Shadow of a Doubt

Magazine Overview

Title: Shadow of a Doubt
Issue: September, 1999
Publisher: The National Capital Area Skeptics
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of "Shadow of a Doubt" from September 1999, the monthly calendar of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS), focuses on a speech titled "Inquiry Or Inquisition? The Religious Right's War on American Values, Intellectual Freedom and Common Sense." It also provides the NCAS meeting schedule for 1999-2000 and details two upcoming events: a session on mental calculation and a workshop on ghost hunting.

Featured Speech: Inquiry Or Inquisition?

The main event highlighted is a speech by Rob Boston, Assistant Director of Communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Scheduled for Saturday, September 11, 1999, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Bethesda Library, the speech aims to expose the perceived threat to intellectual freedom and open inquiry posed by the Religious Right. Boston plans to explain how these organizations advocate for creationism in public schools, utilize faulty logic, and engage in political activities. He will also outline strategies for skeptics to defend reason and maintain the separation of church and state in public education.

NCAS 1999-2000 Meeting Schedule

The magazine provides a schedule for NCAS meetings throughout the 1999-2000 period. Meetings are listed for:

• September 11, 1999
• December 11, 1999
• April 8, 2000
• September 25, 1999 (Note: Not at Bethesda Library)
• January 8, 2000
• May 20, 2000
• October 16, 1999 (Note: Not at Bethesda Library)
• February 12, 2000
• June 10, 2000
• November 13, 1999
• March 11, 2000

All meetings, except those marked with an asterisk, are held at the Bethesda Library on Arlington Road, Bethesda.

Upcoming Events

Mathemagics: The Art of Mental Calculating

On Saturday, September 25, 1999, from 4-5 p.m., NCAS will host Dr. Arthur Benjamin, a mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd College and a professional magician. The event, held at 0200 Skinner Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, will showcase Dr. Benjamin's extraordinary mental calculation abilities, including squaring numbers, multiplying large numbers, calculating roots, memorizing long strings of numbers, and performing mathematical tricks. Dr. Benjamin's work has been featured in a book titled "The Great Mental Calculators: The Psychology, Methods, and Lives of Calculating Prodigies."

Ghostbusting 101: The 1999 Fall Workshop

In preparation for Halloween, NCAS is holding a full-day workshop on October 16, 1999, at the Best Western Leesburg Dulles in Leesburg, VA. The workshop, titled "Ghostbusting 101," will explore investigations into the spirit realm from the 19th century to the present, examining attempts to apply science and technology to age-old traditions and beliefs. Session highlights include:

• A history of seances and mediums by Chip Denman, a statistician at the University of Maryland and former NCAS president.
• An investigation into "Ghosts and electromagnetic anomalies" by Joe Holbert, who conducts ghost tours and researches the link between ghosts and low-level electromagnetic fields.
• A discussion on "Modern mediums and psychic readings" by Kari Coleman, an actress and writer who has published skeptical writings with the James Randi Educational Foundation.
• An overview of "High tech communications with the hereafter" by Dr. Michael Epstein, a chemist at NIST and former NCAS vice president, covering ghost photos, detectors, electronic-voice phenomena, and phone calls from the dead.

Registration for the workshop is $25 if postmarked by September 25, 1999, and $30 thereafter. Advance registration closes on September 25. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other Content

The issue also includes a section titled "The Stand Up Skeptic," featuring humorous, short, skeptical observations and jokes, some attributed to Drew Henderson. It also mentions that the Fox network is developing a skeptical television series, with Michael Shermer of the Skeptics Society involved.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, advocacy for the separation of church and state, and the promotion of critical thinking and scientific inquiry. The NCAS positions itself as an organization dedicated to debunking pseudoscience and irrational beliefs, as evidenced by the topics covered in their meetings and workshops. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of reason, intellectual freedom, and evidence-based understanding.