Mark Twain Debunks Phrenology

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Mark Twain Debunks Phrenology Gardner on Induction Voodoo in New Orleans • 10th European Skeptics Congress Skeptical Inquirer THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE , AND REASON Volume 26, No. 1 • January/Febnaai Mark Twain Debunks Phrenology //_ Myths of Murder and Multiple Regression rymos, lawns- S A University's Struggle with Chiropractic Education, Scientific j Knowledge, and Paranormal Belief Three Skeptics' Debate Tools PHFtENQUX Geology Curriculum Confronts Creationism SPECIAL REPORT: Disney Finds Atlantis Atlantis Behind the Myth Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Pa THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAl (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) • AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nicked. Research Fellow Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet. Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Univ., Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Loren Pankratz, psychologist Oregon Health Toronto and Sciences, prof, of philosophy. University Sciences Univ. Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, of Miami John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. Oregon C E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist, MIT Marcia Angell. M.D., former editor-in-chief. Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, Douglas Hofstadter. professor of human under­ New England Journal of Medicine executive director CICAP Italy Robert A. Baker, psychologist. Univ. of standing and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Kentucky Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Chicago Stephen Barrett M.D., psychiatrist, author, Physics and professor of history of science, Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Harvard Univ. medicine, Stanford Univ., editor. Scientific Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist. Simon Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, 77me Review of Alternative Medicine Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition, Amardeo Sarma, engineer, head of dept. Southern California Scientific American at T-Nova Deutsche Telekom, executive Susan Blackmore, psychologist. Univ. of the Philip J. Klass.* aerospace writer, engineer director, GWUP, Germany. West of England, Bristol Edwin C Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Evry Schatzman, former president. French Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France Observatory Physics Association Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor Paul Kurtz,* ciairman. CSICOP Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist, execu­ emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Lawrence Kusche, science writer tive director, National Center for Science Vern Bullough, professor of history. California Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Fermilab; Education State Univ. at Northridge Nobel laureate in physics Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, Mario Bungs, philosopher, McGill University Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist, Emory Univ. linguist, Indiana Univ. John R, Cole, anthropologist, editor, National Lin Zixin, former editor. Science and Robert Sheaffer, science writer Center for Science Education Technology Daily (China) Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of professor emeritus of English, Univ. of director, Biosystems Research Institute. California, Berkeley California. Berkeley La Jolla. Calif. Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Univ. of Washington Biological Studies. La Jolla. Calif; Nobel Prize Hills, N.S.W., Australia Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, laureate Robert Steiner, magician, author, AeroVironment. Inc., Monrovia. Calif. Richard Dawkins. zoologist. Oxford Univ. El Cerrito. Calif. John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics. Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute. David Marks, psychologist City University. London. Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands Mountain View, Calif. Walter C. McCrone, microscopist, McCrone Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor. Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Research Institute Encyclopedia of Philosophy Angeles. Calif. Mario Mendez-Acosta. journalist and Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Central Connecticut State Univ. science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Peralta, New Mexico Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College, sciences, M.IT. Univ. of Southern California Los Altos Hills, Calif. David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and direc­ Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, editor, Research Center tor, Hayden Planetarium, New York City SKEPTKAI INQUIRER Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. Univ. Yves Galifret, vice-president, Affiliated of Calif.. Berkeley Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine con­ Organizations: France H. Narasimhaiah. physicist, president. tributing editor and CBS News correspondent Martin Gardner. * author, critic Bangalore Science Forum, India Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Santa Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, New York Univ. astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Joe Nickell, • senior research fellow, CSICOP Prize laureate Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Thomas Gilovich. psychologist. Cornell Univ. Richard Wiseman, psychologist University of Bill Nye, science educator and television host, Henry Gordon, magician, columnist. Toronto Hertfordshire Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Nye Labs Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Zoology. Harvard Univ. James E. Oberg, science writer Saul Green, PhD, biochemist, president of ZOL Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Consultants, New York, NY (retired), Marburg, Germany (Affiliations given for identification only.) • • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://www.csicop.org • • • The SKEJPTKAJ INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by ihc Committee for the Articles, reports, reviews, and letter* published in the SKEPTICAI INQUIRER represent the Scientific Invrcstigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amhcnt. NY views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an 14228. Primed in VSA. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo. NY. Subscription prices: one year endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. (six issues). $35; two years, $58: three years, $81; single issue. $4-95. Canadian and foreign orders: (Copyright ©2002 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of die Payment in U.S. hinds drawn IMI a U.S. bank must accompany orders; please add US$10 per year Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAI IN-QUIREK is available on 16mm microfilm. for shipping. Canadian and foreign customers are encouraged to use Visa or MasterCard. 35mm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the (Committee should be made indexed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. to Paul Kurtz, Chairman. CSICOP. Box 703. Amhera. NY 14226-0703. Td.: 716-636-1425. Subscriptions and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box FAX: 716-636-1733. 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703- Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (outside U.S. call 716-636- Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick 1425). Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six Frazier. Editor. SKEPTICAL INQUIRHR. 944 Deer Drive NE. Albuquert|uc. NM 87122. Fax 505- weeks advance notice. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP 828-2080. Before submitting any manuscript, please consult our Guide for Authors for tormat or die SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. and references requirements. It is on our Web site at h tip://www.csicop.org/ Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPTICAI INQUIRER. Box 703, Amhcnt. NY si/guide-for-authors.html. Or you may send a fax request to the editor. 14226-0703- Skeptical Inquirer COLUMNS EDITOR'S NOTE 4 January/February 2002 • VOL. 26, NO. 1 NEWS AND COMMENT Astrology Teaching May Enter Universities in India / Poptronics' ARTICLES Readers Say Thumbs Down' to Pseudoscience / What's New? 19 Myths of Murder and Four More Reports from the Weird Science Front / John Multiple Regression Edward's Televised Tragedy Seance Scrapped 5 Econometric modeling has failed as a method of resolving CONFERENCE REPORT controversies about issues such as gun control, capital 10th European Skeptics Congress: Rise and Development of punishment, and homicide rates. The continued use of Paranormal Beliefs in Eastern Europe models that have no demonstrated predictive ability is a MARTIN MAHNER 8 form of junk science. TED GOERTZEL NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Some Thoughts About Induction 24 Education, Scientific Knowledge, MARTIN GARDNER 12 and Belief in the Paranormal INVESTIGATIVE
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