Flawed and Fraud
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ITALY'S VICTORY OVER HOMEOPATHY • SHIPS OF THE DEAD • PERFECT PLANET, CLEVER SPECIES Volume 28; No. 5 • September / October 2004 COLUMBIA'S PRAYER/FERTILITY STUDY: Flawed and Fraud Science and Ethics Teach the Controversy1 An Intelligently Alternative Medicine and Designed Ruse Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investition of Claims ofis the o Paranormalf the Paranorma l THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION of Claims of the Paranormal AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY- TRANSNATIONAL (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 Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Univ., Toronto Thomas Gilovich, psychologist. Cornell Univ. Bill Nye. science educator and television host Nye Labs Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto James E. Oberg. science writer Oregon Saul Green, Ph.D., biochemist president of ZOL Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine (retired). Marcia Angell. M.D., former editor-in-chief, New Consultants, New York, NY Marburg, Germany England Journal of Medicine Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Loren Pankratz, psychologist Oregon Health Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Kentucky and Sciences, prof, of philosophy, University Sciences Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D.. psychiatrist, author, of Miami John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist. MIT Willem Betz, professor of medicine, Univ. of David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Massimo Polidoro. science writer, author. Brussels Columbia Univ. executive director CICAP, Italy Barry Beyerstein." biopsychologist, Simon Fraser Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Chicago Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Carada understanding and cognitive science, Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Southern Indiana Univ. medicine. Stanford Univ.. editor, Scientific California Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Review of Alternative Medicine Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the and professor of history of science, Harvard Univ. Amardeo Sarma. manger NEC Europe Ltd.. West of England, Bristol Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon executive director, GWUP, Germany. Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time Evry Schatzman, former president, French Physics Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition. Association emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Scientific American Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, executive Vern Bullough, professor of history, California Philip J. Klass, aerospace writer, engineer director, National Center for Science Education State Univ. at Northridge Lawrence M. Krauss, author and professor of Robert Sheaffer, science writer Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University physics and astronomy, Case Western Reserve Elie A. Shneour, biochemist author, John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor. National University director, Biosystems Research Institute. Center for Science Education Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith La Jolla, Calif. Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic Observatory Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Paul Kurtz,' chairman. Center for Inquiry N.S.W.. Australia California, Berkeley Lawrence Kusche, science writer Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito. Calif. F, H. C. Crick, biophysicist. Salk Inst, for Biological Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Fermilab; Victor J. Stenger. emeritus professor of physics Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel laureate Nobel laureate in physics and astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii; adjunct Richard Dawkins, zoologist Oxford Univ. Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist, Emory Univ. professor of philosophy, Univ. of Colorado Geoffrey Dean, technical editor. Perth, Australia Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Technology Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute, Daniel C Dennett University Professor and Austin Daily (China) Mountain View, Calif. B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Director of Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Angeles, the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts Uni California, Berkeley Calif. versity Elizabeth Loftus. professor of psychology, Univ. of David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Ann Druyan, writer and producer, Ithaca, New York California, Irvine Peralta. New Mexico Cornells de Jager. professor of astrophysics. Univ. Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Univ of of Utrecht, the Netherlands AeroVironment Inc.. Monrovia, Calif. Southern California Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor, Encyclopedia John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, of Philosophy David Marks, psychologist City University, London. Hayden Planetarium, New York City Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and contributing editor Central Connecticut State Univ. science writer, Mexico City. Mexico Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, Foothill College. Los sciences, M.I.T. Nobel laureate Altos Hills, Calif. David Morrison, space scientist. NASA Ames E.O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus. Kendrick Frazier. science writer, editor, SttimcAi Research Center Harvard University INQUIRER Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. Univ. of Richard Wiseman, psychologist. University of Yves Galifret vice-president. Affiliated Calif.. Berkeley Hertfordshire Organizations: France H. Narasimhaiah, physicist president 8angalore Marvin Zelen. statistician, Harvard Univ. Martin Gardner, author, critic Science Forum, India Murray Gell-Mann. professor of physics, Santa Fe Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSICOP * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Institute; Nobel laureate Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College (Affiliations given for identification only.) • • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://vzww.csicop.org • • • The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by the Committee for the and on page 63 of the September/October 2003 issue. Or you may send a rax request to the editor Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amherst, NY Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the 14228. Printed in U.SA Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, NY. and at additional mailing of views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an en fices. Subscription prices: one year (six issues). S35: two years, $60; three yean. S84: single is dorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. sue. $4-95. Canadian and foreign orders: Payment in U.S. tunds drawn on a U.S. bank must ac Copyright ©2004 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Par company orders; please add USS10 per year for shipping. Canadian and foreign customers ate anormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm. encouraged to use Visa or MasterCard. 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 Periodical Literature. to Paul Kura, Chairman. CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Tel.: 716-636-1425. Subscriptions and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. BOX 703. Am -T FAX 716-636-1733. herst. NY 14226-0 03> Or call tou-free I-80O634-1610 (outside US. call -16636-1425). Old ad Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick dress as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Frazier. Editor. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive NE, Albuquerque. NM 87122. Fax 505- SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or due SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 828-2080. Before submitting anv manuscript, please consult our Guide for Authors for formai and Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box 703. Amherst, NY references requirements. It is on our Web site at hnp^/ww^.cskop.org/si/guide-rVx-authcH^rrnl 14226-0703. 49 Labyrinths: Mazes and Myths The use of labyrinths began as a New Age fad but has quickly Skeptical Inquirer gone mainstream, with dozens of books, magazine articles, organizations, Web sites, and seminars devoted to the topic. September/October 2004 • VOL. 28, NO. 5 Despite the popularity of labyrinths, literature on the subject is rife with anti-scientific, paranormal beliefs and the movement ARTICLES has escaped any in-depth critical examination. BENJAMIN RADFORD 18 Can the Sciences Help Us to Make Wise Ethical Judgments? COLUMNS Scientific knowledge has a vital, if limited, role to play in shaping our moral values and helping us to frame wiser EDITOR'S NOTE judgments.