Merry Newtonmas everyone! Don't forget to celebrate the winter solstice tomorrow, after which the days will be getting longer and we can all look forward to once again tending our gardens and harvesting our crops. Oh, and December 25 marks Isaac Newton's 358th birthday. Happy birthday Sir Isaac! And happy birthday to the sun.
An e-Skeptic reader has requested any skeptical literature on J.Z. Knight, who claims to channel "Ramtha," a 35,000-year-old spiritual entity who speaks English with an Indian accent (where 35,000-year-old hominids who spoke English with an Indian accent lived on the planet is not clear). Apparently this reader has a family member who eagerly plunks down thousands of dollars a year to sleep in the mud of Knight's horse farm in order to receive the sacred messages of Ramtha (usually really deep and important messages, like "you humans should love one another," and "war bad, peace good"). I have read J. Gordon Melton's book on Knight/Ramtha, which is well written and documented (showing, for example, how Knight developed the Ramtha character), but Melton stops far short of a thorough debunking, which this reader needs. Any suggestions?
The German correspondent for Skeptic magazine, Lee Traynor, has compiled all of the postings of e-Skeptic magazine since the start several years ago now. I was just bemoaning the fact that I had not kept them in some organized file for easy access, when Lee surprised me with this Newtonmas present. For the complete archives go to: http://www.e-skeptic.de
This from our friends in Kansas fighting the good fight:
If you were unable to attend Kansas Citizens For Science's Scopes Week events last July, now is your chance to hear what our great speakers had to say. We now have videotapes available. Three are from Scopes Week and one more is Genie Scott's excellent talk in Lawrence last fall:
o Dr. Michael Shermer, editor of "Skeptic" magazine and author of several books, including "Why People Believe Weird Things" and "How We Believe" "Denying Evolution: Who says it didn't happen, and why do they say it? A critique of Intelligent Design" - 75 minutes Shermer is a brilliant and entertaining speaker. He covers a great many topics, including explaining how humans detect apparent "design" due to the fact that we are pattern-seeking animals and pointing out why ID and other forms of creationism are not science. A humorous, fearless skeptic, Shermer is always controversial and always interesting.
o Prof. Kenneth Miller (author of "Finding Darwin's God") "Accepting God and Darwin: Kansas and the New Battle Over Evolution" - 60 minutes With excellent Power Point slides, Ken is at his energetic and articulate best, explaining flaws in "intelligent design" and even using creationists' own statements to support evolution. A dynamic talk filled with authoritative science, yet understandable to the general public.
o Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education "Evolution? Creation? Both? Neither?" - 60 minutes Genie Scott is one of the most polished and persuasive champions of evolution. In this superb talk, she explains why "teaching both" is not a satisfactory, or even feasible, option. She details the many forms of belief about life on earth on a continuum from Flat-Earthism and Young Earth Creationism all the way to non-theistic science. Informative, accessible to general audiences, and highly recommended for presentation to clubs, church groups, discussion groups and local school boards and teachers.
o Robert Boston, Assistant Editor of "Church & State" magazine (publication of Americans United for Separation of Church & State) and author of several books on the Religious Right, including "Close Encounters with the Religious Right" - 60 minutes "Bogus by Design: Challenging the New Creationism in Public Schools"
Rob has been infiltrating Religious Right organizations for the past several years. He was even invited to become a Board member of one group! He knows the RRR from the inside out and details their political and educational agenda for America. It should be enough to frighten any moderate out of complacency. Rob suggests ways average citizens can help block efforts to insert creationism into public school science classes.
***ORDER YOURS NOW!***
They'll make great Christmas gifts for the science fans on your list!
PRICING
$15.00 per tape, or all four for $55.00 (add postage and handling of $3.00 to your check). Tapes will be mailed to you via First Class U.S. Mail and should arrive within 7 days after we receive your order.
HOW TO ORDER:
Send a note explaining which tapes you want, plus your check or money order for the correct amount, including postage and handling (see above) to:
KCF
P. O. Box 5981
Topeka, KS 66605
***DON'T FORGET: ORDER ALL FOUR AND SAVE!***
And check out the KCFS website: www.kcfs.org for great Links and a Discussion Forum where you can take on IDers.
This from our friends at the Planetary Society and One Cosmos Network:
We're proud to announce an alliance of SETI@home with One Cosmos Network and The Planetary Society. This alliance will give us the financial support necessary to continue and expand SETI@home, as well as enabling us to provide a richer Web experience.
Founded by Internet executive Joe Firmage and Ann Druyan, Carl Sagan's wife and collaborator of 20 years, One Cosmos Network is dedicated to carrying on Sagan's effort to humanize science and bring it to people everywhere. Toward this end, One Cosmos is constructing an Internet portal, OneCosmos.net, and a production studio, Cosmos Studios, which will create compelling science-based entertainment for television and film. Their first release is an updated, digitally remastered Collector's Edition of the Emmy and Peabody Award winning 13-hour television series, "Cosmos." The series is currently available for purchase in DVD or VHS format, with "The Music of Cosmos" available separately in a double-CD format; find them at http://OneCosmos.net.
The Planetary Society is the founding sponsor of SETI@home, and its membership is open to anyone who shares the goals of exploring our solar system and searching for extraterrestrial life. In fact, the Society supports six different SETI efforts, along with many other projects in space exploration. We encourage you to join The Planetary Society and help advance their many worthy programs at http://planetary.org/html/member/JoinUs.html
We are also extremely grateful to our other sponsors, including the University of California Digital Media Innovation Program, Sun Microsystems, Fuji Film Computer Products, Quantum, and the SETI Institute.
Thanks also to the hundreds of individuals who have made contributions to SETI@home. Their names are listed at http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/donorlist.html
SETI@home is free for everyone, but if you can consider making a tax-deductible donation to SETI@home, please visit http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/donor.html.