NEWS AND COMMENT

Georgia Bigfoot Hoax Draws Global Attention

BENJAMIN RADFORD

In early August, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claimed to have found in the northern woods of Georgia something never known to exist: a dead Bigfoot. They claimed to have a body, photos of the body in a freezer, and DNA evidence, which they would reveal at an August 15 press conference in Palo Alto, California. I heard of the claims a week earlier, and since it seemed a likely fraud, I assumed the issue would die away qui- etly. Instead, as August 15 approached I was shocked by the level of media interest in the story. People around the globe were following the saga of the Georgia Bigfoot, from the Discovery Channel to the Kansas City Star to the Times of London. Posts on the monster-hunt- ing Web site Cryptomundo.com gloated that Bigfoot skeptics were about to eat a lot of crow. I was asked by ABC News to look into the case and reported back with a laundry list of red flags—aspects that suggested that the chances of the new discovery being a breakthrough instead of a hoax were vanishingly small. They included: A short video clip shown on YouTube featured Whitton and Dyer being inter- A photo of the “Bigfoot body” supposedly found by Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer in northern viewed by a taxonomist named Dr. Paul Georgia. The story made international news before being exposed as a hoax in late August 2008. (Photo credit: /AFP/Getty Images/Newscom from www.searchingforbigfoot.com) Van Buren. It was later revealed that “Dr. Van Buren” didn’t exist and was with the pair, promised that “Extensive said his group had captured a Bigfoot a instead portrayed by Whitton’s brother. scientific studies will be done on the week earlier, a male beast that weighed Whitton admitted that they had faked body by a team of scientists including a over 400 pounds and stood eight feet tall. the interview but claimed that they molecular biologist, an anthropologist, a He said he would be presenting photos did it “to give the psychos something paleontologist, and other scientists over of it several days later. It turned out to to do over the weekend.” He said they the next few months at an undisclosed be a hoax. In 2005 Biscardi promoted a had received angry messages and death location” under armed guard. Unnamed pay-per-view cable TV show in which he threats since their discovery: “It seems experts? Undis closed location? It sounded offered viewers the chance to see a Bigfoot like there are lot [sic] of people in the more like The X-Files than real science. captured on live television for only $59.95. Bigfoot world who are a little delu- Third, and perhaps most damaging, So had a Bigfoot finally been found sional.” Tom Biscardi previously claimed he had after all these years? Or was this just the lat- A second curious detail was how the captured a Bigfoot. On August 19, 2005, est hoax to embarrass Bigfoot believers and evidence was being handled. Bigfoot Biscardi appeared on the radio show bring further ridicule to a field sorely in en thusiast Tom Biscardi, who was working “Coast to Coast with George Noory” and need of science? A few prominent Bigfoot

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2008 5 NEWS AND COMMENT

researchers expressed skepticism, but many a Bigfoot costume in a trunk and DNA while Biscardi claimed to be the inno- in the community clearly thought the results from both an opossum and a cent dupe amid a flurry of accusations Bigfoot smoking gun had been found. The human. (It’s not clear how exactly the and counter-accusations. Whitton was press conference was packed with media analysis would have proven Bigfoot’s soon fired from his job as a police officer from across the country, eagerly awaiting existence, since there is no comparison and the media circus eventually faded actual proof. A reporter from Scientific specimen; no DNA analysis can defini- away. Bigfoot believers were left with American asked if I would be attending. I tively identify Bigfoot tissue.) red faces in the wake of the highest-pro- said I’d probably pass, adding, “I think I’ve Most journalists were suitably skep- file Bigfoot hoax of the last few decades. seen this before.” tical, but Whitton, Dyer, and Biscardi —Benjamin Radford Instead of producing a body at the stood by their story—at least at first. press conference, Biscardi offered pho- Within days everything unraveled; Benjamin Radford is managing editor of tographs of what was later proven to be Whitton and Dyer admitted the hoax SKEPTICAL INQUIRER and author of “Bigfoot

Nocturnal Lights and Sounds Baffle Maryland Town . . . for Awhile

For more than two years, residents of far more ordinary. The repositioned police Pikesville, Maryland, have been startled cameras showed activity in a condominium awake in the middle of the night by bright building window just prior to an explosion. flashes and loud explosions. Baltimore Gas Police searched the condo unit and found and Electric workers checked their equip- illegal fireworks, as well as twelve handguns, ment and reported everything was in work- a rifle, two shotguns, an Uzi submachine gun, ing order. A local weatherman reviewed cocaine, and marijuana. Frederick Lee Mack- weather reports and said there were no ler, age fifty-nine, was arrested and charged unusual meteorological events at the time with ten counts, including disturbing the of the incidents. A physicist from the Johns peace, possessing narcotics, reckless endan- Hop kins Applied Physics Laboratory toured germent, and concealing a deadly weapon. the site and was unable to offer any sugges- Mackler confessed to using a starter pistol tions. Baltimore County Police set up video to fire “bird bangers” into the courtyard cameras and were able to catch on tape what behind his building. (Bird bangers are used they described as a “bright flash and very by farmers to scare birds and rodents away loud report” about one hundred yards above from crops.) “It wasn’t directed at anyone,” the ground. “I have a feeling that if we repo- said a Baltimore County police spokesman. sition the cameras, we will be able to identify “He just happened to have pyrotechnics and, the source,” a police spokesperson stated. early in the morning, he would set them off.” Barbara Friedman, president of the neigh- Mackler told police he wanted to annoy borhood community association, praised his neighbors. po lice for taking their complaints seriously. He was being held at the Baltimore “The quality of life has been very much dis- County Detention Center on one million turbed for hundreds of homes,” Friedman dollars bail. “I’m not a psychiatrist, but I said. “It’s a very strange story.” believe this was a cry for help,” his attorney A local science-fiction fan suggested the told the judge. cause could be time-travel experiments gone —Bill Vanderlinde awry. “We believe time travel will eventually be possible,” Paul Scheerer said. “I always Bill Vanderlinde lives in Columbia, Maryland, thought this could possibly be someone try- and is a member of the National Capital Area ing to beam something back through time Skeptics. and we are just seeing the end result.” Alas, the true cause of the explosions was

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Where’s the Responsibility? UK Broadcasting Code Prevents Re-Airing ’s Failure

In 1931 Stanley Baldwin, the Tory leader, supposedly “based” on the life of Allison accused owners of the major British Du Bois, the WE channel hosts John newspapers of exercising “power without Ed ward, Court TV features Psychic responsibility.” In doing so, he criticized Detectives, A&E hosts Psychic Kids, and the major news papers as being tools for the list goes on. In all of these television their owner’s political agendas and called shows, not once has any psychic ability for responsible reporting of the facts. As been demonstrated in a double-blind the media grow and proliferate, so do test. As with Browne, television feeds the their role in educating the masses in other celebrity of the and gains viewers aspects of our life. This includes not only who want to believe in the paranormal. politics but science and the public’s under- standing of reality. Consequent ly, govern- ments and media associations have created guidelines intended to aid in balancing In all of these television viewpoints and prevent offending material from reaching the public. However, some shows, not once has material is not worthy of a “balanced” view, any psychic ability been and sometimes broadcasting codes have a negative impact on re porting reality. demonstrated in a Such was the case when the broad- casting codes in the United Kingdom double-blind test. recently silenced ’s most Stanley Baldwin famous false prediction. Until The Show was Com munications ruled that ITV2 breach ed cancelled, popular psychic Sylvia Browne All too often we see “psychics” on its standards by re-airing the episode when appeared weekly on it for more than a television interviewed by the likes of Browne falsely told Hornbeck’s parents he decade. Each week she told families of popular and seemingly intelligent hosts. was dead (see “ITV Wrong over Psychic missing loved ones about the missing, Some times a skeptic is included on these Claim Repeat,” The Press Associa tion, gave relationship advice, or offered med- shows to offer a “balanced” view. How ever, June 23, 2008). Consequently, the show ical recommendations. What viewers did should the media provide “balance” to was re moved from broadcast rotation. While not see was the routine failure of her something unproven? I think it would the standard is meant to prevent “offensive “prophetic” insight (see, e.g., SI, Novem- be more responsible for the television ma terial” from being aired, it also has the ber/December 2004, March/April 2005, producers and interviewers not to give the negative consequence of preventing the March/April 2006, September/October false impression that there is something to audience from viewing a demonstrably false 2008). That changed in January 2007 debate, such as paranormal powers, when prediction. In turn, this reinforces the psy- when Shawn Hornbeck was found alive there is not. chic by failing to portray reality. after Browne famously told his parents Wanting to believe in the paranor- For the skeptic, it seems like debating is on Montel in 2003 that he was dead (see mal does not change the reality that a losing situation. One can refuse to debate “Sylvia Browne’s Biggest Blunder,” SI, there is no scientific proof of psychic promoters of the paranormal; the audience May/June 2007; “Psychic Reality Check,” ability. That is why television, and fails to hear critiques of the claims. Or one Anderson Cooper, January 30, 2007). indeed other forms of media, must can debate and then give the audience the In presenting Browne as a psychic exercise power with responsibility. The false impression that there is something to each week without demonstrable proof of media have a moral obligation to report debate. There is yet a third option, which her claims, The Montel Williams Show fed with reality-based objectivity. It is not rests solely with the producers, media her celebrity by helping her sell books and enough to simply attempt to “balance” outlet owners, and interviewers: report giving her legitimacy, which resulted in an interview with an opposing view. that despite all the claims, there is no firm a half-dozen appearances on the Larry In some countries, moral obligations evidence that has withstood the scrutiny King show on CNN. Montel and King are are reinforced with Broadcasting Codes. of laboratory tests (see Ray Hyman, “The not the only culprits. NBC airs Medium, In June, the United Kingdom’s Office of Evidence for Psychic Functioning: Claims

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2008 7 NEWS AND COMMENT

vs. Reality,” SI, March/April 1996.) see how it’s his fault. He simply accepted that those with the power to disseminate As Carl Sagan recalled (in his book what the most widely available and acces- information, such as interviewers, pro- The Demon-Haunted World) about a sible sources of information claimed as ducers, and media owners, be responsible con versation with a man who believed true.” Sagan concluded, “For his naivetè, in offering a fact-based reality. in conspiratorial claims: “Maybe ‘Mr. he was systematically misled and bam- —Ryan Shaffer Buckley’ should be more skeptical about boozled.” Indeed, as with Mr. Buckley what’s dished out at him by popular and the public in general, they should be Ryan Shaffer is in the department of history culture. But apart from that it’s hard to more skeptical. But equally important is at the State University of New York at

Purdue Panel Finds Scientific Misconduct in Researcher’s Bubble Fusion Reports

A Purdue University panel has found a misconduct,” they noted. re searcher guilty of two counts of scientific The panel also examined a Purdue Uni- misconduct in a much-disputed case of bub- versity news release reporting the research ble, or desktop, fusion. and found that while it was technically true, The researcher, Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, “it is crafted in a very misleading way.” But gained worldwide publicity—and much sci- because it was written for the public and is entific criticism—in 2002 when he pub- not a part of the official scientific record, lished a paper in Science claiming that he “the manipulation of the press release does had produced nuclear fusion by making not constitute research misconduct.” tiny bubbles collapse in a liquid. This is The panel’s report had been given to the sometimes called sonofusion. (Science pub- Office of Naval Research, which met on lished a companion piece at the same time July 16 and found that Purdue’s investiga- from researchers at Oak Ridge National tion was “prompt, thorough, and objective Laboratory saying they could not reproduce and the institution will adequately resolve the result. Other scientists, including some the issues.” The panel issued its full report at Purdue, have likewise been unable to on July 18; it can be found on the Web at reproduce it.) http://tinyurl.com/5zxky6. Nevertheless, the investigating panel The committee said its investigation had made no judgment about the validity of the given it a glimpse of human and institu- reported experimental results. Its only task tional failings. “From a small beginning there was to assess specific charges of misconduct. developed a tangled web of wishful thinking, The new report found misconduct in subse- scientific misjudgment, institutional lapses, quent papers published in 2005. The inves- and human failings. Each strand could have tigation committee, which included scien- been resolved separately, but knitting them Taleyarkhan is shown here with his experiment. (U.S. tists from Purdue, University of California togeth er produced a crisis. Department of Energy file photo/Lynn Freeny) San Diego, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and “The broader issues that have emerged Argonne National Laboratory, found that bear upon the interactions between science component of the scientific method.” Tale yark han had engaged in two acts of and government, the public communication On August 27, Purdue University announced scientific misconduct in the 2005 papers. of science, and ultimately, the integrity of the that an appeals committee had upheld the One was his assertion that he had inde- research process itself.” findings of misconduct against Taleyarkhan pendent confirmation of his findings, which It added that “absolute honesty and trans- and imposed punishment on him. Provost the investigation concluded was not true. parency are essential ingredients of science,” and William R. Woodson said Taleyarkhan will Taleyar khan was himself involved in the without full confidence in the integrity of the remain on the faculty but his distinction as supposed confirmatory experiments, so information produced, the validity of results a “named” professor will be removed, along they were not independent. The other was can’t be judged by peers or society at large. with an annual $25,000 that accompanied it. the addition to the paper’s list of authors All relevant aspects of an experiment must be In addition, he will be prohibited from serving the name of a researcher who had not at described, and the authors listed must be respon- as a thesis advisor to graduate students for at that time participated in the research. The sible for the result, the committee emphasized. least the next three years. panel found that Taleyarkhan knew that the This is especially important, it said, in a “con- —Kendrick Frazier researcher in question had not substantively firmatory experiment, since re producibility and contributed to the papers. “This is research independent experiments and re searchers is a key Kendrick Frazier is a science writer and editor NEWS AND COMMENT

Asteroids Named for Skeptics, Authors, Science Educators

By long-standing tradition, discoverers ment of the nervous system. Gaming Arts and Design’s Hall of Fame of asteroids have the distinct privilege “P.Z. Myers sets a great example as a in 1993. He has lived in Arizona since of proposing names for them. This year, science-communicator and has inspired 1977. astronomers Jeff Medkeff and David thousands of people with his visionary He is also executive director of Healy recently named several asteroids approach to the topic. He’s injected a the Arizona Skeptics, which annu- after well-known science educators, lot of enthusiasm into the pro-science, ally publishes a list of predictions for authors, and promoters, including: the upcoming year that consistently •Paul Z. Myers (P.Z. Meyers), asso- beats the similar annual predictions of ciate professor of biology at the Univ- so-called psychics for accuracy. He is ersity of Minnesota-Morris. Asteroid “Paul myers” was discovered March 29, 2001. •Philip Plait, author and astron- omer. Asteroid “Philplait” was discov- ered November 23, 2000. • Michael Stackpole, science-fiction author. Asteroid “Stackpole” was dis- covered on March 23, 2001. •Rebecca Watson, radio host and sci- ence blogger. Asteroid “Rebecca watson” pro-reality community,” says Medkeff. Philip Plait is internationally recog- nized for popularizing astronomy in TV and radio appearances, in books, and on well known for his grass-roots efforts his blog. He is the author of Bad Astron- to promote rational thinking through omy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, appearances on radio and TV. from Astrology to the Moon Landing “Hoax,” Rebecca Watson has spent years pro- published in 2002 by Wiley and Sons. moting science, rationalism, and fem- His Web site and blog, Bad Astronomy inism. Watson, who grew up in New (www.badastronomy.com), are among Jersey and was a successful magician and street juggler, became interested in the after learning about it from famed magician James “The Amazing” Randi. She later founded the was discovered March 22, 2001. Skepchick Web site (www.skepchick P.Z. Myers is the author of the most .org), which discusses science, skepti- popular science blog in the world— cism, and feminism. She is also a per- Pharyngula (http://scienceblogs.com/ sonality on the Skeptic’s Guide to the pharyngula/). He was an early adopter of Universe podcast, listened to by 40,000 the Internet to promote scientific under- people each week. In 2007 she was standing, having previously participated selected to host the NPR radio show, in the news group Talk.Origins in the Curiosity Aroused. 1990s. Myers has written about science “Rebecca has provided a much- for numerous magazines and appeared the most widely read in the known needed injection of enthusiasm and on television and radio to discuss public universe. humor into science education. But just issues that intersect with science. Michael Stackpole is a prolific sci- as important is the way she’s encouraged Myers earned his PhD in biology ence-fiction author, best known for writ- so many women to become involved,” at the University of Oregon, where his ing Battletech and Star Wars novels, and says Medkeff. education focused on neurobiology. He has had eight novels on the New York currently studies evolutionary develop- Times Bestseller list. He is also a two-time This story was compiled from information ment using zebra fish as a model and is H.G. Wells award-winning game designer submitted by Jeff Medkeff. In December particularly interested in the develop- and was inducted into the Academy of 2007 Medkeff started the Blue Collar Sci-

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2008 9 NEWS AND COMMENT

Jon Beckjord, Advocate of a Paranormal Bigfoot (1939– 2008)

Jon Erik Beckjord, well known as a para- ows and the leaves (we published one in normal investigator focusing on Bigfoot, SI, Spring 1981, with his commentary, died July 22 from prostate cancer near all in response to a highly critical SI his home in Lafayette, California, near report by Paul Kurtz, Fall 1980). Given San Francisco. He was sixty-nine. His the human propensity for seeing faces death was reported in the San Francisco in random patterns, such faces could Chronicle July 25. A tall, muscular, nearly always be found. Beckjord’s former swaggering man—he stood well over six Web site at www.beckjord.com contained feet—some folks joked that Beckjord was many exam ples of his “paranormal faces a Bigfoot, although he always denied it. in the trees,” but unfortunately it is no Beckjord differed from most Bigfoot longer operational. In addition to Bigfoot, investigators in maintaining that the crea- Beckjord was an avid investigator of crop ture was “paranormal” and not an actual, circles. He made several trips to Britain to physical animal. This, he said, explains check out the latest crop formations and how Bigfoot is allegedly able to maintain confer with other crop-circle aficionados. Erik Beckjord, posing to see how he measures up next to a huge mural of Bigfoot. (Photo by its selective visibility, like a ghost fleet- He also traveled to Loch Ness, trying to Robert Sheaffer) ingly glimpsed in circumstances where get photos of its famous “monster.” its existence ought to be provable beyond Born in Minnesota, Beckjord earned museum in Malibu. The Malibu fires of any doubt, appearing and disappearing a BA from Tulane University and an 1993 destroyed that museum, causing at will. Beckjord would look for evidence MBA from the University of California the loss of what Beckjord said were of Bigfoot not only in the conventional at Berkeley. Afterwards he lived in the nine plaster casts of Bigfoot prints and way—tracks, hair, etc.—but in photo- Pacific Northwest, where he worked as a the allegedly only known samples of graphs of forest scenes. Enlarging the cameraman and began his Bigfoot inves- Bigfoot’s hair and blood. (Why a para- leaves enormously, he would look for tigations. In 1983 he moved to the Los normal creature should have hair and im ages of faces hidden among the shad- Angeles area, where he opened a Bigfoot blood is not entirely clear.) Beckjord

Firebombings Target University Animal Researchers

Two fire bombings against two bio- described the explosives as a “Molotov the culprits might have missed their medical researchers from the University cocktail on steroids.” intended target. of California, Santa Cruz, on the same Police and the university suspect that The firebombing of Feldman’s house week end in August, were called acts of both acts are the work of animal-rights is being investigated as an attempted do mestic terrorism and attributed to extremists. The previous week, pamphlets homicide, because the family was home animal-rights extremists. titled “Murderers and Torturers Alive at the time. The Federal Bureau of The crimes were the latest acts of vio- and Well in Santa Cruz” were discovered In vestigation will investigate the inci- lence apparently carried out by extremists in a downtown Santa Cruz coffee shop dents as domestic terrorism. who oppose any research on animals (see and given to police. They contained the UCSC Chancellor George Blumen- P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker, photographs, home addresses, and phone thal condemned the attacks as “criminal “Warn ing: Animal Extremists Are Dan ger- numbers of thirteen UCSC faculty mem- acts of anti-science violence.” Officials ous to Your Health,” SI, May/June 2008). bers along with what Santa Cruz police announced a $30,000 reward for infor- Developmental neurobiologist David Captain Steve Clark called “threat-laden mation leading to the arrest and prose- Feldham, his wife, and their two young language” condemning animal research. cution of those responsible. children fled down a fire escape from Feldham was one of those listed. His In February the Society for Neuro- a second-story window after the fire- work uses mice in studies of how the science issued a document calling for the bombing of their home just before 6 brain’s visual system develops. protection of academic researchers who a.m. on August 2. A near-simultaneous The scientist whose car was firebombed “face intimidation, harassment, and firebomb destroyed the car of another lives next door to another researcher nam- physical attack by fringe anti-animal UCSC biomedical researcher. Police ed on the list, leading to speculation that research extremists.”

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2008 11 NEWS AND COMMENT

then moved to the Bay Area, opening for alleged abusive postings, and he was magazine (SI, November/December 1999; a museum of Bigfoot, UFOs, and the known to occasionally get into fistfights. see http://tinyurl.com/5a5wly). There was Loch Ness Monster in San Francisco in One oft-noted incident at a UFO con- noth ing to be seen except for alleged faces 1996. However, the museum was not ference involved Beckjord tussling with hidden in photos of the leaves. financially successful, and it soon closed. Bill Cooper, a conspiracy-related author, I was frequently exasperated by Beck- I knew Beckjord for close to thirty survivalist, and antigovernment militant, jord and by his sometimes rude and years. We first met when I was living in who was later killed in a shootout with aggressive manner, as is apparent from my Maryland around 1979 when he stopped sheriff’s police (SI, March/April 2002; write-up of our Bigfoot search. He was by my house to show me a photograph see http://tinyurl.com/5cljmr). a larger-than-life character, about whom of the head of a dead animal; its identity Beckjord led several camping expedi- CNN correspondent Rusty Dornin wrote was difficult to discern because of the tions in the Sierras, into the El Dorado in 1997, “If it’s far-fetched and unproved, way it was turned. He was convinced it National Forest, where he believed Bigfoot Beckjord buys it” (see http://www3.cnn. was evidence of Bigfoot and was going to could be seen. The creature, however, was com/US/9704/19/ufo.museum/). But the meet with someone at the Smithsonian seen mostly paranormally through enlarged world of the paranormal is a less colorful to show it to them. They were not photos of leaves and shadows. There was and interesting place with his passing. impressed. Over the years, our paths one tree behind which Bigfoot could some- —Robert Sheaffer crossed many times due to his frequent times allegedly be seen in a photo as a Bigfoot-related travel and attendance shadowy figure. Because Beckjord insisted Robert Sheaffer is a Committee for Skep- at UFO conferences, especially after he that there was an excellent chance of see- tical Inquiry fellow. His SKEPTICAL moved to the Bay Area. His manner ing something paranormal, I accompanied IN QUIRER column “Psychic Vibrations” was frequently aggressive and brash. He him in 1999 on a camping trip to this ob serves its thirtieth anniversary this year. was banned from several online forums spot. I wrote up the results in detail in this His Web site is www.debunker.com.

Mickelson, McKellar Tout Science, Math, and Being Smart

Kudos to two prominent celebrities who are than 600 teachers to learn creative ways to site includes a section for girls: “Quiz: Do championing science and math education make science and math more interesting to You Hide Your Smarts?” McKellar is a sum- and the virtues of being smart: students. Its commercials, shown on television ma cum laude graduate of UCLA with a coverage of major golf tournaments, portray degree in mathematics. She has been hon- Phil Mickelson, the golfer, testified before dynamic graphics to emphasize scientific prin- ored in the Journal of Physics for her work in Congress July 22 that America’s schools ciples in golf and encourage students to study mathematics, notably for her role as co-au- aren’t producing enough math and science science and engineering. As Mickel son recently thor of a mathematical physics theorem that graduates to keep up with the world. He and told some students, “I use science every day bears her name (the Chayes-McKellar-Winn his wife Amy were hosted by Secretary of in golf. I use it to better my game. It tells me Theorem). She was undoubtedly pleased at Education Margaret Spellings. For the past what to practice and how to practice. Those the report published this summer in Science four years, the Micklesons have presented little dimples of a golf ball are like wings on that girls now do just as well as boys in math. the Mickelson ExxonMobile Teachers Acad- an airplane.” emy, a professional enrichment program for elementary school math and science teachers. Danica McKellar, the actress (child star of This past summer the academy sent more The Wonder Years who has also ap peared on The West Wing and in thirty films, TV movies, and plays), rips the lid off the myth that math “sucks” (to borrow her slang) in her book Math Doesn’t Suck and shows that math can be easy, relevant, and even glamor- ous. “Smart is sexy!” says McKellar. Math Doesn’t Suck, published in hardback last year, came out in paperback July 1, and her new book Kiss My Math was issued August 5. Of the new book, the Associated Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years at a book- Phil Mickelson acknowledges the crowd as he walks Press said, “Danica Mc Kellar has a message store appearance, signing her new book, Math up the 14th fairway during four-ball match play Doesn’t Suck, at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los against team Europe on September 20, 2008. (UPI for girls: ‘Cute and smart is better than cute Angeles. (Picture by: Tonya Wise / London Entertain- Photo/Mark Cowan Photo via Newscom) and dumb.’” Her mathdoesntsuck.com Web ment / Splash News. Photo via Newscom)

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