Skeptical Eye - Vol 02 No 1 - 1988

Magazine Overview

This issue of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) Newsletter, Volume Two, Number One, dated January 1988, features a variety of articles and updates relevant to the skeptical community. The cover story reviews NCAS's own production of "Seance: Or Things That Go Bump in the Night," described as an entertaining, scary, and educational show that exposed human credulity and occult charlatans. The newsletter also includes updates on NCAS member activities, a course on critical thinking, and various committee meetings.

Seance: Entertaining, Scary, Educational

Stephen R. Dujack reviews NCAS's production of "Seance: Or Things That Go Bump in the Night." The show, which ran for 12 performances, aimed to expose the occult by highlighting human credulity and the methods of charlatans. It featured Jamy Ian Swiss as "The Medium" and D.W. "Chip" Denman as his assistant, both NCAS founders. The production included eight segments of "spooky legerdemain, ghost stories, and the decidedly devilish history of spiritualism." The review notes the intimate setting, the use of atmospheric effects, and the demonstration of simple tricks to expose how senses can be tricked. The show concluded with a ten-minute seance demonstration and included a ghost story, a tribute to Houdini, and a demonstration of "spiritual espionage." Randall Lockwood and Julie Stern served as consultants, with Jack Lass handling lighting and sound.

NCAS Member Activities

Several NCAS members have been active. Phil Klass's exposure of the Majestic-12 hoax has received media attention, and he has a new book on UFO abductions forthcoming. Dan Knauf's recommendations for getting "Skeptical Inquirer" into libraries are being disseminated by CSICOP. Rob Boston wrote a letter to trade journals criticizing newspapers for publishing daily horoscopes, which was published in "Editor and Publisher" and will appear in "Quill" magazine.

Members Teach Courses in Thinking

Georgetown University is offering an eight-session course called "The Art of Clear Thinking," taught by NCAS member Kevin Kraus. The course aims to improve participants' ability to express ideas clearly, formulate arguments, and scrutinize them logically, with a focus on recognizing faulty arguments and popular misconceptions.

Editorial Note

Lee J. Rickard criticizes the New York Times for withholding information about an impending stock market crash after publishing an article about a psychic business cruise, questioning if the Times selfishly retained this prediction for profit.

Letters to the Editor

Mark Plummer, Executive Director of CSICOP, congratulates the newsletter on its quality. Neil L. Inglis expresses frustration with friends and relatives who challenge skeptics to explain personal paranormal experiences and asks for suggestions on how to deal with such confrontations. The newsletter suggests Kevin Kraus's "Art of Clear Thinking" course as a potential tool.

Name-the-Newsletter Contest!

NCAS is holding a contest to rename its publication, seeking a more distinctive and engaging title. The winner will receive a one-year membership extension and recognition.

Statement of Purpose

The National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) aims to encourage critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a scientific viewpoint and to disseminate factual information. NCAS examines claims objectively and carefully, not rejecting them a priori. Signed articles represent the authors' opinions, while unsigned articles are the responsibility of the NCAS Newsletter Committee.

Interim Board and Committees

The newsletter lists the interim board members (Stanley K. Bigman, Chip Denman, Jack Lass, Susan Wells, Grace Denman) and editors (Julie Stern, Nelson Davis, Mike Hoffman, Lee Rickard, William J. Jones, Susan Wells). It also details various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and their chairs: Astrology (Lee J. Rickard), Creationism (Randall Lockwood), Education in Skepticism (Walter F. Rowe), Fringe Medicine (Zev Remba), and UFOs (Phil Klass).

President's Message

Stanley K. Bigman quotes Thomas Henry Huxley on skepticism and blind faith. He welcomes back Sean O'Neill, who was instrumental in the founding of NCAS. Bigman discusses the interim board's work on bylaws and planning for future general meetings, including topics like pseudoscience in courts, critical thinking, and medical fraud. He also mentions the ongoing need for a membership-chosen governing group.

Randi's Halloween Mishap

James Randi was hospitalized after injuring two vertebrae during a rehearsal for a Houdini escape trick for a television program. He appeared on the show lying on a stretcher.

Hypnosis: Gateway to Reincarnation?

Sean O'Neill discusses his experience with a local TV station interested in past life regression. He explains the history of hypnosis, from Mesmer to Freud, and its characteristics, including reduced planning, increased suggestibility, and the generation of "productive" memories. O'Neill argues that these productive memories, woven from unconscious fantasies, likely account for past life regression claims, rather than actual recall of past lives. He cites the Bridey Murphy case as an example where childhood experience and fantasy explained the regression, despite its continued citation as evidence for reincarnation. He questions the logic of multiple past lives given the current world population. O'Neill emphasizes the need for continued research and accurate reporting on hypnosis.

Notes from Other Skeptical Groups

Lee J. Rickard reports on various activities from other skeptical organizations. The New Zealand Skeptic faces a defamation suit from a psychic named Colin Amery. Henry Gordon of the Ontario Skeptics is preparing video material for CSICOP. Shawn Carlson of the Bay Area Skeptics devised experiments to reproduce a "weeping" Virgin Mary painting. The British and Irish Skeptic notes reports of weeping madonnas and the passing of psychic Doris Stokes. Other groups are reviewing articles on evolution vs. creationism, pseudoscience in education, and "miracle cure" cases.

International Fortean Organization's 1987 "Fortfest"

Greg Summers reports on the INFO "Fortfest." He explains Charles Hoy Fort's philosophy that science often ignores phenomena that embarrass accepted theories. John Keel spoke about "UFO pregnancies," suggesting alien impregnation of teenage girls. Budd Hopkins discussed the UFO abduction theory and ethical considerations, questioning why aliens haven't intervened more positively and expressing concern about the ethics of untrained individuals using hypnosis for abduction research.

Proper Criticism

Ray Hyman provides guidelines for effective and responsible criticism. He stresses the importance of preparation, clarifying objectives, doing thorough homework, staying within one's level of competence, letting facts speak for themselves, being precise, using the principle of charity, and avoiding loaded words and sensationalism. Hyman argues that good criticism requires objectivity, fairness, and integrity, aiming to educate the public rather than simply attack claimants.

Recent News from the Scientific Literature

Lee J. Rickard discusses recent scientific findings. Studies on the Taung child skull suggest a mosaic of ape-like and hominid-like features, challenging the simple "missing link" concept. The article also addresses the Archaeopteryx fossil, refuting claims by Fred Hoyle and N. C. Wickramasinghe that its wing impressions were faked. Tree ring studies are presented as ruling out absurdly young ages for the Earth, contrasting with radioactive dating.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes critical thinking, scientific investigation, and the debunking of pseudoscience and paranormal claims. It highlights the activities of NCAS and its members, encouraging participation and discussion. The editorial stance is clearly skeptical, advocating for evidence-based reasoning and caution against unsubstantiated beliefs. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of responsible and accurate criticism within the skeptical movement itself.

The NCAS Newsletter, dated January 1988, presents a "Proposed Reading List" as its main feature, compiled from suggestions by members of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS). The newsletter aims to explore paranormal and fringe-science claims from a scientific perspective and disseminate factual information.

Proposed Reading List

The reading list is extensive, featuring numerous books categorized by topic or author. Notable suggestions include:

• Science and the Paranormal: "Science and the Paranormal" edited by G. O. Abell and B. Singer, and "Science Confronts the Paranormal" edited by K. Frazier.
• UFOs and Flying Saucers: "Flying Saucers: Magic in the Skies" by O. Billig, "UFOs: The Public Deceived" by Philip J. Klass, and "UFOs Explained" by Philip J. Klass. The article "Majestic-12 Labelled a Hoax" by Lee J. Rickard is also included, detailing CSICOP's rebuttal of the Majestic-12 documents.
• Urban Legends and Folklore: "The Mexican Pet" and "The Choking Doberman and Other New Urban Legends" by Jan Harold Brunvand.
• Pseudoscience and Skepticism: "Science Good, Bad and Bogus" and "Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science" by Martin Gardner, "The Fringe of the Unknown" and "The Ancient Engineers" by L. Sprague de Camp, "Illusions and Delusions of the Supernatural and the Occult" by D. H. Rawcliffe, and "The New Apocrypha" by John Sladek.
• Psychology and Human Behavior: "Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change" by Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman, "The Psychology of Transcendence" by A. Neher, and "Human Inference: Strategies and Shortcomings of Social Judgment" by R. Nisbett and L. Ross.
• Critiques of Belief Systems: "The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal" by P. Kurtz, and "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" by Charles Mackay.
• Other Topics: "The Mismeasure of Man" by Stephen Jay Gould, which refutes pseudoscientific theories on racial, sexual, and ethnic disparities; "Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking" by Arthur L. Costa; and "The Faith Healers" by an unnamed author.

Majestic-12 Labelled a Hoax

This article by Lee J. Rickard details CSICOP's investigation and conclusion that the "Majestic-12" documents, which claimed the U.S. government recovered a crashed UFO and alien bodies in 1947, were "clumsy counterfeits." Philip Klass, chairman of CSICOP's UFO Subcommittee, prepared a report demonstrating the documents' lack of authenticity, citing issues like an incorrect author's presence, missing watermarks, and anachronistic security classifications. The article notes that while the initial claims received significant media attention, CSICOP's rebuttal received less notice.

Scientific Literature

This section discusses recent advancements in dating methods. It highlights research extending tree-ring dating back nearly 9000 years, which helps in calibrating the carbon-14 dating method. This work is presented as a counterpoint to biblical literalists who adhere to a creation date of around 6000 years ago.

Membership and Subscription Information

The newsletter includes a section for readers to subscribe or become charter members. It states that members agree with the purpose of exploring paranormal and fringe-science claims scientifically. Charter membership, valid for one year, includes a subscription to the newsletter. Subscription costs are listed as $20.00 for a single membership and $30.00 for a double membership. A mailing address for Grace Denman in Silver Spring, MD, is provided for checks payable to "Nat. Cap. Area Skeptics, Inc."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the promotion of scientific skepticism and critical thinking when examining paranormal claims, UFO sightings, and pseudoscientific theories. The NCAS, through its newsletter, advocates for evidence-based inquiry and aims to educate the public and scientific community by debunking hoaxes and presenting factual information. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rationalism and against the uncritical acceptance of extraordinary claims, as evidenced by the detailed reading list and the debunking of the Majestic-12 documents.