plasma to millions of degrees, where particle velocities are high enough for fusion to occur. Accelerator fusion is mentioned as a lab demonstration but not a practical power generator.

Deuterium-deuterium fusion requires temperatures of many millions of degrees. The article references "Mike," the first hydrogen bomb, which fused deuterium but relied heavily on uranium fission. Deuterium-tritium fusion is easier, requiring about 70 million degrees Fahrenheit, and is considered a more probable path for practical power generation. Tritium, a radioactive isotope, is not found in nature and must be produced, for example, by bombarding lithium with neutrons. The concept of breeding tritium fuel from lithium in a power reactor is discussed, along with the potential scarcity of lithium.

Muon-catalyzed fusion is presented as a tantalizing but costly method for inducing fusion at room temperature. Muons, being much heavier than electrons, can allow nuclei to get closer and fuse. While this process works best at 1600°F and the muon can prompt further fusions, muons are unstable with a short half-life, limiting their effectiveness.

The article then addresses the "hot" fusion research, which uses a deuterium-tritium plasma confined by a toroidal magnetic field and heated by an electric current. While these devices are nearing the point where energy output equals input, commercial power generation is still decades away.

The 'Cold Fusion' Controversy

Given the difficulties of hot fusion, the 1989 announcement by Pons and Fleischmann of achieving fusion in a bench-top electrolytic cell was met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. The article notes that their experiment involved passing an electric current through heavy water with a palladium cathode, where deuterium was allegedly absorbed and fused into helium. However, the article strongly questions the validity of these claims.

It highlights that deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions typically produce helium-3 and a neutron, or tritium and a proton, along with energy. Other reactions involving deuterium, helium-3, and tritium also produce neutrons and protons. The direct conversion of two deuterons into helium (alpha particle) is rare and produces a detectable gamma ray. The absence of neutrons and protons in the Pons and Fleischmann experiment is presented as strong evidence that fusion did not occur. The article suggests that any excess heat observed was more in line with chemical reactions than nuclear ones, and a convincing demonstration would need to emit significant heat continuously.

'The Phenomenal Week of 1909' Solved! by Don Nigroni

This article commemorates the centennial anniversary of a strange event in the Delaware Valley during January 1909, known as the 'Phenomenal Week.' During this period, a winged creature was reportedly heard and seen, and mysterious footprints were found in the snow.

The creature was described as resembling an eagle or a large crane with a ram-like head, curled horns, long neck, long thin wings, and short legs. It emitted a mournful and awful call. Sightings occurred in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and along the Delaware River.

Simultaneously, mysterious bipedal tracks, shaped like horseshoes, were found throughout the Delaware Valley over a six-day period. These tracks appeared in various locations, including backyards, open fields, and even on the roofs of houses, sometimes spanning considerable distances.

Nigroni explores three categories of explanations for these events: supernatural, animal, and human. The supernatural explanation attributed the phenomena to the 'Devil' or a local monster. Animal explanations ranged from various birds (like sandhill cranes) to mammals (like wood mice), with the idea that ice-encrusted feet or unusual hopping patterns could create odd tracks.

The article leans towards human-made hoaxes as the most plausible explanation. It references the 'Great Devon Mystery' of 1855 in England, which involved similar horseshoe-shaped tracks. A theory from Manfri Frederick Wood's book suggests that gypsies in Somerset used measure-stilts with attached boots to create vast, inexplicable tracks to deter rivals. Nigroni posits that similar methods, possibly involving stilts and horseshoes, could have been used in both the Great Devon Mystery and the Phenomenal Week. He suggests that while unexpected encounters with wildlife can occur, the mysterious tracks were likely the work of hoaxers, possibly a lone individual initially, followed by copycats.

Other Content

The issue also includes a letter from a reader supporting PhACT and a subscription form. Another section features a historical photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine from October 1908, depicting a "glassworks carrying-in boy" in Grafton, West Virginia, highlighting the issue of child labor and questioning the necessity of cheap goods at such a cost.

A brief historical note on the Aurora Borealis, referencing an account from The Pennsylvania Gazette dated October 29, 1730, is also included.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

Phactum consistently adopts a skeptical yet open-minded approach to anomalous phenomena, as seen in its critical analysis of cold fusion and its investigation of historical mysteries. The magazine encourages reader contributions and financial support, indicating a commitment to independent research and publication. The inclusion of articles on child labor suggests a broader interest in social issues and historical context beyond the strictly paranormal or scientific.