Shadow of a Doubt - 2000 10

Magazine Overview

Title: Shadow Of A Doubt
Issue: October 2000
Publisher: National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS)
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of "Shadow Of A Doubt," the monthly calendar of the National Capital Area Skeptics, dated October 2000, features a prominent cover story on "Pseudoscience and the U.S. Patent Process" by Mark Banash, Ph.D.

Featured Event: Pseudoscience and the U.S. Patent Process

The cover story is based on a public lecture by Mark Banash, Ph.D., scheduled for Saturday, October 14, 2000, from 2 pm to 3:30 pm at the Bethesda Branch of the Montgomery County Library. The lecture's premise, as stated on the cover, is that an invention does not need to be scientifically accurate to be granted a U.S. Patent. The talk aims to explore why respected companies invest in startups with unexplained processes and products, and how companies can sell such items without fully understanding them.

Mark Banash's credentials include a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton and a B.A. in Chemistry with minors in Math and English from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently employed as a research scientist at Millennium Inorganic Chemicals and is an adjunct faculty member at Howard Community College. He also writes science fiction and produces the audio series "The Funnt File," which often addresses skeptical themes. A link to "The Funnt File" is provided: http://members.aol.com/tharsispro/series1.html.

The event is part of the National Capital Area Skeptics Public Lecture Series, with free admission for everyone. For more information, attendees are directed to call the 24-hour NCAS Skeptic Line recording at (301) 587-3827, email [email protected], or visit www.ncas.org.

Penn and Teller Return

An announcement is made regarding the return of Penn and Teller to the Warner Theater in DC from December 26 to 31. Tickets can be purchased by calling 800-669-STAGE.

FESTSCHRIFT 2000

The Skeptics Society is holding its annual conference, "FESTSCHRIFT 2000," on Saturday, October 7, at the Beckman Auditorium on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, California. The theme for this year's meeting is "science in the 21st century," with a special tribute to Stephen J. Gould, who will be completing his 300th essay for "Natural History." The event will feature speakers such as David Baltimore, Michael Shermer, Donald Prothero, Carol Tavris, James Randi, Frank Sulloway, Paul MacCready, Louis Friedman, James Powell, and Richard Milner, with a keynote talk by Stephen J. Gould. Registration information is available by calling the Skeptics Society at 626-794-3119 or emailing [email protected].

Evolution is Still in the News

This section reports on a study evaluating the teaching of evolution in public schools. Six states—California, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Rhode Island—received perfect scores of 100 and grades of A for their science education standards. States scoring in the 90s and receiving A's included South Carolina, Delaware, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Grades of B were awarded to Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington, Michigan, Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and the District of Columbia. States receiving grades of C were Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Texas. Unsatisfactory grades of D were given to Arkansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Alaska, and Illinois. Failing grades of F were assigned to Wyoming, Maine, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Florida, Alabama, North Dakota, Georgia, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Tennessee, with Kansas receiving an F-minus. Iowa was not included in the evaluation because it lacks statewide standards, with each district creating its own.

Future NCAS Meetings

An upcoming NCAS meeting on November 11 will feature Howard Fishman, former director of continuing medical education at Massachusetts Mental Health Center and the Menninger Clinic. He will speak on the topic "Junk Science and the Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) Epidemic." Further details will be available on the NCAS web site or in the next month's "Shadow."

Time to Renew?

Members are reminded to check their mailing labels for their renewal date. A one-year renewal costs $20 for an individual or $30 for a two-member household. Renewals can be sent to the NCAS address provided at the top of the page to avoid being dropped as a member.

Contact Information

The National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) is located at P.O. Box 8428, Silver Spring, Maryland 20907. Their information line is (301) 587-3827, and their email is [email protected]. Submissions for "Skeptical Eye" can be sent to [email protected]. Their website is http://www.ncas.org/.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims, particularly in the context of patents and science education, and the promotion of scientific literacy. The NCAS actively organizes public lectures and conferences to educate its members and the public on these topics. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific rigor and critical thinking, as evidenced by the topics covered and the organizations involved.