REALL News - Vol 14 No 02 - 2006

Magazine Overview

The REALL News, Volume 14, Number 2, dated March 2006, is the official newsletter of the Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Land (REALL). It is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to promoting rational thinking and the scientific method. The newsletter covers events, discussions, and articles related to skepticism, science, and critical inquiry.

Darwin, Kurtz and Kids in the Hall: Life at CFI-West, Part 2

This article by Bob Ladendorf details the Darwin Day celebration at the Center for Inquiry-West (CFI-West) in Hollywood. The event, held on February 19, 2006, marked the 10th anniversary of CFI-West. The highlight was a marathon reading of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species," which began at midnight and lasted over 18 hours. The author describes how the idea originated from a desire to read the entire book and was enthusiastically supported by CFI-West's Executive Director, Jim Underdown. The event involved numerous readers, including actors Robert Forster and Julia Sweeney, professors, writers, filmmakers, and screenwriters, leveraging contacts to attract a diverse audience. The reading was followed by a Darwin birthday cake celebration. Despite efforts to attract media, no press showed up, but CFI founder Paul Kurtz later praised the event as important for honoring Darwin against attacks from creationism and Intelligent Design proponents.

Following the Darwin Day event, Paul Kurtz visited Los Angeles for meetings and delivered a major speech on encouraging planetary ethics and developing new Humanistic Ethics. This sold-out lecture, attended by over 150 people, emphasized the need for secular humanists to demonstrate positive values and constructive principles, countering the idea that morality is solely tied to belief in God. Kurtz outlined a vision for Humanistic Ethics focused on the dignity of every person, transcending racial, religious, and nationalistic barriers.

The Center for Inquiry-West plans to expand its activities, including adding a reading room, hosting more open houses, and starting a coffee house to foster discussion. They also plan art exhibitions and theater shows. The article mentions the recent reunion of the comedy group "Kids in the Hall" performing at the Center.

Bob Ladendorf, a co-founder of REALL, is noted for his work at CFI-West and his travel between Springfield and Los Angeles.

A Gathering of Readers

This section, likely a continuation or related piece, discusses the effort to gather readers for the "Origin of Species" reading, utilizing contacts in comedy, film, and television. It mentions M.G. Lord, an author who had previously spoken at the Center, as instrumental in attracting professors, film directors, screenwriters, and artists.

A Nod to Our Patrons

This section expresses gratitude to REALL's patron members for their extra generosity, which helps the organization grow. It lists several patron members by name and location, including Wally Hartshorn, David Bloomberg, Bob Ladendorf, and Jim Rosenthal.

Gleanings

By Clark Olson, this section provides a collection of brief news items and observations related to science and skepticism:

• Creationism Activity: No creationist activity was noted in the State J-R, but legislative activity was reported nationally. Matthew Chapman, Darwin's great-great-grandson, wrote about the Dover trial for Harper's.
• Discovery Institute: An article in The New York Times Science Times discussed the Discovery Institute's list of 514 scientists skeptical of Darwinism, noting that many signers had conservative religious views. The article also mentioned Gregory J. Brewer of SIU-Springfield.
• Evolution Event: The author attended an evolution event at the AAAS annual meeting in St. Louis, co-sponsored by numerous organizations. The event featured prominent speakers like Gilbert Omenn, Russ Carnahan, Linda Froschauer, Peter Raven, Fr. George Coyne, Ken Miller, and Eugenie Scott. While well-attended, the author found the session superficial and lacking in teacher interaction.
• School Pressure: A conversation with a biology teacher revealed pressure from a school superintendent to omit evolution from curriculum plans. REALL is considering ways to support such teachers and increase its own publicity.
• Alliance for Science: A new organization called "Alliance for Science" was launched, which the author suggests should be described on the AAAS website.
• Creationism on Campuses: A Science magazine article reported that up to a third of students profess young earth creationism, even in biology classes. However, there are encouraging signs, such as universities developing inter-departmental programs and lecture series on evolution.
• Ken Miller's Observations: Ken Miller notes that while students may resist evolution in class, evolutionary concepts are spreading in fields like rational drug design, comparative genomics, and computational biology.
• Literary Analysis: The idea of evolution is also appearing in literary analysis, examining human behavior.

Owen Twiddle

This section features two comic strips by "Owen Twiddle." The first, "Backwoods BoBo," humorously describes the discovery of a new hominid species with unusual characteristics. The second, "Hominid Homily," defines "hominid" and lists extinct and extant hominid species, including "Homo Bobo."

Our Next Meeting

This section announces an upcoming REALL meeting in Springfield, Illinois, on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 7:00 PM at the Lincoln Library. The meeting is described as "A Skeptic Potpourri" and will include a discussion of a program featuring REALL Board member Clark Olson discussing challenges to evolution, and a British program called "Creature Comforts" with opinions on evolution. Attendees are encouraged to bring a book they are reading to share.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the promotion of scientific rationalism, skepticism towards paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, and the defense of evolutionary science against creationist arguments. The REALL newsletter consistently advocates for critical thinking and the application of the scientific method. The editorial stance is clearly pro-science and pro-evolution, with a commitment to objective inquiry and a critical examination of evidence. The organization actively engages in public outreach and support for science education, as evidenced by its coverage of events and its call for greater publicity.