From: "JACK L. URETSKY (C) 1996; HEP DIV., ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB, ARGONNE, IL 60439" <JLU@hep.anl.gov>
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 18:43:22 -0500 (CDT)
From: SMTP%"whatsnew@aps.org" 27-JUN-1997 15:17:51.05
To: JLU
CC:
Subj: What's New for Jun 27, 1997
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 20:01:36 GMT
From: whatsnew@aps.org (What's New)
Message-Id: <199706272001.UAA10052@aps.org>
To: jlu@hep.anl.gov
Subject: What's New for Jun 27, 1997
WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 27 Jun 97 Washington, DC
1. THE HUMAN BIOFIELD: $1,100,000 PRIZE IF YOU HAVE THE TOUCH.
Major hospitals throughout the US offer a procedure variously
known as "biofield therapeutics" or "touch therapy." The James
Randi Educational Foundation announced this week that its $1.1M
prize would be awarded to the first "touch therapist" who can
demonstrate under simple test conditions the ability to detect a
human energy field. According to touch therapists, the energy
field or "qi" sticks out some 20 cm and can be tactilely sensed -- at least by trained professionals, of which there are some
30,000 in the US alone. It might more properly be termed "no-touch therapy," since practitioners do not actually touch the
patient; they use their hands to "balance" the patient's qi.
Although it may not be dangerous to have your qi manipulated, it
is of scientific interest to ask if a palpable biofield actually
exists. In the six years since its creation, the NIH Office of
Alternative Medicine has never thought to ask that question.
2. FY 98 BUDGET: NSF IS UP 6.6% IN HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP.
In March, a coalition of scientific societies called for a 7%
across-the-board increase for research (WN 7 Mar 97). In the
case of NSF, the House VA, HUD, IA Appropriations Subcommittee
came close this week. NASA did not fare as well; although the
science budget is $48M above the request, most of it is in
earmarks. The biggest increase ($100M) is for the space station.
Things are expected to be dicier in the Senate, where VA, HUD, IA
was allocated a billion dollars less than in the House. The
Senate subcommittee won't mark up its bill for another two weeks.
3. SUPREME COURT: "FIRST LANDMARK DECISION OF THE 21 CENTURY."
The Electronic Privacy Information Center hailed the Internet
free speech decision: "The Court has written on a clean slate
and established the fundamental principles that will govern free
speech issues for the electronic age." But the Court ducked the
constitutional issue raised by the line-item veto (WN 11 Apr 97),
ruling that the group challenging the law, led by Senator Byrd
(D-WV), was not personally injured by the law. WN stands by its
prediction that the President is unlikely to use the line-item
veto, and if he does, it will be challenged (WN 3 Jan 97).
4. MIR: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN 120 TONS OF SCRAP METAL RE-ENTERS?
Not having thought that one through, Russian space officials are
loath to abandon the crippled Mir. With no crew, Mir will begin
tumbling and lose orbit rather quickly. Science Committee chair
James Sensenbrenner threatens a US pullout if safety is not
assured before the scheduled September crew change. The puncture
was in the "science" compartment, so nothing important was lost.
5. BROOKHAVEN: DAVID MONCTON DECLINES APPOINTMENT AS DIRECTOR.
AUI selected Moncton for the job two weeks ago (WN 13 Jun 97).
THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY (Note: Opinions are the author's
and are not necessarily shared by the APS, but they should be.)