Phactum - 2017 01 - January

Magazine Overview

Phactum, the Newsletter and Propaganda Organ of the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking, presents its January/February/March 2017 issue. Edited by Ray Haupt and with Wes Powers as Webmaster, the magazine covers a range of topics from historical mysteries to scientific discourse and critical thinking.

The Lost Templar Treasure and Fleet by Don Nigroni

This article explores the enduring legend of the Knights Templar's treasure and fleet, which supposedly vanished before their mass arrest in 1307. Don Nigroni references popular works like Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and the influential alternative history book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. The narrative details the legend of Templars removing treasure, including the Ark of the Covenant or secret documents, from the Paris Temple and fleeing in 18 galley ships from La Rochelle. The article also examines the testimony of Jean de Chalons from a 1308 papal investigation, which is seen as a pivotal source for these tales. Nigroni analyzes Jean's statements, considering whether they were a lie under duress or an honest mistake, and explores potential destinations for the fleet, such as Portugal. The piece concludes that the mystery of the fleet and treasure remains unsolved, likely to persist unless crucial new evidence emerges.

Upcoming PhACT Events

The magazine lists upcoming meetings and lectures hosted by PhACT. Dr. David Cattell, Chairman of the Physics Department at Community College of Philadelphia, hosts these meetings. On Saturday, January 21, 2017, mathematician John A. Paulos discussed his book "A Numerate Life." On Saturday, February 18, 2017, Environmental Geologist Jon Nyquist presented on "Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood." A future event on March 18, 2017, has a TBA program, and another on April 15, 2017, features Dr. Paul Offit discussing his book "Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong." A PhACT Expedition is planned for May 20, 2017.

John Allen Paulos and "A Numerate Life"

John Allen Paulos, a professor of math at Temple University, is highlighted for his book "A Numerate Life." The article notes his extensive background as an author and public speaker, with previous works including "Innumeracy" and "A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market." The book "A Numerate Life" is described as a "meta-memoir" that uses mathematical ideas to re-evaluate life experiences, exploring memory, presuppositions, and the nature of reality through personal vignettes and mathematical concepts.

Jon Nyquist and "Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood"

Professor Jon Nyquist, an Environmental Geologist at Temple University, is featured for his talk on "Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood." His research focuses on using aerial geophysical techniques and movies as a teaching tool to connect science with the public. The article mentions his background in physics and geophysics and his role as past president of the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society.

Paul Offit and "Pandora's Lab"

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccinologist, is presented for his book "Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong." The book examines scientific ideas that led to negative consequences, such as the misuse of opium, the rise of trans fats, and the debate over DDT. Offit argues that these "sins of science" are as deplorable as past mistaken ideas and uses contemporary examples like e-cigarettes and GMOs as case studies.

Paul Offit and "Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine"

Another book by Dr. Paul Offit, "Bad Faith," is discussed. It explores how religious beliefs can lead individuals to disregard modern medicine, citing examples like Christian Scientists avoiding medical treatment and Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions. Offit argues that denying medicine to children in the name of religion is not only unwise and immoral but also a rejection of the best aspects of belief.

Various Ruminations of Woo Woo and Real Science and some Gossip

This section, collected by Ray Haupt, touches on several topics:

• Woman Trapped in Home by WIFI: An anecdote about a woman in Glastonbury, UK, who claims to be housebound due to an allergy to WIFI and cell phone radiation.
• Ebola Vaccine - 1: This segment discusses homeopathy as a potential answer for Ebola, referencing a homeopathy website that suggests remedies like Crotalus horridus and Bothrops. The article questions the use of the term "preventative" in this context, drawing parallels to vaccines but noting the potential to mislead desperate individuals.

Letters to the Editor

"5000 years ago" Meme

Howard J. Wilk from Philadelphia writes to correct the common misconception that the Torah was written over 5000 years ago, stating it was written in the first millennium BCE (around 2000-3000 years ago). He provides examples of this "meme" appearing in local media and his own anecdotal experiences.

Glinda and Falcon 9

Howard J. Wilk also notes a visual similarity between the descent of Glinda in "The Wizard of Oz" and the landing of the Falcon 9 rocket, suggesting they follow a similar course across the screen.

Senator Santorum and Settled Science

An editor responds to Howard J. Wilk's previous letter, addressing remarks by Senator Rick Santorum regarding "settled science." The editor explains that "the science is settled" is a concise way of expressing scientific consensus, not a claim that a theory cannot be falsified.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

Phactum consistently promotes critical thinking and skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims, whether they stem from historical legends, pseudoscientific practices like homeopathy, or misinterpretations of science. The magazine encourages readers to question, analyze, and seek evidence-based understanding. The editorial stance favors rational inquiry and highlights the importance of distinguishing between rigorous scientific methodology and less credible assertions. The inclusion of "Phactum's Roster of I.R.E. (Infamous Rational Errors)" further emphasizes this commitment to identifying and combating flawed reasoning.

Phactum, January/February/March 2017 issue. This magazine issue covers a diverse range of topics, including scientific advancements, societal issues, and natural observations.

Homeopathy vs. Science

The issue begins with a critique of homeopathic remedies for ebola, stating that they are potentized snake and spider venoms diluted to the point of being useless. It contrasts this with the scientific development of an effective Ebola vaccine by pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Sanofi, and GSK, highlighting science's triumph over pseudoscience. The article declares a score of Homeopathy 0, Science 1.

Gambling Addiction

Two articles delve into the issue of gambling addiction. The first, referencing an article from The Atlantic, details how casinos cynically exploit psychological weaknesses to create addicts, using the story of Scott Stevens, an executive who resorted to embezzlement to fund his addiction. The second article provides further examples of gambling addiction's devastating effects globally, including cases from the UK and USA where individuals stole large sums of money from employers and vulnerable people to feed their habits. It highlights the neurological and physiological reactions associated with addiction and the deceptive tactics used by casinos, such as the 'near miss' phenomenon, to keep gamblers engaged.

Ebola Vaccine Development

The magazine reports on the development of Ebola vaccines, noting that as of December 2016, several pharmaceutical companies had developed them. The Merck vaccine is highlighted as the most promising and considered 100% effective, with the company contracted to produce 300,000 doses.

Extraterrestrials and Science Funding

An article discusses the detection of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) from outside the Milky Way galaxy, with scientists speculating they could be from solar flares or extraterrestrial aliens. Scientist Stephen Hawking is quoted as suggesting humanity should seek out intelligent life. The article questions the funding of such research, noting that the Green Bank Observatory received funding from the National Science Foundation, which has been drastically cut.

Critical Thinking in Finance

Richard Saunders, from the AARP consumer issues task force, presented a talk on thinking critically about money and investing. He emphasized that anyone can be a victim of fraud or human error and advised scrutinizing all financial documents. Saunders described various scams, including IRS impersonation and credit card rate offers, and discussed affinity fraud. He also touched upon common pitfalls in choosing financial advisors and stock brokers, recommending www.finra.org for information. The concept of a 'free lunch seminar' was also discussed, where attendees receive a meal in exchange for a presentation on an investment tool, often an 'Equity indexed annuity'. A key piece of advice was to ensure one's spouse knows how to access important financial records in case of emergency.

Vaccine Pioneer: Dr. Maurice Hilleman

Dr. Paul Offit and filmmaker Don Mitchell presented a documentary on Dr. Maurice Hilleman, a renowned scientist credited with inventing over forty vaccines, nine of which are considered highly important. The documentary traced Hilleman's life and work, including his development of flu vaccines and the first vaccine for Hepatitis-B, which also targeted liver cancer. Hilleman's collaboration with Dr. Salk to improve polio vaccine safety and his creation of numerous other routine childhood vaccines were highlighted. The book 'Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases' by Paul A. Offit is also featured.

Events at the Wagner Free Institute of Science

The issue lists several upcoming lectures and courses at the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia, covering topics such as coral reproduction, Victorian botanical collections, plants under glass, contemporary physics, viruses, evolution, trees of Philadelphia, and global warming. These events are free and open to the public.

Poetry and Nature Writing

"A Single Rose" by Albert Fried-Cassorla is a poem reflecting on the value of a single, present moment. "Off the Beaten Path: Snow Day" by Kim A. Sheridan offers a descriptive account of a winter scene in the Wissahickon Valley, Philadelphia, detailing the beauty of snow, ice sculptures, and the transformation of the landscape. It also includes information on snowflake formation and the Friends of the Wissahickon organization.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a pro-science and critical thinking stance, contrasting empirical evidence and scientific methodology with pseudoscience, homeopathy, and what it perceives as irrational beliefs. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of scientific research and its benefits to humanity, while also cautioning against scams and financial pitfalls. The publication appears to be based in Philadelphia, with several articles and event listings pertaining to the city and its institutions.

Title: Phactum
Issue: January/February/March 2017
Date: January/February/March 2017

This issue of Phactum focuses on the intersection of political science, psychology, and statistics, with a particular emphasis on polling methodologies and the nature of rational thought.

The Recent Election, the Bradley Effect, and Randomized-Response Polling

This lead article by Howard J. Wilk addresses the perceived inaccuracies in recent pre-election polls. Wilk introduces the "Bradley Effect," a phenomenon where voters may not accurately report their voting intentions, especially concerning minority candidates, due to social desirability bias. He posits that this effect might have influenced the outcome of a recent election. To combat this, Wilk proposes his own version of a "randomized response" technique. This method aims to derive accurate conclusions from polls containing sensitive questions by incorporating randomness into the response process, thereby protecting the anonymity of the interviewee. Wilk details the mechanics of his proposed method, which involves the interviewee choosing a number and the interviewer using a die roll to determine whether the interviewee should answer truthfully or provide an alternative response. He provides simplified formulas for calculating the fraction of true supporters for each option based on the survey results.

Wilk also includes a personal anecdote about the question "are you now using anabolic steroids?" to illustrate how even seemingly straightforward questions can have nuanced answers influenced by incentives.

Study: Rational Thinking Is Teachable

Authored by Paul Schlueter III, this article explores the concept of rationality and its potential for improvement. It begins by referencing a New York Times article by David Z. Hambrick and Alexander P. Burgoyne, which distinguishes between intelligence (comparable to cognitive horsepower) and rationality (the propensity for reflective thought). The article highlights that while intelligence levels are relatively fixed, rationality can be enhanced through training.

Schlueter III discusses the work of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who demonstrated that humans are prone to irrationality. He introduces the "Linda problem" as an example of a cognitive bias where people often choose a conjunction that is less likely than one of its components. The article explains that logic dictates that the probability of two events occurring together is less than or equal to the probability of either event occurring individually.

The author suggests that most people operate on the lower end of the rationality scale, relying heavily on intuition. However, he emphasizes that critical thinkers and skeptics can train themselves and others to improve their rational abilities by applying logical reasoning and set theory.

Further elaborating on this, the article references research by Keith Stanovich, who studied the correlation between high intelligence and "dysrationalia" (the tendency to think irrationally). Stanovich's work suggests a slight tendency for highly intelligent individuals to be less likely to think rationally, possibly because they are better at rationalizing their intuitive thinking. Stanovich proposed a "Rationality Quotient" (R.Q.) as a measure analogous to the Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.).

Research from the journal "Policy Insights From the Behavioral and Brain Sciences" is cited, detailing studies by Carey Morewedge and colleagues. These studies found that training, including watching videos on decision-making biases and playing computer games designed to reduce these biases, led to statistically significant and enduring decreases in decision-making biases. This indicates that rationality can indeed be improved.

The article also touches upon the concepts of "fluid" and "crystallized" intelligence, with fluid intelligence relating to adaptability and inventiveness, and crystallized intelligence encompassing knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Intuition is generally considered part of crystallized intelligence.

Schlueter III cautions against broad conclusions, noting that people can be sensitive to challenges to their cherished biases, particularly religious and political ones. He stresses the importance of a gentle approach when attempting to educate others about rationality. The article concludes on a hopeful note, suggesting that research leading to effective computer game programs for improving rationality is a positive development.

PhACT Calendar

The latter part of the magazine is dedicated to the "PhACT Calendar," listing a wide array of upcoming events, lectures, and expeditions primarily in the Philadelphia area. These events cover diverse topics, including:

• Astronomy: Lectures by the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society.
• Science and Technology: Events on topics like "Science on Tap," "Science After Hours," "PENN SCIENCE CAFÉ" discussions, and lectures at The Franklin Institute and University of Pennsylvania.
• History and Culture: Talks on "Human Origins," "American Revolution," "Monsters of the Maya Cosmos," "Victorian Botanical Collections," "The Genius of Birds," and various historical tours at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
• Social Issues: The "Searchlight Series" at Eastern State Penitentiary addressing crime, justice, and the prison system.

Specific events mentioned include lectures by John Allen Paulos on mathematics and life, Jonathan Nyquist on geology versus Hollywood disasters, and Paul Offit, M.D., on "Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around critical thinking, the scientific method, and the challenges of obtaining accurate information, whether through polls or personal decision-making. The magazine promotes an ethos of skepticism, rationality, and continuous learning. The editorial stance appears to favor evidence-based reasoning and the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the public. The extensive event calendar suggests a commitment to fostering intellectual engagement within the community, particularly in the Philadelphia region.

Title: Phactum
Issue Date: January/February/March 2017
Publisher: Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT)
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Phactum serves as the main propaganda organ for the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking, detailing upcoming events, lectures, and membership information. The publication aims to promote critical thinking and engagement with educational topics.

Featured Events and Lectures

The magazine lists a variety of events scheduled for April and May 2017, primarily in Philadelphia.

• Laurel Hill Cemetery Tours:
• Saturday, April 8, 2017, 1 pm: "Designing for the Dead: Art and Architecture of Laurel Hill." Cost: $15/person. Free parking available.
• Sunday, April 9, 2017, 1 pm: "America Enters the Great War: Laurel Hill's WW1 Veterans." Cost: $15/person. Free parking available.

• Chemical Heritage Foundation Lectures:
• Monday, April 10, 2017, noon: "Brown Bag Lecture: Boerhaave's Mineral Chemistry and Its Influence on 18th-Century Pharmacy in the Netherlands." Free and open to the public.
• Monday, May 1, 2017, noon: "Brown Bag Lecture: The Composition of Life and Health: Elements, Particles, and Atoms in Late Renaissance Physiology." Free and open to the public.

• PhACT Lecture:
• Saturday, April 15, 2017, 2:00 PM: Dr. Paul Offit, M.D., will discuss his new book "Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong." More details are available on Page 7.

• National Mechanics Event:
• Monday, April 10, 2017, 6:00 PM: "Science on Tap," a monthly gathering with informal presentations by scientists, followed by conversation, food, and beer. Must be 21 or accompanied by a parent. Free and open to the public.

• The Franklin Institute Event:
• Wednesday, April 12, 2017, 7:15 PM: The Rittenhouse Astronomical Society will host an astronomy lecture open to the general public. Details are available on their website.

• American Revolution Round Table of Philadelphia Event:
• Monday, April 24, 2017, 7:00 PM: At MaGerks Pub and Grill, Fort Washington, PA. Lecture: "Dunmore's War, the Last Conflict of America's Colonial Era." Glenn F Williams will present his book on the topic. A short business meeting starts at 7:15 pm, with the lecture at 7:30 pm. MaGreks Pub and Grill will offer a 1/2 price special on burgers. Membership in the organization is $20.

• Valley Forge Event:
• Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 7:00 PM: At Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge. Friends of Valley Forge Park presents "George & Martha Washington: In Perfect Felicity," an interpretation by John Lopes & Carol Spacht, sharing the story of their courtship and marriage.

• Eastern State Penitentiary Event:
• Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 6:00pm - 7:00pm: The Searchlight Series: Discussion Topic TBA. This is part of Eastern State's ongoing series addressing issues in contemporary corrections, held the first Tuesday of every month. Free and open to the public.

• PhACT Event:
• Saturday, May 20, 2017: PhACT Expedition, with details to be announced.

Organization Information and Support

The Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT):
PhACT expresses gratitude to the Community College of Philadelphia and Dr. David Cattell for hosting their events. PhACT is pleased to support the college's mission as a learning institution by offering engaging and educational talks.

Membership:
Annual membership is $15 (includes email delivery of Phactum) or $10 for students. US Mail delivery costs $25 annually. Donations are also accepted for additional support and for High School Science Fair prizes. Checks should be made payable to PhACT and mailed to 653 Garden Road, Glenside, PA 19038. Online payment is available at www.PhACT.org.

Phactum Distribution:
Phactum is distributed four times a year as the main propaganda organ for PhACT. Non-members can subscribe for $15/year (email) or $25/year (US Mail).

Policy for Article Use:
Materials originating in Phactum may be reprinted by groups recognized in CSI's international network of skeptics organizations, as published in Skeptical Inquirer, provided the author and PhACT are credited. Other publications must obtain permission from PhACT.

Editor and Website:
Phactum Editor is Ray Haupt ([email protected]). The PhACT website is www.phact.org.

PhACT Council 2016/17

• The issue lists the members of the PhACT Council for 2016/17, including:
• Bob Glickman, President
• David Cragin, PhD., Vice-President
• Doreva Belfiore, Treasurer
• Becky Strickland, Secretary
• Eric Krieg, Past President
• Wes Powers, Webmaster
• David Cattell Ph.D.
• Jeffrey Craigin, Teen Member of Council
• Ray Haupt
• Thomas Kasznowski
• David Langdon, M.D.
• Tom Napier

Notable Quote

The issue includes a quote from a 1920 New York Times editorial regarding Robert Goddard's rocket work: "Professor Goddard...does not know the relation of action to re-action, and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react....he only seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." The text notes that The New York Times printed a retraction in 1969 when the Apollo II astronauts were en route to the Moon.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Phactum revolve around the promotion of science, history, and critical thinking through public lectures and events. The editorial stance is one of encouraging intellectual curiosity and providing accessible platforms for learning. The organization actively supports educational initiatives and engages with the community through its various programs and publications. There is a clear emphasis on skepticism, as evidenced by the mention of Skeptical Inquirer and the policy for article use, suggesting a critical examination of claims and phenomena.