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25 Years of Skeptical Inquiry

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25 Years of Skeptical Inquiry POLYGRAPHS & NATIONAL LABS SWAMP MONSTERS SOCORRO UFO CASE 25 Years of Skeptical Inquiry Paul Kurtz, Kendrick Frazier, Published by the Committee fgr the Investigation ofestig Claimsa of the Paranormal THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFAlO| • AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy. State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nicked, Senior Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. AIcock. * psychologist. York Univ., Saul Green, PhD, biochemist science editof of the James E. Oberg. science writer Toronto Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, and Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, president of ZOL Consultants, New York. NY (retired), Marburg, Germany Oregon Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Loren Pankratz, psychologist. Oregon Health Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief. and Sciences, prof, of philosophy. University Sciences Univ. New England Journal of Medicine of Miami John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist. Univ. of Wales Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist MIT Kentucky Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, Stephen Barrett. M.D.. psychiatrist, author, Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human under­ executive director CICAP, Italy consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. standing and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Barry Beyerstein, * biopsychologist. Simon Chicago Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C.. Canada Physics and professor of history of science. Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Harvard Univ. medicine, Stanford Univ. Southern California Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Amardeo Sarma, engineer, head of dept. Susan Blackmore, psychologist, Univ. of the Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time at T-Nova Deutsche Telekom West of England, Bristol Sergei Kapitza, editor, Russian edition. Innovationsgesellschaft mbH Headquarters, Henri Broch, physicist. Univ. of Nice, France Scientific American executive director, GWUP, Germany. Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor Philip J. Klass,* aerospace writer, engineer Evry Schatzman, president, French Physics emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Association Vern Bullough, professor of history, California Observatory Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist, execu­ State Univ. at Northridge Paul Kurtz,* chairman, CSICOP tive director. National Center for Science Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Lawrence Kusche, science writer Education John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor. National Leon Lederman, emeritus director. Fermilab; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, Center for Science Education Nobel laureate in physics linguist, Indiana Univ. Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist, Emory Univ. Robert Sheaffer, science writer professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, California, Berkeley Technology Daily (China) director, Biosystems Research Institute, F. H. C Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology. Univ. of La Jolla. Calif. Biological Studies. La Jolla, Calif; Nobel Prize California, Berkeley Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey laureate Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Hills. N.S.W., Australia Richard Dawkins, zoologist. Oxford Univ. Univ. of Washington Robert Steiner, magician, author. Cornells de Jager. professor of astrophysics, Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, El Cerrito, Calif. Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer. SETI Institute. Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, U.K. John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Mountain View, Calif. Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor. David Marks, psychologist. City University, London. Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Encyclopedia of Philosophy Walter C. McCrone, microscopist. McCrone Angeles, Calif. David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, Research Institute Central Connecticut State Univ. Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and Peralta, New Mexico Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ.. U.K. science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Univ. of Southern California Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College, Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and direc­ Los Altos Hills. Calif. sciences, M.I.T. tor, Hayden Planetarium, New York City Kendrick Frazier, * science writer, editor. David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine con­ SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Research Center tributing editor and CBS News correspondent Yves Galifret. vice-president. Affiliated Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and Organizations: France of Calif., Berkeley astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel Martin Gardner, • author, critic H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president. Prize laureate Murray Gell-Mann. professor of physics, Santa Bangalore Science Forum, India Richard Wiseman, psychologist. University of Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist. New York Univ. Thomas Gilovich. psychologist, Cornell Univ. Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSICOP Hertfordshire Henry Gordon, magician, columnist. Toronto Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Marvin Zelen. statistician. Harvard Univ. Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Bill Nye, science educator and television host, * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Zoology. Harvard Univ. Nye Labs (Affiliations given for identification only.) • • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://www.csicop.org • • • The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by the Committee tor the An Pile*., reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKLFLICAI INQUIRER represent the Scientific Investigation of Claims ol the Paranormal, 1310 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. NY views and work of individual authors. Their publication docs not necessarily constitute an 14228. Printed in U.S.A. reriodiciis postage paid at Buffalo. NY. Subscription prices: one year endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. (six issues). $35; two years, $58; three years, $81; single issue. $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Copyright ©2001 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of die Payment in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank must accompany orders; please add US$10 per year Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm. for shipping. Canadian and foreign customers arc encouraged to use Visa or MasrerCard 35mm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made indexed in the Reader's Guide to irVriodkal Literature. to Paul Kurtz. Chairman. CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Td.: 716-636-1425. Subscriptions and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAI INQUIRER. BOX FAX: 716-436-1733. 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (outside U.S. call 716-636- Manuscripts, letters, books for review-, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to 1425)- Old address as well as new- arc necessary for change of subscribers address, with six Kendrick Frazier. Editor. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive NE. Albuquerque. weeks advance notice. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP NM 87122. FAX 505-828-2080. For Guide for Authors, see page 64 in the September / or uSc SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. October 2000 issue, or send a fax request to the Editor. It is also available on the Web at Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box 703. Amherst. NY h tip: //ww^.aicop.org/si/guide-for-authors. html. 14226-0703. CSICOP'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY Skeptical Inquirer 42 A Quarter Century of July /August 2001 • VOL 25, NO. 4 Skeptical Inquiry My Personal Involvement ARTICLES PAUL KURTZ 24 Confronting Veterinary 48 Thoughts on Science and Skepticism in the Twenty-First Century Medical Nonsense KENDRICK FRAZIER A Report from the Trenches In veterinary medicine, as in human medicine, people now 53 Proper Criticism find themselves besieged with dubious claims for a variety RAY HYMAN of therapies. ROBERT IMRIE, DVM 56 The Lighter Side of Skepticism Skeptical Cartoons by Rob Pudim 31 Junk Science and the Law Legal systems throughout the world have often been cor­ COLUMNS rupted into suppressing unpopular scientific knowledge and into promoting pseudoscience, for political religious, or eco­ nomic reasons. In the United States new regulations regard­ EDITOR'S NOTE 4 ing "expert" testimony and new strategies to quiet scientific truth are gaining strength. Because of this it is imperative that skeptics realize the extent to which legal abuses may NEWS AND COMMENT support and advance the agenda of those opposed to ratio­ A Different Angle on the Socorro UFO of 1964 / Rebirthing nal thought. Update: Therapists Convicted, Therapy Outlawed in Colorado / Chiropractic Deal with York University
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