. . SOCIETY

Vol. 33, No 3. September 2013

+Bunk Quacks Education Medical Woo

Australian Skeptics . www.skeptics.com.au

Skeptic_Cover_Sep13.indd 1 6/09/13 9:02 AM The Skeptic September 13

Skeptical Groups in

Australian Skeptics Inc – Richard Saunders Gold Coast Skeptics – Lilian Derrick www.skeptics.com.au PO Box 8348, GCMC Bundall, QLD 9726 PO Box 20, Beecroft, NSW 2119 Tel: (07) 5593 1882; Fax: (07) 5593 2776 Tel: 02 8094 1894; Mob: 0432 713 195; Fax: (02) 8088 4735 [email protected] [email protected] Contact Lilian to find out news of more events. – 6pm first Thursday of each month at the Mezz Bar, Coronation Hotel, Park St in the city (meeting upstairs) Canberra Skeptics – Kevin Davies PO Box 555, Civic Square ACT 2608 Dinner meetings are held on a regular basis. http://www.canberraskeptics.org.au Tel: 0408 430 442 Next dinner- September 28, Galit Segev on “The Light Side of [email protected] (general inquiries), Chocolate”. Bookings online or contact [email protected] [email protected] (Canberra Skeptics in the Pub). A free monthly talk, open to the public, usually takes place on the 1st Saturday of each month at the Lecture Theatre, Hunter Skeptics – John Turner CSIRO Discovery Centre, Clunies Ross Rd (check website for Tel: (02) 4959 6286 [email protected] details of the current month’s talk). Skeptics in the Pub gather at 1pm on the third Sunday of each month at King O’Malleys Meetings are held upstairs at The Cricketers Arms Hotel, Cooks Pub in Civic. For up-to-date details : www.meetup.com/ Hill (Newcastle) on the first Monday of each month, excepting SocialSkepticsCanberra/ January, commencing 7.00pm, with a guest speaker or open discussion on a given topic. Visitors welcome. Further information from the secretary at: [email protected] Skeptics SA – Laurie Eddie 52B Miller St Unley, SA 5061 Tel: (08) 8272 5881 [email protected] Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc – Terry Kelly GPO Box 5166, VIC 3001 Thinking and Drinking - Skeptics in the Pub, on the third Friday Tel: 1 800 666 996 [email protected] of every month. Contact [email protected] www.meetup.com/Thinking-and-Drinking-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/ Skeptics’ Café – Third Monday of every month, with guest calendar/10205558 or http://tinyurl.com/loqdrt speaker. La Notte, 140 Lygon St. Meal from 6pm, speaker at 8pm sharp. More details on our web site www.skeptics.com.au/vic WA Skeptics – Dr John Happs PO Box 466, Subiaco, WA 6904 Tel: (08) 9448 8458 [email protected] Borderline Skeptics Inc – Russell Kelly All meetings start at 7:30 pm at Grace Vaughan House, PO Box 666, Mitta Mitta, Victoria 3701 227 Stubbs Terrace, Shenton Park Tel: (02) 6072 3632 [email protected] Further details of all our meetings and speakers are on our Meetings are held quarterly on second Tuesday at Albury/ website at www.undeceivingourselves.org Wodonga on pre-announced dates and venues. Australian Skeptics in Tasmania – Leyon Parker Queensland Skeptics Association Inc – Bob Bruce PO Box 582, North Hobart TAS 7002 PO Box 3480, Norman Park QLD 4170 Tel: 03 6238 2834 BH, 0418 128713 [email protected] Tel: (07) 3255 0499 Mob: 0419 778 308 [email protected] Skeptics in the Pub - 2nd Monday each month, Meeting with guest speaker on the last Monday of every month 6.30pm, Ball & Chain restaurant, Salamanca Place (except December) at the Red Brick Hotel, 81 Annerley Road, South Brisbane. Dinner from 6pm, speaker at 7.30pm. Qskeptics eGroup - www.egroups.com/list/qskeptics Darwin Skeptics – Brian de Kretser Hear Bob on 4BC Panel - 9.30pm-10pm Tuesdays Tel: (08) 8927 4533 [email protected] Volume 33 • No 3 September 13 Contents REPORTS 15 TAM & JREF challenge 10 Richard Saunders 10 Divine debate 15 Peter Bowditch

FEATURES 24

Call of the quacks 16 Tim Harding Bunk about bunk 21 16 Martin Bridgstock Degrees of woo revisited 24 Tim Mendham 21 33 ARTICLES Birth of a notion 27 Fred Watson and Paul Willis 28 Unnatural practice 28 Martin Wallace Are you feeling OK? 33 Mark Ottley Combatting cult culture 36 27 Michael Wolloghan Oh-tookurah bohututah 40 Stephen Molton Planetary influences 44 Barry Williams 36 44

REGULARS Editorial 4 Around the Traps 5 54 Them! 8 20 Puzzles page 39 The logical place 43 What goes around 52 Book reviews 54 Forum 56 52 Letters 61 EDITORIAL From the Editor

What’s the meaning of this? n this issue of the magazine, we suggested otherwise – it’s not religion I take a look at definitions and per se that interests Skeptics as an histories of some words that regularly organisation, rather it’s the real-world crop up in skeptical circles. There are manifestations of religion where articles on the history of “bunk” and skeptics can apply themselves. Arguing ISSN 0726-9897 “”: good old words – one whether god(s) exists or not is a pretty Quarterly Journal of dates from the 19th century and the fruitless exercise – rarely will either Australian Skeptics Inc other from the 17th – though bunk side convince the other with their (ABN 90 613 095 379) and quacks certainly existed well overwhelming logic. Editor before they were called that. But is it automatic that faith Tim Mendham Of course, what’s bunk or overrides argument? quackery to one person is truth In my opinion, belief in god(s) is Editorial Board and healing to another, even if that not a natural state. Babies have no Steve Roberts might be more wishful thinking than reason to believe in a god, unless god is Eran Segev reliable fact. the person who feeds them and smiles Martin Hadley But that concept of reliability and, at them. There is no intrinsic scientific, Barry Williams by association, proof, is often a hard logical, natural reason to believe in Design Services nut for some people to crack. god. There are cultural reasons, or Nova Consulting P/L In the “Them” review of cultural pressures, but that is a totally magazines and websites this different thing. There is post-facto All correspondence to: issue, we look at a site called justification for a belief in god (often Australian Skeptics Inc Skeptopathy, which is basically an the “god of gaps” or, as John Lennon PO Box 20 anti-Skeptic rant against what the once put it, “God is a concept by Beecroft NSW 2119 author describes as “pathological which we measure our pain”), but that Australia skepticism” or a negative approach is also a different thing. to all “disruptive” ideas. Referring to In the skeptical world, there is the Contact details a range of phenomena like maxim - whether correctly attributed Tel: +61 (0)2 8094 1894 powers and alien abductions, He to Carl Sagan or someone else – Mob: +61 (0)432 713 195 suggests that “Until proven false, true that “extraordinary claims require Fax: +61 (0)2 8088 4735 scientists and true skeptics must treat extraordinary proof”. I think we [email protected] these phenomena objectively and would agree that the existence of god www.skeptics.com.au agnostically”. is an extraordinary claim, so the proof He obviously doesn’t understand of god should be with the believers. The Skeptic is published four times science at all. Proving something The definition of , however, per year by Australian Skeptics Inc. “false” is not the job of skeptics, is normally a negative one, in that we Views and opinions expressed in articles particularly as it’s virtually impossible initially have the ‘existence’ of god, and and letters in The Skeptic are those of to 100 per cent prove that anything then the ‘we don’t believe it’ response, the authors, and are not necessarily is false. No, it is up to the claimants as if we have to react to religious those of Australian Skeptics Inc. to prove that something is true. Our claims in the same way as we react to Articles may be reprinted with job is to assess their evidence and claims of UFOs. God has primacy, and permission and with due acknowledge- argument. atheists react to him/her/it/them. ment to The Skeptic. And, for me, that brings up the But non-believers shouldn’t have All effort is made to ensure correct topic of religion. to prove god false; believers have to acknowledgement of all contributions. Recently there was the suggestion prove god is real. Which means we We are happy to update credit when so on the SAVN Facebook page need a new more positive term or informed. that Australian Skeptics was definition for “atheism” that does not anti-Christian, and thus not an require a concept to disprove. Any Editorial submission deadline organisation you’d like to be suggestions? . for the next issue: associated with if you’re dealing October 30, 2013 with those of a religious bent. We - Tim Mendham, editor 4 NEWS The Skeptic September 13

Vaccination Network. Around the traps ... In an ironic comment, the Board communique reminded its constituents that Chiro Board cracks down “compliance with the code [involves] only making treatment claims that are on its own anti-vaxers supported by a reasonable evidence base”. While chiropractors’ anti-vaccination AUSTRALIA: The Chiropractic of Australian Skeptics Inc and a leading stance certainly lacks an evidence base, Board of Australia says it will crack down campaigner against chiropractors’ other claims made by about chiropractic, on chiropractors who “step outside their denigration of vaccination and their such as its being used to treat conditions primary role as healthcare practitioners support for the anti-vaccination such as asthma, epilepsy, depression, and provide treatment that puts the movement, said that it was about time ADHD and “clumsiness”, are similarly public at risk”. Specifically it is referring that the Board made such a move. unsupported by evidence. to the promotion of an anti-vaccination “They are to be congratulated for Nonetheless, the Board chair, Dr stance. doing it, but it has taken some time.” Phillip Donato, said “the Board takes a To this end, the Board has ordered Several years ago Dr Dunlop very strong view of any practitioner who practitioners to remove all anti- raised concerns over the practices of makes unsubstantiated claims about vaccination material from their websites chiropractor Nimrod Weiner, who made treatment which is not supported within and clinics. It has also removed several regular strong anti-vaccination statements an evidence-based context”. courses from its list of approved CPD and promoted homeopathic vaccine “We will not tolerate registered chiro- programs, and introduced random audits ‘treatments’ in his presentations to parents practors giving misleading or unbalanced of practitioner compliance with the and on his website. At the time, Weiner advice to patients, or providing Board’s registration standards. was vice-president of the Chiropractors advice or care that is not in the patient’s Among a number of tasks, the Board Association of Australia (NSW). best interests.” is responsible for registering chiropractors Dr Dunlop went on to point out that There is no indication, however, as to and students, and developing standards, chiropractors formed a large proportion of how that response to misleading action codes and guidelines for the chiropractic the professional support for the Australian will be enacted. profession. Following a meeting of the Board in mid-July, it said that “The Board is Meryl Dorey faces $11,000 in court costs becoming increasingly concerned that some chiropractors are continuing to AUSTRALIA: Meryl Dorey, former had virtually no income nor any way to promote, display and provide material president but still spokesperson for the raise the amount needed. She reported to their patients – online and in their Australian [anti]Vaccination Network, has later that she had received pledges and practices – that is not consistent with been ordered to pay $11,000 in costs for donations to cover the amount. the standards set out in the Board’s the legal fees of Stop the AVN campaigner She suggested in her blog on the AVN Code of Conduct for chiropractors, and its Dan Buzzard after he appealed against an site that there may have been bias involved Guidelines for the advertising of regulated apprehended violence order she took out in the decision for Buzzard: “From the health services. against him just over one year ago. beginning, it appeared to me that the In particular, a communiqué recently The claim against Buzzard was one of magistrate might have already made his issued covering the July meeting says that three AVOs taken out by Dorey, one of decision before we entered the court.” “Providing or promoting anti-vaccination which was settled, and another against This was not the first time she had material is not consistent with the public Peter Bowditch is still in court, following suggested bias on the part of a magistrate health obligations of practitioners set out a number of requests for extension from involved in her AVO applications. In in the Code of Conduct.” her. (See Bowditch’s article, “How Not to September 2012, one correspondent on It goes on to say that “Chiropractors be Silenced” in The Skeptic, June 2013. the AVN’s online forum asked “if [those must not display or promote information Her original application was dismissed served with an AVO] are not ‘charged for about vaccination/immunisation, as in April; she appealed the decision and a what they have done’, then what? Would this is not within the usual area for a hearing was listed for July; and that date this mean a failure of the investigative chiropractor. To comply with the Code, has again been extended until and/or the judicial process?” Dorey information, advertising or promotional September 18.) replied that “I really don’t know what material of this sort should be removed Dorey set up an appeal for then – the evidence is so strong, if from all clinic areas and from websites supporters of the they don’t grant the AVO, it can only immediately.” AVN to contribute to mean bias on the part of Dr , vice-president her costs, stating she the court.” 5 NEWS

Subluxation for Witches breathe easy in Northern Territory the Y-generation AUSTRALIA: The Northern A missed opportunity, we say. USA: Powerful Practices, a business Territory government will repeal old It would have been a boon to the newsletter for chiropractors, suggests legislation which makes tarot card vegetable farmers of Australia. chiropractors could usefully explain reading and witchcraft illegal. “subluxation” in terms that are According to the ABC, a centuries- meaningful to “today’s technology old law - the Witchcraft Act of 1735 savvy and highly connected – said that anyone caught conjuring population”. spells or predicting the future could It suggests a range of 21st century face one year in prison. analogies to explain what is generally The old Act, which was inherited considered inexplicable (primarily from Britain, has been repealed in because no-one can prove it even most parts of the Western world, but exists). “a legal quirk” meant it has stayed on These analogies include: less-than- the statute books in the Territory. perfect reception on a mobile phone; NT Attorney-General, John slow download speeds on the internet; Elferink, said the “legislation was server or network error; dial up versus enacted because it was essentially broadband speeds; and blocked as a form of consumer protection. passwords. A person who purported through The newsletter says that, “Whilst sorcery or the occult who offered to this has been a light-hearted approach find lost property or to tell a fortune to explaining Chiropractic Philosophy, was considered a person who was it highlights that the use of analogies essentially a charlatan and a conman. and examples can help people to “If you were convicted of the understand the importance of offence, you were given a mandatory Chiropractic care with respect to their one-year imprisonment and every nervous system functioning at its best. quarter, you were brought to the “What else can you come up market and pilloried for the purpose with?”, it asks. of people throwing vegetables and What about, “fatal error”? such things at you.”

UFOs at Area 51 ... not, says the CIA!

USA: Recently declassified CIA commercial flights at 10-20,000, and documents reveal that, yes, Area 51 warplanes such as B-47 at less than exists (an open secret until formally 40,000. acknowledged recently), and that it “High altitude testing of the U2 was not the landing site for UFOs. soon led to an unexpected side effect Rather sightings of ‘unknown’ aircraft – a tremendous increase in reports of were attributable to high altitude unidentified flying objects”, the report surveillance planes, including the U2 says. ‘spy plane’. AFP says that US Air Force officers, As reported by AFP, the 400-page “anxious to avoid exposing the ultra- declassified document is titled CIA secret U2 program, explained the and Overhead Reconnaissance: The U2 sightings as merely due to natural and Oxcart Programs, 1954-1974, and phenomena”. was released by the National Security U2 and other surveillance flights Archives at George Washington “accounted for more than one-half of University following an FOI request. all UFO reports during the late 1950s It refers to very high-altitude and most of the 1960s”, the CIA flights at 60,000 feet, well above report says. . 6 Landing on theTruth

Science, Skepticism & Conspiracy Theories

Canberra will be hosting the Convention this year. With special guest and keynote speaker, Prof , head of Goldsmiths College Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit

The Convention runs from 22 to 24 November 2013 Further details can be accessed at www.nationalskepticsconvention.org We look forward to welcoming our fellow skeptics in Canberra – and hearing what you have to say! THEM Readers’ indigestible Tim Mendham looks at those ‘other’ publications, where skepticism is a dirty word.

his issue, we look at one magazine and one website, both harking from Tcreationist circles, although the website under discussion claims a loftier aim, which is to tear skeptics’ self-delusion to shreds. Read on, and weep.

creation Creation is a quarterly publication you would not initially include in the put out by the Queensland-based creationist canon. Such as a four- Creation Ministries International page proof that medieval and ancient (hi guys!). It is now in its 35th year, peoples really didn’t think the Earth so it has had some longevity about was flat. Can’t really argue with that; it – longer, in fact, than the magazine few historians would doubt that that you’re reading right now. And likewise was the case. But the crux of the article this article can vouch for that praise, its editor, Dr Carl Wieland, who has is its proof of evolutionists’ perfidy in as he once experienced a total solar been working for the creationist cause this matter. The author’s argument eclipse, except the sun was obscured by since Adam was a boy. relies on a few clichéd comments clouds. Nonetheless “the eerie darkness So what is it about? Well, it’s all about in popular and frankly superficial and chill wind that immediately arose a wide range of natural phenomena historical story-telling (such as that were spine-tingling”. How a chill wind which all point to a single creator Columbus’ crew were worried they’d could arise immediately on an eclipse who literally made the Earth about fall off the edge), an evolutionist who is anyone’s guess. But the issue of logic 4500 years ago - classic young Earth believes in the flat earth (and who lies in the description of the wonder of . Of course, evolution happens to be head of the Flat Earth how such an event could ever happen: crops up a lot here as an obviously false Society), and two authors who suggest “If the moon were much bigger, theory which is regularly contradicted that flat Earth belief is typical of the [Sun’s] chromosphere would only by Biblical record and ‘scientific’ proof. religious followers. be fleetingly visible at the onset and There is also a fair swag on socio- How dare the latter make such end of an eclipse. If it were just a little political issues, such as atheism, theism sweeping comments based on a few smaller, totality would not occur and and dealing with unbelievers. early Christians who did believe in eclipses would hardly even be noticed. A common thread throughout a flat Earth! Which is ironic, as the But the probability that such an most of the articles and news item in article does exactly the same thing, amazing match of apparent size would Creation is ’s Flood. The flood is but from the opposite perspective – it just happen by chance is miniscule.” proposed as the cause of most of the criticises all evolutionists because of a Except, because it does happen, the world’s geological and geographical select few claims. A wonderful example chance of it happening is 1; if it did formations, as well as animal of creating straw men, and spending not match up, then there would be no distribution and a range of fossil four-pages on a non-argument. such thing as an eclipse and it wouldn’t records. (The well-known ‘stampeding’ Speaking of lunar eclipses, there’s matter at all. An anthropocentric dinosaur tracks found at Lark Quarry a wonderful (as in, I wonder why argument for god that holds as much in Queensland are apparently evidence they did that?) example of backward water as the Ark. of animals fleeing the Flood.) reasoning in an article titled “Created Which then brings us to the All of this is standard fare for to be inhabited – amazing design children’s section, “Creation for Kids”. the creationist movement. What is features of planet Earth”. One of the This section is currently covering “C” strange is a number of atticles in the design features cited is the solar eclipse, words – creation, curse, catastrophe, issue under review (July-September “perhaps the most breathtaking natural confusion, covenant, Christ and 2013, $7.50) that look at topics that phenomenon on earth”. The author of consummation. Can’t wait for that

8 The Skeptic September 13

SKEPTOPATHY “To be a true science-based believing that ‘cold fusion’ (LENR) skeptic is to question beliefs on the is bunk because of early problems basis of scientific understanding. people had with reproducing its Scientific skepticism is agnostic to results; believing there is [sic] no new ideas until enough evidence psychic phenomena because so is made available to either support many are frauds; believing them or to prove them false. True no extraterrestrial life is visiting skepticism is about questioning and Earth because the ETs have not yet last one, or for “confusion” for not accepting explanations unless presented themselves and believing that matter, but this month it is there is sufficient evidence. It is ‘alien abductions’ are not happening “catastrophe”, and guess what – it’s about thinking critically and not because the whole idea is just too Noah’s Ark. using specious reasoning to maintain absurd.” This covers a lot of interesting comforting but false beliefs.” Fullerton then falls into a ‘facts’ about the Ark, including a Not a lot to quibble with that, common error about proof and response to the question “Was there but a new site, skeptopathy.com, has evidence: “I am not in any way room for them all?”, which is “Yes, a little more on its agenda that just saying all of these examples are true. there were only several thousand defining what a skeptic is. I am just saying that they have not animals in all.” That’s still a lot to fit “Many people have a distorted been proven false. Until proven false, on a boat, surely. view of what true skepticism entails. true scientists and true skeptics must Apparently the secret is that “many For them, a skeptic is simply an treat these phenomena objectively of the animals that went on the Ark extremely pig-headed individual and agnostically.” produced many species of animals who rejects and ridicules anything No, the burden of proof falls on after the Flood. For instance, the falling outside of mainstream the claimant, who must prove their wolf, the coyote, the dingo, the jackal thought, particularly mainstream proposition true and substantiated. and the dogs that you might have as science. This is actually not true Skepticism then responds to the pets all came from a single pair that skepticism but skeptopathy.” evidence that is used to support that entered the ark.” Blimey, that sounds Skeptopathy.com is the work of claim. Trying to prove something suspiciously like evolution. Michael Fullerton, who has a BSc impossible is not the same as These animals included dinosaurs in psychology/computer science suggesting with confidence that – apparently not fully grown – and (an interesting combination) and something is improbable. there they are in the cute drawing of is a member of Scientists for 9/11 Interestingly, in a piece on the inside of the Ark, way up on the Truth and Scholars for 9/11 Truth atheism, he says that “Positive top right, sharing a stall with a couple & Justice. atheism is a wholly irrational faith- of koalas. Hopefully a large wave will Ah, a clearer picture emerges, based belief because it is not possible not rock the boat and knock them and it is made even clearer further to prove or even provide evidence out of the stall and down several down in his intro to the topic: that every concept of God does not storeys to the deck. That would spell “Skeptopathy involves chronic exist.” Which seems to contradict his the end of the dinosaurs. irrational beliefs that certain earlier criticism of skeptics. Finally, let’s end on a letter to phenomena are not true, improbable Apart from anti-atheism, cold the editor on (wait for it) Noah’s or non-existent simply because they fusion and 9/11 ‘truthers’, he also Ark. The letter refers to a full-scale are new, unusual, controversial or supports ‘’ – the reproduction in the Netherlands (see otherwise disturbing. I coined the logo on the top of his home page is The Skeptic, June 2010). The letter term in 1994 while discussing the a series of exclamation marks which writer is worried, however, because topic of ‘cold fusion’. ... Examples of morph into question marks (with the replica has a railing on the deck, skeptopathy include: believing the faces?!) and then into a dinosaur. and as we know the real Ark never three World Trade Center buildings Fullerton is nothing if not eclectic. had a railing. It probably never had which came down on 9/11 were Recommended reading? Only toilets, either, but hey, that’s what not controlled demolitions because if you like conspiracy theories and this magazine is for. this would involve a conspiracy; conspirators.

9 REPORT TAM Challenge Behind the Scenes of theJREF MDC Richard Saunders with an insider’s report on the fascinating and at times frustrating preparation and execution of the Million Dollar Challenge at TAM 2013.

he Educational Foundation’s annual The Amazing TMeetings have been a highlight of the skeptical world for 11 years. And for the last few years, the grand finale has been a live demonstration of the famous Million Dollar Challenge (MDC). At TAM 2012 it was my pleasure to take part when the JREF tested the claims of Andrew Needles and his Dynactiv SR wrist band. (See my report The Skeptic, September 2012, 32:3, p14.) But more about Mr Needles later. As I headed to TAM 2013, I wondered if there would be a MDC this year and what the claim might be. My curiosity was soon answered by an unexpected and urgent text message from the president of the JREF, DJ Grothe, a day before I was to fly to Las Vegas from San Francisco. That night over the phone he outlined to me a possible test for this year involving the claim of ‘remote viewing’ - more or less the claimed ability to ‘see’ via mystical means objects in another location (or, as it turned out, in another country!). But all was not plain sailing as time was short, the protocol for the test was far Vegas, my mind was full of calculations, our challenger was in Algeria, his agent from complete and the man making ideas about the protocol and no small ‘Mustafa’ was based in LA and would be the claim, Brahim Addoun, was in amount of nervous anticipation. I knew arriving in Las Vegas the next day. Our Algeria! “Are you able to help?”, was the the more time we had to work on the task that night was urgent as we were on question. I remembered something I first MDC, the better it would be. So the a tight deadline. thought some years earlier in 2007 on two hour delay of my flight was not The first goal, before the evening was the Amazing Adventure to Alaska. When something anyone needed. I finally out, was to collect 25 everyday objects, James Randi (or the JREF) asks you for arrived at the South Point Casino and place them on their own sheet of letter- your help, the answer is “yes”. went straight into a meeting with DJ sized paper upon which was printed an The next afternoon as I headed for Las Grothe. I soon learned that, although ID number in large typeface, photograph 10 The Skeptic September 13

Left: Richard Saunders at TAM 2013 - “a piece of cake”. Bottom left: Conferring over the Million Dollar A TASTE OF TAM the Challenge: (l to r) Richard Saunders, Chip Behind Scenes Denman, Jamy Ian Swiss, Banachek and Mustafa, the challenger’s representative. itself, even after 11 TAM years, shows no sign to see you!” (Glug glug) “Hello there!” of aging or slowing down, “much of theJREF MDC (Glug glug) “Got to dash ... bye!” like Randi himself!” says Richard Finally, we had our 25 objects. I Saunders, who has been coming photographed them all, compressed to TAM as a speaker since 2008. the files for email and sent them off to It is held at the South Point Mustafa who would in turn forward Casino & Spa, a monolithic them onto Addoun. Also during this time structure some 12km south of we were on the phone with Mustafa to the famous Las Vegas Strip. The cover as much of the other aspects of the casino is like a mini-town unto challenge we could. In the early hours of itself, including 12 restaurants the morning I found my way to bed. and other eateries, a multiplex Thursday morning arrived and TAM cinema, a 64-lane bowling them one by one and email the photos to officially got underway. DJ, Jamy Ian alley, a video arcade, an indoor Mustafa for his review. The ultimate aim Swiss, Chip Denman and I (members of equestrian arena, and more was for Addoun to ‘see’ three of these the MDC committee) were on our toes as poker machines than you can objects chosen at random and hidden we had a new deadline to meet. This was poke a poker at. from one and all. to allow Addoun three full days and nights This year the theme of TAM The 25 objects had to be quite in which to ‘remote view’ the objects and was “Fighting the Fakers” and different from each other and not too we needed to take into consideration the as ever it proved a draw for small so one could identify each one time difference between Las Vegas and the big names from the world from a good 20 feet away with the naked Algeria. Before 2pm that day, three of of skeptical investigation and eye. We had the added consideration the objects had to be selected at random general science. These included of not using anything that may cause and hidden in a private room that was Dr Susan Blackmore from concern to Addoun’s satisfactory to the the UK, who spoke about her Islamic beliefs. JREF and Mustafa experiences testing paranormal So, for example, a “ Attendees passed alike. We also learnt claims much to the delight of wine bottle or wine the room. Took photos that five of the 25 the audience. Other prominent glass was out of objects were deemed skeptics included Michael the question. (It’s of the door. Some even unacceptable. At that Shermer, Sanal Edamaruku from important to stress asked me if anyone was point we agreed to India (whom Randi calls ‘his hero’, as this man has had to here that when locked inside. modify the challenge preparing a MDC, ” somewhat so Addoun flee India as he dared to unmask the wishes and would now only need a religious scam), Massimo restrictions of the claimant are of vital pick 3 from 20 objects, not 25, which also Polidoro from Italy, The Skeptics importance. Applicants should only be put the odds more in his favour - from 1 Guide to the Universe podcast tested on their claimed abilities, and if in 2300 to 1 in 1140. crew and, as they say, the list that means using or not using certain We had a couple of options for the goes on. objects, then so be it.) We were asked to room to use to hide the objects, with Taking charge as MC was pick the objects ourselves, after which many concerns and considerations for skeptical singer , they would be vetted. each, not only from the MDC committee, who this year introduced all Now you would think that collecting but from Mustafa as well. In the end and the speakers by penning each 25 everyday objects would be a piece after much discussion, we chose a room a Haiku. Saunders is proud of of cake. (Maybe we should have used in the hallway that was close to the main the fact that Hrab’s intro to his a piece of cake!) We raided cupboards, stage and met certain requirements from presentation was “He has such wardrobes, the kitchen, you name it ... Addoun. For example, the room had to be resolve, the only thing he will and even ended up in the gift shop. well lit for the entire run of the test. fold, is origami.” At one stage, late into the night, DJ Not long before the deadline and in and I headed for the Del Mar Bar to at private, DJ chose three objects at random, - Richard Saunders least put in a brief appearance for the then placed the remaining 17 under lock Skeptics in the Pub meetup. “Hi! Great and key in a secret and secure location. 11 REPORT TAM Challenge

Behind the respectful of the challenger and the procedure. scenes Continued... During the afternoon I sat down at a meeting table and took a moment to savour the company I was in: Chip Denman, James He then smuggled the chosen three Randi, Jamy Ian Swiss, DJ Grothe, into the target room together with the Banachek and mentalist Max their accompanying sheet of paper. Mavin. Together we outlined the As required by Addoun, DJ placed format for the show (who would the objects in a triangle formation on say what and when and so on) and a large table in the room and put a all gave the final go ahead for the T-shirt belonging to Mustafa in the challenge itself. We still had the centre. Once all was correct, DJ exited option, as did Mustafa, to call it and locked the room and applied the off, but all were satisfied it should first strip of black ‘gaffer tape’ to the go ahead. Once we agreed on the doors. Only DJ knew which three format, I hid away in my room to objects had been chosen and I must work on formalising the running admit for me, personally, not knowing order, preparing the on-screen added to the excitement of the whole displays and lining up some video challenge. clips. Watching and waiting from the far Time flew by and before long I end of the hall were the other members was running back and forth from of the MDC committee and Mustafa. At my room with files and clips to test a signal from DJ, we all made our way with the media people. Addoun was up the hall to the room where Mustafa standing by in Algeria, ready for continued to place more tape on the a video Skype hook up. The idea door together with a large sheet of white was that he would simply hold up card upon which he wrote words in printouts of the photos of the three Arabic. I signed the card, after which objects he felt were in the target more tape was applied. If anyone tried to room. remove the tape from the door, the card Mustafa was waiting in the would rip. This entire procedure was audience and all seemed set. videotaped for the record. Backstage, just before 7pm, And there matters rested for the next Banachek, Jamy, Chip and I paced couple of days. TAM attendees passed up and down, going over our the room, took photos of the doors and notes and psyching ourselves up to wondered what was really going on conduct the challenge. inside. Some even asked me if anyone was locked in the room! On Saturday, SHOWTIME! James Randi met with the MDC Banachek and Jamy Ian Swiss committee and inspected the doors. JREF’s head of challenges, Banachek was brought up to speed, having been busy working off site until then. His questions and concerns were taken very seriously as his experience in these matters surely rivals that of Randi himself. CHALLENGE IN STAGE Come Sunday, the last day of TAM and the thoughts of the MDC committee turned to the stage presentation of the challenge to be held that night. It is a feature of the MDC when performed in front of an audience that they are From top to bottom: Jo Benhamu puts the Australian case; usually spellbound and, I must say, conferring with Randi; skeptics haunt the Del Mar Bar 12 The Skeptic September 13

kicked off the presentation by Algeria and we waited ... and waited by one, Addoun named the three objects recounting the MDC tests of psychics ... and the audience waited. The word he felt were in the target room and on ABC’s Nightline in 2001, together came through that the Internet in also named their identifying number. with a screening of the video. Next I that part of Algeria was down! Hmm. As he did so, Chip Denman wrote the gave an overview of last year’s challenge Although the timing was disconcerting, predictions on a large board on the with Needles and his Dynactiv SR we understood that this was a very stage. wrist band, followed by an outline of real possibility so plan B was put in A note here about the importance of the current challenge. I informed the place and that meant we simply called the identifying number for each object. audience that Addoun’s main concern Addoun on the phone. After a few We wanted to avoid the possibility of was that, as the test is being held during nervous moments, dropouts, clicks and Addoun, or any claimant, trying to Ramadan, his ‘powers’ might not be all disembodied voices, we established a identify an object by just describing it. they should. However, he wished it to connection and the audience could hear “I feel the object is round” or “I think be known that he felt he still could pass Addoun over the speakers. This was it’s a light colour” and so on. Giving the test and would not use Ramadan a relief to all as if a connection could each object a unique number meant that as an excuse if he failed. Chip Denman not be established, the challenge would there could be very little confusion, if then informed the audience of the be called off and this is something we any at all, as to what object was being probabilities and statistics. As mentioned had to consider. Those in the audience mentioned. before, there was a 1 in 1140 chance may have wondered what the MDC The objects as ‘seen’ by our claimant of success if random chance alone was committee was saying when we seemed were (remembering that the order at play. To pass, Addoun needed to get to be in a huddle; now you know. in which they were read out was right all three objects hidden in the With Mustafa acting as translator, unimportant): room with the order being unimportant. Addoun was asked if all the conditions • Paper towels - ID number 5 (The We were ready for the moment of were satisfactory. He agreed they were object was in fact a roll of toilet paper, truth and Mustafa was invited to the and we could move on to the first major but we clearly understood what was stage. He agreed that all was fair and as moment of the test. Originally the being indicated.) per the instructions from Addoun, and conversation was to be in Arabic but • A coat hanger - ID Number 13 signed a paper to that effect. in a gesture of goodwill Addoun and • A packet of potato chips - ID Next the Skype call was placed to Mustafa agreed to speak in French. One Number 22

AUSTRALIA AT TAM part from a role in the running of this year’s Million Dollar they’re really not sure what they taste like. AChallenge (see main story), Richard Saunders gave a There is, of course, more to Australian Skeptics than talk entitled “Looking into the Mind of the True Believer”. pushing sugar. Saunders makes the point that “It is a Another Australian Skeptics committee member, Joanne wonderful and uplifting feeling indeed to hear such comments Benhamu, also gave a presentation on the activities and as ‘You people in Australia are leading the way’ or ‘I wish our success of the Friends of Science in Medicine. Benhamu also skeptics group could get the results you do’ and such like.” sits on the committee of that organisation. “We had fun at the information table,” he continues. “We But the Australian presence was not limited to the stage. ran our own water divining tests. Over the four days of TAM, Since 2010, we have we had 30 people try had a presence in the their skill ... or luck ... large hall just outside trying to find a small the main theatre by way jar of water hidden of an information table. at random under one This table has proved of six boxes with the very popular over the same divining rods years with many people I have used for 10 stopping by to chat years in the Mystery and flip through issues Investigators show. of The Skeptic, and The result? Six people sample the occasional out of 30 found the exotic lollies that are on water. It’s almost as if offer – musksticks are a random chance was constant worry to some in play!” attendees, who liken the smell to perfume - Richard Saunders and the taste to ... well, 13 REPORT TAM Challenge

Behind the Thursday. They were: himself was wearing a TAM T-shirt. • A small white plate - ID number 10 I should mention that we found scenes Continued... • A blue necktie - ID number 11 Mustafa to be helpful, respectful and • A toy elephant - ID number 23 very understanding of some of the late So, zero out of three for Mr Addoun. changes to the protocol forced upon us I sensed no real disappointment from by deadlines and physical limitations. It Once the three objects and their ID Mustafa as he verified the room was in was apparent that he too was interested numbers were recorded and verified, order and his T-shirt was in place. We in a fair challenge. Grothe made a dramatic entrance onto all walked back to the main stage where And so another Million Dollar the stage, holding up the only key (the the news was conveyed to Addoun. Challenge enters the archives. other being with hotel security) to the Again, no real disappointment and he target room and passed it to me. Then seemed to take the news in his stride. POSTSCRIPT Banachek, Mustafa and I headed off During the Q&A with members of the Before I sign off, allow me to revisit the the stage to walk to the room with audience, the only thing resembling 2012 MDC of Andrew Needles and his James Randi joining us along the way. an excuse for failure was that it was Dynactiv SR (Schumann Resonance) With the use of a remote camera, the Ramadan. However, he was keen to Band. While Needles clearly failed audience could view every moment reiterate that he did not wish to use this to show he could tell the difference live on the big screens. Within a few as an ‘out’. We were pleased to tell him between someone wearing his Dynactiv moments we stood before the room. that owing to this consideration, the band and someone wearing a dummy Mustafa and I verified the writing on JREF was willing to waive the normal or placebo band (remembering that he the card was ours and the card itself 12 month waiting period and he could helped set up and approved of the test) was still taped to the doors and was apply again when he felt ready. he now claims, via his website, that just as we had left it days before. Then With a warm applause from the the TAM tests in fact prove his device Banachek invited Mustafa to unseal audience, Addoun left the conversation. works! In a breathtaking display of the room by removing the tape. Now It was then left to Mustafa to say a final ‘post-hoc’ reasoning and justification, it was time for me to unlock and open few words and what a final few words Needles has taken selected frames the doors. (I hoped I would not turn he said. To the delight of those of us on from the official video of the event the key the wrong way!) At long last we stage and to those watching, he praised to convince readers his band made a were ready and the doors were opened. the JREF for our professional and polite difference to people’s strength after-all. For the first time those present saw approach to the whole challenge and You may care to visit this page and see the three objects that had been sitting to our dealings with him and Addoun, this for yourself; it is entitled “Thank in the target room, undisturbed since and even made much of the fact that he You JREF”. . Australia’s Authority on Science When you subscribe toAustralasian Scienceat australasianscience.com.au not only will you get your print copy delivered to your door each month, you’ll also get: Weekly Online • Access to the full text of every issue Access Passes • Access to the full text of previous issues $4.95 • Science news updates throughout the month

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14 REPORT Religion The Skeptic September 13

A Divine Debate Peter Bowditch reports on an event where religion met science.

hysicist Lawrence Krauss (pictured “In terms of the atheistic argument, written two books on the subject and he Pabove) and Christian philosopher I think probably the argument on the replied “Well, except for him”, therefore William Lane Craig held a three-part hiddenness of God would be the best. proving that he can fall into logical public conversation in Brisbane, Sydney That God seems so absent sometimes fallacy traps just like anybody. I also liked and Melbourne during August 2013. when we need him most. And I think the way that Dr Craig laughed at the The series was promoted by the City that one response to that hiddenness is idea of young earth creationism. Bible Forum under the title “Life, the to say, well he’s not there. And so that And the conversation on stage? Universe and Nothing”. I attended the would be, I think, perhaps the best Dr Craig presented Gottfried Leibniz’s Sydney talk - “Why is there something argument that the atheist might offer.” syllogism (often called the Cosmological rather than nothing?” - and interviewed From Professor Krauss: “There is no Argument): the speakers before the event. evidence of God. There absolutely is 1. Everything which exists has an Both have well-known public none. I’m a scientist, and I was asked explanation of its existence profiles so I didn’t expect any surprises what would cause me to change my 2. If the universe has an explanation for from either side, and this is very much mind, and I said the slightest bit of its existence, that explanation is God what I found. In fact, each was able to empirical evidence. Just one piece. That’s 3. The universe exists accurately predict what the other would what convinces me of things. And so, to 4. The universe has an explanation of later say on stage and the arguments that me that’s the best evidence that there isn’t its existence they would use to address the question. a God. You’d think that someone who 5. Therefore God exists Skeptics are supposed to look for created the universe would somehow People much cleverer than me have evidence, so I put the following question make themselves known in a clear way. written about the flaws in this, some at to both speakers: “What is the best So the fact that there’s no evidence of great length, but I will just point to the evidence there is no God, and what’s the purpose, design or any need for anything second premise and refer people to any best evidence there is a God?” beyond the law of nature is to me the textbook on formal logic. From Dr Craig: “Well, I would say best evidence that there isn’t any. It’s just Professor Krauss summarised the that the best evidence that there is a highly unlikely.” first few chapters of his book A Universe God is that the hypothesis that God (Thanks to Kaley Payne from the From Nothing. exists explains a wide range of the data Christian magazine Eternity for the Did anyone in the capacity audience of human experience that’s very diverse. transcript of the interviews.) at the Town Hall change their opinion So it’s an extremely powerful hypothesis. As I said above, there were few or belief as a result of the dialogue? It gives you things like an explanation surprises and both responses were Probably not. Did anyone learn of the origin of the universe, the fine- as expected. In my discussion with anything new? I did, so I hope others tuning of the universe, of intelligent Professor Krauss I made a comment did too. Were we entertained? Very life. But also the presence of mind in about scientists trying to disprove much so. Are dialogues like this useful? the cosmos, an objective foundation for the existence of God. He made the Definitely, because science and religion moral values and duties, and things of categorical statement that no scientist are going to continue to overlap and that sort - it’s a wide range of data that had ever attempted that. I gave him the interact, and both sides can and must makes sense on a theistic worldview. name of a prominent physicist who had learn from the other. . 15 FEATURE Meanings The Call of the Quack Tim Harding looks at the origin of western quackery – the word and the worker.

s the Australian comedian and musician once said,A “By definition, has either not been proved to work or has been proved not to work. You know what they call alternative medicine that has been wares on the market by shouting in and quackery. Ancient ‘medicine’ proved to work? Medicine!” a loud voice. In the Middle Ages, the consisted of a mish-mash of well- A corollary of Minchin’s rhetorical word “quack” meant “shouting”. These meaning but misguided treatments by question might be “What should we days, we tend to associate quackery physicians and surgeons, faith healers, call alternative medicine that has been with dodgy products and practices herbal remedies, aromatherapy, other proved not to work?” I recently asked from the nineteenth century such as superstitions, and even sorcery or this question at my local Skeptics snake oil, miracle hair tonics, magnetic magic. Sounds familiar? That’s right in the Pub meeting, eliciting an bracelets and homeopathic remedies. - many of these weird ancient beliefs immediate and resounding chorus But the origins of western quackery have carried through to the quackery of “Quackery!” On his Quackwatch actually go back much further – to the of today as a legacy of the vast Roman web site, Dr Stephen Barrett defines cradle of western civilisation in ancient Empire. quackery as “the promotion of Greece and Rome. unsubstantiated methods that lack a In these ancient times, scientific ANCIENT GREEK MEDICINE scientifically plausible rationale”. This experimental methods had not yet The first notable Greek physician may definition includes questionable ideas been developed, let alone clinical trials. have been the poet Homer in the 7th or as well as questionable products and Medical observations were largely 8th centuries BC. In his Iliad, Homer services, regardless of the sincerity confined to patients as individuals describes various medical techniques of their promoters. In line with this rather than as a cohort or group. such as the extraction of arrows, the definition, Barrett reserves the word Ancient physicians were not much treatment of wounds, the application “fraud” only for situations in which better than naturopaths when it of dressings and the dispensing of deliberate deception is involved. came to empirical evidence. Without soothing drugs. The Homeric poems So where did quackery come from? scientific data from treatment groups provide a glimpse of ancient medical The word “quack” derives from the versus control groups, it was difficult ideas and practices long before the archaic word “quacksalver”, of Dutch to know which treatments worked and formal documentation of medical origin, literally meaning “hawker of which didn’t. As a result, there was no literature. It is significant that practical salve”. The quacksalvers sold their clear dividing line between medicine medical treatment appears to have been 16 The Skeptic September 13

provided in this early period, probably states to employ a publicly-funded Hippokrates is cited in later works as a matter of military necessity, so that physician as a more rational alternative by Aristotle and Plato, but the Greek wounded soldiers could be saved to to traditional folk medicine. Other habit of composing imaginary speeches fight another day. Greek cities also maintained a public or letters by famous people from the Reliance on the gods or faith healing physician as well as several private past gradually blurred the distinction seems to have come later, to some practitioners. between the genuine and the false. The extent in parallel with advances in The Greek historian Herodotus tells In the following, references to Call medical treatment. The god of healing, the tale of the early Greek physician Hippokrates are actually references to Asklepios, had a shrine at Epidaurus Democedes of Croton, who started the large body of medical literature in southern Greece, where miraculous his career in the civil service of Athens bearing his name, the Hippokratic recoveries were said to have been made and Aegina. In 522 BC, Democedes Corpus. of the by the sick and lame by sleeping in the was captured by the Persians and sent Hippokrates attempted to put temple overnight. A Greek lyric poet to Susa. The Persian King Darius medical diagnosis and treatment on a from Thebes named Pindar (c.522– once sprained his ankle while he was rational basis. He viewed the human c.443 BC) wrote: “[Asklepios] delivered hunting, and his Egyptian doctors body as an organism whose parts must all of them from their different pains, seemed to make be understood as a tending some of them with gentle it worse. Darius whole. Hippokrates Medical literature in Quack incantations, others with soothing then summoned “ thought that potions, or by wrapping remedies all Democedes, who Greece reflected an human physiology around their limbs, and others he set was able to heal the intellectual openness comprised four fluids right with surgery.” ankle using Greek or ‘humors’: blood, There were also apothecaries who remedies. Democedes consistent with Greek phlegm, black bile harvested herbs and prepared drugs, was richly rewarded philosophy. and yellow bile, accompanying their ministrations with and hired as a ” corresponding to important rituals and incantations. physician of the Persian the four inanimate Theophrastus (c.371 – c.287 BC), who court. Darius’s wife, elements of earth, air, was a student of Aristotle, described Atossa, later had a breast fire and water. some of these weird rituals in his ulcer. When Democedes Disease was History of Plants: “They say that the cured her ulcer, he was thought to result from peony, which some call glykyside, allowed to visit Greece as an imbalance of these should be dug up at night, for, if a man a reward. humors, resulting does it in the day-time and is observed Schools of medicine in a disturbance of by a woodpecker while he is gathering had existed for some the natural harmony the fruit, he risks the loss of his time in various regions and order of the eyesight; and if he is cutting the root at of Greece, most world so important the time, he gets a prolapsed anus. notably on the island to Classical Greek “One should draw three circles of Kos, associated with thought. Hippokrates around mandrake with a sword, and the famous name of also placed emphasis cut it with one’s face to the west; and Hippokrates, a younger on prognosis as well at the cutting of the second piece one contemporary of as diagnosis, so that should dance around the plant and say Herodotus. Hippokrates’ the course of an illness as many things as possible about the contribution to could be predicted. mysteries of love.” medicine is best The more familiarity On the other hand, the medical remembered today by a physician showed literature subsequently found in the ethical oath bearing with a disease, the Greece differed markedly from that his name. Very little is more confidence his found elsewhere. It included reasoned known of Hippokrates patients would have arguments and debates, reflecting an himself, or how much in him. Prognosis also intellectual openness consistent with of the Hippokrates had practical benefits Greek philosophy, rather than medicine medical treatises he in planning the as some sort of secret mystical art. The personally wrote. medical interventions links between medicine and philosophy that would be needed can be traced back to Parmenides, at different times. Empedocles and even Pythagoras, Right: Asklepios, the god of In the absence of whose ideas on appropriate living healing (and how to handle the modern germ included a ban on eating beans! snakes - “Furses, coiled theory of infectious Athens was one of the first city again!”). disease, the danger 0317 FEATURE Meanings

The Call of the Quack Continued...

to health from overcrowding within the Long Walls of Athens was not foreseen, resulting in a devastating plague in 430BC. Thucydides did not attempt to explain the reasons for the plague, but in the prognostic tradition of Hippokrates, he tried to describe its symptoms and effects so that if it struck again it could be recognised. Active medical interventions included cauterisation and blood- letting, as well as surgery, the rectification of dislocations and the setting of bone fractures. Other Top: Digging around for a therapies included cupping, special cure in ancient Greece diets, herbal remedies, potions, Top: Succussion: hanging purgatives and exercises, consistent a patient from a ladder and with the idea of “bringing the body dropping them several feet - back into balance”. One rather still used in spectacular treatment often performed in public was succussion, where the In case of dislocation, patient would be tied upside down to foment with hot water a ladder and then repeatedly dropped twice a day and apply from a height of several feet. ground cabbage: it will It is unclear what succussion was soon cure it.” supposed to achieve, but it is worth The Romans were noting that succussion is a word still a highly superstitious used by homeopaths to describe a people. For example, shaking step in the preparation of their the Roman Senate only water doses. Samuel Hahnemann, the sat on ‘auspicious days’. founder of homeopathy, believed that In around 78 AD, Pliny succussion activated the ‘vital energy’ the Elder wrote in his of the diluted substance and made it Natural History: “I find stronger. that a bad cold in the head clears up if the THE RISE OF QUACKERY IN ROME sufferer kisses a mule on Traditional Roman medicine was the nose. Some people initially an amateur activity using keep a weasel’s heart in a small silver Later Roman culture was greatly simple home remedies based on easily container, for swollen glands.” influenced by the ancient Greeks in available agricultural ingredients such The number three was regarded many things, including philosophy, as wool, eggs and the humble but as a lucky number. An anonymous literature, art, science and medicine. miraculous cabbage. Cato the Elder Roman inscription reads: “To Julian Galen of Pergamon (c. 129-200 wrote in his treatise On Agriculture: who was spitting up blood and had AD) was a leading surgeon, physician, “For those who are troubled by colic, been despaired of by all men the god and philosopher of Greek origin. In cabbage should be steeped in water ... revealed that he should go and from 162 AD, he established a large and Now as to patients for whom urination the threefold altar take the seeds of a successful practice in Rome, where is painful or dribbling. Take cabbage, pine cone and eat them with honey for he attended the Emperor Marcus put in boiling water, boil briefly till half three days. And he was saved and went Aurelius. Among his voluminous cooked ... If any sore or cancer develops and publicly offered thanks before the works was a short essay entitled That in the breasts, apply ground cabbage ... people.” the Best Physician is also a Philosopher, 18 The Skeptic September 13

where he urged physicians to emulate unknown to modern science. our creator would purposely make half Hippokrates and to embrace logic and For religious reasons, there was little the whole race imperfect and, as it were, rationality: “What reason, then, remains or no dissection of human corpses in mutilated, unless there was to be some why the doctor, who practises the Art ancient Rome. Nevertheless, Galen great advantage in such a mutilation.” in a manner worthy of Hippocrates, believed in the supreme importance These biased attitudes impacted should not be a philosopher? For of anatomy, so he regularly performed wider Greek and Roman society. For since, in order to discover the nature dissections on animals. Although he example, it was believed, on false of the body, and the distinctions was conscious of the limitations of medical grounds, that a man’s seed was between diseases, and the indications extrapolating from most potent when for remedies, he must exercise his animals to humans, he was about 30 mind in rational thought, and since, he did express some Women were years of age; and a so that he may persevere laboriously in erroneous views about “ woman’s body best the practice of these things, he must human anatomy, presented as being suited for childbirth despise riches and exercise temperance, such as the following incapable of knowing when she was still a he must already possess all the parts of description in his what was wrong with teenager. philosophy: the logical, the scientific, work On the Usefulness The medical and the ethical.” of Parts of the Body: them.” theories of ancient Consistent with this approach, Galen “All the parts, then, Greece and Rome saw the bodies of living things and their that men have, women have too, the formed the foundation of Western various parts as designed and operated difference between them lying in only medicine for centuries, even if they were by a craftsman-like nature with a one thing, which must be kept in mind eventually rejected. The main reasons purpose in mind; thus an important throughout the discussion, namely, for this rejection were the development key to anatomical and physiological that in women the parts are within [the of empirical scientific methods after knowledge is an understanding body], whereas in men they are outside, the Renaissance, coupled with advances of nature’s purposes. This form of in the region called the perineum. such as the invention of the microscope ‘intelligent design’ has been described as Consider first whichever ones you and the germ theory of infectious a teleological view of biology by modern please, turn outward the woman’s, turn disease. While there were observations of reviewers of Galen’s writings. Galen inward, so to speak and fold double the individual patients, there is no evidence held that nature rules the body from man’s, and you will find them the same of any organised medical experiments three anatomical centres – the liver, the in both in every respect.” being conducted in ancient Greece and heart and the brain (in contrast to the Women were treated by male Rome, let alone clinical trials. Aristotelian view that all faculties are physicians and the gynaecological In some ways, the Greek centred in the heart). He claimed that treatises of the Hippokratic Corpus philosophical traditions of logic and human physiology can be explained by were almost certainly written by and rationality held back a more empirical the principal activities of nature, which for men. scientific approach to medicine. Instead are genesis, growth and nutrition. Part of the deficiency of of conducting practical experiments Like Hippokrates, Galen believed observational evidence stems from the on illnesses, ancient Greek and Roman in the need for the four humors to failure of male medical writers to speak physicians became diverted into a be in balance. He thought that the to women about their illnesses. Women search for the underlying purposes of human body had three physiological were traditionally presented as being diseases - a relatively fruitless ‘search spheres: the nutritive, the vital and the incapable of knowing what was wrong for meaning’ rather than for empirical logical. According to Galen, stomach with them, or of telling a doctor if they evidence. This mystical and unscientific cooks food to what was called “chyle” did know. Galen’s teleological view of approach is one of the hallmarks of and sends it to the liver. The liver biology also appears to have influenced quackery today. . adds ‘natural spirit’ and sends it to his attitudes towards women: “So too other organs and the heart. The heart the woman is less perfect than the Note: The references for this article may adds ‘vital spirit’ and sends it to the man in respect to the generative parts. be found on Tim Harding’s blog at http:// brain. The brain adds what was called For the parts were formed within her yandoo.wordpress.com ‘pneuma’ and sends to the body through when she was still a foetus, but could nerves. Such views were the likely not because of the defect in the heart origin of the modern naturopathic emerge and project on the outside, and belief in ‘vitalism’ that persists today. this, though making the animal itself About the author: Naturopathy posits that a special that was being formed less perfect than Tim Harding BSc is a energy called “vital energy” or “vital one that is complete in all respects, regulatory consultant who force” guides bodily processes such as provided no small advantage for the is studying history and metabolism, reproduction, growth, and race; for there needs must be a female. philosophy at Monash adaptation. Such energies and forces are Indeed, you ought not to think that University. 19 REGULARS Horoscope The Skeptic September 13 Your Stars: SEPTEMBER 2013 With our Astrologer, Dr Duarf Ekaf

Aries: 21 March -19 April Virgo: 23 August - 22 September Ophiuchus: 0 - 0 - sorry Flying around the world backwards Never air your dirty laundry in public This week you’ll see eye to eye with through the international dateline unless you want people to giggle at people of your height. I wonder if does wonders for your astrology. If your undies. Cover your bases and you’ll hear ear to ear at the same you play your cards right you can backside and for that you’ll need your time? have 2 birthdays and none at all! If undies which should be clean by now. this applies to you, read this twice or ignore it altogether. Sagittarius: 22 November- 21 December Mars is in your 7th house. You have Taurus: 20 April - 20 May 7 houses? You have a house big If you sleep like a log you’ll wake enough for a planet? up stiff as a board. Time to get a new bed or just start sleeping in your own!! Capricorn: 22 December - 19 January Take a deep breath but Gemini: 21 May - make sure it’s your own. 20 June People born in your My dentist always star sign are known for works by the stars. In being heavy breathers fact, he works outside especially after at night. This can make running. for some interesting and unexpected fillings and extractions. Your lucky Aquarius: 20 January - teeth are the ones still in 18 February your head. The stars are unclear for you this month owing to interference from Reiki Cancer: 21 June - 22 July energy. Please use your aura Are you a one trick pony? Maybe or something else to contact your you’re just an ass. In any case, spirits. Gin is a nice spirit. your stars tell me you just botch up everything! For a more positive reading, send $49.95 to my PO Box. Pisces: 19 February - 20 March If a tabby cat crosses your path, bend Libra: 23 September -22 October over and give it a pat. It might not Leo: 23 July - 22 August Drinking to forget never works. I be your lucky day but the cat will Be careful walking outside today as it remember the time I drank to forget appreciate it. . will be raining cats and dogs. If you about the ... the ... errr ... well whatever step in a poodle ... hang on ... oh ... it was, it didn’t work. Also, drinking to sorry. I was reading a joke book from forget never works. 1965. Still, makes about as much sense as Astrology. Scorpio: 23 October - 21 November If other people can hear the ringing in your head you’re in more trouble than you thought. Keep your friends close and your enemies very, very far away.

20 FEATURE Meanings The Skeptic September 13

Martin Bridgstock looks at the history about of bunk, and finds Bunk that it’s not all it seems. But is it rubbish?

ost skeptics are familiar BunkTHE ORIGINS OF ‘BUNK.’ down the east coast of America. After Mwith the term ‘bunk,’ The answer lies in politics and slavery, independence the Americans moved (or perhaps ‘bunkum’) with its and goes back nearly 200 years. Let us inland, setting up new states as they associated skeptical activity of go back, in imagination, to the United went. The southern states had become debunking. The Oxford English States Congress of February1820. The wedded to a slave economy, while Dictionary tells us that it means Representatives were nearly exhausted. many northerners regarded slavery “humbug, nonsense”. And of, A highly contentious issue was being with horror. As a result, the entry of course, Henry Ford told us that discussed, and had been the subject each new state was watched closely history is bunk. of argument for about a month. This by both sides. If too many slave or But why bunk? The word has was the status of the proposed state non-slave states entered the union, several perfectly legitimate uses. of Missouri, the first new state which then partisans might be able to force It can be a type of bed, or a plant would be west of the great Mississippi legislation through Congress. An from which drugs can be made, River. The question was, should uneasy balance ensued, with slave and and also it refers to part of a sled. Missouri be allowed to have slaves, or free states being admitted in roughly None of these meanings has any must it be free? equal numbers. obvious connection to empty A great deal hung on the outcome The congressmen of 1820 were claptrap, so how did nonsense of questions like this. The United weary. They had been arguing and come to be termed ‘bunk’? States began as a string of colonies yelling for about a month on this 21 FEATURE Meanings

the way that Represenative Walker like Abraham Lincoln and William Bunk gave a whole new meaning to the Lloyd Garrison were completely in term ‘Buncombe’. The exact meaning, the right. Therefore, we might feel about Bunk naturally, is not explained. unsympathetic to Walker. Still, we should remember that millions of Continued... THE QUINTESSENCE OF BUNK. people supported slavery, and it was When I learned about the word’s his job to represent them. And, of ‘Missouri Question’. Eventually, they origins, I became curious about the course, a speech can support a bad forged the Missouri Compromise, original speech.What, I wondered, cause without being vacuous: the two which allowed slavery in Missouri and was so awful about Walker’s words are not logically linked. Second, the some southwestern territories, but that he was howled down by his speech is appallingly long-winded. It not in a huge swathe of northwestern fellow congressmen? What would the is just under 5000 words long, and land. The compromise, with additions, quintessence of bunk look like? So I at a guess, its entire content could held for about forty years before it located Walker’s original speech and probably be stated in about a fifth of collapsed and war ensued. It was an read it. that length. ugly political measure, but it was the Rather to my Its stance and best that either side could obtain. astonishment, Walker’s its wordiness Right at the end of this debate, speech is not bunk. “ When Walker spoke to can prejudice Representative Felix Walker, of The original piece exhausted congressman, us against Buncombe in North Carolina, rose of ‘bunkum’ does his general points fell upon the fact that to speak. He did not complete his not conform to the it makes speech. According to legend, his definition at all. Indeed, deaf ears.” about a dozen words were so empty of meaning, if you want a summary important so worthless, that other points. congressmen began What sort of things to shout him down. does Walker say? He freely He persisted, replying concedes that slavery is that he had to speak an evil, arguing only that ‘For Buncombe!” The abolition is probably more cries grew louder and evil yet. He makes the point eventually he was that the current slaveowners persuaded to sit down. did not originate slavery, The City of Washington and that the people they Gazette – whether out brought from Africa were of kindness or cruelty – not free originally. They printed his speech in full might well, he thinks, be the next day. better off in the USA even The legend grew that as slaves. Preventing slavery Felix Walker had made an from spreading across the utterly worthless speech, Mississippi River will not simply seeking to fool free a single slave. He also the people of Buncombe points out that the ‘family’ into thinking that he of American states is likely was working hard at to be torn apart by conflict representing them. So over this issue, the most the custom developed terrible conflict imaginable. that, when someone was He regards Americans from speaking simply for the states in the North and East sake of appearances, he was described of the arguments advanced by one as his brethren, and is appalled that – perhaps with a wink – as speaking side in the debate, Walker’s speech they don’t regard him in the same way. ‘for Buncombe’ and then ‘Bunkum,’ does a good job of making the key and finally ‘Bunk.’ So the name of a points. THE VALUE OF WALKER’S SPEECH southern US town became the label I should make two important Skeptics can exercise their critical for nonsense. points before moving on. I suspect faculties by reading Walker’s speech. The town of Buncombe has put most skeptics would agree with my It provides good practice in cutting the best face on this it can. Outside stance that slavery is a total evil, through verbiage to see the key the town is a sign commemorating and that the northern anti-slavers points beneath. In addition, it is 22 The Skeptic September 13

useful practice to refute the different arguments. For example, it is perfectly true that contemporaneous (ie nineteenth century) American slaveowners did not originate slavery. On the other hand, those who perpetuate an evil, and benefit from it, must acknowledge some responsibility for that evil. In addition, they must not be surprised if they are regarded badly by those who seek to eliminate the evil. The other points can be addressed in a similar way. On one point, though, Walker is completely correct. He points to the dangers of conflict within the union, and goes on to predict terrible consequences if antislavery legislation is forced through. The last paragraph of his speech goes like this: “Sir, in the last war we lost our thousands, but if you will force upon us this restriction, you may, in the end, in the course of your mistaken policy, which if persisted in, go on with increasing bad reputation? I suspect the context Above: An old sign proudly acknowledges rapidity, at last compel us take leave explains this. The politicians had been Felix Walker’s contribution to language. of each other, and lead to an event struggling for a month to come up Left: Another old sign in Buncombe, Mis- that may prostrate the lives of the ten with a solution. Undoubtedly there souri - it’s all true! thousands of your choice citizens and had been hours of bargaining and fatally terminate in the dissolution of debate in offices, inns and corridors. our confederated government.” These discussions would not be Note: You can read Felix Walker’s Walker was exactly right, though concerned with general principles, but speech at: http://en.wikisource.org/ he did not live to see his prediction with hard facts and questions about wiki/Missouri_Question:_Speech_of_ confirmed. The Missouri Compromise what each side might find acceptable. Mr._Walker,_of_N.C. and its successors held for forty years. Therefore, when Walker spoke to An account of the incident, When compromises finally came exhausted congressmen, his general and a picture of the gloriously apart, the American Civil War claimed points fell upon deaf ears. uninformative sign can be found at: not tens of thousands but hundreds of This shows that context is an http://www.appalachianhistory. thousands of lives, and left large parts important factor in getting your net/2012/02/north-carolina- of the country in ruins. On this point viewpoint across. If your message isn’t politician-gives-us-word.html Walker was terribly, hideously right. appropriate for a particular audience, A look at the complexities of the it probably won’t be Missouri Compromise and its heard. Sometimes successors can be found in Wikipedia. you can tailor your message so that it will be heard but sometimes – as with About the author: Felix Walker – it is impossible. Martin Bridgstock is Another important point is a senior lecturer in the directly related to skepticism. School of Biomolecular and SO WHY BUNK? Popular perception is not always Physical at Griffith I hope that I have justified my right. Walker’s speech was not empty University and the author of argument that Walker’s speech, claptrap, but it has gone down in Beyond Belief. although mediocre, is by no means history as exactly that. There is always empty claptrap. It certainly does value in examining the evidence for not justify the appellation of ‘bunk.’ popular myths and beliefs and finding Why, then, has it acquired such a out how much truth is in them. . 23 FEATURE Education Degrees of woo ... revisited Tim Mendham looks further into some of the unscientific courses and the academics who support them in Australia’s universities.

n the first half of 2011, The Skeptic study, which themselves were often of within the school includes ‘wellness’, Iaddressed the issue of specific courses dubious worth. This was especially true which itself has electives covering: an and activities in our universities that were of some courses run within the medical introduction to wellness; aromatherapy; unsupported by scientific evidence. (See faculties of tertiary institutions. and complementary and alternative “Degrees of Woo”, The Skeptic, 31:1 and treatments, such as naturopathy, 31:2) These articles elicited responses THE COURSES traditional Chinese medicine and from the tertiary education sector – not One university that featured prominently acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, always positive – and the media. at the time of the original articles, and massage, herbal medicine and others. Revisiting these courses and their later with FSM, is RMIT University The course description continues: practitioners is an interesting process, in Melbourne. At the time, RMIT put “Wellness, with an elective Mindbody as there have been a number of great emphasis on its chiropractic courses Wellness, is offered fully online. You developments of note. and clinics. These are still running, but will gain an overview of mindbody One, of course, is the establishment there are other aspects of its teaching modalities and their application in of the Friends of Science in Medicine worth noting. One is its School of enhancing wellbeing. Topics include: (FSM), which came into being at the Health Sciences (not to be confused with the mindbody connection and how end of 2011. FSM was the winner of the its courses in Medical Science). it functions in the body; mindbody Skeptic of the Year award in 2012, and its Head of the school, Professor wellness and stress; mindbody modalities development has been due in large part Charlie Xue, says in the school’s online including imagery, meditation, intuition to the untiring efforts of Loretta Marron, description: “The School’s aim is to and autogenic training; the power herself a two-time winner of the same develop health practitioners whose of intention and love in mindbody award. skills are valued not only in Australia wellness; how mindbody modalities At the outset, we stressed that but throughout the world; practitioners affect cellular health and how they may we supported serious scientifically- who will lead their professions through prevent illness; the practice of mindbody founded research into areas that might research and other scholarly activities; wellness in daily life; critical evaluation be considered outside the realms of and practitioners whose skills will of mindbody literature and professional established scientific understanding. What develop and improve over time as life- and ethical issues in mindbody wellness was of concern were the often vague and long learners.” practice. superficial justifications used for such The health professional courses “At RMIT ‘wellness’ is seen as an 24 The Skeptic September 13

holistic, multidisciplinary concept that THE ACADEMICS pharmacy, philosophy, administration and includes personal wellbeing, health and The claim that there are people who education and three postdoctoral sies [sic] happiness along with sustainability, are “noted for their sensitive and finely and regions.tations [sic].” corporate social responsibility, public tuned sense of touch” is reminiscent of While the introductory description of policy, social justice, environmental claims made for the “sensitive” skills of the institution on its website is available Degrees sustainability, human security, and psychics and mediums, and raises the in English, detailed descriptions of degree ethical and spiritual dimensions.” issue of the skills and qualifications of courses on the website only link to It enthusiastically suggests that the academics leading these courses. pages in Chinese – there are no English “The Wellness Program aims to make Prof Charlie Xue, the earlier-mentioned versions of these pages. Most other links a difference in the world by producing Head of School, Health Sciences, at have similar restrictions, and the link highly skilled practitioners and managers RMIT, has a Bachelor of Medicine from to GZUCM’s faculty and staff goes to ... who will lead a wellness revolution and the Guangzhou University of Chinese a blank page. Presumably there is more of woo contribute to solutions to living ‘well’ on Medicine (GZUCM). information on the Chinese language the planet.” GZUCM was founded in 1956, version, but the English one is sadly That this is an extremely vague and and originally known as Guangzhou lacking in detail. superficial course description goes University of Traditional Chinese The question remains as to whether without saying. Terms such as a “wellness Medicine. It says it is one of the four Prof Xue’s Bachelor of Medicine degree revolution”, “intuition”, “the power of oldest TCM higher education institutes is in medicine as it is normally known in love” and “spiritual dimensions” are in China and one of the first higher Australia or is it, as has been suggested, revisited more suited to a New Age pamphlet education institutes approved to award a Bachelor of Traditional Medicine than a university course description. master and doctorate degree in China. (Acupuncture). RMIT also offers a Doctorate of At present, there are around 23,000 Dr Craig Hassed is a GP and a Philosophy in Chiropractic, Osteopathic students and 4668 faculties. senior lecturer at the Monash University and Chinese Medicine. For studies for a Bachelor’s degree, Department of General Practice. His RMIT and Victoria Uni both teach the University says it has “16 programs teaching, research and clinical interests ‘cranial osteopathy’. in medicine, sciences, engineering, involve “mindfulness-based stress Much of osteopathy lies in the administration, economics, arts and management, mind-body medicine, middle ground between chiropractic and education. Among these are the study meditation, holistic health care, health physiotherapy, but cranial osteopathy, or of Chinese promotion, craniosacral therapy, is a subject that is medicine, Chinese complementary highly contentious. herbal medicine, “ Using vague and therapies and TheSkeptic’s Dictionary says that “In a acupuncture, emotive terms sounds very medical ethics”. [1999] systematic review of the scientific moxibustion He is regularly evidence for craniosacral therapy, the and tuina, and much like brochures for New invited to speak British Columbia Office of Health pharmaceutical Age ‘health’ practitioners. in Australia and Technology Assessment concluded that engineering.” ” overseas on these there is insufficient scientific evidence [Moxibustion issues and also to recommend craniosacral therapy to is a treatment using the herb muxa teaches in the cancer support programs patients, practitioners or third party made from mugwort, ground into a at the Gawler Foundation, itself a payers for any clinical condition. ‘fluff’, burned – thus ‘combustion’ – and controversial and contentious institution “The authors of the review note that applied to the skin. Tuina is a form of offering cancer treatments based on diet. while ‘there is evidence for a craniosacral Chinese manipulative therapy often He writes for medical journals, particularly rhythm, impulse or “primary respiration” used in conjunction with acupuncture, in Philosophy of Medicine, and has independent of other measurable body moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese published various books on these topics. rhythms (heart rate, or respiration),’ herbalism, t’ai chi, and qigong.] His site says “He has been there is no valid evidence that this For postgraduate education, GZUCM instrumental in introducing a variety rhythm ‘can be reliably perceived by an boasts 19 doctoral degree programs of innovations into medical education examiner’ or that it has any influence on in Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal and practice with an emphasis on the health or disease states.” medicine and integration of Chinese application of holistic, integrative and Nonetheless, RMIT says that medicine and Western medicine, and mind-body medicine in medical practice, “Osteopaths treat people for a wide 24 master degree programs in Chinese and reconnecting different knowledge range of conditions, including pain and medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, and systems, eg medical science and stiffness in any area of the body, from the integration of Chinese medicine. philosophy”, stating that this is done in head to toes. They use a variety of hands- “The Master’s degree programs include a manner which is “grounded, balanced, on techniques, and are noted for their Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal scientifically valid and clinically effective”. sensitive and finely tuned sense of touch medicine, integration of Chinese medicine The blurb for his book, New Frontiers (palpation).” and Western medicine, clinical medicine, in Medicine: The Body as the Shadow 25 FEATURE Education

calmer life. … The biggest challenge using vague and emotive terms Degrees facing healthcare in this century isn’t like “ancient wisdoms”, “challenge in the discovery of new science or conventional dogma”, “spirituality” and of Woo... medical treatments, but found within “connectedness”, sound very much like Continued... ourselves. The seven crucial pillars of brochures for corner-store New Age wellbeing - ESSENCE - are drawn ‘health’ practitioners, not that of the from the best of research in traditional work of a “scientifically valid” academic of the Soul Volume 2, says that “This and complementary medicine. Hand working within a noted seat of learning. book comes to us in an era dominated in hand with motivation and strategies There is obviously still much to learn by biomedical advances. The author for change, Dr Hassed shows that we about our tertiary education institutions combines the skills of a GP and academic are capable of life-long good health, and the courses they promote, with the deep understanding of the happiness and calm.” particularly those within supposedly ancient wisdom traditions to challenge “Essence” is Hassed’s formal scientific disciplines.. this conventional dogma. This powerful approach to ‘wellness’, acronymically book addresses the relationship between covering education, stress management, mind, body and soul. The author’s ability spirituality, exercise, nutrition, to integrate rather than divide makes this connectedness and environment. book essential reading for everyone.” “Imagine a life with little illness About the author: For another book, The Essence of and pain. Imagine being well, without Tim Mendham Health: The Seven Pillars of Wellbeing, doctors or hospitals. It’s all possible. It’s is executive officer and the blurb says that “Wellness is the all about Essence.” editor with Australian mantra for a healthier, happier and These sorts of promotion, Skeptics Inc.

M a c q u a r i e M i s g i v i n g s Strkalj, the Director of Research in the Department, is not, in fact, a chiropractor. Rather his background n April of this year, Macquarie University announced “a is as a biological anthropologist and anatomist, with Iproposal to begin discussions with other interested higher research interests in “human variation, ‘race’, history of education providers about the transfer of its chiropractic biological anthropology, science education”. Likewise teaching by 2015”. the Department’s Director of Higher Degree Research, The proposal involves the transfer of all Department of Associate Professor Subramanyam Vemulpad, is a medical Chiropractic taught units and degrees, and relevant capital microbiologist with “wide ranging experience in public assets. It also involves the potential transfer of a number of health and infectious diseases”. chiropractic academic staff together with their entitlements. Some of the research outputs of the department Current students will be allowed to complete their studies included studies in ‘ethnobotany’ (a study of medicinal at Macquarie. plants used by the Yaegl Aboriginal community - Executive Dean of Science Prof Clive Baldock said the Vemulpad), anthropology (photographs of the Taung child initiative was “first and foremost an academic one, based - Strkalj), ergonomics (the impact of space on students’ on a need for the Faculty of Science to build upon the perception of the value of their learning experience – University’s recent major strategic investments in research- Robertson and Baumann) and a look at ancient American intensive disciplines such as biomedical science and violence (Serafin), among other topics which seem to have engineering”. little to do with chiropractic. “While our chiropractic area does not meet our Macquarie is one of four universities across Australia requirements from a research-intensive perspective, we where students can obtain a bachelor or masters degree in believe our chiropractic degrees to be of the highest chiropractic studies, the others being RMIT, Murdoch and teaching quality, and they remain extremely popular with Central Queensland University (CQU). students. We therefore believe the responsible thing to do is It has been suggested that CQU may be the likely to begin discussions with other higher education providers candidate to take on the courses. This is particularly so who are keen to grow in this area,” he said. because the University’s Chiropractic Program Lead is Prof There were suggestions in the media, however, that Phillip Ebrall, formerly of RMIT and a firm supporter of the university’s decision was due as much to demands by fundamentalist chiropractic tenets such as ‘subluxation,’ medical professionals that the university should phase out a a phenomenon that has never been proved to exist. course regarded by many as quackery as it was to research Curiously for a high level academic, Ebrall once said, in activity. his personal website, that he was “proudly Aries”. We see Regarding that “research-intensive perspective”, that this reference to a predilection for astrology has now it is worthwhile noting that Associate Professor Goran been deleted. . 26 ARTICLE Epiphany The Skeptic September 13 Birth of a Notion red Watson and Paul Willis reveal Fhow they became skeptics … all thanks to sex and dinosaurs. DR FRED WATSON, ASTRONOMER I grew up in an era when science was very much in the ascendancy – I was at school in the late 50s and early 60s, not that many years after the Second World War – and science was the foundation stone of education at that time. Certainly in the UK, the number of kids in the arts streams of my school was dramatically less than the three science streams that were going on as well. The reason for that, of course, was that we’d just survived a world war which might be a viable position. But was fought largely on the basis of science my position was nothing like that; and technology. National security was a it was very much at the hot end big issue, and science was seen as a way of the spectrum, and eventually of approaching that. I thought that this was just In that regard, I’ve had science as the complete bollocks, and that was underpinning paradigm of the way I’ve the bottom line. thought and the way I’ve lived my life, all my life. DR PAUL WILLIS, PALAEONTOLOGIST I have to say, though … and as long as AND DIRECTOR RIAUS this does not go beyond these four walls I found my first fossil when I was six. … that there was a time when I became I was mad on dinosaurs and fossils, in foundations of what brought me to my a fundamentalist Christian for a short fact, before that. And I can remember world view. time and tried to rationalise that with – I might have been 10 or 11 – I was Pretty deep thought for a 10-year-old, my science. Eventually I gave up and working my way through a book on eh? science won, but it gave me an insight human evolution, and there was one Really that was the beginning of my into the way perhaps creationists think. of those paleopithocaposaurus or involvement in skeptical thought. It has It is a useful way of dealing with it when whatever, one of those long names that mainly been based on creationism, in my I talk with people like that now. are far too long for a kid to read, and work with creationists. I’ve argued with What I guess I was doing was I went up to the stand-in teacher we some of ‘top’ creationists in Australia. exploring alternative ideas, but I very had that day and asked “How do you I can trace it back to that day in the quickly came back to science. pronounce this?” She wouldn’t tell me schoolyard when the teacher tried to tell Partly it was the hormones that how it was pronounced; she said, “You me that evolution was a load of shit, and were inspired by the pastor’s daughter shouldn’t be reading this because that’s then I knew that she was full of shit. switching off because we fell out, but it not how we got here.” And when you start at age 10, that was also recognition of the influence of From that moment onwards I becomes incalcated, it becomes part of critical thinking. Looking at what these realised that just because something your being. . beliefs were based on, exactly what the was science, just because something fundamental tenets of the beliefs that I was backed up by evidence, just Note: Interview transcripts from was really quite heavily immersed in, and because something seemed to have TAM Australia 2010. These and other what they had actually come from. a solid foundation in reality, didn’t interviews and presentations are featured We can essentially go through life mean that there weren’t people out on the TAM Australia DVD, available as agnostics and recognise that that there who wanted to demolish the very from www.skeptics.com.au/shop 0327 ARTICLE Health Natural Martin Wallace says that vitamin C is essential to human health, but product, our understanding of its role has been perverted by practitioners unnatural of ‘alternative’ medicine. practice he 18th-century discovery that alternative practitioners and those who as have some varieties of fruit bats. T oral citrus juice can protect practise evidence-based medicine can The loss of ability to manufacture this seafarers against the vicious disease be full of rancour. They are the stuff of substance was offset by the extensive of scurvy is well documented1. The sensational press reporting. dietary sources in plants. Thus, when identity of the responsible compound is Such an episode was the NZ TV 3 human beings began their ‘Out of established, as is its molecular structure. documentary Living Proof: Vitamin C, Africa’ migrations, this genetic change It can be synthesised in the laboratory, Miracle cure? aired on 18 August 2010 did not offer any hindrance. Humans and its name is ascorbic acid or Vitamin and still available on-line. went on to inhabit deserts, Pacific C. It is essential for the maintenance of I would like to examine in more islands and Arctic wastes, as well as collagen structure. Humans are unable detail the history of Vitamin C forests. The genetic change did not to synthesise it themselves, and must discovery and use, the origins of the offer any selective pressure, and is obtain it from their food. The daily alternative practices, their dangers, described as ‘neutral’. However, human requirement in our diet to prevent and the danger of the acceptance of need for dietary Vitamin C became scurvy is about 40mg. unproven material as ‘fact’. distressingly clear with the advent of But there are those who are giving long sea voyages by Europeans. huge doses of this substance by THE DISCOVERY OF VITAMIN C The toll of the deficiency state, intravenous injection to treat cancer, Some 61 million years ago our scurvy, was huge. The potential infections, and a great variety of anthropoid ancestors experienced a rewards of exploration were equally other conditions. The doses can be genetic mutation which took away large, and drove the seafaring. up to a thousand times more than their (and our) ability to synthesise Competition at sea for those rewards the recommended daily intake. The Vitamin C 2. Guinea pigs have also led to the formation of naval forces, differences of opinion between these lost this capacity (14 million years ago) the competency of which was severely 28 The Skeptic September 13

Victualling Board did not react. No genetic change which has rendered us doubt, cost was a factor. susceptible to scurvy has been found. Reinforcement of the work by Lind A daily intake of Vitamin C and the experience of others occurred necessary to prevent scurvy has been with the outstanding record of no determined. loss of life from scurvy during James This story is an excellent example Cook’s first voyage. He introduced two of the human ability to observe, dietary factors: citrus juice and wort, a remember, and compare, and to reason from the results. It also includes less Brown ascribes much laudable features of our natures, such “ as the driving force of the profit motive of the British naval success in trade, and controlling costs in public Natural in the Napoleonic War to enterprises to the exclusion of the public good. citrus juice as a standard However, something else has part of rations. happened. Over the last 60 years ” a vociferous body of opinion has emerged, which claims that Vitamin C is also a cure for cancer (among product, other things) and that practitioners of evidence-based medicine are Above: Jacques Cartier, forced to deliberately withholding an effective winter in Canada - what is there to do?. treatment from cancer sufferers. Right: Captain James Cook, looking a How can this be? little disgruntled - too many lemons? Or because his buttons keep popping? THE ALTERNATIVES unnatural In 1954 and again in 1959, WJ compromised by this scourge. McCormick advanced what he When Jacques Cartier and explicitly described as a hypothesis3. his men were forced to winter This was that cancer spread was caused over in Canada in 1535, scurvy by a degeneration of the basement became a major problem. The membranes of epithelial tissues due to a local native Americans recognised deficiency of Vitamin C. practice the condition and showed Cartier In 1966, Irwin Stone wrote a brief how a tea made from white proposal that scurvy was indeed a cedar needles was curative1 (an genetic disease and an in-born error early example of how effective of metabolism4. He went on to medical practice can be based on extrapolate findings about the Vitamin experience, rather than formal C synthesis rate in rats (which have experiment!). fermented malt drink. Cook was not retained this ability), to a 70kg human, The effect of citrus juice on scurvy clear which factor was responsible, but on a per kilogram basis, and said that was becoming apparent by the early clearly scurvy was preventable. the resultant 1.8 to 4.0g of ascorbic 17th century when James Lancaster of In 1795 the Royal Navy made citrus acid per day was the real human the East India Company wrote Lemons juice a standard part of rations. Brown1 requirement. He compared this to the help to prevent scurvy1 and citrus juice ascribes much of the British naval then-accepted figure of 70mg. He said became part of the standard rations on success in the Napoleonic War to this there was room for investigation of the company’s ships. change, with the ensuing good health the effect of Vitamin C in large doses In 1740, James Lind, a Royal Naval of the crews. on infectious diseases, cardiovascular surgeon, performed an early controlled The active principle in citrus disease, collagen diseases, cancer and clinical trial. He took 12 scurvy juice was identified in 1927 by a the ageing process. sufferers and divided them into six Hungarian chemist, Szent-Gyorgyi, In 1969 a general surgeon working groups of two. He treated one pair with working in Cambridge. The chemical in Scotland, Ewan Cameron, put citrus, and the other five pairs each was synthesised by another chemist, forward the theory that the invasive with a different alternative treatment. Haworth, working in Manchester in nature of cancers was due to the loss Only the citrus two were healed. 1933. of integrity of basement membranes. This was conclusive evidence for the Subsequently, the paleogenetics have He postulated that this was due to efficacy of citrus, but the Royal Navy been determined2, and the site of the an abnormality in the hyaluronidase 0329 ARTICLE Health

Natural product, clearly indicate that this simple and by a variety of indications, including safe form of medication is of definite the finding of inoperability at unnatural value in the treatment of patients with laparotomy, the abandonment of any advanced cancer.” definitive anti-cancer treatment, or practice What did they do? the date of admission to hospital for Continued... They treated 100 cancer patients terminal care. There were other criteria with intravenous Vitamin C at a dose for setting the date of presentation, but of 10 g a day for about 10 days, and these are not described in the paper. then the same dose by mouth each day. It is clear that the dates of enzyme system, and that Vitamin C Each patient’s state was agreed, by at presentation for the controls would was involved. least two physicians, to be at that stage have included terminally ill patients In 1970, a world famous scientist, when continuing any conventional with little life expectancy, while the Linus Pauling, published a paper, treatment would offer no further treated group could have included Evolution and the Need for Ascorbic benefit. Some were chosen from a patients much earlier in the course Acid5. He was an authority on the larger group by random selection but of their disease, with a much longer electronic structure of atoms and there was no formal randomisation life expectancy. There are good molecules, and had worked in the field process. By this definition, these reasons for the longer survival of the of quantum mechanics. His laboratory patients may already have responded to treated patients other than Vitamin C work involved x-ray diffraction conventional treatment and could have treatment. The two groups were not technology. He was a peace activist been in remission after treatment. comparable, and the results, despite the who incurred the wrath of the US The control patients (n=1000) were large numbers and small P-values, do State Department, which withdrew his treated by the same physicians at the not demonstrate any effect of Vitamin passport 1952–1954. He was awarded same hospital, without Vitamin C, C. One could be forgiven for thinking the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954, over the previous 10 years. They were that terms such as “random selection” and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963. He selected by a random search of the and “random search” are deliberately had impeccable credentials. hospital records. misleading. However, as Sam Harris says, when There were 10 As Pooh-Bah debating the validity of evidence and controls for each “ The association of said: Merely arguments, credentials just offer a treated patient, Pauling’s name with corroborative rough indication of what a person is matched for sex, detail, intended likely to know, or should know6. age (+/- 5 years), ensuing arguments can to give artistic In his 1970 paper Pauling argued and tumour type. lend weight to unproven verisimilitude to that Vitamin C is so abundant in plant The definition contentions. an otherwise bald foods that the loss of synthetic activity of the date of ” and unconvincing implied the need for huge amounts of untreatability was narrative8. an essential foodstuff. He calculated In 1979 Ewan Cameron and Linus the total amount of Vitamin C in a Pauling, together with Brian Leibovitz variety of foods, if that food on its own of the Oregon Medical School, were to provide a daily 2500-Calorie published Ascorbic acid and cancer: a energy intake. He assumed that the review9. In the abstract they point out huge difference between these results that the paper describes factors which and the then-recommended daily cause resistance to tumour growth intake of 70 mg, indicated a large and spread. The paper describes the deficiency in the human diet. He did role of Vitamin C in many of these not comment that the ability to absorb mechanisms. They suggest that the ingested Vitamin C might be limited. antioxidant properties of Vitamin C The association of his name with the might contribute to any anti-cancer ensuing arguments can lend weight to effect. unproven contentions. In their summary they state: “No Cameron read this paper and properly designed prospective clinical realised he and Pauling had things in trial has as yet been carried out to common. He wrote to Pauling and assess the value of supplemental [my thus began a productive association. In emphasis] ascorbate in general cancer 1976 Cameron and Pauling published management.” a joint paper, Supplemental ascorbate in Including their 1976 article of the supportive treatment of cancer7. In course! This article cites 358 references. their summary they wrote: “The results When Cameron retired at the age 30 The Skeptic September 13

of 65, he accepted Pauling’s offer Left: Linus Pauling, authority on the of a post as medical director and structure of atoms and juggling fruit senior research professor at the Linus Bottom left: James Lind’s 17th century Pauling Institute. treatment on scurvy (third edition) In 1991, Gladys Block from the National Cancer Institute, USA, published a paper entitled Vitamin worth $884 million. C and Cancer Prevention: the For critically ill patients on Epidemiological Evidence10. She wrote artificial respiration, immobility that the epidemiological evidence increases urine calcium excretion17. for a protective effect of vitamin Intravenous Vitamin C would C against some cancers is strong: accentuate the danger of acute “It is likely that ascorbic acid, renal stone formation under these carotenoids and other factors in fruit circumstances. and vegetables act jointly. Increased In January, 2013, James Watson consumption of fruit and vegetables published in Open Biology a paper should be encouraged.” summarising established data This paper had nothing to do about the sequence of events when with the treatment of cancer. cells become cancerous18.The biology is complicated. However, BACK TO SCIENCE one point he makes is: “In light Criticism of papers supporting of the recent data strongly hinting the use of very high dose oral or oxalate is a risk factor for kidney stone that much of late-stage cancer’s intravenous Vitamin C in the formation14. Wong and others reported untreatability may arise from its treatment of cancer has led to a case of acute oxalate nephropathy possession of too many antioxidants, important further work. In 2004, after a massive intravenous dose of the time has come to seriously ask Padayatty and others showed that Vitamin C15. whether antioxidant use much more oral Vitamin C quickly reached In 2010, Padayatty and others likely causes, than prevents, cancer.” a maximum plasma level despite published an account of the experience increasing doses11. Intravenous doses of adverse effects of intravenous use RECENT EVENTS IN NZ achieved very high plasma levels, of the of Vitamin C by alternative medicine In 2008, the Family sort said to inhibit tumour cell growth practitioners16. They agreed that in Physician (now called the Journal of in vitro. This paper made the point those with depressed renal function, to Primary Health Care) published a large that studies where the ascorbate was an unspecified degree, or with glucose- paper on this subject19. The authors all given in high dose by mouth should be 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, had close associations with the Centre re-evaluated. there is a risk of adverse effects. In for Advanced Medicine Ltd, itself a Hoffer and others (including other situations, high dose Vitamin C subsidiary of Master Projects Pte Ltd, Padayatty) published in 2008 an seems remarkably safe. However, one of Singapore. The Singapore company account of the tumour response to should look at the way they gained the has subsidiaries in the fields of high dose intravenous Vitamin C in information on which they based their osteopathy, acupuncture, and iridology. 24 patients with cancer12. Despite conclusion. Among the authors, one was a high serum levels of Vitamin C, no They distributed questionnaires literature reviewer for Feedback patient had an objective anti-cancer to attendees at conferences of Research Ltd , and another response. They wrote: “The likelihood complementary and alternative was chief scientific adviser for the same of an objective anti-cancer response medicine practitioners. In 2006, company. Feedback Research Ltd states to IV ascorbic acid alone is slight in 106 of 300 (35 per cent) answered. on its website: “Our primary ongoing unselected patients with multiply In 2008, 93 of 250 (37 per cent) project is supporting the work of the treated advanced cancer.” answered. Of these 93, 22 had doctors, nurses and team at the Centre The question of the safety of responded in 2006. The conclusion for Advanced Medicine.” Vitamin C is often taken for granted from this small responding number Feedback Research Ltd is a by those who advocate its use in is of course strongly biased by the subsidiary of Master Projects Pte Ltd. cancer treatment. However, in 2005 unwillingness of any practitioner The paper recommends investigating Massey et al showed that oral Vitamin who had had adverse effects from this the role of Vitamin C in disease C intake of 1000 mg twice a day use of Vitamin C to go on record, intervention at doses higher than increased urinary oxalate excretion in particularly in the US! previously considered relevant, and both stone formers and those without This paper quotes the annual sales rehearses many of the arguments a history of stones13. Increased urinary of Vitamin C in the US in 2007 to be outlined above. For example, that the 31 ARTICLE Health

Natural product, The NZ Herald published a leader, REFERENCES Opinions of the Ignorant Can’t Beat 1. Brown, S. Scurvy. How a surgeon, a unnatural Research on 20 October, 2012. Here mariner and a gentleman solved the are some excerpts: greatest medical mystery of the age of practice “Enthusiastic amateurs are entitled sail. Viking, Australia.2003. ISBN 0 670 Continued... to disagree with experts, but they must 04120 3. produce convincing evidence to back 2. Drouin G, Godin J-R, Page B. Curr their claims.” Genom.2011. 12: 371-8. “When people claim something 3. McCormick W J. (1959). Arch Pediatr. daily intake in the diet is a measure of unexpected, and contrary to expert 1959; 76: 168-71. need among wild animals. opinion on a subject, the burden of 4. Stone I. Perspect Biol Med. 1966; 10: There is also a section on palliation proof falls on them.” 133-4. for terminal cancer patients by the “[Experts’ views] deserve to be 5. Pauling L. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1970; use of intravenous Vitamin C, and given more value than views motivated 67: 1643-8. reference to scavenging free radicals by the unpleasant consequences of 6. Harris S. (2012) Google Sam Harris. and carcinogens without evidence a scientific consensus or the failure The Blog. 2012; November 11. of any cancer response. There is a of a conventional practice to offer a 7. Cameron E, Pauling L. Proc Natl Acad Sci. reference to haemodialysis patients, satisfactory outcome.” USA. 1976; 73: 3685-9. whose anaemia does not respond to The leader was commenting on the 8. Gilbert W S. (1836-1911.) The Mikado. erythropoietin, responding to Vitamin views of Patrick Stokes, of Melbourne’s 9. Cameron E, Pauling L, Leibovitz B. Cancer C. There is no comment about the Deakin University Department Res. 1979; 39: 663-81. possibility of iron deficiency anaemia of Philosophy, recently published 10. Block G. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991; 53: Suppl. responding to Vitamin C by increased as an opinion piece in the Herald 1, 270s-82s. iron absorption, an established (9 October, 2012, in the Business 11. Padayatty S J, He Sun, Yaohui Wang, response. There are 112 references Section, You’re not entitled to your et al. Vitamin C pharmocokinetics: cited, but many of them are from the opinion). implications for oral and intravenous same authors. They are views which all press use. Ann Int Med. 2004; 140: 533-7. While labelled as an original publications should respect. 12. Hoffner L J, Levine S, Assouline D, scientific paper this article is a The Vitamin C saga illustrates the Paddayatty S J, et al. trial of Ann Oncol. review of papers which support the dangers of the perversion of normal 2008; 19: (11) 1967-74. authors’ contentions. I have devised a physiology in terms of the gross 13. Massey L K, Liebman M, Kynast-Gales measurement which serves to outline distortion of baseline needs. It is based SA. J Nutr. 2005; 135: 1673-7. the tenor of this process. It is called on the adage that if a little is helpful, 14.Wallace M, Mason K, Gray J. . NZ Med J. The May Poll and is a count of the more must be better. A whole lot more 1981; 94: 87-9. number of times the word may is used. must be a whole lot better. There is 15. Wong K, Thomson C, Bailley R R. Aust There are 17 such episodes in this nothing natural about these practices. NZ J Med. 1994; 24: (4) 410-1. paper. We can be more exacting, with This story also illustrates the need 16. Padayatty S J, Sun H, Chen Q, et al.. the May Poll Index, which relates the for fundamental science education to PLOS One 2010. 5; (7) e11414. number of uses of the word may to prevent unscrupulous exploitation of 17. Stewart A F, Adler M, Byers C et al. . the number of pages of writing. In this those in need. I can respect a right to N Engl J Med. 1982; 306: (19) 1136-40. case 17 / 4.3 (= 3.95). Compare this a belief, but I reserve respect for those 18. Watson J. Open Biology. 2013; 3: with any scientific writing! beliefs which stand up to scientific 120144; doi: 10.1098/rsob.120144. The last line of the abstract appears examination. . (Google: ‘Open Biology’.) to acknowledge that there are no 19. Ge M, O’Reilly A, Baillie N, et al. NZFP. thorough investigations in the clinical 2008; 35: (5), 312-8. setting of the role of high-dose Vitamin C. Note: This article is reprinted from the There are 53 varieties of oral vitamin New Zealand Skeptic, #107 Autumn C preparations currently on the NZ 2013 market: a lot of business. The Centre for Advanced Medicine in Remuera uses an intravenous preparation manufactured in the US by McGuff Pharmaceuticals. The About the author: package insert suggests a maximum Martin Wallace is a retired dose of 2g daily. CAM recommends up renal physician living to 50g IV three times a day. in Hamilton. 32 ARTICLE Health The Skeptic September 13

Mark Ottley asks if wellbeing is a subject that can be approached scientifically

hy do we care about truth? WELLBEING AND UNWELLNESS common and two effects often WWhy do we attend conferences It is evident from a quick Google follow. Firstly, because the advertised on skepticism and promote such that health and wellbeing marketing expectations are overhyped and ideas? One reason might be the is full of claims lacking in empirical impossible to achieve, people can end simple beauty of the truth. A second support. Also common, though, are up self-recriminating over their own reason might be that it enables us to evidence-based claims marketed in a failures, and worse off than before. live better lives. This second reason non-evidence-based way. Two examples Secondly, it often leads to unhelpful is particularly evident in skeptical include magazines I’ve seen with some cynicism rather than skepticism, as activism challenging health-related evidence-based content, but with people can dismiss useful evidence and its associated taglines such as “How to get everything because it has become tarnished by dangers. However, no matter what issue done, ALWAYS”, and “The most association with aggressive marketing we deal with, we generally deal with it powerful relationship advice, EVER”. or non-evidence-based ideas. better if we see it more accurately. Of course, in reality if you really did try Navigating this web can be complex, ‘Wellbeing’ is an overarching to achieve ‘everything’ you will achieve though the usual skeptical skills of term for health and a good life, that precisely nothing except indecision checking the source and reliability of is increasingly used in healthcare, and disaster – better to choose a small the information are helpful. education, economics and government number of achievable tasks and actually A healthy dose of skepticism is also policy. In this article I offer some achieve them. And what is helpful helpful when examining more official- insight into differences between for a relationship depends on many looking claims, including some of the evidence-based and non-evidence-based contextual details; there is no cure-all. most common ‘unwellness diagnoses’. models of wellbeing, and where some These examples of limited and There is a concern among many of the latest science and public policy is specific empirical claims being sold in psychologists and psychiatrists that heading. a non-empirical way are unfortunately we have overly medicalised normal 0333 ARTICLE Health

R U feeling O K? and being able to achieve in it. It is a whether or not development of the foraging instinct stress response Continued... present in all animals, a drive to patterns of acquire knowledge of the environment, attack, avoidance, food and other resources. Dopamine analysis, or human function. At the NZ Skeptics is an important chemical involved in acceptance are well matched to the life 2012 conference I showed an example the physiology of this system. It creates challenges one faces. Many wellbeing of an antidepressant advertisement the striving emotions of feeling driven, difficulties occur when people become that stated “Depression is a flaw in vital, energetic (and often competitive) fixed in a mismatched strategy. They chemistry not character (call 0800…)”. that motivate us to pursue these goals. might be fighting a lost cause (eg Despite the appearance of a possible The affiliation and belonging unable to accept a loss), avoiding attempt at de-stigmatising depression, system motivates us to have sharing a challenge they must face (eg too arguably this approach is ultimately and caring relationships with other afraid of making a mistake or feeling unhelpful. Chemistry, character and people, and to care for ourselves also. an unpleasant emotion or sensation), culture are three different levels of It is an evolutionary development of over-analysing an intractable problem explanation (bio-, psycho-, and social), the care-giving and fellowship instincts (eg requiring certainty in an uncertain which cannot be properly considered present in other world), or accepting except holistically. Character (the set social mammals, something that is of strengths and skills one possesses) encouraging the “ It is not possible or unacceptable (eg an is still chemistry from the level of seeking of social desirable to completely abusive situation). biological analysis, that takes its form support and Intense and chronic based upon the wider culture in which co-operation. deactivate the stressing activation of the stress it develops. Oxytocin and system - it is necessary system can cause a Developing stronger cultural opioids are for survival. range of problems, institutions via evidence-based public chemicals that ” including immune policy, and teaching stronger character create soothing deficiencies, cognitive via skills, is an approach with arguably emotions of feeling contented, safe impairment, damage to limbic brain more evidence for many of the and connected, that motivate us to regions, increased pain, and general wellbeing problems we face. Pills do, maintain these social bonds. maladjustment3. Individuals with a of course, have an important place in When successful functioning of lack of social affiliation also suffer clinical practice, but pills don’t resource or affiliation systems are increased pain and health problems4. teach skills. The American endangered, the threat and Other common wellbeing problems Psychological Association autonomy system activates might occur when people focus too has just started an to defend against threats much upon striving for achievement at extensive advertising and transcend them, so that the expense of affiliation and self-care campaign that free action may continue. (eg a workaholic) or when they lack emphasises this point. It does this using strategies sufficiently meaningful competence- of attacking and overcoming related activities (eg a lack of personal RATING WELLBEING? (fight), avoiding and escaping growth). These systems are also What is a useful way of (flight), analysing and problem vulnerable to chemical hijacking, understanding wellbeing then? solving (freeze), or accepting and with drugs like methamphetamine The science is complex, but some tolerating the threat (forbearance). and cocaine intensely stimulating generalisations can be made. I Stressing emotions of anger, fear, the dopamine system, and ecstasy often use a model with patients, worry, and sadness motivate these and heroin stimulating the oxytonic where I explain human wellbeing respective responses, and chemicals and opiate systems, often leading to as the balancing of three core such as adrenaline, cortisol and dependence and seeking of these drugs neural motivational systems, serotonin are involved physiologically. rather than more sustainable paths to focused respectively upon resource, Common threats include change, loss, wellbeing. affiliation, and threat (RAT). These injury, relationship disputes and so on. We need a balance of all three are evolutionarily old systems, but Stressing emotions are painful, but that systems for optimal wellbeing. elaborated in humans1,2. The model is the evolutionary point – they make Evidence suggests a ratio of 3:1 or is of course a simplification, but a you pay attention to problems and deal greater of striving and soothing versus useful one. with them. stressing emotions is an adaptive The resource and competence It is not possible or desirable to homeostatic state5. As suggested earlier, system motivates us to be involved in completely deactivate the stressing teaching adaptive skills and having activities such as play, learning and system, because this is necessary for adaptive public policy and culture are work, perceiving the world adaptively, survival. The important factor is effective means towards this goal. 34 The Skeptic September 13

PUBLIC POLICY AND WELLBEING social well-being and not merely the REFERENCES Research has long shown the absence of disease or infirmity.” While 1. Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M. (2000). limitations of attempting to improve there is still much to be learned, Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. wellbeing via purely financial scientific understanding of the factors 2. Gilbert, P. (2006). Clin. Neuropsych., means6, with benefits appearing to influencing wellbeing has developed 3(2), 139-153. plateau once a fairly minimal level a great deal over the intervening 3. Schneiderman, N., Ironson, G., Siegel, of income is reached (approximately decades. Such research was the focus S. D. (2005). Ann. Rev. Clin. Psych., 1, US$15,000). The spectrum of political of the first New Zealand Wellbeing 607–628. discourse increasingly recognises the and Public Policy conference, held 4. Heinrich, L. M., Gullone, E. (2006). Clin. importance of attending to wellbeing at Victoria University in Psych. Rev., 26, 695–718. in an empirically supported way. in June 2012. The ideas I have 5. Fredrickson, B. L., Losada, M. F. (2005). Two recent books7,8 summarise presented here are necessarily just Am. Psychologist, 60(7), 678–686. some of the leading scholarship on a brief introduction to the richness 6. Easterlin, R. A. (1974). Does economic this issue, where the ultimate goal is of this research and its application, growth improve the human lot? Some increasing the freedoms of individuals but hopefully it will encourage empirical evidence. In P. A. David to lead lives they have substantive some further skeptical inquiry and & M. W. Reder (Eds.), Nations and reason to choose. This work also forms development of these concepts. . Households in Economic Growth: Essays the philosophical basis for the societal in Honour of Moses Abramovitz. New wellbeing framework, developed over Note: This article is a based on a York: Academic Press. a decade and newly implemented by presentation at the 2012 NZ Skeptics 7. Acemoglu, D., Robinson, J. A. (2012). the New Zealand Treasury in 20129. Conference, and reprinted from the New Why nations fail: The origins of power, (Australia has established a national Zealand Skeptic, #107 Autumn 2013. prosperity, and poverty. New York: wellbeing framework that is very Crown Business. similar to the New Zealand one, and 8. Sen, A. (2009). The idea of justice. there has been close liaison between London: Penguin Books. academics and treasury officials in 9. Karacaoglu, G. (2012). Improving the both countries.) About the author: living standards of New Zealanders: The NZ framework focuses Mark Ottley is a registered Moving from a framework to upon five key areas: economic clinical psychologist at the implementation www.treasury.govt. achievement; macroeconomic stability; Southern Rehabilitation nz/publications/media-speeches/ sustainability of the environment, Institute in NZ speeches/livingstandards physical and human resources; social trust and affiliation; and equity of resource distribution. Each domain has one to three key measurement indicators, selected for their simplicity, ready availability and international comparability. While this New Zealand framework is new and likely to evolve, the move beyond a primary focus upon economic growth is arguably a substantive policy innovation. The framework is assessed independently of political control, but outcomes are dependent upon political policy. It is hoped the framework will create greater public understanding of factors beyond just economic growth that are important to everyone’s wellbeing, and bring a more empirically verifiable dimension to politics in New Zealand. CONCLUSION Since 1948, the World Health Organisation has defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and 35 ARTICLE Cults Combatting Cult Culture Michael Wolloghan profiles an organisation fighting against cultic behaviour ... and fighting for the victims of cults.

eautiful beaches, a sun drenched perplexing and irrational. B outback, coral reefs and cute koalas I spoke to Ros Hodgkins, the and kangaroos. When many people current president of Cult Information think of the ‘Land Down Under’ these and Family Support (CIFS) in New are the immediate images that come South Wales. She is a softly spoken but to mind. In our diverse cosmopolitan confident, committed woman who has cities we have a number of languages, helped numerous cult victims get their cultures and religions represented. life back on track. Many Australians claim they belong “CIFS is an incorporated voluntary to one of the various denominations organisation whose purpose is to of the Christian religion. However, support and work with people who interestingly there have been adversely have been marked impacted by cultic increases in those groups. Our aims reporting an and objectives are when there was very little knowledge, affiliation to non- to offer support help or information available on cults Christian religions, and information to in Australia, parents were either told and those reporting those individuals and “don’t worry they will grow out of it”, ‘No Religion’. families who have or made to feel something must be Within this experienced harm wrong with their loved one to join such kaleidoscopic from cults, to inform a group. It quickly grew to include diversity of beliefs the general public, ex-members and others interested in in Australia there is particularly the youth cults and their effect on individuals and an often forgotten through a schools society.” darker, unruly side education program I asked Hodgkins how she initially – that of destructive on the nature and got involved in CIFS. religious cults. dynamics of cults “I was involved from the beginning Cult watchers within our society, to when a small number of parents began alleged that these Normal intelligent lobby politicians on to meet in Sydney for support. This groups are bigger “ the dangers and human came about because my daughter than ever and if people can give up cost of cult activity was recruited in a Bible-based cult left unchecked years of their lives to within Australia,” in Sydney in 1990 that originated in have broad Hodgkins explains. Boston,” she responds. ramifications to destructive groups. “CIFS was the “It targeted mainly young people society. Normal, ” outcome of a few who were in a transitional time in their intelligent people can give up years parents who had lost family members life. Our daughter had moved from the of their lives to destructive groups to destructive cults meeting together in country to Sydney. It was very active in and beliefs that appear completely the early 90s for support. It was a time the universities and grew very quickly, 36 The Skeptic September 13

“Although small in member numbers, CIFS continues to increase its presence nationally,” Hodgkins says. “This has primarily been through our internet and phone answering services, along with the web site information, holding conferences and through word of mouth. There are increases each year in enquiries and calls for help. “We also receive enquiries for help from overseas, some having family members caught up in a cult in Australia. CIFS NSW and CIFS Victoria are the only two groups operating and holding support meetings.” Recently CIFS NSW has been involved in a joint research project with Gerard Webster, a forensic and counselling psychologist, and Professor Jude Baker into child abuse within cults. CIFS NSW has also issued a submission to the Australian Government Royal Commission of Inquiry into Institutional Child Abuse. Disturbingly, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, within its first month of private hearings in Sydney, the Royal Commission referred four matters to police. No doubt, more will follow. planting churches around the world. knowledge led us after two years to Of course, one of the most common Members/disciples were sent out to organise a successful exit counselling questions asked of CIFS is “What is a recruit each week. for Emma. cult?” “It was referred to as an Amway-type “Not an easy exercise to organise, Hodgkins says that she believes the church cult and regarded around the but information was able to be given criteria set out by clinical psychologist world as very damaging to members to her over three days, her mind began and a part-time adjunct Professor who became totally committed, giving to critically evaluate the fundamental Margaret Singer (1921–2003) is best. their time, money, separating from beliefs she had taken on as truth and If a group is involved in the below family and old friends, in the belief understand the dynamics of control following practices, they can be defined that this was now the only church that and manipulation. She left in 1993 and as a cult: had the truth. Our daughter left a became involved in CIFS.” • Gaining control over a person’s time, dream job to become a fulltime worker The last few years have proved to especially his or her thinking time, for the cult. She had come totally be positive, productive years for CIFS. and physical environment. under the cultic control influences and In November 2011 a conference took • Creating a sense of powerlessness, dynamics of this group. place at the Parliament House in fear, and dependency in the recruit, “My knowledge about cults prior Canberra called “Cults in Australia while providing models that to this was extremely limited. That - Facing the Realities”. Over 100 demonstrate the new behaviour that all changed with a crash course in people attended the conference to leadership wants to produce. reading, researching, finding people discuss responses to abuses and harm • Manipulating rewards, punishments, in Australia and speaking to people in in deceptive, destructive cults. The and experiences in order to suppress America who had an understanding attendees included psychologists, the recruit’s former social behaviour of cults, particularly the one our lawyers, politicians, teachers, students, and attitudes, including the use of daughter was in. ex-members of cults and affected altered states of consciousness to “Thankfully this information and families. manipulate experience. 0337 ARTICLE Cults

Combatting their leaders. Crosbie has called for a public benefit test to be applied to Cult Culture these groups but this request continues to fall on deaf ears. Continued... While genuine steps have been made to curtail the activity of destructive religious cults, there is still much more • Manipulating rewards, punishments work to be done. and experiences in order to elicit As our conversation concluded, I the behaviour and attitudes that asked Hodgkins how people can assist leadership wants. CIFS NSW. • Creating a tightly controlled system “By lobbying, letter writing to with a closed system of logic, politicians and their local member wherein those who dissent are made to bring pressure on reforms to take to feel as though their questioning Ros Hodgkins action to make groups accountable indicates that there is something for emotional abuse. Bring attention inherently wrong with them. to religious groups exploiting tax- • Keeping recruits unaware and “A high number of calls for help and exempt status outside the reforms uninformed that there is an agenda support are from former members of made by government. Congratulate and a process to control or change Bible based new religious movements good media’s exposés and reports on them. Leadership cannot carry out who have no accountability. Many of harmful groups’ quacks and charlatans. a thought reform program with the these churches split and pop up using Encourage politicians who have person’s full capacity and informed another name, but peddle the same responded to the enormous issues consent. message and use the same harmful surrounding cults and the havoc they What types of destructive religious techniques. cause to individuals and society. Too cults do CIFS NSW receive the most “More recently recognised are the often and for far too long they have inquires about? one-on-one cultic control relationship been swept under the carpet!” “This varies from year to year. We that we have had many enquiries about It’s important to note that CIFS now see such a variety of new age in recent times,” Hodgkins says. receives no government funding and spiritual groups combining various CIFS certainly played a significant runs on a completely voluntary basis. If forms of beliefs, but recruit as self- role in urging the government to people wish to show financial support, development groups. establish the Australian Charities they can visit the CIFS website to find “Many enquiries for help come and Not-for-Profits Commission out more information (http://www.cifs. from a close family member. They (ACNC), which is the independent org.au/). see changes and signs in their loved national regulator of charities. One Hopefully, further robust and one who becomes committed to the of the roles of the ACNC is to innovative measures can be made group that set alarm bells warning “maintain, protect and enhance public to stop malevolent cultic groups there is some form of indoctrination trust and confidence in the sector before anything tragic happens. happening.” through increased accountability Unquestionably the tireless, and transparency”. determined, often unsung good work However, when of Ros Hodgkins and the members of dealing with religious CIFS will help pave the way. charities, the As South Australian senator Nick ACNC’s powers are Xenophon boldly put it: “In Australia, severely limited, at there are no limits on what you can best. believe but there are limits on how you David Crosbie, can behave. It’s called the law, and no a member of the one is above it.” . ACNC advisory board and chief executive of the Community Council for Australia, has said some churches and other tax-exempt About the author: religious groups are Michael Wolloghan clearly run to benefit is an investigator of cults. 38 PUZZLES The Skeptic September 13

ACROSS Brain testers 1. An American woman past an Irishwoman ... CRYPTIC CROSSWORD no 19 she claims. (6,6) 6. A little tantalum is gratefully received. (2) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9. Pseudo-energy alternative went. (6) 8 10. Sleepy thought in the light. (8) 13. Atlas kids are a bunch of stars. (8) 9 10 11 14. Mechanical men have the right boots wrong. (6) 12 16. Those who rely on the senses go on a seismic trip. (11) 13 14 18. The winding road back. (3) 15 20. Asian potentate? Or just a ghostly sound picked up by a machine. (1-1-1) 16 17 18 19 22. Look after management or you’ll lose management, I think. (4,7) 20 21 22 23. Sitter and watcher of an unofficial perk before the Queen. (6) 25. Aliens hide it in masks. (8) 23 24 25 26 28. An alternative alternative is man enough for a 27 29 magic thing. (8) 28 29 29. The mystery of a poor gamine. (6) 30 31. Osmium found elsewhere. (2) 32. The nub of squashing insect queens. (12) 31 32

Tim Mendham + Steve Roberts DR BOB’S QUIZ DOWN 1. The beer shop I manage is where things live. (9) 1. Cryptozoologists, hunting pumas in remote parts of Britain, 2. Gather less than a thousand before an old have actually trapped two animals; what were they? fireplace.(5) 2. Many Old Master paintings were forged by the artist Han 3. Personality types mapped by a Green Man. (9) van Meegeren; he sold one to Hermann Goering. What was 4. Micron of a continent. (2) Goering’s reaction on being told that he had bought a forgery? 5. Actual Spanish money. (4) 7. Atoms smashed in part of the sky. (5) 3. Some of Han van Meegeren’s forgeries are of markedly lower 8. Back to Rome in my recollection. (6) quality than others, why is this? 11. A musical pair puts you in the party. (3) 4. The model of the blue whale in London’s Natural History 12. Old airline tricks us with lights. (6) Museum has long been a source of wonder to children, including 15. Chic spy can’t actually see what you’re doing.(7) a young not-yet-Dr Bob. During its construction, it was found 17. Those with special feelings are arranged in ten sets. (9) infeasible to make a mould from a real blue whale, so the model 19. Doggie’s doom among the ranunculus. (9) was made out of wood, chicken wire and plaster. Where did the 21. Unadulterated music medium back in colour. (6) construction workers sit when they had their lunch? 23. Artistic copy made of stone. (5) 24. God when dawn is in this direction overseas. (3) 5. A good cure for Tinea - a fungal infection between the toes - is to urinate on one’s feet in the shower. But urine is not very 26. Groan! It’s another body part! (5) reactive, and it would only be on your feet for a minute or so. 27. Wave your wand at the rising star. (4) (Your technique may vary). So, how does this work? 30. I am in Maine! (2)

Answers on page 62 0339 ARTICLE Evidence Oh-tookurah bohututah mawhulaw... or why EXTRAORDINARY claims don’t require ANY proof

Stephen Moston points out that the issue of alien believed without some corroborating evidence, such as a fragment of alien contact and UFO abduction questions the insistence metal, or some other unambiguous on proper proof of paranormal propositions. ‘proof’. This is because experience has shown us that eyewitnesses can make mistakes (the psychological have quite a large library of books in such works and skeptics invariably literature on this topic is extensive). I on the paranormal in my office. fall into the same old traps when trying People can see things that aren’t there, Along with all my skeptical books, to dispute such claims. This can be hear things that were never said, but journals and magazines, I also have illustrated by looking at one of the still honestly believe that they did many of the classic works on the central tenets of skeptics: extraordinary see or hear something. Errors can paranormal. As a (sometimes) good claims require extraordinary proof. be so pronounced that entirely false academic, I know that if one is going This idea has become something memories can be created, memories to examine an idea, it is clearly prudent of a battlecry for skeptics in their that are, to the person recalling them, to read the original sources before examinations of the paranormal. The indistinguishable from ‘real memories’. forming any conclusions. One thing rationale for this stance is that claims Experience has also shown us that immediately strikes me as I read in support of paranormal events cannot that many claims of the paranormal paranormal claims is how the books all be taken as accurate based on evidence are hoaxes. Far too many psychics, follow the same basic structure and rely that is potentially flawed, or open to gurus and witnesses have turned out on the same set of justifications and other interpretations. For example, a to be frauds for even the mildest of excuses for never actually having any witness claiming to have seen a ghost, skeptics to view any new claimant with real evidence. There is clearly a pattern aliens, or even Elvis, cannot easily be anything but suspicion. Additionally, 40 The Skeptic September 13

we need to consider the implications knows what it means. Regrettably, of accepting extraordinary claims Betty didn’t. She was just passing it as true. The confirmed existence of on. This is a particularly unfortunate THE WISDOM aliens, psychic powers, ghosts or blunder on the part of the aliens who OF ALIENS Oh-tookurah bohututah mawhulaw... any other paranormal manifestation spoke to her, as their English had been really would (as advocates of the reasonably fluent up that point. One ccasionally, by the way, paranormal never tire of pointing out) can only wonder about the wisdom of “OI get a letter from someone have a considerable impact on our these particular aliens, particularly over who is in “contact” with an understanding of the world. their choice of ambassador to Earth, extraterrestrial who invites me to Putting all these provisos together since Andreasson would subsequently “ask anything”. And so I have a list it’s easy to see why we need to be manage to ‘lose’ the only physical of questions. The extraterrestrials sure before accepting claims of the evidence the aliens gave her as proof of are very advanced, remember. So I paranormal. However, while there are their visit. ask things like, “Please give a short many skeptics who subscribe to this Lost or missing evidence is a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem.” particular line of reasoning, it misses recurring theme in UFO stories. Budd Or the Goldbach Conjecture. And or then I have to explain what these the point somewhat. Paranormal claims Hopkins in Intruders, describes how are, because extraterrestrials why don’t require “extraordinary proof”; abductees have had objects implanted will not call it Fermat’s Last they don’t require any proof at all! into their heads, sometimes through Theorem, so I write out the little Carl Sagan lamented the fact that the nasal cavity. Hopkins reports that equation with the exponents. EXTRAORDINARY ‘channelers’, speaking to 35,000 year implants had been recalled in 11 of I never get an answer. On the old spirits, could be easily assessed by his cases. However, in Footnote 24 other hand, if I ask something like answering a few simple questions, such to Chapter 1 of his book (one should “Should we humans be good?” as, what sort of food did the spirit eat? always read the footnotes), he writes I always get an answer. I think What was the climate like back then? “So far, none of these tiny objects have something can be deduced from What was the life cycle, the infant been located and removed.” this differential ability to answer mortality rate, the life expectancy? In a later book, Witnessed: The True questions. Anything vague they claims What clothes did they wear and how Story of the Brooklyn Bridge Abduction, are extremely happy to respond were they manufactured? Given that Hopkins continues to have little luck to, but anything specific, where don’t archaeologists and others have some in his quest for implants but his ability these is a chance to find out if they answers to such questions, the spirit’s to rationalise away missing evidence actually know anything, there is answers would at the very least provide knows no bounds. In an apparent only silence.” some evidence as to the truthfulness breakthrough, an X-ray of abductee Carl Sagan, The Burden of ANY Skepticism, 1987 require proof of the supposed channeler. “Instead, Linda ‘Cortile’ Napolitano’s head all we are offered are banal homilies”, showed an apparent implant in her wrote Sagan. Spirits, aliens and other nostril. Tragically though, before this “Oh-tookurah bohututah assorted beings who aren’t able to information could be acted upon, the mawhulaw duh duwa ma her duh actually turn up in person to sit before implant vanished the very same day it okrat turaht nuwrlahantutrah the world’s media have an annoying was detected: “Apparently the UFO awhoe-noe marikoto tutrah habit of happily occupants were etrah meekotutrah etro indra ukreeahlah.” answering vague also aware of The “message for mankind” questions about life, the what Linda had given by aliens to UFO abductee universe and everything done. Unlikely Betty Andreasson (giving equally - impossible - . insightful answers as though it may the computer Deep seem, given Thought, as created by our idea of Douglas Adams), but technological nothing that would capability, it actually prove their existence. For example, Betty Right: Betty Andreasson’s “Oh- Andreasson under tookurah bohututah hypnosis gives the mawhulaw....” etc. (see true meaning of life, sidebar) is an entirely the universe and meaningless piece of duh duwa ma her evidence, unless one duh okrat. 0341 ARTICLE Evidence

Oh-tookurah of the book, since the supposed proof where he and of alien contact is non-existent, but this Friedman write: bohututah isn’t the case. Perhaps Disconfirmation “The most wasn’t such a catchy title? eagerly sought mawhulaw ... Implants are now a firmly type of evidence Continues ... established part of UFO mythology of UFO crashes and the simple fact that none have is pieces of appears that the aliens can somehow ever been found is neatly brushed wreckage. tell when an implant has been X-rayed over. Actually that’s not true. Many They can be and is likely to be removed, thereby have been ‘found’, falling from the analysed, and allowing us a crucial piece of their nostrils of abductees, after which, with their validity technology. It is unlikely that they a curious lack of curiosity, they were all determined, would ever let us capture such a prize casually tossed into the garbage never unlike verbal testimony which if they could possibly prevent it. And to be seen again. Presumably the aliens usually produces several different so before Linda or I had seen Lisa’s X programmed this particular response interpretations, followed by arguments ray, the UFO occupants apparently into humans discovering electronic and accusations. Many rumours and abducted Linda from her apartment devices falling from their noses: again, hints and claims of genuine debris have and removed the implant. That at least clearly proof of their advanced intellect. surfaced during the years of Roswell was my surmise.” (p.145) Other UFO investigation. That is quite a surmise, neatly researchers “If any single turning an absence of proof into an are equally “ Rumours have piece of alleged entirely new set of alien powers. A unimpressive in remained rumours. Hints debris could similar tease is practised by Whitley their presentation have been proven Strieber in his book Confirmation: The of proof. For have turned out to be legitimate, the Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us. example, in nothing. Claims dissolved entire picture would The discovery of alien implants was a debate on when put to the test. have changed. A touted as one of the main revelations NewsHour with Jim ” detailed report of in the book, but by the end of it we Lehrer in 1997, an extensive study discover that all the implants have Don Berliner, by a recognised turned out to be extremely earth-bound co-author of Crash at Corona, one of scientific laboratory would have carried manifestations (such as collagen lumps). the most famous books on the Roswell more weight than all the first-hand One might think that knowing this incident, was asked by astronomer and second-testimony in the records. outcome would invalidate the purpose Richard Berendzen to state the most But this has not happened. Rumours compelling evidence he had of a have remained rumours. Hints have crash by alien beings. turned out to be nothing. Claims have Right: Whitley Strieber’s Com- Berliner replied that two dissolved when put to the test.” munion book set the standard for people at Roswell had When put on the spot, other UFO alien imagery, at the very least. described finding materials researchers have an equally hard time that were extremely in coming up with the proof that lightweight, extremely would justify the apparent certainty strong and not like balloon with which they view alien visitations. materials. “‘We’re . . . at the In the 1996 Nova documentary, Budd point where we can say that Hopkins was asked about his evidence there are things going on that for alien abductions: we cannot explain and that suggest “NOVA: You state that the evidence alien origin,’’ Berliner said. for the reality of these abductions Berendzen’s next question was a is overwhelming. Could you please telling one. ‘’Did he take it into a briefly describe what the nature of that metallurgical lab and test it?’’ and also, evidence is? “Where is the material? Can any lab test HOPKINS: I think most dramatic it? If there was independent judgment are the physical marks on people’s and real examination, then it would be bodies after these experiences. They compelling. Otherwise, it’s hearsay.’’ fall into various types, but one very Curiously, Berliner’s acceptance common one is what we call a scoop of the weakness of his own “best mark, which is a little round depression compelling evidence” is acknowledged about the size of my thumb nail or a in Crash at Corona (Afterword, p.203), little smaller. As if a little -- some sort 42 The Skeptic September 13

Left: Linda Napolitano, aka Linda Cortile, the eyewitness accounts, Huyghe accepts lady with the thing stuck up her nose Sagan’s words without complaint. the Logical Place Below: Budd Hopkins ... and transport? “That’s true, of course” he writes, “All we have are the stories we tell each other of those we have seen with our Argument from Authority own eyes and call extraterrestrials”, he argument from authority is before adding, “But for many of us, Toften misunderstood. Although that’s enough”. some instances of this argument can So when someone like James Randi carry considerable inductive strength, it challenges advocates of the paranormal becomes a fallacy when used deductively to prove their claims with the phrase – particularly when the authority is not “Put up or shut up” (Flim Flam, p. an expert on the subject matter under 325), there isn’t ever likely to be a discussion. response. The most general form of the fallacy is: There’s no need to do either. Ask for Premise 1: Source A says that statement proof, and the reply will probably be B is true. Oh-tookurah bohututah mawhulaw.... Premise 2: Source A is authoritative. Conclusion: Therefore, statement B is true. or words to that effect. . Even when the source is an authority on the relevant subject matter, this REFERNCES argument is still deductively invalid Berliner, D. & Friedman, S.T. (1992). Crash at because the premises can be true and the Corona. Marlowe: NY. conclusion false (ie an authoritative claim Hopkins, B. (1987). Intruders. Ballantine can turn out to be false). of object or some sort of tool has just Books, NY. In inductive terms, although reliable removed a layer of cells. The second Hopkins, B. (1996). Witnessed: The True authorities are more often correct thing is, of course, a person will often Story of the Brooklyn Bridge Abduction. in judgments related to their area of find in the house signs that that person Bloomsbury: London. expertise than laypersons, they can has been outside. In a particular case, Huyghe, P. (1996). The Field Guide to still come to the wrong judgments for instance, a man woke up in the Extraterrestrials. Hodder & Stoughton: through error, bias or dishonesty. morning with the recollection that London. Thus, the argument from authority is he had been outside. He remembered Newshour (1997). The Roswell Report: Case at best a probabilistic rather than an there were figures in the room. He Closed? Broadcast June 24. Transcript absolute argument for establishing remembered pieces of this experience.” available online at: http://www.pbs. facts. Nevertheless, the probability For Hopkins the “overwhelming” org/newshour/bb/military/june97/ sometimes can be very high – enough evidence comes down to some small roswell_6-24.html to be rationally convincing. For example, skin abrasions and vague memories NOVA (1996). Kidnapped by UFOs. professors of astrophysics tell us that of being outside the house. Clearly, Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/ black holes exist. It is rational to accept Hopkins defines “evidence” with the wgbh/nova/aliens/buddhopkins.html their claim as being true, unless and until same self-serving disregard as Bill Randi, J. (1982). Flim Flam. Psychics, the claim is shown to be false by other Clinton once defined the word “is”. ESP, Unicorns and Other Delusions. reputable astrophysicists. An alternative explanation that astrophysicists are Summing up, what proof do Prometheus: NY. engaged in a worldwide conspiracy to Sagan, C. (1987). The burden of scepticism. Berliner and Friedman have that a deceive us is irrational. , 12 (Fall), 38-46. UFO actually crashed at Corona, or The argument from authority fallacy Strieber, W. (1998). Confirmation: The Hard Hopkins that any of his abductees were is sometimes mistakenly confused with really abducted? Obviously the answer Evidence of Aliens Among Us. St Martin’s the citation of references, when done to is none. By their own admission : NY. provide published evidence in support eyewitness testimony is not compelling of the point the advocate is trying to and there is no real physical evidence. make. In these cases, the advocate is not So why do they believe that a UFO About the author: appealing to the authority of the author, crashed? Ultimately, the answer has to Stephen Moston is an but providing the source of evidence be, because they want to. Associate Professor at the so that readers can check the evidence This point was acknowledged by University of Canberra. themselves if they wish. Such citations Patrick Huyghe in his book The Field His main area of research of evidence are not only acceptable Guide to Extraterrestrials. Responding experience is in police reasoning, but are necessary to avoid to a 1994 news conference by Carl interrogation styles and plagiarism. Sagan, in which the astronomer had suspect behaviour during - by Tim Harding outlined his reasons for not trusting criminal investigations. 43 ARTICLE Classic Catches Planetary Influences In this classic article from 1992, Barry Williams takes apart the claims of astrology, planet by planet.

oes the Solar System contain a Admittedly, for most of that time, D tenth planet? This is not one of most people thought that the Moon and those deeply philosophical questions the Sun were also planets, but did not like “Where do flies go in winter?” recognise Earth as being one. which have puzzled mankind since There is no record of when these time immemorial, rather it is a question planets were found to be different from which it has only become sensible to the stars, but it is obvious that anyone ask within the lifetimes of some of our studying the night sky would notice readers. An article by Nigel Henbest that some ‘stars’ do not stay within the in the November 30 [1991] edition same relationships, night after night. of New Scientist indicates that the Our word ‘planet’, for these peripatetic answer is probably “No”, but to find ‘stars’, comes from the Greek word for out why we ever thought it might ‘wanderer’. Nor do we know in what be “Yes”, we need to cover some of order they were discovered, but it is the history of planetary discovery. likely that it was Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Importantly, we need to Saturn and Mercury, common knowledge after 1543, when ask what, if anything, the because that is how the Polish monk, Nicolaus Copernicus, answer would mean for conspicuously they proposed a heliocentric universe. This astrology?* appear in the night sky. theory argued against the geocentric We do know model which had been widely accepted ASTRONOMY IN HISTORY that Earth was first for thousands of years and which As long as history has recognised as a planet had been formalised fifteen hundred been recorded, and by the Greeks circa years before Copernicus by the great almost certainly for a lot 500 BC, though this Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy. The longer than that, humans information appears to geocentric system had been held to be have been aware of the have been discounted an inalienable truth by various systems existence of the six planets for two millennia and of mystical thought (including the that we know as Mercury, then it only became Christian church) for most of that time. Venus, Earth, Mars, Copernicus’ idea came to be accepted Jupiter and Saturn. because it worked better and made fewer untested assumptions than did Ptolemy’s system, which required increasingly Top: The Flammarion obscure artificial fixes in order to accord engraving (1888) - supposedly with more accurate observations. medieval but possibly not. Further theoretical and observational Left (clockwise from top): refinements were added to the Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe Copernican model by the Dane, and Galileo Galilei. Tycho Brahe (who, interestingly, had 44 The Skeptic September 13

patterns and the seasons, but where astronomy has come to recognise this association as coincidental, astrology has always falsely postulated a causal connection. Not that it really matters which came first, as most astronomers, from Ptolemy up until Kepler, dabbled in astrology and who can blame them? Generally, until the 16th century, the two studies were intertwined and while there probably wasn’t much of a living to be made in straight astronomy, at least astrology had the potential, as it still does, to raise a few units of currency for its practitioners and to keep them from starvation. In any case astrology had the arguably useful cultural aspect of making predictions which, while not necessarily very accurate, were likely to be as good as any other predictions available at that time. Astrology, in common with other methods of divination and prediction, then, as now, couched its claims in generalities and obscure jargon and no doubt scored its greatest triumphs by means of post facto validation. The new methods of science were, however, spelling the death knell for astrology as a serious study and the age of astronomy as a separate and powerful discipline was about to dawn. an artificial nose), and his German of their art. On the other hand, and NAMING THE PLANETS assistant, Johannes Kepler. In 1610, more logically, it can be argued that We owe the names of the five ‘classical’ telescopic observations by the Italian, observation must have preceded planets to the Romans who named Galileo Galilei, provided the evidence prediction, so astronomy should be them after their gods who, in their turn, that finally confirmed the theory. Most considered as the senior study. owe many of their characteristics to the importantly, Galileo observed that Certainly it is reasonable to equivalent Greek gods. Mercury was the Venus showed phases like the Moon and assume that an original purpose for messenger of the gods (Greek Hermes); certain of these could be explained only studying heavenly phenomena was to Venus the goddess of love (Aphrodite); if Venus orbited the Sun in an inferior determine the arrival of the seasons, Mars the god of war (Ares); Jupiter the position to the Earth. No amount of vital information when our species supreme god (Zeus) and Saturn, an tinkering with the Ptolemaic system first took up agriculture. It is logical to Italian agricultural god, was later linked could account for this fact. infer that, once the idea of predicting with the Greek Kronos, the god of time, seasonal changes had been accepted, who was, among other things, Jupiter’s TIME RUNNING OUT FOR ASTROLOGY and shown to be reasonably accurate, old dad. Until the advent of all this scientific then the idea that these heavenly bodies There is no reason to suppose discovery, astrology, now known to be could exert some influence on human that the Romans saw the planets as the illegitimate step sister of astronomy, affairs, particularly those of important the actual gods whose names they had been having a field day, or more individuals, would appear to be a logical bore; they were merely one of many precisely, a few field millennia. It is next step. Here we can see the genesis of manifestations of these superior beings. moot whether astronomy or astrology the dichotomy which still characterises Polytheistic religions have a tendency came first, though the proponents the division between the two studies. to ascribe distinct individual (and all of the latter usually claim that the There undoubtedly is a relationship too human) personality traits to their scientific discipline is a descendant between the appearance of the stellar gods (monotheists seem to prefer 0345 ARTICLE Classic Catches

Planetary Annette Stephens Influences Continued...

schizoid deities) and this was certainly the case with the Greeks and Romans. Nevertheless, astrologers ascribe influences to the planets which were in fact part of the characteristics attributed to the Roman (or Greek) gods. Those whose lives are allegedly influenced or controlled by Jupiter are described as jovial, while the terms mercurial, venereal, martial and saturnine, also part of the astrologer’s stock in trade, can be traced to the personalities of their respective classical gods. Interesting as this excursion into classical mythology might be, we must return to the scientific exploration of the Solar System which put the writing on the wall for astrology and other magical systems of thought. which everything revolved. The Earth, Astrology could not accommodate itself including all of its imperfections to the scientific view, holding steadfastly THE AGE OF THE OBSERVER that we were forced to acknowledge, to the idea of the geocentric universe Galileo, using his telescope, discovered was seen as man’s domain, while the and to the notion that the sun and the first new extraterrestrial objects heavens, perfect and unchanging, were moon were planets, as it has ever since. (apart from comets and meteoroids) God’s domain, though it is important The advent of the telescope and the seen since prehistoric times. These were to remember that they revolved about new world view led to further 17th not new planets, but four satellites our centre. This very cosy cosmology, century exploration of the Solar System of Jupiter later named, following the which says more about human conceit with the discovery of the rings and five classical tradition, Io, Callisto, Europa than it does about God’s plan, was satellites of Saturn. Saturn’s retinue and Ganymede. The first three were obviously incorrect when it was shown of satellites were given the names of named for women seduced by Jupiter that there were celestial objects actually individuals associated with that deity (who was not only jovial, but a prize revolving around another planet. and again astrologers did not take much lecher), and the latter for a young man, Information such as this undermined account of these bodies. made an immortal and the gods’ cup the authority of the conservative The publication by Isaac Newton bearer by Jupiter. In the Greek version, bureaucrats of the Christian church of his Principia Mathematica in 1687 he also was seduced, but the Romans who persecuted Galileo, though not put the study of the Universe onto a tended to be a bit wowserish about this being a group to hold a grudge, they more solid theoretical footing and this, sort of thing and it is rarely mentioned. finally forgave him for being right. coupled with the discoveries made by Astrologers at the time may have been (The fact that the forgiveness took interested but their modern successors the best part of four centuries can be do not seem to regard these new bodies attributed to the slowness of the mills as having any great significance, which of God.) But it was not only the church is odd considering the importance they whose perspective was overturned by attach to our own moon. the advent of a scientific world view, Galileo’s discoveries were not it was equally a blow to other forms of so much critical in the scientific magical thinking, including astrology, explanation of how the solar system which went into a decline for centuries. worked, as they were vital in changing the mode of European thought. Until Above: The solar system and the zodiac from this stage of our history it was obvious Peter Apian’s Cosmographia (1539). that the Earth, and by extension us Right: The nine .... sorry, eight planets of the human beings, was the centre about solar system (not to scale). 46 The Skeptic September 13 many gifted amateur observers, greatly ENTER THE THEORETICIANS in the theory and further conclusions increased the sum of human knowledge. Science was now getting into its stride; were drawn – there should be another With all this observation going on it the effect of gravitational interaction planet because its effect could be shown. was almost inevitable that other planets, was becoming well understood, leading Careful calculations indicated where the if they existed, would be found. Yet it to concern among mathematicians that planet should be; and there it was. was not until 1781, almost a century Uranus was not following the orbit that It should not be thought, however, after the publication of the Principia, theory predicted for it. that all scientific investigations brought that the next planet was discovered. John Couch Adams in England and immediate or successful results. The Hanover-born British Urbain Leverrier in France calculated Leverrier noticed discrepancies in the astronomer William Herschel was that another planet must be orbiting orbit of Mercury and proposed an inner not the first to see this new planet; further out than Uranus, whose planet, which he tentatively named it had already been catalogued gravitational interaction would account Vulcan, whose gravitational attraction by several others as a star, but he for the discrepancies in its orbit. Adams could explain the perceived errors. There receives the credit for the discovery. and Leverrier knew nothing of each were even several claimed sightings of Herschel himself was looking for other’s work and each was relying on this hypothetical planet, though they stars not planets, and first reported observations by various observers, finally amounted to nothing. his sighting as a comet, however, he using telescopes with varying degrees The mystery of the variations in later determined it to be a new planet. of resolution and computing without Mercury’s orbit were not finally resolved Herschel at first named it for his patron the aid of computers. When this is until Einstein, in the early part of the George III though, fortunately, wiser considered, together with the fact that 20th century, proposed his General heads prevailed and the established the mass, the orbit and the position of Theory of Relativity which predicted practice of naming celestial objects after this hypothetical just such an orbital figures from classical mythology was planet were discrepancy. This adhered to, resulting in the planet being unknown, then “William Herschel at first was confirmed when officially designated Uranus. its discovery named the planet for his Arthur Eddington’s Uranus, Greek god of the sky, was by the German observations in the father of Kronos (Saturn), and astronomer Galle patron George III, though 1919 provided was later castrated by him (unpleasant in 1846, following wiser heads prevailed. the first empirical sods, these Olympians). Herschel also Leverrier’s ” proof of Einstein’s discovered two satellites of Uranus and directions, was theory. An amusing, two new satellites of Saturn. a truly remarkable demonstration of though probably apocryphal, sidelight Shortly after this, at the beginning the power of scientific prediction. This to this story concerns a question put of the 19th century, several new planet, Neptune, was less than 1o of arc to Eddington, that he was one of only bodies were discovered which, while from Leverrier’s predicted position and three people who understood relativity. they directly orbited the sun, were less than 1.5o from that of Adams. Eddington is alleged to have paused for designated as asteroids. Named Ceres, Neptune was named for the Roman some time and when his questioner put Pallas, Juno and Vesta, these bodies, god of water, who was linked to the the question again, replied “I am trying and thousands of others, revolve around Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. to think who the third might be”. the sun between the orbits of Mars The foregoing shows how the Nor did later investigations of and Jupiter, in the so-called Asteroid scientific approach was developing. Neptune’s orbit exactly confirm the Belt and are generally considered by Observations led to certain conclusions predictions of Leverrier and Adams. In astrologers to be insignificant, for being drawn – Uranus was a planet. this context, it should be remembered reasons best known to themselves. Further observations led to refinements that Neptune has not yet completed

47 ARTICLE Classic Catches

Planetary its 248 year span. astrology? As it happens, nothing much The story becomes even more was occurring on that front. Three new Influences Continued... interesting when we look at the non- planets had been discovered which had planets which have been discovered never been known during the heyday of in the past two centuries. There are astrology and, following tradition, they now more than 3450 named asteroids. were assigned the names of classical one full orbit since its discovery in 1846 [Ed: The latest info is that, out of gods. The astrologers were thus forced and will not do so until 2011. [Ed: the millions (billions?) of asteroids, to delve into classical history to discover Therefore Neptune has now only just about 15,000 have names. The figures the attributes of those gods so as to find completed one orbit since discovery. It for named, numbered and estimated out what the new planets meant. Now will complete another orbit in 2176.] increase every year.] Mostly these lie there are a few obvious things wrong within the Asteroid Belt, although some with this approach. At least the ancient THE CROWDED SOLAR SYSTEM have highly eccentric orbits, including planets had had a long association with The story of planetary discovery does a number known as the Apollo Group the gods whose names they bore, and not end with Neptune, as it soon (rather chillingly described as ‘earth it could be argued that somewhere became obvious that its orbit and mass grazers’ and a large one and several in the mists of antiquity there had was insufficient to account for the smaller ones of which came very close been some connection between the perturbations in the orbit of Uranus. to the Earth in 1991), two groups of gods, the planets and human affairs Many astronomers took up the search Trojan asteroids which share Jupiter’s (remembering that there was still a for a transneptunian planet, prominent orbit, leading and lagging the planet by good deal of mystical thinking around among whom was the American 60o, and the recently discovered Chiron in the 18th and 19th centuries). But Percival Lowell, who set up his own whose highly elliptical orbit lies between here we had planets whose names had observatory in Arizona and dedicated those of Saturn and Uranus. been arbitrarily assigned and which the remainder of his life to the Curiously, the only one of these that had never been associated with those search. It was the use of astronomical seems to mean anything to astrologers is gods by the ancients, who did not photography which finally led, some the last, and it is sometimes calculated even know of their existence. Nor did years after Lowell’s death, to the final in horoscopes. This is curious because, their discoverers regard these finds as success of this venture. while it is far from being the largest representing the relevant gods. In 1930, his assistant Clyde asteroid, it is certainly the most distant Indeed, the name of Pluto was Tombaugh, after exhaustively (and yet discovered. selected purely to honour one of its probably exhaustingly) searching discoverers. So the characteristics thousands of photographic negatives, FAILURES OF ASTROLOGY the planets were supposed to confer found a new planet, which was named While the science of astronomy was had no precedent in history, nor in Pluto after the god of the underworld. making its great discoveries, what of the manner of their naming. It was The selection of the name, from among many possible gods, was specifically to honour Lowell, the first two letters of Pluto being Percival Lowell’s initials. Pluto has a highly elliptical orbit, at a high angle to the ecliptic plane (17o compared with Mercury at 7o and all the other planets which are within 2o), and for most of its orbit it is the most distant known object in the solar system. At the moment, however, its orbit lies closer to the sun than that of Neptune, as it does for about 20 years of

Top right: The solar system in a crop circle, Avebury UK 2008 Right: It’s a dangerous place out there ... millions of asteroids. 48 The Skeptic September 13

all purely a matter of course, Randi. Less whim. Nonetheless, the than half of named characteristics of the gods asteroids use real people concerned were those as the source; names that the astrologers chose. of pets are no longer [Ed: They are fortunate allowed. Mr Spock was the name George was not actually named after the eventually used.] discoverer’s cat.] The second fatal flaw The distinction in the astrologers’ case between asteroids (not a lies in the central claim particularly appropriate made for their art, that of name, suggesting an prediction. affinity with stars) and Traditionally, planets is purely an astronomy had been arbitrary one, based on merely an observational size. science while astrology are larger than the planets Pluto and Asteroids are more made predictions. Now it had been Mercury and certainly they are much accurately referred to as minor planets, shown that astronomy had a powerful closer to us than Pluto is. Also consider and why shouldn’t they? Like planets, predictive ability and where was Ceres, the largest asteroid, which circles they revolve around the sun, some have astrology? It could logically be assumed the sun at about 2.5 AU (astronomical satellites [Ed: as of November 2011, that astrologers should have noticed units: the radius of Earth’s orbit = 1 there are over 200 minor planets known that some human characteristics were AU), while Pluto’s average orbit is to have moons], and it could be said not accounted for by the known planets 39 AU and it is only approximately that Pluto has a lot more in common and they should have suspected, not three times the diameter of Ceres, yet with Ceres than it does with Jupiter. only that other planets existed, but Pluto is important and Ceres is not. Oddly enough some comets, Halley approximately where they were located. Why? Furthermore, there is the fact being the most obvious, are regarded Astrologers make great play of the that, while the earliest noted asteroids as important by astrologers despite importance of the angles subtended by continued the tradition of being named their being far more ephemeral than planets, yet it was not an astrologer who after figures from classical mythology, asteroids. pointed the observers’ telescopes in the obviously such names would soon The question of why asteroids and right direction – that was left to the be used up, so that now asteroids are satellites are not taken into account mathematicians. named after anyone or thing, from the in the casting of a horoscope has Moreover, if the planets have an name or home town of the discoverer to never been satisfactorily answered by influence, the length of time taken by anything else that takes their fancy. astrologers. The usual answers given are the new planets to complete an orbit At some stage, there must have been long on hyperbole and short on logic, should present substantial evidence an opera buff among the discoverers yet the real answer is glaringly obvious. for this. Uranus spends seven years in as we have Turandot, Zerlina, Pamina, The inclusion of the positions and the each sign, Neptune almost 14 years Senta, Kundry, Norma, Violetta, angular relationships of thousands of and Pluto more than 20. Indeed Pluto Aida and Carmen all discovered at asteroids and satellites would make the has only completed one quarter of an around the same time. Then scientists casting of horoscopes extraordinarily orbit since its discovery. This offers a got a run with Einstein, Darwin, complicated (imagine a problem with huge base population of individuals Herschel, Adams and Leverrier among tens of thousands of variables). upon whom the influence of Pluto many others as well as such disparate Moreover, the research required can be measured very accurately, with individuals as Tolkein, Tchaikovsky, to discover the personality traits of whole populations of people showing Mark Twain and Mr Spock similarly the thousands of individuals named distinctively Plutonian attributes, honoured, not to mention places such would daunt even the most dedicated changing every 20 years. This is as Kansas, Antarctica, Coonabarabran astrologer. Yet the question remains calculable and should pose no problem and Kiev. and it demands an answer from the to any astrologer, yet no such measure [Ed: And further not to mention, astrologers. of long period personality changes in there’s Elvis, BillHaley (ha-ha), If the influence of the most large populations has been made and Satchmo, Zappafrank, Lennon, numerous bodies can be safely no serious claim has been advanced that McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Monty discounted, then so too can the there is a consistent 20 year cycle in Python (and each individual Python), influence of the planets. After all, logic personal characteristics. Hal (asteroid #9000 – geddit?), James dictates that if planets influence our Then there is the question of the Bond (asteroid #9007!) and even lives, then so should everything else in asteroids and satellites. Several satellites Beegees, Megryan and Enya! And, of the Solar System. Indeed, this failure to 49 ARTICLE Classic Catches

Pluto, in fact, is the largest known buried, yet it still has many adherents. Planetary member of the Kuiper belt.] Why this is so is a question beyond the As to what that will mean for scope of this article and can only be Influences Continued... astrology, the answer must be, “Not answered by those who study the strange a thing”. The evidence shows us that workings of the human mind. astrology is a study with precisely no Of only one thing can we be certain; predictive ability; it is committed to the answer will never be found in the include all the influences is sufficient beliefs rooted in ancient mythology stars. . reason to dismiss astrology as nothing which have long been shown to be more than superstitious twaddle. baseless; its fundamental tenets are * It is worth noting that this article was It is also fair to ask that if our arbitrarily derived and owe nothing written before we’d lost our ninth ‘planet’ personality traits can be equated to reason, logic or evidence; it is a – Pluto - so the concept of a tenth would with those of Saturn or Venus, then study completely devoid of theoretical be even less likely today. Not that the loss why shouldn’t they be also linked underpinning and it gives us no reason of Pluto would worry most astrologers. with Karl Marx, Shakespeare or Carl at all to think that it even might be a Sagan (all asteroids)? I leave it to the valid study. This article was first published in the reader’s imagination to determine what History recorded the beginning of the Skeptic, Vol 12:1, Autumn 1992. influence asteroids No 1703 and 1763 end for astrology when human beings should have. They are named Barry and began to understand how the universe Williams respectively. actually worked. It traced the decline of About the author: astrology over the succeeding centuries Barry Williams is a past MORE PLANETS? as human knowledge increased, yet it president and executive At last, we can return to the question shows a curious upsurge at the very time officer of Australian Skeptics we asked at the beginning, “Is there a when the gains in our knowledge of the Inc. He is also a noted star- tenth planet?” Nigel Henbest strongly workings of nature are at the highest gazer, which is largely due suggests the answer is “No”. Our reasons level in history. to his spending much time for believing that it might exist were the Astrology should be long dead and lying down. fact that Neptune alone was not enough to account for the deviations in Uranus’ orbit, that Neptune itself also deviated and that Pluto was certainly not massive enough to make so much difference. NOW AVAILABLE Since the Voyager missions, we now know that the perceived discrepancies in ! Neptune’s orbit were largely caused by THE AMAZ NG miscalculations due to insufficient data. It now appears that the same might also TAM OZ DVD! apply to Uranus, based on inaccuracies in historical observations. Thefun , frolic and fascination Astronomers have modelled planets in various orbits to account for the of TAM Australia 2010 perceived variations in Uranus’ orbit the Skeptical event ever and have concluded where such planets largest should lie. held in Australia Extensive scanning of the relevant parts of the sky, using both Earth-bound Available now from the Skeptics shop optical telescopes and the IRAS infrared satellite, have been without success. As a priced + $7p+h result, the consensus among astronomers $80 is now moving away from a tenth ... a stunning array of skeptical planet and it will be surprising if one is plus T-shirts found. Pluto may then indeed be the – all available through the Skeptics shop furthermost major body of the Solar System. [Ed: Discovery of the Kuiper Note: Unfortunately, for copyright reasons, Dr ’s ‘asteroid’ belt, which extends from the presentation could not be included on the DVD. orbit of Neptune to 50AU from the Sun is now regarded as the furthest established element of the Solar System. 50 www.skeptics.com.au/shop

REGULARS

The cycle of life FOOD, INGLORIOUS FOOD Owls – beagles – birds – wrens. And so Following their final university exams, Charles Darwin and several of his friends it goes, the almost inevitable realisation celebrated by forming a weekly club dining in that all knowledge is connected and each other’s rooms in rotation, possibly officially called the “Gourmet Club” but commonly referred to connectable. as the “Glutton Club”. The latter name was proposed to ridicule another group whose Greek title meant “fond of dainties”, but who dined out on “Mutton Chops, or Beans & Bacon”. The Glutton Club attempted to live up MONEY to their title by dining on “birds and beasts which were Birds have features on before unknown to human palate”. They tried hawk and British money, including a wren bittern, but gave up after eating an old brown owl, on the reverse of the farthing from “which was indescribable”. 1936 to 1960. A version of the British ten pound note issued in 2000 includes a drawing of a hummingbird made by Darwin, as well as his portrait. (This note will be phased out in favour of one with Jane Austen in 2016.) An ornithologist has complained that “The note is supposed to encapsulate Darwin’s trip to the Galapagos, with him looking at a hummingbird as a source of inspiration. But there are no hummingbirds on the islands.” Despite his earlier gluttony, there is no goes around ... evidence that Darwin ate the last What one. GOULD GOES HUMMING In 1838 Gould and his wife Elizabeth sailed to Australia, intending to study the birds Humminbirds: an abiding there and be the first to produce a major work on the interest of Gould’s and worth subject. This was The Birds of Australia, which included a a note for Darwin total of 600 plates in seven volumes, 328 of which were new to science and named by Gould. Gould’s books on animals – and especially birds – with illustrations by him and his wife, are much sought after. Throughout his professional life, Gould had a particular interest in hummingbirds, accumulating a collection of 320 species. But despite his interest, he only saw his first live example in the US in 1857.

Source: Wikipedia, except where noted

52 The Skeptic September 13

FOWL PLAY The habit continued for Darwin, however, when during his trips on The Beagle, he was willingly fed armadillos, which “taste and look like duck”, a guanaco he had shot, and an unnamed, 20lb chocolate- coloured rodent which, he announced, was “the best meat I ever tasted”. During the second trip, artist Conrad Martens shot a rhea which they enjoyed before Darwin realised that it was an extremely rare small rhea called ‘Avestruz Petise’. Darwin jumped up in the middle of the meal and tried to scrape together the remaining wing, head and neck for experiments. Partial source: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/ John Gould, a gardener mar/09/foodanddrink.features15 and taxidermist who liked to watch birds

DARWIN’S RHEA Darwin was told that the smaller rheas were the only species that lived that far south in South America. As with his other collections, the bones of the bird were sent back to Cambridge for examination. In 1837 Darwin’s Rhea was described as Rhea darwinii by the ornithologist John Gould in a presentation to the Zoological Society of London in which he was followed What goes around ... by Darwin reading a paper on the eggs and distribution of the two species of rheas. Gould GOULD STUFFS UP has been considered the father of bird study in Australia and the Gould League in Gould (1804–1881) was born in Lyme Australia is named after him. Regis, Dorset, the first son of a gardener. While neither Gould senior or junior apparently had any great education, his father became foreman in the Royal Gardens of Windsor in 1818. The young Gould started training as a gardener, being employed under his father from 1818 to 1824. He became an expert in the art of taxidermy, and set himself up in business in London as a taxidermist. His skill led to his becoming the first Curator and Preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London in 1827. Darwin was greeted warmly in

Source: Wikipedia, except where noted South America: “We have birds!”

53 REVIEWS Religion Chapter and Verse

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian the facts do not match the dogma. If God By Guy P Harrison is part of truth and reality, then Christians should be prepared to check how the real world Prometheus Books, US$18.00 corresponds with the claims. You can even do this without paying any attention to evolution, despite fundy lamentations that it has ruined y goal is to help Christians everything. “ get a better understanding Harrison tests Christianity with strong of Mwhy, after two thousand years, simple points. He reminds us that the toll of the majority of the world is still the Holocaust is matched each year by the unconvinced by the basic claims of number of children who die miserably, despite their religion.” - Guy P Harrison. the prayers of their distraught mothers. He I lost my religion almost 40 probes the escape routes. Are Godly plans years ago but kept my interest in not to be questioned? If it seems emotive to the subject. Religion provokes the confront us with the thought of millions of skeptic to ponder how it stacks up desperate mothers crying over their dying for believers. I’ll bet each one of us babies, it is a fitting contrast to Christianity’s knows at least a few Christians who rationalisations about wilful humans getting we have to admit are smarter than their just deserts. Apart from human grief, us and appear to lead happy useful countless animals suffer through the predator- lives. For most of them, their prey dynamic which again we are supposed religion entails no collateral to attribute to a loving God dealing with his worldly advantage compared with sinful creations. being a skeptic. Some put a lot of From the problems of the God theory, time and money into it with evident sincerity. Harrison moves to Christianity’s central claim Now comes a book that would have helped me about the ‘sacrifice’ of Jesus. Without mockery, collect my thoughts and saved me much time we are reminded of the idea of the Trinity. Jesus if I’d read it as a teenager. Contemplators of was God sending us part of himself, apparently riper years can expect to see some of their own via a woman impregnated by another part of thoughts more skilfully expressed; and most God in the form of the Holy Spirit. Among likely a few new ones. many interesting observations, two questions It is not a quote from the Good Book but stand out: why put Jesus through a distasteful you will often hear Christians claiming that semblance of a human execution, and what has they hate the sin but love the sinner. (When it it all really achieved? comes to issues like being gay, they often have “Why would anyone with ultimate power strange ways of showing this.) Veteran skeptic make up rules that condemn everyone as guilty, Guy Harrison reaches out to Christians with including children and babies, and then come goodwill. If they are really onto the truth, up with a barbaric human sacrifice as a way then what have they to fear from the skills that to circumvent those rules? ... If Jesus is the skeptics can offer? only way to heaven, as the Bible states, then “Unfortunately, critical thinking about the crucifixion was mostly a tragic failure two religion is often discouraged and sometimes thousand years ago, and it’s mostly failed every forbidden in many churches and families. But generation since then because a majority of the no one should feel compelled to restrain their world’s people are not Christians.” intellectual wanderings. Thinking is the greatest Each of the book’s 50 chapters poses a of all our abilities. To suppress it is to deny our question. Most lead to many more. Few are humanity.” purely rhetorical. Careful answers come in Some Christians say that God – in one or plain English. After hours of speed reading more of his three forms – has paid them a at work, I prefer my leisurely perusals to be personal visit. The rest of us hear talk of God. at speaking pace. This better reveals the good To skeptical ears, the Christian message often and the bad, like nosing wine out of a tasting sounds like an each-way bet: specific claims glass instead of draining it from a tumbler. So about God, but with escape hatches for when I appreciated Harrison’s genial and considerate 54 The Skeptic September 13

style. Occasional irony is delivered with Earth is round. We only speak of faith when restraint, so as not to distract. Much of this we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.” - book reminded me of Alistair Cooke, though Bertrand Russell. it would not have been unimproved by the I sense instances of Harrison holding back to removal of a few double negatives. Reading stop the book becoming too long. For example, it cover to cover entails some overlap, but the a typical aspect of a Christian’s ‘proof’ of the advantage is that each of the 50 chapters stands resurrection is that the tomb was guarded by well in its own right. There are even rewards for Roman soldiers who could not have fallen word-hounds, my favourite discovery being: asleep or succumbed to bribes. Harrison notes “deapocalypticized”. that when it comes to humans doing their duty, Harrison wants the reader to consider what breaches cannot be ruled out. He could have we might infer from how religion is ‘taught’. added that the ‘watch’ probably comprised He describes visiting a madrassa where he Jewish temple guards, like those who had found the children “chanting like mindless initially arrested Jesus. They handed him over puppets”. He conversed with the teacher: to the Romans and after the execution the body “We use only the Koran” the teacher was given back to a Jewish gentleman. He had a explains. “Nothing else needed. Do you hear spare tomb and put the body there. According the recitations? to Matthew, some anti-Jesus Jews spoke to “What about math?” I ask. Pilate about guards the following morning. His “No problem, we can teach anything. It’s all answer sounds like “your problem, use your in the Koran.” own people” – “Ye have a watch: go your way, The in this tail is how Christians fail to make it as sure as ye can.” Here is an answer to see the parallel with how “millions of children the notorious ‘missing body’ question. During are taught Christianity every day around the the preceding night anyone could have quietly world”. got into the tomb and moved the body. A likely Evangelists prefer to start on young children. intervener was the tomb’s owner, who had Difficult issues like the origins, consistency and nothing to fear if detected. Christians must reliability of the Gospels are oversimplified, preclude this version, before they can assert with questioning discouraged in lieu of the that the body disappeared by unearthly means. virtues of faith. Supposed truths must be The book covers a lot of ground and many readministered to the believers throughout skeptics will read it with pleasure. I hope some their lives. then provide a copy to a Christian friend. Concerning faith we see an example of The friend’s experience is likely to entail more Harrison’s skill in selecting worthy quotes, consternation, if they give it a fair read. while avoiding the trap of turning his book into an anthology: “Where there is evidence, no one speaks of ‘faith’. We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the - Reviewed by Martin Hadley

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55 FORUM NDEs

Proof of heaven? article. But I do know my own upbringing, and have knowledge of more than half a dozen NDEs which I have personally experienced myself. Not In which we see death, ninjas, cannabis and the same as his, but NDEs nevertheless. Allow staphylococcus aureus septicaemia me to comment on his story by using my own as an example. I was raised a strict and obedient Roman recently read an article (“Heaven’s Gate”, SA Catholic in the 1950s and early 1960s, but I Weekend Magazine, The Advertiser, December eschewed religion in my early teens when my 8, 2012) written by a US neurosurgeon, Dr brain matured enough to begin to reason and Eben Alexander III, in which he describes question things. I read extensively about religion, having a near death experience (NDE) which about science and nature, about “the world, the changed his scientific universe, and everything”. My curiosity was view of the mind and unbounded. I still read extensively and subscribe consciousness – the to numerous journals of science and scepticism. “most staggering In my late twenties I began to experience experience of (his) irregular heartbeats. These occurred with life”. increasing frequency, and sometimes led to He claims that ‘brown-outs’. My condition was not diagnosed during a bout of for a number of years, during which time I had bacterial meningitis, several NDEs. As Alexander says, “most NDEs for seven days, he are the result of momentary cardiac arrest”. The had a “complete heart stops pumping blood to the brain which, absence of neural deprived of oxygen, becomes unable to “support activity in all but consciousness”. My own case was slightly the deepest, most different, in that my heart did not stop beating, primitive portions but would beat either very rapidly or irregularly of (his) brain”. But and slowly. In both these situations, pumping is he claims that for very inefficient, and the result to the brain is the those seven days, he same – lack of oxygen. Which is why I had the “not only remained brown-outs. I never had a complete blackout. fully conscious But my NDEs were not these. It is likely, but journeyed to a however, that they were the cause. My NDEs stunning world of were quite different, and always occurred when beauty and peace and I was alone late at night watching television. On unconditional love”. a number of occasions I felt myself leaving my He says this was not body and floating up into the air behind myself, “a brain-based delusion cobbled together by (his) up to the ceiling above a bookshelf in the corner synapses after they had … recovered”. But he of the room. From there I would watch myself does remember a period when his mind began to watching the TV for a few moments, before “regain consciousness” and remembers “a vivid floating back down and re-entering my body. paranoid nightmare in which (his) wife and At first frightening, these experiences became doctors were trying to kill (him), and (he) was pleasurable, and I actually looked forward to the only saved by a ninja couple after being pushed next one. from a 60-storey cancer hospital”. Of course, I could not bring them on at will, He later claims to be “as deep a believer in but on one occasion after re-entering my body, science, and the truth-respecting values that I did. I wanted it to continue, and immediately created it, as (he) ever was”. But he wishes to tell left my body again for the ceiling. How that of this “world beyond the body”, and has written happened, I cannot explain. a book about his experience (Proof of Heaven, A I am myself a medical doctor, was an Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife). academic for twenty years (which included that Well, what can we make of all that? period of NDEs) involved in neuromuscular Being somewhat old and computer-illiterate, research. Some of the research on which I have and not having the time to investigate, I have collaborated was published in Nature, with a no knowledge of this man’s upbringing, or his cover photograph, and revisited in their “Ten religious beliefs, or anything about him but this Years Later” column, again with a photograph. 56 The Skeptic September 13

I reasoned that the cause of my experiences absolutely flat and still, because I could not move was the lack of blood to the brain and from the pain). The child would then spend the subsequent biochemical disturbances to the night sleeping in the adjacent room, and leave for electrochemical processes at the synapses school the next morning. I lost 22kg in weight between my brain cells. Very much the same during my hospitalisation. as Alexander reasons regarding his NDE, and Eventually, I was moved to another ward, and probably the obvious and correct explanations. as the IV antibiotics exerted their effects, I came Unlike him, I did not turn to supernatural out of this delirium, my brain recovered and explanations. I became lucid again. I still had not recovered I was disappointed some time after my physically. I had numerous visits by relatives, diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, friends, and hospital staff during that period, a condition involving an additional electrical none of which I could remember afterwards. But pathway in the heart, which produces inefficient I could remember my delusions. The brain works heart rates and pump function. This extra in mysterious ways. pathway was destroyed by radio-ablation surgery. But, unlike Alexander, I think I reached I have never had that problem since. I have never the correct conclusions regarding my brain had NDEs since. I miss them. But I often think function. Quite simply, biochemical and of how close to death I may have been! electrophysiological abnormalities account for In an interesting coincidence regarding these experiences – both the NDEs and the Alexander’s experience, I have also experienced delusions. These abnormalities, although very (on another occasion, during a different illness) basic and simple in themselves, lead to extremely vivid paranoid delusions like Alexander. Not complex neuronal interactions and disordered from meningitis, but from methicillin-resistant brain function. Being an atheist, I cannot Staphylococcus aureus septicaemia (MRSA) entertain a supernatural explanation. These – “Golden Staph blood poisoning” – and a experiences have not been sufficient for me to do spinal abscess. I spent two months in a hospital that, because there is a genuine logical and non- bed and a further two-and-a-half months in supernatural explanation. rehabilitation. As in Alexander’s case, the first I suppose those with a religious bent would seven days were the most interesting ones. I was try to harmonise such experiences in that obviously delirious, and had paranoid delusions light. If they also had some scientific/medical as did Alexander. My delusions were, I think, background, they could try to reconcile their more interesting than his. Unlike Alexander, I beliefs. But the two are not compatible. had no meningeal infection, although I did have Alexander is not consistent, in stating at one bacteria coursing through my brain. stage that he had “a complete absence of neural I was in a major, multistorey, tertiary teaching activity” and yet claiming that he “remained fully hospital in the city. Because of the dangers of conscious” during that period. And further on he spreading MRSA to others, I was in an isolated talks about his mind regaining consciousness and room at the end of a ward, on IV antibiotics, remembering his “vivid paranoid nightmare”. with strict antiseptic procedures in place. Yet, He also states that the only neural activity in in my delirium, I imagined I was in a closet his brain was in the “deepest, most primitive barely large enough to contain my bed, and portions”. He presumably means the subcortical people could walk through my room to access regions of the brain stem responsible for the another larger room which in turn led to the maintenance of life – not the production or outside. And this was all controlled by an Asian memory of dreams. cartel dealing drugs. Just outside the ward was a I have no such delusions about my own cannabis plantation, and every day a car would situation. I am sure that thousands of people drive up to collect the drugs. The nursing staff have had experiences similar to those described. were involved also, and would take customers None of us have had any such epiphany as through my room to the other for their deals. I Alexander. was in severe pain, but they would not give me my opiate medication because they were selling Alan Moskwa that too. I feared for my life lest they thought Joslin SA I would give their game away. One of the nurses had a daughter who would arrive every evening for her dinner (which was mine, which I could not eat because I was lying on my back, 57 FORUM Critical Thinking + Physics

upon which we lay our further experiences or The Onion Brain that changes as new pathways solidify when repeated often enough. We could explain the resilience of older beliefs by their rehearsal In which is discussed neuroscience, dissonance and when encountering dissonance rather than an levels of belief image of depth in the centre of an onion. It has been established that some individuals or specific beliefs are prone to increased cognitive hile I find Ian dissonance and consequent justification, this WBryce’s idea of may have been an evolutionary advantage in chronologically encapsulated decision making and leadership. implacability of belief The proposal that hyper-religiosity or other interesting (“The Onion over-valued beliefs may be a pathological Brain” The Skeptic 33:2 page process (or at least on a spectrum of 58), it does not hold up to abnormality), is not new. Ramachandran further scrutiny. examined how Temporal lobe epilepsy affected How do we explain patients and their increased skin-measurable extremists who are newly responses to suggestive religious or sexual converted with no prior terminology, and Asp et al looked at subjects significant religious with abnormal prefrontal processing and their upbringing, overcoming ease of credulity with financial decisions. previous learning such as Indeed, Taylor has suggested that people with the scientific method or extreme beliefs could be cured of this form of established family values? obsessive compulsive disorder with the help of Bryce highlights the neuroscience research over the next 50 years. discrepancy and rarity of (Some clinicians may propose that this is the schooled individual who something palliatiable now with psychotropic retains deeply held early medication.) beliefs despite a scientific influence and I would suggest that the Onion Brain is an suggests this exception may form a rule. There analogy rather than a true hypothesis of brain are numerous examples of science and logic as function. the epiphany of atheism or agnosticism among previously practising religious individuals. Neil Cradick I am unaware of any neuroscience Buderim, QLD corollaries for the onion hypothesis. The nature of memory and learning, although REFERENCES incompletely understood, likely relies upon fragments of information stored, drawn Gazzaniga, Michael S. (2011). Who’s in Charge?: together by association and the gaps filled by Free Will and the Science of the Brain, Robinson confabulation. Asp E et al (2012). A neuropsychological test of Over time the data mutates, acquires belief and doubt: Front. Neurosci. 6:100. doi: new experiential contexts and either dims 10.3389/fnins.2012.00100 or is strengthened by further associations. Ramachandran V.S. and Blakeslee S. (1998). Our need for a narrative, for things to make Phantoms of the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of sense and be understood, influences beliefs the Human Mind, Fourth Estate and conceptions. Our understanding of Taylor, Kathleen (2013). The Brain supremacy: science itself becomes a belief or deeply held Notes from the frontier of neuroscience. Talk conviction, albeit a logical one. given at the Hay Literary Festival 29 May 2013 The conscious mind may, as Gazzaniga Tavris C. and Aronson E. (2007). Mistakes were says, be like traffic, a consequence of the made (but not by me) - why we justify foolish myriad of unconscious processes, and beliefs, bad decisions and hurtful acts, Pinter & actions mingled with the ‘sensorium’ of our Martin environment. Beliefs coded with deeply entrenched neural pathways will be those most often used. Our earliest exposures and learning are not so much an onion as a plastic matrix, 58 The Skeptic September 13 I’m looking through you

In which is discussed Harry Potter, micro waves, works in “microwave light”, but they say they radio waves and light waves are a step closer to hiding a person in broad daylight! It scatters and cancels out incoming waves and has been able to ‘shield’ an 18cm- he Invisible Man did it, aliens can do tall cylindrical rod from microwaves. . Tit, and Harry Potter had an invisibility From this description, I assume the cloak. And this, apparently, is getting closer. “scattering” means the waves are not reflected There have been recent reports of scientists back to the detector, and “cancelling out” making an invisibility cloak, a “metascreen” means that they are absorbed and prevented made of strips of copper tape attached to a from returning to the detector. That is, the flexible polycarbonate film. So far it only detector does not detect them, it detects nothing (see Figure 1). These people are working towards making Fig. 1 Emitter things invisible – undetectable – to observers. Firstly, has this not already been done, with other wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation? Is this not the principle of modern stealth aircraft? And does this not already occur with visible light? It’s called “black”. And this leads us to a very important point to consider regarding invisibility. Background Cloaked object Rays scattered Detector We ‘see’ objects because they radiate or reflect various wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum back to our Fig. 2a detectors. Microwaves in the above case, radio waves in the case of radar, visible light waves in the case of our vision. But in the examples other than vision, those waves have to be generated and emitted towards the object being sought, and then the reflections of those waves detected by receivers developed to do Ambient light Reflected Both background so. & object seen In the case of visible light, ambient light waves strike the object from all directions Fig. 2b naturally (and all other objects in the vicinity – except at night when we need to shine a torch at them, but see later). The waves reflected from ordinary objects are detected by our eyes, and we then become aware of their presence – we ‘see’ them. If they do not reflect a particular wavelength, but absorb it, Black object Ambient light Seen as silhouette we still see other wavelengths. We see grass absorbed as green because the leaves reflect only green light, absorbing the other wavelengths of the visible spectrum. We see white objects because Fig. 2c they reflect all the wavelengths, absorbing none. And we see objects as black when they absorb all the wavelengths and reflect none. But they are not invisible to us. We do still see them, as an absence of light, a black silhouette against a background of the light which is still reaching our eyes from that object’s Magic cloak Only background seen surrounds. The landscape is incomplete, and 59 FORUM Physics

I’m looking through you Continued...

we see a silhouetted object in black, without The surroundings reflect light just as the light being radiated or reflected from it, or object does, although perhaps not as brightly. transmitted through it. This is the vital point. So even then, we would see a ‘dark’ object Although the object is not itself seen, it is not silhouetted against the background. So we invisible. We know it is there by the absence must still have the object bend the light waves of light coming from it. coming from the landscape behind it and then In order to make something invisible, the return them to their original course. missing part of the background, ie the light The only instances of light being bent are blocked out by the object, must be returned seen during total eclipses of the sun, when into the landscape we see, so that there is no we can observe distant stars behind the sun’s gap in our field of vision (see Figure 2). periphery. So the light approaching the object from But the distances involved here are vast, behind it, which would normally be blocked and the sun is so massive that its gravity can by it and not reach our eyes, must somehow bend nearby light waves. be bent around that object and then returned Can we do anything like that on earth? to its original path before it reaches our eyes, Invisibility? Tell ‘em they’re dreaming. so we see no disruption in the background pattern. Then the object would be truly Alan Moskwa invisible (see Figures 2b & 2c). Joslin SA At night, with no ambient light to illuminate an object we wish to detect, we must provide light by means of a torch beamed at the object. This then becomes the same situation as in providing a micro or radio wave emitter. But with one difference.

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60 LETTERS To the Editor The Skeptic September 13

put the following proposition to you: when I was young I was made, with What you think ... threats, to pretend to believe (I was too young to really grasp the fact that threats are no proof of anything) Rolling on Bright sparks in the nonsensical propositions of Christianity. All my life (I’m 60 now), ellow sceptics will be sorry to all lightning is obviously not I have been reviled and abused for Flearn that, years after it was B‘lightning’, as in a spark jumping doubting established ideas, including effectively debunked by HE Lessing from the clouds to the earth. It appears some (mainly in economics) that (New Scientist No. 2104, 18 Oct to be a ‘ball’ of electrically-charged the course of time has proven to be 1997), the hoax over Leonard’s Bicycle plasma that glows and crackles. Like as nonsensical as Christianity. I had, continues. I have visited the Great a ball, it has the ability to bounce off in fact, the bad judgement to doubt Machines exhibition, in the Palazzo the ground and solid objects, and Christianity in boarding school, and dei Cancellieri in Rome, of machines even over a backyard fence. I believe Communism at university. Why constructed according to Leonardo’s it generally occurs at times when should I now take any argument from designs. It includes a clunky pedal- lightning and rain are about. authority seriously? driven bicycle which is not even How can it bounce? My guess is Admittedly I haven’t made any first- steerable. The excuse is that the sketch that the outside of the ball and the hand investigations of the Holocaust in pencil, found together with a ground, and ground-based objects, story, or the 9/11 story, and I do get cartoon-like portrait on the back of the have a matching electrical charge tired of the repetitious propaganda of great man’s design for a fortress (Codex (common in thunderstorms) and some of the ‘deniers’. But I don’t see Atlanticus, folio 133) is particularly so repel each other. How can a ball that it is credulous to doubt that a lot rough. These drawings are not in of plasma hold together? It must be of Arabs could have organised that Leonardo’s characteristic, meticulous electrical. Maybe there is a central area magnificently co-ordinated attack by hand and were formerly next to a of plasma with the opposite charge. themselves. And it seems to me that it puerile phallic graffito (on the reverse Obviously the phenomena are very was exactly what the US Government of what is now folio 132). tricky to study, occurring briefly and needed. And then there were the After the bicycle picture was first randomly in the open. anthrax and the drive-by shootings in published in 1974, the scholar Carlo Washington. It all looked to me like Pedretti claimed he had examined an official campaign of terror by the folio 133 in 1961 and there had Simon Westfold US Government, not an attack by been no bicycle then. Nevertheless, Bittern VIC relatively unsophisticated outsiders. reproductions of the spurious image And on the other bug-bear, I don’t on cards and T-shirts sell like hot cakes see that truth needs the backing of at the exhibition shop, and teenagers law, ever. To me the laws in Europe no doubt go on their way convinced Sceptical against doubting the Holocaust that Leonardo was centuries ahead of are inexcusable. In Germany, they his time. choice may be just a manifestation of At a museum in Lecce, Puglia, I craven knuckling-under to the noticed and photographed a wooden am in receipt of the June 2013 victors together with a bit of guilt- dandy-horse, which again was I issue of the magazine and have consciousness, but why do they apply attributed to Leonardo. It had no been inspired to write to you. In in France? I am strongly tempted to pedals but was steerable, on the design particular, I have been inspired by the say that something doesn’t add up. originally patented to considerable article beginning p32. [“A Climate for And I am sick of the self- renown by Karl Drais of Mannheim Holohoaxers” by Paul Fitzgerald]. righteousness and guild privileges of in 1818. It seems to be a popular I think The Skeptic is getting to be a doctors. Let people consult witch- misconception in Italy that it was their bit too complacent. doctors and use home remedies if boy that beat the rest of the world to I like to think of myself as a sceptic, they want to. Most people are sensible the invention of the bicycle. and I think, at least, that I like to enough to consult a real doctor have my suppositions challenged. when they get really sick - even that But I don’t see that a blanket old fraud Gandhi did that. Every Stephen Stuart denunciation of conspiracy theories consumer is entitled to use his own Balwyn VIC or even homegrown ideas about judgement about what he buys, and health is particularly sceptical. Perhaps scoundrels in authority who try to scepticism is in the eye of the beholder. impose remedies on the public should Let me play the hurt child and be executed. 61 REGULARS

Let me now retaliate for your time to time, but new ones are always condescending references to the growing up, and the worst of it is that psychology of doubters of the official we don’t and can’t see them growing. wisdom. I don’t know how old you So I reserve the right to be are, but it seems to me that you, and sceptical, not only about the the author of the piece beginning Holocaust and the various convenient p32, suffer from the young person’s outrages that form the basis of US idea that things are always going to strategic policy, but also about ‘global get better. It ain’t so. warming’, and anything else I choose. I don’t deny that progress is possible, but regression is possible too. Things get forgotten. Apart from Paul Rackemann things getting forgotten and the past Rockhampton QLD being misinterpreted by inadvertence, large organisations (such as education systems) always have policies and biases, and they choose to highlight some lessons of history and underplay others. Young people are lazy and absorb gross over-simplifications, which then acquire the status of holy writ. Ambitious young people are only too willing to believe anything that they think will help their advancement in life. Old errors and superstitions may be exploded from

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD SOLUTION DR BOB’S QUIZ SOLUTIONS

E C N E S S E T N I Q N S O

U 1. One animal was a real puma, an escaped pet; the other

N A M W E E H T animal was Mr Peter Bailey, a cryptozoologist caught in

A M G I N E S N A M S L A T I his own trap.

B R E C D O P

I 2. His expression “looked for the first time as if there was

S R O T I S I V O R E K R U L evil in the world”. One can imagine some further artistic

F S T H S U D appreciation, involving bullets.

L O R T N O C D N M O P V E I 3. Because they are themselves forgeries, mostly executed

O R E Y O A U R (sic) by his son Jacques van Meegeren. Fancy buying a

forgery, and then discovering it is a forged forgery and not

W A Y I S T S I C I R I M E

P a real forgery!

P R P A G E

H 4. Like Jonah - inside the whale. S T O B O R H S E D A I E L P

O M U L B E L S 5. Nobody knows, but it may be due to an especially

M A E R D A D I E N O G R O Y thorough washing and drying of the urinated-upon feet

thus removing more dead skin than usual. T M A E U N N I

A T R Y P R U M Y E D I R B H You can see more like this, every month and going back some years, at www.skeptics.com.au/features/dr-bobs-quiz/

62 The Skeptic June 13

Local Skeptical Groups

VICTORIA TASMANIA Gippsland Skeptics – (formerly Sale Skeptics In The Pub) Launceston Skeptics Meets every second Friday in Sale and Morwell in Contact: Jin-oh Choi, 0408 271 800 alternate months. [email protected] [email protected] or 0424 376 153 www.launcestonskeptics.com Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gippsland- Skeptics/172376579482915 Launceston: Skeptics in the Pub 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month 5.30pm @ The Royal Oak Hotel Great Ocean Road Skeptics – (Geelong) Meets on the last Wednesday of each month from 6pm, City Launceston: Skeptical Sunday Quarter, Cunningham Pier East Geelong 2nd Sunday of each month Contact: Carolyn Coulson [email protected] 2.00pn @ Cube Cafe

Melbourne Eastern Hills Skeptics in the Pub Meets second Monday of each month at The Knox Club, Wantirna South. Contact: Lucas Randall 0423141453 [email protected] http://mehsitp.codenix.org

Melbourne Skeptics in the Pub Meets on the fourth Monday of every month from 6 pm at the Mt View Hotel in Richmond. http://www.melbourneskeptics.com.au/skeptics-in-the-pub/

Mordi Skeptics in The Pub Meets at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of each month at the Mordi Sporting Club. ($2 to cover website costs) http://www.meetup.com/Mordi-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/

Peninsula Skeptics – (aka The Celestial Teapot) Contacts: Graeme Hanigan 0438 359 600 or Tina Hunt 0416 156 945 or [email protected] http://www.meetup.com/Teapot-Mornington-Peninsula/

NOTE: LISTINGS WELCOME We invite listings for any Skeptical groups based on local rather than regional areas. Email us at editor@ skeptics.com.au with details of your organisation’s name, contact details and any regular functions, eg Skeptics in the Pub, with time, day of the month, location etc. Because this is a quarterly journal and most local groups meet monthly, it is unlikely we will be able to include references to specific speakers or events. Skeptic_B Cover_June13.indd 64 7/06/13 2:50 AM