- Lecture November 18 - "The times they are(n't) a-Changin'," presented by NCAS President Scott Snell
- Eldrich investigations and a discount for NCAS
- November PhACT lelcture - "How are we deceived" presented by Brian "Happie" Foshee.
- A Report on CSICon 2023
- NCAS membership
- Shadow Light
- Time to Renew
National Capital Area Skeptics
Promoting Critical Thinking and Scientific Understanding
20/20 Since 1987
Shadow of a Doubt - November 2023
Shadow of a Doubt - November 2023
November 2023
Scott Snell
Saturday, November 18, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-05:00)
Connie Morella Library
Back and forth we go. Are you tired (literally tired) of switching your clocks one hour back every Fall and one hour forward every Spring? Why do we go to all the trouble? Do we have any good alternatives? What’s been tried before, or tried elsewhere?
Refreshments will be available.NCAS
Public Lecture Series
The Times They Are(n't) a-Changin'
Scott Snell
President, National Capital Area Skeptics
Saturday, November 18, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-05:00)Connie Morella Library
7400 Arlington
Road
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Also a YouTube Live
Event with Q and A
NCASVideo YouTube Channel:
Back and forth we go. Are you tired (literally tired) of switching your clocks one hour back every Fall and one hour forward every Spring? Why do we go to all the trouble? Do we have any good alternatives? What’s been tried before, or tried elsewhere?
Polls
show that the public is divided on what to do. But
even the experts can’t agree among themselves.
Meanwhile, the US Congress and some state
legislatures have introduced legislation to alter
standard time.
You're
encouraged to Google the topic to prepare for this
event. We’re seeking a lively informed discussion,
online and in person, focused on problem-solving.
Scott
Snell is a flight software engineer at NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center, tending the onboard
computer of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. He
received his BS in physics from the University of
Maryland. A charter member of NCAS, he has served as
its president since 2018.
"Cults and cryptids collide
when a curious Washingtonian investigates local unexplained
phenomena. Explore the lure of the unknown and its
entanglement with DC history in this multi-chapter adventure
across the city."
At the start of the pandemic, the local Rorschach Theatre company created a unique theatrical experience that extended over the course of 9-10 months. It was originally a way for the show to go on when the pandemic shut down stage performances, but it has been so successful that they are continuing into their 4th year with an all-new story beginning this month (November 2023).
Rorschach often incorporates elements of fantasy, horror, and/or supernatural. This coming season the Eldrich Investigations project involves themes particularly close to NCAS. The company has extended a 20% discount to NCAS members.
Subscribers receive a monthly box or envelope with maps, directions to locales around DC, and other artifacts such as postcards, telegrams, and various trinkets that help unfold a story over the course of 9-10 months. You investigate these locations at your own pace, on your own time. They also provide online videos for those who can't visit in person.
For the discount, use code NCAS when subscribing here:
https://rorschachtheatre.com/23-24-psychogeographies-project/
Sounds a bit like an expanded version of our NCAS Skeptours!
At the start of the pandemic, the local Rorschach Theatre company created a unique theatrical experience that extended over the course of 9-10 months. It was originally a way for the show to go on when the pandemic shut down stage performances, but it has been so successful that they are continuing into their 4th year with an all-new story beginning this month (November 2023).
Rorschach often incorporates elements of fantasy, horror, and/or supernatural. This coming season the Eldrich Investigations project involves themes particularly close to NCAS. The company has extended a 20% discount to NCAS members.
Subscribers receive a monthly box or envelope with maps, directions to locales around DC, and other artifacts such as postcards, telegrams, and various trinkets that help unfold a story over the course of 9-10 months. You investigate these locations at your own pace, on your own time. They also provide online videos for those who can't visit in person.
For the discount, use code NCAS when subscribing here:
https://rorschachtheatre.com/23-24-psychogeographies-project/
Sounds a bit like an expanded version of our NCAS Skeptours!
November PhACT Lecture
Our skeptical neighbors to the north, the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT), will host their next online event on Saturday, November 18 at 2 PM ET. Brian 'Happie' Foshee will present "How Are We Deceived?" He'll "explore how others deceive us, and the world of magic. Unraveling the psychology and techniques involved, we'll gain insights to navigate the intricate web of deceit that surrounds us. Welcome to the enigmatic world of deception and magic." Event details at http://www.phact.org/meetings.php.
Our skeptical neighbors to the north, the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT), will host their next online event on Saturday, November 18 at 2 PM ET. Brian 'Happie' Foshee will present "How Are We Deceived?" He'll "explore how others deceive us, and the world of magic. Unraveling the psychology and techniques involved, we'll gain insights to navigate the intricate web of deceit that surrounds us. Welcome to the enigmatic world of deception and magic." Event details at http://www.phact.org/meetings.php.
A Report on CSICon 2023
By Curtis Haymore
This year’s CSICon was my first in a few years and it
was as fun and interesting as previous CSICons and TAMs.
Attending CSICon conferences requires a big commitment of
time and money, but each one I have attended proved worth
it.
Attendees about filled the large hall and nearly a third of them appeared to be first-time attendees, based on how many raised their hands in response to emcee George Hrab's question. Every conversation I had that started with “How did you become interested in this conference?” led to a multitude of interesting stories about people’s histories and revelations.
Attendees about filled the large hall and nearly a third of them appeared to be first-time attendees, based on how many raised their hands in response to emcee George Hrab's question. Every conversation I had that started with “How did you become interested in this conference?” led to a multitude of interesting stories about people’s histories and revelations.
The presentations were mostly half-hour, which led to
snappy and very focused talks, and allowed a wide range of
speakers.
I signed up for the two workshops. “Magic for Skeptics” was entertaining and insightful from even the simplest things. Psychologist Richard Wiseman in particular always makes me smile. Jim Underdown and Kenny Biddle led the “Investigating and Testing Extraordinary Claims” workshop. Kenny is fun, entertaining, and curious. CSI is in good hands with Kenny as its new chief investigator.
Thursday night was the Richard Dawkins lecture, “Science, the Poetry of Reality, Jewel in Humanity’s Crown.” It was really wonderful, deeply thoughtful, filled with his well-crafted language. He reminded me of Christopher Hitchens…having a rare gift to form thoughts around interesting stories and analogies, and speak so well.
Friday night was devoted to Bill Nye receiving the Richard Dawkins Award from Dawkins, followed by their conversation. Nye was passionate, relaxed, and entertaining. As CEO of The Planetary Society, he advocated for robotic and human travel to other planets. I’m skeptical about human space exploration, but he has me reconsidering it—at least to Mars.
One highlight of Saturday’s program was an informative talk on vaccines by Dr. Paul Offit. Even though I thought I knew a lot about the vaccine rollouts—I really didn’t understand the background he gave about the research on the variants and the vaccines and decisions for use—I wonder if he is available to talk with some of my relatives (please!). There was a theme around education and communication of scientific understanding and critical thinking skills, which gave at least some hope for better reasoning among future generations. Health/wellness reporter Rina Raphael described how she became a skeptical reporter on that industry, which was fascinating. Naomi Oreskes’ talk about her impressive new book, “The Big Myth,” co-authored with Erik Conway about “the magic of the market,” provided information I hadn’t seen or at least hadn’t seen put together in the way she had.
Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post talked about fact-checking. We should all be grateful for the exhausting work of all of the fact-checking groups and organizations, and depressed on how little shame and repentance that work engenders.
Between Nye, Wiseman, Penn & Teller, comedian Leighann Lord, and George Hrab, there were plenty of laughs to go along with the learning.
If you need a skeptical boost in your life, try attending the next CSICon.
I signed up for the two workshops. “Magic for Skeptics” was entertaining and insightful from even the simplest things. Psychologist Richard Wiseman in particular always makes me smile. Jim Underdown and Kenny Biddle led the “Investigating and Testing Extraordinary Claims” workshop. Kenny is fun, entertaining, and curious. CSI is in good hands with Kenny as its new chief investigator.
Thursday night was the Richard Dawkins lecture, “Science, the Poetry of Reality, Jewel in Humanity’s Crown.” It was really wonderful, deeply thoughtful, filled with his well-crafted language. He reminded me of Christopher Hitchens…having a rare gift to form thoughts around interesting stories and analogies, and speak so well.
Friday night was devoted to Bill Nye receiving the Richard Dawkins Award from Dawkins, followed by their conversation. Nye was passionate, relaxed, and entertaining. As CEO of The Planetary Society, he advocated for robotic and human travel to other planets. I’m skeptical about human space exploration, but he has me reconsidering it—at least to Mars.
One highlight of Saturday’s program was an informative talk on vaccines by Dr. Paul Offit. Even though I thought I knew a lot about the vaccine rollouts—I really didn’t understand the background he gave about the research on the variants and the vaccines and decisions for use—I wonder if he is available to talk with some of my relatives (please!). There was a theme around education and communication of scientific understanding and critical thinking skills, which gave at least some hope for better reasoning among future generations. Health/wellness reporter Rina Raphael described how she became a skeptical reporter on that industry, which was fascinating. Naomi Oreskes’ talk about her impressive new book, “The Big Myth,” co-authored with Erik Conway about “the magic of the market,” provided information I hadn’t seen or at least hadn’t seen put together in the way she had.
Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post talked about fact-checking. We should all be grateful for the exhausting work of all of the fact-checking groups and organizations, and depressed on how little shame and repentance that work engenders.
Between Nye, Wiseman, Penn & Teller, comedian Leighann Lord, and George Hrab, there were plenty of laughs to go along with the learning.
If you need a skeptical boost in your life, try attending the next CSICon.
(CSICon 2023, sponsored by the Committee for Skeptical
Inquiry / Center for Inquiry / Skeptical Inquirer
magazine was held October 26-29 at the Flamingo Las Vegas
Hotel & Casino.)
NCAS Membership
At its September 20 meeting, the NCAS Board of
Directors approved a change in membership classifications,
effective October 1. Formerly in two classifications,
Single and Double, membership now comprises one or two
individuals at the same home address. In addition to
simplifying transactions for the NCAS treasurer, this
represents a per-person reduction in membership costs.
The former Single membership cost now covers up to two
people. Consider adding a 2nd person in your household to
your NCAS membership at no extra cost! Both will be able
to vote separately in the annual NCAS board of directors
election. Send an email to ncas@ncas.org
to add a 2nd person to your membership. We hope to add
members, and of course a student or other young person is
always welcome for the future of skepticism. Also see https://www.ncas.org/p/join-ncas.html.
Shadow Light
Some members and
contacts of NCAS receive a postal notification of this and
every new monthly Shadow of a Doubt. The Shadow
Light postcard announces the monthly lecture and
highlights of the electronic Shadow of a Doubt,
which is available online at ncas.org/p/shadow.html.
NCAS thereby reduces Shadow production and postage
costs. To further reduce costs, members and contacts can
opt out of postal notification altogether, while continuing
to receive Shadow of a Doubt via e-mail. To opt
out, send us an e-mail at ncas@ncas.org.
Time to Renew?
Be sure to check your renewal date above your postal address on the Shadow Light postcard. Send any queries to ncas@ncas.org. Use the online membership form to renew.
https://www.ncas.org/p/shadow.html
Time to Renew?
Be sure to check your renewal date above your postal address on the Shadow Light postcard. Send any queries to ncas@ncas.org. Use the online membership form to renew.
https://www.ncas.org/p/shadow.html
November 18 - The times they are(n't) a-changing
Scott Snell
President, National Capital Area Skeptics
Saturday, November 18, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern (UTC-05:00)
Connie Morella Library
7400 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD [map]
[directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Also a YouTube
Live Event with Q and A
NCASVideo
YouTube Channel:
President, National Capital Area Skeptics
Saturday, November 18, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern (UTC-05:00)
Connie Morella Library
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Back and forth we go. Are you tired (literally tired) of switching your clocks one hour back every Fall and one hour forward every Spring? Why do we go to all the trouble? Do we have any good alternatives? What’s been tried before, or tried elsewhere?
Polls show
that the public is divided on what to do. But even the
experts can’t agree among themselves. Meanwhile, the US
Congress and some state legislatures have introduced
legislation to alter standard time.
You're
encouraged to Google the topic to prepare for this event.
We’re seeking a lively informed discussion, online and in
person, focused on problem-solving.
Scott
Snell is a flight software engineer at NASA’s Goddard
Space Flight Center, tending the onboard computer of the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter. He received his BS in physics from the
University of Maryland. A charter member of NCAS, he has
served as its president since 2018.
Refreshments will be available.
Shadow of a Doubt - October 2023
- October NCAS lecture- Brian Sharpless will talk about "The werewolves among us"
- November talk - NCAS President will talk about "The times they are(n't) a-changing. "
- November Bay area skeptics lecture
- NCAS board elections
- Csicon 2023
- NCAS membership
- Happy belated Friday the 13th
- Torn from Today's Headlines
- Shadow Light
- Time to Renew?
Shadow of a Doubt - October 2023
October 2023
Brian A. Sharpless,
PhD
Saturday, October 21, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-04:00)
Connie Morella Library
Join
us as
Brian A. Sharpless discusses unusual psychological
conditions described in his new book, Monsters
on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders
Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies.
We'll delve into Clinical Lycanthropy, a
psychiatric syndrome within which the patient has
the delusional belief of turning into a wolf, and
Clinical Zoanthropy, a broader category of
delusional belief in turning into an animal.
(Hollywood has dramatized werewolf stories many
times, but were-gerbils remain "stories untold.")
What are these real-life disorders, how do they
compare with myth and popular culture, and what
treatments are available?
Brian A. Sharpless is a
licensed psychologist, author, and
a visiting research fellow at Goldsmiths,
University of London. He received his PhD in
clinical psychology and MA in philosophy from
Pennsylvania State University and completed
post-doctoral fellowships at the University of
Pennsylvania. He has authored more than fifty
professional publications including three books
for Oxford University Press. His research
interests include common and unusual psychological
disorders, psychotherapy, professional issues, and
the history of mental illness. This
research has been featured on TV, radio, and in other
media outlets, and he is a frequent speaker at
conferences and public events in the United States and
abroad.
Twitter: @briansharpless
website: www.briansharpless.com
Refreshments will be available.NCAS
Public Lecture Series
The Werewolves Among Us
Brian A. Sharpless,
PhD
Visiting Research Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of
London
Saturday, October 21, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-04:00)Connie Morella Library
7400 Arlington
Road
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Also a YouTube Live
Event with Q and A
NCASVideo YouTube Channel:
Twitter: @briansharpless
website: www.briansharpless.com
https://www.ncas.org/2023/10/october-21-clinical-lycanthropy.html
At the
speakers' request, this live-streamed event will not be
recorded for the NCAS YouTube channel.
November NCAS
Lecture
NCAS President Scott
Snell will present "The Times They Are(n't) a-Changin'."
Should we stop changing our clocks forth and back between
Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time? We’ll sort through
conflicting advice from experts. Saturday, November 18 at
1:30 PM (that's Standard Time!) at Connie Morella Library.
September Bay Area Skeptics Lecture
The [San Francisco] Bay Area Skeptics will host their
next online event on Thursday, November 9 at 10:30 PM ET.
Jennifer Pan, Sir Robert Ho Tung Professor of
Chinese Studies, Professor of Communication and (by
courtesy) Political Science, and a Senior Fellow at the
Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University, will
present "The Science behind Social Media and Political
Behavior." Details of the livestream will be posted at https://baskeptics.org/upcomingskeptalk/.
CSICon 2023
CSICon 2023, sponsored by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry / Center for Inquiry / Skeptical Inquirer magazine will be held October 26-29 at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Speakers include Bill Nye, Penn & Teller, Richard Dawkins, Mick West, and many others. Register at csiconference.org.
CSICon 2023, sponsored by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry / Center for Inquiry / Skeptical Inquirer magazine will be held October 26-29 at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Speakers include Bill Nye, Penn & Teller, Richard Dawkins, Mick West, and many others. Register at csiconference.org.
NCAS Membership
At its September 20 meeting, the NCAS Board of
Directors approved a change in membership classifications,
effective October 1. Formerly in two classifications,
Single and Double, membership now comprises one or two
individuals at the same home address. In addition to
simplifying transactions for the NCAS treasurer, this
represents a per-person reduction in membership costs.
The former Single membership cost now covers up to two
people. Consider adding a 2nd person in your household to
your NCAS membership at no extra cost! Both will be able
to vote separately in the annual NCAS board of directors
election. Send an email to ncas@ncas.org to add a
2nd person to your membership. We hope to add members,
and of course a student or other young person is always
welcome for the future of skepticism. Also see https://www.ncas.org/p/join-ncas.html.
Happy Belated Friday the 13th!
NCAS had no events planned for Friday, October 13, but we hope our members celebrated the silliness of superstition responsibly. Always wear eye protection if you smash a mirror, be careful when walking under a ladder, etc!
NCAS had no events planned for Friday, October 13, but we hope our members celebrated the silliness of superstition responsibly. Always wear eye protection if you smash a mirror, be careful when walking under a ladder, etc!
Torn From Today's Headlines
By Scott Snell
NASA to Investigate UFOs
By Scott Snell
NASA to Investigate UFOs
On September 14, 2023,
NASA's "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study
Team" released its final report, about 11 months after the
study began. The report is a relatively quick read:
From the Framework of
Recommendations: "Although [the Defense Department's
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)] leads the
whole-of-government response to [Unidentified Anomalous
Phenomena], the panel recommends that NASA play an
essential role within that framework. NASA should leverage
its core capabilities and expertise to determine whether
it should take a leading or supporting role in
implementing [the panel's] recommendation[s]." NASA's
reputation for openness was also cited as justifying a
role for the agency in UFO investigations.
Also from the report,
"The panel finds that public engagement in the effort to
better understand UAP will be vital. NASA, by lending its
name to UAP studies, is already helping to reduce stigma
associated with reporting."
NASA announced its
first "Director of UAP Research," Mark A. McInerney, a
meteorologist and climate data scientist at Goddard Space
Flight Center. Here's a NASA public outreach interview
with McInerney from 2020:
Author's comments:
The rationale for selecting McInerney isn't obvious. As described in the NASA news release...
The rationale for selecting McInerney isn't obvious. As described in the NASA news release...
...he was the "liaison
to the Department of Defense covering limited UAP
activities for the agency." I assume he was chosen as the
liaison and then the director of research because of his
experience in the technical management of NASA's Earth
science data. My assumption follows from the first
recommendation in the report: "We specifically recommend
that NASA utilize its existing and planned Earth-observing
assets to probe the local environmental conditions
associated with UAP that are initially detected by other
means."
To me, the most
remarkable aspect of the report is the opening sentence of
its foreword, written by Nicola Fox, Associate
Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate:
"Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are one of our
planet’s greatest mysteries." Given that her expertise is
in heliophysics and plasma physics (see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicola-Fox-3),
she may have requested briefings on the UAP
topic--briefings that apparently underemphasized prosaic
explanations.
https://vimeo.com/723865564
(starting at the 34:30 mark). This is an interesting
presentation because it represents a
scientist-to-scientists defense of the NASA UAP study.
Now that NASA has
established a program to search for UAP, there will be
associated programmatic funding. I wonder how much
funding, and what other programs will have their funding
reduced within the overall NASA budget?
At this point, NASA
seems mainly interested in studying Earth science data for
UAPs. But it could also be worthwhile to examine lunar
science data. (Disclosure: I'm part of the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter's engineering team at Goddard.)
LRO's sensors, including high-resolution cameras, have
studied the Moon since 2009. Unlike Earth or Mars, the
Moon's dusty surface preserves displacements of all kinds,
from impact craters to footprints. Perhaps the
aftereffects of alien landings and departures, sample
scoopings, etc are still visible on the surface, hidden
away in the many terabytes of LRO camera data that are
analyzed solely for geological features (except for
occasional localized searches for a crashed spacecraft
from Russia or other countries, for example). For that
matter, alien artifacts may be on or near the surface. I
suppose aliens may have taken care to leave no trace
whatsoever of their scientific study of the Moon. If we
find nothing in our mining of LRO data, that might be an
explanation. Or perhaps they have no interest whatsoever
in the Moon, although that seems inconsistent with a
species curious enough to travel here. (Maybe their
remote sensing is so good, they don't need to land on the
Moon to study it thoroughly. But then why are they
landing on Earth?) In any case, the Moon is an excellent
place to look for ancient* or recent evidence of alien
visitation. We just may need to look at our data in a new
way. (I'm not proposing a rehash of Richard Hoagland's
pseudoscientific interpretation of lunar images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_C._Hoagland.)
*Mark Robinson, an Arizona
State University scientist and the principal investigator for
LRO's camera, stated "probably there will be no traces of the
Apollo exploration in, let's say, 10 to 100 million years [due
to erosion from micrometeorites]." That may also be an upper
limit on how long alien traces would last on the Moon.
Some members and
contacts of NCAS receive a postal notification of this and
every new monthly Shadow of a Doubt. The Shadow
Light postcard announces the monthly lecture and
highlights of the electronic Shadow of a Doubt,
which is available online at ncas.org/p/shadow.html.
NCAS thereby reduces Shadow production and postage
costs. To further reduce costs, members and contacts can
opt out of postal notification altogether, while continuing
to receive Shadow of a Doubt via e-mail. To opt
out, send us an e-mail at ncas@ncas.org.
Time to Renew?
Be sure to check your renewal date above your postal address on the Shadow Light postcard. Send any queries to ncas@ncas.org. Use the online membership form to renew.
https://www.ncas.org/p/shadow.html
Time to Renew?
Be sure to check your renewal date above your postal address on the Shadow Light postcard. Send any queries to ncas@ncas.org. Use the online membership form to renew.
https://www.ncas.org/p/shadow.html
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