News and Comment

News and Comment opinion but were basically skeptical. NAS Scientists Highly Only 2 percent answered that they felt Skeptical About ESP psi anomalies had been demonstrated, with 3 percent saying psi sometimes and PK, Survey Reveals occurs. The National Academy of Sciences is composed of more than 1,500 of the n interesting survey of members most distinguished scientists in the of the National Academy of United States, elected to membership Ai Sciences about their attitudes for significant and sustained contri- toward parapsychology has been butions to scientific knowledge. Prob- published in the journal of the American ably no group of scientists—other Society for Psychical Research (vol. 84, than U.S. Nobel Prize winners, of October 1991). whom virtually all are Academy It shows that these elite American members—could be considered more scientists are highly skeptical about eminent, and so their attitudes toward the existence of extrasensory percep- parapsychology are of considerable tion (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK). In interest. They are also now of con- fact, 77 percent either said such psi siderable concern to parapsycholo- abilities do "not occur" or said they gists. are "extremely skeptical" about them. Parapsychologist Robert A. An additional 19 percent voiced no McConnell, of the Biological Sciences 229 Department of the University of ogists, anthropologists, psychologists, Pittsburgh, carried out the poll. The social and political scientists, and motivating reason, he says, was his economists, and a randomly chosen 20 concern over the negative conclusions percent of the other NAS members. toward the evidence of parapsychol- McConnell introduced his survey ogy contained in the 1988 National letter with reference to what he terms Research Council (NRC) report the "uncompromising stand against Enhancing Human Performance. The parapsychology" of the earlier NRC NRC, the operating arm of the NAS, report and then defined extrasensory is congressionally chartered to carry perception and psychokinesis in this out studies for branches of the federal way: government, and the NRC committee that examined parapsychology found The hypothesis of parapsychology "no scientific justification from re- is that at least some humans can search conducted over a period of 130 bypass their sensory and motor years for the existence of parapsycho- mechanisms and, by means of voli- logical phenomena." (See "Enhancing tion, can to some slight degree reach Human Performance: What About directly to space and time outside Parapsychology," SI, Fall 1988. The themselves to gather information or NRC committee's second report, on to exert a force. The gathering of information in this way is called altering mental states, was published "extrasensory perception" (ESP), in September; see pp. 233-234 of this and the exertion of a force is called issue.) "psychokinesis" (PK). Parapsychologists were deeply concerned about that conclusion and He asked three questions, begin- other negative evaluations in the ning with, "What is your opinion report, and McConnell was among regarding the occurrence of ESP or PK?" those who counterattacked most The other two questions asked vociferously. He strongly complained respondents to give reasons for their to the president of the Academy and skepticism and their attitudes toward later circulated correspondence to encouraging further research in 6,690 persons, including 1,441 parapsychology. This time 239 of the members of the Academy, followed by recipients (49 percent) responded—a a second round of correspondence, percentage that McConnell feels is generally receiving very little high enough, with a few minor response. (That correspondence is caveats, to be generally extrapolated published in the appendices to his to the NAS membership as a whole. survey report.) He and others seem To the question about their belief sincerely not to understand why the in such psi abilities, 14 percent were evidence they feel parapsychologists certain that ESP and PK do not occur, have put forth for psychic phenomena and 63 percent were extremely skep- has not gained scientific acceptance. tical. An additional 19 percent checked Part of the reason for the poll was "I have no opinion to offer, but I am, to find out why. of course, skeptical." Only 5 percent In January 1990, McConnell sent answered either that "unexplained a brief multiple-choice questionnaire anomalies . suggesting ESP and/or on parapsychology to a sample of PK" had been demonstrated or that about one-third (491) of the 1,564 they believe psi "sometimes occurs." members of the NAS. McConnell says It is interesting to compare these it went to nearly all NAS neurobiol- extremely low levels of belief by 230 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 16 TABLE 1 NAS Members' Opinions Regarding Parapsychology Response t o Question 1: Belief in Psi (ESP and PK) Tally Count and Percent of All Replies Membership Groups Does not Extremely No Anomalies Psi (NAS Sections) occur skeptical opinion demonstrated occurs Physical Scientists (A/=23) 3 (13%) 17(74%) 3 (13%) 0(0%) 0 (0%) Chemical Scientists (A/=22) 1 (5%) 19(86%) 1 (5%) 0(0%) 1 (5%) Geological Scientists (AM 1) 0 (0%) 8 (73%) 3 (27%) 0(0%) 0 (0%) Biochem. & Cellular (/\M8) 1 (6%) 12(67%) 5 (28%) 0(0%) 0 (0%) Neurobiologies (AM22) 6 (27%) 14 (64%) 1 (5%) 1(5%) 0 (0%) Organismic Biologists (A/=23) 3 (13%) 12 (52%) 7(30%) 1(4%) 0 (0%) Applied Physical (AM7) 5(29%) 8 (47%) 3 (18%) 1(6%) 0 (0%) Medical Scientists ( A M 7) 4 (24%) 8 (47%) 3(18%) 0(0%) 2(12%) Anthropologists (A/=23) 3 (13%) 12 (52%) 7(30%) 0(0%) 1 (4%) Psychologists (A/=27) 3(11%) 19 (70%) 4 (15%) 0(0%) 1 (4%) Social and Political (A£21) 2(10%) 12(57%) 6(29%) 1(5%) 0 (0%) Economists (AM5) 2 (13%) 9(60%) 3(20%) 0(0%) 1 (7%) Gross Totals (A/=239) 33 (14%) 150 (63%) 46(19%) 4(2%) 6 (3%) Corrected Totals" (14%) (63%) (20%) (2%) (2%) "Corrected totals are adjusted for sampling fraction. Source: McConnell and Clark. "National Academy of Sciences' Opinion on Parapsychology." J. Am Soc. of Psychical Research. 85:363-365. October 1991. eminent scientists with the levels percent. The remaining groups fell in found among adult Americans last the 77 percent to 65 percent range year by the Gallup poll (SI, Winter (anthropologists and organismic biol- 1991, p. 138). Gallup found that 49 ogists both had this "lowest" level of percent of the general population skepticism). believes in ESP, 36 percent in tele- The 77 percent of respondents (183 pathy, 26 percent in clairvoyance, and persons) who answered the first 17 percent in psychokinesis. question in the two most skeptical McConnell's questionnaires were categories were scored on the reasons coded to show to which of the dis- for their skepticism. (See Table 2.) ciplinary sections of the NAS each They were allowed to check more than respondent belonged. (See Table 1.) one answer. Seventy-one percent of These breakdowns show that for these checked "The phenomena have some groups the rate of rejection of not been explained and do not fit into the psi hypothesis (answering, "ESP known science." Five percent checked and PK do not occur" or that they are "I have personally done experiments "extremely skeptical") is extremely and obtained only chance results." high: neurobiologists, 91 percent; Eleven percent checked "I have per- chemists, 91 percent; physical scien- sonally studied some of the sup- tists, 87 percent; psychologists, 81 posedly best experiments and found Spring 1992 231 The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal announces the 1992 CSICOP Conference at the Harvey Hotel in Dallas, Texas Friday, Saturday, and Sunday October 16, 17, and 18, 1992 FAIRNESS, FRAUD AND FEMINISM: CULTURE CONFRONTS SCIENCE Keynote Address (Friday at 8:00 P.M.) Richard Dawkins distinguished professor of zoology at Oxford University, author of The Blind Watchmaker and The Selfish Gene (Tentative Program) Friday, October 16 7:30 - 9:00 A.M.: Registration 9:00 - 9:15 A.M.: Opening Remarks — Paul Kurtz, CSICOP Chairman 9:15 A.M. - 12 NOON: MULTICULTURAL APPROACHES TO SCIENCE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY Moderator. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education Bernard Ortiz de Montellano, professor of anthropology, Wayne State University Diana Marines, professor of biochemistry, Michigan State University Joseph Dunbar, professor of physiology, Wayne State University 12 NOON - 2:00 P.M.: Lunch Break TABLE 2 NAS Members' Opinions Regarding Parapsychology Response to Question 2: Reasons for Disbelief in Psi (ESP a n d PK) Tally Count and Percent of All Disbelieving Replies1 Psi does Personal Study of Evaluations Other not "fir experiments journals by others reasons Gross Totals (AM83) 130(71%) 9(5%) 20(11%) 88 (48%) 20(11%) Corrected Totals2 (73%) (5%) (10%) (45%) (10%) 'Scored only for replies choosing the first or second answer to Question 1. For each group, multiple responses to Question 2 total more than 100%. 2Corrected totals are adjusted for sampling fraction. Source: McConnell and Clark, "National Academy of Sciences' Opinion on Parapsychology," J. Am. Soc. of Psychical Research. 85:363-365. October 1991. them unconvincing." (Seven of these As for their attitudes toward para- 20 persons were psychologists, but in psychological research (see Table 3), his comments, McConnell laments of the 235 responding 25 percent said that few of the NAS members who it should be "discouraged," 63 percent checked this answer provided sup- said it should be "allowed but not porting detail about journals, papers, encouraged," and 10 percent said it etc., as he had asked, leaving him should be "encouraged." Neurobiolo- suspecting that few are really familiar gists and psychologists were the most with the parapsychological literature.) negative in these attitudes; anthropol- Forty-eight percent gave as a reason, ogists, the least.

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