ART 2001/2002 Meeting Schedule

Atlantis

Wolf Roder, PhD
Univ. Cincinnati, Dept of Geography
8 Sept. 2001

Atlantis: the legendary lost continent, what is it, where is it, would you like to go there? From Plato's Critias in 400 BCE to Disney's cartoon movie in 2000 CE this place has fascinated the gods and been searched for by the humans.

From Samhain to Halloween

Edgar Slotkin, PhD
English Dept., University of Cincinnati
13 Oct 2001

What Americans now recognize as Halloween has its origins in the ancient Druidic holiday of Samhain, a day-long event marking the end of harvest and start of a new year. What do we know about the original celebration activities (besides conducting a thorough housecleaning!), and how did early Christians move to co-opt this pagan holiday? Join us as this Celtic expert shares the story.

Oliver Wendell Holmes as Skeptic

William B. Jensen, PhD
Oesper Professor of History of Chemistry
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati
10 Nov 2001

Most people are aware of Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. as a minor, mid-19th century, New England author, best known for his humorous poems, his famous "Breakfast" collections of pithy sayings and witty commentaries, and the fact that he was the father of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. of Supreme Court Fame. However, Holmes was also a trained medical doctor who served as Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Harvard for more than 35 years and pioneered the study of puerperal (child-birth) fever. Even less known is the fact that he also wrote several exposes of the crank medical and psychological practices of his day. The talk will review Holmes' activities as a skeptic, as reflected in both his serious medical essays and in his more popular humorous writings.

This lecture was originally scheduled for last spring, but had to be cancelled because of riots.

A Skeptic in the Pantry

William J. Tyznik, PhD, Prof. Emeritus
Dept. Animal Science, The Ohio State University
8 Dec 2001

Assertions abound regarding the merits or risks of organic foods, "conventional" foods and GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Throughout a career in teaching and research, Bill challenged students to cast a skeptical eye on such claims, be they aimed at humans, livestock, or pets. Join us for a lively program as Bill shares observations of what's old, what's new and what's on the horizon regarding pantry proclamations.

Meeting location (moved to accomodate a possibly larger-than-usual crowd):

St. Peter's United Church of Christ
6120 Ridge Ave.

This is 1/3 block N from the intersection with Montgomery Rd. and just around the corner from the restaurant where we've been meeting

Park in the church lot
Look for balloons marking entrance to the fellowship hall
Coffee will be available

Evolution in the Chapel

Rev. Mendle Adams
St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Cincinnati
12 Jan 2002

Creationists aside, how do Christians of various persuasion view evolution? And what role can, or should, mainstream churches take in the war creationists have declared on public school science curricula? Mendel's observations on these topics are not just academic — when Answers in Genesis initiated their activities in northern Kentucky, he stepped up to the plate and helped shape the debate.

Paranormal Investigation

Joe Nickell, PhD
Senior Research Fellow, Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the
Paranormal
9 Feb. 2002

A former professional stage magician, private investigator (and Kentuckian), Joe is known around the world as a "ghostbuster" and investigator of paranormal claims. For those of you fortunate enough to hear Joe's June 1998 talk in Lexington, KY, this is not a repeat — this program presents all new material. And for those of you who've never heard Joe speak, you're in for a real treat — he delivers an entertaining and informative program.

St. Peter's United Church of Christ
6120 Ridge Ave.
around the corner from the Dubliner...

When Good Vaccines Go Bad

Elaine Billmire, MD
ART member
9 March 2002

Childhood vaccines — How do they act to prevent disease? What diseases are prevented? What are the documented risks and benefits? Join us as Dr. Billmire reviews these basics, then addresses numerous alleged associations between particular vaccines and a range of untoward side effects.

But I Swear It Happened: The Nature, Spread and Purpose of Urban Legends

Justin Masterson
Senior Student at Miami University
13 April 2002

The ubiquitous form of folklore known as "urban legends" are everywhere. They show up in our conversations, on our radio stations, in our email in-boxes, and even make it to the big screen. What is an "urban legend" according to scholars, and why does it seem like are prevalent now than ever? Folklorist and legend-hunter Justin Masterson will discuss what they are, how they spread, and why they are created in the first place.

This meeting will be at the Dubliner; see the main meeting page.

Free for All

Wolf Roder, PhD (moderating)
Professor of Geology, University of Cincinnati
11 May 2002

Free-for-alls provide an opportunity for A.R.T. members to make 5-10 minute presentations (plus discussion) on topics that interest them, but for which there is not enough material for an hour-long presentation. This is also a great chance (especially for newbies) to ask others what the skeptical position(s) would be on a particular issue or topic.

Preview: Moderator Wolf Roder will present a sumary of his recent FIG program about recent moves to include "intelligent design" in the Ohio public school science curriculum. His travel schedule permitting, A.R.T. president Roy Auerbach will give us a glimpse of the interesting email he receives through our web site.