Sunday, December 27, 2009

Faith-based Initiatives and Charitable Choice


Saturday, Jan 9, 1:30 pm Public and FREE

Toni Van Pelt
Vice President, Center for Inquiry, 
Director, Office of Public Policy,
Washington, D.C.

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,VA
(Map)
(Flyer)

The Obama administration recently announced an expansion of government funding for so-called "faith-based initiatives," in which taxpayer dollars are doled out to sectarian religious organizations for the performance of social service programs.  This government funding raises legal and constitutional concerns that the administration has yet to address directly.  In February, the Center for Inquiry produced a position paper that called for an end to government funding of faith-based programs.  Because government funding is scheduled to continue, the Center for Inquiry further recommended the adoption and vigorous enforcement of specific minimum safeguards to protect church-state separation and religious liberty.

CFI performed a detailed historical study of federal funding for faith-based programs, extending from the rise of "charitable choice" legislation during the Clinton administration through the explosion of taxpayer funding for religious programs under George W. Bush's Faith Based and Community Initiative.  The position paper that resulted from this study expresses deep misgivings about government funding of sectarian religious programs.  CFI cited concerns that these programs may use taxpayer dollars to support or favor religious activities and beliefs; that government may give preference to particular religious organizations in doling out funds; and that under current standards, recipients of taxpayer funding for faith-based programs are allowed to engage in employment discrimination on the basis of religion.

CFI's position paper recommends that government funding of faith-based programs be eliminated entirely.  CFI's paper endorses a limited exception for truly secular social services programs, such as Catholic Charities, that have some affiliation with a religious institution but are provided by independent 501(c)(3) charities.  CFI maintains that such charities must conduct social service programs without religious content or materials and without engaging in religious discrimination.  (Catholic Charities is a non-profit corporation separate and distinct from the Catholic Church.)

CFI's paper further recommends that if taxpayer funding of faith-based programs continues, certain minimum safeguards should be implemented and enforced.  Specifically, CFI recommends that such programs should be barred from discriminating against both beneficiaries and employees on the basis of religion; that such programs should be monitored vigorously to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund religious worship, instruction, or proselytization; and that government must treat programs conducted by religious and secular organizations equally in granting funds, measuring performance, and monitoring for compliance.

Toni Van Pelt will discuss the Center for Inquiry's position paper, its recommendations, and describe how the CFI Office of Public Policy lobbies Congress on these issues. 

Toni Van Pelt is Vice President and Director of Public Policy of the Center for Inquiry in Washington DC. She has successfully introduced the Center for Inquiry into the world of National legislative and policy communities. As the lobbyist for the Center she asks Congressional members and staff to base law and policy on scientific fact and empirical evidence as opposed to faith. She lobbies for state church separation; women and lesbian-gay rights; and defense of democracy and secularism. She participates in coalitions with like-minded organizations on issues of mutual concern.

Before moving to Washington, Toni was the first Executive Director for the Center for Inquiry-Florida. Before that, she was the president of Florida National Organization for Women (NOW) where she learning her lobbying with the Federal and Florida legislatures. She helped write and establish new law in Florida. She is a veteran of Congressional and state political campaigns for candidates and for ballot initiatives and on issues campaigns. She ran for national president of NOW and came within 30 votes of being elected to the office.

Toni has been interviewed by national and international media, including press, radio, internet and broadcast. Her past career as the owner of a travel agency specializing in international travel has given her the opportunity to expand her worldview through global travel. As director of the Center for Inquiry's Travel Club, she has connected her past career in travel and business with her commitment to skepticism and secular humanism.


Saturday, November 28, 2009

Best Available Science: A Process for Evaluating the Validity & Applicability of Scientific Findings to Decision Making


Saturday, Dec 12, 1:30 pm Public and FREE

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D. Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Georgetown University Medical School Public Policy Institute

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,VA 
(Map) (Flyer)

Policymakers, judges, government agency staff, lawmakers, scientists, and others must constantly balance scientific, social, economic, political, emotional and other considerations when making a decision.  However, they are often "on their own" to determine the validity and applicability of scientific and technical data as they ask themselves, "How reliable is the information in front of me? What is the level of maturity of the underlying science, and can I make a sound decision based on it?"

Dennis K. McBridePh.D., President Emeritus and Chair of Fellows at  the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, will discuss the book, Best Available Sciencethat he co-authored with researchers from Potomac and the Institute for Regulatory Science. Led by the lead author, Alan Moghissi, this book is the culmination of three decades of insight from experts in the scientific and policy worlds, who have developed a process to enable not only scientists, but also non-scientists, to clearly and easily assess the maturity of scientific information. The book isolates scientific issues from other issues at play in policymaking.  It provides a framework for understanding the validity of scientific information that can be universally understood.  It gives decision makers a simple assessment system to most effectively utilize scientific information.  It also separates science from topics that are outside of the purview of science. As we continue to strive for excellence in both science and policy in an ever-changing landscape, Best Available Science, is a compelling resource.  It arms you with the ability to make the best decision possible with the best available information.  This guide can also be used as a tool for scientists to more clearly communicate with policy makers and help them to "speak the same language."

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D. is President Emeritus and Chair of Fellows at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington area think tank dedicated to the provision of science and technology policy expertise to the administration, congress, and the judiciary. Members of the Institute remain actively engaged in the scientific disciplines for which they provide expertise. McBride is an evolutionary psychologist with an extensive background in the science of human evolution. Prior to Best Available Science, he co-authored Quantifying Human Information Processing (Rowman & Littlefield).

McBride is Chief Scientific Officer for Quantum Leap Innovations.  In addition to being an active adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s medical school and Public Policy Institute, he has also held appointments as professor in colleges of engineering and arts and sciences. 

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The Art of Science: Scientific Methods vs Pseudoscience

Saturday, Nov 14, 1:30 pm Public & FREE

Marvin Zelkowitz, Professor Emeritus and Research Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,VA 
(Map)


Everyone has been exposed to the scientific method in grade school: Develop an hypothesis; Develop an experiment to test that hypothesis; Collect relevant data; Evaluate the data; Modify the hypothesis to account for differences in the observed and predicted results; and Repeat the process to improve your theory.


However, is this the way science works in practice? Do working scientists follow this method? Using computer science as a sample domain, the answer is "Sometimes." Looking at science in general, the differences between good and bad science and what levels of validation various experimental methods produce is discussed. Understanding when scientists do science and when they are venturing into the realm of pseudoscience is the focus of this talk.

Marvin Zelkowitz is a Professor Emeritus and Research Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland. He has been studying software development issues and technology transfer for the past 40 years. He is also on the Board of Directors of NCAS and is currently the Treasurer.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Nov 11 7 pm Drinking Skeptically with NCAS



Drinking Skeptically in the DC Area!


2d Wednesday Each Month -- Drop in 7 - 9 p.m.

Jackie’s Restaurant (map)
8081 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
http://www.jackiesrestaurant.com


What is Drinking Skeptically, you may ask? (You are a skeptic after all, questions are expected.) Drinking Skeptically is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and networking among skeptics, critical thinkers, and like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics to talk, share ideas (and yes, drink) in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. We discuss the issues of the day and whatever else is on our minds. But most of all, we have fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality. Don’t drink? Don’t let that stop you from joining us! Some of the world’s most famous skeptics are teetotalers, and we are happy to have you! Remember that drinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. If there’s one thing science has taught us, it’s the effects of alcohol on the human body. http://www.drinkingskeptically.org

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Heavy Mental + Science, Skepticism, and Magic


World-renowned magician and mentalist is coming to Washington, D.C. for two special events!

Saturday, October 24
AAAS Auditorium
1200 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC

Science, Magic & Skepticism: A Natural Relationship
(Daytime Lectures & Demonstrations)
1:00 - 5:30 PM
and

(Evening Performance)
7:30 pm
"Don't miss ASTONISHING magician Jamy Ian Swiss!" — Vanity Fair
"STUNNING!" New York Press "DAZZLING!"TimeOut NY
"Professional magician Jamy Ian Swiss, who describes himself as 'an honest liar,' is one CONFIRMED SKEPTIC with a finely tuned sense of the absurd." — The Washington Post
"You're freaking me out." — Matt Lauer, The TODAY Show

1:00-5:30 PM - Science, Magic, & Skepticism: A Natural Relationship
Workshop/Lectures and Demonstrations - AAAS Auditorium
Using discussion and demonstration, we'll explore the connection between magic and skepticism. Joining Jamy will be D.J. Grothe, magician, skeptic, and host of Point of Inquiry, CFI's radio show and podcast, and D.C.'s own Chip Denman, a founder of the National Capital Area Skeptics
  • D.J. Grothe, The History of Magic in Skepticism
  • Chip Denman, If the Spirit is Willing:
    Séance mediums and the scientists who investigated them
  • Jamy Ian Swiss: The Illusion of Psychic Powers
  • Q&A on Magic, Skepticism, Science, and Reason
    - with Swiss, Grothe, Denman.
7:30 PM - HEAVY MENTAL Show - AAAS Auditorium
Witness an amazing performance of baffling, unnerving, "mind reading" phenomena - accomplished with pure, psychology, subtle influence, deft illusion, uncanny intuition, and a healthy dose of downright deception - what Jamy calls "sleight of mind."
If there was such a thing as psychic power, it would have to look like this! Come and see for yourself how five ordinary senses can convince you that somehow, some way - there must be a sixth.
Workshop:
$35 ($30 for CFI and NCAS members and $15 for students)

HEAVY MENTAL Show:
$20 ($15 for CFI and NCAS members and $10 for students)
Workshop & Heavy Mental Show Package: $50 ($40 for CFI and NCAS members and $20 for students)
SPECIAL NOTES:
  • The HEAVY MENTAL show is not recommended for children under 12 and
    no one under 8 will be admitted.
  • This one-time performance will not be video recorded or repeated.
    Don't miss it.
These events are sponsored by the National Capital Area Skeptics and
the Center for Inquiry DC.

For more information, please call (202) 546-2332 or email mhensley@centerforinquiry.net


These events are sponsored by
National Capital Area Skeptics and Center for Inquiry DC



Monday, August 03, 2009

Cosmos in Your Pocket

Saturday October 10 1:30 pm - Public & Free

William T. Bridgman, Ph.D., Global Science & Technology, Greenbelt, MD

Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD (map)
Near Bethesda metro (directions) (flyer)

Astronomy provides a laboratory for extreme physics, a window into environments at extremes of distance, temperature and density that often can't be reproduced in Earth laboratories, or at least not right away. A surprising amount of the science we understand today started out as solutions to problems in astronomy. Some of this science was key in the development of many technologies which we enjoy today. This talk describes some of these connections between astronomy and technology and their history.

Dr. Bridgman received his Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from Clemson University in 1994, studying nuclear and high-energy astrophysics. After completing his doctorate, he worked as an instrument specialist for the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. He currently works as a contractor doing data-based scientific visualization for NASA media and public outreach. Over the years, he became involved in refuting pseudo-scientific issues in astronomy, particularly Young-Earth creationism and more recently Electric Universe claims. He operates a website and blog, "Dealing with Creationism in Astronomy"



Saturday, August 01, 2009

Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science

Saturday September 19 1:30 pm - Public & Free


Robert Park, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
University of Maryland

Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD (map)
Near Bethesda metro (directions) (flyer)

From uttering a prayer before boarding a plane, to exploring past lives through hypnosis, has superstition become pervasive in contemporary culture? Robert Park, the best-selling author of Voodoo Science, argues that it has. In Superstition, Park asks why people persist in superstitious convictions long after science has shown them to be ill-founded. He takes on supernatural beliefs from religion and the afterlife to New Age spiritualism and faith-based medical claims. He examines recent controversies and concludes that science is the only way we have of understanding the world.

Park sides with the forces of reason in a world of continuing and, he fears, increasing superstition. Chapter by chapter, he explains how people too easily mistake pseudoscience for science. He discusses parapsychology, homeopathy, and acupuncture; he questions the existence of souls, the foundations of intelligent design, and the power of prayer; he asks for evidence of reincarnation and astral projections; and he challenges the idea of heaven. Throughout, he demonstrates how people's blind faith, and their confidence in suspect phenomena and remedies, are manipulated for political ends. Park shows that science prevails when people stop fooling themselves.

Compelling and precise, Superstition takes no hostages in its quest to provoke. In shedding light on some very sensitive--and Park would say scientifically dubious--issues, the book is sure to spark discussion and controversy.

Robert L. Park is professor of physics at the University of Maryland. He is the author of Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud.

Princeton University Press

Visit Bob Park's "What's New" Blog

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

2009 Klass Award Program, Flyer, Photos, Video, Transcript

The 2009 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award was presented to Paul Kurtz, Founder and Chairman for CFI, CSI, and CSH, on April 10, at the 12th World Congress of the Center for Inquiry, held in Bethesda, Maryland.

Here are links to memorabilia from that award ceremony:

Monday, April 20, 2009

Therapeutic Touch: Fifth Force or Myth?


Saturday
, May 9, 1:30 pm - Public & Free

Professor Eugenie V. Mielczarek, Emeritus
Department of Physics, George Mason University


Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD
Near Bethesda metro (map) (directions) (flyer)

Alternative Medicine’s intrusion into science-based medicine fractures our medical care. A recent article in the Health Section of the Washington Post and information from its reporter located a paper in the Journal of Orthopedic Research claiming the ability of Therapeutic Touch practitioners to control the growth, in vitro, of healthy and cancerous bone cells. Therapeutic Touch depends on the general public's misunderstanding of energy fields and their need for mythology to facilitate its expanding use among medical institutions.

Eugenie Vorburger Mielczarek is Emeritus Professor of Physics at George Mason University. Her experimental researches in materials science, chemical physics and biological physics have been published in Physical Review, Journal of Chemical Physics and Biology of Metals. She has been a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health, and a visiting Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award at George Mason University. Mielczarek has advised National Public Radio, judged the U. S. Steel-American Institute of Physics prize for science journalism, and written book reviews for Physics Today. She was the primary editor of Key Papers in Biological Physics and author of Iron, Nature's Universal Element: Why People Need Iron & Animals Make Magnets, a popular science book. Her most recent article was a review of research frontiers linking Physics and Biology.

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Truth About Psychic Detectives

Tuesday, April 14, 7:30 pm - Public & Free

Benjamin Radford, Skeptical Inquirer Managing Editor

Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD (map)
Near Bethesda metro (directions)

Psychic detectives seem to be everywhere on TV. Many of them claim to find missing persons, and solve cases for police and the FBI. But how good is the evidence for their claims? Drawing on a decade of personal investigations and case studies, Benjamin Radford will reveal a side of psychic detectives that you won't see on Medium or Larry King Live (Flyer)

Saturday, March 28, 2009

NCAS Philip J. Klass Award to CFI's Paul Kurtz, Ph.D.















Paul Kurtz Philip J. Klass

Friday, Apr 10 - 11:30 am (Flyer)
NCAS 2009 Philip J. Klass Award Presentation to CFI's Paul Kurtz, Ph.D.
At the Center For Inquiry's 12th World Congress, Bethesda, MD


Special Opportunity for NCAS Members
Join with skeptics from around the world when NCAS honors the father of organized skepticism. NCAS will bestow its 2009 Philip J. Klass Award on Paul Kurtz, founder and chairman of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and Prometheus Books, at the start of the CFI Friday luncheon (11:30 AM, April 10) at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda (Crystal Ballroom), located at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue, directly above the Bethesda Metro station. Admission for NCAS members is free (or $35 to include lunch). NCAS members ordering lunch should register at the CFI event website, or by calling 1-800-458-1366. All other NCAS members planning to attend (without lunch) should RSVP at ncas@ncas.org.

NCAS Poster at CFI World Congress

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Drinking Skeptically with NCAS Wed April 8 at 7 pm



Drinking Skeptically Comes to the DC Area!


2d Wednesday Each Month -- Drop in 7 - 9 p.m

Jackie’s Restaurant (map)
8081 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
http://www.jackiesrestaurant.com



What is Drinking Skeptically, you may ask? (You are a skeptic after all, questions are expected.) Drinking Skeptically is an informal social event designed to promote fellowship and networking among skeptics, critical thinkers, and like-minded individuals. It provides an opportunity for skeptics to talk, share ideas (and yes, drink) in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. We discuss the issues of the day and whatever else is on our minds. But most of all, we have fun while promoting skepticism, science, and rationality. Don’t drink? Don’t let that stop you from joining us! Some of the world’s most famous skeptics are teetotalers, and we are happy to have you! Remember that drinking skeptically means drinking responsibly. If there’s one thing science has taught us, it’s the effects of alcohol on the human body. http://www.drinkingskeptically.org

Monday, March 02, 2009

May 22-24 Penn & Teller Coming to Atlantic City

Tickets for the Memorial Day Weekend Penn & Teller shows are available by special presale from Ticketmaster starting at 10 AM EDT on Tuesday, March 10.

Enter presale code PTAC at these Ticketmaster links:

Friday, May 22: www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004265C6A54FB5
Saturday, May 23: www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004265C9A5513D
Sunday, May 24: www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004265C9AD514A

All shows start at 9 PM. Seating chart for the concert venue at Harrah's:
media.ticketmaster.com/en-us/tmimages/venue/maps/phi/18384s.gif

Tickets are $45 - $75 plus Ticketmaster surcharges.

Presale ends Thursday, March 12 at 8 AM EDT. General public sale begins Saturday, March 14 at 10 AM EDT.

No group sales are available. But if you let us know (at ncas@ncas.org) which night you plan to attend, we can put you in touch with other NCASers if you want to arrange a meet-up.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Myths & Realities About Hydrogen Fuel


Saturday, Mar 21, 1:30 pm Public & Free

Rene Carlos, Advanced Composites Group,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA (*)
(Flyer)

Mankind has known of and studied hydrogen for over 300 years, and applied it to vehicles for over 200--first in balloons and dirigibles, then as high-performance rocket fuel, by military, civil, and commercial organizations. More recently, multiple navies have tested and deployed hydrogen-containing submarines. This is in addition to chemical and nuclear applications, and most likely consumer electronics in the near future. With fuel cost and availability worsening, and concerns that greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuel use are driving climate change, hydrogen has been promoted by some in government and industry as the ultimate widely-available and pollution-free fuel for private automobiles as well. Using fuel-cell technologies, such automobiles are claimed to exhaust nothing but water; hydrogen can also fuel conventional but modified piston engines.

But the devil is in the details. Many of the technical hurdles and shortcomings are usually left out of the conversation. The very claim that hydrogen is abundant and pollution-free is a matter of interpretation. Issues of sourcing and manufacture, as well as practical distribution and handling, haven't been as visible in the debate, while fears of Hindenburg-style disasters have gotten more traction than the evidence would suggest. In addition, fuel cells can use many other fuels besides hydrogen, including gasoline; the future of cars, with electric and hybrid cars also in contention, is far more complicated than the average driver has been led to believe. Even fuel-cell researchers themselves disagree on hydrogen's merits.

Rene Carlos is a mechanical engineer in the Advanced Composites Group at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. In that capacity he has served on multiple flight projects resulting in operational spacecraft, as well as on ground tests and technology demonstrations. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Materials Science, at Northwestern University. Personally, he has analyzed alternate-fuel conversions for his own vehicles.

* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Skeptical Eye, Volume 20-2 2009

  • Kurtz Receives Klass Award
  • Current & coming events
  • Prez sez—present
  • Prez sez—past
  • UFO Investigation
  • Science, Magic and Skepticism
  • Heavy Mental
  • Newton: The Alchemist
  • About NCAS
  • Write us

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Darwin at 200, Human Nature at a Few Million, A Myth Dispelled

Saturday, Feb 14, 1:30 pm Public & FREE

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D., Potomac Institute for Policy Studies,
Georgetown University Medical School
Georgetown University Public Policy Institute

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA (Map)

This talk first reviews some of the least known but important elements of Charles Darwin’s portfolio as he published “Origins” in 1859, and “Descent of Man” in 1871. (For example, Darwin was, fortunately for us, very prone to sea sickness.) Focusing on the evolution of humanity and on natural selection’s counterpart, sexual selection, Darwin’s 1871 book re-fueled a firestorm, one that still burns today. Poll numbers show that a significant proportion of today’s population does not accept Darwinism as applied to humans. Darwin foresaw and actually embraced this resistance. More importantly, a significant proportion of adults, including academics, accept human evolution but eschew the idea of a DNA-supported (i.e., not genetically determined) “human nature.” At least three evolved characteristics of human evolution make the species very different from its closest relatives: the opposable thumb, bipedalism, and the encephalized brain (which increased in size by a factor of 3 over the past few million years). Dr. McBride will touch on interesting examples of evolved human nature, including pregnancy sickness and male preference for mates with certain waist/hip ratios. With these, we will examine the way in which the realities of bipedalism and encephalization explain birth-related injury, and how this consideration undermines one of the most troublesome socio-legal myths of our time: the myth of shaken baby syndrome.

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D. is Academic President of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington area think tank dedicated to the provision of science and technology policy expertise to the administration, congress, and the judiciary. Members of the Institute remain actively engaged in the scientific disciplines for which they provide expertise. McBride is an evolutionary psychologist with an extensive background in the science of human evolution. His most recent book, Quantifying Human Information Processing (Rowman & Littlefield) is followed by a soon to be released, co-authored treatment of Best Available Science. As an active adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University’s medical school and Public Policy Institute, he has also held appointments as professor in colleges of engineering and arts and sciences.

* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)