June 2022
Everyday
Extraordinary:
Barry Markovsky, PhD
Saturday, September 10, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-04:00)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
2nd Floor (West Room)
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
The presentation will include readings from a book in progress, followed by an open discussion.
With this book, Barry hopes to reach a wider audience that normally wouldn't pick up a skeptical approach. Each chapter opens with a first-person "Front Stage" account of a true extraordinary experience. Then it goes "Back Stage" to show how perfectly normal events can deceive us into inferring something supernatural. Chapter topics are familiar to most NCAS members—ghosts, astrology, dowsing, ESP, UFOs, etc. What Barry hopes will differentiate this book from other skeptical works is its approach: Telling the stories with heart and humor, and explaining what really happened instead of leaping to paranormal conclusions.
"For the discussion, in addition to any feedback you'd like to offer, I'd like to brainstorm with you about strategies for maximizing the impact of this kind of endeavor. Given it's aimed at non-scientists, what's the optimal vocabulary level and pedagogical style? How 'sciency' should it get without the risk of losing too many readers? Is there even a market for it? These are questions I struggle with every day as I write, so your input will be much appreciated."
Barry Markovsky's
research areas include group processes, social psychology,
social networks, methods of theory construction,
experimental research, and computer simulations. His most
recent work has addressed social status, identity, fairness
perceptions, cooperation, and influence in small group
contexts, and he has developed online tools for building,
evaluating, and disseminating sociological theories. He has
taught courses in group processes, pseudoscience and
paranormal beliefs, and theory construction. Prior to his
position at the University of South Carolina, he was
Sociology Program Director at the National Science
Foundation, and Assistant, Associate and Full Professor at
the University of Iowa.
Board of Directors Election
Prez Sez
By Scott Snell
In August, Susan told the
tale of her cross-country skeptical journey, including her
NCAS visit:
https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/susan-gerbic-back-on-tour/ 
NCAS president Scott Snell and Susan Gerbic.
(Photo by Adrienne Hill)
NCAS created the Philip J. Klass Award in 2006. Previous recipients were Michael Shermer, James Randi, Robert L. Park, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, Joel Achenbach, Penn & Teller, Phil Plait, Steven Salzberg, and John Mather. The 2022 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award
(Photo by J. D. Mack)
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
NCAS
Public Lecture Series
Everyday
Extraordinary:
Inspiring Critical Thinking
Using Paranormal Claims
Barry Markovsky, PhD
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of South
Carolina
Saturday, September 10, 1:30pm - 4:00pm US/Eastern
(UTC-04:00)Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
2nd Floor (West Room)
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD [map] [directions]
(Bethesda Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
The presentation will include readings from a book in progress, followed by an open discussion.
With this book, Barry hopes to reach a wider audience that normally wouldn't pick up a skeptical approach. Each chapter opens with a first-person "Front Stage" account of a true extraordinary experience. Then it goes "Back Stage" to show how perfectly normal events can deceive us into inferring something supernatural. Chapter topics are familiar to most NCAS members—ghosts, astrology, dowsing, ESP, UFOs, etc. What Barry hopes will differentiate this book from other skeptical works is its approach: Telling the stories with heart and humor, and explaining what really happened instead of leaping to paranormal conclusions.
"For the discussion, in addition to any feedback you'd like to offer, I'd like to brainstorm with you about strategies for maximizing the impact of this kind of endeavor. Given it's aimed at non-scientists, what's the optimal vocabulary level and pedagogical style? How 'sciency' should it get without the risk of losing too many readers? Is there even a market for it? These are questions I struggle with every day as I write, so your input will be much appreciated."
Barry Markovsky's
research areas include group processes, social psychology,
social networks, methods of theory construction,
experimental research, and computer simulations. His most
recent work has addressed social status, identity, fairness
perceptions, cooperation, and influence in small group
contexts, and he has developed online tools for building,
evaluating, and disseminating sociological theories. He has
taught courses in group processes, pseudoscience and
paranormal beliefs, and theory construction. Prior to his
position at the University of South Carolina, he was
Sociology Program Director at the National Science
Foundation, and Assistant, Associate and Full Professor at
the University of Iowa. Results of June's NCAS
member vote on candidates for the board of directors have been
tabulated. Re-elected and incumbent members are: Tom Bridgman,
Nelson Davis Jr, Chip Denman, Grace Denman, Brian Gregory,
Curtis Haymore, Beth Kingsley, J. D. Mack, Mary Pastel,
Melissa Pollak, Walter F. Rowe, Scott Snell, and Marv
Zelkowitz.
At its June 29 meeting, the NCAS board of directors selected its officers, who are: Scott Snell, president; Melissa Pollak, vice president; Walter F. Rowe, secretary; and Marv Zelkowitz, treasurer.
At its June 29 meeting, the NCAS board of directors selected its officers, who are: Scott Snell, president; Melissa Pollak, vice president; Walter F. Rowe, secretary; and Marv Zelkowitz, treasurer.
Annual Membership Meeting
Following the talk and the question-and-answer/discussion segment, the annual meeting of NCAS members will begin. This will be limited to in-person participants.
Following the talk and the question-and-answer/discussion segment, the annual meeting of NCAS members will begin. This will be limited to in-person participants.
By Scott Snell
Our 2022-2023 lecture series begins with an
in-person/online event. However, in this case I urge you,
if at all possible, to attend in person. This won't simply
be a talk followed by Q&A. It will be much more of a
discussion with the audience. As the emcee, I'll do all I
can to convey the questions and comments from our online
participants, but I may not be able to actually "converse"
on their behalf. Our in-person audience will have access to
the microphone and can speak at length.
There's another reason I hope you can be there. We're
holding our annual membership meeting because we're hoping
to attract a participative, thoughtful audience for
discussing Barry Markovsky's book-in-progress. I think that
frame of mind could come in handy for discussing the future
of the skeptical movement and NCAS. Our #1 priority is to
support Barry as he develops his book to reach an audience
of potential future skeptics. But let's keep the ball
rolling afterwards to sketch out our next steps in the
months and years to come.
It's true that COVID-19 is still among us. Wearing a
well-fitted N95 mask will probably protect you. I'm also
relieved to see that community levels in Montgomery County,
DC, and surrounding counties are currently low. So your
risk for attending in person is, at least for now,
relatively small.
(Photo by Susan Gerbic)
As you may already know, prospects are good for having
safe public gatherings in the months to come: The FDA has
authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for use. "The mRNA in
these vaccines is a specific piece of genetic material that
instructs cells in the body to make the distinctive 'spike'
protein of the original virus strain and the omicron variant
lineages BA.4 and BA.5. The spike proteins of BA.4 and BA.5
are identical."
This development presents at least a respite from the
pandemic, likely to provide actual immunization instead of
just minimizing the severity of infection.
Finally, I'll quote our 2022 Klass Award recipient, Susan
Gerbic, who completed a cross-country tour of local skeptics
groups a few months ago. "Whatever the goals are for the
group, the answer is always to find ways to get people to
attend events, have some common experience, and allow people
to form relationships." (Read more about this in the next
item.)
2022 NCAS Philip J.
Klass Award Presentation Event and Lecture
On April 27, NCAS members and guests gathered at the Takoma Busboys and Poets in Northwest DC for the 2022 Philip J. Klass Award presentation dinner and show. NCAS president Scott Snell presented the 2022 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award for outstanding contributions in promoting critical thinking and scientific understanding to Susan Gerbic, the foremost citizen skeptic, founder and leader of "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia."
On April 27, NCAS members and guests gathered at the Takoma Busboys and Poets in Northwest DC for the 2022 Philip J. Klass Award presentation dinner and show. NCAS president Scott Snell presented the 2022 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award for outstanding contributions in promoting critical thinking and scientific understanding to Susan Gerbic, the foremost citizen skeptic, founder and leader of "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia."
In his remarks, Mr. Snell
noted the parallels between Ms. Gerbic and Paul Kurtz, to whom
he had presented a Klass Award in 2009. Kurtz, generally
regarded as the father of the modern skeptical movement, was a
leader, organizer, and publisher. Kurtz's Prometheus Books
and Skeptical Inquirer still exist, but what is the
future of publishing? Decades from now, Wikipedia may still
exist, and the work that Ms. Gerbic and her colleagues began
and continue may still be valuable for educating the public
and protecting consumers. Ms. Gerbic was recognized for
"successful and ongoing efforts to ensure the accuracy of
Wikipedia and for protecting the public from psychics who
exploit the vulnerable."
The evening's entertainment
was provided by Peter Wood, "Collector of the Impossible."
Susan and her guest (Adrienne Hill, a fellow member of the
Monterey County Skeptics) and NCAS members witnessed a show
that Penn Jillette had described as "beautiful, subtle"... a
presentation of incredible, unique, and magical objects with
unparalleled showmanship.
Susan and NCAS reconvened on
April 30 at Arlington Central Library for her presentation,
"Grief Vampires, Wikipedia and More." Her talk is available
on the NCAS YouTube Channel at:
NCAS president Scott Snell and Susan Gerbic.
(Photo by Adrienne Hill)
NCAS created the Philip J. Klass Award in 2006. Previous recipients were Michael Shermer, James Randi, Robert L. Park, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, Joel Achenbach, Penn & Teller, Phil Plait, Steven Salzberg, and John Mather. The 2022 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award
(Photo by J. D. Mack)
September PhACT
Lecture
Our skeptical neighbors to the north, the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT), will present their next event on Saturday, September 17 at 2 PM ET. After two years of online-only presentations, they are resuming in-person events, but are working to continue their live YouTube stream. Their speaker will be behavioral scientist Stuart Vyse, discussing his book, The Uses of Delusion: Why It’s Not Always Rational to be Rational, looking at the aspects of human nature that are not altogether rational but, nonetheless, help us achieve our social and personal goals. As he did for his CFI and NCAS lectures, Dr. Vyse will focus on yet another chapter of the book, rather than covering the same topics again. Event details at http://www.phact.org/meetings.php. Also see PhACT's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePhiladelphiaAssociationforCriticalThinking/videos
AmazonSmile's disbursements to NCAS in the first quarter of 2022 came to $24.35, meaning that nearly $5000 of purchases were designated in support of NCAS. (As an example of how NCAS can put that money to good use, it's more than enough to cover an hour of a Montgomery County lecture room rental.)
Thanks again to our members who have chosen to support NCAS!
For more information:
Our skeptical neighbors to the north, the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT), will present their next event on Saturday, September 17 at 2 PM ET. After two years of online-only presentations, they are resuming in-person events, but are working to continue their live YouTube stream. Their speaker will be behavioral scientist Stuart Vyse, discussing his book, The Uses of Delusion: Why It’s Not Always Rational to be Rational, looking at the aspects of human nature that are not altogether rational but, nonetheless, help us achieve our social and personal goals. As he did for his CFI and NCAS lectures, Dr. Vyse will focus on yet another chapter of the book, rather than covering the same topics again. Event details at http://www.phact.org/meetings.php. Also see PhACT's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePhiladelphiaAssociationforCriticalThinking/videos
AmazonSmile:
Thanks to our members who are supporting NCAS!
When shopping at smile.amazon.com, you'll find
the same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping
experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that a
portion of the purchase price (0.5%) goes to NCAS! It's
simple and automatic, and it doesn't cost you anything!AmazonSmile's disbursements to NCAS in the first quarter of 2022 came to $24.35, meaning that nearly $5000 of purchases were designated in support of NCAS. (As an example of how NCAS can put that money to good use, it's more than enough to cover an hour of a Montgomery County lecture room rental.)
Thanks again to our members who have chosen to support NCAS!
For more information:
https://smile.amazon.com/about
https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-launches-amazonsmile-simple-automatic-way-customers
https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-launches-amazonsmile-simple-automatic-way-customers
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
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