Shadow of a Doubt - 1998 04

Magazine Overview

Title: Shadow of a Doubt
Issue: April, 1998
Publisher: National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS)
Content Focus: Skepticism, critical analysis of paranormal claims, media criticism.

Workshop: Danger in Our Skies: The New UFO Threat

The issue announces a workshop to discuss a recent TV show, "Danger in Our Skies: The New UFO Threat," which aired on WDCA/UPN on April 6th. The workshop, scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 1998, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the Bethesda Branch of the Montgomery County Library, aims to critically analyze the program's reporting on UFO threats. Key questions to be addressed include whether a new threat exists, if the show reported responsibly, and if all sides were heard. Participants are encouraged to engage in a discussion and workshop on how to protest such media broadcasts. The event is open to everyone, members and non-members, with no admission charge. Further information can be obtained by calling the NCAS Skeptic Line at 301-587-3827.

NCAS Elections

NCAS is seeking nominations for its Board of Directors. A new board of 16 members, with 8 elected each year for a two-year term, will take over in June. Officers for the upcoming year will be chosen from among the new board members. Interested individuals are invited to submit a short biography by April 20, 1998, to NCAS at 8006 Valley Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or via email to [email protected].

Strange Hoaxes That Endure

On April 1st, CSICOP's Joe Nickell and Matt Nisbet released a list of 10 great hoaxes, with the full press release available on the NCAS website. The following hoaxes are detailed:

1. Roswell Incident: In 1947, a "flying disc" reportedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Rancher Mac Brazel described the debris as foiled paper, sticks, string, and tape, consistent with a radar reflector. Initially thought to be part of a weather balloon, it is now identified as a Project Mogul spy balloon.
2. Spiritualism: Modern spiritualism began in 1848 when Margaret and Katherine Fox claimed to receive messages from a murdered peddler's ghost. Decades later, they admitted to having faked the phenomena.
3. Psychic Networks: This section describes modern "psychics" using shrewd methods to appear clairvoyant, often phrasing responses as questions to increase the chance of a "hit."
4. Shroud of Turin: The purported Holy Shroud of Jesus in Turin, Italy, bears imprints of a crucified man. Modern forensic tests suggest the image was made with tempera paint, and radiocarbon dating places its origin between 1260 and 1390. It was scheduled to go back on display as "authentic" in April.
5. Cottingley Fairies: In 1917, 13-year-old Elsie Wright and her 10-year-old cousin Frances Griffiths created photographs of winged fairies in Cottingley Glen, deceiving many, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
6. Crop Circles: Appearing since the late 1970s in southern English grain fields, these mysterious patterns were revealed in 1991 to be the work of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, who demonstrated how they created the first circles. Others subsequently elaborated on their designs.
7. Amityville Horror: This refers to the haunted house claims in Amityville, NY, following a 1974 murder. In 1975, George and Kathy Lutz bought the house and claimed they were driven out by spooky events.
8. Piltdown "Missing Link": In December 1912, the "missing link" fossil was found near Piltdown Common, England, by Charles Dawson. In 1953, it was exposed as a forgery, combining human cranial fragments with an orangutan jawbone, stained to appear ancient.
9. Psychic Surgery: This describes a practitioner who appears to remove "tumors" and diseased tissue from a patient's body without surgical instruments.
10. King Tut's Curse: Tutankhamen ruled Egypt in the twelfth century B.C. His tomb, discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, was said to be protected by a curse that led to the deaths of many associated with the excavation.

News Flash -- NASA Releases New Pictures of Man on Mars

On April 6th, NASA released new pictures of the so-called "face on Mars." These images reveal a mundane mesa on the Martian surface, clarifying that the perceived "eyes" and "nose" were merely illusions created by sunlight and shadows, a suspicion held since the 1976 Viking photos. The update was last changed on April 7, 1998.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims and critical examination of media portrayals of such phenomena. The NCAS actively promotes critical thinking and the debunking of hoaxes, as evidenced by the detailed list of "Strange Hoaxes That Endure" and the planned workshop to analyze a TV program on UFO threats. The editorial stance is clearly one of promoting rational inquiry and challenging unsubstantiated or sensationalized claims, particularly those presented in mass media.