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SI-ND-07.Pdf SI N-D 07 Cover V1 9/26/07 12:48 PM Page 1 SPOOK HILLS IN THE LAB • MYSTERIES OF THE NETHERLANDS • BEYOND SELFISH GENES THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON Volume 31, No. 6 • November/December 2007 • INTRODUCTORY PRICE U.S. $4.95 • Canada $5.95 VaccinesVaccines andand AutismAutism MythsMyths andand MisconceptionsMisconceptions •• VaccinesVaccines andand SafetySafety •• AnAn EpidemicEpidemic ofof Autism?Autism? BiodynamicBiodynamic Wine:Wine: BottledBottled PseudosciencePseudoscience EndEnd ofof thethe EinsteinEinstein AstrAstrologyology HoaxHoax MasaruMasaru Emoto'sEmoto's WonderfulWonderful WorldWorld ofof WaterWater 11> Published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry 0556698 80575 SI N-D 2007 pgs 9/26/07 12:26 PM Page 2 COMMITTEE FOR SKEPTICAL INQUIRY FORMERLY THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL (CSICOP) AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY/TRANSNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Univ., Toronto Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Health Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, Oregon and Sciences, professor of philosophy and Sciences Univ. Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief, New professor of Law, University of Miami Robert L. Park, professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland England Journal of Medicine C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author, David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist, Harvard consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Columbia Univ. Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, Willem Betz, professor of medicine, Univ. of Douglas R. Hofstadter, professor of human under- executive director CICAP, Italy Brussels standing and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Chicago Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Southern Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of California and professor of history of science, Harvard Univ. medicine, Stanford Univ., editor, Scientific Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Review of Alternative Medicine West of England, Bristol Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time Amardeo Sarma, manager NEC Europe Ltd., Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition, executive director, GWUP, Germany. Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor Scientific American Evry Schatzman, former president, French Physics emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Lawrence M. Krauss, author and professor of Association Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University physics and astronomy, Case Western Reserve Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, executive Sean B. Carroll, professor of molecular genetics, University director, National Center for Science Education Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison Harry Kroto, professor of chemistry and bio- Robert Sheaffer, science writer John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor, National chemistry, Florida State University; Nobel Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, president and Center for Science Education laureate research director, Biosystems Research Institute, Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith La Jolla, Calif. professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Observatory Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, California, Berkeley Paul Kurtz,* chairman, Center for Inquiry N.S.W., Australia Richard Dawkins, zoologist, Oxford Univ. Lawrence Kusche, science writer Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito, Calif. Geoffrey Dean, technical editor, Perth, Australia Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Fermilab; Victor J. Stenger, emeritus professor of physics Cornelis de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. Nobel laureate in physics and astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii; adjunct of Utrecht, the Netherlands Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist, Emory Univ. professor of philosophy, Univ. of Colorado Daniel C. Dennett, university professor and Austin Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Technology Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute, B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, director of Daily (China) Mountain View, Calif. the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts Univ. Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Angeles, Calif. Ann Druyan, writer and producer, and CEO, California, Berkeley David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca, New York Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Univ. of Peralta, New Mexico Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, California, Irvine Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Central Connecticut State Univ. John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Southern California Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. David Marks, psychologist, City University, London Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy, Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and Hayden Planetarium, New York City Southeastern Louisiana Univ. science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Marilyn vos Savant, Parade magazine Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, Foothill College, Los Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and contributing editor Altos Hills, Calif. sciences, M.I.T. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Kendrick Frazier, science writer, editor, SKEPTICAL David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Nobel Laureate INQUIRER Research Center Yves Galifret, executive secretary, l’Union Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. of E.O. Wilson, university professor emeritus, Harvard University Rationaliste Calif., Berkeley Richard Wiseman, psychologist, University of Martin Gardner, author, critic Joe Nickell, senior research fellow, CSI Hertfordshire Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Santa Fe Lee Nisbet,* philosopher, Medaille College Benjamin Wolozin*, professor, department of phar- Institute; Nobel laureate Bill Nye, science educator and television host, macology, Boston University School of Medicine Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ. Nye Labs Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto James E. Oberg, science writer Saul Green, Ph.D., biochemist, president of ZOL Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine (retired), * Member, CSI Executive Council Consultants, New York, NY Marburg, Germany (Affiliations given for identification only.) • • • Visit the CSI Web site at www.csicop.org • • • The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by the Committee for ences requirements. It is on our Web site at www.csicop.org/si/guide-for-authors.html and on page 69 Skeptical Inquiry, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage of the November/December 2006 issue. Or you may send a fax request to the editor. paid at Buffalo, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: one year (six issues), $35; Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views two years, $60; three years, $84; single issue, $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Payment in U.S. and work of individual authors. 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Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (outside the U.S. call 716-636-1425). 716-636-1733. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber’s address, with six weeks advance no- Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick Fra- tice. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSI or the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. zier, Editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, 944 Deer Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122. Fax: 505-828- Postmaster: Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 2080. Before submitting any manuscript, please consult our Guide for Authors for format and refer- 14226-0703. SI N-D 2007 pgs 9/26/07 12:26 PM Page 3 COLUMNS Skeptical Inquirer EDITOR’S NOTE Protecting Our Valuable Vaccine Programs. 4 November / December 2007 • Vol. 31, No. 6 NEWS AND COMMENT Out of Body and in the Lab: New Experiments Stimulate Seeing VACCINES & AUTISM: Self Elsewhere / Weekly
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