A Spacetime Odysseyand Joe Schwarcz Win

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and Joe Schwarcz Win CSI’s Balles Prizes in Critical Thinking

entirely different scope, but one no less crucial in its aims. Dr. Joe Schwarcz has long been among the best science communicators, as director of McGill University’s Office for Science & So- ciety, author of a wide range of books and articles, host of The Dr. Joe Show on Canadian radio, and a frequently sought science expert for the media. He is honored this year for his latest People behind Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey: (from left) Executive Producer/Director Brannon book, Is That a Fact?, which arrives just Braga, Executive Producer Mitchell Cannold, Host Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Executive Producer/ in time to take on what often feels like Director/Writer Ann Druyan. a tsunami of anti-science and pseudo- Each year the Committee for Skeptical scientific claims in politics, the media, Inquiry awards the Robert P. Balles and popular culture. The anti-vac- Annual Prize in Critical Thinking to cine movement, the pushback against the person, publication, or production It may be another GMOs, the marketing of homeopathic that has done the most outstanding generation before we products as medicine, the preponder- work in promoting science and reason ance of popular gurus such as Dr. Oz to the general public. Given the size and know the full scope of and Kevin Trudeau making extraordi- enthusiastic response of its audience, the nary claims about our health without herculean effort undertaken to bring it the effect Cosmos: A extraordinary evidence to back them up—all of these things are beginning to to life, and the way it so celebrates and Spacetime Odyssey suffer and wilt under the light of public advocates for science and reason, one of scrutiny. the two Balles Prizes for 2014 goes to has had on the minds the creators, producers, and writers of and hearts of people Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Building on the groundbreaking around the world. series created by Ann Druyan, Steven Soter, and the late Carl Sagan in 1980, the new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, aired Cosmos opened the eyes of a new on multiple channels in the fall of 2014 generation to humanity’s triumphs, its and took tens of millions of people on mistakes, and its astounding potential an incredible voyage through the won- to reach unimagined heights. It hon- ders of the universe. Cosmos celebrated ored the legacy of Carl Sagan and the the discoveries of science and the people first Cosmos series of the 1980s, while responsible for them. It also firmly po- breaking new ground with a style all its sitioned itself as a champion of critical, own that resonates with the audience of evidence-based thinking. Without ever the 2010s. It may be another generation before we know the full scope of the disrespecting viewers who might hold Joe Schwarcz opinions contrary to scientific consen- effect Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey has sus, Cosmos deftly and eloquently tack- had on the minds and hearts of people Joe Schwarcz’s book Is That a Fact? led hot-button scientific issues such as around the world, but we can be sure unflinchingly takes on all kinds of pop- climate change and evolution, while also that its impact, like that of the first Cos- ular misinformation (or as he calls it, addressing our species’ history of reli- mos, will be felt generations from now. “scientifically bankrupt slop”) and gives gious persecution and gender discrimi- The second Balles Prize for 2014 clear, friendly guidance that the general nation. goes to the author of a project of an reader can use to better sniff out the

Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2015 5 factual from the fantastic. It is a book This is the tenth year the Robert P. Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, that could not have come at a better Balles Prize has been presented. Previ- Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our time: when the pseudoscientific noise ous winners are: Lives level is high, and the public is primed • 2008: Leonard Mlodinow, physicist, • 2013: Paul Offit for his book Do and hungry for the truth. author, and Caltech professor, for You Believe in Magic? The Sense and his book The Drunkard’s Walk: How Nonsense of Alternative Medicine * * * Randomness Rules Our Lives • 2012: Steven Salzberg for his “Fighting • 2007: Natalie Angier, New York Times The Robert P. Balles Annual Prize in Pseudoscience” column in Forbes; and science writer, for her book The Canon: Critical Thinking is a $2,500 award Joe Nickell, for his book The Science A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics given to the author of the published of Ghosts—Searching for Spirits of the of Science work that best exemplifies healthy Dead • 2006: Ben Goldacre for his weekly col- skepticism, logical analysis, or empiri- • 2011: Richard Wiseman, psychol- umn, “Bad Science,” published in The cal science. Each year, the Committee ogist and entertainer, for his book Guardian newspaper (United Kingdom) for Skeptical Inquiry, a program of the Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t • 2005: Shared by Andrew Skolnick, Ray Center for Inquiry, which publishes There Hyman, and Joe Nickell for their series the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, selects the • 2010: Steven Novella for his tre- of articles in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER paper, article, book, or other publication mendous body of work, including on “Testing ‘The Girl with X-Ray that has the greatest potential to create the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, Eyes’” positive reader awareness of important Science-Based Medicine, Neurologica, scientific issues. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER column “The This prize was established through Science of Medicine,” and his tireless Call for Nominations: There’s amazing the generosity of Robert P. Balles, a travel and lecture schedule on behalf work being produced in 2015, with longtime supporter of CSI and a prac- of skepticism much more on the way. If you’d like to ticing Christian, along with the Robert • 2009: Michael Specter, New Yorker vouch for the author you think deserves P. Balles Endowed Memorial Fund, staff writer and former foreign corre- the 2015 Balles Prize, contact CSI a permanent endowment fund for the spondent for The New York Times, for Executive Director Barry Karr at bkarr@ benefit of CSI. his book Denialism: How Irrational centerforinquiry.net.

CFI Testimony Urges FDA to Regulate Homeopathic Products

KENDRICK FRAZIER

invited testimony at an FDA hearing on homeopathic product regulation on April 20. “Homeopathy is unsupported by scientific evidence, ineffective in treating illness, and, when relied upon instead of actual medicine, dangerous and even deadly,” the CFI testimony concluded. Michael De Dora, head of CFI’s Office of Public Policy in Washington, PQ D.C., delivered the testimony the first morning of the two-day hearing, April 20–21, at FDA’s White Oak campus Homeopathy is “at complete odds with should invoke “strict guidelines requir- in Silver Spring, Maryland. The FDA our modern understanding of biol- ing homeopathic products meet the streamed the testimony live on a web- ogy, chemistry, and physics,” and the same standards as non-homeopathic cast. U.S. Food and Drug Administration drugs,” the Center for Inquiry said in De Dora noted that the CFI testi-

6 Volume 39 Issue 4 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT

mony was given not only on behalf of at the time. “We intend to stand up for which states: the product’s claimed ac- the organization but also on behalf of consumers and their right to be told the tive ingredients in plain English; and “dozens of doctors and scientists associ- truth about the medicines they spend that the product has not been evaluated ated with CFI and its affiliate program, their hard-earned money on. We will by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, take the fight to the perpetrators of ho- The American public deserves as much with whom we work on these matters.” meopathic fraud in the media, in legis- from the agency tasked with protecting In his answers to questions after- latures, and yes, in the courts.” them.” ward, De Dora mentioned articles In his testimony at the April 2015 What the outcome of the hearings critically examining homeopathy in hearing, CFI’s De Dora applauded the may be won’t be known for a long time. the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, CSI’s maga- FDA for holding the hearing and said Nothing ever happens quickly or easily zine. (The most recent two are “An In- a reassessment of the FDA’s regulation in Washington. CFI’s testimony fol- troduction to Homeopathy” by Harriet of homeopathic products is clearly war- lowed that of leadoff presenter Adriane Hall, September/October 2014, and ranted. He briefly reviewed the scien- Fugh-Berman of the Georgetown Uni- “Homeopathy: A Critique of Current tific evidence showing that “aside from versity Medical Center. Author of two Research,” by Edzard Ernst, Novem- books on complementary medicine, ber/December 2012. See also Steven De Dora’s CFI testimony she said the evidence of homeopathy’s Novella’s column “It’s Time for Sci- effectiveness is “scant or nil,” “the dan- ence-Based Medicine” and other arti- concluded: “…The FDA gers of homeopathy are obvious,” and cles in SI’s “Medical Misinformation” should rely on its it is misleading to sell homeopathic special issue, May/June 2015.) products alongside conventional over- The full text of De Dora’s testimony well-established the-counter drugs that have met FDA appears as a Commentary on page 32 regulatory system scrutiny. But De Dora was followed of this issue. by Wayne Jonas, former head of the The FDA announced in March it to require homeopathic National Center for Complementary was holding a public hearing to “ob- products to meet and Alternative Medicine, who gave tain information and comments from a discursive talk seeming to contend stakeholders” about the use of products the same standards that meta-analyses can’t really answer labeled as homeopathic as well as the as non-homeopathic whether homeopathy works and claim- agency’s regulatory framework about ing that “people do seem to get better” them. Although the FDA has the au- drugs…” after taking homeopathic products. thority to require homeopathic drugs Jonas was followed by a litany of other undergo testing for effectiveness, to the placebo effect, homeopathic prod- pro-homeopathy stakeholders, includ- date it has declined to do so. ucts have no effect in treating illnesses.” ing representatives of the Homeopathic CFI had been urging the FDA for He noted that a large meta-study re- Academy of Naturopathic Physicians years to no longer exempt homeopathy leased in March by the Australian Na- and various other homeopathic orga- products from the same requirements tional Health and Medical Research nizations. Whatever happens, the ho- of proven safety and efficacy that main- Council concluded, “There are no meopaths won’t be able to claim they stream drugs are required to meet. In health conditions for which there is didn’t get their say. August 2011, for instance, CFI peti- reliable evidence that homeopathy is Science-based medicine did have tioned the FDA to institute regulations effective.” its proponents at the hearings, notably that would require homeopathic prod- As for the harm homeopathy does, CFI. But the FDA panel will have to ucts to meet the same standards of ef- De Dora gave four specific examples sift through a lot of pseudoscientific fectiveness as conventional drugs. One but said the greatest harm is when peo- assertions and squishy self-serving ra- can assume that petition helped lead ple rely on homeopathic products to the tionalizations from homeopathy sup- to these hearings. And in April 2012, exclusion of proven scientific remedies. porters if it is to come to a consum- CFI announced it was willing to assist De Dora’s CFI testimony con- er-protecting, scientifically reasonable individuals who believe they have been cluded: “To ensure the protection of the decision to institute efficacy testing, harmed or defrauded through homeop- American public, the FDA should rely labeling, and warnings. athy marketing. on its well-established regulatory sys- The hearing was a necessary—and “People are unconscionably being tem to require homeopathic products big—first step. misled in their time of greatest vulner- to meet the same standards as non-ho- ability: when they’re sick,” Ron Lind- meopathic drugs, or at the least man- Kendrick Frazier is the editor of the SKEP- say, president and CEO of CFI, said date labeling for homeopathic products TICAL INQUIRER.

Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2015 7 Marble-Playing Ghost or Flawed Statistics?

DOUGLAS M. STOKES

The feature article in the March 2015 all come across at least one marble in a issue of the Society for Scientific six-month period. However, it is likely Exploration’s EdgeScience was “Does that Urheber’s preaching about the Con sciousness Continue Beyond wonders of marbles that have been lost Death? A Search for Certainty” by but now are found were not confined Michael Urheber with Rhonda Drake. to an audience of the seventeen people Urheber’s friend Frank Bava used to who reported finding miraculous mar- carry a lucky marble around with him bles; he probably reached a wider audi- before he died of a heart attack (as well ence. If his appeal for marble sightings as long after that event, as we shall see). reached forty people, then the probabil- The morning of Bava’s funeral, Urheber ity of getting seventeen or more marble woke up realizing that Bava had loaned finds is 0.382, which falls well short of the lucky marble to him the weekend statistical significance. To achieve the before the funeral (in retrospect, possi- traditional 0.01 level of significance, bly a bad decision on Bava’s part). twenty-four or more sightings of pos- sibly paranormally transported marbles would be required. It is of course absurd It is of course absurd to compute statistical significance levels for the to compute statistical miraculousness of ostensible marble significance levels for teleportations or materializations, even the miraculousness of if we disregard the fact that the telekinetic subject is well past the stage of ostensible marble rigor mortis and is likely to have poor teleportations or pectedly had a close encounter of the muscle tone for chucking marbles. materializations, even if agate kind (i.e., they had come across a Urheber’s coauthor Rhonda Drake we disregard the fact that marble). Based on a series of entertain- teaches college level statistics, so she ing assumptions, Urheber and Drake should know better. Actually, judging the telekinetic subject is computed the probability of a person from the cautionary remarks that have well past the stage of finding at least one marble in a six- been sprinkled throughout the article, rigor mortis and is likely month period as 0.3901. Taking this to she does know better and has appar- the seventeenth power, they computed ently tried her damnedest to commu- to have poor muscle tone the probability that seventeen people nicate adequate statistical methodology for chucking marbles. will all come across a marble in a six- to her seemingly clueless coauthor, but month period as 1 in 8.9 million. On to no avail. Urheber’s academic training this basis, Urheber proclaimed that was in music. these results achieve a high level of sta- Let’s be clear about one thing. All tistical significance, proving that there this study has found is that when an au- Urheber decided to return the mar- is indeed an afterlife. Yes, Virginia dience is told to be on the lookout for ble to the deceased, but not before there is a Santa Claus, or at least some- marbles, some of them will find marbles wrapping it in a note that read “Please one who teleports marble gifts to mere (unless they restrict their search to the toss this back if you’re ever around.” mortals, and his name is Frank Bava, interior of the researcher’s cranium). Surely this would be a daunting task but his cheeks may not be so rosy. for a man as dead as Frank Bava was. It is fairly easy to show that the Douglas M. Stokes is the author of Re- Urheber put said note and marble in claim of statistical significance is com- imagining the Soul (McFarland, 2014) the corpse’s suit pocket before burial. pletely unwarranted. Urheber has and the chapter “The Case Against Psi,” Over the next six months, seventeen computed the probability that a prese- in Parapsychology: A Handbook for the people told Urheber that they unex- lected group of seventeen people will 21st Century (McFarland, in press).

8 Volume 39 Issue 4 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT

The Latest Oz Affair: Doctors’ Demand That Columbia Fire Him Creates a Firestorm of Reaction

KENDRICK FRAZIER

It was another bad week for Dr. Oz. Oz is more than just a faculty mem- The last time we had occasion to ber at Columbia. He is a cardiothoracic report on daytime television host Meh- surgeon and vice chair of the Depart- met Oz (“Dr. Oz” as he’s better known) ment of Surgery. came after he got a public lambasting The call brought a quick and pre- in June of last year from Sen. Claire dictable response from Columbia in- McCaskill (D-Missouri) in a Senate voking academic freedom: “Colum- subcommittee hearing on protecting bia is committed to the principle of consumers from false and deceptive ad- academic freedom and to upholding vertising. faculty members’ freedom of expres- McCaskill upbraided Oz for pro- sion for statements they make in pub- moting green coffee extract, raspberry lic discussion,” said Doug Levy, chief ketone, and garcinia cambogia, among communications officer for Columbia’s other dubious supplements. “I don’t medical center to Henry I. Miller, the know why you need to say this stuff, Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific because you know it’s not true. . . . Philosophy & Public Policy at Stan- Why would you cheapen your show by ford’s Hoover Institution, who spear- saying things like that?” she asked him. headed the letter. (See David H. Gorski, “The Great and Even though CSI Miller responded to Levy that “free- Powerful Oz Humbled in Senate Hear- physicians and medical doms end where patient safety begins, ing,” SI, September/October 2014.) and Oz’s promotion of worthless prod- Oz seemed a bit chastened and scientists have criticized ucts that might have side effects and promised to use less “flowery” language Oz for exactly the same that delay patients seeking safe and in the future. reasons stated in the effective therapies threatens public Then in December, a study pub- safety.” lished in the British Medical Journal letter, going after None of the ten signers of the letter concluded that less than one-third of someone’s job or are directly associated with the Com- claims made on The Dr. Oz Show have academic position mittee for Skeptical Inquiry or the support in the medical literature and 40 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Even though percent of them can’t be backed up at is not usually the CSI physicians and medical scientists all. best strategy. have criticized Oz for exactly the same In April 2015, Oz found himself reasons stated in the letter, going after under attack from still another quarter: someone’s job or academic position is a group of ten doctors from Stanford not usually the best strategy. In aca- University, University of California demia, it always brings forth the de- at San Diego, and other mostly West fense of academic freedom, which is said the letter. “Dr. Oz has repeatedly Coast universities and institutions. considered sacrosanct. Furthermore, They called on Columbia University’s sown disdain for science and for evi- trying to get someone fired can cause College of Physicians and Surgeons dence-based medicine. Worst of all, he those who would otherwise join in the to discontinue its relationship with has manifested an egregious lack of in- criticism to rally to the person’s defense. Oz. The reasons were the same—Oz’s tegrity by promoting quack treatments In his classic essay “Proper Criti- regular on-air promotion of dubious and cures in the interest of financial cism” (SI, July/August 2001, available remedies—but the requested remedy, gain. on our website at http://www.csicop. essentially his firing, came just short of “Whatever the nature of his pathol- org/si/show/proper_criticism/), Ray calling on his show to be canceled. ogy, members of the public are being Hyman writes, “Avoid, at all costs, cre- “Dr. Oz is guilty of either outra- misled and endangered, which makes ating the impression that you are trying geous conflicts of interest or flawed Dr. Oz’s presence on the faculty of a to interfere with someone’s civil liber- judgments about what constitutes ap- prestigious medical institution unac- ties. Do not try to get someone fired propriate medical treatments, or both,” ceptable.” from his or her job.”

Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2015 9 [ NEWS AND COMMENT

Nevertheless, the call brought enor- “freedom of speech” card repeatedly science-based critics are not likely to mous public attention to the letter and (demonstrating again why calling for ease up on their criticisms of his show’s to scientists’ longtime criticisms of Oz someone’s firing can backfire). He said continuing promotion of miraculous for being a shill on his show for dubious he “‘would not be silenced.” and dubious remedies. products. It made network television In an interview with NBC, he curi- The next day, April 24, Michael news broadcasts that evening and the ously claimed his show “is not a medical Rosenbaum, Dana March, and six next morning and provoked news arti- show,” as though a program featuring other Columbia Medical Center faculty cles everywhere, and even an editorial members published an op-ed in USA cartoon or two. Today . They defended Oz’s work as a For his part, Oz initially stated For his part, Oz initially Columbia physician but gently rebuked lamely that he offers “multiple points stated lamely that he their fellow faculty member for touting of view” on his show about health-re- untested remedies on his TV show. Al- lated issues and said he offers his opin- offers “multiple points of though Columbia should not terminate ions “without conflict of interest.” He view” on his show about Oz, procedures about “broadcast medi- indicated he would address the claims health-related issues. cine” need to be re-evaluated, they said. on his show the next week. “A scientist presenting clinical trial re- He did so at length on his show that sults at an academic conference is re- aired April 23. But instead of address- quired to distinguish evidence-based ing the quackery accusations, he spent from hypothetical applications. Don’t medical advice from a prominent Co- most of his time attacking his accus- virtual patients deserve similar consid- ers—an effective, if intellectually ques- lumbia University physician who goes eration?” They added, “Non-evidence tionable, tactic. He asserted that they by “Dr. Oz” and whose show is titled based medical recommendations pre- had conflicts of interest themselves. The Dr. Oz Show can really be con- sented without caveats are costly and He defended the advice he gives. He sidered to be about something other potentially harmful.” again referred to “multiple points of than medicine and health. His defense view; diverse opinions.” He played the probably satisfied his ardent fans, but —KENDRICK FRAZIER

THE 16TH EUROPEAN SKEPTICS CONGRESS LONDON 2015 11th - 13th September

The 16th European Skeptics Congress will be held at Goldsmiths College, University of London, from September 11 to 13, 2015. The Congress is jointly organized by the Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) and Goldsmith College’s Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU). Events will include keynote addresses by distinguished speakers, formal presentations, debates, and poster presentations, plus a pre-congress session and Skeptics in the Pub meetings in the evenings. A section of the Congress will cover research at APRU. Visit the Congress website below for up-to-date information concerning the www.euroscepticscon.org program, registration and accommodations.

Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2015 11 Bioscientist and CSI Fellow Elie A. Shneour Dies at Eighty-Nine U.K. Efforts to End Sex KENDRICK FRAZIER Trafficking in Africa Enlist Witchcraft Elie A. Shneour, a tenth anniversary issue (Summer 1986). neurochemist and bio- In it he called science “the most power- BENJAMIN RADFORD physicist and a long- ful tool ever devised by the mind of man time fellow of the Com- for the control of his destiny” and wrote, The British government is using a power- mittee for Skeptical “The honest and simple application of ful new tool in its efforts to end sex traf- Inquiry, died April 14. Occam’s Razor to paranormal claims ficking and slavery in Africa: witchcraft— He was eighty-nine. would quickly consign most of them or at least belief in magic. The Independent Shneour was presi- to oblivion.” He concluded: “Any ratio- newspaper journalist Paul Peachy reported dent and research director of Biosystems nal being is welcome to join the cause on an innovative method to help West Research Institute in La Jolla, California, of science. There are no statements of African women who have been forced into which provided consulting services to belief to execute, only the demonstrable sex trafficking: industry and government. Born in Paris application of reason.” Britain’s anti-slavery commissioner is in 1925, he escaped Nazi-occupied examining radical new plans to pros- France with his family and got to the ecute sex traffickers by “reversing” the United States in 1941. He served in the juju spells that terrorize many of their U.S. Army, became a naturalized U.S. victims into staying silent. More than citizen, and was educated at Bard Col- “He was a true 100 Nigerian women were identified last lege (which later gave him an honorary year as having been trafficked into sexual Renaissance man.” slavery with their obedience ensured by doctorate), Berkeley, and UCLA (where magic rituals that threaten them with he got his PhD in biological chemistry). infertility or death if they reveal what has He always had wide-ranging scien- happened to them. tific and intellectual interests. He partic- According to the newspaper’s February ipated in a study titled “Biology and the Another notable SI article was 15 issue, “The level of terror instilled by juju Exploration of Mars” conducted by the “Planting a Seed of Doubt” (July/Au- National Academy of Sciences’ Space gust 1998), available online: “Skeptics led British police to spend two years trying Science Board in 1964–1965 and was should forego any thought of convincing to dispel the fears of women so they could give evidence in the first case of its kind in lead editor of its Extraterrestrial Life: An the unconvinced that we hold the torch Anthology and Bibliography . He and of truth illuminating the darkness. A Europe, in 2011.” The victims are often Samuel Moffat also edited the 1966 more modest, realistic and achievable reluctant to testify in court against those who abducted and forced them into pros- book Life Beyond the Earth, published goal is to encourage the idea that we by the National Science Teachers Asso- may be mistaken. Doubt is humbling titution, in part because of fear of magical ciation, with an epilogue by Nobel laure- and constructive.” retribution. Kevin Hyland, England’s first ate biologist Joshua Lederberg. He later More recently, he wrote “Obfuscating anti-slavery commissioner, has been in con- wrote the book The Malnourished Mind . Biological Evolution” (November/De- tact with anti-trafficking officials in Nigeria Shneour served on many other na- cember 2005), “The Ongoing Decline of who have located witch doctors believed to tional and international science advi- Religion” (May/June 2012), and “When have placed curses on the victims and forced sory bodies and was a member of the Does Human Life Begin?” (January/Feb- them to remove the curse or face criminal American Chemical Society, the Ameri- ruary 2014), which stimulated a flood prosecution. can Society of Biological Chemists, the of letters. Just a month before his death Using magic (or, more accurately, belief American Society for Biochemistry and he submitted to us a short essay he had in magic) as a way to stem human traffick- Molecular Biology, the International So- been working on for months titled “The ing is not only a novel idea but likely a very ciety for Neurochemistry, Sigma Xi, and God of the Big Bang” but then imme- effective one. Belief in the power of magic is several other scientific organizations. He diately decided it was not yet ready for very strong throughout much of sub-Saha- was also a longtime scientific advisor to publication and withdrew it. ran Africa, and many live under the (real or the Cousteau Society. “He was a unique and brilliant man perceived) threat of magical retribution and Shneour was a charter member of . . . with the beautiful touch of the ro- the fear that witch doctors—or those who the San Diego Association for Rational mantic . . . ,” one of his friends wrote his hire them—have power over their fortunes, Inquiry and a strong supporter of the son Mark upon news of his death. “Elie health, and lives. Skeptical Inquirer and CSICOP (now was so informed and could speak bril- Measures that fail to address the vic- Committee for Skeptical Inquiry). Over liantly about many topics: science, med- tims’ underlying belief system are unlikely the years, he wrote a number of provoc- icine, art, food, history. He was a man of to be successful because to the extent that ative articles for SI. An early one was another time to be sure. He was a true a problem is psychosomatic, the root of the “Occam’s Razor,” the lead essay in our Renaissance man.” problem will be ignored. It is not helpful

12 Volume 39 Issue 4 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT for a psychologist to simply tell an someone A ‘Taking Back Skepticism’ with obsessive-compulsive disorder, for ex- ample, that he doesn’t have to open and close Campaign and Online Course his front door seven times before entering his home; he will still feel the compulsion to do JOHN COOK so regardless of any arguments or evidence that it’s unnecessary. Disordered thoughts Skepticism is at the heart of the The science of science denial is and compulsions can be dampened by medi- scientific method. However, the unpacked in the upcoming Mas- cation, but at the end of the day what’s needed word skeptic has been appropriated sive Online Open Course (MOOC) to address the root of the problem is a new by people who deny climate sci- Making Sense of Climate Sci- way of framing or understanding the issue. If ence. A growing body of research ence Denial by the University of the Nigerian women truly believe that they shows that political ideology is the Queensland and EdX. It examines have been cursed, no amount of denying or dominant driver of climate science the psychology driving the rejection debunking (especially by foreign British doc- denial. Those ideologically predis- of climate science. It explains how tors) will convince them otherwise; you have biased thinking leads to the fallacies to fight fire with fire, or magic with magic. posed to reject climate change resort within the myths that distort climate Belief in the power of curses is a form of to cherry picking, logical fallacies, science. Finally, it outlines the psy- the placebo effect, which works only if the and conspiracy theories to dismiss chological research into the most patient believes it is effective. The power of climate science. Science denial is the effective ways to respond to science the placebo is strong indeed. It can give pain antithesis of skepticism. denial. This free MOOC equips medications a boost and even enhance ath- people with the knowledge and crit- letic performance; recent research revealed ical thinking skills to discern and re- that runners who (wrongly) believed that they The public has come to spond to climate science denial. were performing with doped blood ran faster associate skepticism with I proposed a “Taking Back Skep- than they thought they could. the anti-science rhetoric ticism” campaign, with endorse- While the idea of curses may seem anti- ment from skeptical societies and quated or confined to the poor and supersti- of climate science denial. advocates of rational inquiry across tious Third World, it is not the case. Plenty They need to understand the world. The campaign highlights of wealthy and educated Americans believe that skepticism embraces the values of genuine skepticism and in curses, and in fact it is not unusual for distinguishes them from the char- self-proclaimed psychics to con their clients the values of rational, acteristics of science denial. The into believing that a curse has been placed evidence-based inquiry. campaign launched April 28 when upon them and that the psychic can help re- Making Sense of Climate Science move the curse—for a fee, of course. It often Denial was released, making the begins with a typical psychic reading, when a person goes to a fortuneteller or “intuitive” free MOOC content available for The skeptic community needs people wishing to learn more and seeking advice or insight. In the course of the to take back the word skeptic. The reading, the psychic may ask if the client has equip themselves to respond to cli- statement “Deniers Are Not Skep- had any bad luck, accidents, struggles, health mate science denial. For more in- tics” signed in December by more problems, or other misfortunes; like most of formation, see https://www.edx. than fifty Committee for Skeptical us, some recent examples will come to mind org/course/making-sense-climate- Inquiry fellows (SI, March/April and the psychic may then claim that these science-denial-uqx-denial101x. 2015, online at http://www.csicop. bad things were not simply random chance A longer version of this article org/news/show/deniers_are_not_ but harmful acts intentionally caused by an appears on csicop.org. skeptics) and later by thousands of enemy—a curse in other words. It doesn’t al- others was a good start. John Cook is the Climate Com- ways happen, and the clients don’t always fall The public has come to associ- munication Fellow for the Global for this scam, but many do, and it is common ate skepticism with the anti-science Change Institute at the University enough that psychics are routinely arrested rhetoric of climate science denial. of Queensland, Australia. He created and charged with fraud across the United They need to understand that skep- and maintains the Skeptical Science States for this ancient curse-removal scheme. ticism embraces the values of ratio- website (what peer-reviewed science Belief in some form of magic is universal; if nal, evidence-based inquiry. They says about global warming), and is that belief can be used to help stop sex traf- coauthor of Climate Change Denial ficking, then so much the better. also need to recognize the tell-tale characteristics of denial in order to (2011) and the 2013 college textbook Benjamin Radford is the deputy editor of the distinguish it from genuine skepti- Climate Change Science: A Modern SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. cism. Synthesis.

Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2015 13