THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON

Nov./Dec. 1995 U.S. $4.95 Can. $5.95 ROSWELL THE GAO REPORT THE 'ALIEN AUTOPSY' WHY CREATIONISTS DON'T GO TO PSYCHIC FAIRS JOHN H. TAYLOR, RAYMOND A. EVE, AND FRANCIS B. HARROLD EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY AND THE PARANORMAL RICHARD WISEMAN, MATTHEW SMITH, AND JEFF WISEMAN OBJECTIVITY AND REPEATABILITY IN SCIENCE MICHAEL MUSSACHIA CULTURE-BOUND SYNDROMES AS FAKERY ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW

FLIGHT FROM REASON FALLIBLE B.S. DETECTOR FREUD'S THEORY OF DREAMS Conference Report Ralph Estling Martin Gardner

PUBLISHED BY THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL

AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy. State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director and Public Relations Director Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS

James E. Alcock,' psychologist. York Univ., Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Santa Joe Nickel!," senior research fellow. CSICOP Toronto Fe Institute Lee Nisbet," philosopher. Medaille College Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ. Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, James E. Oberg, science writer Oregon Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto Loren Pankratz, psychologist. Oregon Health Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Sciences Univ. Kentucky Zoology, Harvard Univ. John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author, con­ C. E- M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales sumer advocate. Allentown. Pa. Mark Plummer, lawyer, Australia Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Barry Beyerstein," biopsychologist, Simon Fraser W. V. Quine, philosopher, Harvard Univ. Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human under­ Univ., Vancouver. B.C., Canada Milton Rosenberg, psychologist. Univ. of Chicago standing and cognitive science. Indiana Univ. Irving Biderman, psychologist. Univ. of Carl Sagan. astronomer. Cornell Univ. Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Southern California Physics and Professor of History of Science, Wallace Sampson. M.D.. clinical professor of Susan Blackmore," psychologist, Univ. of the medicine, Stanford Univ. Harvard Univ. West of England. Bristol Ray Hyman,* psychologist. Univ. of Oregon Evry Schatzman, President. French Physics Association Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorists. professor of Eugenic Scott, physical anthropologist, executive Sergei Kapitza, editor. Russian edition. Scientific English. Univ. of Utah director, National Center for Science American Vern Bullough, professor of history, California Education Philip J. Klass," aerospace writer, engineer State Univ. at Northridge Glenn T. Seaborg, University Professor of Marvin Kohl, professor of philosophy, SUNY at Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Chemistry, Univ. of California. Berkeley Fredonia John R. Cole, anthropologist. Inst, for the Study Thomas A. Sebcok, anthropologist, linguist, of Human Issues Edwin C, Krupp, astronomer, director. Griffith Indiana Univ. Observatory F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Robert Sheaffer, science writer Paul Kurtz,* chairman. CSICOP Biological Studies. Lajolla, Calif. Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Lawrence Kusche, science writer Richard Dawkins, zoologist. Oxford Univ. Hills. N.S.W., Australia Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology. Univ. Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cernto. Calif. L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer of Washington Cornells dc Jager, professor of astrophysics. Jill Cornell Tarter, SETI Institute Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer. Univ of Utrecht, the Netherlands AeroVironment. Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Carol Tavris. psychologist and author. Los Bernard Dixon, science writer. London. U.K. Angeles. Calif. David Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Polytech, Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor. encyclopedia England Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, University of Southern California of Philosophy Marvin Minsk)', professor of Media Arts and Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ.. U.K. Sciences. M.I.T. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College. David Morrison, space scientist. NASA Ames astronomy, University of Texas at Austin. Los Altos Hills, Calif Research Center Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ. Lin Zixin, former editor. Science and Technology Kendrick Frazier," science writer. Editor. Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. Univ. of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Calif.. Berkeley Daily (China) Yves Galifrct, Exec. Secretary. 1'Union H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president. Bangalore "Member. CSICOP Executive Council Rationalistc Science Forum. India Martin Gardner," author, critic Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist New York Univ. (Affiliations given for identification only.)

The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER {ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by the resent the views and work of individual authors. Their publication doe* not neces­ Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3965 sarily constitute an endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. Rensch Rd.. Amherst, NY 14228-2743. Printed in U.S.A. Second-class Copyright ©1995 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of postage paid at Amherst, New York, and additional mailing offices. Claims of the Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is Subscription prices: one year (six issues), $29.50; two years, 549.00; three available on 16mm microfilm, 35rnm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche years. $69.00; single issue, $4.95. from University Microfilms International and is indexed in the Reader's Guide Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the to Periodical Literature. Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz. Chairman, CSICOP, Box 703. Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be addressed to: Amhersi, NY 14226-0703- Tel.: (716) 636-1425. FAX: 716-636-1733. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 703. Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Old address as Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks addressed to Kendrick Frazier. Editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive advance notice. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of NE, Albuquerque NM 87122-1306. FAX 505-828-2080. For Guide for CSICOP or the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.

Authors, fax request to the Editor or sec May-June 1995 issue, page 63. Postmaster: Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 703. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER rep­ Amherst. NY 14226-0703. SPECIAL REPORT

20 The 6A0 Roswell Report and Congressman Schiff PHILIP J. KLASS November/December 1995 €W The reports negative findings were downplayed. Vol. 19 No. 6 ARTICLES 23 Why Creationists Don't Go to Psychic Fairs JOHN H. TAYLOR, RAYMOND A. EVE, AND FRANCIS B. HARROLD The various pseudoscientific beliefs cannot be explained as if they were a single phenomenon. At least two major categories—creationism and fantastic science—exist, and they are causally distinct. 29 Eyewitness Testimony and the Paranormal RICHARD WISEMAN, MATTHEW SMITH, AND JEFF WISEMAN Experiments show that beliefs and expectations can lead people to be unreliable witnesses of supposedly paranormal phenomena. Investigators must carefully assess testimony, regardless of whether it reinforces or opposes their own beliefs. 33 Objectivity and Repeatability in Science MICHAEL MUSSACHIA Schools need to emphasize die necessity of controlling for the influence of the experimenters' beliefs, desires, and expectations in tests of claims. 36 Culture-Bound Syndromes as Fakery ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW The curious and bizarre behavior known as latah has been classified as an exotic syndrome. But evidence indicates it is more likely to be a culturally based deception.

BOOK REVIEWS Pseudoscience in Biological Psychiatry by Colin A. Ross and Alvin Pam SCOTT O. LILIENFELD 45 The Big Book of Urban Legend*: Adapted from the Works of Jan Harold Brunvand by Robert Fleming and Robert F. Boyd, Jr. PETER HUSTON 47 A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper by John Allen Paulos WOLF RODER 48 Cannibalism: From Sacrifice to Survival by Hans Askenasy ROBERT A. BAKER 49 NEW BOOKS 50 ARTICLES OF NOTE 51 NEWS AND COMMENT National UFO Survey / John Mack Off the Hook / Shroudology and C-14 Dating / 'Psychic' Strikes Out / Weeping Icons in Italy / Skeptic Heads Parapsychological Studies / CSICOP Assists in Psychic 'Sting' / Psychiatrist Pays in False Memory Case / The Fowl Smell of Justice in Miami CSICOP NEWS Opening Shots from the Center for Inquiry / CSICOP-West Opens NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Waking Up From Freud's Theory of Dreams MARTIN GARDNER 10 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS Bra Hazards and Carpet Circles ROBERT SHEAFFER 13 MEDIA WATCH 'Alien Autopsy' Show-and-Tell C EUGENE EMERY. JR. 15 INVESTIGATIVE FILES 'Alien Autopsy' Hoax JOE NICKELL 17 CONFERENCE REPORT 'The Flight from Science and Reason': Academy of Sciences Conference Airs Issues ETIENNE Rios 42 Alien Autopsy FORUM Science and the Fallible B.S. Detector RALPH ESTLING ON THE COVER: 53 Image from 'alien autopsy' film LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 58 Editors Note •iKicrek Roswell, Pseudoscience, and Beliefs and Expectations MM Kendrick Frazicr IDItOHlAL tOARD \Vfe offer in this issue three timely, evaluative reports on the Roswell lames E. Alcock Barry Beyerstein W "crashed saucer" case, UFOlogy's most famous (and now perhaps most Susan J. Blackmore notorious) story. In his Special Report, Philip J. Klass reports on the recently Martin Gardner Ray Hyman issued General Accounting Office report that found no evidence for any such Philip J. Klass crashed saucer—although you didn't hear much about that conclusion. Klass, Paul Kurtz Joe Nickell dean of the UFO skeptics, helps explain why in his discussion of the New Lee Nisbet Mexico congressman who requested that study. Two complementary columns, Bela Scheiber by C. Eugene Emery, Jr. and Joe Nickell, cast critical eyes on the widely CONSULTING EDITORS Robert A. Baker watched Fox television network program "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?" John R Cole aired August 28 and September 4. The Roswell case already had been badly Kenneth L. Feder C. E. M. Hansel tainted by the MJ-12 documents hoax of the late 1980s. Does the alleged E. C. Krupp "alien autopsy" carry Roswell hoaxing into the visual medium of film? David F. Marks Andrew Neher In "Why Creationists Don't Go to Psychic Fairs," University of Texas at James E. Oberg Robert Sbeaffer Arlington social scientists John H. Taylor, Raymond A. Eve, and Francis B. Steven N. Shore Harrold use new survey data to show persuasively that there are at least two ASSISTANT EDITORS distinct—and mutually exclusive—groups of people prone to believe in pseudo- Marsha Carlin Thomas C, Genoni, Jr. scientific concepts. Creationists and believers in "fantastic science" could hardly CONTRIBUTING EDITOR be more different from each other. They are united only in their willingness to Lys Ann Shore dismiss any scientific findings that contradict their belief. This report is a F«OOUCTK>N Paul Loynes valuable attempt to understand the origins and internal logic of pseudoscientif CAUTOONI5T ic belief systems—in this case two such systems. Rob Pudim University of Hertfordshire researchers Richard Wiseman, Matthew Smith,

PUBLISHER'S REPRESENTATIVE and Jeff Wiseman report on experiments—including several of their own—that Barry Karr vividly show the unreliability of eyewitness testimony in recounting allegedly •USIN1SS MANAGER "paranormal" happenings. In one new experiment, using a seance-type condi­ Mary Rose Hays ASSISTANT «USIN1SS MANAGER tion, 27 percent of participants reported movement of a slate, bell, book, or Sandra Lesniak table—even though all had remained stationary. The various experimental CHIEF DATA OFFICII Richard Seymour studies show convincingly that the belief and expectations the observers bring FULFILLMENT MANAGER with them to the experience strongly influence what they "observe. " Michael Cione STAFF Elizabeth Begley Kevin Iuzzini Diana Picciano Alfreda Pidgeon This completes the sixth issue and first volume in our new, expanded, Etienne C. Rios bimonthly format (after 18 years in a digest-size format). The positive feed­ Ranjit Sandhu Sharon Sikora back from readers has been overwhelming. Thank you. We're still fine-tuning Vance Vigrass our new look, so you may see some further changes in future issues. All for the Corporate COUNSEL. better, we hope. Let us know. Brenton N. VerPloeg INQUIRY Miou PRODUCTIONS Thomas Flynn

The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of CI anus of the Paranormal, an international organization.

2 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 lews and Comment

UFOs Real? Government Do you think this is very likely, some­ educated, nonchurchgoers, and non- Covering Up? Survey Says what likely, or unlikely?" whites. Geographic distribution mat­ 50 Percent Think So Fifty percent of the sample answered tered little, but Midwesterners showed very likely (19 percent) or somewhat slightly less belief. Half of America's adults believe flying likely (31 percent). Forty-three percent The only groups with less than 40 saucers could be real and that the fed­ of the respondents said they believe this percent answering the question in the eral government is covering up what it is unlikely. Seven percent of the respon­ affirmative were those at least 55 years knows about alien beings. That was the dents were uncertain. The poll's margin old, those with postgraduate educa­ finding in a survey of 1,006 adults con­ of error was 4 percent. tion, and those who identified them­ ducted by Scripps-Howard News There wasn't a lot of variation selves as strong Republicans. Service and Ohio University. among subgroups (see box). Thomas Hargrove, a Washington- As part of a national survey con­ Fifty-two percent of males and 48 based Scripps-Howard journalist who ducted in Summer 1995, the news ser­ percent of females answered very or coauthored the survey, told the SKEPTI­ vice and university asked: "Some somewhat likely. CAL INQUIRER that the question was Americans feel that flying saucers are Belief in the reality of flying saucers just one in a larger survey about distrust real and that the federal government is and a government coverup of them was of government. "The whole point of hiding the truth about them from us. higher among younger people, the less the poll was to test, in hopefully unique

The Scripps-Howard News Service/Ohio University national survey on attitudes toward the federal government asked, "Some Americans feel that flying saucers are real and that the federal government is hiding the truth about them from us. Do you think this is very likely, somewhat likely or unlikely?" Here is a breakdown by various groups in the percentage who answered "very likely" or "somewhat likely."

Percent Percent Entire Sample ... .50 Above $60,000 ...46

Male . 52 Attended church recently 45 Female 48 Did not attended church recently 54

Years Old Northeast 54 18-24 56 South 49 25-34 56 Midwest 47 35-44 53 West 52 45-54 54 55-64 37 Major urban area 55 Small city 45 65 or more 34 Suburb of city 51 Rural area 50 Education

High school graduate 55 Strong Democrat 48 Some college 55 Leaning Democrat 55 College graduate 48 Politically independent 53 Postgraduate studies 39 Strong Republican 52 Leaning Republican 38 Income Below $10,000 57 White 48 $10,000 to $25,000 53 African-American 56 $25,000 to $40,000 51 Hispanic 54 $40,000 to $60,000 45 All other races 55

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 3 ways, the degree of anger toward the John Mack: Off the Hook A draft version of the report, government these days," he said. at Harvard, but with released by one of Mack's lawyers, was Hargrove said he and his colleagues critical of the psychiatrist, saying that it were surprised at the large proportion Something Akin to a is irresponsible to give credence to the of those who answered affirmatively to Warning alien abduction theory until all other the question about flying saucers and a possibilities, including seizures, vivid government coverup. This prompted Dr. John Mack apparently is off the dreams, and all other conditions had them to release the results of that ques­ hook at Harvard. been ruled out. tion separately from the others. "A After a year-long investigation (SI, According to this draft report, if shockingly large number believe in a September-October 1995), the Ivy Mack is going to claim there is physical government coverup," he said. League university where Mack is a evidence of alien kidnappings, "We The poll came in a period marked tenured professor of psychiatry has believe that Dr. Mack has an obligation by many much-publicized assertions announced that he continues to be a to document some of this claimed and by news accounts of Air Force and member in good standing of the physical evidence." General Accounting Office (GAO) Harvard Faculty of Medicine. Committee chairman Dr. Arnold investigations of the Roswell, New Relman, former editor of the New Mexico, "crashed saucer" case. The Air England Journal of Medicine, told the Force research attributed the Roswell Associated Press after the Harvard incident to debris from the 1947 top announcement that his group had secret Project Mogul (SI, January- made no attempt "to describe whether February 1995 and July-August 1995). John Mack's astounding claims are The GAO report, requested by New true." Mexico Representative Steve Schiff The issues in the Mack case had and made public July 28, 1995, by gone beyond space aliens. Even critics Schiff, said the investigation found of his work had expressed concern that only two previously reported govern­ Harvard might be trying to limit ment documents about the Roswell Mack's freedom, a burning issue active­ event. Neither supported a flying ly stoked by Mack's lawyers. John Mack, speaking at CSICOP's Seattle saucer scenario. (See Special Report, Harvard's statement reaffirms "Dr. conference last year. this issue.) Mack's academic freedom to study Hargrove's July 7, 1995, news article Harvard Medical School Dean what he wishes and to state his opin­ about the survey, written with Guido Daniel C. Tosteson gave something ions without impediment." H. Stempel III, distinguished professor akin to a warning to Mack, who is pos­ News of the investigation broke as of journalism at Ohio University, said sibly the country's best-known and Mack was promoting the paperback the survey shows that "the growing mis­ best-credentialed proponent of the idea version of his book Abduction: Human trust in government and Hollywood's that people who think they have been Encounters With Aliens. routine television and film portrayal of kidnapped by space aliens actually may Here is the text of the statement by space aliens have combined in a have been abducted by creatures from Harvard Medical School: remarkable way." They point out that another planet or another dimension. the notion that the government has In a news release issued August 3, "During the past year, a committee of clandestine knowledge about alien 1995, Harvard said Tosteson "has peers was appointed by the Dean of beings was a central theme in highly urged Dr. Mack that, in his enthusiasm Harvard Medical School to review the popular films such as Close Encounters to care for and study this group of indi­ clinical care and clinical investigation of the Third Kind, E. T.—The Extra­ viduals, he should be careful not, in that Professor John Mack has carried out terrestrial, and Starman, as well as in the any way, to violate the high standards" with persons who believe that they have popular television series "The X-Files." of Harvard. been abducted by aliens. The review has The wording of the question may Harvard declined to say whether been completed. Dean Tosteson has dis­ leave it open to the complaint that it the special faculty committee, which cussed the issues raised in the review might have been leading. Whether the reportedly met 25 times to discuss with Dr. Mack. He has urged Dr. Mack question's inclusion in a larger survey Mack's work, found any evidence that that, in his enthusiasm to care for and about mistrust of government affected he had come close to violating Harvard study this group of individuals, he the answer isn't clear, but Hargrove standards. should be careful not, in any way, to vio­ said that the level of mistrust on this The university, a private institution, late die high standards for the conduct one answer stood out from the rest. refused to release the report of its of clinical practice and clinical investiga­ probe, or to answer any questions tion that have been the hallmark of this —Kcndrick Frazier raised by its statement. Faculty. He also Reaffirmed Dr. Mack's

4 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 academic freedom to study what he have been in close agreement with the expenses for his psychic help." wishes and to state his opinion? without historic date, within the precision of Monti then "led police to Miss impediment. Dr. Mack remains a memberthe datingi n method.good standin" In additiong of the, Harvarhe d Macho's abandoned 1979 Chrysler, Faculty of Medicine. It is the School's called attention to the control samples picked out a photo of a prime suspect, long standing practice not to disclose the conten(sucth ora sfinding a swatcs ofh suc froh mreviews Cleopatra'. No s and told them where the victim was further comment will be made." mummy cloth) that were dated at the buried in a shallow grave." same time as the shroud—all of which, But, the tabloid article continues, he observed, "came out quite reason­ police did not dig where Monti told ably" in terms of radiocarbon dating. them to, and it was not until this year —C. Eugene Emery, Jr. Thus, while promising to replicate that a Boy Scout leader found Donna the experiments of Mattingly Garza-ValdezMacho's remain to assess osn tha efar validitm in Cranburyy of thei, r Gene Emery is the science writer for the claims, Damon wondered why it is New Jersey, "exactly where super psy­ Providence Journal-Bulletin, 75 Foun­ only the Turin cloth—among ancient chic Monti predicted they were buried." tain St.. Providence. Rl 02902. textiles—whose date is appreciably However, the facts of the story affected by microbial contamination. offered by police are different. Harry Kleinkauf, Chief of Police of Shroudology and Unfortunately the Science News note Cranbury Township, sent this writer C-14 Dating: gave the impression that new tests photocopies of articles from the Home might—by yielding an earlier date— News and Trentonian newspapers; these The Continuing Saga renew the shroud's claim to authenticity. confirm some of the tabloid story's However, that can never be: The daring statements. Donna Macho did disap­ In 1988 three laboratories—at Oxford, applies only to the cloth, not the image, pear in 1984 (she was last seen Feb. Zurich, and the University of and forgers have often obtained old 26), and her skeletal remains were Arizona—radiocarbon-dated the materials on which to produce their found on April 1, 1995, by a Boy Scout Shroud of Turin, and thus proved the handiwork. Moreover, a wealth of addi­ troop leader on a farm in Cranbury. tional evidence proves the shroud a so-called Holy Shroud of Christ a Both the Home News and Tren­ forgery, including its lack of provenance, medieval fake (Damon, et al., Nature, tonian articles agree that Macho's car anatomical flaws in the image, "blood" 337:611-615. 1989). Since then, there was found, not in 1990 by Monti, but composed of tempera paint, and a have been such frequent attempts to in 1984. The car was found a mere medieval bishop's report that the forger discredit the mutually corroborative four hours after the victim was last had been uncovered and had confessed. findings that skeptics and scientists seen, according to the Trentonian. have begun to refer to the latest apolo­ Neither of these New Jersey news getic as "the rationalization du jour." —Joe Nickell articles mentions Monti. The April 4, The most recent notion was in a paper 1995, Home News story tells us, how­ given at an American Society of Joe Nickell is Senior Research Fellow at CSI- ever, that "Nutley [N.J.] psychic Microbiology meeting and reported on in COP and author conquest on the Shroud Dorothy Allison" told police in 1989 Science News (147: 336, 1995). of Turin (Prometheus 1983. 1987). where Donna Macho's body was locat­ "Microbes Muddle Shroud of Turin's ed. (Interested readers should consult Age." According to research by Stephen J. Joe Nickell's Psychic Sleuths [Pro­ Mattingly and Leoncio A. Garza-Valdez Despite Tabloid Assertions, metheus Books, 1994] for more stories of the University of Texas at San Antonio, New Jersey 'Psychic' about Monti and Allison.) microbes may have affected the radiocar­ Strikes Out Newspaper accounts contradict the bon results. The researchers reportedly Weekly World News article on basic discovered drat small samples of shroud A recent story in the Weekly World points: Monti did not, apparently, lead cloth were coated with microbe-synthe­ News (May 16, 1995) tells us that police to the missing girl's car, and the sized "biogenic varnishes" that may be "super psychic" John Monti's 1990 pre­ car was in fact found in 1984, a time much newer than me shroud itself and diction of a murder victim's burial site when Monti (according to the Weekly thereby have contributed to a more recent has finally proved to be correct, but World News story) "knew nothing radiocarbon date. police dispute the story. about the case." But it gets worse. Asked to respond to the new The facts according to the tabloid When the East Windsor Township claims. Professor Paul E. Damon, of thearticle Universit by Jacy k ofAlexande Arizona r laboratorIn 199y0 (N.J.) police department (the depart­ and lead author of the 1989 Nature police asked Monti to help them locate ment conducting the investigation into report, told the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER: the body of Donna Macho, a 19-ycar- the disappearance) was contacted by "We've dated a lot of linen—including old who disappeared in 1984. "Monti," this writer for information about the many Coptic Christian samples—and the article says, "knew nothing about case. Police Chief Barry G. Barlow the case at the time and received only replied in a letter with what he called

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 5 "the actual facts of the matter." People often asks chemists how they Wiseman Succeeds Barlow said Monti was never con­ would make a statue weep, sometimes Humphrey, Will Examine tacted by the East Windsor police suggesting the possible use of deliques­ department, but was, however, con­ cent, hygroscopic or other chemical Parapsychology, Test tacted by a reporter from the compounds. Thus, while realizing that Psychic Claimants Trentonian. (If this is the case, then we much cruder methods can be used must wonder who, exactly, paid Monti (and have indeed been used in the The new appointee to the Perrott- for his "psychic help.") many documented cases of exposed Warrick Scholarship in parapsychology, Police found the girl's car. "Mr. Monti trickery) to make a statue "weep," 1 administered by Trinity College, had nothing to do with it," said Barlow. wondered how I could produce a stat­ Cambridge University, is psychologist Regarding the most startling ue from which tears seemingly materi­ Richard Wiseman. He succeeds Nicholas claims—that Monti "pinpointed" the alized out of the blue. Humphrey, the first person in the post, area where the body was eventually As a possible solution to this chal­ whose three-year term ends in October. found, and that Monti actually visited lenging task I propose a very simple Humphrey's appointment created the site in 1990—Barlow has this to technique that does not require holes quite a stir at the time because para- say: "Mr. Monti was never in the area near the eyelids, nor mechanical, elec­ psychologists had wanted one of their where the body was found." tronic (or even chemical!) gimmicks. own at the post, not a skeptic. (See "An As with so many cases in which a What is needed is a hollow statue made Unbeliever Among the Faithful," SI, claim is made mat a "psychic" has assist­ of a porous material, such as plaster or Winter 1993, vol. 17, no. 2). ed police in investigating a case, it seems ceramic. The icon must be glazed or Wiseman is Senior Research Fellow that a little investigation of our own has painted with some sort of impermeable at the University of Hertfordshire and turned up a mystery: How do "psychics" coating. If the statue is then filled up coauthor (with Robert L. Morris), of continue to receive publicity and public with a liquid, the porous material will Guidelines for Testing Psychic Claimants, acceptance when the simplest aspects of absorb it, but the glazing will stop it a practical 72-page guide published by their claims prove to be false? from flowing out. University of Hertfordshire Press earli­ If the glazing, however, is impercep­ er this year. —David Pitt tibly scratched away on or around the Wiseman says he will use the grant eyes, tear-like drops will leak out, as if David Pitt is a writer in Halifax, Nova to set up a new research unit at the materializing from thin air. If the cavity Scotia, Canada. University of Hertfordshire. He behind the eyes is small enough, once expects the unit to do critical evalua­ all the liquid has dripped out there are tions of experimental parapsychology Getting Blood from virtually no traces left in the icon. (such as the ganzfeld sensory-depriva­ a Stone When I put it to the test, this trick tion experiments, now the latest and proved to be very satisfactory, baffling best hope of psi supporters); carry out In the first few months of this year, all onlookers. I would welcome other attempted replications of some psi Italy has been inundated with peculiar sensible suggestions for better effects. experiments; work on the psychology "miracles": A number of statues and I notice that, among these "weeping of psychic fraud and the testing of psy­ icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary have Madonna" miracles, the only one offi­ chic claimants; and do research on the reportedly wept tears of blood. cially accepted by the Catholic Church psychology of belief in the paranormal. The actual flow of tears has never happened in Siracusa (Sicily) back in He says he also hopes to build up been recorded, although many believ­ 1953. This is the best documented case considerable material on the skeptical ers, having seen icons just badly so far, with many eyewitnesses to an actu­ approach to parapsychology and act as smeared with blood, swear that they al case of weeping, and even a couple of a resource center for other skeptics and have really witnessed them weeping. amateur films showing watery tears researchers in the United Kingdom. (The unreliability of witnesses in high­ appearing on the face out of the blue. ly emotional situations is well known A careful examination of an exact copy to psychology.) of one bas-relief (from the same manufac­ CSICOP Assists in Skeptics claim that a simpler expla­ turer as the original), however, proved Philadelphia TV Station's nation for these paranormal religious it to be made of glazed plaster, and to phenomena might be put down to possess a cavity behind the face. . . . Psychic 'Sting' "pious hoaxes," generated by an ill- A cleverly conceived and strikingly intentioned faith, or even tricks (on —L Garlaschelli effective psychic expose was conducted April 1 a statue of Lenin was also in May 1995 by Philadelphia found weeping!). Extensive media cov­ L. Garlaschelli, Department of Organic WCAU-TV's Herb Denenberg. erage of these stories very likely helped Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via A starting point for the investiga­ to spread the phenomenon. Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy tion was Jody Himebaugh, whose

6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 11 -year-old son Mark disappeared also featured Frank Friel, who has 30 pists gave his adult daughter false November 25. 1991 Although Hime- years of experience in law enforcement. memories that he raped her as a child. baugh conceded that the likelihood of He stated that he had never had a psy­ Hamanne's attorneys said the ver­ his son being found alive was very chic provide a valuable clue, and he dict in her trial thoroughly discredits small, more than 100 alleged psychics criticized the alleged seers for their the represscd-memory theory, which had contacted him with their visions. phony offerings, which he described as says a person can endure repeated He said they typically saw a "dark car," "catastrophic to the well-being" of the abuse and not remember it until years "the number 5," or similar "clues" that families concerned, and, indeed, "out- later. were never any help. (After a case is and-out fraud." "I think the effect is a stunning finally resolved, the psychics typically Himebaugh said psychics took an warning to therapists . . . and to insut- interpret their vague pronouncements "emotional toll" on families. He said ance companies in that they had better to fit the actual facts. This is called he had twice ended up in the hospital start obeying the informed consent retrofitting. Sec my Psychic Sleuths, suffering from anxiety attacks brought laws and stop using experimental treat­ Prometheus Books, 1994.) on by psychics' false hopes. ments like recovered-memory treat­ Prompted in part by the Hime- Whether or not Denenberg's efforts ments on patients without their per­ baugh case, Denenberg first consulted are successful in retarding future psy­ mission," said attorney R. Christopher with CSICOP investigators. Then he chic activities in the Philadelphia area, Barden. "This is a huge warning to and other members of his Newscenter he and Channel 10 are to be com­ them." 10 unit went undercover to test the mended for a fine piece of investigative alleged powers of "so-called psychics," reporting—one in which a paranormal some of whom, the investigative seg­ claim again fails to withstand the light The Fowl Smell of Justice ment announced, "prey on the parents of scrutiny. in Miami of missing children." —Joe Nickel! As the focus of their test Denen­ Justice may be blind. But in Miami, berg's team utilized a 15-year-old justice may want to hold its nose as named Kate. Although film clips Another Psychiatrist Pays well. showed her playing Softball in her front for Planting False Memories Janitors at the Metro Justice Build­ yard, various tarot card readers and ing must make daily patrols around the "psychic advisors"—as well as certain A psychiatrist was ordered in court to criminal courthouse looking for smelly 900-number clairvoyants—were told pay her patient $2.5 million for plant­ remains of chickens, roosters, and that the schoolgirl had been missing ing false memories in the St. Paul, goats left on the steps or near parts of since January. Minnesota, patient's mind, according the building by the families of defen­ In response, some psychics saw her to a report by The Associated Press. dants who are trying to use voodoo or experiencing "physical harm"; one col­ The fine is the largest ever imposed other religious practices to influence a lected a fee of $50 for seeing her "con­ on a doctor accused of implanting false case. fined against her will"; another charged memories, attorneys said. According to a Knight-Ridder news $180 to report that the girl had run Vynette Hamanne, the patient, told service story by Manny Garcia, the away and was "probably pregnant"; a jury she believed she was the victim courthouse's "voodoo squad" checks and, while one psychic envisioned her of bizarre childhood sexual abuse the grounds each morning, especially only two miles from home, another involving satanic rituals and that she the northwest corner of the court­ saw her far away in Florida. Not one had seen her grandmother stirring a house, which has been dubbed among the several psychics ever cauldron of dead babies, but that it was "Chicken Central" because "on most divined the truth about the teenager— not true. "I'm really glad it's done. days the corner resembles a massacre at that she was not missing—or about the We'll be glad to get on with the rest of a chicken ranch. true purpose of Channel 10's investiga­ our lives," Hamanne said of her suc­ "Sometimes we find one chicken. tion. cessful legal action. Sometimes we find three or four. It all When confronted with the evidence Hamanne, 42, is not the only depends on who is on trial," Garcia that their psychic powers were inoper­ patient who has taken the psychiatrist. quoted one maintenance man. ative, the alleged clairvoyants chose not Dr. Diane Humenansky, to court. The Some Cuban, Haitian, and Afro- to appear on camera. However, a doctor is the defendant in at least five Cuban religions call for sacrifices of spokesman for "Miss Ruby, Psychic other civil lawsuits that allege she trau­ food and animals. They also advocate Reader and Advisor," conceded she matized her patients by urging them to the use of a white, so-called "voodoo should have foreseen the sting opera­ remember false memories of abuse. powder," which is sometimes sprinkled tion, and she refunded the TV station's A jury in California in 1994 award­ on the chair of the judge or prosecutor. money. ed $500,000 to a winery executive who When its found, court workers rush to Denenberg's investigative report said his life was destroyed when thera­ vacuum it up.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 7 Fund for the Future CSICOP AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY

With the completion of its headquarters campus, The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal is poised for an explosion of growth. We appeal for your help in assuring adequate funding—now and in the future—for the bold initiatives that will shape the outreach of science and reason in the years to come. To carry out its objectives in the second half of this decade, CSICOP has formulated specific program and project goals.

1) Critical Thinking / Science Education The Committee proposes to develop new materials—ranging from publications to audio and video cassettes and instructional courseware—to disseminate broader and more accurate knowledge about scientific methods and to teach improved critical thinking skills.

2) Media Watch / Rapid Response The Committee proposes to equip itself to be able to monitor major media on a continuing basis, and to be able to respond to claims quickly. This will entail additional staffing for continuous media monitoring, establishment of an e-mail network to permit rapid formulation of responses by qualified experts, and development of e-mail, FAX broadcast, and other capabilities to assure instantaneous dissemination of our statements to local, national, and world media. In addition, the Committee plans to step up its production of audio and video materials through Inquiry Media Productions. Targets include sequels to the successful public education video Beyond Belief, talking books, a radio op-ed series, and a new public affairs series for public radio. Full implementation will require additional staffing and significant investments in production and distribution equipment.

3) The Institute for Inquiry The Committee proposes to complete the development of its Institute for Inquiry adult education program. The Institute for Inquiry is already the nation's foremost provider of education on the subjects of skepticism, the sci­ entific method, and the critical evaluation of paranormal and fringe science claims. Hundreds of persons have attended Institute for Inquiry courses at scores of locations. News

Opening Shots from the Center for Inquiry

A milestone in the 19-year history of Center for Inquiry—shared by the the Committee for the Scientific Council for Democratic and Secular Investigation of Claims of the Humanism—features a library com­ Paranormal was the grand opening plex for 50,000 volumes, offices, and June 9, 1995, of the new Center for meeting/seminar rooms. Many notable Inquiry building near the State speakers offered congratulations to the University of New York at Buffalo organization for meeting this ambi­ campus in Amherst, New York. The tious goal.

Author, entertainer, and media pioneer Steve Allen co-chaired the "Price of Before the Center for Inquiry's dramatic Reason" campaign and gave a special Nobel Laureate Herbert Hauptman scalloped windows, a capacity crowd performance to celebrate the opening. lectured on "Defending Reason in an hears 77me Science Editor Emeritus Leon He also delighted attendees with droll Irrational World." Jaroff extol the virtues of critical thinking. remarks after cutting the ribbon to open the new Center for Inquiry. Center for Inquiry-West Opens in Los Angeles

July 7, 1995. marked yet another stage in the I expansion of CSICOP's outreach. Entertainer I Steve Allen joined CSICOP Chair Paul Kurtz, [ Executive Director Barry Karr, Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell, and many others to dedicate CSICOP's new Los Angeles r ••••J3J1 \\\\\W branch office, the Center for Inquiry-West. CFI-West will serve as a regional office I for the states of California, Oregon. I Washington, and Nevada. Most important, it will offer new and more direct access to the nation's media centers in the Los Angeles area. CFI-West is located in a small office suite in the Marina Del Rey district on the West Side of Lo» Angeles. CSICOP shares the facility with CODESH. the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism. CFI-West will sponsor a series of lectures and seminars in the Southern Stan Lundine, former Lieutenant California area, and invites West Coast skeptics to join as Friends of the Center for Inquiry-West. Governor of New York State under Mario A mow to more versatile quarters is expected in the near future. Cuomo, praised the Center for Inquiry CFI-West is located at 5521 Grosvenor Blvd.. Los Angeles. CA 90036. Flim* *. (310) 306-2817. and defended government involvement in addressing social problems.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 9 Notes of a Fringe-Watcher

[Waking Up from Freud's Theory of reams

W MARTIMAR N GARDNER

/ have had a most rare vision. I have this falls to one's lot but once in a life­ resemble the sounds of "unskilled fin­ had a dream, past the wit of man to time." gers wandering over the keys of a say what dream it was: man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this In one of his lectures Freud called piano." dream. his dream theory "the royal road to a However, Freud also believed that knowledge of the unconscious; it is the beneath what he called the manifest —Nick Bottom, a weaver, secret foundation of psychoanalysis." content of a dream—its seemingly in Shakespeare's Shortly after his book on dreams was absurd, disconnected images—lay a A Midsummer Night's Dream, act 4, scene 1. published, he wrote to his close friend latent content that was a cleverly dis­ Wilhelm Fliess, a bumbling ear, nose, guised expression of unconscious wish­ and throat doctor and numerologists es. "We do literally deny," Freud wrote or several decades Sigmund from Berlin, that maybe someday a in his General Introduction to Freud's reputation as a scientist marble tablet would be placed on his Psychoanalysis, "that anything in the Fhas been steadily withering. So (Freud's) house to commemorate dream is a matter of chance or of indif­ much so that Time (November 20, where he made his monumental dream ference." 1993) put Freud's face on its cover, his discovery. [See The Complete Letters of Because most unconscious desires head depicted as crumbling, and asked: Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fliess, 1887- are shocking to the conscious mind, "Is Freud Dead?" Paul Gray's answer in 1904, Harvard Press, 1985.] our brain contains something Freud his feature article was "Yes." Psychi­ Much earlier efforts had been made called the "censor." To prevent us from atrists, philosophers, and critics now to unravel dreams. To the ancients, as awakening in horror or disgust over an regard the "Vienna quack" (as writer to today's parapsychologists, dreams explicit revelation of an unconscious Vladimir Nabokov called him) as a were often interpreted as precognitions wish, this "severe little manikin" dis­ man of great literary talents, but essen­ of future events or clairvoyant visions torts the dream by transforming our tially a pseudoscientist without the fog­ of current, faraway events. Michel secret desires into harmless symbols giest notion of how to confirm his con­ Montaigne (essayist, humanist, and that will not disturb our slumber. jectures. skeptic), in one of his essays (Book 3, Occasionally, when the censor fails to Nowhere is this paradigm shift Chapter 13), wrote: "I believe it to be do its job, the result may be an anxiety more evident than with respect to true that dreams are the true inter­ dream or nightmare so disturbing that Freud's dream theory. Freud himself preters of our inclinations; but there is it wakes us. considered this his finest achievement. art required to son and understand Freud of course could not deny that In the preface to the third edition of them." dream symbols reflect recent events we The Interpretation of Dreams, he wrote: Before 1900 the prevailing opinion have experienced, or even conditions "It contains, even according to my pre­ among psychologists was that dreams occurring while we sleep, such as sent-day judgment, the most valuable are mostly random images as nonsensi­ unusual heat or cold, loud sounds, of all the discoveries it has been my cal as Alice's dreams of Wonderland. In strong odors, a stomach ache, arthritic good fortune to make. Insight such as Freud's words, they were thought to pains, and so on. If our bladder is too

10 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 full, we may dream of urinating—the of it or not," and a woman's clitoris conies which can be caught hold of," censor's trick to keep us asleep. If hun­ also becomes erect when sexually stim­ Freud writes, the building signifies a gry, we may dream of eating; if thirsty, ulated. woman with projecting breasts. of drinking. In such cases the manifest Female symbols are hollow or they Both Freud and Carl Jung were fas­ and latent contents of a dream become enclose: pits, caves, jars, bottles, boxes, cinated by number symbolism, espe­ the same. chests, cupboards, shoes (including cially Jung, who carried numerology to The psychoanalyst's task, helped by horseshoes!), slippers, drawers, pock­ preposterous heights. To give only one free-association tests and dialogue, is to ets, jewel cases, ships, stoves, houses, example, the number 3 signifies for uncover the secret content of a patient's rooms, churches, doors, gates, chim­ Freud the male genitalia because the dreams—an indispensible aid in deter­ neys, keyholes. figure "3" combines a penis with two mining the childhood sources of his or More mysterious female symbols testicles. In dreams this is often dis­ her neuroses. include wood, paper, tables, books, guised as a three-leaf clover or the The best introduction to Freud's and flowers. If a man dreams of taking French fleur-de-lis. dream symbolism is Lecture 10 of his flowers from a woman it symbolizes his A desire to masturbate is represent­ General Introduction to Psychoanalysis. wish to deflower her. Such puns often ed in dreams by any kind of play, espe­ It must be read to be appreciated. play symbolic roles in dreams. A cially piano playing. (Freud would Male sex symbols are any items that woman dreams of violets. In The have had a field day with Adelaide resemble a penis: sticks, umbrellas, Proctor's popular poem and song, poles, trees, knives, daggers, lances, "The Lost Chord.") Dreams of pulling sabres, guns, pistols, mushrooms, keys, off branches, or having one's teeth pencils, pens, hammers, screwdrivers. yanked, symbolize castration as pun­ Freud doesn't mention bananas, hot ishment for masturbation. dogs, or cigars, but their phallic sym­ What about the sex act? For Freud, bolism is obvious. (Freud is alleged to dreams disguise this as dancing, riding, have once said—does any reader know climbing, or experiencing any kind of where?—that in some dreams a cigar violence, such as being run over. may be just a cigar.) Fish and reptiles, Climbing stairways, ladders, or moun­ especially snakes, are male symbols. So tains Freud considers "indubitably are swans, with their long necks. symbolic of sexual intercourse." He Neckties that "hang down" and feath­ calls attention to the rhythmic aspect ers that "stand up" are other male sym­ of climbing and to its escalating excite­ bols. In The Interpretation of Dreams, ment that puts one out of breath. Freud reports a patient's dream about a Throughout his books Freud pro­ hat with a slanted feather. It symbol­ vides hundreds of examples of dream ized the male dreamer's impotence. analysis, often of his own dreams, Hats and coats can be either male or Interpretation of Dreams Freud associ­ although he seldom reveals himself as female symbols. This may be "difficult ates this with the French "viol," mean­ the dreamer. At the time he invented to divine," Freud writes, "but their ing rape. Carnations are linked to "car­ his dream theory, he was a heavy user symbolism is quite unquestionable." nal." Lillies of the Valley are double of cocaine. The drug suppresses dream­ Hats are male symbols because the female symbols because they combine ing for a time, but there is always a head goes into them, and coats, blossoms with valleys. rebound when dreams become more because arms go into sleeves. The hats Snails and mussels, Freud tells us, frequent and unusually vivid. Freud and sleeves also serve as female sym­ are "unmistakable female symbols." So carefully wrote down these dreams and bols. are peaches, apples, melons—any kind did his best to interpret them. Objects from which water emerges of fruit that resembles a breast. Female Here is a typical example of how signify male ejaculation: faucets, water­ pubic hair is represented in dreams by Freud interprets a patient's dream in ing cans, springs, fountains. Anything woods and thickets. When women Lecture 12 of his General Introduction to that flies through the air is symbolic of dream of landscapes, says Freud, the Psychoanalysis. A woman dreams that erection: balloons, airplanes, zeppelins. scene swarms with sex symbols: rocks her head bleeds after banging it against Common dreams of flying like Peter and trees for men, woods for women, a chandelier. The chandelier is a penis Pan are dreams of erection. This, Freud and water for both sexes. symbol. Her head represents the lower tells us, has been proved true "beyond Buildings can be either male or part of her body because as a child her doubt." How is it, then, that women female symbols. If outside walls are mother once told her that if she didn't also dream of flying? Freud gives two smooth, the building represents a man behave she would become as bald as her reasons: They have "penis envy"—a with his flat chest. "When there are buttocks. "The real subject of the dream desire to be a man "whether conscious protuberances such as ledges and bal­ then is a bleeding at the lower end of the

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 11 patients who want to please their ana­ The following excerpt of a song by Franklin P. Adams was published in his lyst. newspaper column in the 1920s and later set to music by Brian Hooker: How about soldiers who in dreams relive horrible traumas they would pre­ A debutante was sitting in the parlor of her flat; fer to forget? These, too, Freud A brave young man upon her he was calling. explained as wishes. In such dreams of They talked about the weather and the war and things like that terror the sleeper is a masochist who As couples will, for conversation stalling. wants to continue suffering! As Freud The talk it all went merry quite until the young man said: wrote, "Even dreams with a painful "Last night I dreamed that you had gone away—" content are seen to be wish fulfill­ The debutante put up her hand and stopped the young man ments." dead. Although Freud believed that "an And softly unto him these words did say: overwhelming majority of symbols in CHORUS dreams are sexual," he recognized hun­ dreds of nonsexual symbols. Parents "Don't tell me what you dreamt last night, I must not hear you are represented by kings, queens, and speak! other authority figures. Brothers and For it might bring a crimson blush unto my maiden cheek. sisters are symbolized by little animals If I were you. that subject is a thing that I'd avoid— and vermin. Birth is "almost invari­ Don't tell me what you dreamt last night, for I've been reading ably" represented by water, a symbol of Freud." the amniotic fluid. Long journeys sig­ A loving husband sat one morn at breakfast with his wife, nify dying. And said to her: "Oh, Minnie, pass the cream. In the 1920s and 1930s, when Last night I dreamed that Fritzi Scheff pursued me with a knife, Freud was most fashionable in the United States, his devotees had great And though I tried, I couldn't even scream." fun searching for sex symbols in their His little wife put up her hand, and said: "Oh, pray desist! dreams, and in art and literature. To tell the rest of it might break my heart. Today's psychiatrists, aside from elder­ That dream, I fear, is plain to any psychoanalyst." ly analysts who still view Freud's writ­ And then she softly wept, and said, in part: ings as sacred, regard Freud's theory of "Don't tell me what you dreamt last night. dreams not as his greatest achievement I must not hear you speak!" etc. but as his greatest failure. The symbol­ ism is so flexible that a clever analyst, (Madame Fritzi Scheff was a beautiful Viennese prima donna who became famous in the on the basis of data gained from couch United States for her opera roles. The second of her three husbands was the American dialogue and free-association tests, can novelist John fox, Jr.) interpret any dream to fit any conjec­ ture. A good example of such elasticity body, caused by contact with the penis." she dreamed of just such a vacation. was Freud's belief that any dream can Another dream from the same lec­ One might have expected Freud stand for its direct opposite "just as eas­ ture: A woman dreams of seeing a hole simply to admit that dreams can reflect ily as for itself." A male symbol can in the ground where a tree has been fears as well as desires, but no—he denote a female, and vice versa! Yet uprooted. Freud has "no doubt" that struggled all his life to find ways of see­ Freud, in his vast hubris, was so blind this dream expresses her infantile belief ing unpleasant dreams as secret wish to the absurdities of his dream theory that she once had a penis, but it had fulfillments. He was aware that such that he expressed amazement that his been removed. counterwish dreams presented serious theory met such "strenuous opposition Freud theorized that dreams are obstacles to his theory. Here is how he amongst educated persons." often what he called "counterwish interpreted the unpleasant dream dreams." These axe unpleasant dreams about the vacation with a mother-in- Sir Peter Medawar, the distin­ that express fears rather than wishes. law. The dreamer was in a stage of guished British biologist, writer, and For example, a lawyer dreams of losing intense resistance to her analysis. Eager Nobel Prize winner, reviewing a book a case he wants to win, or a woman to prove Freud wrong, her unconscious on psychiatry in the New York Review dreams of being unable to host a ban­ concocted a dream that contradicted of Books (January 23, 1975) concluded: quet she wants to host. In The his theory! Indeed, Freud found such Psychoanalysts will continue to per­ Interpretation of Dreams Freud recalls dreams common among rebellious petrate the most ghastly blunders the "cleverest" of all his dreamers. This patients who knew something about just so long is they persevere in their woman strongly wanted to avoid a psychoanalysis. Of course there also are vacation with her mother-in-law, yet "obliging dreams" by knowledgeable Freud continued on page 56

12 skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Psychic Vibrations

Bra Hazards, Carpet Circles, Lunar Aliens, and Adam's Animals

ROBERT SHEAFFER

esearchers looking into the caus­ Singer, a medical anthropologist, in the world Stone was giving this talk es of breast cancer, a disease mused on the cultural significance of in the first place, and why she was Rtragically common among bras in Western society: "They're really given this forum. women in Western countries, may invested in wearing bras, women iden­ have overlooked the most obvious tify with their breasts so much. Can cause of all: the wearing of bras. So says they stop wearing bras if it meant sav­ the husband-and-wife team of Sydney ing their lives?" Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, A spokesperson for the National The Dean of UFO skeptics, Philip J. whose 1995 book Dressed to Kill: The Cancer Institute responds: "We look Klass, reports in his Skeptics UFO Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras forward to the publication of the Bra Newsletter that Joe Barron, MUFON's (Avery Publishing) is based on their and Breast Cancer Study in a peer- (Mutual UFO Network) chief investi­ own personal experiences and research. reviewed scientific journal, where the gator for the UFO "hot zones" of Gulf (Scientific studies suggest that the dif­ study results can be properly evaluated." Breeze, and Pensacola, Florida, alleged­ ference in diet between North Another leading authority on can­ ly has discovered a new UFO landing American and Japanese women cer who recently made her findings strip: the carpet inside his house. accounts for the much-higher breast known was actress Sharon Stone. She Barron reports discovering two myste­ cancer rates in the former group.) As gave a talk to the National Press Club rious 7-inch-diamerer indentations in described in the August 1995 New Age in Washington, titled "A Holistic his carpet (Is this the first report of car­ Journal, the book authors' theory is Approach to the War on Cancer." She pet circles?) after having heard a very that "when the breast is chronically explained how she had cured herself of loud noise. Three more identical rings restricted by a bra, the lymph system lymphoma, a particularly virulent type were found in another room. Barron that surrounds it may become of cancer, by "a lot of positive thinking concluded that "as a result of the loud blocked—preventing it from carrying and a lot of holistic healing," and most noise, and finding the rings, contact out its function of removing toxins especially by staying away from coffee. was established with me by some enti­ from the area, and thus making cancer "When I stopped drinking coffee, ten ty which, at this moment, is a mystery more likely." Surveying almost 5,000 days later, I had no tumors in any of to me." women in major cities in the United my lymph glands," the actress report­ Klass also reports that UFO lecturer States, they claim to have found that ed. However, Richard Carlson, the Robert Dean told an enthusiastic audi­ women who wore their bras so tightly president and CEO of the Corporation ence at last year's UFO conference in as to cause red marks on their skin, or for Public Broadcasting, who was lis­ Pensacola, Florida, that "there are aliens wore bras more than 12 hours a day, tening to her talk with great increduli­ mining the moon. They have bases on the moon." Not one, but four different were much more likely to have con­ ty, writes (The Washington Post, July 2, alien species arc operating on our tracted breast cancer. 1995) that Stone's publicist later moon, he says, and one species looks Interviewed by the San Jose admitted that the actress never had exacdy like can filings. "All of our astro- (California) Metro (July 6, 1995), cancer, which makes one wonder why

5HEPIICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 13 nauts know it, and many of them are inbreeding, resulted in characteristics truly overwhelming. Adam would having nervous breakdowns," accord­ we now call Neanderthaloid." How­ have been naming not only mammals ing to Dean. In fact, Dean says, the rea­ ever, these hardships do not seem to and birds, but all of the dinosaurs as son that NASA ended its program of have taken too heavy a toll on the well, who were created at the same manned lunar flight is that "we were group. Says ICR: "Many of these fea­ time as the other animals. Clearly, the told to get off the moon and stay off." tures, heavy brow ridge, teeth crowd­ task borders on the impossible, even ing forward, deterioration of the chin, for an unfallen man. excessive wear on the teeth, are fea­ One theory of Adam's success in tures of very old individuals. And why naming animal species is that Adam not? The Bible says that in the days was created, according to Spear, "pre- Meanwhile, the Institute for Creation soon after Noah's Flood, people still informed or preprogrammed with Research (ICR) in El Cahon, Cali­ lived several hundred years. Cuozzo knowledge essential not only to his fornia, continues its vigorous research postulates that many of the classic own survival, but also to carrying out into the mysteries of what it calls "cre­ Neanderthal skeletons were the his Creator's multiple purposes." ation science." The July 1995 issue of remains of very old men and women." However, this hypothesis seems to take its publication Acts and Facts sets forth It is not known whether the practice away from Adam's free will (and while the findings of Jack Cuozzo, "an of poor nutrition, inbreeding, and liv­ Spear does not mention it, given that orthodontist who has become an ing in caves might allow modern Adam later sinned, it does not seem a expert in the dental, facial, and cranial humans to live as long. good idea to implicate the Creator too characteristics of Neanderthal man." In that same issue of Acts and Facts, strongly as the author of Adam's Traveling all around the world to William J. Spear, Jr. addresses the thoughts). Another theory, said Spear, study Neanderthal skulls, Cuozzo problem "Could Adam Really Name is that, since "humans today utilize claims to have found much evidence All Those Animals?" Some readers only 10-20 percent of our brain's that evolutionist scholars and muse­ may not have realized that this pre­ capacity, Adam may have been able to um curators have manipulated sents a problem, but the ever-vigilant utilize what he did know much more rapidly and with greater acuity than "Dean told an enthusiastic audience , . . we can." That is, Adam's brain was operating at much closer to 100 per­ that 'there are aliens mining the moon. cent. However, Spear's preferred theo­ They have bases on the moon,' Not one, ry is that God may have used a sort of "virtual reality" (VR) to speed up the but four different alien species are oper­ process, since this unfallen man had an ating on our moon, he says," untarnished and direct mental percep­ tion of the deity. So God may have Neanderthal remains to make them scholars of creation science are con­ used the divinity-to-humanity com­ appear far more apelike than they stantly testing and refining their munication link that has since been actually are. For example, Cuozzo hypotheses. According to Genesis nearly severed to present speeded-up charges that evolutionists allegedly 2:19-21, God paraded all of the earth's images in Adam's mind of animals physically manipulate and depict animals and birds before Adam, who parading before him, waiting to be these skulls with their jaws dislocated gave names to each kind. Adam, how­ named. This would seem logical, since and the teeth pushed forward to make ever, at this time was only a few hours a tremendous amount of precious time them look apelike, when, according to old (the "days" of creation being inter­ would otherwise be wasted waiting for Cuozzo, in reality the Neanderthal preted literally by the ICR as 24-hour snails, slugs, and tortoises to slowly go man's skull differs little from yours or days), and hence he may have been lumbering past. Spear concludes: mine. Explains the publication: "ICR barely able to walk and talk. He need­ "Because Adam named the animals has long held that these people ed not to merely name all of the vari­ before the Fall, his recollection was [Neanderthals] were a language group ous species (at least those visible to the crystal clear, accurate, and volumi­ who migrated away from the Tower of naked eye) in one single day, but he nous. It may have even been like VR Babel. They found themselves in also had to set aside some time to be in the sense that Adam could see, harsh Ice Age circumstances and some anesthetized for the extraction of his smell, feel, and hear the creatures were forced to live in caves. Poor rib so that Eve could be created. In within his memory. At any rate, it may nutrition and disease, as well as that day there were tens of thousands have felt as if it were immediate of species of animals to be named, knowledge rather than knowledge Robert Sheaffer works in the computer with only 86,400 seconds to do it, and mediated by God at Creation. Adam's industry in the Silicon Valley in Cali­ the number of now-extinct species liv­ memory would be able to tell no dif­ fornia. ing before the Flood must have been ference." •

14 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Media Watch

'Alien Autopsy5 how-and-Tell: Long on Tell, Short on Show

C. EUGENE EMERY, JR.

here's nothing more maddening "Alien Autopsy" was far from one­ have been polished bright by the pas­ than having someone invite you sided. Kiviat repeatedly had the host, sage of time. With its simple tale of a Tto make up your own mind "Star Trek" actor Jonathan Frakes, note crashed saucer, a few space aliens, and about a controversy, only to have them that the movie could be a hoax, and a government cover-up, the Roswell refuse to give you the tools to do it. Kiviat addressed some key criticisms. story seems far more plausible (relative­ That's precisely what the Fox televi­ But other important criticisms were ly speaking) than today's tales of aliens sion network did August 28 and muted, ignored, taken out of context, passing through walls, millions of September 4, 1995, when it presented or simply brushed aside. Americans being abducted by sex- a one-hour special "Alien Autopsy: Fact It's understandable that some peo­ obsessed space creatures, and extra­ or Fiction?" that was billed as the net­ ple would be impressed by the film. terrestrials who create alien-human work premiere of a 17-minute film The snippets the producers chose to ait babies. purporting to be the autopsy of a space looked convincing in many ways. UFO believers thought they had creature found near Roswell, New Scalpels seemed to cut flesh. A skin flap the Roswell affair pretty well figured Mexico, in 1947. [See also the SI from the skull seemed to be pulled over out. "Alien Autopsy" has shaken things Special Report on Roswell by Philip J. the face. Dark innards were removed up because the images in the film don't Klass in this issue, p. 20 and Joe from the brain area and the body cavi­ always conform to the picture the Nickell's column on p. 17.] ty, and placed into pans. The tools and believers have painstakingly construct­ Instead of simply showing the 17 equipment seemed to be from the right ed over the years. The creature on the minutes, viewers got to see maybe era. autopsy table is tall, its eyes are too three, four, or five minutes of footage Yet when it comes to exposing a small, it has too many fingers and toes, chopped up into MTV-sized snippets clever fraud, the devil is in the details. and it looks too humanlike, complete that were repeated throughout the By failing to show the entire film, with humanlike ears and toenails. hour. one was left to wonder whether Fox Some enthusiasts had expressed the Instead of a tough skeptical analysis was leaving out the portions that might fear that "Alien Autopsy" would dis­ of a film that has been kept tightly under have flagged the movie as bogus. credit some of the work that has gone wraps by its owner, executive producer "Alien Autopsy" comes at a difficult into uncovering the truth at Roswell. Robert Kiviat—whose resume" includes time for UFO enthusiasts. Today's cut­ Such fears may be justified. In the being a coordinating producer on Fox's ting-edge UFO tales have become so media, it's the images, not facts, that pseudoscience newsmagazine program extraordinary, they're often met with shape public attitudes and debates "Encounters"—"Alien Autopsy" tended derision, even by people in the increas­ these days. Long after people have for­ to showcase interviews from people who ingly sensationalist media. gotten the details of a Roswell book or seemed convinced that the footage was That's why the focus seems to have article, they're going to remember the cither real, or a complicated hoax that shifted to Roswell, where the details arc video of this six-fingered "alien" under­ would have been extremely difficult to still intriguing enough to fire the imag­ going an "autopsy." pull off. ination, and the facts and recollections The film snippets that were shown

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 15 been carefully stripped away to examine the pattern of the musculature. The ori­ gin and insertion of individual muscles would have been documented. Samples would have been taken, weighed, recorded and photographed. Only then would the people behind the protective hoods have gone deeper into the gut, repeating the documentation process. When critics have questioned the quick removal of the black sheath on the eyes, the argument has been made that this was the third or fourth alien autopsied, so the procedure was becoming easier. The argument doesn't wash. Unless this was one of scores of alien bodies, researchers would want to handle each case with excruciating care so they could compare and contrast the individuals. raised all kinds of questions, and pro­ restrial contact lenses, a piece of the eye Unfortunately, the people who were vided few answers. Some examples: isn't going to come away that easily skeptical of the film—ironically, • One small part of the film shows without some connective tissue being including people prominent in the someone making a cut in the skin sliced first. UFO movement—were given little along the neck. Did the full-length • Where was everybody? How many time and almost no opportunity to film include the showing of any dissec­ people would turn down the chance to explain their skepticism, making them tion of the cut area? Was this cutting of watch the historic autopsy of a creature appear to be little more than skin simply done for effect, possibly from another world? Yet there were debunkers. Kent Jeffrey, who argued with a trick knife that makes a glisten­ only two people in this room, in addi­ months earlier that the film is a hoax, ing mark on the body that appears to tion to the cameraman. only got to predict that it will probably be the blood from an incision? • Why did the person watching eventually be exposed as a fraud. The • One section of the film shows an from behind the glass partition, and criticisms of one Hollywood filmmak­ intact body (except for a large leg not in the room, need to be suited up? er, who thought the movie was bogus, wound). Another shows the thorax • For such an extraordinary autopsy, were quickly countered by a camera­ and abdomen cut open. Were there why did there seem to be so little effort man from the era who said it wasn't any steps in between, or did possible to document it? There was no attempt surprising that this autopsy camera­ hoaxers making the film simply cut to weigh or label the specimens, and man would allow his view to be open a latex dummy, dump animal there were just a few shots of someone blocked or parts of the movie to be out guts inside, and pretend to take them putting data on a single sheet of paper. of focus. out? • Why was the supposedly experi­ Then there were things the show • There were film clips of organs, enced cameraman—who also claims to didn't tell viewers. such as the brain, being removed. But have been present when three alien "Alien Autopsy" quoted Laurence organs can't be pulled from a body like creatures were found—trying to take Cate of Kodak, who said the markings pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. They're held close-ups that invariably made the film on the film indicate it was manufac­ in position by sometimes-tough con­ go out of focus? Good photographers tured in 1927, 1947 or 1967. The pro­ nective tissue that must first be cut know when they're getting too close to gram didn't make it clear that Cate is away. The film snippets on "Alien their subject and need to switch to a not an expert in authentication, Autopsy" showed no evidence of that lens with a more appropriate focal according to the Sunday Times of type of dissection. That flaw—if it is a length. London. flaw—was most obvious when the doc­ The fact is, an autopsy on a creature Paolo Cherchi Usai, senior curator tor plucked the dark covering off the this extraordinary wouldn't be done the at George Eastman House, a photogra­ eye. Unless these were simply extrater- way this one was. The being would phy museum, based his observation have been turned over so the back that the film would be difficult to fab­ Gene Emery is the science writer for the could be examined (in fact, the "doc­ ricate on seeing the 17 minutes of film Providence Journal-Bulletin, 75 Foun­ tors" seemed reluctant to move the tain St., Providence, Rl 02902. body much at all). The skin would have Aliens continued on page 55

16 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Investigative Files

Men Autopsy' Hoax

t keeps going and going and. . . . UFO hoaxes, both directly and indi­ autopsy" film was bound to turn up. The Roswell crashed-saucer myth rectly related to Roswell, have since pro­ That predictability, together with a Ihas been given renewed impetus by liferated. For example, a 1949 science fic­ lack of established historical record for a controversial television program tion movie, The Flying Saucer, produced the bizarre film, is indicative of a hoax. "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?" that by Mikel Conrad, purported to contain So is the anonymity of the cameraman. purports to depict the autopsy of a fly­ scenes of a captured spacecraft; an actor But the strongest argument against ing saucer occupant. The "documen­ hired by Conrad actually posed as an FBI authenticity stems from what really tary," promoted by a British marketing agent and swore the claim was true. In crashed at Roswell in 1947. According agency that formerly handled Walt 1950, writer Frank Scully reported in his to recently released Air Force files, the Disney products, was aired August 28, book Behind the Flying Saucers that the wreckage actually came from a bal­ and September 4, 1995, on the Fox United States government had in its pos­ loon-borne array of radar reflectors and television network. Skeptics, as well as session no fewer than three Venusian monitoring equipment launched as many UFOIogists, quickly branded the spaceships, together with the bodies of part of the secret Project Mogul and film used in the program a hoax. their humanoid occupants. Scully, who intended to monitor acoustic emis­ "The Roswell Incident," as it is was also a Variety magazine columnist, sions from anticipated Soviet nuclear known, is described in several contro­ was fed the story by two confidence men tests. In fact, materials from the device versial books, including one of that title who had hoped to sell a petroleum-locat­ match contemporary descriptions of by Charles Berlitz and William L. ing device allegedly based on alien tech­ the debris (foiled paper, sticks, and Moore. Reportedly, in early July 1947, a nology. Other crash-retrieval stories fol­ tape) given by rancher Brazel's children flying saucer crashed on the ranch prop­ lowed, as did various photographs of and others (Berlitz and Moore 1980; erty of William Brazel near Roswell, space aliens living and dead: One grue­ Thomas 1995). New Mexico, and was subsequently some photo portrayed the pilot of a small Interestingly, the film failed to agree retrieved by the United States govern­ plane, his aviator's glasses still visible in with earlier purported eyewitness testi­ ment (Berlitz and Moore 1980). Over the picture (Clark 1993). mony about the alleged autopsy. For the years, numerous rumors, urban leg­ Among recent Roswell hoaxes was example, multiple medical informants ends, and outright hoaxes have claimed the MJ-12 fiasco, in which supposed described the Roswell creatures as lack­ that saucer wreckage and the remains of top secret government documents— ing ears and having only four fingers its humanoid occupants were stored at a including an alleged briefing paper for with no thumb (Berlitz and Moore secret facility—e.g., a (nonexistent) President Eisenhower and an executive 1980), whereas the autopsy film depicts "Hangar 18" at Wright Patterson Air order from President Truman—cor­ a creature with small ears and five fin­ Force Base—and that the small corpses roborated the Roswell crash. Unfor­ gers in addition to a thumb. Ergo, were autopsied at that or another site tunately, document experts readily either the previous informants are (Berlitz and Moore 1980; Stringfield exposed the papers as inept forgeries hoaxers, or the film is a hoax, or both. 1977). [See the SI Special Report on (Nickell and Fischer 1990). Although the film was supposedly Roswell by Philip J. Klass. in this issue.] Sooner or later, a Roswell "alien authenticated by Kodak, only the

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 17 the cranial area being removed: ' This is a structure that must be the brain, if it is a human being. It looks like no brain that I have ever seen, whether it is a brain filled with a tumor, a brain that has been radiated, a brain that has been traumatized and is hemorragic. . . ." (Wecht 1995). Much more criti­ cal was the assessment of nationally known pathologist Dominick Demaio who described the autopsy on televi­ sion's "American Journal" (1995): "I would say it's a lot of bull." Houston pathologist Ed Uthman (1995) was also bothered by the unre­ alistic viscera, stating: "The most implausible thing of all is that the 'alien' just had amorphous lumps of tis­ sue in 'her' body cavities. I cannot fath­ leader tape and a single frame were any United States government infor­ om that an alien who had external submitted for examination, not the mation on UFOs and alien intelli­ organs so much like ours could not entire footage. In fact, a Kodak gence) stated "up front and unequivo­ have some sort of definitive structural spokesman told the Sunday Times of cally there is no (zero!!!) doubt in my organs internally." As well, "the prosec­ London: "There is no way I could mind that this film is a fraud" (1995). tors did not make an attempt to authenticate this. 1 saw an image on Even arch Roswell promoter Stanton T arrange the organs for demonstration the print. Sure it could be old film, but Friedman said: "I saw nothing to indi­ for the camera." Uthman also observed it doesn't mean it is what the aliens cate the footage came from the Roswell that there was no body block, a basic were filmed on." incident, or any other UFO incident piece of equipment used to prop up the Various objections to the film's for that matter" ("Alien or Fake?" trunk for examination and the head for authenticity came from journalists, 1995). brain removal. He also pointed out UFO researchers, and scientists who Still other critics found many that "die prosector used scissors like a viewed the film. They noted that it inconsistencies and suspicious ele­ tailor, not like a pathologist or sur­ bore a bogus, non-military codemark ments in the alleged autopsy. For geon" (pathologists and surgeons place ("Restricted access, AOl classifica­ example, in one scene the "doctors" the middle or ring finger in the bottom tion") that disappeared after it was crit­ wore white, hooded anti-contamina­ scissors hole and use the forefinger to icized; that the anonymous photogra­ tion suits that could have been neither steady the scissors near the blades). pher's alleged military status had not for protection from radiation (else­ Uthman further noted that "the initial been verified; and that the injuries sus­ where the personnel are examining an cuts in the skin were made a little too tained by the extraterrestrial were alien body without such suits), nor for Hollywood-like, too gingerly, like inconsistent with an air crash. On the protection from the odor of decay nor operating on a living patient" whereas basis of such objections, an article in from unknown bacteria or viruses autopsy incisions are made faster and the Sunday Times of London advised: (either would have required some type deeper. Uthman faulted the film for "RELAX. The little green men have of breathing apparatus). Thus it lacking what he aptly termed "techni­ not landed. A much-hyped film pur­ appears that the outfits served no pur­ cal verisimilitude." porting to prove that aliens had arrived pose except to conceal the "doctors'" The degree of realism in the film on earth is a hoax" (Chittenden 1995). identities. has been debated, even by those who Similar opinions on the film came American pathologists offered still believe the film is a hoax. Some, like even from prominent Roswell-crash more negative observations. Cyril Kent Jeffrey (1995), thought the partisans: Kent Jeffrey, an associate of Wecht, former president of the autopsy was done on a specially altered the Center for UFO Studies and National Association of Forensic human corpse. On the other hand, author of the "Roswell Declaration" (a Pathologists, seemed credulous but many—including movie special effects call for an executive order to declassify described the viscera in terms that experts—believed a dummy had been might apply to supermarket meat used. One suspicious point in that Joe Nickel! is Senior Research Fellow at scraps and sponges: "I cannot relate regard was that significant close-up CSICOP. This is his inaugural Investi­ these structures to abdominal con­ views of the creature's internal organs gative Files column. texts." Again, he said about contents of were consistently out of focus ("Alien

18 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 or Fake?" 1995). "American Journal" (1995) also fea­ tured a special effects expert who doubted the film's authenticity and demonstrated how the autopsy "inci­ sions"—which left a line of "blood" as the scalpel was drawn across the alien's skin—could easily have been faked. (The secret went unexplained but probably consisted of a tube fastened to the far side of the blade.) In contrast to the somewhat credu­ lous response of a Hollywood special effects filmmaker on the Fox program, British expert Cliff Wallace of Creature Effects provided the following assess­ ment:

None of us were of the opinion that Either way the processes involved are we were watching a real alien autop­ fakery. Television executives have a fairly complicated and require a high sy, or an autopsy on a mutated responsibility not to confuse programs level of specialized knowledge. human which has also been suggest­ designed for entertainment with news ed. We all agreed that what we were documentaries." seeing was a very good fake body, a Another expert, Trey Stokes—a large proportion of which had been Hollywood special effects "motion based on a lifecast. Although the References designer" whose film credits include nature of the film obscured many of Alien or fake? 1995. Sheffield Star (England). the things we had hoped to see, we The Abyss, The Blob, Robocop Two, August 18. felt that the general posture and Batman Returns, Gremlins II, Tales "American Journal," 1995. September 6. weighting of the corpse was incor­ from the Crypt, and many others—pro­ Berlitz, Charles, and William L. Moore. 1980. The Roswell Incident. New York.' Grosset and rect for a body in a prone position vided an independent analysis at Dunlap. and had more in common with a CSlCOP's request. Interestingly, Chittenden, Maurice. 1995. Film that 'proves' cast that had been taken in an Stokes's critique also indicated that the aliens visited Earth is a hoax, the Sunday upright position. alien figure was a dummy cast in an Times of London, July 30. We did notice evidence of a pos­ Clark, Jerome. 1993. "UFO Hoaxes." In Encyclo­ upright position. He further noted sible molding scam line down an pedia of Hoaxes, cd. by Gordon Stein, pp. arm in one segment of the film but that it seemed lightweight and "rub­ 267-278. Detroit: Gale Research. Jeffrey, Kent. 1995. Bulletin 2: The purported were generally surprised that there bery," that it therefore moved unnatu­ 1947 Roswell film, Internet. May 26. rally when handled, especially in one was little other evidence of seaming Kurtz, Paul. 1995. Quoted in CSICOP press which suggests a high degree of shot in which "the shoulder and upper release, "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?" workmanship. arm actually are floating rigidly above film a hoax concludes scientific organization. April 25. We felt that the filming was done the table surface, rather than sagging in such a way as to obscure details Nickell. Joe, and John F. Fischer. 1990. The back against it" as would be expected crashed-saucer forgeries. International UFO rather than highlight them and that (Stokes 1995). Reporter, March/April 1990. pp. 4-12. many of the pans of the autopsy that CSICOP staffers (Executive Direc­ Stokes. Trey. 1995. Personal communication. would have been difficult to fake, for August 29-31. tor Barry Karr, SKEIT1CAL INQUIRER example the folding back of the chest Stringfield. Leonard. H. 1977. Situation Red: The flaps, were avoided, as was anything Assistant Editor Tom Genoni, Jr., and UFO Siege. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. but the most cursory of limb move­ I) monitored developments in the case. pp. 84. 177-179. ment. We were also pretty uncon­ Before the film aired, CSICOP issued a Thomas, Dave. 1995. The Roswell incident and vinced by the lone removal sequence. Project Mogul. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 19(4) press release, briefly summarizing the (July-August): pp. 15-18. In our opinion the insides of the evidence against authenticity and Urhman, Ed. 1995. "Fox's 'Alien Autopsy': A creature did not bear much relation quoting CSICOP Chairman Paul Pathologist's View," Usenet, sci.med.pathol- to the exterior where muscle and ogy. September 15. bone shapes can be easily discerned. Kurtz as stating: "The Roswell myth Wallace. Cliff. 1995. Letter to Union Pictures, We all agreed that the filming of the should be permitted to the a deserved August 3. quoted in Wallace's letter to sequence would require either the death. Whether or not we are alone in Graham Birdsall. UFO Magazine. August 16. use of two separate bodies, one with the universe will have to be decided on quoted on ParaNet. August 22. chest open, one with chest closed, or Wecht. Cyril. 1995. Quoted on "Alien Autopsy: the basis of better evidence than that Fact or fiction?" Fox Network. August 28 significant redressing of one mortal. provided by the latest bit of Roswell and September 4.

SKEPTICAL. INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 19 Special Report

The GAO Roswell Report d Congressman Schiff

PHILIP J. KLASS

n 18-month search completed "SCHIFF RECEIVES, RELEASES October 1946 through December last summer of United States ROSWELL REPORT (missing docu­ 1949. Agovernment documents—in­ ments leave unanswered questions)." During an interview with Schiff in cluding once highly classified minutes The release began: "Congressman his Washington office on July 29, 1995, of meetings of the National Security Steve Schiff today released the General I noted that Pentagon officials first Council—conducted by the General Accounting Office (GAO) report learned from news wire service Accounting Office at the request of detailing the results of a records audit reports—rather than official chan­ Representative Steven Schiff of New relating to events surrounding a crash nels—that the Roswell Army Air Field Mexico, failed to find anything to indi­ in 1947, near Roswell, N.M., and the (RAAF) had announced recovery of cate that the government recovered a military response. The 20-page report one of the then mysterious "flying crashed flying saucer north of Roswell, is the result of constituent information disks." Because the flying disks might New Mexico, in mid-1947. The inves­ requests to Congressman Schiff and have been Soviet spy vehicles, I asked tigation was conducted by GAO's the difficulty he had getting answers the Congressmen if it would not have National Security and International from the Department of Defense in the been more logical for Pentagon officials Affairs Division, which has access to now 48-year-old controversy. to have called the RAAF base comman­ the most highly classified information. "Schiff said important documents, der on the telephone rather than take The GAO investigators discovered which may have shed more light on time to compose and transmit a tele­ nothing to challenge the conclusions of what happened at Roswell, are missing. type inquiry. Schiff replied: "I think a 1994 report by the United States Air 'The GAO report states that the out­ they would have done it by both." Force, based on its own extensive going messages from Roswell Army Air Schiff's news release failed to men­ investigation. The Air Force concluded Field (RAAF) for this period of time tion that when the GAO examined that the unusual material recovered were destroyed without proper author­ once highly classified minutes of meet­ from a ranch north of Roswell was ity.' [Emphasis added.] Schiff pointed ings of the National Security Council debris from a train of balloons, radar out that these messages would have for 1947 and 1948, it found no men­ tracking targets, and other devices shown how military officials in Roswell tion of the Roswell incident. I asked associated with a then top secret were explaining to their superiors Schiff: "If the U.S. government had Project Mogul. [SI, Vol. 19, No. 1, exactly what happened." recovered an alien spacecraft in New January-February 1995.] Based on the wording of Schiff's Mexico in July of 1947, do you not But you could get a vastly different news release, one might conclude that believe that that extraordinary event impression from the news release the "missing" outgoing RAAF teletype would have been discussed at National issued by Schiff on July 28, 1995, messages were only for a brief period in Security Council meetings?" which formed the basis of many news early July of 1947. But the GAO Schiff responded: "I would have to media stories, including one filed by reports its auditors were unable to say, but let me say first, my endeavor the Associated Press. Scruffs two-page locate any outgoing RAAF messages has never been to look for UFOs or news release carried the headline: for a three-year period extending from aliens as such. My endeavor has been

20 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 to look to see what was in the govern­ fully studied the 1994 Air Force report ment records insofar as they could be and seemingly believes that RAAF's reconstructed at this point, which after action in issuing a news release saying SO years is problematic. And I went to it had recovered a flying disk can be the GAO because the Department of characterized as "high military securi­ Defense would not be cooperative in ty" that regard—in fact, I believe, gave me The original Air Force identifica­ the run-around when I requested the tion of the debris—discovered by information." rancher "Mac" Brazel—as the rem­ When I pressed Schiff to answer my nants of a weather balloon and radar question, he responded: "It would be tracking target, was made on July 8, such an unusual event...that I'm not 1947, in the office of Brigadier General sure how it would be handled and even Roger Ramey, Eighth Air Force com­ if it were presented to the national mander at Fort Worth by Weather leaders and National Security Council, Officer Irving Newton. At the time, I'm not sure I would necessarily say Representative Steven Schiff of neither officer had the security clear­ New Mexico. that you could say how they would ance necessary to know about a then handle the minutes of such a meeting." The GAO report also includes a top secret experimental program, In other words, Schiff is uncertain copy of the "Combined History, 509th called Project Mogul, which was then whether recovery of an alien space­ Bomb Group and Roswell Army Air under way at the Alamogordo Army craft—which could be the precursor of Field. 1 July 1947 to 31 July 1947." Air Field in New Mexico. The project's an attack on Earth—would be re­ This once-classified document reports: objective was to explore the feasibility ported to and discussed by the presi­ "The Office of Public Information was of using high-altitude balloons outfit­ dent and National Security Council. kept quite busy during the month ted with acoustic sensors to detect And even if discussed, Schiff is unsure answering inquiries on the 'flying disc' when the Soviets tested their first whether there would be any mention which was reported to be in the posses­ nuclear weapon. of the incident in any of the highly sion of the 509di Bomb Group. The On June 4, 1947, a cluster ("train") object turned out to be a radar tracking classified minutes of NSC meetings. of more than 20 weather balloons with balloon." The GAO report included a copy of multiple radar targets was launched an outgoing teletype message from the The Congressman's news release from the Alamogordo Army Air Field Dallas bureau of the Federal Bureau of briefly summarizes these documents and was tracked to within 17 miles of Investigation to FBI headquarters, sent but dismisses their importance in the the Brazel ranch before radar contact at 6:17 p.m. on July 8, 1947, that read: following words: "Even though the was lost. Brazel discovered the unusual weather balloon story has since been debris 10 days later. [See SI, Vol. 19, EIGHTH AIR FORCE. TELE- discredited by the US Air Force, Schiff No. 4, July-August 1995, p. 15.] The PHONICALLY ADVISED THIS OFFICE THAT AN OBJECT PURPORTING TO BE A FLYING "Schiff is uncertain whether recovery of DISC WAS RECOVERED NEAR an alien spacecraft—which could be the ROSWELL. NEW MEXICO, THIS DATE. THE DISC IS precursor of an attack on Earth would be HEXAGONAL IN SHAPE AND reported to and discussed by the presi­ WAS SUSPENDED FROM A BALLOON BY CABLE.... FUR­ dent and National Security Council." THER ADVISED THAT THE suggested that the authors of those description of the debris given by OBJECT RESEMBLES A HIGH communications may have been rancher Brazel on July 8, 1947, in the ALTITUDE WEATHER BAL­ repeating what they were told rather offices of the Roswell Daily Record, and LOON WITH A RADAR than consciously adding to what some recent recollections of his daughter REFLECTOR ... believe is a 'cover-up.'" Bessie, who helped her father collect The Congressman was quoted as the debris, indicate that the debris Veteran Washington aerospace journalist saying: "At least this effort caused the came from this launch of a train of Philip J. Klass is author of four books Air Force to acknowledge that the ordinary weather balloons and associ­ critically examining UFO claims and crashed vehicle was no weather bal­ ated equipment. publisher o/"Skeptics UFO Newsletter. loon. That explanation never fit the The recent investigation by the Ait He is chairman of CSlCOP's UFO Sub­ fact of high military security used at Force into claims of a crashed flying committee. the time." Clearly, Schiff has not care­ saucer near Roswell was initiated in

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 21 early 1994 in response to a GAO 1995. Schiff's published letter concluded: request, and its report was released in Wrote Schiff: "With the sole excep­ "Yet, from this, Parker manages to con­ September 1994. The Air Force inves­ tion of rejecting the original military clude for me that the Air Force came tigation officially uncovered the link to explanation of a crashed 'weather bal­ clean. His inference is clearly out of Project Mogul, which had been discov­ loon,' which the Air Force now dis­ this world." ered about two years earlier by UFO avows, I have never stated any conclu­ In early 1994, when it was first dis­ researcher Robert Todd, and more sion about the Roswell crash. ... Of closed that Schiff had asked the GAO recently by UFO researcher Karl course, the 1994 Air Force explanation to investigate the Roswell incident and Pflock. (Pflock's wife, Mary Martinek, is a possible answer. . . ." Schiff said he was interviewed by the Albuquerque is Schiff's chief of staff and his liaison that the GAO inquiry, which he gener­ Journal, the newspaper reported that with the GAO for its Roswell investi­ ated, "has had some notable results in Schiff said "he doesn't believe a UFO gation.) The 1994 Air Force report, p. addition to forcing the Air Force to was recovered at the ranch." The article 21, states that "the most likely source change its story." quoted Schiff as saying: "If I had to of the wreckage recovered from the Schiff's letter also said: guess, I would say some kind of mili­ Brazel Ranch was from one of the • "Two documents were uncovered tary experiment." Project Mogul balloon trains." which refer to a 'radar tracking device,' Because Schiff's guess proved to be [Emphasis added.) (which means weather balloon) though remarkably prescient, I asked him if In December 1992, shortly after the GAO report and the 1994 Air Pflock had launched his own per­ to the Honorable Force report had increased his ear­ Steven II Si lull. House of sonal investigation into the Roswell Representatives lier-stated belief that the debris dis­ incident, he supplied Schiff with a covered by rancher Brazel was not 130-page briefing paper on the from a UFO. He responded: "I subject. Three months later, Schiff GOVERNMENT think you're centering too much on wrote to then Defense Secretary RECORDS my beliefs in the matter," but he Les Aspin seeking a "definitive acknowledged that the Project explanation of what transpired and Results of a Search for Mogul explanation "could well be why." Schiff's letter said that based Records Concerning what actually happened." on (alleged) witness testimony, "the the L947 Crash Near Schiff predicted that "the balloon explanation was a cover Roswell, New Mexico GAO report will not change any­ story" and that "federal authorities body's mind" about whether the sought to intimidate witnesses and government recovered a crashed their families into silence," accord­ flying saucer in 1947. "People can ing to an article in the January 14, make their own conclusions and 1994, Albuquerque Journal. that was my goal all along and I Since then, Pflock's several-year have accomplished that goal," investigation has convinced him Schiff said. that "at least the great majority if Schiff has had extensive not all" of the debris found by media exposure as a result of his Brazel was wreckage from the clus­ Roswell activities, including ter of balloons, radar targets and appearances on numerous local and instruments launched from network television shows. He has Alamagordo on June 4, 1947. In the writers at the time could merely twice appeared on Larry King's show Pflock's invited talk to New Mexicans have been repeating what they were (CNN) to discuss his Roswell efforts. for Science and Reason in August, he told. Schiff said he is convinced "that said he thinks that "most reasonable • "Agencies, including the CIA, people have a right to information people will agree" and that he believes stated for the first time that they do from their government on any sub­ that the evidence is "fairly conclusive." not have information on the Roswell ject—with the notable exception of When the Albuquerque Journal pub­ incident. [information affecting national] securi­ lished an article by its Washington cor­ • "Perhaps most significantly, docu­ ty." This prompted me to ask if Schiff respondent, Richard Parker, who inter­ ments most likely to contain helpful planned to seek congressional hearings viewed Schiff about the GAO report, information, the military's outgoing on the all-important but still unre­ the article carried the headline: "Schiff: messages, were not found. It was esti­ solved issue of whether the United Roswell UFO a Balloon.' This mated they were destroyed over 40 States government is involved in a prompted Schiff to challenge the accu­ years ago without proper authority. UFO cover-up. Schiff said, "I have no racy of Parker's article, in a letter pub­ This means the military cannot explain intention of taking it further." LI lished in the newspaper August 14, who destroyed the records, or why."

22 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Why Creationists Don t Go to Psychic Fairs: Differential Sources of Pseudoscientific Beliefs

JOHN H. TAYLOR, RAYMOND A. EVE, and FRANCIS B. HARROLD

he United States boasts a peerless scientif­

ic establishment but is also home to a wide Tvariety of people passionately opposed to many accepted scientific findings or even to the conduct

of science itself. This latter category includes many dif­

The various pseudoscientific ferent groups, ranging from certain religious fundamen­ beliefs cannot be explained talists to some New Age adherents. For all their diversi­ as if they were a single phe­ ty, they share a willingness to dismiss any scientific find­ nomenon. At least two major categories—creationism and ings that contradict their beliefs. Their frequent

fantastic science—exist, and response, for example, to the consistent scientific rejec­ they are causally distinct. tion of their empirical claims is to assert that scientists

are guilty of excessive conformity and dogmatism. A

truly fascinating clement within this essentially anti-

science grouping is the subset we will consider here: peo­

ple who conditionally profess to respect the prestige and

authority of science (Cavanaugh 1985).

The beliefs of these antiscience groups, despite their

skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 23 aspiration to scientific status for their ationist biology textbook Of Pandas and "Afrocentric" claims that his supposed claims, are often presented in both the People (Davis and Kenyon 1993)—are Egyptian ancestors invented civilization mass media and the academic literature quite professionally packaged, but pseu- (Ortiz de Montellano 1993). under the rubric of "pseudoscientific."' doscience nonetheless. Included in this category are such well- Purpose of the Study known examples as scientific creation- Sources of Pseudoscientific ism,-' certain aspects of UFOlogy and Beliefs Readers new to the scholarly study of parapsychology, (Immanuel) Velikov- pseudoscience may well be asking, "Why skian catastrophism, and diffusionist One of the grand adventures in studying all the concern about such marginal claims of visits by ancient Celtiberians pseudoscience is the attempt to under­ beliefs?" One answer will become appar­ to Massachusetts or Africans to stand the many social and behavioral sci­ ent when we discuss survey results, but Mexico. Previous research by two of entific perspectives of these belief sys­ documenting the alarming numbers of the authors (Harrold and Eve 1987, tems. We have found particularly useful adherents to these fantastic beliefs is only 1993; Harrold, Eve, and de Goede the formulation by social psychologists a starting point. Of greater significance is 1995; Eve and Harrold 1991) has been Singer and Benassi (1981). These authors that an emerging body of research has largely concerned with describing the have suggested four distinct classes of fac­ only recently positioned us to frame a patterns and sources of pseudoscientif­ tors that condition for the acceptance of number of important questions. ic beliefs about the human past. paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs: In laying the groundwork for the cur­ Until recently, most of the scientific 1. Cognitive Biases: Natural errors in rent study, Harrold and Eve in the mid- literature arising in reaction to these processes of reasoning exist (Piatelli- 1980s conducted a collaborative project claims has been devoted to "debunking" Palmerini 1994), such as the tendency to with Kenneth Feder and Luanne such claims, rather than attempting to perceive order in random data or to jump Hudson that examined pseudoscientific understand their origins (Harrold and to an emotionally attractive conclusion. beliefs among college students (Feder Eve 1987). Thus when sources are dis­ Unfamiliar lights in the night sky thus 1987; Harrold and Eve 1987; Hudson cussed, the advocates of fantastic claims may be seen as an alien spaceship. 1987). In this work, the researchers iden­ are usually said to be ignorant, stupid, or 2. Uncritical or Erroneous Media tified a minimum of two basic types of disordered. These explanations do not Coverage of Science: All too often, the such belief—creationism and what was go far toward explaining these beliefs— mass media give sensationalistic cover­ termed fantastic science. The latter cate­ especially among people who are appar­ age to extravagant claims about gory consists of a panoply of fanciful ently not ignorant, stupid, or disordered. extraterrestrials or the alleged evidence claims, including Erich von Daniken's For example, some of the principals of of Bigfoot. Frequently, however, the famous "ancient astronauts" hypothesis.' the Institute for Creation Research and media fail to present representative Further, the researchers noted that the its more recent counterpart, the Founda­ information from mainstream science creationist dimension appeared tied to a tion for Thought and Ethics, hold that rejects these claims. conservative Protestant theology and advanced scientific degrees. Their publi­ 3. Inadequate Science Education: A worldview, and was almost entirely unre­ cations—perhaps most notably the cre- disheartening series of studies in the lated to fantastic science. 1980s and 1990s (Walters 1995; Miller Building on these contributions, we The authors are affiliated with the 1987) indicated that many Americans empirically test these suggestions in the University of Texas at Arlington. learn little in school about either the form of three hypotheses explained Department of Sociology and Anthro­ methods or the findings of science. A below, and present results. We believe pology, Arlington. TX 76019. John H. study by Eve and Dunn (1990), for that we have begun to be able to show Taylor is an M.A. candidate in the anthro­ example, found that more than one- that there exists a certain logic about the pology program, Raymond A. Eve is associ­ fourth of the nation's biology teachers "rules" one uses to decide on the "truth" ate professor of sociology, and Francis B. actually favored the teaching of cre­ of a thing, and that such rules underlie Harrold is professor of anthropology and ationism over the teaching of evolution. the adherence to many pseudoscientific chair of the department. Eve and Harrold 4. Sociocultural Factors: People beliefs. Finally, it appears likely that such are the authors of numerous articles on cre- tend to adapt to and maintain the rules provide the mechanism by which ationism and pseudoscientific belief, editors beliefs of the society, social class, ethnic one can describe the source of the two of Cult Archaeology and Creationism or religious group, and family in which main categories of pseudoscientific (an expanded edition recently issued) and they are socialized. A college student beliefs, creationism and fantastic science. coauthors of The Creationist Movement reared in a devout fundamentalist home in Modern America. The results reported will be unlikely to find an evolutionary Culture Wars Driven by in this article were originally presented in a biology course of interest. A black stu­ Heuristic Rules? paper to the 1995 annual meeting of the dent who finds a chilly reception in a American Association for the predominantly white school may be Heuristic methods are the rules of Advancement of Science. drawn to writings and lectures on thumb or procedures used to search for

1A SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 solutions or answers. If we believe that a return to traditionalism as defined in toward postmodernism would adhere these "rules for knowing" allow one to the first subculture, and views the mod­ to fantastic science beliefs. establish truth, how might we concep­ ernism in the second subculture as hav­ This leads to the presentation of the tualize a measurement of these rules? ing led to rampant militarism, con­ following hypotheses to be tested here: We propose that the members of one sumerism, pollution, and global warm­ Hypothesis 1: Fantastic science subculture within American society ing. We will term the members of the beliefs and religiously based beliefs might be termed cultural traditionalists. third subculture postmodernists. As yet (such as creationism) can be shown to Specifically, we suggest that until very loosely organized and multi­ constitute mutually exclusive empirical recently most U.S. citizens (and proba­ nucleated, this subculture spans orienta­ domains. bly most other humans) believed a tions as diverse as New Age followers, Hypothesis 2: The sources of thing to be true because of faith, tradi­ holistic health practitioners, and even beliefs concerning matters of fantastic tion, revelation, or authority. Such an the far left of academe (including certain science differ from the sources of be­ attitude might be summed up in subsets of rhetoricians, philosophers, liefs in religiously based pseudoscience. bumper sticker declarations such as and feminists). These arc strange bedfel­ Hypothesis 3: The differential "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." lows, indeed. They can only be lumped sources of the two categories of belief A second subculture, a thread in together as an entity in the postmod­ center around the rules that believers Western society since the late 1700s at ernist subculture because of their com­ use to determine what makes a propo­ least, derives from some of the episte- mon rejection of the validity of cultural sition or claim true. mological principles of Enlightenment. traditionalism and cultural modernism. Specifically, truth is to be sought by the We expected from our testing that The Sample and the Research putting forth of hypotheses that arc those respondents most inclined toward Instrument evaluated and accepted or rejected by cultural traditionalism would be the empirical testing. Those who use an most likely to support religiously based A total of 338 students from the approach or have a worldview that pseudoscientific concepts like creation- University of Texas at Arlington (enroll­ stresses empiricism and scientific ism, and that such beliefs would be ment approximately 23,000) complet­ inquiry we term cultural modernists. highly correlated with a religiously and ed anonymous questionnaires during We suggest that a third, and emerg­ politically conservative worldview and the 1993-1994 academic year.' The ing, subculture (or better, collection of social agenda. We also expected that survey instrument consisted of 75 subcultures) within U.S. society opposes those who appeared to be most inclined items. These items included a range of

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 25 Figure 1 - Correlates of Pseudoscientific Beliefs Factor 2) shared issues such as belief in the existence of physical evidence for Noah's Ark, the existence of scientific Biblical proof of creationism, and the actuality Literalism of Adam and Eve. Factor 2 was labeled "Creationism." Further statistical Vitality analyses established that the variables i n associated with each factor could be combined to create two separate scales, Abortion each of which were quite statistically reliable (Fantastic Science alpha = .72 Crime and Creationism alpha = .71).

-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 The Correlates of Creationism I Creationism • Fantastic Science Creating the above scales allowed us to All correlations significant to the .05 level or greater ask, "Are there differences in the way var­ ious survey items correlate with the statements associated with what may be nated by exposure to higher education! scales of Fantastic Science and termed opinions about facts, opinions When asked about items relating to Creationism?" Four additional scales about social and moral issues, and opin­ creationism, 60 percent indicated were created from items in the survey in ions about reliable rules for determining agreement or uncertainty that "There an attempt to operationalize these con­ truth. Opinions were solicited regard­ is a lot of scientific evidence for the cepts. We created a scale named "Biblical ing creationism, paranormal beliefs, Bibles account of mankind's creation." Literalism" (alpha = .78), which includ­ and belief in fantastic science.' Finally, Moreover, 88 percent were unable to ed statements such as "Everything writ­ items were included that measured edu­ dispute the statement that "Noah's Ark ten in The Bible is literally true, word for cational, religious, demographic, and has been found on the top of Mount word." We then developed a "Vitality" socioeconomic background factors. Ararat in Turkey." Finally, 80 percent scale (alpha = .76), which measured atti­ This sample was not statistically repre­ agreed or were unsure that "Adam and tudes regarding the sanctity of life. (For sentative of the general population nor Eve, the first human beings, were cre­ example, the Vitality scale included of college students in the United States, ated by God." statements in opposition to genetic engi­ though the percentages are congruent neering, mercy killing, and fetal tissue with many prior student studies. What research.) The third scale, "Abortion," The Creation of Scales we are interested in is not the percent­ consisted of statements asking for the ages of various beliefs, but their rela­ evaluation of various moral and legal Our next step was to ask what influ­ tionships to other variables. aspects of abortion. Finally, a scale of ences could be identified in the "Crime" was developed. It included answers we received. We used the sta­ statements attributing an increase in the Results of the Survey tistical technique of factor analysis and rate of crime to excessive leniency and were able to identify two meaningful advocating more punitive approaches, A range of fantastic science beliefs are factors.' A "factor" can be interpreted including the death penalty. prominent in our sample. No less than as an underlying force within a data set 59 percent agreed with or were unsure that causes some items to be highly As predicted earlier, the Crea­ whether UFOs are actual spacecraft interrelated with each other. Upon tionism scale was indeed strongly cor­ from other planets. The belief that examination, all survey items that were related with scoring high on cultural some people can use psychic power to highly correlated with, or "loaded" on traditionalism and with holding a con­ accurately predict future events was the first factor (hereafter, Factor 1) servative social agenda (Figure 1). undisputed by 49 percent of respon­ involved issues such as belief in Bigfoot Creationism was strongly correlated dents. When presented with the state­ as a real creature, extraterrestrials visit­ (Pearsons r = .7)' with Biblical Literal­ ment that time travel into the past is ing ancient humans, psychic powers ism and with the conservative views on possible, uncertainty crept up some­ predicting the future, the Loch Ness the preservation of life embodied in the what with only 45 percent agreeing or Monster as a real creature, and UFOs scale of Vitality (r = .6). Those scoring unsure. That seances can communicate as spaceships from other planets. We high on Creationism also tended to be with the dead, however, was agreed designated Factor 1 the "Fantastic strongly opposed to abortion (r = .5). with by 56 percent of respondents. So Science" factor. Finally, more traditional beliefs about much for any optimism on our part Similarly, all survey items that Crime showed a moderate correlation that pseudoscientific beliefs are elimi­ loaded on the second factor (hereafter, with Creationism (r = .4).

26 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 The Correlates of Fantastic tunately, the general public all too religion or science determines as the truth. Science often fails to distinguish that two things that occur together may not In significant contrast, the Fantastic involve a causal relationship. So regres­ Summary and Conclusions c,:„_„„ i„ ..„ ii.. i i - sion techniques provide a better idea of weak inverse correlation with cultural causality among variables. While corre­ It can be almost a shocking experience traditionalism. Biblical Literalism (r = lation establishes simultaneity (two or to review survey results and realize that -.2), Vitality (r = -.16), and Abortion more things occurring at the same beliefs in pseudoscience are so wide­ (r = -. 15) all also showed this reversed, time), regression can be used to model spread, even among college students. and much weaker, relationship. Crime causal relations. As with the microscope or telescope, (r = -.13) showed essentially no rela­ We found that among the 26 vari­ however, statistical analysis is a grand tionship to belief in fantastic science. ables related to creationism, one clear­ tool of exploration with which to com­ ly emerged as having by far the most bat excessive reliance on intuition. Creationism as Cultural explanatory power. This variable asked Within the raw percentages we often Traditionalism the respondent to assess the statement find subtle trends that hold promise for "It does not matter what scientists say, a more complete understanding of the Interestingly, it can be seen that per­ it is God's word that defines the sometimes amazing world around us. sons with a deep commitment to cre­ Truth." There can hardly be any clear­ This study may be a case in point. ationism and related religiously based er statement that cultural traditional­ We began by noting that, contrary to pseudoscientific ideas have almost ists don't much care for the rules for the intuition of many (including many nothing in common with strong truth used by cultural modernists. It scientists), pseudoscientific beliefs are believers in fantastic science! If any­ also suggests that rules for knowing not restricted to the domain of the igno­ thing, the two thought systems are not seem causally prior to all other types of rant, stupid, or disordered. Further, we just independent of one another, but predictor variables. observed that at least two major cate­ largely antagonistic. This is just what gories of pseudoscientific belief exist, we would expect on the basis of our Fantastic Science as each being almost causally separate phe­ initial hypothesis. Remember, we pre­ Postmodernism nomena. The first of these, identified dicted that the rules people use to with a religious belief in creationism, ascertain the truth would be quite dif­ Is there, then, any chance that we can seemed strongly influenced by the sub­ ferent depending on the subculture support the argument presented in our culture within which a respondent is one belongs to. It seems reasonable to earlier hypotheses that believers in fan­ located. Such sociocultural factors, how­ suggest on the basis of our findings tastic science might use postmodernist ever, seem to create their effect largely that those believing strongly in cre­ rules for establishing their own version through influencing the epistemological ationism are likely to use faith, tradi­ of the truth? rules (tradition, authority, etc.) a respon­ tion, revelation, or authority as their Postmodernist rules, it seems likely, dent uses for determining truth. major way of establishing the truth. would eschew both traditional religion In contrast, the second major catego­ In order to test this assertion, we and science as ways of knowing. When ry of pseudoscience appears to be a set of performed a statistical analysis using all regression analysis is applied to all 20 beliefs we have termed fantastic science. 26 separate variables related to the items related to fantastic science, an These beliefs seem far less influenced by Creationism scale. The statistical pro­ intriguing confirmation of this sociocultural factors or subculture than a cedure we used is known as a stepwise hypothesis emerged. The variable with belief in creationism. Moreover, belief in regression. It ranks each variable as to the most explanatory power asked fantastic science appeared to be highly its effectiveness in predicting a strong whether it was true that "Neither the correlated with the rejection of tradi­ belief in creationism where all other 'beliefs' of the world's churches today tional religion and science as valid meth­ variables in the model are held con­ nor scientific 'studies' adequately ods for establishing the truth. This hints stant. In an allegorical example, the explain the world around us. An ade­ that perceptual errors like those identi­ springtime arrival of storks in Sweden quate explanation requires other forms fied at the beginning of this article may and a correlated increase in birth rate of spirituality." The item that ranked play a larger explanatory role in fantastic has tempted many to believe that second in explanatory power asked for science beliefs than in the other beliefs storks bring babies. Of course, a closer agreement with the statement "Pagan examined here. Another fascinating analysis reveals a third variable, season­ religions from previous times have dimension of fantastic science is that the ality, causes the first two items to much to teach us about how to solve apparently diverse issues of UFOs, mon­ covary or rise and fall together. The today's problems." Again, there could sters, and mysterious mental powers correlation between storks and babies hardly be clearer evidence for support appear highly empirically interrelated. is therefore a noncausal one, often of our hypothesis. Obviously, post­ We hope we have persuaded the called a spurious correlation. Unfor­ modernists don't care what traditional reader of the value of exploring the

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 27 rules used by adherents of pseudo- ing the heuristic assumptions they at the .05 level or better. A .05 level of signifi­ science to assess the truth. Further, we use). We might well learn again that cance means that among random data such a correlation could not occur more often than one suggest that the guidelines believers use the temptation to apply pejorative time out of twenty. to establish these rules should prove a labels to outsiders as an explanation for 8. The authors would like to express their productive line of inquiry. Considering their behavior and attitude is more suc­ appreciation to Julia Lam for her assistance in formulating the questionnaire and in coding and the profound role played by sociocul- cessful in satisfying our own emotional analyzing the data. tural issues, another intriguing ques­ needs than in advancing toward greater tion is whether the choice of rules insight. Without this communication, References employed is influenced by variations in we will fail to develop effective tactics Cavanaugh, Michael. 1985. Scientific creation­ social setting. For example, is it possi­ for responding to the increasing preva­ ism and rationality. Nature, 315:185-189. ble that one might use cultural tradi­ lence of pseudoscientific belief in Davis, William P., and Dean H. Kenyon. 1993. tionalist rules when considering the today's world. Of Pandas and People: The Central Questions of Biological Origins, 2d ed. Dallas: origins of humanity when one is in a Haughton Publishing. traditional religious community, but Notes Eve, Raymond A., and Dana Dunn. 1990. unknowingly switch to a different set Psychic powers, astrology and creationism in the classroom? Evidence of pseudoscientific of rules when one arrives on a college 1. Eve and Harrold have discussed elsewhere (1991:84-86) why we accept the term pseudo- beliefs among high school biology and life- or university campus and is asked to science over alternative terms—often presented as science teachers. American Biology Teacher. understand molecular biology? Do less harshly judgmental—such as unconventional vol. 52, January. science or parascience people use one set of rules for knowing Eve, Raymond A., and Francis B. Harrold. 1991. 2. There arc several different types of cre­ The Creationist Movement in Modern when they are on campus and another ationist belief, most of which purport a scientif- America. Boston: Twayne Publishers. set of rules when they return to a tradi­ ic methodology. They arc distinguished by tenets Feder, Kenneth D. 1987. "Cult Archaeology and tional community? such as whether the Earth is a few thousand years Creationism: A Coordinated Research old or a few billion years old. Moreover, new Project." In Cult Archaeology and Creation­ This study has looked only at col­ variants of creationism arc emerging. For exam­ ism: Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs lege students. It will not surprise us, ple, subsequent to the 1987 United States About the Past, Harrold and Eve, eds., 34-48. Supreme Court ruling that defined creation sci­ Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. though, if these results are supported ence as religion and banned it from the public Harrold, Francis B., and Raymond A. Eve. 1987. when surveying a broader population. classroom, creationist activism in the schools has "Patterns of Creationist Belief Among centered instead on concepts such as "intelligent For example, preliminary analyses of a College Students." In Cult Archaeology and design" and "abrupt appearance." Creationism: Understanding Pseudoscientific similar survey collected at a creationist 3. With apologies to Stephen Williams, Beliefs About the Past, Harrold and Eve, eds„ fair earlier this year appear to confirm whose Fantastic Archaeology (1992)—an authori­ 68-90. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. relationships discussed in this article. tative account of North American cult archaeol­ . 1993. "Scientific Creationism and the ogy—provided the inspiration for our term. Politics of Lifestyle Concern in the United We hope, however, that this study will 4. Classes selected were sections of a variety States." In Religion and Politics in Compara­ stimulate further research among other of upper- and lower-level undergraduate sociolo­ tive Perspective, Misztal and Shupe, Eds., 97- segments of the public (such as UFO- gy and anthropology courses. Survey participa­ 109. Westport Conn.: Braeger. tion was voluntary, but nearly all students chose Harrold. Francis B.. Raymond A. Eve, and believer groups, pagan religious groups to complete the survey. A total of 107 males (32 Gcerruida C. de Gaede. 1995. "Cult like Wiccans, and so on). In the old percent) and 226 females (67 percent) respond­ Archaeology and Creationism in the 1990s ed. Black students accounted for 10 percent of days, social scientists who studied and Beyond." In Cult Archaeology and the responses, whites 75 percent, and Hispanics Creationism: Understanding Pseudoscientific deviance adopted a medical perspec­ 6 percent. The age of respondents included 54 Beliefs About the Past, an expanded edition, tive. They diagnosed symptoms, percent who were 22 years old or younger, 28 Harrold and Eve, Eds., 134-175. Iowa City: percent who were from 23 to 29, and 17 percent University of Iowa Press. declared the subject mentally ill, and who were 30 years of age or older. Hudson, Luanne. 1987. "East Is East and West Is Undergraduate class standing was fairly evenly prescribed cures. Recently, some have West? A Regional Comparison of Cult Belief distributed among seniors (31 percent), juniors Patterns." In Cult Archaeology and Crea­ tried a different strategy. They asked (28 percent), sophomores (21 percent), and tionism: Understanding Pseudoscientific Beliefs the deviants how they perceived the freshmen (18 percent). Social science majors About the Past. Harrold and Eve, eds., 49-67. comprised 44 percent of respondents, humani­ world, and an odd thing happened. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. ties majors 16 percent, science majors 16 per­ Given the assumptions the deviants cent, and anthropology majors 6 percent. Miller, Jon D. 1987. The scientifically illiterate. made about the nature of their own American Demographics, 9(6):26-31. 5. Opinion items were designed as Likert-typc Ortiz dc Montellano, Bernard. 1993. Melanin, realities, their "sick" behavior appeared scales. Many items were selected because they were Afrocentricity. and Pseudoscience. Yearbook quite reasonable, often even logical. prominent in previous research efforts. Other items of Physical Anthropology. 36:33-58. Perhaps for too long we have also were entirely new, A copy of the questionnaire is Piatelli-Palmerini, Massimo. 1994. Inevitable available from the authors upon request. Space lim­ Illusions: How Mistakes of Reason Rule Our used the medical model to process our itations have prevented reporting in detail the Minds. New York: John Wiley and Sons. impression of those who believe in wording of all the items used in the analysis. Singer, Barry, and Victor A. Benassi. 1981. pseudoscience. We have found them 6. Details of the statistical analyses are avail­ Occult beliefs. American Scientist, 69:49-55. able from the authors upon request. Walters, Laurel Sharper. 1995. World educators stupid, ignorant, or even psychopathic. 7. Numbers within the parentheses refer to compare notes. National Times, December/ While this may well be true of some statistical measures of association. Pearson's January, pp. 38-39. relatively small subsets, we might well here refers to simple product-moment correla­ Williams. Stephen. 1992. Fantastic Archaeology: tion used when all measures arc interval level The Wild Side of North American Prehistory. be surprised if we ask them to tell us data. While some relationships were more signif­ Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania how they make sense of things (includ­ icant than others, all correlations were significant Press. •

28 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Eyewitness Testimony and the Paranormal

RICHARD WISEMAN, MATTHEW SMITH, and JEFF WISEMAN

uch of the evidence relating to para­

normal phenomena consists of eye­ M witness testimony. However, a large body of experimental research has shown that such testi­

mony can be extremely unreliable.

Experiments show thai For example, in 1887 Richard Hodgson and S. John beliefs and expectations tan lead people to be unreliable Davey held seances in Britain (in which phenomena witnesses of supposedly were faked by trickery) for unsuspecting sitters and paranormal phenomena. requested each sitter to write a description of the seance Investigators must carefully assess testimony, regardless after it had ended. Hodgson and Davey reported that sit­

of whether it reinforces or ters omitted many important events and recalled others opposes their own beliefs. in incorrect order. Indeed, some of the accounts were so

unreliable that Hodgson later remarked:

The account of a trick by a person ignorant of the

method used in its production will involve a misde­

scription of its fundamental conditions ... so marked

that no clue is afforded the student for the actual expla-

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 29 genuine psychic! These studies admirably demon­ strate that eyewitness testimony of sup­ posedly paranormal events can be unre­ liable. Additional studies have now started to examine some of the factors that might cause such inaccuracy. Clearly, many supposedly paranor­ mal events are difficult to observe sim­ ply because of their duration, frequen­ cy, and the conditions under which they occur. For example, ostensible poltergeist activity, stance phenomena, and UFO sightings often occur with­ out warning, are over within a few moments, take place under poor light­ ing or weather conditions, or happen at a considerable distance from observers. In addition, some people have sight/hearing deficiencies, while others have observed these phenomena under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or when they are tired (especially if they have had to wait a relatively long time for the phenomena to occur). It is also possible that observers' beliefs and expectations play an impor­ tant role in the production of inaccurate testimony. Different people clearly have different beliefs and expectations prior to observing a supposed psychic—skep­ nation (Hodgson and Davey 1887, which given phenomena took place, tics might expect to see some kind of p. 9). and to experience the illusory move­ trickery; believers may expect a display ments of objects. of genuine psi. Some seventy years ago In a partial replication of this work, More recently, Singer and Benassi Eric Dingwall in Britain (1921) specu­ Theodore Besterman (1932) in Britain in the United States (1980) had a lated that such expectations may distort had sitters attend a fake seance and stage magician perform fake psychic eyewitness testimony: then answer questions relating to vari­ phenomena before two groups of uni­ ous phenomena that had occurred. versity students. Students in one The frame of mind in which a per­ Besterman reported that sitters had a group were told that they were about son goes to see magic and to a medi­ tendency to underestimate the number to see a magician; the other group, um cannot be compared. In one case of persons present in the stance room, that they were about to witness a he goes either purely for amusement to fail to report major disturbances that demonstration of genuine psychic or possibly with the idea of discover­ took place (e.g., the movement of the ability. Afterward, all of the students ing 'how it was done,' whilst in the experimenter from the seance room), were asked to note whether they other he usually goes with the to fail to recall the conditions under believed the performer was a genuine thought that it is possible that he psychic or a magician. Approximately will come into direct contact with Richard Wiseman is the Perron- Warrick two-thirds of both groups stated they the other world (p. 211). Senior Research Fellow at the University believed the performer to be a gen­ of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, uine psychic. In a follow-up experi­ Recent experimental evidence sug­ Herts., ALIO 9AB, U.K. researching ment the researchers added a third gests that Dingwall's speculations are parapsychology and deception; Matthew condition, wherein the experimenter correct. Smith is a research assistant at the Uni­ stressed that the performer was defi­ Wiseman and Morris (1995a) in versity of Hertfordshire; Jeff" Wiseman is nitely a magician. Fifty-eight percent Britain carried out two studies investi­ a freelance writer who assisted in the of the people in this group still stated gating the effect that belief in the para­ experiments. they believed the performer to be a normal has on the observation of con-

30 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 luring tricks. Individuals taking part in extrasensory perception (ESP). In one are unreliable and that eyewitnesses are the experiment were first asked several condition the demonstration was suc­ either fooling themselves or being questions concerning their belief in the cessful (i.e., ESP appeared to occur) fooled by fraudulent mediums. paranormal. On the basis of their while in the other it was not. All individ- The authors carried out an experi­ answers they were classified as cither UALS WERE UICII ,)M\Cu iu I cum illc UC1UUI1- ment in the United Kingdom to assess believers (labeled "sheep") or skeptics stration. Sheep who saw the unsuccessful both the reliability of testimony relat­ (labeled "goats"). [Gertrude Schmeid- demonstration distorted their memories ing to seance phenomena, and whether ler. City College, New York City, of it and often stated that ESP had paranormal events could be produced coined the terms sheep and goats.] occurred. Goats tended to correctly recall in a modern seance. We carried out our In both experiments individuals the demonstration, even if it appeared to experiment, titled "Manifestations," were first shown a film containing fake support the existence of ESP three times. Twenty-five people attend­ psychic demonstrations. In the first In addition, Matthew Smith in ed on each occasion. They were first demonstration the "psychic" apparent­ Britain (1993) investigated the effect asked to complete a short question­ naire, noting their age, gender, and ly bent a key by concentrating on it; in that instructions (given prior to whether they believed that genuine the second demonstration he suppos­ watching a film containing a demon­ paranormal phenomena might some­ edly bent a spoon simply by rubbing it. stration of apparent psychic ability) times take place during seances. After they watched the film, wit­ had on the recall of the film. nesses were asked to rate the "para­ Individuals were split into two groups. A seance room had been prepared. normal" content of the demonstrations One group was told that the film con­ All of the windows and doors in the and complete a set of recall questions. tained trickery; the other group was room had been sealed and blacked out, told that it contained genuine para­ Wiseman and Morris wanted to dis­ and twenty-five chairs had been normal phenomena. The former cover if, as Hodgson and Dingwall had arranged in a large circle. Three group recalled significantly more suggested, sheep really did tend to mis- objects—a book, a slate, and a bell— information about the film than the remember those parts of the demon­ had been treated with luminous paint latter group. strations that were central to solving and placed onto three of the chairs. A the tricks. For this reason, half of the All of the above experiments were small table, the edges of which were questions concerned the methods used carried out in controlled laboratory also luminous, was situated in the mid­ to fake the phenomena. For example, the psychic faked the key-bending "Different people clearly have different demonstration by secretly switching the straight key for a pre-bent dupli­ beliefs and expectations prior to observing cate by passing the straight key from a supposed psychic—skeptics might expect one hand to the other. During the switch the straight key could not be • . • trickery; believers may expect a dis­ seen. This was clearly central to the play of genuine psi." trick's method; and one of the "impor­ tant" questions asked was whether the settings. However, another recent dle of the circle. Two luminous mara- straight key had always remained in study suggests that the same inaccura­ cas rested on the table. sight. A second set of "unimportant" cies may exist in a more natural setting, Following a brief talk on the aims of questions asked about parts of the namely, the seance room. the project, the participants were led demonstration that were not related to Many individuals have reported into the darkened seance room. the tricks' methods. experiencing extraordinary phenomena Richard Wiseman played the part of Overall, the results suggested that during dark-room stances. Eyewit­ the medium. With the help of a torch, sheep rated the demonstrations as nesses claim that objects have mysteri­ he showed each person to a chair, and, more "paranormal" than goats did, and ously moved, strange sounds have been where appropriate, asked them to pick that goats did indeed recall significant­ produced, or ghostly forms have up the book, slate, or bell. ly more "important" information than appeared, and that these phenomena Next, he drew participants' atten­ sheep. There was no such difference for have occurred under conditions that tion to the table and maracas. Those the recall of the "unimportant" infor­ render normal explanations practically participants who had picked up the mation. impossible. other luminous objects were asked to This is not the only study to investi­ Believers argue that conditions make themselves known, and the gate sheep/goat differences in observa­ commonly associated with a seance "medium" collected the objects one by tion and recall of "paranormal" phenom­ (such as darkness, anticipation, and one and placed them on the table. ena. Jones and Russell in the United fear) may act as a catalyst to produce He then pointed out the presence of States (1980) asked individuals to these phenomena (Batcheldor 1966). a small luminous ball, approximately 5 observe a staged demonstration of Skeptics suggest that reports of seances centimeters in diameter, suspended on

SKEPT1CAI INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 31 a piece of rope from the ceiling. ment at all. ever, that such factors may hinder Finally, he took his place in the circle, An interesting pattern develops if accurate testimony regardless of extinguished the torch, and asked the results are analyzed by separating whether that testimony is for or against everybody to join hands. the participants by belief. The ball, sus­ the existence of paranormal phenome­ The medium first asked the partici­ pended from the ceiling, did not move na; the observations and memory of pants to concentrate on trying to move at any time. Seventy-six percent of dis­ individuals with a strong need to dis­ the luminous ball and then to try thebeliever s wersamee certaiwith nth etha objectt it shadn' on t the tablebelieve. in the paranormal may be as Finally, the participants were asked to moved. In contrast, the same certainty biased as extreme believers. In short, concentrate on moving the table itself. among believers was only 54 percent. the central message is that investigators The seance lasted approximately ten In addition, 40 percent of believers need to be able to carefully assess testi­ minutes. thought that at least one other object mony, regardless of whether it rein­ had moved, compared to only 14 per­ forces or opposes their own beliefs con­ Clearly, it was important that some cent of disbelievers. The answers to the cerning the paranormal. phenomena occurred to assess the relia­ question "Do you believe you have wit­ Accurate assessment of the reliability bility of eyewitness testimony. The nessed any genuine paranormal phe­ of testimony requires a thorough maracas were therefore "gimmicked" to nomena?" perhaps provide the most understanding of the main factors that ensure their movement during the conclusive result for the believer/ cause unreliable observation and seance. In the third seance the table was disbeliever divide. One in five believers remembering. Research is starting to also similarly moved by trickery. Finally, stated that he or she had seen genuine reveal more about these factors and the we also used trickery to create a few phenomena. None of the disbelievers situations under which they do, and do strange noises at the end of each seance. thought so. This would suggest that not, occur. Indeed, this represents part All of the ungimmicked objects while we are all vulnerable to trickery, of a general movement to increase the were carefully placed on markers so a belief or expectation of paranormal quality of the methods used to investi­ that any movement would have been phenomena during seances may add to gate psychic phenomena (Wiseman detectable. After leaving the seance that vulnerability. and Morris 1995b). Given the impor­ room, the participants completed a The results clearly show that it is tant role that eyewitness testimony short questionnaire that asked them difficult to obtain reliable testimony plays in parapsychology, understanding about their experience of the stance. about the stance. Indeed, our study observation is clearly a priority for No genuine paranormal phenome­ probably underestimated the extent of future research. na took place during any of the this unreliability as the seance lasted seances. However, our questionnaire only ten minutes and participants were References allowed us to assess the reliability of asked to remember what had happened participants' eyewitness testimony. immediately afterward. Barcheldor, K. J. 1966. Report on a case of tabic levitation and associated phenomena. Would participants remember Although a minority of participants Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. which objects had been handled before believed that they had observed gen­ 43: 339-356. the start of the stance? As the maracas uine paranormal phenomena, it does Besterman, T. 1932. The psychology of testimo­ ny in relation to paraphysical phenomena: were gimmicked, we had to ensure that not seem unreasonable to assume that Report of an experiment. Proceedings of the they were not examined or handled by these individuals might be the most Society for Psychical Research. 40: 363-387. anyone. Nevertheless, one in five par­ likely to tell others about their experi­ Dingwall, E. 1921. Magic and mediumship. Psychic Science Quarterly. 1(3): 206-219. ticipants stated that they had been. ence. Our results suggest that many of Hodgson. R.. and S. J. Davy. 1887. The possi­ This was an important inaccuracy, as their reports would be fraught with bilities of mal-observation and lapse of mem­ observers are likely to judge the move­ inaccuracies and it might only take a ory from a practical point of view. Pro­ ceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. ment of an object more impressive if few of the more distorted accounts to 4:381-495. they think that the item has been scru­ circulate before news that "genuine" Jones. W. H. and D. Russell. 1980. The selective tinized beforehand. paranormal phenomena had occurred processing of belief disconfirming informa­ tion. European journal of Social Psychology. This type of misconception was not became widespread. 10:309-312. confined to the maracas. In the first In short, there is now considerable Smith, M. D. 1993. The effect of belief in the two stances, the slate, bell, book, and evidence to suggest that individuals' paranormal and prior set upon the observa­ tion of a 'psychic' demonstration. European table remained stationary. Despite this, beliefs and expectations can, on occa­ Journal of Parapsychology. 9:24-34. 27 percent of participants reported sion, lead them to be unreliable wit­ Singer, B. and V. A. Benassi. 1980. Fooling some movement of at least one of these. In nesses of supposedly paranormal phe­ of the people all of the time. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Winter 17-24. the third seance the table was gim­ nomena. It is vital that investigators of Wiseman, R. J. and R. L. Morris. 1995a. micked so that it shifted four inches the paranormal take this factor into Recalling pseudo-psychic demonstrations. toward the medium, but participants' account when faced with individuals British Journal of Psychology. 86:113-125. . 1995b. Guidelines for Testing Psychic testimony was again unreliable, with claiming to have seen extraordinary Claimants. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus one in four people reporting no move­ events. It should be remembered, how­ Books. •

32 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Objectivity and Repeatability in Science

MICHAEL MUSSACHIA

teach philosophy at the college level, primarily

courses in logic as critical thinking and in philos­ Iophy of science. While most of my students are bright and inquisitive, I am continually amazed by how

many of them believe in the paranormal and by their

Our schools need to lack of understanding of the scientific method. William emphasize the neces- sity of controlling for Grey recently addressed this issue in an excellent two- the influence of part article, "Philosophy and the Paranormal" (SKEPTI­

beliefs, desires, and CAL INQUIRER, Winter 1994 and Spring 1994). I would expectations of the like to add to the discussion by illustrating the impor­ experimenters in tests of claims. tance of objectivity and repeatability in scientific research.

Among my students it is commonly believed that the

scientific method is simply "testing," with perhaps some

quantified measurements, period. Hence, many of them

believe they have seen, and in some cases participated in,

"tests" that verify the existence of psychic powers. Some

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 33 of these tests are seen on popular tele­ own hypotheses and readily toss their might seem rigorous and objective vision pseudodocumentaries, others theoretical failures into the trash bin, enough, but in fact, it is not. It all are pan of their persona] experience. they sometimes strongly believe a depends on the type of pictures used, ("I dreamt we had a fire in our house, hypothesis and truly hope it passes the the procedures used by the psychic to and a week later we had one in our test. Scientists usually have expecta­ demonstrate powers, and the criteria kitchen!") What is lacking in these tests tions about the probable success or fail­ for judging the results. In this particu­ is, of course, rigorous controls and ure of a hypothesis even in the absence lar case, the picture to be "read" by the repeatability. of strong commitment or opposition. psychic was of a red automobile dri­ Science is not just about testing Most students know scientists have ving through a puddle of water and hypotheses, but also how to test them. biases, and some students, perhaps causing an outward spray of water When students are aware of the impor­ influenced by the epistemological rela­ from the wheels. The psychic was tance of experimental controls, it is tivism of the New Age movement, con­ allowed to scribble anything and as usually only in regard to controlling clude that science is no more objective much as he wanted. The psychic made extraneous, physical factors that might than personal experience or mythology. good use of this leniency to scribble all otherwise influence the test, as in the They (and, I suspect, a good part of the sorts of things: circles, squares, straight effects of wind on the trajectory of a general public) fail to understand that lines, broken lines, curved lines, zigza­ projectile or the effects of nearby mag­ the presence of beliefs and expectations gs, other irregular forms, and also nets on the motion of a pendulum among scientists does not mean that words such as white, black, anger, high, with a metallic bob. What is less com­ scientific research itself is biased. red, and happy. This strategy is called monly appreciated is the importance of Scientists are trained to work with the "shotgun approach." If you're not controlling the influence of the beliefs, experimental procedures that, by and sure of your target, fire at everything. expectations, and biases of the test par­ large, prevent their beliefs and expecta­ The investigators accepted this ticipants. Our beliefs, desires, and tions from influencing experimental data-generation procedure and even expectations can influence, often sub­ results. Bias cannot be eliminated from found "evidence" in it of telepathic consciously, how we observe and inter­ science, but it can be isolated. powers. A curved line was interpreted pret things. Tell people that someone is When we speak of objectivity in sci­ as an online of the car, and the word a holy person, and many take his or her ence, we do not mean that scientists red as indicating the car's color. A few pronouncements as great wisdom. are completely free from bias; rather, lines in a radiating pattern was taken as People who believe a house has rats we mean that good research utilizes indicating the water spray, even though interpret the usual night sounds of theexperimenta housl aned a sdat raat noisesanalysi. sA procebelieve­ r in UFOtheses spray lines were not near the is convinced that the brief appearance dures and standards that prevent biases curved line supposedly representing of a zig-zagging light in the sky is an from influencing the outcome of tests. the car. All these things were taken as alien spacecraft. Ideally, any personal beliefs the successful hits, but all the rest, the researchers have about the eventual other scribbling and words, were not Scientists have beliefs and expecta­ outcome of the experiment should play counted as misses. Counting some ele­ tions about their work. Scientists are no role in its outcome. Researchers withments as data and arbitrariltotall y ignoriny oppositg e preconceptions humans: They have professional egos, should arrive at the same results upon others is, of course, biased data selec­ research projects to defend, and com­ following the same procedures. tion. A more rigorous procedure would mitments to pet theories. While scien­ have specified beforehand what would tists often experimentally refute their William D. Gray, author of the count as hits and misses. excellent book Thinking Critically The interpretation of the selected Michael Mussachia received his B.A. in About New Age Ideas (not to be con­ data was equally biased: The curved physics from the University of California, fused with William Grey), recounts a line was taken as the outline of the car Irvine, and did graduate studies in theo­ particularly blatant example of the lack without any evidence that this is what retical physics at the University of of bias control in a test of psychic pow­ the psychic intended it to be when he Maryland and at the University of ers that he personally witnessed. A psy­ scribbled it. The ambiguous curved Gothenburg, Sweden. He obtained a chic claiming telepathic powers was line could just as well have been inter­ Ph.D. in philosophy of science from the tested by allowing the psychic to sit preted as a camel's back, a water wave, University of Gothenburg. He has taught across a table from an investigator who a snake, or any number of objects. The at the University of Maryland, the looked at a picture. The picture was word red was taken as indicating the Technical University of Chalmers in held so that its content could not be color of the car without any supporting Sweden, the University of Gothenburg, seen by the psychic. The psychic had evidence that this was intended by the City College and Mesa College in San five minutes to describe or draw the psychic. (Asking the psychic if this was Diego, and currently teaches at San Diego contents of the picture on a sheet of so would hardly constitute a controlled State University Mailing address: 9174 paper. procedure.) The so-called water-spray Huntington Ave., San Diego CA 92123. To the nonscientists, this procedure lines could also have been interpreted

34 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 in other, equally plausible ways to be sun rays, fireworks, a flower, etc. Alternative interpretations of the ambiguous data were overlooked by the researchers because they were look­ ing for certain forms in the figures, and the ambiguity of the figures provided the researchers room for projecting their own specifics. They read their own beliefs, their own preconceptions, into the data. A more objective way to test for mental telepathy is to use Zener cards, which contain pictures of simple, unambiguous forms like a red ball, a green triangle, a wavy line, or a blue square; there is only one form per card. A psychic is told to draw only one form for each card, and is tested with 10 to 20 Zener cards. Criteria are established beforehand for deciding what counts as a hit, usually in terms of a certain degree of similarity between the psy­ chic's drawing and the target form. With such testing procedures, psychics have persistently failed to demonstrate their alleged mental telepathic powers. In addition to eliminating the influ­ ence of personal bias on experimental results, rigorous experimental proce­ dures should also identify all other fac­ tors that could influence the results of the test. This is called "experimental control." I am personally familiar with a test that failed on both counts. It involves students, and I use it in my classes to illustrate the nature of objec­ tivity and rigor in scientific tests. other, purchased these wire-frame of his cheeks, the psychic true believer A swap meet is held every weekend pyramids because of this alleged ability thought something like, "Humm . . . in San Diego. Occasionally, a vendor is to sharpen used razor blades. The ven­ why yes, I think it does feel sharper there selling wire-frame pyramids. The dor told them that used razor blades now!" The skeptic, however, decided vendor claims that the geometry of a become sharper after being left inside that his old razor blade was the same as pyramid channels cosmic energy to its the pyramids for three days. One of the before. "What a waste of money," he interior, where it will preserve things students believes in psychic powers and concluded. So here we have a situation such as fruit and the bodies of spirits, attends trance channeling ses­ where two individuals tested the same pharaohs, and will restore the sharp­ sions, and generally follows all the lat­ hypothesis with the same procedure ness of used razor blades. A standard est New Age fads. The other student is and got opposite results. chrome pyramid model is usually on a skeptic who suspected he was throw­ The reason is obvious: The proce­ display, but people of sufficient spiritu­ ing away twenty bucks. dure docs not eliminate the influence al motivation and financial means Each of the students took his pyra­ of personal bias. The psychic true could order silver- and gold-plated ver­ mid home and tested it with used razor believer anticipated a sharper shave and sions. It is claimed that the universal blades. They first tried the old blades then felt it, while the skeptic did not cosmic energy resonates best with gold, on their faces, then stuck them inside have any such expectation. The test next best with silver, and adequately the pyramids for the specified time, procedure also failed to control other with chrome. Some time ago, two of and then tried shaving again with my students, who did not know each them. As he took some strokes on one Objectivity continued on page 56

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 35 Culture-Bound Syndromes as Fakery

ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!

—Sir Walter Scott

. . . nearly all forms of deception arc now accepted by the medical profession as a form of illness. Even where deception is recognised, as for instance in the confabu­ The curious and lations of the Munchausen syndrome, this is attributed to previous mental trauma, or to some form of cultural bizarre behavior disadvantage. The deceiver, always referred to as a patient, is said to be "disturbed"; he is regarded as a vic­ known as latah tim, not as a rogue (Naish 1979). has been classified A Ph.D. . . . does not confer expertise in detecting trick­ ery. Thus, they are just as vulnerable, if not more so, to as an exotic syn­ the magic tricks of a [Uri] Geller, as are people who lack their scientific training (Hines 1988:92). drome. But evidence

indicates it is more or the past one hundred years anthropologists likely to be a and psychiatrists have debated the origin and culturally based deception. Fnature of a curious behavior confined almost exclusively to the Southeast Asian neighboring cultures

of Malaysia and Indonesia: Upon being startled, ordi-

narily timid, exceedingly polite women sometimes

respond with vulgarities, obscenities, and outrageous

sexual gestures. In severe cases, the women experience

36 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 "automatic obedience," doing whatever In January 1990, 1 married into an ture. During the episode, she was they are told. Afterward they claim extended Malay family in which latah made to cry like a baby, perform silat amnesia and are not held responsible is prevalent, and gained the confidence (Malay self-defense), dance vigorously, for their actions. Episodes of this type of family members. While having no and partially disrobe, all to the hilarity last from a few minutes to several intention of studying latah—despite it of the entire wedding parry which hours. Victims of latah are almost landing literally at my anthropological crowded around her. She would occa­ always middle-aged women of Malay doorstep—the more I observed, the sionally improvise gestures, such as and Javanese descent. It is rare among more a number of contradictions lifting her sarong in a sexually sugges­ women of other nationalities (but such became evident. Of 99 living female tive manner and utter the most repul­ a case will be discussed later), even and male family members surveyed, 30 sive words and phrases. Throughout when they are neighbors of those expe­ were classifiable as having "mild" latah the episode, after some outrageous dis­ riencing latah. Scientists have been and two as having "severe" latah, play, she would immediately and pro­ divided as to whether latah is a disease according to classic textbook defini­ fusely apologize for her vulgarity, then (Opler 1967; Rosenthal 1970); a disor­ tions of the condition (Bartholomew launch into another series of behav­ der (Simons 1985, 1994; Howard and 1994). iors, apologizing more than 30 times Ford 1992); or a form of symbolic cul­ I first observed a severe case while during this particular "fit." The next tural expression (Kenny 1978; Lee attending my brother-in-law's wed­ day at a crowded wedding reception at 1981). None of these explanations has ding in the home of the bride's par­ the groom's home, I was able to tease been able to account for all of the char­ ents. I was astounded to observe my her into a similar, less dramatic acteristic features of latah, which is typ­ wife's shy, decrepit aunt, who had con­ episode by suddenly slapping my ically classified in medical textbooks as siderable difficulty even walking, hands onto the floor next to her. She a culture-bound psychiatric syndrome. intentionally startled by her elderly responded with a 10-minute display, uncle. "S" suddenly leapt to her feet, mimicking my every action, from Robert £. Bartholomew is sociologist at lost all inhibition, and for the next 10 dancing to slapping her face repeated­ James Cook University, Townsville, minutes followed each of her teaser's ly. Other family members also joined Queensland 4811, Australia. commands, mimicking his every ges­ in the teasing.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 37 A few days later I visited "S" at her swearing in response to fright. The cues that the subject is tired. In this rit­ residence in the presence of two rela­ reactions vary according to cultural ual of deception, family members rec­ tives. I startled her and she responded conditioning. Simons takes subjects' ognize the latah subject is not ill. But with a short vulgar phrase. Immedi­ explanations at their face value, assum­ they do believe they have temporary ately thereafter, I slapped my hands on ing their truthfulness in claiming their and complete control over the subject's the floor next to her, exactly as I had behavior is involuntary. mind, and are careful to keep knives done at the wedding reception, but I was surprised to learn that "S," and other sharp objects away from sub­ there was no response. I slapped the who would commonly drop and throw jects during latah episodes. floor, then my face, hard, but again objects while in a state of latah, was there was no response. I was per­ frequently allowed to cradle babies in A Dubious History plexed. Just a few days earlier in the her arms, with a perfect record of presence of about 60 people, even holding onto them! Since there are Latah has been an enigmatic "ailment'' minor startles would send her into many "severe" cases in Malaysia, one in that its classification has curiously prolonged "fits." At both parties she wonders why there are no newspaper eluded a number of competent was sitting on the floor next to me. headlines: "Another Malay Drops researchers. In fact, in the American Handbook of Psychiatry (Arieti and Brody 1974) it is placed under "Rare, "I was surprised to learn that 'S/ who Unclassifiable, Collective, and Exotic would commonly drop and throw objects Psychotic Syndromes." To date, out­ siders have been able to catch only while in a state of latah, was frequently glimpses of the mysterious world of allowed to cradle babies in her arms, with latah. They have noted considerable a perfect record of holding onto them!" difficulty gathering detailed case histo­ ries from informants, as has the late, and I executed the same sequence— Baby!" or "Latah Claims Two in Yet prominent cross-cultural psychiatrist startling her, slapping the floor, then Another Car Mishap." While claiming P. M. Yap (1952), despite his fluency my face. Family elders later explained to hate being "teased," the "victim" in the Malay language. Kenny (1985) emphatically that unless there is a large and onlookers seem to heartily enjoy remarked that only a single case of social gathering, "severes" never exhib­ it. This denial of self-control is neces­ latah has been observed and studied in it anything beyond "mild" symptoms, sary for the perpetration of the latah sufficient context and depth to pro­ responding only with an offensive deception since it "sets the stage" for vide some insights into the processes word or phrase. They also report that the ensuing performance which allows involved—that reported by Australian "teasers" are always close relatives— for the violation of Malay norms. The anthropologist Clive Kessler (1977). ensuring that the "victim" does not do subject enjoys complete immunity Coincidentally, the woman in this case anything too outrageous, such as from blame. What "victim" can will­ study possesses a marked histrionic responding to a request to stab some­ ingly invite the latah condition since it personality. one with a knife. would be tantamount to admitting Exhibitionism best fits the evi­ Over the course of a month, I that they enjoy violating strict taboos? dence, explaining why latah is not con­ observed "S" teased into 10-minute If her protestations were genuine, sidered an illness by participants and "fits" at other weddings where she sat mothers, sons and grandchildren their families, the reluctance of infor­ in the main crowded room of the would certainly not torment their mants to provide detailed information, groom's house, despite claiming to elder loved ones, who are always treat­ observations that most subjects are dread being teased. If "S" genuinely ed with the utmost dignity and respect described as clever (Fitzgerald 1923; feared teasing, she simply could have in Malayo-Indonesian culture. From Murphy 1973), and the conspicuous told family members not to tease her, this perspective, the latah startler absence of any sign of mental abnor­ avoided wedding crowds, or visited pri­ unwittingly serves as a coach, orches­ mality outside of episodes. It explains vately instead of prancing onto center trating and dictating the subject's larah's almost exclusive restriction to stage. I asked her, "If you suffer amne­ responses. lower-class women and servants, and sia during 'attacks,' how can you apol­ This ritual also allows for the release their conspicuous tendency to startle in ogize if you are unaware of your of individual expressions. While the the presence of higher status peers actions?" She had no explanation. subject is required to perform the (Geertz 1968; Murphy 1976; Kessler University of Washington psychia­ coach's choreography, the foul lan­ 1977). trist Ronald Simons is the leading pro­ guage and obscene body gestures are It has been observed that "severe" ponent of the theory that latah is a uni­ improvisations by the latah performer. subjects typically lead solitary and versal human disorder to startle in The performance is almost always ter­ reclusive lives to avoid being teased response to fright, akin to Westerners minated by both physical and verbal (Langness 1967:149). Yet, it is equal-

38 SKEPT1CA1 INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 \y plausible that these subjects become bers of inhabitants could not be "Mild" latahs simply respond to star­ performers because they are lonely and feigning; therefore it must possess tle in a manner comparable to desire attention. Previous observers some unconscious ritualistic or sym­ Western swearing. There is no exag­ have presented primarily anecdotal bolic quality. Hence, while Yap geration, mimicking, amnesia, or evidence that the onset of severe symp­ (1952:537) was convinced that latah involuntary expression. Then how is toms coincides with depression, finan­ is a mental disease of hysterical its appearance in women explained? cial dependence, and loneliness fol­ dimensions, he remarked, "It is often In its "mild" form, latah is an infre­ lowing the death of a close family difficult to separate the genuine cases quent habit formed almost exclusively by post-pubescent females in certain member (Yap 1952; Chiu, Tong and from those which are basically histri­ onic and exhibitionist in nature." Malay households with cultural tradi­ Schmidt 1972; Kenny 1978:210). Malaysian psychiatrist Eng-Seng Tan tions of emulating behavior of elders. Some anthropologists even argue that made a similar observation. Like Yap, Since it is considered a feminine trait, latah symbolizes the plight of such Kiev (1972) and Murphy (1976), most males do not engage in the people and is a means of conveying to each assumed that this behavior char­ habit, but if they do, it is infrequent others that something is amiss (Kenny acterizes hysterical and dissociative and typically denied. In a similar vein, 1978). aspects of latah, especially since most smoking cigarettes once was consid­ "S" first exhibited severe symptoms "victims" are female: ered a solely masculine trait in at public gatherings within a few Western society, and 'women who months after the death of her daughter, smoked usually denied it. The view of followed in close succession by the Although there has not yet been any "mild" latah as habit is consistent with systematic scientific study of the death of her husband. She was unem­ Murphy's (1976) observations of enig­ latah phenomenon from a psycho­ ployed, in social isolation, and depen­ logical viewpoint, the hysterical matic behavior: The condition was dent on her surviving children for sup­ nature of the condition is inescap­ extremely rare in Malayo-Indonesia port. Researchers have focused their able to the psychiatric observer. The during the first half of the seventeenth attention on the conditions likely to condition invariably occurs in the century; reported on every street and presence of an audience, the behav­ prompt latah, largely ignoring the common among men by the 1890s; ior of the subject has a marked the­ question of the conditions under atrical quality about it, often pro­ scarce during the 1920s; and dimin­ which people are likely to feign or voking spasms of laughter among ishing in frequency today and almost exaggerate latah for attention. It is the audience, and the subject pleads exclusive to women. amnesia for her buffoonery when notable that two other family members she comes out of her altered state of were in virtually the exact social cir­ consciousness (Tan 1980:380). The status of latah as a medical dis­ cumstances as "S" following the deaths order is reminiscent of social scientists' of their husbands. Both of these "mild" attaching medical labels to other habits subjects experienced latah slightly Upon closer scrutiny, the argument and fashions. Penrose (1952) consid­ longer than usual. They explained dissolves that latah cannot be fraud ered the use of the yo-yo and crossword latah as an unconscious means of relieving emotional stress and perhaps "She would immediately and profusely an unconscious means of getting atten­ tion. Yet, neither became "severe." apologize for her vulgarity, then launch It cannot be overemphasized that into another series of behaviors, apolo­ "severe" latah behavior is exceedingly rare, even in Malayo-Indonesia.1 gizing more than 30 times during this Colson (1971) identified five cases in par titular 'tit.'" a Malay village of more than 400 res­ idents; Resner and Hartog (1970) due to its pervasiveness. "Milds" do puzzle to cause a mild form of crowd stated that traditional Malay villages not consider themselves to be suffer­ disorder. Child psychiatrist W Burn- usually have but one case, while Chiu ing from a disorder. Upon explaining ham (1924:337-38) made a similar et al. (1972) located only 69 cases to family members the common psy­ evaluation of the brief "craze" in out of a sample of 13,219 East chiatric definition of "mild," I was Worcester, Massachusetts, during the Malaysians. One reason researchers told "everyone is a little latah." There early part of this century, of people have chosen to downplay the obvious is no evidence that "severe" cases were tickling each other with feather exhibitionistic nature of "severe" any more common in the previous dusters. American psychiatric pioneer cases are reports that it once affected century than they are today. Its habit­ Benjamin Rush (1962 [1812]) classi­ the majority of the populations of ual form persists in certain families, fied lying as a disease. Malaya and parts of Indonesia (Van although it has no major social signif­ Recently, psychiatrist Jack Jenner Brero 1895; Clifford 1898). icance, except as a prerequisite for (1990, 1991) reportedly discovered Scientists reasoned that large num­ performers to emulate and elaborate. seemingly indisputable evidence that

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 39 latah is an abnormality of the human "symptoms" then rapidly disappeared of "noble savages" living in unspoiled startle mechanism that varies with cul­ and never returned. isolation from the decadence of twenti­ tural conditioning. He treated a 40- eth-century civilization (Sponsel year-old Dutch woman in Holland Double Standards 1990). The media heavily touted the who would swear profusely, become claim that these Tasaday people did not abusive, and act oddly upon being There are numerous historical prece­ even have a word for war. This was startled. He claimed the subject has no dents for malingering for social gain, or later uncovered by Iten (1986) as a ties to Malayo-Indonesian culture, and institutionalized feigning. Anthropolo­ hoax after gaining access to their yet, it is an amazing coincidence that gist Michael Kenny contends that restricted preserve and finding the so- this sole documented case of severe "severe" latah subjects do not enter an called lost tribe "living in houses, wear­ latah occurred in someone from a cul­ altered state of consciousness, but are ing Western clothing and saying they ture far away from, but with a signifi­ engaged in latah "performance" and had faked the whole thing" (Willson cant population of Malaysians and "theater" (Kenny 1978:209). Never are 1989:18). The conspiracy was appar­ Indonesians, both Asian countries the words "fraud," "fakery," or "decep­ ently perpetrated by the government of having been Dutch colonial outposts tion" used. Yet anthropologists appear Ferdinand Marcos, then president of for centuries. In fact, the Dutch only guilty of employing double standards. the Philippines, in order to deceive the agreed to lift sovereignty over A number of researchers have exposed world for political and economic gain Indonesia in 1949. Jenner's case study fakery and deception in group settings: (Dumont 1988). notes that his patient startled several the Salem witch trials of 1692; spiritu­ Social scientists do an injustice by times daily for 20 years, yet had not alism during the early twentieth cen­ using such words as "malingering," sought help. Her husband became so tury; epidemic demonic possession in "histrionic," "performance," and "sym­ irritated he sought psychiatric assis­ medieval European nunneries; and bolic action" in describing attempts to tance. She was successfully treated channeling associated with the con­ achieve social gain in the absence of an with "flooding" therapy, consisting of temporary New Age movement. How­ organic illness. Stripped of these her husband and son startling her ever, anthropologists and psychiatrists euphemisms, all too often the underly­ dozens of times daily. Unanswered are tend to use different language in scru­ ing content involves conscious decep­ such fundamental questions as to tinizing similar non-Western tradi­ tion for personal gain. The entire whether the woman had Malaysian or tions. When studied, Western faith notion of the perpetration of fraud in non-Western cultures needs to be "'Severe' subjects typically lead solitary reevaluated regardless of whether the and reclusive lives to avoid being teased. perpetrators express a belief in their power to heal. In this regard, culture- Yet, it is equally plausible that these sub' bound idioms of deception are jects become performers because they are couched in legitimate scientific terms. Anthropologists have an unfortu­ lonely and desire attention." nate tendency to emphasize, idolize, and glorify the exotic, especially in Indonesian companions—an excellent healers are often viewed as fraudulent. someone else's backyard, while psychi­ likelihood given their presence in But place an exotic label on essentially atrists are often overly eager to place a Holland—or if she was previously the same behavior involving shaman in convenient "disorder" or "disease" label aware of latah. Jenner (1990) curious­ some African tribe and anthropologists on deviant or deceptive behavior, no ly noted that startling was often used are quick to point out the "symbolic" matter where it is found. This is also by the woman to avoid household qualities. Yet, there is also symbolism true of misperception involving peo­ chores; get her way in deciding holiday in fraud, quackery, and channeling. ple whose perceptual orientations are destinations; and serving as "her most Carlos Castaneda's fictional writings conditioned by pseudoscientific books effective weapon in marital conflicts." contain a seductive, adventurous qual­ and media programs purporting the A fraud perspective is equally plausible ity that was ideal for captivating popu­ existence of mysterious creatures. and best conforms to historical and lar American culture during the sixties When a community experiences a contemporary evidence. I would argue and seventies, blending mysticism, spate of Bigfoot or flying saucer sight­ that upon commencement of the psychedelic drug use, and a belief in ings, it is typically labeled as a form of "flooding" therapy, the subject paranormal and supernatural powers "epidemic hysteria," yet this behavior is rebelled, intensifying her malingering (Hines 1988:277). The discovery in not infectiously contagious and partic­ to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of 1971 of a "stone age" tribe in the ipants are not clinically hysterical. treatment. Upon realizing the deter­ Philippines captured the imagination Another culture-bound "syndrome" mination of her husband, son, and of the world due in large pan to its is that of "group spirit possession," psychiatrist to continue this strategy, ultrapacifist symbolism—a community which, like latah, almost exclusively

40 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 affects female Malays. Labeled by sci­ Since latah behavior is often dramatic and thus Kiev, A. 1972. Transcultural Psychiatry. New entists as stressed-induced "mass hyste­ likely to elicit comments by both scientists and York: The Free Press. lay persons, the scarcity of accounts prior to the Langness. L L. 1967. Hysterical psychosis: The ria," episodes of screaming, crying, and nineteenth century, when the illness category cross-cultural evidence. American Journal of claims of possession have plagued was first devised by Western medical practition­ Psychiatry 124:143-152. Malaysia.", schools and factories since ers, is a conundrum (Murphy 1973:43). Lee, R. L. 1981. Structure and anti-structure in the resurgence of Islam in Malaysia in 2. According to the Worldmark Encyclopedia the culture-bound syndromes: The Malay of the Nations (1984). more than 2 percent of case. Culture. Medicine and Psychiatry, 5:233- the early 1960s. In a country where Holland's population is composed of repatriates 248. Malay women do not enjoy equal and immigrants from Indonesia. Lee, R. L. and S. E. Ackerman. 1980. The socio- rights and unions are discouraged, cultiir.il dynamics of mass hysteria: A case such "outbreaks" allow for the protest study of social conflict in West Malaysia. References Psychiatry. 43:78-88. of undesirable actions or rules from Murphy, H. B. M. 1973. "History and the managers and school principals. Arieti. S., and E. B. Brody. 1974. American Evolution of Syndromes: The Striking Case Anthropologist Aihwa Ong (1987) Handbook of Psychiatry. New York: Basic of Latah and Amok." In Psychopathology: shows how "epidemic hysteria" in Books. Contributions from Social, Behavioral, and Biological Sciences, ed. by M. Hammer et al., Malaysian factories is a form of politi­ Bartholomew, R. E. 1994. Disease, disorder, or deception? Latah as habit in a Malay extend­ pp. 33-55. New York: John Wiley. cal resistance. Lee and Ackerman ed family. Journal of Nervous and Mental Murphy, H.B.M. 1976. "Notes for a Theory on (1980:79) also document how Disease. 182(6):331-338. Latah." In Culture-Bound Syndromes, Ethno- Malaysian "hysterical epidemics" are Burnham, W.H. 1924. The Normal Mind. New psychiatry and Alternate Therapies, ed. by William P. Lebra, pp. 3-21. Honolulu, utilized in typically restrictive Malay York: D. Appleton-Century. Chiu T, J. Tong, and K. Schmidt. 1972. A clin­ Hawaii: East-West Center Press. female religious hostels as a form of ical survey of latah in Sarawak, Malaysia. Naish, J. M. 1979. Problems of deception in negotiation in drawing attention to a Psychological Medicine. 1:155-65. medical practice. Lancet, ii: 139-142. particular problem. In summarizing Clifford, H. 1898. Studies in Brown Humanity. Ong, A. 1987. Spirits of Resistance and Capitalist Discipline: Factory Women in Malaysia. the characteristic presentation of com­ London: Grant Richards. Colson, A. C. 1971. "The Perception of Albany: State University of New York Press. plaints by the females in Malaysian Abnormality in a Malay Village." In Opler, M. K 1967. Culture and Psychiatry. schools, Teoh (1975:302) notes a Psychological Problems and Treatment in Atherton Press: New York. "monotonously similar" pattern: "One Malaysia, ed. by N. Wagner and E. S. Tan, Penrose, L. S. 1952. On the Objective Study of or two of the subjects in an altered Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: University of Crowd Behavior. London: H. K. Lewis. Malaya Press. Resner, G., and J. Hartog. 1970. Concepts and state of consciousness acted as the Dumont, ]. 1988. The Tasaday. which and terminology of mental disorder among mouth-piece on behalf of the group, whose? Toward the political economy of an Malays. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. ventilating their many frustrations and ethnographic sign. Cultural Anthropology. 1:369-381. discontentments. The girls characteris­ 3(3):261-275. Rosenthal, D. 1970. Genetic Theory and Fitzgerald R. 1923. Far Eastern Association of Abnormal Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill. tically took hints and cues from each Tropical Medicine. Transactions. Fifth Bien­ Rush, B. 1962. Medical Inquiries and other and afterwards claimed amnesia nial Congress, Singapore, pp. 148-160. Observations Upon the Diseases of the Mind. for the episodes." While a tiny fraction Geertz. H. 1968. Latah in Java: A theoretical Facsimile of the Philadelphia 1812 edition. of subjects may enter trance states, the paradox. Indonesia. 3:93-104. New York: Hafner. vast majority are clearly playacting in a Hines, T. 1988. Pseudoscience and the Para­ Simons, R. 1994. Commentary: The inter­ normal. Buffalo. New York: Prometheus. minable debate on the nature of latah. type of "ritualized rebellion" for politi­ Howard, R. and, R. Ford. 1992. From the jump­ Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. cal gain. ing Frenchmen of Maine to post-traumatic 182(6):339-34l. stress disorder: The startle response in neuro­ Simons, R. 1985. "Latah II—Problems with a psychiatry, Psychological Medicine 22:695- Purely Symbolic Interpretation." In The Fraud and deception take many cul­ 707. Culture-Bound Syndromes, ed. by R. Simons ture-specific forms—from the atten­ lten, O. 1986. the Tasaday: Ein Philippinischcr and C. Hughes, pp. 77-89. Dordrecht: D. steinzeit schwindel. Neue Zurclser Zeitung Reidel. tion-seeking poltergeist antics of (Zurich). April 12-13:77-79. Sponsel. L. E. 1990. Ultraprimitivc pacifists: The Western children, to the use of chicken Jenner, J. 1990. Latah as coping: A case study Tasaday as a symbol of peace. Anthropology blood and sleight of hand during "psy­ offering a new paradox to solve the old one. Today 6(1): 3-5.. chic surgery" by shaman. Latah is one International Journal of Social Psychiatry Tan, E. S. 1980. "The Culture-Bound Syn­ 36:194-199. more example. dromes Among Overseas Chinese." In Jenner, J. 1991. A successfully treated Dutch case Normal and Abnormal Behavior in Chinese of latah. Journal of Nervous and Mental Culture, ed. by A. Kleinman and T Lin, pp. Notes Disease. 179:636-637. 371-386. Dordrecht, Holland: D. Reidel. Kenny, M. 1978. Latah: The symbolism of a Teoh, J. 1975. Epidemic hysteria and social putative mental disorder. Culture. Medicine 1. Anthropologic! Michael Kenny of Simon change: An outbreak in a lower secondary Fraser University in British Columbia argues and Psychiatry, 2:209-231. school in Malaysia. Singapore Medical persuasively that in the few scantily documented Kenny. M. 1985. "Paradox Lost: The Latah Journal 16(4):30I-306. groups where Utah behavior is reported to occur. Problem Revisited." In The Culture-Bound Van Brero, PC. 1895. Uber das sogenannte such reactions result from social and not biolog­ Syndromes, ed. by R. Simons and C. Hughes, latah. Allgemeine Zeitschrift fur Psychiatrie ical influences. While accepting the possibility pp. 63-76. Dordrecht: D. Reidel. und ihre Grenzgebiete. 51:537-538. of a universal startle reflex, he considers it irrele­ Kessler. C. 1977. "Conflict and Sovereignty in Willson. M. 1989. Two films about truth and vant to understanding latah. Thus, while all peo­ Kelantanese Malay Spirit Seances." In Case falsehood. Anthropology Today 5(5): 17-18. ple arc bom with hands, "only some cultures Studies in Spirit Possession, ed. by V. Cra- Yap, P M. 1952. The latah reaction. Its paihody¬ have exploited the fact in requiring them to be panzano and V. Garrison, pp. 295-329. New namics and nosological position. Journal of shaken in formal greeting" (Kenny 1985:74). York: Cambridge University Press. Mental Science. 98:515-564.

SKEPTICA1 INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 41 Conference Report

'The Flight from Science d Reason: New York Academy of Sciences Conference Airs Issues

ETIENNE Rios

n reaction to increasing antinational attempt to debase rationality. Setting entific outlook and methods of science. and antiscientific rhetoric in acade- the tone for the meeting, Paul Gross, Noretta Koertge, from Indiana Imia, the New York Academy of coauthor of Higher Superstition and University, Bloomington, provided a Sciences assembled a diverse group of conference chair, said the irrationalists' description of the constructionists scientists and scholars to examine the attacks on science threaten the effective approach, in which reality is seen as a origins and explore the ways in which maintenance of "liberal values." He result of social consensus. Koertge this phenomenon could be properly characterized these attacks as "vulgar­ pointed out that some constructivists combatted. The conference, titled izations" and later described them as deem that some findings by science— "The Flight from Science and Reason," "half-truths and quarter-truths told as even if true—are too socially or politi­ took place May 31 to June 2, 1995, in total truths." cally dangerous to publish, or even to New York City. This was one of a series A running theme was that of the study in the first place. of meetings routinely convened by the motives behind the postmodernist Various speakers discussed the pos­ academy focusing on pertinent issues (antiscience and antireason) claims. sibility that behind much of anti- involving science. James E. Alcock, a Fellow of the science and antirationalism there is an The aim was to "consider the con­ Committee for the Scientific Investi­ ultra-egalitarian willingness to endow temporary flight from reason and its gation of Claims of the Paranormal, validity to each and every belief, for the associated antiscience, its denial of and a psychologist from York Uni­ mere fact that it is believed with such even the hope of objectivism, and its versity, in Toronto, contrasted what he fervor. Wendy Kaminer, author of I'm relativist rejection of Enlightenment calls "the scientific-humanist belief sys­ Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional, ideals." The discussion included an tem" and the "transcendental belief sys­ illustrated how the intensity of a belief impressive range of subjects. tem." He said the former must be is frequently taken as evidence of its The consensus of the presenters was taught to people for an appropriately truth. These proclivities are instrumen­ that science-bashers come from all high degree of scientific literacy to be tal in forming what she called "perfect­ walks of academia. The usual culprits achieved. ly closed belief systems." of anti-intellectual ism, namely radical Others pointed to the politically Mario Bunge, noted philosopher feminism (including notions of female induced motives behind antirational from McGill University, Montreal, science and male science), radical envi- rhetoric. CSICOP Chairman Paul suggested an antidote to antiscience— ronmentalism (an unwillingness to Kurtz considered that the latest teaching that ignorance can be over­ look at opposing evidence), and social upsurge in antiscientific sentiments, come by research. Bunge, a CSICOP constructivism (knowledge is consid­ along with the rise in religious funda­ Fellow, considers postmodernism a ered a product of the social, political, mentalism, could very well translate form of intellectual dishonesty. He and and historical pressures of the times into new antirational political trends. others forcefully maintain that post­ rather than of objective truth), are To further cultivate a rational democ­ modernists have not earned the acade­ joined by New Ageism and psycho­ racy, he recommended conveying to mic freedom they are currently enjoy­ analysis in what is considered to be an the public an appreciation for the sci­ ing. He regards their musings as shal-

42 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 low and inherently antiacademic, in that they do not recognize the duty of scientists to question in a rational man­ ner. Gerald Holton, a physicist at Harvard University vigorously repri­ manded university professors at large for displaying what he termed a negli­ gent acquiescence in the face of post­ modernist attacks on science.

Antirationalists typically point the finger at instances of scientific fraud to underscore their allegation that science is just as fallible as any other human endeavor. Their mission is to show that science is not without bias. Criticisms like these, Paul Gross remarked, are trivial, and not original. David L. Goodstein, from the California Institute of Technology, who was responsible for preparing Caltech's guidelines on scientific fraud, stressed Paul Gross and Norman Levitt field questions at the New York Academy of that fraud is an anomaly in science. Sciences Conference, The Flight from Science and Reason.' Further methodological considerations were touched upon later by Rutgers even works of literature were stolen Feminist (or gynocentric) episte- University anthropologist Robin Fox, from the Egyptians. Lefkowitz persua­ mology constitutes much of the anti- who stressed that it is method, not sub­ sively showed how these pseudohistor- scientific entourage of ideas, according ject matter, that ultimately defines sci­ ical claims have no basis in any reliable to Koertge. She said that in many cases ence. This method, he argued, is itself historical research. One example is a students find that they are more able to the antidote to its misuses. When claim found in George M. James's survive professionally in academia by social relativists and postmodernists Stolen Legacy, a classic among adopting radical feminist viewpoints. point to instances in which scientific Afrocentric writers. James claims that She said senior advisors and others in knowledge has been put to detrimental Aristotle stole books from the Library positions of power often encourage uses, or in which it has been biased, of Alexandria. Lefkowitz correctly them to take the radical feminist posi­ "they miss the point," Fox states; those points out that the library was not tion, something she said she has seen critiques should instead be addressed at around until after the Greek philoso­ firsthand. Koertge said it is everybody's the misuses of science. Conference lec­ pher died. "Ancientness itself," in job to fight this "nonsense"; it should turers were unanimous in saying that many cases, "is by default taken to be not be up to just females, in the case of the validity of science goes beyond evidence for the claim's veracity," she radical feminism, or blacks, in the case these objections. Social relativism. Fox said. Lefkowitz concluded, not surpris­ of Afrocentric studies, or homosexuals, said, is tantamount to a confession of ingly, that all too often the contents of in the case of gay and lesbian studies. intellectual powerlessness. pseudohistory are more an indication Christina Hoff Sommers, author of Historical considerations, on which of what best suits the proponents' cul­ Who Stole Feminism?, discussed Carol many pseudointellectual claims are tural agenda. Gilligan's 1982 book In a Different based, were also explored. Mary Bernard Ortiz de Montellano, from Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Lefkowitz, scholar at Wellesley Col­ the department of anthropology at Development, which concerns the lege, exposed the constructionist influ­ Wayne State University, Detroit, called alleged different ways in which women ence in Greek and Latin history. For for a better education not only of stu­ deal with moral dilemmas. Gilligan some time now, she said, some con- dents, but also of elementary school contends that women have purported­ structivists have contended that the teachers. It is elementary school teach­ ly superior styles of cognition. Hoff- great ideas in Greek philosophy and ers, he said, who often see themselves Sommers, from Clark University, pressured to give in to political and Worcester, Massachusetts, exposed the Etienne Rios is a graduate student in cultural motives meant to veer the book's methodological problems and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the school curriculum in certain direc­ faulty conclusions. She says legitimate State University of New York at Buffalo tions. He said those teachers often do research does not bear out the book's and is a member of the CSICOP staff as a not have the necessary tools to fight off claims. She dubbed the book "a land­ writer, translator, and computer specialist. such pressure. mark in advocacy research."

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 43 The antiscientific attitudes of post­ quantum mechanics has shown that by Anne Carson, of Emory University, modernists stem in great part from there is no such thing as an external Atlanta, a known critic of science. their mistrust of medicine and what world, and that we ourselves make our Herschbach regretted that he did not they consider to be an immense own reality. They said such claims are get to meet Carson. He said an actual amount of hubris in physicians. Gerald totally inappropriate. dialogue between them would have Weissmann, from the Department of Norman Levitt, from Rutgers been excellent for the show, and an Medicine at the New York University University, and coauthor of Higher even better opportunity for the audi­ Medical Center, extolled the virtues of Superstition, said quantum mechanical ence to watch the proponents of both medicine and gave specific examples of descriptions about the behavior of par­ opposing views debating. ways in which medicine has con­ ticles deal mainly within the scope of Psychoanalysis, developed by tributed to humanity. probability. The sometimes convolut- Sigmund Freud, was explored as an The area of militant environmental- edncss of probabilistic computations irrational contribution to modern ism is another hub of antiscientific sen­ may often give enigmatic results and, thinking and health care. Because psy­ timents. Often, as Stanley Rothman, of what is even worse, may appear mysti­ choanalysis has been fashionable for so Smith College, illustrated, the statistics cal to the untrained. The results may long in academic circles, it is easy to stated in support of environmental sometimes seem mystical, but Levitt consider it as a part of the establish­ claims are biased to reflect the interests emphasized that with the appropriate ment. Despite the impression among of the environmentalists. He singled background in probability theory, they some academics and medical specialists out the Environmental Defense Fund are the product of straightforward cal­ that it is long dead, and hence they do as an agency that, in his opinion, is not culations. "Many claims" [of the post­ not have to concern themselves with it, relied upon much by scientists. Martin modernist-esoteric kind], he said, psychoanalytic theorizing is alive and W. Lewis, from the department of "come from those who do not have an well. Psychologist Frederick Crews said geography at Duke University, like­ appropriate training in mathematics." Freudianism is more prevalent in wise said radical environmentalists He said, "This mathematical naivete is teaching than all other speculations we might term antirational. Crews, a "The latest upsurge in antiscientific University of California, Berkeley, pro­ fessor said many of the psychoanalytic sentiments, along with the rise in concepts were borrowed from religious fundamentalism, could very Friedrich Nietzsche. He said that Freud's originality was minimal, and well translate into new antirational that Freud's few original points are political trends." either gratuitous or plainly erroneous and not supported by evidence. [See often distort evidence. For radical envi­ the main factor behind ungrounded Martin Gardner's column in this issue.] ronmentalists, Lewis said, assertions about theories in physics, for Crews depicted psychoanalysis as a "[Postmodernist] catastrophic claims instance, chaos theory, relativity, and "morale booster." He pointed to the are as valid as more scientifically based quantum mechanics. The physicists at evangelistic character of Freud's dis­ claims . . . but even more so because the conference speaking on this point course and added that psychoanalytic they're morally grounded." Lewis con­ held that these physical theories, to the theory lacks rigor, tolerates self-contra­ siders that this taking of a moral high contrary, offer compelling support for diction, and is based on pure cogita­ ground only makes radical environ­ objectivity. tion. mentalists more reticent to accept any In an evocatively titled presentation Dissenting comments from the evidence contradicting their beliefs. "Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads," audience were at times heard. Several The panel discussing quantum Harvard chemistry professor Dudley science critics, voicing their discontent, mechanics said it is incessantly pointed Herschbach launched into an explo­ said their views were not properly por­ to by antirationalists yearning to have a ration of the many instances in which trayed by the speakers. Audience mem­ basis for their particular brand of rela­ science dwells on the fanciful. The bers frequently complained of what tivism. Given the supposedly mystical winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in they considered to be the unfair omis­ and reportedly subjectivistic implica­ chemistry related his experiences being sion of the "other side" in the forma­ tions of quantum mechanics, post­ part of a PBS television show whose tion of discussion panels. Paul Gross modernists arc wont to point out that purpose was to present a stimulating repeatedly addressed this objection by in light of quantum phenomena, sci­ portrait of science, exalting its aesthet­ stating thai the rationalists are the ence itself defeated its pretensions of ic and inspiring attributes. The pro­ besieged group. Moreover, he insisted, objectivity and materialism. They ducers of the show, "The Nobel the antiscientists hold their own con­ claim that objectivity is difficult, if not Legacy," chose to intersperse the ferences without ever inviting the impossible, to maintain now that broadcast with adversary "soundbites" opposing side.

AA SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Book Reviews

Will the Real Pseudoscientists Please ^^tand Up?

Pseudoscience in Biological Psychiatry: Blaming the Body By Colin SCOTT O. LILIENFELD A. Ross and Alvin Pam. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1995. 294 pp. Hardcover, $39.95.

n psychiatry, as in many other disci­ that psychological phenomena can best necessarily relevant, however, to the Iplines, the pendulum has periodical­ be understood by reducing them to cause(s) of the disorder. ly swung between two theoretical poles. their underlying physiological compo­ Second, Ross and Pam criticize the ex juvantibus (reasoning "backwards In the 1950s, 1960s, and early- to mid­ nents. from what works") logic of using find­ dle-1970s, the prevailing view was that In their frontal assault on modern ings from treatment studies of mental most mental disorders were almost biological psychiatry, Ross and Pam disorders to draw inferences regarding exclusively a product of family and cul­ emphasize three errors in logic that, their etiology. As Pam points out, even tural factors. As recently as 1979, I can they maintain, are exceedingly preva­ the most hardened biological reduction­ recall learning in an undergraduate psy­ lent in this field. First, they underscore ist would surely not invoke the finding chology course that infantile autism the often overlooked distinction that aspirin is effective for headaches to was entirely a consequence of aberrant between biological mediation and bio­ argue that headaches are a consequence parenting practices. There is now con­ logical etiology. Many researchers in of aspirin deficiency. Nonertheless, some vincing evidence that infantile autism is contemporary psychiatry, they note, biological investigators have made pre­ influenced substantially by genetic fac­ have made an improper inferential leap cisely this error when interpreting the tors. Over the past two decades, psychi­ from biological correlation to biologi­ results of treatment studies. For exam­ atry has progressively undergone a dra­ cal causation. For example, the finding ple, some researchers have argued that matic paradigm shift characterized by that schizophrenia is often character­ because bulimia, panic disorder, and increasing emphasis on the biological ized by enlarged cerebral ventricles obsessive-compulsive disorder often underpinnings of psychopathology. does not, as some writers have respond positively to antidepressants, all In Pseudoscience in Biological Psychi­ assumed, demonstrate that schizophre­ of these conditions must comprise an atry: Blaming the Body, Colin A. Ross, nia is caused by physiological abnor­ "affective spectrum" characterized by a psychiatrist, and Alvin Pam, a psy­ malities. This finding might instead be underlying commonalities to depres­ chologist, contend that the pendulum a consequence or concomitant of a dis­ sion. Because treatment data have little has swung too far toward the biological ease process set in motion by psycho­ direct bearing on etiology, however, the end of the spectrum. Ross and Pam, logical factors (e.g., stress). With the response of these conditions to the same along with several other contributors exception of mind-body dualists, all medications provides relatively feeble to this book, believe that contempo­ researchers accept the premise that the corroboration for the existence of this rary biological psychiatry is beset by a "mind" is really the brain in action. spectrum. host of flawed theoretical assumptions, Therefore, it goes without saying that dubious methodological practices, and schizophrenia is correlated with physi­ Third, Ross and Pam decry the fre­ errors in deductive logic. Their over­ ological abnormalities, because all quent tendency to conclude that a dis­ arching theme is the fallacy of "bio­ behaviors arc mediated by biological order must be influenced by genetic fac­ medical reductionist": the doctrine processes. Such abnormalities are not tors if it tends to run in families. Studies

skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 45 of intact (i.e., nonadoptive) families are psychiatric disorders. Because this lar etiology, etiology does not imply a indeterminate with regard to genetic threatens the one gene-one illness particular treatment. versus environmental transmission, model of biomedical reductionism, Similar logical errors can be found because biological relatives in these fam­ that conclusion is disallowed (p. 93). in Pam's chapter on research methods, ilies share both genes and environment. in which findings demonstrating that It is this indeterminacy that makes Here Ross himself commits the ex children of parents with psychopathol­ designs using adopted children, which juvantibus error by interpreting the ogy are themselves at heightened risk permit investigators to disentangle lack of specificity of drug effects for for psychopathology are regarded as genetic from environmental influences, mental disorders as casting doubt on persuasive evidence for an environ­ so valuable as inferential tools. the specificity of their etiologies. mental hypothesis. The authors claim: Had Ross and Pam been content In addition, Ross hypothesizes that a "The genetic basis of schizophrenia with raising these three issues and elu­ childhood "trauma model" provides a has not been scientifically established, cidating their implications for psychi­ powerful unifying framework for the even at a preliminary level" (p. 106), atric research, Pseudoscience in Bio­ etiology of psychopathology. He asserts even though the studies they cite in logical Psychiatry might have made a definitively that "chronic childhood support of environmental etiology rest useful contribution. But the authors trauma is the overwhelming major dri­ on far more precarious methodological elected not to stop at this modest goal. ver of psychopathology in Western civi­ footing than the twin and adoption They go on to offer lization" (p. 122) and studies of schizophrenia whose results their own hypotheses PSEUDOSCIENCE that multiple personality they discount. concerning the etiology disorder has been shown The problems of Pseudoscience in of mental disorders and BIOLOGICAL conclusively to be a "dis­ Biological Psychiatry do not end here. provide methodologi­ PSYCHIATRY sociative response to Although the authors repeatedly cal critiques of various childhood trauma" (p. inveigh against biomedical reduction­ studies in the biological 121). ism, they never articulate their logical psychiatry literature. It BLAMING The evidence Ross objections to this doctrine. Indeed, is here that the book THE adduces in support of although "reductionism" has become a flounders. these claims is that child dirty word in many quarters, the stan­ Indeed, what is par­ abuse tends to co-occur dard arguments against it have often ticularly disconcerting with various mental dis­ been less than convincing. The tradi­ about Pseudoscience in orders within families. tional objection to reductionism has Biological Psychiatry is But here Ross falls prey been that mental phenomena cannot that its authors repeat­ to the same error that he be reduced to more elemental compo­ edly fall into many of the same logical accuses biological psychiatrists of mak­ nents without a significant loss of traps for which they reprimand their ing, except that in this case he assumes information, because these compo­ colleagues. In this respect, one cannot that because child abuse co-occurs with nents combine to form "emergent" help but be reminded of Richard psychopathology in families, this asso­ properties—higher-level properties Feynman's remark concerning many ciation must be environmental. It is that are nor reproducible from the sum scientists' failure to generalize concepts conceivable, however, that the associa­ of their lower-level parts. As Patricia across situations: "Their knowledge is tion between child abuse and certain Churchland has pointed out, however, so fragile!" For example, the ex juvan- mental disorders is mediated by genet­ there is little evidence for the existence tibus logic of inferring etiology of ic factors: Child abuse may in some of emergent properties in neural sys­ treatment is criticized whenever this cases be an expression of a genetic pre­ tems. Such issues are never mentioned logic buttresses the conclusions of bio­ disposition toward certain personality in Pseudoscience in Biological Psychiatry, logical psychiatry but is invoked when­ traits, such as impulsivity or aggressive­ let alone accorded the thoughtful dis­ ever this logic calls these conclusions ness, that are transmitted from parent cussion they deserve. into question. For instance, with to child and that, in turn, increase chil­ In many cases, the book's coverage regard to the finding that medications dren's risk for similar mental disorders. of the literature is spotty and selective. often work for disorders other than This alternative explanation, which is With the exception of a single para­ those for which they were developed, barely mentioned in the book, is sum­ graph (p. 260), there is no mention of Ross avers: marily dismissed on ethical rather than the problems associated with interpret­ scientific grounds, as it is said to invite ing "recovered" memories of child One conclusion biological psychia­ the use of "eugenic" interventions abuse, despite the book's emphasis on trists could draw from the fact that "involving genetic engineering" (p. child abuse as a major etiological factor one medication works for many dif­ 140). Here again, the inconsistency of in psychopathology. Such an omission ferent disorders is that there is no the authors' reasoning is apparent: Just might be forgivable in a book pub­ biological specificity to different as treatment does not imply a particu­ lished in 1975 or even 1985, but not in

46 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 1995. Moreover, although the authors formative in the development of nor­ stantially increase the likelihood of criticize the "if it runs in families, it mal and abnormal personality appear concluding erroneously that a genuine must be genetic" error, they neglect to to be those that make family members difference between subject groups is discus!! the burgeoning evidence from different from, rather than similar to, absent. Although such conservative twin and adoption studies that shared each other. procedures can be useful for some pur­ environmental factors—those that Finally, one of the weakest aspects poses, they are ill-advised for the type make family members similar to one of the book is its treatment of statisti­ of small-sample studies cited in the another—appear, with a few excep­ cal issues. The authors use such terms book, which are already biased strong­ tions, to play little role in the etiology as suppressor variables (p. 59) and meta­ ly against detecting group differences. of either personality or psychopatholo- analysis (p. 86) incorrectly, commit After reading Pseudoscience in Biological gy. Environment clearly matters, but some outright bloopers concerning the Psychiatry, I was left to ponder a some­ the environmental factors that are most effects of sample size on statistical sig­ what uncomfortable question: Now nificance (e.g., p. 178), and recom­ that the policers of pseudoscientific thinking in biological psychiatry have Scott O. Lilienfeld is an assistant profes­ mend the routine use of procedures arrived on the scene, who will police sor of clinical psychology at Emory (e.g., Bonferroni correction for multi­ University in Atlanta. ple statistical comparisons) that sub­ the polic • Who Says Skepticism Must Be Stuffy?

PETER HUSTON The Big Book of Urban Legends: Adapted from the Works of Jan Harold Brunvand. By Robert Fleming and Robert F. Boyd, Jr. Paradox Press, Division of DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. 1994. 223 pp. Paper, $12.95.

bout the time I became excited by as much of the hard-to-find explana­ also subtitled 200 Stories Too Good to Askepticism and the SKEPTICAL tions for strange claims and unusual Be True, 200 interesting stories are told INQUIRER I stopped collecting comic phenomena as I could. But I never once again, but this time, in comic books. My main reason for dropping once thought of the obvious solution book form. The result is entertaining, the comics was simple: I had grown to bringing together comics and skep­ informative, and engrossing. Not only weary of the convoluted histrionics of a tical literature. Skeptical Inquirer did I enjoy the entire book, snickering bunch of implausible superheroes and Comics! and giggling almost constantly for two the maudlin mishaps of world-saving Authors Robert Fleming and or three hours, but I also learned some­ teenage mutants who ran around in Robert F. Boyd, Jr. also came up with thing. There's an urban legend in the long underwear. If comics had been a this excellent idea and book about motherly bit more interesting and a bit more Paradox Press put it in looking smugglers hid­ mature (in a nonsexual way), as they print. It is an adapta­ ing drugs in the corpses are in Europe, then I probably would tion of the work of Jan of babies in order to get have accepted them on their own terms Harold Brunvand, a them through customs and stayed with them the same way I CSICOP Fellow, checkpoints. I ran still enjoy other, less sophisticated author, and expert in across this rumor two forms of pop culture, such as televi­ the field of urban leg­ or three times while sion. ends. In Brunvand's writing my recently As for the skeptical literature, it many best-selling, published nonfiction often has its faults, too, but content is educational, and book on Chinese crime usually not among them. entertaining books, he groups. I didn't believe One fault is that the bulk of skepti­ explains how urban it, so it's not in my cal literature lies at the other end of the legends are the false book. Brunvand didn't spectrum from comics, and therefore stories that we all have heard, believed, believe it either, and so it's now in his. lacks appeal for the people who need it and told again and again as truth about The Big Book of Urban Legends also the most. Nevertheless, the contents strange, unlikely, and amazing events, includes the legend about alligators in are so engrossing that I stuck with often of a supernatural nature. the New York City sewers, and the one skeptical literature. I eagerly soaked up In The Big Book of Urban Legends, about someone purring a wet poodle in

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 47 the microwave oven to "dry" it. although styles do vary greatly and what we need, whether we care to Each of the stories is drawn by a dif­ some are more cartoony and stylistic admit it or not. As with the legends ferent comic book .mist. All of these than others. Furthermore, the artists themselves, sexual content and graphic artists are among the best in the field, and book writers seem to keep in mind violence make this book inappropriate so the art quality is top-notch, a key point: Urban legends are fun! Too for children and teenagers, but it is sure often when artists tackle a "serious" to appeal to (and reach) many adults Peter Huston's first book. Tongs, Gangs subject they forget to entertain, and who need the book's perspective. and triads-Chinese Crime Groups in people stop reading and looking. For All in all, it is a much needed addi­ North America was recently published example, comic fans might remember tion to the skeptical literature and by Paladin Press. He is working on a sec­ "True War Stories," the Eclipse peace- worth the price. Now if only we could ond one, tentatively titled Scams from movement comic of the 1980s; good get someone to make "False Memories the Great Beyond: Hoaxing Psychic cause/bad comic, so nobody paid Breakfast Cereal," "Sleep Paralysis and Phenomena, New Age Miracles, and attention. Anomalous Psychology Trading UFO Sightings, also to be published by The Big Book of Urban Legends, Cards," "Psychic Investigations Role- Paladin. He lives in Schenectady New which features an explanatory intro­ Playing Games," and "Great Hoaxers York. duction by Brunvand himself, is just of the Paranormal Action Figures." The Numbers in the News

WOLF RODER ^ A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper. By John Allen Paulos. "^ Basic Books, New York, 1995. 212 pp. Hardcover. $18.00.

A Mathematician Reads the News- among the dentists patients was only heart disease and cancer, but more years paper consists of a large number of slightly higher than the rate of infection of life are lost to auto accidents and short vignettes, each on a different in the counties where the patients lived guns. Many issues are too complex with topic, loosely grouped around issues was part of that reasoning. too many variables for assessment. So found in the newspaper and other Paulos introduces some quantitative newspapers tell a story by highlighting media. John Allen Paulos, a math pro­ sleight of hand. Based on a single set of the good quote, and omitting or play­ fessor at Temple University and author data, he shows how any one of five ing down research or examination. In of lnnumeracy and political candidates may ecology there is a tendency to look for Beyond lnnumeracy, A. Mathematician be considered the lead­ human culpability where merely a nat­ introduces mathemati­ ing contender for office. ural process is at work. Millions of dol­ cal and statistical reasons Reads the ^p c He mentions the spe­ lars are spent to diminish a perceived for questioning what is Newspaper cious precision intro­ but minute risk, while glaring killers, read. Paulos is also a duced when we convert such as guns or cigarettes, are ignored. Fellow of CSICOP, and from one measuring Paulos advocates that all journalistic much of his argument unit to another, for questions should always include how rests on logical assess­ example, about 37"C to many, how likely, what is the fraction, ment of news stories. precisely 98.6* F. He and how does it compare with other Thus, it is careful rea­ makes us appreciate how quantities. The news reporter also soning that leads him, a simple logistic formula ought to include some assessment of for example, to question theevidenc e about cathn e become chaotic as how the data were obtained, how cer­ Florida dentist accused we vary a single parame­ tain they are, and ask if there can be a of infecting six of his patients with the ter. causal relationship, or is mere coinci­ human immunodeficiency virus Paulos has much to say about the dence being emphasized. And finally, (HIV). That the rate of infection logic of the "what" and "how" of pre­ journalists need to explicate the overall sentation. Thus, a pint of poison mixed view, the connections of the story, the into the world ocean can be described dynamics of the whole system. Wolf Roder is professor of geography at as one part in 10" or as 6,000 mole­ For a book that is an easy read, it is the University of Cincinnati, Cincin­ cules in each pint of water. He talks of remarkably rich in learning and nati, Ohio. comparability. Many Americans the of insight.

48 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 The Last Taboo

ROBERT A. vCK Cannibalism: From Sacrifice 10 Survival By Hans Askenasy. Prometheus Books, Amherst, N.Y. 268 pp. Hardcover, $25.95.

ans Askenasy, a California clini­ Literary classics, such as Stanley •Despite the fact that isolated and Hcal psychologist, was born in Ellin's unforgettable 1948 book The pathological incidences of human Germany and spent his teen years Specialty of the House, are required flesh-eating are well supported by under Adolf Hitler's rule. In 1949 reading in many high school English material evidence, a few years ago a Askenasy immigrated to the United classes. number of respected and credentialed States, and after several years as a Part One of Askenasy's book anthropologists raised serious doubts United States Marine Corps pilot, he Cannibalism provides a historical and as to whether cannibalism has ever earned his doctorate in psychology at geographical overview of the subject, existed as an approved social practice. the University of California, Los including the fact that the word canni­ Most of the evidence for it, they Angeles. He then wrote two books on bal is derived from the Carib Indians of argued, is anecdotal and indirect. Nazi psychopathology: Are We All the Bahamas who lived in Columbus's As the author makes clear through­ Nazis? and Hitlers Secret. time. The book states that Columbus out the book, all of the many and vat- Askenasy next developed an interest called these Indians— ied stories, claims, and in human taboos—especially the social who atane all their male accounts from all of the prohibition against humans eating prisoners of war— hundreds of racon­ human flesh. Such a taboo is not—nor "caribales, which came teurs, may or may not has it ever been—universally verboten, to to be pronounced be true. In Askenasy's but the practice does seem to be severe­ cannibal —thus giving words: "It seems that it ly restricted. their name both to the is always someone else In many cultures and in many social Caribbean Sea and to who indulges in our settings cannibalism has not only been the custom of eating flesh and blood, or approved but also applauded. human flesh" (p. 13). someone else who has Askenasy, in his book Cannibalism: Curiously, many actually observed it" (p. From Sacrifice to Survival, poses three primitive tribes and cul­ 52). questions about the ancient taboo: tures neither encourage Anyone seriously First, if we were starving to death and nor condone it, for interested in this con­ the only way to survive was to eat other example, Tahitians, troversial subject humans, what should we do?; Second, Pygmies, Bushmen, Zulu, Masai, and should not make up his or her mind even if we aren't starving why shouldn't Fuegians whereas, historically, canni­ before also reading William Aren's we eat the dead? Why waste perfectly balism was quite common in West and book The Man-Eating Myth (1979, good nutritious meat?; Third, why Central Africa, Australia and New Oxford University Press). Askenasy does the subject itself arouse so much Zealand, New Guinea, Melanesia, also equivocates, noting, "The good horror and revulsion, but at the same Polynesia, and Sumatra. news—reasonable research—all too time why is it so attractive and fasci­ Even more curious is the fact that often alternates with the bad news— nating to people everywhere? among the more paranoid members of bad research, e.g., nebulous concepts; People flocked to theaters to see the UFOlogical circles is the rumor that peculiar verbal gymnastics; and fanci­ films The Silence of the Lambs, Alive, little gray aliens relish the taste of ful, if unfortunately unproven, theories Francis Ford Cappola's Dracula, and human flesh. of personality dynamics" (p. 54). other movies about cannibalism. Most of Askenasy's book is devoted In the second half of the book Television specials about serial-killer to the many legends and talcs of canni­ Askenasy looks at the various types of cannibals Jeffrey Dahmer and the balism, old and new, from around the cannibalism and the motivational fac­ Russian Andrei Chikatilo—Chikato world. These stories make fascinating, tors behind each type—famines, natur­ allegedly ate fifty-two people—have entertaining, and horrifying reading. al and manmade disasters, accidents drawn millions of viewers. There is also Reading Chapter 2 of Askenasy's book (such as shipwrecks, the Donner Party, interest in Omeima Nelson, a hus­ is akin to watching Quinten Tarantino's plane crashes, and so forth), magic, rit­ band-eater from Orange County, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and True ualistic practices, and punishment. California. Romance: horrible but captivating. Also examined are cannibalistic behav-

skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 49 iors that are due to sadism and psy- proportions that Kenneth Lanning, author's analyses of several of our mod­ chopathology. Perhaps the third part of leading authority on child abuse for ern criminal cannibals, such as the book, "Cannibalism in Culture the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dahmer and Chikarilo. and Society," which is concerned with states: "Hundreds of people are alleg­ Askenasy's conclusions with regard werewolves, witches, vampires, and ing that thousands of offenders are to cannibalism are well worth study­ unusual medical, legal, and psycholog­ abusing and even murdering tens of ing. His answer to the question "Is ical cases, will have the greatest appeal thousands of people as parts of orga­ cannibalism one of man's last taboos?" for skeptics. nized Satanic cults and there is little or is both yes and no. Many people prac­ Despite tons of factual evidence to no corroborative evidence" (p. 178). ticed it in the past, but most of us the contrary, many intelligent United Other authorities are even more today would rather starve. "Most States citizens are firmly convinced adamant, stating that they know of no human beings," Askenasy believes, satanic ritual abuse involving rape, one case in this country where allega­ "appear to need a few taboos and for murder, and cannibalism is rampant in tions of ritual abuse have turned out to the time being cannibalism seems to the nation today. Hysteria about satan­ be true. Richard Gardner, the forensic serve that purpose admirably" (p. ic ritual sex abuse has reached such psychiatrist, calls such claims "psy­ 231). Anyone interested in the far chopathy masked as religiosity" (p. reaches of human behavior should Robert A. Baker is professor emeritus of 181). read and ponder Askenasy's provoca­ psychology at the University of Kentucky Also not to be missed are the tive book. PI

New Books

^>

The Ape-Man Within. L. Sprague de 14228-2197. 1995. 135 pp. $12.95, paper. 14228-2197. 1995. 278 pp. $17.95. paper. Camp. Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn A humorous look at everything you've ever A noted philosopher and scholar assesses Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197. 1995. 266 wanted to know about flying saucers. Parody what can and cannot be learned from social pp. $25.95, hardcover. Exploration of why is alive and well. Illustrated by John Kloss. science studies. He indicates where good we find it so hard to get along with people work has been ignored and where much- of different nations, religions, and races. Hitler and the Occult. Ken Anderson. needed work is still to be done. He exam­ Focuses on the tendency to view others as Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY 14228- ines methodological flaws and systematic adversaries that has been passed along to us 2197. 1995. 224 pp. $25.95, hardcover. A misunderstandings that corrupt the con­ as survival traits from our ancestors, who journalist's critical examination of the idea tent and application of the social sciences. foraged in bands, scrounged for food, and that the occult was a major factor behind chased other scavengers away from the kill. the rise of Adolf Hitler. Concludes that The Universe at Your Fingertips: An although Hitler and his Nazis were Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook. A Celebration of Humanism and enveloped in an aura of mysticism, the Edited by Andrew Fraknoi. The Freethought. David Allen Williams. claim that Hitler relied heavily on omens Astronomical Society of the Pacific 390 Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY 14228- and astrology can be rejected. Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112. 2197. 1995. 302 pp. $29.95, hardcover. A 1995. 813 pp. $24.95 + $6.00 shipping in delightful sampler of a wide range of works John Dewey. Sidney Hook. Prometheus U.S., $24.95 • $12.00 shipping outside U.S.. by the worlds most renowned writers, Books, Amherst, NY 14228-2197. 1995. loose-leaf format. (California residents, add poets, philosophers, and other intellectuals. 242 pp. $29.95, hardcover. An intellectual tax). Collection includes 90 hands-on activi­ The emphasis is on calls for reason, toler­ portrait of one of America's most influential ties that allow students and teacher to investi­ ance, freedom of expression, and opposi­ social philosophers. Dewey was a diligent gate many areas of astronomy. Includes anno­ tion to ignorance, supernaturalism, and advocate of critical intelligence, democratic tated resource listings—print, audiovisual dogmatism. Illustrated with rare engravings freedoms, social responsibility, and the sci­ aids, computer software, and organizations. ("which deserve to see the light of day after entific method of free inquiry. This intro­ The notebook is a result of Project ASTRO, a hundred years of being lost in many a duction to his thought is by a student and supported by the National Science dusty volume"), this is a refreshingly attrac­ lifelong friend who himself became an emi­ Foundation, to create partnerships between tive work for browsing and reference. nent philosopher. school teachers and amateur and professional astronomers in their community. Flying Saucers are Everywhere. Tom Thinking About Social Thinking. Antony McHugh. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY Hew. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY —Kendrick Frazier

50 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Articles of Note

Bianchi. Robert Steven. "Alexander's vious paranormal experiments by problem, which Harrison suggests is Tomb . . . Not!" Archaeology, 48(3): Schmidt as "statistically and scientifi­ evidence for Rupert Sheldrake's theory 58-60, May/June 1995. A Greek cally unsound." He raises objections of morphic resonance. woman, apparently led by prophecy, and points to other apparent irregular­ claimed to have found the tomb of ities in Stapp's paper and criticizes the Hayward, James. "Mediums, Psychics Alexander the Great far from its his­ decision to publish it. Dowling's cri­ and the Law." Criminology, 19 (1): 33- toric location. Many news organiza­ tique is followed by a response from 42, Spring 1995. An overview of tions reported the story straight, only Stapp. Dowling and four colleagues are English laws and court cases involving to see the Egyptian authorities prompt­ preparing a more detailed comment for psychics and spiritualists, dating back ly dismiss the claim. submission to a physics publication. to the Egyptian (i.e. Gypsy) Acts of 1530. As recently as 1944, some Dawkins, Richard. "Where'd You Get Fara, Patricia. "An Attractive Ther­ fortune-tellers were charged under an Those Peepers?" New Statesman and apy: Animal Magnetism in Eigh­ eighteenth-century law forbidding Society, June 16, 1995, p. 28. teenth Century England." History of witchcraft. Creationists like to argue that the eye Science, 33 (2): 127-177, June 1995. In could not have developed through evo­ the 1780s, hypnotism and treatment Hennessey, Stewart. "Fallen Angel." lution. Swedish scientists have used a with magnets were extremely popular The Times Magazine (London), June computer program to demonstrate that in Britain. An extended, thoroughly 24, 1995, pp. 25-26. Fascinating article a single light-sensitive cell could devel­ researched study. on Ukrainian cult leader Maria Devi op into a fish eye in 400,000 years. Khristos, who believes she is God, and Freeny, Michael. "The Truth of False her trial in Kiev ("the biggest story in Dotinga, Randy. "Wronging the Memories. Orlando Sentinel, July 23, Ukraine since Chernobyl in 1986"). Right." Columbia Journalism Review, 1995, pp. 61-64. Michael Freeny, a Khristos, 34, is spiritual leader of March/April 1995, pp. 17-18. When psychotherapist and expert witness for Byeloye Bratstva (White Brotherhood), fundamentalists on the Vista, Calif., the Florida Department of Business whose members call themselves school board encouraged—but did not and Professional Regulation, presents Brothers and Sisters. Followers find require—teachers to discuss creation- the skeptical viewpoint about repressed unconfined joy in her presence, but ism, national reporters descended and memories. He describes Elizabeth Hennessey reports that the cult "excels got everything wrong from the town's Loftus's work and has a "More in putting across the bogus sense of geography to the board's policy on Information" sidebar. urgency typical of millennialist cults school breakfasts. and, of course, at relieving followers of Groothius, Douglas. "To Heaven and their flats, money, and possessions Dowling, Jonathan P. and Henry P. Back?" Christianity Today 39 (4): 39- while turning them into wretched Stapp. "Parapsychological Review A?" 42, April 3, 1995. A critique of Betty shells." Khristos's arrest came after a Physics Today, July 1995, pp. 78-79. Eadie's Embraced By the Light and sim­ "farcical sequence of events" in 1993 Dowling, in a letter, presents a "serious ilar books, showing the flaws in near- after the cult descended on Kiev, home concern" to the physics community at death experience reports from a to 3-5 million people, and virtually held large. It involves physicists dabbling in Christian point of view. the Ukrainian capital in its power— "things that most of us would not call children were kept indoors—with a science," specifically, a paper published Harrison, Ted. "Lords of the Ring." prediction for the end of the world on in Physical Review A in 1994 by Henry The Times Magazine (London) 4 (26): November 14, 1993. Khristos (real P. Stapp. Stapp tried to theoretically 17-19, July 1, 1995. For two hundred name Marina Tsvygun) awoke from an explain experiments that purport to years, campanologists have puzzled abortion on April 20, 1990, and demonstrate paranormal phenomena, over the mathematical intricacies of a declared she was God; her first husband such as Helmet Schmidt's telekinesis bell-ringing pattern called the Stedman thinks the extra heavy anesthetic she experiments. Dowling notes that scien­ Triples. Three British composers work­ requested may have caused her delirium tific investigations have criticized pre­ ing separately have recently solved the and permanently changed her.

skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 51 claims about dowsing, occasioned by a Mackey, Rochelle. "Discovering theHealin g Power waof s amonTherapeutig the firstc to propose, in the 1920s, that medieval witches were recent article in Physics World and a Touch." American Journal of Nursing, actually carrying on pagan rites. Much published report by German physicist 95 (4): 26-33, April 1995. This article, of the common view of witches—such Hans-Dieter Betz that contends that which nurses can read for continuing- as covens having thirteen members— good dowsers can indeed detect under­ education credits, discusses the use of begins with her, but her scholarship ground water. The article contains "therapeutic touch" to improve the was questioned even at the time, and abundant critical analysis and com­ "energy flow" in patients. A sidebar her interpretation of original texts is mentary. Psychologist Ray Hyman, for reports on positive results of recent very shaky. example, says Betz's test design and studies of the technique. absence of adequate comparison data flaw most of his analyses. Hyman also Wolcott, James. "I Lost It in the Saucer." The New Yorker, July 31, McAneny, Leslie. "It Was a Very Bad points to other flaws and says Betz's 1995, pp. 75-78. Excellent essay- Year." The Gallup Poll Monthly, 252: work is unscientific. German skeptic review on alien-abduction claims occa­ 14-17, January 1995. Two-thirds of Amardeo Sarma explains psychomotor sioned by C. D. B. Bryan's Close Americans taking a recent poll said and psychological reasons why dows­ Encounters of the Fourth Kind. Wolcott they believed in the devil; up from 52 ing seems, to the practitioner, to work, is highly critical of the book and the percent three years ago. Seventy-nine when in fact there is no reason to think work of John Mack. Several years earli­ percent believe in heaven and 72 per­ it does. And hydrogeologist Jay Leher, er, Wolcott had done some of his own cent believe in angels. former head of the National Water investigations. "I found my own sense Association, calls the idea of a "force of wonder shriveling like dead leaves. . Meskell, Lynn. "Goddesses, Gim- field" that the body can intercept and . . It was easy enough to pick the logi­ butas, and 'New Age' Archaeology." interpret "patently absurd" and points cal holes in abduction lore. . . . The Antiquity, 69 (262): 74-86, March out that many apparently successful lack of corroboration was also telling. 1995. Meskell argues that descriptions dowsers are familiar with various sur­ ... I came to feel that I was dealing by Marija Gimbutas and others of face cues that indicate presence of sub­ with a quasi cult of deluded cranks. matriarchal. Goddess-worshipping surface water. societies are based more on modern . . . They seemed to be testing how far they could take their personal narra­ politics than an archaeology. Shorter, Edward. "Sucker-Punched tives." Wolcott calls Mack a "Third Again! Physicians Meet the Disease- Wave" thinker, for whom "there are no Miller, Jonathan. "Going Uncon­ of-the-Month Syndrome." Journal of facts, only interpretations." He notes scious." New York Review of Books, 42 Psychosomatic Research, 29 (3): 115- that Bryan, "a liberal soul," welcomes (7): 59-65, April 20, 1995. Another 118, February 1995. More than ever the "marvelous" tales of the people review of the history of animal mag­ before, patients are coming to doctors who populate his book. "But," con­ netism. Miller's focus is on James with their own diagnoses, often of dis­ cludes Wolcott, "can we really afford to Braid, who coined the term "hypno­ eases they have heard about on televi­ shut off our bullshit detectors and tism," and whose work led to impor­ sion. Especially prominent is Chronic indulge every emanation of the occult? tant discoveries concerning the ways Fatigue Syndrome, which Shorter says Superstition is no substitute for the the brain governs the body. resembles plain old depression. salience of what's actually before us."

Raloff, Janet. "Dowsing Expecta­ Simpson, Jacqueline. "Margaret Mur­ tions." Science News. 148:90-91, ray: Who Believed Her, and Why?" —Kendrick Frazier August 5, 1995. An article examining Folklore, 105: 89-96, 1994. Murray and Robert Lopresti

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52 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Forum

seience and the Fallible .S. Detector

RALPH ESTLING

omeone once asked Ernest with affirmations by qualified, or disquiet is a good thing, for without it, Hemingway what he thought was seemingly so, scientists based on scien­ we run the risk of confusing ourselves Sa writer's most important tool. tific methodologies—for example, that with God. If we keep the distinction Hemingway knew straight off. "An the universe had a beginning in time clearly in mind, our brains can be useful infallible bullshit detector," he and that this beginning had its ulti­ instruments in humanity's ongoing bat­ answered. He didn't specify the range mate cause in this or that cosmologic tle with B.S. of all constituencies, the detector should have, I suspect, occurrence and process, or was totally breeds, and distinctions—the common because he saw no reason to limit its without cause, possessing effects variety of everyday encounters, or the range or the exact type and species of only—then it behooves us to sit up, uncommon and often stardingly mar­ B.S. it was meant to detect. Detecting take notice, and think. This much for velous sort of the poets, priests, and B.S. is detecting B.S., I guess he fig­ starters. After this, we must engage in philosophers, and yes, the scientists. ured, no matter its source, location, observational tests of the claim. If This is often quite beautiful and, being and espouser. observational tests are not possible, beautiful, detecting its true nature is We have no excuse for erecting lim­ then we are thrown back to logical/ harder, and from an aesthetic point of its, drawing boundaries, citing no-go mathematical surmises, which are not view, a rude, vulgar, and thoroughly areas. We must deal skeptically, criti­ nearly as good as determining the beastly thing to do. cally, not only with the irrational— truths our skeptical souls hanker after. I have been accused of being beastly claims of paranormality and all that— For all of this, rational and irra­ to scientists, a grave charge. However, but, and far more important for the tional claims alike, we need that won­ the accusation is fair, if I add the qual­ field of intellectual development, with derful machine, the infallible B.S. ification "some." I have also been claims that are utterly and entirely detector. Sadly, this is an imperfect informed I am antiscience, the logic rational. This second kingdom of world, and so, such an agent of truth being that if I criticize some scientists inquiry includes science and all its does not yet exist. Until it does, we for some of their remarks this is works. The testing of scientific claims must rely on that fallible device, our because I fear and hate science and is manifestly more worthy of our time brain. wish it ill. Similarly, a parent telling a and consideration (both being limited The brain is desirable in two ways: child to be good rather than wicked, for mortals) than claims of an irra­ for acquiring information and for and wise rather than foolish, does so tional, unscientific sort can ever be. assessing it. Both functions are essen­ because the parent fears, hates, and is Belief in paranormal and supernat­ tial. We must first acquire information out to destroy the child. ural beings, forces, and events is not an so that it can be assessed. But if we If the human race, this "damned especially essential statement about the acquire it without assessing it, we are human race," as Mark Twain called it, nature and manifestation of things, likely to contribute nothing to the is to realize salvation, and I'm not sure and for this reason skeptical inquiries world except a lifetime's manure. it is, that salvation will lie in science into these, while often desirable, are Our brain's unquestionable fallibility and in no other realm of human intel­ rarely essential. But when we are faced is a source of deep disquiet to us. This lectual activity. Science is not only an

skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 53 intellectual force; it is as emotional and and quarter-truths. For science treats I have against the deluge. I wish it were as spiritual as any other mentally us like grown-ups, and I think we infallible, but for all its shortcomings, derived function in which human ought to like that. defects, and failures, I wouldn't be beings engage their brains. I think the Notrutht sal revealel scientistd bsy science—anare grown-upsd I . use without it, not for all the peace of the word truths deliberately, for facts or Some are remarkably childish, and I see mind, peace of soul, and joy of heart I information or data do not carry the them as betrayers of science. Some do am offered in its stead by the spin doc­ weight, the gravitas I want—matter far not betray science so much as totally tors of the spirit, not even if 1 were to more than the comforts of religion, misapprehend it, what it means, what it be taken up to some very high place philosophy, and poetry all put togeth- is here for. I don't suppose that scien­ where I could behold all the kingdoms er. What's more, I think science is more tists, as a class, are more stupid than of this world, and of the next, and were beautiful than they, with their evasions other people. But I'm disappointed that offered diem in exchange. they don't appear much less so. Perhaps And if there is a next, I won't want I expect too much from them. to go there, not unless they let me take Ralph Estling writes from Ilminster, Meanwhile, my fallible, clanking my detector along with me. Even there. Somerset, U.K. B.S. detector remains the only weapon Even then.

54 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEM&ER 1995 Independent experts need to pin­ photographer, would be on the hot Aliens from page 16 point the date of the frames, then seat. and about five frames of leader film examine all the reels to be sure the But instead of insisting on authen­ that carried no date coding and was entire film has the same date code. For tication first, Fox seemed intent on ^nnnoscnlv clinn*»n from the beginning ill \»'^ know most of the »'film is from minting [he movie for every penny of one of the rolls of film. Conclusive contemporary stock. Checking the possible. The network repeated the tests on the film had yet to be done. whole film would dramatically narrow program one week after its original The Hollywood special effects team the range of possibilities for a hoax. showing and tried to drum up led by Stan Winston gave the most The cameraman needs to be iden­ renewed interest for the rerun by impressive testimonial. But I got the impressiotified ann dthe questioney were dbein to gconfir askedm tthao t promising more footage from the 17- gauge the difficulty of staging a bogus he exists, that he was in the military, minute film. Those who turned in saw alien autopsy back in 1947. Winston and that he really was the camera­ about three additional minutes of and his associates said the special man. There's been talk that he wants footage, but Fox still didn't show the effects were good, even by today's stan­ to avoid being prosecuted by the gov­ whole 17-minute film. In all, the dards, but from the clips shown on ernment for keeping a copy of the autopsy sequences were only on the "Alien Autopsy," this television pro­ film all these years. That's claptrap. If screen for 13-1/2 minutes and, once gram didn't seem to come close to the film is a hoax, why would the again, that total included clips that rivaling the quality of films you could government bother him? If the film is were shown repeatedly. rent in any video store. real, dragging a more-than-80-year- It was not what you would expect old military veteran into court would from a major network that thought it be an admission by the government The bottom line is that if the film is was broadcasting a history-making that the footage is real, and that legitimate and this is the first solid evi­ film. would spark some tough questions dence of life on other planets, it It was, however, what you would about who or what was on that exam­ deserves real authentication, not the expect from a network trying very hard ining table. The government, not the casual checking the program provided. not to spoil an illusion.

1996 WORLD CONGRESS • 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF CSICOP The Age of (Mis) Information: Science and Antiscience June 20-23, 1996 • State University of New York at Buffalo • Buffalo, NY

Among those who have agreed to speak: • Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ. • Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time • Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Chicago Among the topics scheduled to be discussed: • Paul Gross, professor of biology, Univ. of Virginia The Role of Mass Media in (Mis)lnforming the Public • • Norman Levitt, professor of mathematics, Rutgers Mechanisms of Self-Deception: How We Misinform • Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Ourselves • Viewpoints in Collision: The Experts vs. • Philip Klass, aerospace writer, engineer The Media • The Growth of Antiscience • • William Jarvis, professor of health, Loma Linda Univ. Parapsychology • UFOIogy • • Barry Beyerstein, biopsychologist, Simon Fraser Univ. Astrology • Therapeutic Touch • Alternative Health • James McGaha, Major, USAF; pilot Cures • International Sessions: The Prevalence of • John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. Paranormal Beliefs Worldwide • Stephen Barrett, psychiatrist, author, Allentown, Pa. • Amardeo Sarma, European Skeptics representative

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 55 Freudianism was finally buried by slides and regard Freud's mental Freud from page 12 the academic establishment in the constructs, his "libidos," "Oedipal impudent and intellectually dis­ 1970s, ending its forty-year reign in complexes," and the rest, as quaint abling belief that they enjoy a "priv­ the United States. By 1979 Freudian quackeries of yore, along the lines of psychology was treated only as an ileged access to the truth." The Mesmer's "animal magnetism" and interesting historical note. The fash­ "baquet processes." The central con­ opinion is gaining ground that doc­ ionable new frontier was the clinical cept of Freud's pathology, the "neu­ trinaire psychoanalytic theory is the study of the central nervous system, rosis," is now regarded as a laughable most stupendous intellectual confi­ an attempt to map precisely how the historicism on the order of "melan­ dence trick of the twentieth century: panel is wired for fear, lust, hunger, cholia" or "phlegmatism." Freud and a terminal product as well— boredom, or any other neural or himself is regarded as an unusually something akin to a dinosaur or a mental event. Long overshadowed humorless quack. zeppelin in the history of ideas, a by psychoanalysis, brain physiology vast structure of radically unsound came into its own with the develop­ design with no posterity. ment of such equipment as the My next column will discuss recent stereotactic needle implant. Today efforts to understand why we dream, the new savants probe and probe The American writer Tom Wolfe, in and what, if anything, dream images and slice and slice and project their In OUT Time, put it this way: signify.

Objectivity from page 35 cutting edges of the razors were and reliability of experimental proce­ unchanged or not. A procedure such dures and their results. This point is possible variables such as the tempera­ as this eliminates all the above-men­ especially frustrating for researchers in ture of the water used to work up the tioned physical and procedural vari­ the paranormal field, for while there shaving lather, the amount of lather ables and it isolates the biases of the are numerous singular cases of positive used, and the amount of pressure used participants. results achieved with seemingly rigor­ on the shaving strokes and on feeling My students often are surprised ous procedures, there is not a single, one's cheeks after the shave. From a sci­ when I next tell them that the issue is undisputed case of a repeatable positive entific point of view, this kind of test is not completely decided by even so rig­ result. It might be that psychic powers worthless—it tells us nothing about a orous a procedure. The problem is that and supernatural phenomena are change in the sharpness of the razors it is a single test, and any number of inherently fickle, but in the absence of after being inside pyramids. things could have gone wrong. The repeatable positive results, we face At this point in my presentation of microscope might not be working another possibility—that such powers the example to my class, I'll usually ask properly. A difference in air tempera- don't exist at all. Whichever supposi­ my students if they can think of a bet­ ture might affect the image of the cut­ tion one prefers, there is no avoiding ter controlled procedure for testing ting edge. Something else, something the fact that there is no hard evidence pyramid power. A common suggestion we haven't thought of, might be influ­ for anything of this sort without is to cut paper or leather instead of encing the test. But if we or someone repeatable positive results. facial hair, but this procedure is not else replicates the test and arrives at the Rigorous research is not quick and much better than the original one. It same conclusion, our confidence in the easyreliabilit. Experimenty of sou arr eresul oftetn isquit enhancede com­. doesn't control the amount of pressure plicated and make use of new equip­ on the blades while cutting the mater­ Derek Gjertsen (1989) has an excel­ ment and procedures. The participants ial, and it doesn't establish clear and lent discussion of the importance of may have strong and unconscious bias­ precise criteria for judging the ease repeatability in research. He points out es. Great effort must be expended in the with which they cut. The true believer that positive results are not difficult to design of the experiment to assure its and the skeptic will probably arrive at come by in single experiments (recall objectivity, and reproducibility. This is the same, diametrically opposed the initial claims for N-rays, anom­ time-consuming but necessary. The results. What we need, of course, is a alous water, magnetic monopoles, and path to knowledge is strewn with many more objective measure of the sharp­ the 17 keV neutrino), and that pitfalls, not the least of which is our ness of razors after putting them inside researchers cannot guarantee that a own capacity to sec things that aren't pyramids. One way to accomplish this procedure used on just one occasion is there. would be to view the cutting edges of free theof all possiblrazore defectss with . a (Thmicroscope same,e and pho­ tograph the edges before and after of course, holds for singular cases of References their stay in the pyramids. Impartial negative results.) Knowledge of the full observers using some explicit measure­ range of possible defects is possible Gray, William D. 1991. Thinking Critically ment procedures could then compare only with a great deal of experience. About New Age Idem. Belmont. Calif: Wadsworth Publishing. the photographs and determine if the Repeating the experiment is the only Gjertsen. Derek. 1989. Science and Philosophy way to be more sure of the objectivity New York: Penguin Books. D

56 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 rhythms vs. biorhythms / 1990 CSICOP Conference. SUMMER 1990 (vol. 14. no. 4): Ghosts make news: Fill in the gaps in your Skeptical Inquirer collection How four newspapers report psychic phenomena / Thinking critically and creatively / Police pursuit of Satan­ 1 5% discount on orders <>l SI00 or more ic crime. Pan 2 / Order out of chaos in survival research / Piltdown. paradigms, and the paranormal / Auras: S6.25 a copy. Vols. 1-18 (S5.00 Vol. 19).' SPRING 1990 (vol.14, no.3): Why we need to understand science / The crisis in pre-college sci­ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1995 (vol. 19. no. 5) with SET1 / Education for science / A threat to sci­ ence and math education / Police pursuit of Satan­ The paradox of knowledge, Loevinger Consciousness ence / Charles Honorton's legacy to parapsychology ' ic crime. Pan 1 / The spread of satanic-cult rumors as a valid subject for science, Ingalls I School daze: 1993 CSICOP Conference. / Lying about polygraph tests / Worldwide disasters review of African-American baseline essays. Hour I WINTER 1993 (vol 17. no. 2): Special report 3.7 and moon phase. Mystical medical altcrnahvism, Roto I China, chi, and million Americans kidnapped by aliens? / Psychics: Do WINTER 1990 (vol. 14. no. 2h The new cata- chicanery, Huston I Fuzzy logic, Gardner ($5.00) police departments realty use them? / Psychic detec­ strophism / A field guide to critical thinking / Cold JULY/AUGUST 1995 (vol. 19. no. 4) How to sell a tives: A critical examination / Therapeutic touch. / fusion: A case history in 'wishful science'? The air­ pseudoscience, Pratkanis I Rumors, self-fulfilling Improving science teaching in the U.S / The Big Sur ship hysteria of 1896-97 / Newspaper editors and prophecies, and national obsessions, Paulas I Rose 'UFO' /The strange case of the New Haven oysters. the creation-evolution controversy / Special report: Mackenberg. Pankratz I Moon, planets, and disas­ FALL 1992 (vol 17. no I): A celebration of Isaac New evidence of MJ-12 hoax. ters, Branham I Artificial languages, Gardner I Asimov: A man for the universe, Kendrick Frazier, BALL 1989 (vol. 14. no. 1): Myths about science / Project Mogul and the Roswell incident. ($5.00) Arthur C Clarke Frederik Pohl. Harlan Ellison. L The relativity of wrong / Richard Feynman on fringe MAY/JUNE 1995 (vol. 19, no. 3) The belief engine, Sprague de Camp. Carl Sagan. Stephen Jay Gould. science; Luis Alvarez and the explorer's quest / The Alcock I Is skepticism tenable? Beloff plus Blackmore. Martin Gardner. Paul Kurtz. Donald Goldsmith. two cultures / The 'top-secret UFO papers' NASA Hyman. Kurtz. Alcock, and Gardner I Mediumship, James Randi's. and £ C Krupp I Gaia without mys­ won't release / The metaphysics of Murphy's Law. Stan I Ancient aluminum, Eggert I Crop circle ticism / Gaia's scientific coming of age / The curse SUMMER 1989 (vol. 13, no. 4): The New Age— mania wanes, Nickell I Doug Henning of the runestone: Deathless hoaxes / An examination: The New Age in perspective / A and TM. Gardner I A young Grand Night terrors, sleep paralysis, and New Age reflection in the magic minor of science / Canyon? Heaton. ($5.00) devil-stricken telephone cords from hell The New Age: The need for myth in an age of sci­ MARCH/APRIL 1995 (vol. 19. no. 2) / Scientific creationism: The social ence / Channeling / The psychology of channeling Remem-bering dangerously, Loftus I agenda of a pseudoscience / Observing / 'Entities' in the linguistic minefield / Crystals I Antiscience in academia. Gross and Levitt stars in the daytime: The chimney myth Consumer culture and the New Age / The Shirley I Feminism now alienating women from / Does an ancient Jewish amulet com­ MacLaine phenomenon / Special report: California science. Koertge I 'Lights out: A faxlore memorate the conjunction of 2 B.C.? court jails psychic surgeon. phenomenon, Brunvand I Critique of SUMMER 1992 (vol. 16. no. 4): evolution study, I..irKimm.it ($5.00) Freedom of scientific inquiry under SPRING 1989 (vol. 13. no. 3): High school biolo­ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1995 (vol. 19. siege / Psychic experiences: Psychic illu­ gy teachers and pseudoscientific belief / Evidence no. 1) Wonder and skepticism, Satan I sions / The scientist's skepticism / The for Bigfoot? Alleged pore structure in Sasquatch Putting away childish things, Dawkins I persistent popularity of the paranormal footprints / The lore of levitation / Levitation 'mir­ The astonishing hypothesis. Crick. I / Self-help books: Pseudoscience in the acles' in India / Science, pseudoscience, and the Nuclear medicine, Seaborg I Literary sci­ guise of science? cloth of Turin / Rather than just debunking, ence blunders, Gardner I Air Force report on the SPRING 1992 (vol 16, no. 3): Special Report: encourage people to think / MJ-12 papers 'authen­ Roswell incident / 1994 CSICOP Conference. The Maharishi caper JAMA hoodwinked / Myths ticated'? / A patently false patent myth. ($5-00) of subliminal persuasion: The cargo-cult science of WINTER 1989 (vol. 13. no. 2): Special report: subliminal persuasion / Subliminal perception: The 'remembering water' controversy / Facts and fallacies / Subliminal tapes / The Avro Bibliographic guide to the 'dilution controversy' / FALL 1994 (vol. 18. no. 5): Empirical evidence for VZ-9 'flying saucer' / Two 19th-century skeptics: Pathologies of science, precognition, and modern reincarnation? / Readers guide to the ozone contro­ Augustus de Morgan and John Fiske. psychophysics / A reaction-time test of ESP and versy / Bigfoot evidence. Arc these tracks real? / Why WINTER 1992 (vol. 16. no.2): On being sued: The precognition / Chinese psychic's pillbottle demon­ we are unmoved as oceans ebb and flow / Anomalous chilling of freedom of expression / The crop-circle stration / The Kirlian technique / Certainty and phenomena in Kazakhstan / False memories. phenomenon / Update on the 'Mars effect* / A dis­ proof in creationist thought. SUMMER 1994 (vol 18. no 4): Extraordinary sci­ senting note on End's 'Update* / Magic Melanin: FALL 1988 (vol. 13. no. 1): Special report: ence' and the strange legacy of Nikola Tesla / Nikola Spreading scientific illiteracy among minorities. Pan Astrology and the presidency / Improving Human Teslx* Genius, visionary, and eccentric / I\>llcns on the 2 / Adventures in science and cyclosophy Performance: What about parapsychology? / The 'Shroud': A study in deception / Do televised depic­ / Searching for security in the mystical. China syndrome: Further reflections on tions of paranormal events influence viewers' beliefs? / FALL 1991 (vol. 16. no. 1): Near-death the paranormal in China / Backward Synchronicity and the archetypes / The synthetic mind experiences / Multicultural pseudo- masking / The validity of graphological clashes with the reductionist text /Psi in pyschology. science: Spreading scientific illiteracy. analysis / The intellectual revolt against SPRING 1994 (vol 18. no. 3): The Antiscience Pan 1 / Science and commonsense skep­ science. Thrcac The growth of antiscience / The antiscience ticism / Spook Hill / Lucian and problem / Measuring the prevalence of false memories / Alexander/ 1991 CSICOP conference. SUMMER 1988 (vol. 12. no. 4): Bleuler's views on inheritance of acquired characteris­ SUMMER 1991 (vol 15. no. 4): Lucid Testing psi claims in China. Kurtz. tics and on psi phenomena / Examining the manic dreams / Nature faking in the humanities / Alcock. Frazier. Karr. Klass. and Randi I panic ... A personal perspective... A sociological and Carrying the war into the never-never land The appeal of the occult: Some thoughts historical perspective / Philosophy and the paranormal, of psi: Pan 2 / Coincidences / Locating on history, religion, and science / Put 2: Skepticism, miracles, and knowledge invisible buildings / True believers. Hypnosis and reincarnation / Pitfalls of WINTER 1994 (vol. 18. no. 2) The new skepticism / SPRING 1991 (vol. 15. no. 3): Special perception / Wegener and pseudos­ Philosophy and the paranormal. Pan 1: The problem report: Hi-fi pseudoscience / Searching cience: Some misconceptions / An inves­ of 'psi' / Electromagnetic field cancer scares / Attacks for extraterrestrial intelligence An interview with tigation of psychic crime-busting / on role-playing games / Global fortune-telling and Thomas R. McDonough / Getting smart about get­ High-flying health quackery / The Bible prophecy / Chemikov pattern puzzle. ting smarts / Carrying the war into the never-never bar-code beast. FALL 1993 (vol. 18.no. 1): Perspectives on education land of psi: Pan I / Satanic cult survivor' stories / in America: Sandia study challenges misconceptions / 'Old-solved mysteries': The Kecksburg incident / SPRING 1988 (vol. 12. no. 3): Neuropathology Do 'honestly' tests really measure honesty? / Astrology Magic, medicine, and metaphysics in Nigeria / and the legacy of spiritual possession / Varieties of strikes back—but to what effect? / Diagnoses of alien What's wrong with science education? Look at the alien experience / Alien-abduction claims and stan­ kidnappings that result from conjunction effects in family. dards of inquiry (excerpts from Milton Rosenberg's memory / Mathematical magic for skeptics / The blind radio talkshow with guests Charles Gruder, Martin girl who saw the flash of the first nuclear weapon test / Ornc. and Budd Hopkins) / The MJ-12 Papers: Science The feminists' scapegoat? Pan 2 / Doomsday: The May 2000 prediction / My SUMMER 1993 (vol 17. no. 4): The right hemi­ visit to the Nevada Clinic / Morphic resonance in sphere An esoteric closet? / Improving science teach­ WINTER 1991 (vol 15. no, 2): Special report Gallup silicon chips / Abigails anomalous apparition / The ing. The textbook problem / The eyewitness; Imperfect poll Belief in paranormal phenomena / Science and riddle of the Colorado ghost lights. interface between stimuli and story / Pathological sci­ self-government / West Bank collective hysteria episode WINTER 1987-88 (vol.12, no.2): The MJ-12 papers. ence: An update / Jack Horkheimer. 'Scar Hustler.' / Acceptance of personality test results / Belief in astrol­ Put I / The aliens among us: Hypnotic regression interview I The false memory syndrome. ogy. A test of the Barnum effect / A test of clairvoyance revisited / The brain and consciousness: (implications SPRING 1993 (vol 17. no. 3): Anguished silence using signal -detection / Intercessory prayer as medical for psi / Past-life hypnotic regression / Fantasizing and helping hands: Autism and facilitated commu­ treatment' under hypnosis / The verdict on creationism. nication / Facilitated Communication, autism, and FALL 1990 (vol. 15. no I): Neural Organization Oin|i / Treading on the edge: Practicing sale science Technique: Treatment or torture / The spooks of quantum mechanics / Science and Sir William For a complete listing of our back Crookes / The N' machine / Biological cycles and issues, call 800-634-1610. Letters to the Editor

The following letters continue the lively tacit assumption that psi is not physical­ and I will continue to recommend Beloffs reader response on this subject beginning in ly explicable. There are plenty of tacit writings to skeptics and believers alike. He our September/October Letters column. assumptions on both sides of the issue. 1 is the only parapsychologist I know who —EDITOR also found it quite interesting that Beloff subscribes to the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER called himself an "absolute skeptic" with and who never overstates his case (in sharp More on the 'Is Skepticism regard to claims that Earth is being visit­ contrast with most of his arrogant col­ ed by extraterrestrials. Although such vis­ leagues, Beloff concedes that the case for Tenable?' Debate itations are unlikely, they are far more psi fails on scientific evidence). His is The article by John Beloff, "The plausible and compatible with present- probably the only truly sane voice in the Skeptical Position: Is it Tenable?" and the day science than anything that has come entire field of parapsychology. It is only on sparring responses from James Alcock, out of parapsychology. some cases of historical "evidence" of psi Susan Blackmore, Ray Hyman, Paul that my former mentor went astray. Kurtz, and Martin Gardner (SI, May/ Keith Augustine June 1995), provided a first-rate show! Joppa, Md. Cesar Tort Readers infrequently get an opportunity Mexico City, Mexico to have a ringside experience with "heavyweights" trading punches. Give us John Beloff was my mentor in parapsy­ more such nitty-gritty exchanges in the chology for a long time. This is why I 'Absolute Skepticism' and Physics interest of science, reason, and fighting appreciate your having invited him into boredom! an exchange with five notable critics of Lately 1 have become suspicious that SI parapsychology. shows too much understanding toward Arlin Baldwin Although I resented Martin-Gardner's claimants of the paranormal. Such an Coarsegold, Calif. contemptuous tone in his response to expression was confirmed in the Beloff, I will make some empathetic exchange between John Beloff, the I was thoroughly impressed with your comments about Gardner's charge of "respected parapsychologist" and skeptics debate "The Skeptical Position: Is It Beloffs "extreme credulity." Gardner is ("The Skeptical Position: Is It Tenable?" Tenable?" It was an excellent idea for 5/ wrong in stating that Beloffs latest book SI May/June 1995). Beloff quickly dis­ to include Beloffs thoughtful defense of is The Relentless Question; it is Para­ missed a particular skeptical stand, which his viewpoint with the skeptical follow- psychology, a Concise History (1993). But he called "absolute skepticism," namely up in an open forum. It certainly makes it was precisely some hypercredulous the one that summarily rejects the para­ me more skeptical of the claims by some evaluations of psychic claims in this latest normal because it conflicts with laws of parapsychologists that CSICOP is a zeal­ book that changed dramatically the high nature. The responders, including ous, close-minded organization deter­ opinion I had of my mentor. 1 will men­ Martin Gardner, whom I have respected mined to seek out and destroy all para­ tion only a few. since his Scientific American years, did normal claims regardless of the evidence. Incredibly, Beloff doubts Douglas not take Beloff up on this point. It CSICOP has earned my utmost respect Blackburn's explanation of how he and seemed as if all agreed, at least tacitly, for its objectivity in analyzing claims, Smith flimflammed top Society for that such an "absolute" position is closed- and, our differences aside, so has Beloff Psychical Research researchers. Also, minded. for his forthright honesty in admitting unlike most historians of parapsychology I feel compelled to admit openly, and that parapsychology has not thus far met he presented the notorious Creery girls proudly I might add, that I am an the basic standards of scientific method­ case as probable evidence for telepathy. "absolute skeptic." Furthermore, I can ology. But, worst of all, he left the door open to hardly imagine a more solid skeptical Alcock's response alone seemed suffi­ a possible paranormal interpretation of stand than one based on the simple fact that "magic" contradicts science. Such a cient to answer Beloffs claim of historic­ Florence Cook's materialization of Katie position was beautifully espoused by ity. Beloff stated that Kurtz could accept King, which was, to all appearances, a Philip Anderson, one of the leading psi phenomena in the presence of indis­ perfect duplicate of her hidden medium! physicists of our time, in a piece tided putable evidence but only with the tacit (In Beloffs book of parapsychological "On the nature of physical laws" (SI. assumption that psi is physically explica­ history there are other instances of hyper- Summer 1992, reprinted from December ble. Kurtz rightfully responded that credulity about psychic claims.) 1990 Physics Today). Beloff, as an "absolute paranormalist," I must confess I feel quite uneasy criti­ does parapsychological work with his cizing a friend I still admire and respect. Physics is not, as many scientifically

58 skeptical INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 literate people believe, an assortment of Megabucks Lottery game, as of 1988, die law), which puts a premium on male constantly changing observations. It is a combination 12 3 4 5 6 was the tenth infants. In a land with an abundance of rock solid, interlocking edifice built in most popular. If it had struck, each of the pagodas and palaces, temples and tombs, the past 300 years. Likely, it is the great- 3,257 bettors expecting the total prize of but no siblings and cousins nor uncles $ 1,280,000 would have received..-j :----. J Yes, there are places where expansion is -• l |AOU|WU "OUIU nJii IllllVCU III31C4U and aunts, half of all parents will suffer in order, or alternatives are allowed, but about $393. They would have made out neglect in their twilight years, unless . . . the arbitrary removal of pieces here or better than the 19,412 who bet on the Suppose every family were permitted there would cause the collapse of the most popular combination, 1 8 15 22 29 to have one male child. A first-born son structure. Flat-earth, astrology, micro- 36 (at that time Megabucks was a 6/36 would be an only child. But a family psychokinesis, and the myriad other lotto game.) They each would have won blessed with a first-born daughter would paranormal claims all have in common a magnificent $66. be allowed a second child, and a third, the fact that they can't fit into the edifice This a bit better than the potential and so forth until a son appears. A num­ ber of questions come to mind: What is of physics. An "absolute skeptic" simply lottery payoff in Florida when 12,139 the consequent ratio of boys to girls in states: The paranormal claim of the hour bettors picked 4 15 6 8. They would have won $129.26 each by betting on the population? In the long-term, what is is not likely to cause the collapse of Manuel Noriega's prison number dis­ the average family size? What is the effect physics. To illustrate, imagine someone played in a mugshot run by most Florida of slightly gender-biased fertility? equipped with a pick and shovel declar­ newspapers. As for Pickover's conditional probabil­ ing to have just demolished the Cheops Of course this actually strengthens ities, consider this: Assume dial a given pyramid. Would it be closed-minded if, Pickover's point: Not only are people couple having produced, say, a daughter without directly checking that the pyra­ incapable of generating random num­ is slightly more likely to produce a second mid is still standing, one assumed that bers, they don't even try when its appro­ daughter than a first son. How would this the claimant is either lying, or was only priate. The ten most popular Megabucks fact be discovered in the population sta­ playing in a sandbox and is suffering combinations were all arithmetic series. tistics of our liberalized China? from grandiose delusions? I am not trying to diminish the Edward P. Wallner Paul Niquette importance of debunking detective work Wayland, Mass. Boise, Idaho in influencing public opinion. I regard the "Amazing" James Randi a national Bach Flower Remedies treasure. But we should be clearer in our Clifford A Pickover's assertion that "in own mind where we stand. Physics is not any game of chance involving betting, one Being in a slightly more favorable situation democratic; there is no value equivalence is better off' betting the ranch' on a single than the author, I recently came to know between let's say, a flat-earth theory and hand" is erroneous. As long as the events one randomized double-blind trial on the scientific view of the cosmos, even if are independent, it makes no difference Bach flower remedies (SI. July/August belief in the former may be psychologi­ how a gambler distributes his or her bets. 1995). The study was performed at the cally understandable. Consider a coin-tossing game in obstetrics department in a West German Today, science and rational thinking which I have $10 to bet, and I only hospital and is available as a written disser­ are under a siege unlike any since the intend to bet on heads. If the bet is "On tation: "Brockschmidt HG: Effizienzeiner beginning of the Enlightenment. I think which toss will the first head appear?" Bach-Bluten-Therapie mit Recue-remedy with a more sturdy backbone SI would then clearly, I should wager all my $ 10 on wahrend der Eroffnungsperiode einer better serve the cause of reason. the first toss. If I am simply betting on Geburt" (Efficacy of a therapy with Bach whether an individual toss is a head, then Flower Remedies [Rescue remedy) during George Sai-Halasz I can distribute my $10 over as many labor). University of Dusseldorf, 1989. Mt. Kisco, N.Y. tosses as I see fit. I can even wait for the Two hundred female patients were one-hundredth toss (where the probabili­ randomly allocated to Rescue remedy or ty of the first head appearing is (1/2)"* = placebo. No difference whatsoever was Slides in Hell 7.9 x 10"), and bet all $10 on heads, for found. The interpretation of the author all the difference it would make. may be of interest: "The application of In the interesting article "Slides in Hell" Bach flower remedies is justified in spite (SI. July/August 1995), Clifford A. Fraser G. Dingwall of the negative result of the study because Pickover poses the question: "As an Southsea, Hants.. U.K. it can be helpful for many patients." It example, why is it that if all the goes without saying that the study was 3,838,380 ways of choosing 6 lottery The content (not the tide) of Clifford never published. numbers out of 40 are equally likely, the Pickover's "Slides in Hell" reminded me public would prefer the numbers 37 12 7 of China and a problem I once posed to Dr. J. Windeler, Professor 20 18 17 to 1 23 4 5 6?" my students related to that country's Institute for Medical Biometrics Though this was posed as a rhetorical one-child-per-family mandate. Tradition and Computer Science question it has a straightforward answer: calls for aging parents to be cared for by Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat They don't. In fact, for the Massachusetts a married son (actually, by a daughter-in- Heidelberg, Germany

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 59 Policy and the Tryptophan Disaster Artificial Languages Stephen Barrett's article "Notes on the Tryptophan Disaster" draws the illogical conclusion that all amino acids should be The immense value of the SKEPTICAL After finishing Martin Gardner's very banned by the FDA because of one INQUIRER lies in its being a vehicle for interesting article on "Klingon and unfortunate incident involving irrespon­ countering pseudoscientific claims— Other Artificial Languages" (SI, July/ sible manufacturing of L-tryptophan. whether from New Agers, creationists, or August 1995), I realized that he had Barrett accurately recounts the deaths snake-oil salespersons. failed to mention Loglan, invented by and illnesses that resulted when Showa James Cooke Brown and presented to the However, that value is undermined Denko ignored FDA warnings to thor­ public in Scientific American, June 1960. when articles cross the line from scientific oughly test a biotechnologically modified The syntax and semantics of the lan­ discussion into political advocacy. Such arti­ product. But why ban products that are guage include many innovative depar­ cles dilute the message of 5/and risk divert­ properly tested? ing the discussion to what, for SI, should be tures from those of typical natural lan­ a non-issue. A good example is Stephen Barrett claims that amino acids have guages but are designed with usability in Barrett's "Notes on the Tryptophan not been proven to be safe and effective. mind. I believe that one purpose behind Disaster," (July/August 1995), which is a Must everything we consume be proven to Loglan's development was to determine plea by a "consumer advocate" for greater be safe and effective by expensive, double- whether fluency in it would lead to mod­ control of one more product (amino acids) blind studies? What about sugar, spices, ifications in a speaker's logical processes. by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. red meat, alcohol and tobacco? Is there Loglan is still alive and kicking: I found it through my computer at http://xiron The question of the health value of a something wrong with consumers making .pc.helsinki.fi/lojban/lojbroch.html. particular product is a scientific one. But informed choices about nutrients? the question of the governments proper role (if any) in regulating the sale and Ed Lanrz John G. Fletcher production of food and drugs is a politi­ Cocoa Beach, Fla. Livermore, Calif. cal and philosophical one. Barretts dis­ cussion of the first question should not Stephen Barrett replies: have been allowed to serve as a basis for Do I speak Esperanto like a native? No, his proclamations concerning the second. Amino acid "supplements" have no practi­ but I know enough to spot Martin cal use in correcting dietary deficiency. Gardner's errors. Only the present tense Jeffrey Richelson Diets deficient in one or a few amino acids of verbs end in as; it would be true to Alexandria, Va. are seriously unbalanced and should be cor­ claim that all verb tenses end in s. Gradaj rected by improving one's eating patterns. hundoj means graduated dogs! The word "Notes on the Tryptophan Disaster" by I do not agree that "the safety of pure L- for big (plural) is grandaj. The word Stephen Barrett was disappointing for its tryptophan is undisputed. "A 1992 review knoduku in the Lord's Prayer should read lack of logic and absence of reason. Safety by the Federation of American Societies for konduku (lead). and effectiveness are two entirely different Experimental Biology concluded that little Evidently Gardner is not as familiar criteria, but Barrett spends the better part is known about the long-term safety of drug with Esperanto as he thinks. This may of three pages blurring the distinct ion. doses of single- or multiple-ingredient explain his description of Zamenhof as a The Tryptophan Disaster was indeed amino acid products. Some may turn out to crank and his desire to develop a world that. Thousands of people needlessly suf­ have therapeutic use, but until they are auxiliary language as "quixotic." May I fered, and continue to do so, because they proven both safe and effective for a practi­ refer him to my article "Zamenhof's were sold a dangerously contaminated cal purpose, they should not be available journey from Esperanto Humanism" in product. Uncontaminated L-tryptophan, for sale to the general public. New Humanist (February 1979)? however, harmed no one. The therapeutic Showa Denko was not the only culprit Zamenhof was a respected Polish effectiveness of L-tryptophan remains in the tryptophan disaster. The supplement oculist and scholar, familiar with many unconfirmed, and may well be fiction. industry and its publicists created a market languages and desperate to bring peaceful That has nothing whatsoever to do with by making false claims for tryptophan communication between people who its safety. The safety of pure L-tryptophan products. Lack of safety is not merely a only hated each other because of linguis­ is undisputed: It can't hurt anybody. matter of toxicity It also includes the dan­ tic barriers. He does not deserve to be If the thousands of victims of contam­ ger of relying on false claims that products ranked with other less altruistic language inated L-tryptophan were in fact taking a are effective against disease. The FDA does inventors. product that is inherently without bene­ not have the resources to stop most of the Esperanto may not be popular in the fit, dial makes the tragedy ironic. It does false promotions now made for many other United States, ostensibly a monoglot cul­ not make it more tragic. If the amino acid products. That's why the law should be ture, but in fact, one in which several did everything claimed for it, the tragedy strengthened, not weakened This problem languages compete for recognition. of harming people with a contaminated is described in detail in a book I co- However, it is popular in other parts of product would not be diminished. authored The Vitamin Pushers: How the the world, even though this popularity is "Health Food" Industry Is Selling threatened by the continued penetration David W. Woods America a Bill of Goods (Prometheus, of English, a difficult language to learn. Boulder, Colo. 1994). Esperanto is a beautiful and simple

60 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 language, a distillation of the best fea­ We just thought we should set the Press, 1994): "If members of the audi­ tures of natural (unplanned Indo- record straight for your files. ence are not moved, they would leave, or European languages) and it would be a become bored and inattentive. . . . Only pity if it failed to become what its inven­ Craig Lowder when the plot fails to touch the audience tor intended a second !?Hg',!?gr for 2!! Public Relation—o" is uiiuuuii absent. 1111s iiic.ins 1 ii.ii to be mankind. Reader's Digest popular with audiences a play must por­ Pleasantville, N.Y. tray real-life themes that are personally Steuart Campbell meaningful to the audience and must Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. Martin Gardner replies: generate emotions. . . ." This is true of all successful works of art, from Homer I found Martin Gardner's article on arti­ I have not been able to find where I saw a to the present. From Homer to Oprah. ficial languages fascinating. Since he is statement that Reader's Digest had an Abr and her fellow critics feel a cer­ my favorite polymath, it is with trepida­ Esperanto edition. I am grateful to Reader's tain bonding to Plato, who opposed tion that I venture the following. Digest for correction of the mistake. poets and the mass audience. He It's stated that the "Hebrews tried to believed both were irrational and scale the heavens by building the Tower amoral. Abr sees danger in talk shows for of Babel." If one takes the Old Testament Talk Shows Respect the Masses the same reason Plato saw danger in the­ account at face value, it was all of ater: they indulge in the emotions of pity humanity that undertook that project Since March of this year, almost every and fear. Plato and Abr prefer repression not long after Noah's flood, the Hebrews major newspaper and magazine has pub­ to indulgence. having yet to arrive on the scene. They lished an article condemning the genre of When Sally Jessy Raphael said on presumably descended from Eber, who TV talk. Without exception 1 have found America Online "I believe that it is more was either Noah's great-great-grandson or these articles patronizing, elitist, simplis­ important to do the shows that the great-great-great-grandson. tic, and moralistic. With Gene Emery's majority of the public asks for than to "Why did Adam name the elephant "A Psychologist Studies the 'Shameless' determine by myself what I want them to an elephant? we're asked. "Because, goes Talk Shows and She's Angry," (SI, July/ see" she was demonstrating a greater an old joke, it looked like an elephant." August 1995), SKEPTICAL INQUIRER has respect for the masses than any of her The joke appears in several of Mark joined this orgy of self-righteousness. critics can comprehend. Twain's sketches, although in his versions From the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER I'd it's always Eve who docs the naming. In expect criticism of the accepted point of Damion Doohan Extract from Adam's Diary, Adam says, view; instead I sec endorsement. Windsor, Calif. "Been examining the great waterfall. It is Emery's article begins with quotations the finest thing on the estate, I think. from Vicki Abr, who wrote an interesting The new creature calls it Niagara Falls. . . but, in my opinion, simplistic essay More on Vitamin C and Illness . Says it looks like Niagara Falls. . . . about talk shows last year for the Journal always that same pretext is offered—it of Popular Culture. Abr tells us that while Harri Hemila, in a letter [SI, looks like the thing. There is the dodo, for watching a videotaped murder on an July/August 1995) responding to instance. Says the moment one looks at it episode of "Sally Jessy Raphael" she Stephen Barrett's "The Dark Side of one sees at a glance that it 'looks like a "freaked out. I was screaming. I was cry­ Linus Pauling's Legacy" dodo.' It looks no more like a dodo than ing." She asks, "What is the point of (January/February 1995) cites Anderson I do." this?" et al. (1) on the effect of vitamin C sup­ I was surprised to see no mention of A good question, but one she doesn't plements. He says the Anderson study Loglan. Loglan has a dictionary, gram­ answer. Instead she jumps to the same "found that vitamin C supplementation mar, and computerized learning assis­ conclusions other critics have: Talk (1-4 g/day) decreased the 'numbers of tance. Unfortunately, it has schismatized shows are freak shows, the guests are days confined to house' per subject by into at least two rival dialects. "white trash" or "pure dreck," the audi­ 48 percent in subjects with a low dietary ence is a collection of heartless voyeurs, intake of fruit juices." Alfred R. Matthews the hosts are greedy, lying, and manipu­ Barrett's reply in the same issue to the Huntsville, Ala. lative. letter challenges Hemila's reporting accu­ It's easier to discuss others than to racy, but Hemila is correct: Anderson et analyze ourselves. Had Abr done a little al. reported (Table IV) that for subjects Your article "Klingon and Other self-analysis she would have discovered taking three ounces of juice or fewer a Artificial Languages" incorrectly re­ one important reason people watch talk day, the average confinement caused by ported: "Reader's Digest publishes an shows: emotional involvement. She was colds or other illness was 1.87 days for Esperanto edition." crying and screaming, yet it didn't occur the placebo group and 0.98 days for the Reader's Digest does not—nor did we to her that she was supposed to. vitamin group; (1.87 - 0.98)/1.87 = ever—publish an Esperanto edition, Professor Richard Lazarus explains in 47.59 percent. although we do, however, publish in 18 the book Passion and Reason: Making Barrett calculates the reduction in dis­ other languages around the world. Sense of our Emotions (Oxford University ability time as 30 percent. A reading of

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 61 Anderson et al. shows that this percent­ blood cells, and has caused death from criteria for credibility would put the sci­ age is derived from their Table II, in red cell destruction in humans. It is a entist exactly in the same league as the which they report results for all of their pro-oxidant, acting by reducing iron creation "scientist" who, since he or she subjects, including those taking four or and copper which then produce oxygen already knows evolution is false, can find more ounces of juice. free radicals. Ascorbate is listed as a no evidence for evolution. Both percentages are meaningful; the toxin in biochemistry texts because of Consider as an example that 50 years larger of the two indicates that vitamin C this activity. ago, accepted scientific theory held that supplements are especially useful for per­ The Enstrom epidemiologic paper the continents were immovable. Evi­ sons who have diet deficiencies. Barrett, that showed increasing cancer protection dence to the contrary was held to be however, doesn't say he is citing a differ­ with increasing ascorbate suppmenta- patently false by most scientists. We now ent part of the Anderson data, and thus tion did not consider the likely accept plate tectonics as proved beyond makes it seems that Hemila has either decreased fat intake in people who reasonable doubt. Unwillingness to con­ misread or misrepresented Anderson. would supplement their diets with ascor­ sider evidence because it does not fit our bate. The Enstrom paper demonstrates conception of "truth" is a sure way to Edgar Villchur the dangers of over-interpretation of epi­ stagnation and error. Linus Pauling Institute of demiologic data, and confused associa­ Science and Medicine tion with cause. Arthur H. Harris Palo Alto, Calif. Dr. Barrett was correct in stating that Laboratory for Environmental ascorbate probably has no effect on viral Biology, Centennial Museum 1. Anderson. T. W., D. B. Reid. and G. H. illness. The tighter the controls in the University of Texas at El Paso Beaton. Vitamin C and the common cold: A double-blind trial. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 1972, Anderson Toronto studies, the less the El Paso, Texas 107:503-8. ascorbate effect. The five best done, prospective studies showed no effect (ref­ Stephen Barrett, M.D., replies: erences on request). The book is nearly Neanderthal Brains closed on the subject of vitamin C sup­ Villchur is correct that Hemila and I plementation for prevention and treat­ Robert Baker, attempting to refute referred to different figures. The idea that ment of colds, "flus," and cancer. Might Terence Hines's claim that Baker's book people with a dietary deficiency might ben­ as well reopen the great Laetrile debate. Hidden Memories is full of factual errors efit from increasing their intake of the miss­ (SI, July/August 1995), states that "truly ing nutrient(s) is hardly novel. In most Wallace Sampson, M.D. 'modern' man did not appear until the cases, this should be done by improving Hematology-Oncology Division Cro-Magnon brain showed a tremendous one's diet rather than by taking supple­ Santa Clara Valley increase over that of the Neanderthal." ments. There is no evidence that ingesting Medical Center This is blatantly incorrect: Neanderthals amounts of vitamin C beyond what the San Jose, CA 95128 had brains at least as large as early Homo body needs will prevent colds. Taking sup­ sapiens ("Cro-Magnon"), and definitely plements (or drinking extra fruit juice) larger than modern humans. The may slightly reduce the symptoms of a cold, Nature of Scientific Investigation endocranial volume of Neanderthals but adequately nourished people have little ranged from 1245 ml to 1740 ml, with an or nothing to gain by doing this. In a letter in the July/August issue, a average of 1485 ml (n = 20, SD = 142.4), reader chastised Dan Larhammar for which is comparable to the mean of "unscientific language" for referring to "Cro-Magnon" (Holloway 1985). The I comment further on the vitamin C "evidence . . . that argues against evolu­ mean endocranial capacity of modern matter—three letters (May/June issue) tion as a phenomenon." The reader's humans ranges from 1200 ml to 1500 and specifically the letter (July/August) point was that, since evolution is true, it ml, depending on the population. The from Edgar Villchur of the Linus Pauling is impossible for there to be evidence large brain size of Neanderthals is a well- Institute. He recounts Gladys Block's against it. known fact; while 1 have given the prima­ summary of epidemiologic data on vita­ Unfortunately, this position shows a ry reference above, this data is mentioned min C, stating that 33 of 46 papers show profound ignorance of the nature of sci­ in both textbooks (Klein 1989) and pop­ "significant protective effects on cancer entific investigation. In virtually every ular works (Stringer and Gamble 1993). mortality and incidence." scientific topic of importance, there is a 1 reviewed the references in her paper wide spectrum of evidence both for and David DeGusta and found that all referred to vitamin C against (and often some pointing in yet Laboratory for Human in the diet. None referred to ascorbate other directions). This is all evidence, Evolutionary Studies supplementation. The same conference whether true or not, and this is what University of California had a paper by Stadtman about the chemicamust l bdangere weigheds of .ascorbate There is, whicno ah priorin i Berkeley. Calif. high dose causes denaturation of pro­ (nor easy) way to separate credible from teins, nucleic acids, and lipids. false evidence—instead, evidence must References be tested bit by bit. To use "what all sci­ Ascorbate destroys mammalian red Holloway. R. L 1985. "The Poor Brain of Homo entists accept" or "the known truth" as Sapiens Neanderthalensis: See What You

62 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 Please." In Ancestors: The Hard Evidence, cd. History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, in numerous journals, including Journal by E. Delson. pp. 319-324. New York: Alan 38:48-75. of Geophysical Research, Antarctic Science, R-Liss. Klein. R. G. 1989. The Human Career. Chicago: Marine Biology and others. Scanlon The University of Chicago Press. Walter F. Cuirle appears not to be looking in the right Stringer. C. and C Gamble. 1993. In Search of the Ardmore. Pa. Neanderthals. London: Thames and Hudson. Stuart G. Hibben Alternatives to 'UFO' Head, Cold Regions Tenth-Century Skepticism Bibliographic Project In your May/June 1995 issue, p. 62, a Science and Technology Division I came across this item recently and just reader complains that "UFO" (Unidenti­ The Library of Congress had to share it. It was written in the early fied Flying Object) is a misnomer Washington, D.C. tenth century by the Persian physician because we do not know that these are Razi, clearly someone who had had his "objects" and that they are "flying." You fill of snake oil salespersons: answer that this acronym is too ingrained Exposing Psychic Sleuths in the popular language to be changed. The tricks of these people arc numer­ In a situation like this, the best solu­ I read with interest Robert Baker's review ous and it would be difficult to men­ tion is to retain the acronym, but change of Exposing Psychic Sleuths (SI. May-June tion all of them in a treatise such as this. They are insolvent and believe what the letters stand for. I propose: 1995) and will be ordering a copy right they can inflict pain on the public for UFO = Unidentified Firmamental away. absolutely no reason at all. There arc Observation. Employing "psychics" to try to solve among them those who claim that You may want to start a contest for crimes may be a waste of time. However, they can cure epilepsy by making a the best relabeling of letters. search-and-rescue teams experience a cross-shaped incision on the middle of more pernicious effect of self-proclaimed the head. Then they produce things Maurice M. Mizrahi "psychics." When a child (or adult) is lost they have brought with them which Burke, Va. in the woods, "psychics" may distract the patient is led to believe were search efforts from high-probability areas extracted from the incision. Some of determined by scientific search strategy. them pretend to extract from the nose a venomous snake. They put a tooth­ UV and Antarctic Ozone Hole This could delay finding search subjects, pick of piece of iron in the nose of the and the longer people are lost, the more unfortunate patient and rub it until This refers to the "ozone controversy" let­ likely they will the from exposure. And blood begins to flow. Then the quack ters in the March/April 5/. [Sec Boycc search-and-rescue is not without hazards picks up from there something he had Rensberger's "A Reader's Guide to the for team members: "Psychic" informa­ already prepared, like this animal, Ozone Controversy," SI Fall 1994.) As tion may lead team members to haz­ which he claims to have extracted editor of the Antarctic Bibliography pub­ ardous areas that they would otherwise from the veins of the liver. Some pre­ lished by the Library of Congress under avoid, risking the lives of searchers. tend to remove cataracts from the eyes. They scrape the eyes with a piece National Science Foundation funding, I I urge those investigating "psychic of iron. Then they place a fine coating can provide some input on the question sleuths" to focus on those who purport to on it which they extract as if it were of ozone hole research. My remarks are aid search-and-rescue teams. No matter the cataract. Some pretend to suck specifically directed to the letter from Jim how well intentioned, their efforts may kill. water out of the ear. They put a tube Scanlon deploring the lack of ultraviolet Thank you. in it and then put something into the measurement data relating to the ozone tube from their mouths which they hole. Keith Conover, M.D. suck out. Some insert worms generat­ Although no expert on the subject, I Field Team Leader and ed in cheese into the car or into the roots of the teeth and then extract can verify that there are an abundance of Incident Commander them. published papers documenting surface Allegheny Mountain Rescue and undersea UV measurements in the Group Antarctic as a function of ozone deple­ Mercy Hospital The above is from Toby E. Huffs The tion. 1 can cite several dozen such papers Pittsburgh, Pa. Rise of Early Modern Science: Islam. in the past two years. Increased UV stress China and the West (Cambridge: Cam­ in Antarctic ecosystems caused by the The letters column is a forum for views on bridge Universiry Press 1995) pp. 173- ozone hole now is well documented, matters raised in previous issues. Letters 174. Huff goes on to comment, "And including effects on plankton tens of should be no more than 250 words. Due to this is only half of Razi's catalogue of meters below the sea surface. NSF in the volume of letters, not all can be pub­ medical malpractice." I assume that the 1988 set up a network of UV recording lished. They should be typed double- rest can be found in Huffs source: Leiser, stations around the South Pole; a com­ spaced. Address: Letters to the Editor, Gary, 1983, "Medication Education in monly used instrument is the UV SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 944 Deer Dr. NE. Islamic Lands from the Seventh to the spectroradiometer. Albuquerque. NM 87122. Fourteenth Centuries," Journal of the This UV research is being published

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 63 International Network of Skeptical Organizations

ARGENTINA. CA1RP. Director. Ladislao Enrique JAPAN. Japan Skeptics. Jun Jugaku. Chairperson. IL 60017-2792. Rational Examination Assoc, of Marquez Jose Marti, 35 dep C, 1406 Buenos Aires. Business Center for Academic Societies Japan. 16-9 Lincoln Land (REALL), David Bloomberg, Chairman, AUSTRALIA. National: Australian Skeptics, P.O. Box A2324. Honkomagome 5-chome. Bunkyo-Ku. Tokyo 113. PO. Box 20302. Springfield IL 62708 (217-525-7554). Sydney South. NSW 2000. (E-mail: skepticsftpot- MEXICO. Mexican Association for Skeptical Research INDIANA. Indiana Skeptics. Robert Craig, Chairperson, tt.sw.au.oz). Regional: Australian Capital Territory, PO. (SOMIE), Mario Mendez-Acosta, Chairman, 5401 Hedgerow Drive, Indianapolis. IN 46226. Box 555. Civic Square. 2608. Newcastle Skeptics. Apartado Postal 19-546, Mexico 03900, D.F. KENTUCKY. Kentucky Assn. of Science Educators and Chairperson, Colin Keay, Physics Dept.. Newcastle NETHERLANDS. Stichting Skepsis, Rob Nanninga, Skeptics (KASES), Chairman. Prof. Robert A. Baker. University. NSW 2308. Queensland. PO. Boa 2180, Secretary, Westerkade 20, 9718 AS Groningen. 3495 Castleton Way North, Lexington, KY 40502. Brisbane, 4001. South Australia. HO. Box 91. Magill. NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Skeptics. Vicki Hyde. LOUISIANA. Baton Rouge Proponents of Rational 5072. Victoria, PO. Box 1555P. Melbourne. 300:. Chairperson. South Pacific Publications. Box 19-760. Inquiry and Scientific Methods (BR-PRISM), Dick Western Australia. CO Box 899. Morley WA 6062. Christchurch 5. N.Z., Fax: 64 3 384-5138. Schroth, Director, 425 Carriage Way, Baton Rouge, BELGIUM. Committee Para, J. Dommanget. Chairman. NORWAY. NIVFO. K. Stenodegard. Boles 9. N-7082, LA 70808-4828 (504-766-4747). Observatoire Royal dc Belgique, Avenue Circulaire 3, Kattem. Skepsis, Terje Emberland, Contact, P. B. MASSACHUSETTS. Skeptical Inquirers of New B-1180 Brussels. SKEPP, W Ben. Secretary. Laarbeeklaan 2943 Toyen 0608, Oslo 6. England. Contact Laurence Moss, Ho de Moss, 72 103. B1090 Brussels (FAX: 32-2- 4774301). RUSSIA. Contact Edward Gevorkian, Ulyanovskaya 43. Kneeland St.. Boston 02111. BRAZIL Opcao Racional, Luis Gutman. Rua Santa Kor4, 109004. Moscow. MICHIGAN. Great Lakes Skeptics, Carol Lynn, contact, Clara.431, Bloco 5. Apt. 803, Copacabana - Rio de SOUTH AFRICA. Assn. for the Rational Investigation 1264 Bedford Rd., Grosse Pointe Park, Ml Janeiro 22041 -010 (021 -227-8694). of the Paranormal (ARIP), Marian Laserson. 84230-1116. CANADA. Alberta Skeptics. Heidi Lloyd-Price. Secretary. 4 Wales St., Sandringham 2192. MINNESOTA. Minnesota Skeptics. Robert W. McCoy. Secretary. P.O. Box 5571. Station A. Calgary. Alberta SOCRATES, Leon Relief, contact. 3 Hoheizen 549 Turnpike Rd.. Golden Valley, MN 55416. St. T2H 1X9. British Columbia Skeptics. Lee Mollet. Crescent, Hoheizen. Bellville 7530. Kloud ESP Teaching Investigation Committee contact. 1188 Beaufort Road. Vancouver V7G 1R7. SPAIN. Alternativa Racional a las Pseudosciencias (ARP). (SKEPTIC), Jerry Mertens, Coordinator, Psychology Manitoba Skeptics. Contact John Toews, President, Carlos Telleria. Executive Director. Apdto. 1516, Dept.. St. Cloud State Univ., St. Cloud. MN 56301. Box 92. St. Vital. Winnipeg, Man. R2M 4A5. 50080 Zaragoza. El Investigador Esceptico. Contact MISSOURI. Kansas City Committee for Skeptical Ontario Skeptics, Henry Gordon, Chairman, 343 Felix Arcs De Bias. Gamez/Ares/Martinez, P O . Box Inquiry, Verle Muhrer, Chairman, 2658 East 7th, Clark Ave West. Suite 1009, Thornhill Ontario L4J 904. 20080 Donostia-San Sebastian. Kansas City, MO 64124. Gateway Skeptics, 7K5. Sceptiques du Quebec Jean Ouellette, C.P SWEDEN. Vetenskap dc Folkbildning (Science and Chairperson. Steve Best. 6943 Amherst Ave., Univer­ 202, Succ. Beaubien. Montreal H2G 3C9. People's Education), Sven Ove Hansson, Secretary, sity City. MO 63130. CZECH REPUBLIC. Czech Club of Skeptics. Milos Box 185. 101 23 Stockholm. NEW MEXICO. New Mexicans for Science &£ Reason. Chvojka. nim. Jiriho z Lobkovic 7. CS-130 00 TAIWAN. Tim Holmes. P.O. Box 195. Tanzu. Taiwan. John Geohegan, Chairman, 450 Montclaire SE. Prague 3. The Czech Republic. UKRAINE. Perspective, Oleg G. Bakhtiarov, Director. Albuquerque. NM 87108. John Smallwood. 320 ESTONIA. Contact Indrek Rohtmets, Horisont. EE ill Khmelnitskogo St.. 252001 Kiev. Artist Road. Santa Fe. NM 87501 (505-988-2800). 0102 Tallinn. Narva mm. 5. UNITED KINGDOM. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Representative. NEW YORK. Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF SKEPTICAL ORGANI­ Michael J. Hutchinson. 10 Crescent View, Loughton. (SUNY). Contact, Michael Sofka. 8 Providence St., ZATIONS. Armardeo Sarma. Secretary. Postfach Essex IGI0 4PZ. The Skeptic magazine. Editors, Toby Albany. NY 12203. (518-437-1750). New York Area 1222. D-64374 Rossdorf (FAX: .49 6154 81912). Howard and Steve Donnelly, PO. Box 475. Manchester Skeptics (NYASk), Alan Weiss, contact person. 44 Parkview FINLAND. Skepsis, Veli Toukomies, President. M60 2TH. (E-mail: tobv0cs.man.ac.uk). London Drive, Millburn. NJ 07041. e-mail: [email protected]. Rintatnamichcniic 15. 06100 Porvoo. (358-15- Student Skeptics, Contact: Bill Harman. 21 Manville Western New York Skeptics, Tim Madigan. Chairman, 5249-3200. Fax: 358-15-584-620). Rd., London SWI7 8JW Wessex Skeptics, Robin Allen. 3965 Rensch Rd.. Buffalo.N Y 14228. FRANCE. Cerclc Zetetique. Contact: Henri Broch. 12 Dept. of Physics. Southampton Univ.. Highfield. OHIO. South Shore Skeptics. Page Stephens. 6006 Fu Rue David Deitz, 57000 Metz. Comite Francais Southampton S09 5NH. Avenue. Cleveland, OH 44102 (216-631-5987). pour l'Etude des Phenomenes Paranormaux, Claude Association for Rational Thinking (Cincinnati area), Benski, Secretary-General, Merlin Gerin, RGE/A2 United States Joseph F. Gastright. Contact, 111 Wallace Ave., 38050 Grenoble Cedex. Comite de liason ALABAMA. Alabama Skeptics. Emory Kimbrough. Covington. KY 41014 (606-581-7315). Parasciences, Contact: Jean-Paul Krivine. 14. Rue dc 3550 Watermelon Road. Apt. 28A. Northport. Al. OREGON. Oregonian's for Rationality. Contact. Bill I'Ecole Polytechnique, 75005 Rue Paris. 35476 (205-759-2624). Capron. PO Box 4739. Vancouver. WA 98662 (206- GERMANY. Society for the Scientific Investigation of ARIZONA. Tucson Skeptics Inc. James McGaha. 260-1896) Para-Science (GWUP). Armardeo Sarma. Convenor. Chairman. 7049 E. Tangue Verde Rd.. Suite 370. PENNSYLVANIA. Paranormal Investigating Committee Postfach 1222. D-64374 Rossdorf (Phone: .49 6154 Tucson. AZ 85715. Phoenix Skeptics, Michael of Pittsburgh (PICP). Richard Busch. Chairman. 695022. FAX: .49 6154 695021). Stackpole. Chairman. PO. Box 60333. Phoenix. AZ 8209 Thompson Run Rd.. Pittsburgh. PA 15237 HONG KONG. Hong Kong Skeptics. Contact Rebecca 85082. (412-366-4663). Philadelphia Association for Bradley, P.O. Box 1010. Shatin Central Post Office. CALIFORNIA. Bay Area Skeptics, Wilma Russell. Critical Thinking (PliACT). William A. Wisdom. Shatin. NT. Secretary, 17722 Buti Park Court. Castro Valley. CA Secretary. 76 Limekiln Pike. Glenside. PA 19038 HUNGARY. Hungarian Skeptics, Gyula Bencze. 94546. East Bay Skeptics Society. Daniel Sabsay. (215)884-3885. Trimaran Vilaga. P.O. Box 25. Budapest 8.1444. (Fax Pres.. P.O. Box 20989. Oakland. CA 94620 TEXAS. Houston Association for Scientific Thinking 011-36-1-118-7506). (510-420-0702). Sacramento Skeptics Society. Terry (HAST). Darrell Kachilla. P.O. Box 541314. INDIA. Indian Skeptics, B. Premanand. Chairman, 10 Sandbek. 3550 Watt Ave.. Suite #3. Sacramento. CA Houston. TX 77254. North Texas Skeptics, Joe Chctripalayam Rd.. Podanur 641-023 Coimbatore 95821 (916-488-3772). E-mail: tsandbek.moiher. Voelkering. President, PO. Box 111794, Carrollton, Tamil nadu. Indian Rationalist Association, Contact, com. TX 750111794. Sanal Edamaruku, 779, Pocket 5. Mayur Vihar 1. COLORADO. Rocky Mountain Skeptics. Bela Scheiber. WASHINGTON. The Society for Sensible New Delhi 110 091. Maharashtra Superstition President. P.O. Box 7277. Boulder. CO 80306 Explanations. P.O. Box 7121. Seattle. WA 98133- Irradication Committee. Dada Chandane. Secy., (303-444-5368). 2121. Tad Cook. Sec/Treas. (E-mail: [email protected]). D/6. First Floor, Super Market. Solapur 413001. D.C. Capital Area. National Capital Area Skeptics, c/o WISCONSIN, Contact person: Roxine McQuitty. ISRAEL. Israel Skeptics Society, Philip Marmaros. D.W. "Chip- Denman, 8006 Valley Street. Silver MATC-West. 1200 S. 71st St., West Allis. Wl 53214 Chairman, P.O. Box 8481, Jerusalem. (Rut: 972-2- Spring. MD 20910. (414-456-5402. 414-873-4446. McQuittys?Music. 611652. E-mail: charisma&nctvision.nct.il). FLORIDA. Tampa Bay Skeptics. Gary Posner. 1113 lib.MATCxdu). IRELAND. Irish Skeptics. Peter O'Hara. Contact. St. Normandy Trace Rd.. Tampa. IL 33602 The organizations listed above have aims similar to those Joseph's Hospital. Limerick. (813-221-3533). E-mail: garypos9aol.com. of CSICOP but arc independent and autonomous. ITALY. Comitato Italiano per il Controllo delle GEORGIA. Georgia Skeptics, Becky Long. President. Representatives of these organizations cannot speak on Affermazioni sul Paranormale, Massimo Polidoro, 2277 Winding Woods Dr.. Tucker. GA 30084. behalf of CSICOP. Editor. Sciences & Paranormal. P.O. Box 60. 27058 ILLINOIS. Midwest Committee for Rational Inquiry, Please send updates to Barry Karr. P.O. Box 703. Amherst Voghera (PV). Danielle Kafka. President. PO. Box 2792. Des Plaines. NY 14226. THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman Barry Karr, Executive Director SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

George Agogino, Dept. of Anthropology. William Jan is, professor of health promo­ Elie A. Shncout, biochemist; director. Eastern New Mexico University tion and public health. Loma Linda Uni­ Biosystems Research Institute, La Julia. Bill G. Aid ridge, executive director, National versity, School of Public Health California Science leathers Assoc. I. W. Kelly, professor of psychology. Steven N. Shore, associate professor and University of Saskatchewan Gary Bauslaugh, dean of technical and chair. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, academic education and professor of Richard H. Lange. M.D., Mohawk Valley Indiana Univ. South Bend chemistry. Malaspina College. Nanaimo. Physician Health Plan. Schenectady. N.Y. Barry Singer, psychologist. Eugene. Oregon British Columbia. Canada Gerald A. Larue, professor of biblical history Mark Slovak, astronomer. University of Richard E. Berendzen, astronomer, and archaeology, University of So. Wisconsin-Madison California. Washington. D.C. Gordon Stein, physiologist, author; editor of Bernard J. Leikind. staff scientist. GA Martin Bridgstock, lecturer. School of the American Rationalist Technologies Inc.. San Diego Science. Griffith Observatory, Brisbane. Waclaw Szybalski, professor, McArdle William M. London, associate professor Australia Laboratory. University of Wisconsin- of health education. Kent State Richard Busch, magician. Pittsburgh, Pa. Madison University Shawn Carlson, physicist. San Diego. Calif. Ernest H. Taves, psychoanalyst, Cambridge. Thomas R. McDonough, lecturer in engi­ Charles J. Cazeau, geologist. Deary, Idaho Massachusetts neering, Caltech. and SETI Coordinator Ronald J. Crowley, professor of physics, Sarah G. Thomason, professor of linguistics. of the Planetary Society University of Pittsburgh, editor of California State University, Fullerton James E. McGaha, Major, USAF; pilot Language. Roger B. Culver, professor of astronomy, Joel A. Moskowitz, director of medical psy­ Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist. Princeton Colorado State Univ. chiatry, Calabasas Mental Health University and the Hayden Planetarium Felix Ares De Bias, professor of computer Services, I OS Angeles science. University of Basque, San Robert B. Painter, professor of microbiology, Sebastian. Spain School of Medicine, University of Michael R. Dennett, writer, investigator. California CSICOP Federal Way, Washington John W. Patterson, professor of materials sci­ SUBCOMMITTEES Sid Deutsch, Visiting Professor of electrical ence and engineering. Iowa State engineering, University of South Florida, University Astrology Subcommittee: Chairman, Tampa Steven Pinker, professor and director of the I. W. Kelly, Dept. of Educational J. Dommanget, astronomer, Roy ate Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Ml 1 Psychology, 28 Campus Drive, Observatory, Brussels, Belgium James Pomerantz, Provost, and professor of cog­ Saskatoon. Sask.. Canada. S^N-OXl Natham J. I hiker, assistant professor of nitive and linguistic sciences. Brown Univ. pathology. Temple University Gary P. Posner, M.D.. Tampa. 11a Electronic Communication Barbara Eisenstadt. psychologist, educator, Daisie Radner professor of philosophy. Subcommittee: Chairman. Page clinician. East Greenbush, N.Y. SUNY, Buffalo Stephens. 6006 Fit Ave.. Cleveland. John F. Fischer, forensic analyst. Orlando, Fla. Michael Radner, professor of philosophy. OH 44102. E-Mail: Jim Kutz Frederic A. Friedel, philosopher, Hamburg, McMaster University. Hamilton, West Germany Ontario, Canada aa387@Clcvcland. Freenet.edu Robert F.. Funk, anthropologist. New York Robert H. Romer, professor of physics. Health Claims Subcommittee: Co- State Museum & Science Service Amherst College chairmen. William Jarvis, Professor Eileen Gambrill, professor of social welfare. Milton A. Rothman, physicist, Philadelphia, of Health Promotion and Education, University of California at Berkeley Pa. School of Public Health, Loma Sylvio Garattini, director, Mario Negri Karl Sabbagh, journalist, Richmond. Surrey, Pharmacology Institute. Milan, Italy England Linda University, Loma Linda, CA Laurie Godfrey, anthropologist. University of Robert J. Samp, assistant professor of educa­ 93350, and Stephen Barrett. M.D.. Massachusetts tion and medicine, University of P.O. Box 1747. Allentown, PA Gerald Goldin. mathematician. Rutgers Wisconsin-Madison 18105. University. New Jersey Steven D. Schafersman. geologist. Houston Donald Goldsmith, astronomer, president, Bel a Scheiber," system analyst. Boulder. Parapsychology Subcommittee: Interstellar Media Colo. Chairman. Ray Flyman, Psychology Clyde F. Herreid, professor of biology, Chris Scott, statistician. London. England Dept., Univ. of Oregon. Eugene. SUNY. Buffalo Stuart D. Scott, Jr.. associate professor of OR 97402. Terence M. Hines. professor of psychology. anthropology. SUNY. Buffalo UFO Subcommittee: Chairman, Philip Pace University. Pleasantville. N.Y. Erwin M. Segal, professor of psychology. Philip A. lanna. assoc. professor of astronomy, SUNY. Buffalo J. Klass, 404 "N" Street S.W.. Univ. of Virginia •Member of CSICOP Executive Council Washington, D.C 20024. CENTER FOR INQUIRY The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226 • (716) 636-1425

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The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public. It also promotes science and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason in examining important issues. To carry out these objectives the Committee:

• Maintains a network of people interested in critically examining paranormal, fringe-science, and other claims, and in contributing to consumer education • Prepares bibliographies of published materials that carefully examine such claims • Encourages research by objective and impartial inquiry in areas where it is needed • Convenes conferences and meetings • Publishes articles that examine claims of the paranormal • Does not reject claims on a priori grounds, antecedent to inquiry, but examines them objectively and carefully

The Committee is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is its official journal. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER

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