Shadow of a Doubt - 2003 02

Magazine Overview

Title: Shadow of a Doubt
Issue: February 2003
Publisher: National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS)
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Public Lecture Series

The National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) hosted a Public Lecture Series event on Saturday, February 1, from 2-4 pm at the B-CC Services Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The lecture featured Dr. Stephen Groft, Executive Director, and Geraldine Pollen, Senior Program Analyst, who presented a report on recently-concluded work by the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (WHCCAM).

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, the venue for the lecture, is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda, across from the Bethesda Metro station. It is situated on the plaza level of the Metropolitan complex, above a County parking garage, with free parking available on weekends.

NCAS is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting critical thinking and scientific understanding.

NCAS Annual Workshop

NCAS, in conjunction with the University of Maryland Honors Program, announced an upcoming workshop titled "The Psychology of 'Psychic' Readings: Theory, Practice and Showbiz of Talking to the Dead." This event is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, from 9 am to 5 pm, with an optional dinner following, at the CSI Building on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland. The workshop will be led by Professor Ray Hyman of the University of Oregon and aims to educate attendees on how psychics perform cold readings, communicate with the deceased, and conduct séances, framed as traditional scams recycled for a modern audience.

Attendees will be asked to sign a voluntary pledge to use any acquired cold reading skills only for good. Information regarding registration and fees will be mailed in the March issue of "Shadow of a Doubt."

Other Announcements and Events

The Amazing Meeting: A reminder was issued about the rapidly approaching deadline to register for "The Amazing Meeting" in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, scheduled for January 31-February 2. This event was organized by Randi and promised an exciting week for skeptics. Further information was available on the JREF website.

Darwin Day: The publication noted that February 12th is celebrated as Darwin Day in honor of Charles Darwin's birthday. Readers interested in the movement were directed to www.darwinday.org.

11th European Skeptics Congress: An advance notice was given for the 11th European Skeptics Congress, to be held in London from September 5-7, 2003. This congress is sponsored by The Association for Skeptical Enquiry, THE SKEPTIC, The European Council of Skeptical Organisations, and CSICOP. Those interested in presenting a paper were instructed to email [email protected].

Membership Renewal

Readers were prompted to check their mailing labels for renewal information. The cost for a one-year renewal was stated as $30 for an individual or $40 for a two-member household. Multi-year discounts were available, and members were encouraged to consider 2, 5, or lifetime memberships to avoid annual renewal hassles. Rates were available on the website.

NCAS Information

Contact information for the National Capital Area Skeptics included a mailing address at P.O. Box 8428, Silver Spring, Maryland 20907. The NCAS Information line is available at (301) 587-3827, with an email address of [email protected]. Submissions for "Skeptical Eye" could be sent to [email protected]. The organization's website is www.ncas.org.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around promoting skepticism, critical thinking, and scientific understanding, as evidenced by the lecture topics, the workshop on debunking psychic phenomena, and the promotion of skeptical events. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rational inquiry and the debunking of pseudoscientific claims, as indicated by the organization's mission statement and the content of the announcements.