People,

    Just a reminder - as noted at:
http://www.phact.org/meetings.html
There is a PhACT meeting 2pm tomorrow on Terrorism and
Emergency Response by Ralph Gumbert.

    Our May 21 meeting is held at 2pm at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences.   Then we will be off for the Summer with the exception of our Picnic.

Eric Krieg

Hey folks,

  a final reminder: we will meet at 2pm this Saturday in the lobby of the
Academy of Natural Sciences for some learning.  Find us in the lobby so
we can make sure to get you in for the lower cost group rate.  This
should be a good chance to study evolutionary oddities, natural
selection, well adapted creatures in a great museum close that's been in
our area nearly 200 years.  Details on the museum are found at:
http://www.acnatsci.org/

     An article appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Ted
Daeschler  who discovered the fish to lizard transition species,
Tiktaalik.  If you think about it, he really discovered the Darwin
"evolving fish" emblem that some of our members sport.   I'm going to
propose that we try to offer him an award sometime.   Ted also speaks on
behalf of the Academy of Natural Sciences.  The article mentioned Ted's
sharing my favorite iconoclastic TV show, "The Simpsons".   Sunday's
episode featured Ned Flanders being offended by an evolution display in
a museum - this led to the town debating teaching intelligent design.
Although the town agreed with Lisa Simpson that science and
"intelligent" design could not both be taught-  they ended up allowing
only creationism to be taught.  Lisa gets arrested at gun point during a
secret meeting to study Darwin.  Legal machinations started looking bad
for Lisa until an ironic ape-like fit by Homer convinced all of our
simain heritage.  The episode should be as well received by skeptics as
one from several years back where Lisa tries to debunk a phony angel
skeleton - leaving the judge to issue a welcome restraining order that
"religion and science must keep at least 500 feet apart" That earlier
episode featured a fictitious reference to "Jr. Skeptic magazine" which
inspired the real thing at the end of Skeptic magazine.

      The only PhACT phunction for the summer is our annual Picnic - but
this time in Buck's County's Peace Valley Park.  (take 611 north, to 313
north, go about 2 miles, turn left on New Galena Road, go 1.75 miles and
follow the road on a right turn into the park.  We will be in one of the
parking lots on the left hand side.  There is a  map at:
http://www.phact.org/picnic.jpg
Call my cell (215) 667-1151 if you get lost.

    Today's news included Indonesian people refusing to leave an active
volcano and attempting to use ancient ritual to appease the volcano's
spirits:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/merapi-volcano-1.html

cheers,
Eric Krieg

The "Gentle Wind" folks showed up in Knoxville, TN a few years back. A local "Instrument Keeper" had contacted a gullible reporter and there was quite a splash piece in the paper. The seminar was $20 and you could try out some of the "Treatment" posters while waiting for the main event. I got to talk with the Instrument Keeper and got a soft sell as I was obviously there to scope out their activities (SCAM). An old battle axe was accepting the suggesssted $20 donation per person which she placed in a 1 gallon glass jar with a flourish as she gave out the tickets. Also selling or accepting donations for several books.

People trying out the posters got into all kinds of grotesque positions to place an affected body part in proximity to the "Healing Vibrations." Never got to see an "Healing Instrument."

Most pififul was the elderly man and his wife who appeared to be in the early stages of alzheimer's disease. They (he) was looking for the seminar room and had to lead her to the ladies room and set her on her way. Didn't appaer to be able to afford the cost of the seminar, let alone any of the promotions.

A googling for Gentle wind project turns up several sites. Photos of "Instruments" which are nothing but fancy looking artifacts of plastic, sand, and other assorted worthless components.

I didn't know PhACT had gotten coverage in connection in connection with
Gentle Wind, which I was first to bring to the group's attention. I'd
like to see that if someone can direct me to it.

They've been back in town recently, or will be shortly. I saw a flyer
for them.



Eric Hamell

The guest at the next meeting of the Philadelphia Science Fiction
Society will be Max Mintz, a Penn engineering professor, speaking on the
subject of quantum computing.

The group meets Friday, 11 August, at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street.
Enter by the door on the left side of the building. Program starts at 9
pm.

Eric Hamell

The lead character in this upcoming movie is reportedly (according to
the *Campus Freethinker*) based on real-life skeptical investigator Joe
Nickell.

\\||/,
Eric Hamell

http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Reaping,_The/

<http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp>
<http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm>

Bill

 Stephen Jay Gould called Shermer "a powerful activist and essayist in the service of reason . . . an important figure in American life."   In addition to his skeptical contributions to the world, Michael is also a really cool guy:  He's down to earth, he used to be on "the other side", he has bicycle raced across the continent, he started the Southern California Skeptics, is a columnist for Scientific American, and he's a family man.  PhACT highly recommends people to bring friends for this rare chance to meet him in Philadelphia while he promotes his new book. Please consider buying some of his books, (they make great gifts) and getting them signed by him.  Our own Becky will be running the book table where you can have a chance to buy one and have it autographed - if it looks like they won't all be taken, try to think of people to buy them as gifts for.  Email Eric Krieg at erickrieg@..., if you want in with a few of us informally treating Shermer to dinner earlier ahead of time

People,

  Happy Halloween - though people say skeptics are boring, I dressed up in a Star
Trek uniform today and will pass out candy tonight.

   Former PhACT President, Bob Glickman was video'd for a TV show to run tonight:
He will appear on CN8 on Arthur Fennel's show at 10PM talking about ghosts. 
It's good when responsible media people at least give some air time for the
skeptical point of view.

    Don't forget, November 18th 2pm for our next lecture: It will be a talk by
Don Simanek  on SCIENCE ASKEW  - Gems of science humor, satire and parody from
his just-published book  of the same title by Donald E. Simanek and John C.
Holden.

Friday December 22 - We will have a private RSVP winter solstice party at 6:30
pm in Elkins Park � email eric at this email address for more information

January 20 2006 ACLU chapter board members, Bill Ewing, will speak on issues of
free speech.

February 17 2006 we will have Tom Delworth speak on Global Warming - I will be
interested to see if he has been more swayed by the evidence since his talk 4
years ago.

   In other news, the Shermer lecture we hosted went well. It was standing room
only and we sold all the copies of the books we had on hand and passed out
plenty of our own literature.  The FSGP had a great anti-superstition bash
afterwards.

as always, our events are listed at:
http://www.phact.org/meetings.html

Another thing of interest, Richard Dawkins will speak at the Free Library,
Philadelphia Central Library,
1901 Vine Street Thursday, November 02, 2006
Time: 12:00 PM For more information go to:
http://libwww.library.phila.gov/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=14084&loc=CEN


Eric Krieg

Mike Shermer tells us "Why Darwin is important"   On Friday the 13th of October, PhACT was proud to host a lecture by leading international skeptic, Mike Shermer  at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square.    The local Free Thought society had gotten him for a book signing at their same night anti-superstition bash and were nice enough to allow us to extend the venue with an early lecture. 
A standing room only audience of over 200 people were in rapt attention to Michael Shermer.
 I felt honored to do a quick plug for PhACT and introduce Shermer to the standing room only audience. Mike who was on a nationwide book promotion tour disappointed no one with his unique fast pace of promoting science and reason. Shermer is a renowned science writer and founder of the international Skeptics Society. He did some reading from his new book he's promoting "Why Darwin Matters"  He talked about his and
 Darwin's excursions to the Galapagos Island chain.  Many people weren't aware that Darwin likely delayed and limited promotion of his ideas out of concern for his own and his families religion.  Shermer doesn't just limit himself to the general skeptical position on evolution . . . explaining it and deflating creationist attacks against it.  He goes on and covers deeper topics like how evolution is part of greater effect where emergent order can arise from random processes (like a free market economy).  He proposes a means where religionists can embrace evolution without necessarily having to give up religion.  This is a pragmatic response to the nearly half of American's who presently reject evolution and who are unlikely to question sacrosanct religious beliefs and culture.

     During the Q&A portion at the end of reading, many of the questions were along the line of "How do we make them believe?” Shermer reminded us that it is not enough to be against something - we have to be for something . . . .  science, reason, understanding, solving mysteries, advancing the cause of humanity.  To do that, we must avoid the temptation to
refer to peoples' most valued beliefs as "silly superstitions". If we take such an adversarial approach, we lock ourselves out before we ever even start a dialogue. He told us, it would probably be prudent to come up with more sound-bite friendly statements that easily fit on a t-shirt or bumper stickers, because honestly, there is nothing brief about books like Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time".    Shermer took on fears of evolution that lead close to half of our population to reject it.  There is a common but little spoken deep fear in the minds of masses to the effect of "if the masses didn't have religious convictions - the remaining unfettered animal nature would lead to social destruction.    Shermer noted that "if people really did not have any moral values without religion, then the least religious people of all—the scientific community should be out running amuck, committing senseless crimes.  Though the general audience loved this sarcastic syllogism - I did hear an interesting response from one young student who attended, "Most members of the freethinking scientific community were at one time religious and have already voluntary or involuntary had moral values instilled in their minds. "  

 Shermer gave many excellent defenses for evolution, but his purpose was more than to merely debunk creationist misinformation.  He went on to explain how a good bit of negative human behavior is a atavistic result of evolution supporting characteristics like hoarding, putting on excess weight, slaughtering competing groups and philandering.   Even people's natural difficulty grasping the infinitesimal, eons of times or the vastness of space would be explained from our 10's of thousands of years developing as simple tribal people having no need for such visualizations. Some have posited the deep irony that proclivity for religious belief could its self have evolutionary advantage.  But, he went to describe the utility of evolution explaining emergent properties like market economies or altruism.  As someone sharing Shermer's fundamentalist roots in teenage years, I found it fascinating when Shermer talked about how it should be possible to pitch evolution to the fundy Christians (the only religion to really reject evolution).   The nascent science of "Evolutionary psychology" offers great support for the fundamentalist tenet, "we are born with a sinful nature"  - Shermer reaching out to believers offers he doesn't claim to know how the universe sprung into being and that aspects of it are truly inspirational and wondrous.  He challenges that a God capable of a single creation/intervention that would play out using fixed physical laws to  give rise to us would be way more powerful than a God having to resort to a long string of interfering miracles along the way. In further declaring no necessity for a fight between religion and science, Shermer reminds us that science has shown us that all of creation is far longer, far greater and far more infimintessimal , and far more complex than any original deity promoter dreamed of.
 

Bill's current activities include membership on the Boards of Directors of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia , the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, the Greater Philadelphia Branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mt. Airy Community Services Corporation.

March 17 2007 Vaccine Safety: Science, Politics and the Media. by Paul A. Offit, MD who is the Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

People,

   We have a good oppotunity to hear from a leading climatologist on the subject of global warming Saturday Feb 17th - this is the science that is hot lately.  ;)

February 17 2007 Global Warming and Projections of Future Climate Change

People,

    Now is the time to sign up for our April 21 2007 12:30 PhACT Award Banquet.

      Among the arguments that convinced me 30 years ago to reject evolution was
the lack of transition species.  I've even read recent anti-evolution propaganda
gloating that nothing like the Darwin evolve fish has ever been found.   Well
our guest of honor, Ted Daeschler found it. He is a paleontologist at The
Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia and will tell us about his work. You
can see an example of how great a speaker he is at:
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2006/05/paleontologist.html

     Feel free to bring significant others. You just have to mail $20 per head to
C/O Ray Haupt 639 W Ellet Str Philadelphia Pa 19119

     This is a nice spot for people in the northern suburbs at 820 N. Bethlehem
Pike Spring House, PA 19477 (215) 646-2981.  It's on the right side heading
north on Bethlehem pike a little south of Norristown Rd.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=\
&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&lev\
el=&cat=&address=820+bethlehem+pike&city=spring+house&state=pa&zipcode=
If you are coming from the city and can possibly take someone else, let me know.

    Remember that PhACT can use help with things like PhACTUM contributions, web
page help, donations and lining up more speakers.

Eric Krieg

People,

The PhACT Picnic & Family-Fun-Day is coming up soon, Saturday, June 24 from 1 to
5pm. Bring food. There is a grill in the pavilion we we are renting. The park
has fields to chuck stuff back and forth, a mile loop exercise path, play
grounds, etc. We have reserved the little pavilion in the woods again, so we are
OK even if it rains.  Should be a good time, bring significant others and
family.

Directions:
We are in the South East corner of Mondauk Common park. From the turnpike, take
309 north, take 2nd exit and turn right on Susquehanna, turn left at 2nd light
on to Broad St. and make the 2nd left in the 2nd parking lot. Follow the trail
straight up to the pavilion. In the event you get lost, you can call (215)
667-1151 for directions. There is a near map available at
http://phact.org/images/mondaukMap.gif


We will be off till our September 15th 2pm meeting back in the Philadelphia
Community College.
  I believe our speaker for September will be Dr Paul Offit.  He will talk about
Vaccine Safety: Science, Politics and the Media.   He was recently in the news
providing the skeptical voice in response to a claim that vaccines cause autism:
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6638939&nav=MXEFM7m7
  We could use some donated money to offset our low membership fee.

best wishes,

Eric Krieg

Folks,

     I just wanted to clarify, I had said Saturday in the body of my previous
message, but our Picnic is on a Sunday.   Hope you can make it, we always have a
good time at these.

Eric Krieg

>From: erickrieg@...
>Date: 2007/06/14 Thu PM 08:25:13 CDT
>To: phact@yahoogroups.com
>Cc: alfred@..., reh215@...
>Subject: [phact] Phact Picnic Sunday June 24 at Mondauk Common Park 1 - 4pm

>
>People,
>
>The PhACT Picnic & Family-Fun-Day is coming up soon, Saturday, June 24 from 1
to 5pm. Bring food. There is a grill in the pavilion we we are renting. The park
has fields to chuck stuff back and forth, a mile loop exercise path, play
grounds, etc. We have reserved the little pavilion in the woods again, so we are
OK even if it rains.  Should be a good time, bring significant others and
family.
>
>Directions:
>We are in the South East corner of Mondauk Common park. From the turnpike, take
309 north, take 2nd exit and turn right on Susquehanna, turn left at 2nd light
>on to Broad St. and make the 2nd left in the 2nd parking lot. Follow the trail
straight up to the pavilion. In the event you get lost, you can call (215)
667-1151 for directions. There is a near map available at
http://phact.org/images/mondaukMap.gif
>
>We will be off till our September 15th 2pm meeting back in the Philadelphia
Community College.
> I believe our speaker for September will be Dr Paul Offit.  He will talk about
Vaccine Safety: Science, Politics and the Media.   He was recently in the news
providing the skeptical voice in response to a claim that vaccines cause autism:
>http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6638939&nav=MXEFM7m7
> We could use some donated money to offset our low membership fee.
>
>best wishes,
>
>Eric Krieg
>
>

   The world still needs more science and rationality.  We are starting up the fall 2007 PhACT season - remember, 3rd Saturday's of the month in room W2-48 of the West Building at the Community College of Philadelphia.

   The latest issue of PhACTUM just came out - do check to make sure you haven't fallen behind in membership.

The witchcraft trials in Salem in 1692-1693 were the largest episode of witch hunting in what is now the United States and the last large witchcraft outbreak in Western Civilization. Over a hundred persons were accused of witchcraft and imprisoned; nineteen witches were convicted and executed. A variety of explanations for this event have been advanced.
In the Seventeenth Century most citizens of Massachusetts believed that witches existed and that the accused were part of a conspiracy to overthrow Christianity and replace it with the rule of Satan. During the Enlightenment many educated persons adopted the view that the witchcraft accusers were frauds and that their fits before the Massachusetts judges were mere imposture. In the last fifty years a new set of explanations has emerged.
Some attempts at explanation have focused on food-born toxins (ergot fungus) or pathogens (encephalitis). Other explanations have emphasized mass hysteria, bitter quarrels within the Salem Village community, the psychological stresses of adolescence and ageing or the psychological stresses experienced during a period of protracted warfare. This presentation will critique the modern explanations in the light of the historical record.


Prof. Walter F. Rowe is professor of forensic sciences at The George Washington University. He holds a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University. Prof. Rowe is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a former member of the editorial board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Prof. Rowe is a longtime student of the Salem witchcraft outbreak and has spoken on this topic before National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS), as well as the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He has had a long-term interest in the application of the methods of forensic science to the study of history. Prof. Rowe has applied forensic methods of image analysis to Civil War photography and he is currently applying the methods of forensic firearms examination to archaeological artifacts excavated at the site of the 1866 Fetterman Massacre.

Fellow Phactors,

     Don't forget that our first meeting of the season is coming up this Saturday
the 15th at 2pm.  Our speaker is Walter Rowe, a forensic expert on the subject
of the Salem Witch Trials.  The details are found at
http://www.phact.org/meetings.html

   Our meeting for October 20 is Faye Flam on "Science and Sexuality".  Faye has
been a science writer for years and now has a column with the Philadelphia
Inquirer called "Carnal Knowledge".

   Another 911 has gone by.  Among what bothers me is not just the irrationality
inspiring the perpetrators, but subsequent conspiracy theories.   I have heard
that many nations news services reported as fact that "Jewish workers were all
warned ahead of time not to show up at the towers".  An article debunking that
nonsense is found at
http://tinyurl.com/2g3tpj

take care,
Eric Krieg

People,

   don't miss our coming lecture on "THE SCIENCE of SEXUALITY" October 20th at
2pm.

  Philadelphia Inquirer author of the column œCarnal Knowledge, Faye Flam
will discuss the science of sexuality. She has been covering science for the
Inquirer since 95. Faye has explored all kinds of fringe thinking related to
sexuality for the past 3 years. Her column has included awkward topics like,
hatred of homosexuality, the science of kissing, elder sex, genital matching,
the history of condoms and the algorithm of attraction.

    Directions and updates are found at
www.phact.org/meetings.html

     Then,  November 17th our lecture is "Everything's Relative and Other Fables
in Science and Technology"

Our November 17th speaker is Tony Rothman who is a cosmologist who studies the
Big Bang and related events.  He is interested in extremal black holes: black
holes on the verge of becoming naked singularities, as well as on the detection
of gravitons. His late father was Milton Rothman, who helped PhACT get started
11 years ago and also wrote much on Physics. Tony will speak on his latest book,
"Everything's Relative and Other Fables in Science and Technology". This
book takes a closer look and corrects much common knowledge about key historical
moments in science and technology and corrects myths. Tony is a professor of
Physics“ where Einstein used to teach at Princeton University.

    Our Winter solstice party will be in Melrose Park 6:30 Dec 21.

take care,
Eric Krieg

People,

   November 17th lecture:  "Everything's Relative and Other Fables in Science and
Technology"

   Our November 17th speaker is Tony Rothman who is a cosmologist who studies the
Big Bang and related events. He is interested in extremal black holes, black
holes on the verge of becoming naked singularities, as well as on the detection
of gravitons. His father was Milton Rothman,who helped PhACT get started 11
years ago and also wrote much on Physics. Tony will speak on his latest book,
"Everything's Relative and Other Fables in Science and Technology". This book
takes a closer look and corrects much common knowledge about key historical
moments in science and technology and corrects myths. Tony is a professor of
Physics at Princeton University. His home page
http://www.physics.princeton.edu/~trothman/
This meeting in the W2-48 room of the West Building at the Community College of
Philadelphia:  2:00 p.m

   Dec 21 at 6:30 in Melrose is our annual Solstice party.  Email me for details.


   We are working on getting Michael Shermer in the area around Jan 15th to
promote his newest book - that could possibly cause our scheduled speaker on the
vaccine controversy to be shifted to February.

  Then we have a real opportunity to help with a Randi symposium in this area
June 13th and 14th.  This would be a joint effort with the FSGP - The Free
Thought Society of Greater Philadelphia.  We could use a volunteer to pick up
his air fare cost.  We will likely host a series of workshops on critical
thinking and a banquet   - more on these two events in future issues of PhACTUM.

   on TV: Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, a special two-hour
documentary about the Kitzmiller v. Dover case, in which teaching
"intelligent design" in the public schools was ruled to be
unconstitutional, is to air nationwide on PBS at 8:00 p.m. on November 13, 2007.

  and in other news, the following was forwarded:
DVAU Program Meeting Event:
Saturday November 10, 2007, 1pm-2pm
Speaker: Dr. Robert B. Eckhardt, Ph.D., Professor of Developmental Genetics and
Evolutionary Morphology
Topic: Linnaean taxonomy, the Christian Trinity, and Paranormal State:
Faith-based challenges to Scientific Understanding

Location: Philadelphia Ethical Society Building, 1906 Rittenhouse Square,
Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Delaware Valley Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and
State is proud to present a talk from Dr. Robert Eckhardt, Professor of
Developmental Genetics and Evolutionary Morphology, Department of Kinesiology,
College of Health and Human Development in addition to the Center for
Developmental and Health Genetics and Intercollege Graduate Program in Genetics
at Penn State. Dr. Eckhardt will discuss the creationist threat to science
education. Dr. Eckhardt was involved in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School
District lawsuit when the Dover school board mandated the teaching of
"intelligent design" doctrine in public schools.

Dr. Eckhardt is also a prolific writer whose work has been published in such
peer-reviewed publications as the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

Light refreshments will follow the meeting.

For more information, call DVAU President Janice Rael at 856-863-3061 or email
jrael @ comcast.net.

Delaware Valley Chapter (PA/NJ/DE), Americans United for Separation of Church
and State, http://www.dvau.org

How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? Bestselling author Dr. Michael Shermer argues that evolution provides an answer to both of these questions through the new science of evolutionary economics.

Drawing on research from neuroeconomics, Shermer explores what brain scans reveal about bargaining, snap purchases, and how trust is established in business. Utilizing experiments in behavioral economics, Shermer shows why people hang on to losing stocks and failing companies, why business negotiations often disintegrate into emotional tit-for-tat disputes, and why money does not make us happy. Employing research from complexity theory, Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems.

Along the way, Shermer answers such provocative questions as, Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation?  How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and what will happen if nations allow free trade across their borders.

 

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American , the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, and Adjunct Professor of Economics at Claremont Graduate University, where he conducts research on the psychology of belief. He is the author of The Mind of the Market, his latest book on the psychology of money, an extension of his last book The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share Care, and Follow the Golden Rule. Dr. Shermer is also the author of the bestselling books: How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God, and Why People Believe Weird Things. Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University.

March 15^th 2008 Real Free Energy by Nick Pine
There are all kinds of false promises of free energy.  There are also many forms of renewable
energy that are simply impractical at this time to make a big impact on our energy problem.  But at 2 PM on Saturday March 15, 2008 at the Philadelphia Community College, Nick Pine will lead a PHACT discussion on inexpensive solar house heating with sunspaces at Philadelphia Community College. Houses can be close to 100% solar-heated in Pennsylvania, and solar house heating can be 100 times less expensive than solar electricity, per peak watt, and houses in the Northeast need 5 times more heat energy than electrical energy,so why so much interest in solar electricity, while we still burn oil to heat our houses?

May 17th 2008 Banquet in Horsham.

Media Integrity Panel Discussion including Faye Flam and Tony Romeo
At Noon at Edible's in Horsham on Saturday May 17^th, we will have a panel discussion about media issues. This costs 25$ a head  paid in advance to our Treasurer, Ray Haupt.

Noon at Mondauk Common Park
A Bring food to cook or just eat. We meet at the Pavilion in the woods on the south east side of the park with parking off Broad Street in the middle of Upper Dublin.

September 20^th 2pm April 19^th 2008 Innumeracy – Math in Society by John Allen Paulos

John has been a major source of  mathematical input to the media for years and has written books including Irreligion, Innumeracy, A Mathematician Plays The Stock Market, Beyond Numeracy, A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper, Once Upon A Number, and I Think Therefore I Laugh.  You can see more information on John's writings at http://www.math.temple.edu/~paulos/

Note, this is back at our Philadelphia Community College location.

In other announcements, I put up a page trying to offer a rational response to Dennis Lee's recent multi million dollar ad campaign selling kits to convert cars to get up to 100 miles to the gallon.
http:\\www.phact.org/hafc.htm

Also, we could use donations for things like extra printing, speakers honoraria, promotions and special programs. We could use help finding speakers and getting Phactum articles.

Tom Napier tells us that science promoter, Bill Nye the Science Guy will be speaking at the Horsham high school 7:30 pm.  There is a reception afterwards, you can find out about tickets for both from http://www.hhef.org/events_billnye.htm

The Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia and the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia are having a summer picnic at Fort Washington State Park on Sunday July 27 2008. more info from Sally.cramer@...

You can become a member of PhACT and get our snail mail newsletter by just sending $15 per year (hopefully a donation too) care of Ray Haupt 639 W. Ellet Str Philadelphia PA 19119.  a good link to pass to people to get on the email list is
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/phact/

Eric Krieg

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

 Saturday, April 19, 2008, 2:00PM

 -- Science Education in Crisis

hey,

On May 17th noon, we have a luncheon panel discussion on Media Integrity
with
the Inquirer's Faye Flam, KYW's Tony Romeo, and Fox News' Bruce Gordon.
This is a good chance to hear people from the printed, radio and TV
forms of
media report on issues like what makes the news, and balance in
journalism. This
is one of those events that friends and significant others should be
invited to.

This costs 25$ per person, paid soon in advance to our Treasurer, Ray
Haupt.
639 W Ellet Str  Philadelphia PA 19119  Please get the checks out today
and perhaps
confirm with an email to Ray at reh215 (at) aol.com

Note, the map in Phactum was off - Edibles is at 1116 Horsham Rd,
Horsham, PA
Tel: (215) 646-1834  It is by the intersection with Norristown Rd. You
go north
about a mile on 611 from the turnpike and bear left onto 463, then
Edibles
is in a strip mall on the left just below the traffic light at
Norristown Rd.

Please also consider meeting informally with a lot of us for the picnic
Sunday
   July 13th at noon at Mondauk Common Park in the pavilion in the woods.
Bring your own food, you can cook on the grill - we also have the near
sports
field reserved.

best wishes,
Eric Krieg