DOCSLIB.ORG

Critical Thinking in the Crescent City

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Critical Thinking in the Crescent City March April pages_SI new design masters 2/1/12 12:48 PM Page 13 CONFERENCE REPORT] search is worthwhile.” Rigorous studies Critical Thinking in of “energy medicine” were negative, the Crescent City hardly surprising since they were testing “implausible treatments.” When Prince KAREN STOLLZNOW Charles, an advocate of alternative med- icine, complained about Ernst to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry chancellor of his university, Ernst lost A(CSI) conference has been long- most of his funding and team. Ernst de- awaited since the last event held in fended himself successfully but at high 2003. The inaugural CSICon, the con- cost. He said his work has “generated ference dedicated to scientific inquiry substantial bodies of evidence,” much of and critical thinking, was held October it undermining assertions of alternative 27–30, 2011. medicine, and made him “some friends, For such an event there simply is no lots of enemies.” better location than the French Quar- This is just a brief taste of the sessions ter in New Orleans and simply no bet- that made CSICon New Orleans 2011 ter time than the Halloween weekend. such a treat. There were also lively ses- As I demonstrated in my talk “Making sions on “The Investigators” (Joe Nickell, History,” New Orleans is the most “haunted” city in the country (or at least Massimo Polidoro, Karen Stollznow, and one of the many “most haunted”). Ben Radford), “Death from the Skies” NOLA is famous for its music, cui- (Phil Plait, David Morrison, and Seth sine, and Cajun and Creole culture, but Shostak), “Science and Public Policy” it’s also a city teeming with pseudo- (Chris Mooney and Ron Lindsay), science and the paranormal. Jackson “Feeling the Future” (Ray Hyman and Square has art galleries and museums James Alcock), “Evo lu tion and Creation- but also resident psychics offering tarot, ism” (Eugenie Scott and Barbara For- palm, and astrology readings. The rest), “Skepti cism and the Media” (Indre French Quarter is infamous for the Viskontas, San dra Blake slee, and reputation of Bourbon Street, Mardi William B. Davis), “Super stitions and Gras, and Southern Decadence, but it’s Hauntings” (Amar deo Sarma, Stuart also known for its underbelly of Vyse, and Joe Nickell), “UFO Claims” voodoo, hoodoo, and Santeria. The city (Robert Sheaf fer and James McGaha), has a remarkable and vibrant history “Con spiracy Theories” (David Thomas, but is often best remembered for its Robert Blaskiewicz, and Ted Goert zel), folklore of ghosts, vampires, and Voo - “Inde pendent In vestigation Groups,” doo Queen Marie Laveau. The confer- “Grass roots Activ ism and Outreach,” ence was a haven of rationalism, in- “Educating the Next Genera tion,” and a quiry, and skepticism amid the myths characteristically mind-bending lunch and legends of the Big Easy. talk about frontiers of modern physics by CSICon featured an exciting array physicist Lawrence Krauss. of dynamic speakers. These are people It was exhausting but exhilarating, we’ve seen on television, whose writings and we can hope there will be many we’ve read in books and copies of the more CSICons to come. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, and who we’ve listened to on podcasts and radio Kendrick Frazier is editor of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER shows. There were fascinating and in- and a member of the Executive Council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. formative talks presented by James r e l g n E CSI Executive Council Member Leonard Tramiel chats with student Troy T. Obrero; Indre Viskontas reminds . D n a us immediatley dismissing someone’s story can be counterproductive to skepticism; PZ Myers sports a i r B CSICon T-shirt during his talk on Sunday; Ken Frazier welcomes the crowd at CSICon’s introductory remarks. : s o t o h p Skeptical Inquirer | March/April 2 012 13 March April pages_SI new design masters 2/1/12 12:48 PM Page 14 Randi, Bill Nye, PZ Myers, Lawrence Krauss, and Indre Viskontas of the TV Joe Nickell Has Asteroid Named After Him show Miracle Detectives. The conference was well-attended with over 300 people but It was a surprise announcement at the beginning of the Friday night awards banquet at intimate enough to enable personal conver- CSICon New Orleans 2011. Astronomer and CSI scientific consultant James McGaha sations with speakers and fellow confer- came forward and announced that an asteroid has been named for Joe Nickell in honor ence-goers. of his distinguished work on behalf of science, skepticism, and critical inquiry. CSI was well-represented by speakers Nickell, the tireless investigator, prolific writer, and author who is CSI’s senior re- from within its own ranks, including Fel- search fellow, accepted the award. Asteroid 1999 CE10, discovered by McGaha on lows Phil Plait, Seth Shostak, Edzard Ernst, David Morrison, Dave Thomas, and February 9, 1999, will henceforth be known as Joenickell. It is a main belt asteroid Sandra Blakeslee; Execu tive Council mem- about five kilometers in diameter with a period of 3.44 years. The Inter national Astro- bers Eugenie Scott, Scott Lilienfeld, and nomical Union’s Com mittee on Small Body Nomenclature oversees the official naming James Alcock; and Point of Inquiry’s Chris process using a set of well-defined guidelines. Mooney. Here is the citation: Current, critical, and classical topics were 31451 Joenickell = 1999 CE10 tackled, including creation and evolution, science and public policy, investigations, Named in honor of Joe Nickell (b. 1944), the Senior Research Fellow of the UFO claims, conspiracy theories, alternative Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. A noted author, investigator, and skeptic, Nick- medicine claims, and grassroots activism ell has written more than 30 books on mysteries, frauds, forgeries, and hoaxes. and outreach. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Editor He promotes scientific inquiry and reasoned investigation of extraordinary Ken Frazier, CSI Executive Director Barry claims . Karr, and Center for Inquiry President and Nickell joins several other prominent skeptics in having asteroids named for them. CEO Ron Lindsay presented stirring Previously Martin Gardner, James Randi, Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Philip J. Klass speeches about the history and future of were so honored (SI, July/August 1998; May/June 1999). Philosopher and CSICOP skepticism. founder Paul Kurtz and CSICOP itself (“for its contributions to science education and This was also a time for commendation. During a banquet dinner, Bill Nye received skepticism”) received the honor on CSICOP’s twentieth anniversary (September/Octo - the “In Praise of Reason” Award and Steve ber 1996, p. 8). Others include P Z Meyers, Philip Plait, Michael Stackpole, and Rebecca Novella was presented with the Robert P. Watson (September/October 2008). Balles Annual Prize in Critical Thinking. For his decades of investigative work, Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell was recognized with an asteroid named after him. (See sep- arate stories.) CSICon encouraged knowledge-shar- ing and networking, but it wasn’t all “work”; there was plenty of play with many unique extracurricular events. At the opening re- ception there was a performance by the Heathens, a band led by Jim Underdown of the Independent Investigations Group (IIG). David Willey, the “Mad Scientist,” presented “How Does a Thing Like That Work?,” an entertaining and interactive lec- ture consisting of the more visual and dra- matic demonstrations from an introductory physics course. One of the many highlights of CSICon was the Smarti Gras parade. It was a sight to behold—hundreds of skeptics in Hal- James McGaha (center right) announces an asteroid has been named after CSI senior loween costumes led by a police escort and research fellow Joe Nickell (center left) while Eugenie C. Scott, Bill Nye, and Steven jazz band to the legendary Tipitina’s jazz Novella approve. club. In true New Orleans style, passers-by joined in with the merriment, cheering us 14 Volume 36 Issue 2 | Skeptical Inquirer March April pages_SI new design masters 2/1/12 12:48 PM Page 15 CONFERENCE REPORT] along and even following the parade. We Where Meeting hope to have the same public reaction to our critical thinking! Awesome Skeptics This is what CSICon is about: showing Is As Easy As that skepticism is not only important but also fun. Saying ‘Hello’ The party included music, dancing, jam- JULIA LAVARNWAY balaya, and Halloween costumes. Blake Smith, of the IIG in Atlanta, won the best r e skeptically themed costume award for his ven before CSICon 2011 in New l g n E “Occam’s Shaving Cream” outfit. E Orleans officially began, I was al- . D n Unlike in other conference reports, the ready having great conversations with a i r B : cuisine deserves a mention too. CSICon de- skeptics from all over the country. While o t o h parted from the usual bland conference fare, helping at the registration table I met p offering crab cakes with a spicy remoulade, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER readers and sup- eggs benedict with andouille, and an ice porters from as close as a few blocks cream buffet with freshly made waffle cones. away from the conference hotel to as The conference concluded with CSI’s an- far away as the United Kingdom. It nual Houdini séance hosted by Joe Nickell. was amazing to see people from so The session included talks by cold-reading many places convening in one place to expert Ray Hyman and psychic-buster Mas- celebrate reason, science, and skeptical simo Polidoro. Unfortunately but unsurpris- inquiry. ingly, Houdini didn’t turn up, yet again. It sure is something to be surrounded y a Disappointed that the festivities were by so many like-minded people. Dorion w n r a over, enthusiastic skeptics continued the Cable, who authored a great write-up v a L a i revelry with a post-conference tour of the on CSICon 2011 on her Detroit-based l u J : beautiful flora and fauna of the Louisiana blog (http://bit.ly/CSIConMCB), com - o t o h swamps and marshes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Justice in a Brave New World?
    Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law Scholarly Works Faculty Scholarship 2020 Justice in a Brave New World? Jean R. Sternlight University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub Part of the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons, and the Evidence Commons Recommended Citation Sternlight, Jean R., "Justice in a Brave New World?" (2020). Scholarly Works. 1306. https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub/1306 This Article is brought to you by the Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law, an institutional repository administered by the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONNECTICUT LAW REVIEW VOLUME 52 APRIL 2020 NUMBER 1 Article Justice in a Brave New World? JEAN R. STERNLIGHT As science fiction has become reality, we should consider the implications of our new technologies for our system of justice. In addition to DNA, we are now regularly using cameras, geo-tracking, facial recognition software, brain scans, computers, and much more to discern and record our physical and mental surroundings. Existing technology and more we cannot yet imagine will increasingly take the place of often unreliable evidence, such as that provided by eyewitnesses. Yet, we have given far too little thought as to how these advances should impact our civil and criminal dispute resolution systems. Historically, many justice systems have emphasized the importance of finding the truth. Our new forms of technology will arguably help us discover the truth, and thereby potentially enhance justice. Upon reflection, however, it is not clear that our scientific innovations will necessarily yield greater truth, much less justice.
    [Show full text]
  • Defenses That Hurt Science ______By Avi Loeb on June 4, 2021
    Defenses That Hurt Science _______ By Avi Loeb on June 4, 2021 In the highlighted subtitle of a recent New-York Times Op-Ed, Bret Stephens stated: "Sometimes science is hurt most by those who think they are defending it". This sentiment resonates with many examples that go beyond the topic of his Op-Ed. Let me elaborate. When the nitrogen iceberg model was proposed recently to explain the weird properties of the first interstellar object `Oumuamua, it was immediately embraced by mainstream astronomers with a sigh of relief that the anomalous object was finally explained. We had never seen a chunk of frozen nitrogen floating within the Solar system before, and being detected first - `Oumuamua should represent the most common type of objects ejected by other planetary systems; but this was of little concern for the advocates. Shortly afterwards, my student Amir Siraj and I posted a paper showing that this model requires much more raw material of heavy elements than available in stars within the Milky Way galaxy. This was not a reflection on the previously noted abundance problem for interstellar objects, but a specific deficiency of the nitrogen model - which associates `Oumuamua with a fragment chipped off the surface of a Pluto-like planet around another star. The limited supply of nitrogen on exo-Pluto surfaces and the requirement that the interstellar journey would last just half a billion years - or else most of the nitrogen would evaporate, leads to a mass budget problem. But why should the mainstream worry about a fundamental drawback when the agenda is to sideline the weirdness of `Oumuamua? In another recent Op-Ed, Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute downgraded the scientific credentials of the anticipated report on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), to be delivered by the Pentagon and various intelligence agencies to Congress this month.
    [Show full text]
  • Clinical Science
    Clinical Science APA Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology III Section III of the Division of Clinical Psychology of Division12 the American Psychological Association Ψ Developing clinical psychology as an experimental-behavioral science Newsletter Winter 2018: Volume 21, Issue 1 SSCP Executive Board Table of Contents President: Presidential Column Dean McKay, Ph.D. D. McKay..............................................................................................................2 Fordham University Diversity Corner Past-President: D. Novacek...........................................................................................................4 Scott Lilienfeld, Ph.D. Emory University Awards & Recognition...........................................................................................6 President-Elect: Carolyn Becker, Ph.D. Clinical Science Early Career Path Trinity University J. Lavner...............................................................................................................9 Secretary/Treasurer: Student Perspective Kate McLaughlin, Ph.D. University of Washington K. Knowles..........................................................................................................11 Division 12 Representative: Clinician Perspective Robert Klepac, Ph.D. D. Torpey-Newman.............................................................................................13 University of Texas Health Science Center Updates from Student Representatives Student Representatives: K. Knowles & J. Hampton...................................................................................15
    [Show full text]
  • CFI-Annual-Report-2018.Pdf
    Message from the President and CEO Last year was another banner year for the Center the interests of people who embrace reason, for Inquiry. We worked our secular magic in a science, and humanism—the principles of the vast variety of ways: from saving lives of secular Enlightenment. activists around the world who are threatened It is no secret that these powerful ideas like with violence and persecution to taking the no others have advanced humankind by nation’s largest drugstore chain, CVS, to court unlocking human potential, promoting goodness, for marketing homeopathic snake oil as if it’s real and exposing the true nature of reality. If you medicine. are looking for humanity’s true salvation, CFI stands up for reason and science in a way no look no further. other organization in the country does, because This past year we sought to export those ideas to we promote secular and humanist values as well places where they have yet to penetrate. as scientific skepticism and critical thinking. The Translations Project has taken the influential But you likely already know that if you are reading evolutionary biology and atheism books of this report, as it is designed with our supporters in Richard Dawkins and translated them into four mind. We want you not only to be informed about languages dominant in the Muslim world: Arabic, where your investment is going; we want you to Urdu, Indonesian, and Farsi. They are available for take pride in what we have achieved together. free download on a special website. It is just one When I meet people who are not familiar with CFI, of many such projects aimed at educating people they often ask what it is we do.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Seth Shostak
    Written Text for Congressional Testimony Advances in the Search for Life Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute 189 Bernardo Ave., #200, Mountain View, CA 94043, [email protected] It is no longer considered foolish to argue that biology could exist on some of the trillion other planets in our galaxy. Its discovery would produce a lasting change in our perceptions, demonstrating that life is not confined to our world. We would know that biology is not some sort of miracle, but a commonplace – an ubiquitous, cosmic infection. The discovery of intelligence elsewhere would be of even greater import, as we have always considered humans to be special, even the pinnacle of Creation. To learn that there are others out there – others whose cognitive abilities exceed our own – would be a discovery that would recalibrate how our species views itself. It would also have consequences that can be only vaguely gauged, in much the way that the discovery of the New World led to societal changes that were largely unpredictable at the time of its happening. However, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, known by the acronym SETI, has been pursued for more than a half century with no unambiguous, positive result. We haven’t found conclusive proof of any intelligent (or even unintelligent) life beyond the confines of Earth. Claims that our planet is being visited by alien beings, while popular with the citizenry, are not considered credible by most scientists. However, recent developments in both astronomy and technology are accelerating the speed of SETI searches, and it is hardly fantastic to suggest that we could find evidence of cosmic company within a few decades.
    [Show full text]
  • 802 Transcript
    "BEYOND SCIENCE?" SHOW 802 Teaser Episode Open Water, Water Everywhere Aliens Have Landed New Energy Age Paper Personality Healing Touch TEASER ALAN ALDA I'd like you to meet a new acquaintance of mine. Some people think he, or she, or it, just recently arrived from outer space. Others aren't so sure. On this edition of Scientific American Frontiers, we're going to try to find out what's real in science, and what's not. ALAN ALDA (Narration) We'll ask if balancing a patient's energy pattern can lead to healing. We'll challenge dowsers to find water, and to try our rigorous test. We'll see if, by putting pen to paper, we give ourselves away. And we'll look for zero point energy -- is it real, or is it a dream? ALAN ALDA I'm Alan Alda, join me now as we venture into the realm of pseudoscience. back to top INTRO ALAN ALDA (Narration) We've asked DIANNA PAZ to visit a palm reader. She doesn't know it, but the reader -- who's a University of Oregon psychology professor -- says palm reading is pure fiction. And Dianna doesn't believe in it herself. But something strange is about to happen -- Dianna's going to become a believer. RAY HYMAN You have a hard time hanging onto money. You have spaces between your fingers and... ALAN ALDA (Narration) Ray Hyman gently raises common topics, like money or career, on the lookout for give-away responses -- a nod here, or a word there. RAY HYMAN ..
    [Show full text]
  • Ten Misunderstandings About Evolution a Very Brief Guide for the Curious and the Confused by Dr
    Ten Misunderstandings About Evolution A Very Brief Guide for the Curious and the Confused By Dr. Mike Webster, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University ([email protected]); February 2010 The current debate over evolution and “intelligent design” (ID) is being driven by a relatively small group of individuals who object to the theory of evolution for religious reasons. The debate is fueled, though, by misunderstandings on the part of the American public about what evolutionary biology is and what it says. These misunderstandings are exploited by proponents of ID, intentionally or not, and are often echoed in the media. In this booklet I briefly outline and explain 10 of the most common (and serious) misunderstandings. It is impossible to treat each point thoroughly in this limited space; I encourage you to read further on these topics and also by visiting the websites given on the resource sheet. In addition, I am happy to send a somewhat expanded version of this booklet to anybody who is interested – just send me an email to ask for one! What are the misunderstandings? 1. Evolution is progressive improvement of species Evolution, particularly human evolution, is often pictured in textbooks as a string of organisms marching in single file from “simple” organisms (usually a single celled organism or a monkey) on one side of the page and advancing to “complex” organisms on the opposite side of the page (almost invariably a human being). We have all seen this enduring image and likely have some version of it burned into our brains.
    [Show full text]
  • A Skeptical Look at Overnight
    SI May June 2011_SI JF 10 V1 3/25/11 11:53 AM Page 1 Miracle Oil | UFO Abductology Implodes | Water Memory | Book Review: Emperor of All Maladies Vol. 35 No. 3 | May/June 2011 THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE & REASON A Skeptical Look At Overnight Power Lines and Cancer, Distant Healing and Health Care The Numerology of 23 Slaying the Vampire: Solving the Chupacabra Mystery Gho$tly Book Endeavors Published by The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry SI May June 11 CUT_SI new design masters 3/25/11 10:01 AM Page 2 AT THE CEN TERFOR IN QUIRY /TRANSNATIONAL www.csicop.org Paul Kurtz, Founder Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Richard Schroeder, Chairman Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO Benjamin Radford, Research Fellow Bar ry Karr, Ex ec u tive Di rect or Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow James E. Al cock*, psy chol o gist, York Univ., Tor on to Thom as Gi lov ich, psy chol o gist, Cor nell Univ. Lor en Pan kratz, psy chol o gist, Or e gon Health Mar cia An gell, MD, former ed i tor-in-chief, Wendy M. Grossman, writer; founder and first editor, Sci en ces Univ. New Eng land Jour nal of Med i cine The Skeptic magazine (UK) Robert L. Park,professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland Kimball Atwood IV, MD, physician, author, Sus an Haack, Coop er Sen ior Schol ar in Arts and Jay M. Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Newton, MA Sci en ces, professor of phi los o phy and professor Astronomy and director of the Hopkins Steph en Bar rett, MD, psy chi a trist, au thor, con sum er of Law, Univ.
    [Show full text]
  • Comet Elenin Will Not Destroy Earth This Year DAVID MORRISON
    SI Sept. Oct 11_SI new design masters 7/26/11 1:09 PM Page 5 [ NEWS AND COMMENT Comet Elenin Will Not Destroy Earth This Year DAVID MORRISON y r o In the middle of the gathering Internet t a v r fear about the doomsday of December e s b O 12, 2012, there have been two new apoc- n i a t alyptic distractions. First there was a n u o M widely reported prediction by fundamen- e l b talist preacher Harold Camp ing (the a T L P founder of “family radio” in Cali fornia) J / s r that the end of the world would begin on e m o S May 21, 2011. Camp ing claim ed that on d n a this date the good people would be trans- , s k c ported to heaven in what is called “the i H , n Rapture.” It now seems clear that this did a m s not happen or that the number of good s i e people is vanishingly small. W In addition, there is growing fear of Comet Elenin on May 5, 2011, when it was 170 million miles from Earth. It is nothing unusual and no dramatic events are expected. newly discovered Comet Elenin, which is variously predicted to collide with Earth exerted strong gravitational or electro- Elenin. Some websites have substituted in October 2011 or to in duce massive magnetic effects on our planet. When photos of the much brighter comet Wild earthquakes and pole shifts from its grav- scientists pointed out that this little 2 and called it Elenin.
    [Show full text]
  • Introductory Bibliography of Psychical Research
    Appendix Introductory Bibliography of Psychical Research This annotated list is intended only to provide an entry into the vast lit- erature of serious psychical research. It is by no means complete or even comprehensive, and it reflects to some degree our personal preferences, although many if not most of our selections would probably also appear on similar lists compiled by other knowledgeable professionals. Many of the entries cited contain extensive bibliographies of their own. For additional references to some of the basic literature of the field, see http://www.pfly- ceum.org/106.html. Introductory and General Scientific Literature Broughton, Richard S. (1992). Parapsychology: The Controversial Science. New York: Ballantine. A good general introduction to the problems, findings, and implications of the science of parapsychology. Edge, Hoyt L., Morris, Robert L., Rush, Joseph H., & Palmer, John (1986). Founda- tions of Parapsychology: Exploring the Boundaries of Human Capability. Lon- don: Routledge & Kegan Paul. An advanced, textbook-style survey of methods and findings in modern parapsychology, emphasizing experimental studies. Krippner, Stanley (Ed.) (1977–1997). Advances in Parapsychological Research (8 vols.). An ongoing series reviewing recent research on a wide variety of top- ics of current interest to parapsychologists, including occasional bibliographic updates of the literature. Murphy, Michael (1992). The Future of the Body: Explorations into the Further Evolution of Human Nature. New York: Tarcher/Putnam. An extensive survey 645 646—Appendix and classification of phenomena bearing on the question of the evolution of human nature, as suggested in particular by latent, or as yet not fully real- ized, attributes and capacities for transcendence and transformation.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the New Distributive Model of Evolution Instruction
    JUDGING DARWIN: UNDERSTANDING THE NEW DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL OF EVOLUTION INSTRUCTION Louis J. Virelli III TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 82 II. THE EVOLUTION INSTRUCTION DEBATE ................................. 86 A. Religiously Explicit Policies ............................................. 89 B. Facially Neutral Challenges ............................................. 92 III. THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL ...................................................... 98 IV. THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW ......... 106 A. Administrative Law Principles ....................................... 106 B. Administrative Features of the Distributive Model ...... 111 C. The Distributive Model and the Establishment Clause ............................................................................. 117 V. NEW ISSUES UNDER THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL .................... 123 A. Political Legitimacy ........................................................ 123 B. Additional Questions ..................................................... 132 1. Judicial Review ........................................................ 132 2. Delegation ............................................................... 136 a. Procedural Due Process ................................... 138 b. Municipal Liability and Qualified Immunity .. 141 VI. CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 143 Associate Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law; J.D.,
    [Show full text]
  • Palmistry: Science Or Hand-Jive?
    the Skeptical Inquirer PALMISTRY: SCIENCE OR HAND-JIVE? SRI GELLER TEST / LOCHNESS TREE TRUNK / A PILOT'S UFO WHY SKEPTICS ARE SKEPTICAL VOL. VII No. 2 WINTER 191 Published by the Committee lor the Scientific Investigation of :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 George Abell. Martin Gardner. Ray Hyman. Philip J. Klass, Paul Kurtz, James Randi. Consulting Editors James E. Alcock, Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge. John Boardman, Milbourne Christopher. John R. Cole. Richard de Mille, C.E.M. Hansel, E.C. Krupp. James Oberg. Robert Sheaffer. Assistant Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Production Editor Belsy Offermann. Business Manager Lynette Nisbet. Office Manager Mary Rose Hays Staff Idelle Abrams. Judy Hays. 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, Executive Director; philosopher, Medaille College. Fellows of the Committee: George Abed, astronomer, UCLA; James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Isaac Asimov, chemist, author; Irving Biederman, psychologist. SUNY at Buffalo; Brand Blanshard, philosopher, Yale; Bart J. Bok, astronomer. Steward Observatory, Univ. of Arizona; Bette Chambers, A.H.A.; Milbourne Christopher, magician, author; L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer; Bernard Dixon, European Editor, Omni; Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor, Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Charles Fair, author, Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., O.K.: Kendrick Frazier, science writer. Editor. THE SKEPTICAL. INQUIRER; Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary, I'Union Rationaliste; Martin Gardner, author.
    [Show full text]