Tampa Bay Skeptics Report - vol 14 no 1 - INCOMPLETE

Magazine Overview

Title: TBS Report Online
Issue: Vol. 14 - No. 1
Date: Summer 2001
Publisher: Tampa Bay Skeptics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the TBS Report Online features articles that critically examine paranormal claims and UFO phenomena from a skeptical perspective. It covers a joint meeting with MUFON, discussions on alleged evidence, and analysis of media reports.

Joint Meeting with MUFON

The lead article, "Not Quite Matter and Antimatter," by Valerie Grey, details a joint meeting between the Tampa Bay Skeptics (TBS) and the Tampa Bay Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) on March 17. James Moseley, editor/publisher of the *Saucer Smear* newsletter, was the guest speaker. Moseley, who also wished to address TBS members, was hosted by MUFON, and the meeting coincided with TBS's quarterly gathering. Grey notes that despite some initial probing questions from MUFON members about TBS's funding, the atmosphere was welcoming. Moseley, described as inhabiting the middle ground between ardent believers and skeptical debunkers, shared personal experiences of UFO sightings and paranormal events over fifty years. These included an incident on a jet where passengers were asked to observe a launch from Cape Kennedy, and a mysterious white light that seemed to be tracking the plane, which was prosaically identified as a wing light. Moseley also recounted a "miraculous" spoon-bending feat by Uri Geller and an incident involving a shattered drinking glass where not all shards could be found.

Grey expresses surprise at the number of overtly paranormal topics discussed by MUFON members in a positive and uncritical manner, contrasting with her expectation of a focus on UFO sightings and alien abductions (which Moseley reportedly does not believe in). An argument during a Q&A period about auras is highlighted, where a MUFON member claiming to see them unaided was offered a test for the TBS $1,000 prize, which she declined. The article also mentions a man who became a believer in the psychic realm due to a perceived coincidence involving a book title and a song lyric about "painted houses." Grey attempts to explain such experiences through human nature's tendency to remember "hits" while forgetting countless non-coincidental events, comparing it to winning the lottery.

TBS chairman Terry Smiljanich attempted to clarify the group's position as open-minded skeptics, but it was suggested that this was not universally understood. The author concludes that the experience was interesting, primarily from a psychological viewpoint, and notes that it was the first time such a dialogue had occurred between TBS and MUFON, although TBS had hosted a former MUFON investigator in 1993. Grey observes that there was little hard evidence or willingness to test claims, and that the groups defined terms like "proof" and "belief" differently.

Reflections on Ghostly Images

"Some Reflections on Some Reflections Purported to be Ghostly Images" by Guss Wilder III, discusses an exhibition of cemetery "ghost" photos presented at the March 17 meeting. Wilder categorizes the photos into two types: those appearing to capture ground fog illuminated by flash, which can be subject to Rorschach-like interpretations of faces, and "orbs." Wilder identifies the "orbs" as likely lens flare caused by dust particles near the camera lens, a phenomenon easily reproducible. He provides an explanation found online, stating that the built-in flash reflects off dust, appearing bright and out-of-focus due to proximity to the lens. He demonstrates this can be done in one's own yard.

Snippets

This section contains several brief news items:

• Fortune Tellers Licensed: Pinellas County commissioners have upheld an ordinance requiring fortune tellers to be licensed, paying $100 annually for a license and an additional $25 for a background check. Complaints of "religious discrimination" were dismissed, with officials stating the aim is to protect consumers from fraudulent practitioners. Interfaith minister Annemarie Sklaruk questions the justification, noting that not all readings predict the future.
• Life on Mars Evidence: The article reports on new evidence supporting the presence of ancient life on Mars. A magnetite crystal found in a Mars meteorite, according to studies published in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, is considered supporting evidence. Astrophysicist Kathie Thomas-Keprta suggests that if life existed then, it might exist today. However, geologist Ralph P. Harvey calls the conclusions "hasty" and believes other explanations are still possible.

Ch. 13 News Promotes "Astronaut UFO" Photos

This article critiques a WTVT-TV 13 news report that promoted three "astronaut UFO" photos as genuinely unexplainable. The photos, sourced from the website anomalous-sightings.com, were presented without skeptical input. The article debunks each photo:

1. A white cigar-shaped "UFO" supposedly seen by John Glenn in 1962 is identified as a blow-up of a tracking balloon from Scott Carpenter's Mercury flight that failed to inflate properly.
2. A doctored photo from the 1965 Gemini 7 mission had its craft's nose airbrushed out, making the sun's glare on rocket thrusters appear as "UFOs." The photo was also posted upside down.
3. A bright-white object in a photo taken by Neil Armstrong during Apollo 11 in 1969 is described by space expert James Oberg as likely insulation or ice a few feet outside the window, not an authentic UFO.

The article concludes that these photos, while possibly "unidentified," cannot be called authentic UFOs except through semantic manipulation, citing McGraw-Hill's *UFOs: A Pictorial History* as an example of such a broad definition.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of paranormal and UFO claims. The Tampa Bay Skeptics, as represented by the articles, maintain a stance of open-minded skepticism, emphasizing the need for evidence, rigorous testing, and clear definitions of terms like "proof" and "belief." The editorial stance is clearly against the uncritical acceptance of anecdotal evidence and media sensationalism, as demonstrated by the debunking of alleged UFO photos and the analysis of paranormal claims. The publication aims to educate its readers by providing rational explanations and highlighting logical fallacies in paranormal belief systems, while also engaging in dialogue with groups like MUFON.