Friday, 4 August 2000

1. SURVIVOR: CREATIONISTS ARE VOTED OFF THE ISLAND.
It was just one year ago that the state school board in Kansas removed human evolution and any mention of the big bang from the state science standards (WN 13 Aug 99). In Tuesday's Republican Primary, which is almost the same as election in Kansas, three of the four creationist board members running for reelection fell victim to natural selection. The largest margin of defeat was reserved for Linda Holloway, the board chair, who had raised $100K for a race that would normally have cost a few hundred dollars. Tuesday's vote virtually assures that last year's action will be reversed.

2. WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?: SHE SHOULD READ WHAT'S NEW.
A contestant on last night's program was asked: "The James Randi Educational Foundation offers $1 million to anyone who can provide solid evidence of what?" She didn't know! The correct choice was "paranormal powers," but the offer is much broader than that. For example, JREF just offered the $1M to Florsheim, if it can demonstrate its claims for MagneForce Footwear in a formal double-blind scientific test. My question to you is: Will Florsheim take up the challenge? I think you know the answer.

3. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: BECOME A PUBLIC AFFAIRS FELLOW AND SAVE THE WORLD.
The APS Washington Office is looking for an idealistic physicist to spend a year in Washington working on improving the relationship between science and government. Application details will be posted Monday on www.aps.org under Public Affairs.

4. THE MOUSE THAT ROARED: THE NORTH KOREAN MISSILE SHAKEDOWN.
According to a story in this morning's Washington Post, N. Korea has reaffirmed to Russia that it will drop its ballistic missile program -- if other countries will just launch a few satellites for them every year. This is clearly a bargain -- for $60B you can launch a lot of satellites. But do we see a pattern here? When we objected to North Korea's development of nuclear power, Pyongyang agreed to let us do it for them. Next, perhaps, North Korea will begin developing nuclear submarines -- for peaceful purposes of course. Perhaps they'll agree to let us supply them.

5. LIVIN LA VIDA LOCA: WHITE HOUSE PANEL ON ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.
President Clinton last month named James Gordon, who heads the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, to chair a White House Commission on Alternative Medicine. Gordon's book, "Manifesto for a New Medicine," finds no reason to doubt any alternative therapy. My personal favorite is his discovery that hypnosis can "cure warts, and increase breast size." The White House panel is charged with recommending public policies that will "maximize the benefits to Americans of complementary and alternative medicine."

(Maria Cranor contributed to this week's WN.)



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.