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That's Entertainment! TV's UFO Coverup the Dogon Revisited The MARTIN GARDNER ON SOKAL HOAX • NOT-SO-SPONTANEOUS HUMAN COMBUSTION • EVOLUTION BATTLES Leon M. Lederman Cosmic Menagerie That's Entertainment! Neil deGrasse Tyson- TV'S UFO Coverup Philip J. Klass Scientific Consensus » and Expert Testimony The Dogon Revisited The 'Roswell Fragment'—Case Closed Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims Of the Paranormal THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AI THE CENTER fC* INQUIRY (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 and Public Relations Director Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock.* psychologist, York Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSI­ Univ., Toronto Univ. COP Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Lee Nisbet,* philosopher, Medaille College Albany, Oregon Toronto James E. Oberg. science writer Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Kentucky Comparative Zoology. Harvard Univ. Health Sciences Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, C E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of John Paulos, mathematician, Temple author, consumer advocate, Allentown, Wales Univ. Pa. AI Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Mark Plummer, lawyer, Australia Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist, Laboratory W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ. Simon Fraser Univ.. Vancouver, B.C., Douglas Hofstadter, professor of Canada Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. human understanding and cognitive of Chicago Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of science, Indiana Univ. Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ. Southern California Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical profes­ Susan Blackmore,* psychologist, Univ. Physics and Professor of History of sor of medicine, Stanford Univ. of the West of England, Bristol Science, Harvard Univ. Evry Schatzman, President, French Henri Broch, physicist Univ. of Nice. Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Physics Association France Oregon Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, profes­ Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus. executive director, National Center for sor of English, Univ. of Utah Time Science Education Vern Bullough, professor of history, Sergei Kapitza, editor, Russian edition, Glenn T. Seaborg, University Professor California State Univ. at Northridge Scientific American of Chemistry, Univ. of California, Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill Philip J. Klass,* aerospace writer, engi­ Berkeley; Nobel Prize laureate University neer Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist lin­ John R. Cole, professor of anthropology, Marvin Kohl, professor of philosophy, guist, Indiana Univ. Univ. of Mass. at Amherst SUNY at Fredonia Robert Sheaffer, science writer F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Elie A. Shneour, biochemist; author, director, Biosystems Research Institute, Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel Griffith Observatory La Jolla, California Prize laureate Paul Kurtz,* chairman, CSICOP Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Richard Dawkins, zoologist. Oxford Lawrence Kusche, science writer Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia Univ. Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Robert Steiner, magician, author, El L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer Fermilab; Nobel laureate in physics Cerrito, Calif. Cornells de Jager, professor of astro­ Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychol­ Jill Cornell Tarter, SETI Institute physics, Univ. of Utrecht the ogy, Univ. of Washington Carol Tavris', psychologist and author, Netherlands Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Los Angeles, Calif. Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Stephen Toulmin, professor of philoso­ U.K. David Marks, psychologist Middlesex phy, University of Southern California Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor, Polytech, England Steven Weinberg, professor of physics Encyclopedia of Philosophy Walter C. McCrone, microscopist, and astronomy, University of Texas at Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Austin; Nobel Prize laureate McCrone Research Institute Univ., U.K. Marvin Zelen. statistician, Harvard Univ. Marvin Minsky, professor of Media Arts Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and and Sciences, M.I.T. College. Los Altos Hills. Calif. Technology Daily (China) Kendrick Frazier,* science writer. Editor, David Morrison, space scientist. NASA SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Ames Research Center * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Yves Galifret Exec. Secretary, I'Union Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. * Associate Member, CSICOP Executive Rationaliste Univ. of Calif., Berkeley Council Martin Gardner,* author, critic H. Narasimhaiah, physicist president (Affiliations given for identification only.) Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Bangalore Science Forum, India Santa Fe InstituteVisi; Nobet l Prizthee laureat CSICOe DorothP wey Nelkinb sit, sociologise at thttp://www.csicop.or New York g • • • Univ. The Skeptical Inquirer (ISSN 0194-6730) b published bimonthly by the Committer for che Scientific work of individual author* Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by CSICOP Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 3965 Rensch Rd Amherst NY 14228-2743. Printed in USA or in members unless to stated Second-claw, pottage paid at Amherst, New York, ind additional mailing office*. Subscription prices one Copyright 1996 by the Committee lor Use Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal All year (m ana), $32.50; two yean. $5400; three yean, $75.00; tingle iussue. $4.95. rights reserved. The Skeptical Inquirer is available on 16mm microfilm. 35mm microfilm, and 105mm Inquiries from the media and the public about die work of the Committee should be made to Paul microfiche from University Microfilms International and ii indexed in the Readers Guide to Periodical Kara. Chairman CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703 Td 1716) 636-1425. FAX: 716-636- Literature. 1733. Subscriptions change of address, and advertising should be addressed to: Skeptical Inquirer, Box Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick Frazier, 703. Amherst. MY 14226-0703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 outside VS. call 716-636-1425). Old Editor. Skeptical Inquirer )44Deer Drive NE..\lbuqL«rqueNMri22-li06 FAX 505-828-2080 For address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with us weeks advance notice Guide for Author tee page 65 of the May / June 1996 iuue or tax request to die Editor Skeptical Inquirer SUBSCRIBERS may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or the Skeptical Inquirer Articles, reports, reviews, and letter published in the Skeptical Inquirer represent the views and Postmaster Send changes of address to Skeptical Inquirer Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Skeptical Inquirer 'Roswell fragment', p. 5 November/December 1996 • VOL 20, NO. 6 ARTICLES 23 A Strategy for Saving Science Judas Priest trial, p. 32 To preserve our four-hundred-year commitment to a scientific worldview, we need our educated people to incorporate scientific thinking—the COLUMNS blend of curiosity and skepticism, the habit of critical questioning—into their very nature. Pioneering new teaching styles in science and math, EDITOR'S NOTE 4 carried out in cooperation with the liberal arts, can help achieve that. LEON M LEDERMAN NEWS AND COMMENT The 'Roswell Fragment' /Penthouse 'Autopsy1 / Where Are the Antiscience Attitudes? / 'Evolution' 29 Thafs Entertainment! TV's UFO Coverup Loses Out in New Mexico Science Standards / 'Klass Network television documentaries about UFOs have willfully ignored County' UFO Abductions / Some Double-Blind evidence that contradicts the pro-aliens theme. Experiments May Not Be So Blind After All / The PHILIP J. KLASS New Medicine Goes to Congress / That's Astronomy, Not Astrology / In Memoriam: Gordon Stein 5 32 Scientific Consensus and Expert NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Testimony: Lessons from the Physicist Alan Sokal's Hilarious Hoax MARTIN GARDNER .14 Judas Priest Trial Can a subliminal message induce someone to commit suicide? INVESTIGATIVE FILES Not-So-Spontaneous Human Combustion This was the central question at the Judas Priest trial. JOE NICKELL 17 TIMOTHY E. MOORE MEDIA WATCH 39 The Dogon People Revisited CD-ROM Encyclopedias: How Does Their Coverage of Pseudoscience Topics Rate? The 1970s claim that the Dogon tribespeople of Africa had extraordinary astronomical knowledge has been revived, amplified, and widely dissemi­ nated in recent years. Here is a new examination and evaluation. NEW BOOKS 53 BERNARD R. ORTIZ de MONTELLANO 54 43 Cosmic Menagerie: Some FORUM Beyond the Rational Underpublicized Truths about the GLORIA J. LEITNER 55 Constellations Extraterrestrial Unintelligence? The stars in our night sky are only a few thousand dots of light, but ALTA WALKER 56 since ancient times people have been mentally connecting the dots to cre­ ate a cosmic zoo. But don't look to them to tell you about your personal LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 61 life or fortune. NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON BOOK REVIEWS Saving science, p. 23 The Night Is Large by Martin Gardner MICHAEL DIRDA 47 Jeopardy in the Courtroom: A Scientific Analysis of Children's Testimony by Stephen J. Ceci and Maggie Bruck
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