October 19 - Burned with His Books: The Life and Times of Michael Servetus

Presented by Neil Inglis

Skeptics are drawn to stories of those who faced the threat of persecution to stand up against the forces of religious dogma. Michael Servetus lost that battle--and although the passage of time has brought vindication, he remains an unsung and elusive figure.

A physician and researcher by day, theologian and polemicist by night, the Spanish-born Servetus wrote on a variety of medical and other topics and announced an anatomical discovery shortly before his death. Intrigued by printing technology, Servetus worked closely (albeit discreetly) with publishers to produce some of the finest books of his age. These texts represent a moving and beautiful milestone on our faltering journey into the modern era.  Ironically, it was atop a pyre of his own books that Servetus was burned to death.

Recent developments in Spanish-language scholarship have addressed some of the gaps in the historical record, such as Servetus' suicidal decision to visit Geneva and confront his mortal foe, Jean Calvin.

Translator, author and long-term NCAS member Neil Langdon Inglis is editor of the "Tyndale Society Journal" (TSJ), a magazine honoring the life and work of the first published translator of the Bible in English, William Tyndale (1494-1536). Neil is also U.S. General Editor (and Parapsychology Editor) for interlitq.org, an on-line journal of opinion.  Neil Inglis last gave a presentation on Michael Servetus (1511-1553) at the Bethesda Public Library in January 2005.  Neil's most recent presentation for NCAS was on "Brian Inglis: Mortal Enemy of CSICOP" in the Fall of 2017. Neil is pictured with the Servet memorial in the Spanish Room at the IMSS Museum in Chicago in 2014.

Saturday, October 19, 2019
1:30 pm

Connie Morella Library
7400 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD

Shadow of a Doubt - September 2019

September 2019

• September 20 -"NCAS Workshop - Asking good questions". Led by Chip and Grace Denman
• NCAS Election Results
• Prez Sez
• Torn from Today's Headlines
• AmazonSmile: Thanks to our members who are supporting NCAS!
• Shadow Light
• Member renewals

Click to see Shadow.

September 21 - Workshop: Asking Good Questions

An Interactive Workshop Led by Chip & Grace Denman 


NOTE: THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP AND NOT A LECTURE. ATTENDEES SHOULD PLAN ON PARTICIPATING. 

We like answers. We like to know them and to give them. Sometimes we want others to think we are smart or knowledgeable, so we jump to give answers rather than ask questions. And the questions we do ask are sometimes based more on our personal assumptions and biases than they are about getting to the real answer.

Skeptical thinking is more about asking good questions than knowing good answers. In this interactive workshop, we will practice methods for posing questions that lead to better understanding and new ideas, while avoiding bias and hasty assumptions.

Chip Denman has been a director of the James Randi Educational Foundation since 2008 and has served as the statistician behind the Million Dollar Challenge since its start. He is a co-founder of the National Capital Area Skeptics in the DC/Maryland/Virginia region. He recently retired from the University of Maryland where he created and taught the course Science & Pseudoscience for the University Honors Program.


Grace Denman has been a leader in the arena of skeptical activism since co-founding the National Capital Area Skeptics in 1987. She has had the privilege of serving on the NCAS Board of Directors since its inception and has served as Treasurer and President. She is a Program Manager at AccelerEd, an affiliate of the University of Maryland Global Campus, previously the University of Maryland University College (it's complicated) where she questions assumptions daily.

Saturday, September 21, 2019
1:30 pm

Connie Morella Library
7400 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD

FREE admission. Everyone welcome, members and non-members  

May 18 Skeptour

NCAS Skeptour: Visit to National Museum of Health and Medicine

Saturday, May 18, 2019

10AM-11:30AM

NCAS has arranged for a group tour of the National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM) in Silver Spring, Maryland on Saturday morning, May 18. NMHM promotes the science and history of medicine, with an emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. The Museum offers visitors a unique perspective on health and medicine because it is one of the few places where the public can actually see the effects of disease on the human body. Additionally, it is one of the few places that disease can be seen with the instruments and equipment used to diagnose and/or treat the disease, with case histories of patients afflicted with the disease.

We will meet at the museum entrance at 10:00 am. A museum docent will take us on a 90 minute in-depth overview of the museum’s permanent exhibits, including “Military Medicine: Challenges and Innovations,” “Civil War Collections,” “The Human Body: Anatomy and Pathology,” and others.

Optional: Following the anatomy lessons, those wishing to feed a healthy stomach will meet for lunch at nearby Pacci’s Trattoria (http://paccistrattoria.com/).

Admission to the museum is free. You may be asked to show a government-issued photo ID at the front desk.

Location: 2500 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Free parking is available.
The museum is about 1 mile from the Forest Glen Metro Station on the Red line.

RSVP: If planning to attend, please send a message to skeptour@ncas.org with your name and how many are attending with you.