Free and open to the public!  The first in the new season of
programs presented by the National Capital Area Skeptics:

SCHOOL DAZE: 
LOOKING CRITICALLY AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN BASELINE ESSAYS

The Portland African American Baseline Essays evolved from the
1982 desegregation plan for the Portland public schools.  The
essays purport to document the African contributions to
mathematics, science, music, religion and philosophy.  They have
been adopted by many school systems across the United States,
including school systems in the metropolitan Washington area. 
Although these essays are touted as promoting multiculuralism,
they are exclusively Afrocentric in content and in many cases
seriously misrepresent the achievements of other ethnic groups. 
A critical examination of the African American Baseline Essays on
science, mathematics and social studies reveals these particular
essays to be melanges of pseudoscience and pseudohistory.   

Walter F. Rowe 
Department of Forensic Sciences 
George Washington University    

      Dr. Rowe, as a Professor of Forensic Sciences at The
      George Washington University, has made a career of
      scrutinizing the details that purport to underlie
      important claims.
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NEW LOCATION FOR NCAS MEETINGS...
The Chevy Chase Library at 8005 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase,
will host our regular meetings this season.  From the Beltway,
take Maryland Exit 33 toward Washington; the library will be one
mile from the exit on your left.  From the other direction it is
1/4 mile north of the intersection of East-West Highway and
Connecticut Avenue.  The Bethesda Library did not have suitable
dates available for us this year.  Unfortunately, Chevy Chase
Library is not near a metro stop, so we will continue to ask
members to help us locate a better site.  Know any business that
might be interested in a tax deduction?
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MEETING DATES AND TIMES...
September 17  2:00 PM      February 18-19      Workshop
October 15    2:00 PM      March 18            2:00 PM
November 12   2:00 PM      April 22            2:30 PM
December 17   2:00 PM      May 20              2:00 PM
January 21    2:00 PM      June 17             2:00 PM
                          
There is always a slight possibility that these dates may change
to accommodate speakers or Montgomery County.  NCAS may also
offer additional programs whenever a great skeptic op presents
itself.

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PROGRAM SUMMARY...
Last season's programs included:
      2 on current issues
      2 on tools for skeptics
      2 on extraordinary phenomena and claims
      1 on official treatment of extraordinary claims
      1 on media treatment of extraordinary claims

The two-day workshop on communicating skepticism provided more
tools for skeptics.

We are interested in your comments about our mix of topics and in
your ideas for specific subjects and speakers.  Please call our
recorder (301-587-3827), contact any member of our Board of
Directors (see the "Skeptical Eye"), or leave a message on the
NCAS electronic bulletin board (see below).

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NCAS ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM (BBS)... The NCAS BBS waits 24 hours
a day for your calls at 703-280-1446 (2400 baud, 8N1) in Fairfax.  Had you
called, you would have seen James Randi's comments within 24 hours after
NBC aired its infamous program, "Cured!".  Within the next few days you
could have joined the discussions and picked up NBC's address.  The BBS is
in a formative stage and we would like to mold it to your needs, if only
we knew what they were! Tell your friends they are welcome, too.

Updated: September 12, 1994