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M» the Skeptical Inquirer m» the Skeptical Inquirer SCIENCE AND THE PARANORMAL Essays by Asimov, De Camp, Sagan, and Kurtz Crashed-Saucer Claims / Creationist Evangelism Kirlian Photography VOL. X NO. 3 / SPRING 1986 S5.00 Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Skeptical Inquirer THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. Editor Kendrick Frazier. Editorial Board James E. Alcock, Martin Gardner, Ray Hyman, Philip J. Klass, Paul Kurtz, James Randi. Consulting Editors Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge, John Boardman, John R. Cole, C. E. M. Hansel, E. C. Krupp, Andrew Neher, James E. Oberg, Robert Sheaffer, Steven N. Shore. Managing Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Public Relations Andrea Szalanski (director), Barry Karr. Production Editor Betsy Offermann. Business Manager Mary Rose Hays. Systems Programmer Richard Seymour, Data-Base Manager Laurel Geise Smith. Typesetting Paul E. Loynes. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Staff Stephanie Doyle, Mary Beth Gehrman, Tracy Karr, Ruthann Page, Alfreda Pidgeon. Cartoonist Rob Pudim. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Paul Kurtz, Chairman; philosopher. State University of New York at Buffalo. Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director. Fellows of the Committee James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Eduardo Amaldi, physicist. University of Rome, Italy. Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Irving Biederman, psychologist, SUNY at Buffalo; Brand Blanshard, philosopher, Yale; Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University; Bette Chambers, A.H.A.; John R. Cole, anthropologist. Institute for the Study of Human Issues; F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla. Calif.; L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer; Bernard Dixon, science writer, consultant; Paul Edwards, philos­ opher, Editor, Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K.; Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, executive officer, Astronomical Society of the Pacific; editor of Mercury; Kendrick Frazier, science writer. Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER; Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary, 1'Union Rationaliste; Martin Gardner, author, critic; Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, California Institute of Technology; Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, broadcaster, Toronto; Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ.; C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales; Sidney Hook, prof, emeritus of philosophy, NYU; Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon; Leon Jaroff, sciences editor, Time; Lawrence Jerome, science writer, engineer; Philip J. Klass, science writer, engineer; Marvin Kohl, philosopher, SUNY College at Fredonia; Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Observatory; Lawrence Kusche, science writer; Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, AeroViron- ment. Inc.. Monrovia, Calif.; David Marks, psychologist, Univ. of Otago, Dunedin; David Morrison, professor of astronomy. University of Hawaii; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ.; James Randi, magician, author; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ.; Evry Schatzman, President, French Physics Association; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, linguist, Indiana University; Robert Sheaffer, science writer; B. F. Skinner, psychologist, Harvard Univ.; Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito, California; Stephen Toulmin, professor of social thought and philosophy, Univ. of Chicago; Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ.; Marvin Zimmerman, philosopher. SUNY at Buffalo. (Affiliations given for identification only.) Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick Frazier, Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 3025 Palo Alto Dr., N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87111. Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be addressed to: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, BOX 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz, Chairman. CS1COP, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Tel.; (716)834-3222. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. Copyright * 1986 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3151 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Subscription Rates: Individuals, libraries, and institutions, $18.00 a year; back issues, $5.00 each (vol. I, no. I through vol. 2, no. 2, $7.50 each). Postmaster: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published quarterly. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Printed in the U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo, New York, and additional mailing offices. Send changes of address to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 229. Buffalo. NY 14215-0229. ""Skeptical Inquirer Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Vol. X, No. 3 ISSN 0194-6730 Spring 1986 TENTH-ANNIVERSARY ESSAYS 212 The Perennial Fringe by Isaac Asimov 215 The Uses of Credulity by L. Sprague de Camp 218 Night Walkers and Mystery Mongers: Sense and Nonsense at the Edge of Science by Carl Sagan 229 CSICOP After Ten Years: Reflections on the 'Transcendental Temptation' by Paul Kurtz ARTICLES 234 Crash of the Crashed-Saucer Claim by Philip J. Klass 244 A Study of the Kirlian Effect by Arleen J. Watkins and William S. Bickel 258 Ancient Tales and Space-Age Myths of Creationist Evangelism by Tom Mclver 194 NEWS AND COMMENT Double-Blind Astrology Test / Evolution in Science Texts / Psychics '85 Fore­ casts / Mexican Earthquake Pseudoscience / Shroud Dating / Chelation Suit 202 NOTES OF A PSI-WATCHER Modern Creationism's Debt to George McCready Price by Martin Gardner 208 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS Monkey escapade, Rendlesham UFO, and National Enquirer's new image by Robert Sheaffer BOOK REVIEWS 277 Stanislav Grof, Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death and Transcendence in Psycho­ therapy (Richard Morrock) 280 Laurie R. Godfrey, What Darwin Began (John R. Cole) 281 SOME RECENT BOOKS 281 ARTICLES OF NOTE 284 FROM OUR READERS Letters from Paul M. Churchland, Noel W. Smith, Mark McDermand, Michael Eric Bennett, Karl Bunker, Mark Plummer, George J. Neuerberg, Stephen R. C. Clark, Vern L. Bullough, Steuart Campbell, and Dorothea Wender ON THE COVER: Illustration by Ron Chironna ©1986. News and Comment Double-Blind Test of Astrology Avoids Bias, Still Refutes the Astrological Hypothesis STROLOGERS WHO claim they himself performed "psychic ability" Acan analyze a person's character demonstrations. and predict a person's life course just Carlson's research involved 30 by reading the "stars" are fooling the American and European astrologers public and themselves, University of considered by their peers to be among California researcher Shawn Carlson the best practitioners of their art. has concluded in a unique double-blind The study was designed specifically test of astrology published in Nature to test astrology as astrologers define (December 5, 1985). The controlled it. Astrologers frequently claim that study was designed specifically to test previous tests by scientists have been whether astrologers can do what they based on scientists' misconceptions say they can do. Carlson, a researcher about astrology. at UC's Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, To check astrologers' claims that found astrologers had no special ability they can tell from natal charts what to interpret personality from astrolog­ people are really like and how they will ical readings. Astrologers also per­ fare in life, Carlson asked astrologers formed much worse in the test than they to interpret natal charts for 116 unseen predicted they would, according to "clients." In the test, astrologers were Carlson. allowed no face-to-face contact with The study refutes astrologers' their clients. assertions that they can solve clients' For each client's chart, astrologers personal problems by reading "natal were provided three anonymous per­ charts," individual horoscopes cast sonality profiles—one from the client according to the person's date, time, and two others chosen at random—and and place of birth. "It is more likely asked to choose the one that best that when sitting face to face with a matched the natal chart. All personality client, astrologers read- clients' needs, profiles came from real people and were hopes, and doubts from their body compiled using questionnaires known language," said Carlson, who is also a as the California Personality Inventory doctoral candidate in physics at UCLA (CP1). The CP1, a widely used and sci­ and a professional magician who has entifically accepted personality test, 194 THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 10 measures traits like aggressiveness, FIRST CHOICE dominance, and femininity from a long series of multiple-choice questions. According to Carlson, the study strenuously attempted to avoid anti- astrology bias by making sure astrolo­ gers were familiar with the CPI and by Best Linear Fit i incorporating many of the astrologers' suggestions. At the same time, to pre­ r T T\ vent testers from inadvertently helping astrologers during the test, the project ' \T i —. •. was designed as a double-blind study -r\ * where neither astrologers
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