SKEPTICAL INQUIRER

Vol. 14, No. 3 /Spring 1990 $6.25 SATANIC T CLAIMS

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Glenn T. Seaborg on Science Education Lying about Polygraph Tests Paranormal Pandemonium in the USSR

Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal 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). Klass, Paul Kurtz, James Randi. Consulting Editors Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge, John R. Cole, Kenneth L. Feder, C. E. M. Hansel, E. C. Krupp, David F. Marks, Andrew Neher, James E. Oberg, Robert Sheaffer, Steven N. Shore. Managing Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Business Manager Mary Rose Hays. Assistant Editor Andrea Szalanski. Art Valerie Ferenti-Cognetto. Chief Data Officer Richard Seymour. Computer Assistant Michael Cione. Typesetting Paul E. Loynes. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Librarian, Ranjit Sandhu. Staff Leland Harrington, Lynda Harwood (Asst. Public Relations Director), Sandra Lesniak, Alfreda Pidgeon, Kathy Reeves. 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. Barry Karr, Executive Director and Public Relations Director. Fellows of the Committee (partial list) James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Eduardo Amaldi, physicist, University of Rome, Italy; Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Irving Biederman, psychologist, University of Minnesota; Susan Blackmore, psychologist. Brain Perception Laboratory, University of Bristol, England; Henri Broch, physicist, University of Nice, France; Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University; 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, London, U.K.: Paul Edwards, philosopher, 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, I'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; Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human understanding and cognitive science, Indiana University; Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon; Leon Jaroff, sciences editor, rime- 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; Paul Kurtz, chairman, CSICOP, Buffalo, N.Y.; Lawrence Kusche, science writer; Paul MacCready, scientist/ engineer, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif.; David Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Polytech, England; David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president, Bangalore Science Forum, India; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Joe Nickel), author, technical writing instructor. University of Kentucky; Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; John Paulos, mathematician, Temple University; Mark Plummer, lawyer, Australia; W. V. Quine, philosopher, Harvard Univ.; James Randi, magician, author; Graham Reed, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, University of Chicago; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ.; Evry Schatzman, President, French Physics Association; Eugenie Scott, physical anthro­ pologist, executive director, National Center for Science Education, Inc.; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, linguist, Indiana University; Robert Sheaffer, science writer; B. F. Skinner, psychologist, Harvard Univ.; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia; Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito, California; Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Northwestern Univ.; Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ. (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. Subscribers to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz, Chairman, CSICOP, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Tel.: (716) 834-3222. FAX: (716)-834-0841. 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 *1989 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3159 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. All rights reserved. Subscription Rates: Individuals, libraries, and institutions, $25.00 a year; back issues, $6.25 each. Postmaster THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published quarterly. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. 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 Vol. 14, No. 3, Spring 1990 I I ISSN 0194-6730 Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal

I I SPECIAL REPORT 255 Paranormal Pandemonium in the Soviet Union Paul Kurtz I I SCIENCE EDUCATION Why We Need to Understand Science Carl Sagan 263 The Crisis in Pre-college Science and Math Education Glenn T. Seaborg 270

] ARTICLES Police Pursuit of Satanic Crime Robert D. Hicks 276 The Spread of Satanic-Cult Rumors Jeffreys. Victor 287 Lying About Polygraph Tests Elie A Shneour 292 Worldwide Disasters and Moon Phase /. W. Kelly, D. H. Saklofske. and Roger Culver 298 ] NEWS AND COMMENT 226 Newman's 'Energy Machine' Loses in Court (Again) / Nancy Reagan Explains / Astrology Disclaimers Increase / Old Horoscopes in New Columns / Occult Thrives in France / CSICOP in Mexico City / CSICOP in Europe / What 'Unsolved Mystery"? / Pope Praises Galileo / In Brief / Worth Quoting

] NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER 245 St. George and the Dragon of Creationism Martin Gardner

] PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS 251

I I BOOK REVIEWS 302 Nicholas P. Spanos and John F. Chaves, Hypnosis: The Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective (Lewis Jones) 302 Communion—the Movie (Ronald D. Story) 308 Robert Steiner, Don't Get Taken! (Kent Harker) 311 I ~l SOME RECENT BOOKS 313

] ARTICLES OF NOTE 315

] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 318

Cover design by Douglas A Mess. News and Comment ...a

Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Newman's J 'Energy Machine'

he federal court of appeals deci­ Winter 1986-87, pp. 114-116). sion on Joseph W. Newman's That court, as a result, ruled that T"energy generation system" has Newman's machine was unpatentable. been out for some time, but a reading Newman's lawyers appealed. of the full text reveals how decisive In a wide-ranging ruling (Newman was the ruling against the maverick v. Quigg, No. 88-1312, July 5, 1989), inventor. the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals You may recall that Newman is the affirmed the district court's ruling. It Lucedale, Mississippi, inventor who also said the district court did not err claimed to have made a device with in rejecting the special master's recom­ higher energy output than input. He mendation that the patent be issued went on many national talk-shows and instead ordering the NBS study, publicizing the "Newman energy "which did not verify results claimed machine." He said it would solve the by the inventor." And it said the world's energy problems and replace inventor "had waived any right to now all current forms of energy produc­ challenge alleged defects in test tion. His claims garnered more pub­ protocol." licity than any other "perpetual In his appeal, Newman had argued motion" claim in recent memory. He that the NBS evaluation was defective had testimonials from some scientists because all tests were conducted with and even had managed to get an the device grounded. He stated that endorsement by a former commis­ it was essential that his device not be sioner of the U.S. Patent Office who grounded during operation. The court was appointed a Special Master by a of appeals would have none of it. (The federal court. district court had heard these argu­ Nevertheless a federal district ments as well; it had held that the NBS court for the District of Columbia test procedures were appropriate, and insisted that the National Bureau of their results "dispositive.") Standards make a detailed examina­ "We need not decide whether the tion of the machine and determine NBS tests were conducted by a flawed whether it in fact produced more procedure, for any flaw could have energy than it took in. The NBS study been, and was not, corrected by Mr. concluded that it did not: "At all Newman at the time of the tests," conditions tested, the input power states the court of appeal's ruling. ". exceeded the output power. . . ." (51, . . Mr. Newman does not dispute

226 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 that he had a copy of the test protocol Newman then argued that the court before testing began. The record gave undue weight to the NBS tests shows no communication or objection. and failed to give overriding weight The commissioner further points out to testimonials and affidavits support­ that the patent specification does not ing the claimed increase in energy mention the need to avoid grounding output. the device. "The court described the evidence "We conclude that Mr. Newman on Newman's behalf as 'largely qual­ had a duty to raise objection, before itative rather than quantified by or during testing, to any defects in the measured data,' while 'credit[ing] in test protocol.... He had a clear chance full the meticulously thorough and to obtain a definitive test, and to the well-documented testing done by extent that he did not take it, he can NBS.' . . . The court remarked that not now impeach the results that were at best Mr. Newman's evidence conducted by procedures of which he showed prolonged operation on dry had advanced knowledge. If there cell batteries, but that 'such a device were flaws in the NBS protocol, we is not the one for which Newman do not now give controlling weight to seeks a patent.' We discern no error objections that could have been raised in the district court's analysis, and at a time when any errors could have conclude that the court did not clearly readily been corrected." err in giving controlling weight to the The appeals court notes that "the NBS report and in concluding that the district court, on trial of the merits, utility claimed for Newman's device held Mr. Newman's invention unpat­ had not been demonstrated." entable under 35 U.S.C. 101 because The appeals court also upheld the 'Newman's device lacks utility (in that district court's argument that New­ it does not operate to produce what man had failed to explain how to he claims it does).' " It notes that achieve the claimed results. "While it

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Spring 1990 227 is not a requirement of patentability ameliorate fear and uncertainty. that an inventor correctly set forth, "Astrology was simply one of the or even know, how or why the ways I coped with the fear I felt after invention works, neither is the patent my husband almost died in the assas­ applicant relieved of the requirement sination attempt [on March 30,1981]." of teaching how to achieve the claimed She was haunted by concerns about result, even if the theory of operation the "so-called 20-year death cycle for is not correctly explained or even American presidents." (For more than understood.... The district court held a century, every president elected, or that Mr. Newman's claimed device and re-elected, in a year ending in zero had method do not produce the claimed died in office.) Night after night she result, following the teachings of the agonized over the president's safety. specification. We affirm that conclu­ "When you're as frightened as I was, sion. . . . you reach out for help and comfort "The decision of the district court in any direction you can." that the claimed invention is unpat­ The most poignant and, in seeing entable because it fails to comply with its effects on her, most despicable 35 U.S.C. 101 for lack of utility, and incident in the astrology section of the with 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, book reveals how she was made to feel for lack of enablement, is affirmed." she could have prevented the 1981 The court, in so affirming, said each shooting of Ronald Reagan, if only she party shall bear its own costs. New­ had been attuned to the astrological man has since announced that he will bad vibes. Here is a view of believers take his case to the U.S. Supreme in astrology playing on the fears of Court. a scared and vulnerable person. Television producer Merv Griffin, —Kendrick Frazier an old friend from the Reagans' Hollywood days, called her one after­ noon and told her of Joan Quigley, a San Francisco astrologer. She had met Astrology in Quigley once before and had had several calls from her during the 1980 the White House: presidential campaign, where Quigley Nancy Reagan's View volunteered her advice about "good" and "bad" times for Mr. Reagan. "I remember my reaction as if it ancy Reagan's book My Turn were yesterday to what Merv now (Random House, 1989) gives told me on the phone. He had talked N for the first time in her own to Joan, who had said she could have words her version of the international warned me about March 30. Accord­ controversy set off in 1988 over her ing to Merv, Joan had said: 'The use of astrology in the White House President should have stayed home. (SI, Fall 1988). One can almost feel I could see from my charts that this sympathy for the former First Lady was going to be a dangerous day for as she recounts her concern about her him.' husband's safety. With a sophistica­ " 'Oh my God,' I remember telling tion about such matters obviously no Merv. 7 could have stopped it!' I hung more advanced than that of millions up the phone, picked it up again and of other Americans, she tells how she called Joan." Quigley repeated her turned to astrology as a way to claim that she could see the day the

228 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 shooting happened was a very bad day WALL STREETS NOSEDIVE for him. (Presumably this was an Will History Repeat Itself? after-the-fact "insight.") "Joan was a good listener, and she responded with the warmth and compassion 1 needed." Nancy Thus started their relationship. Reagan's Quigley soon suggested Mrs. Reagan let her know when the president planned to travel. She would then call 'My and tell her if those were bad or good days. "Well, I thought, what's the Turn' harm in that? And so, once or twice a month I would talk with Joan. . . . On Astrology I would have Ronnie's schedule in On Don Regan On Raisa front of me, and what I wanted to On Her Kids know was very simple: were specific dates safe or dangerous?" Once Quigley got back to her with the information, Mrs. Reagan would, if necessary, call Michael Deaver, who Nancy Reagan's story about her use of was in charge of the president's astrology appears in her book My Turn and schedule, and later Donald Regan, the in Newsweek excerpts. president's chief of staff. "Sometimes a small change was made. . . . While She says her relationship with astrology was a factor in determining Quigley "began as a crutch," but Ronnie's schedule, it was never the "within a year or two, it had become only one, and no political decision was a habit," and she didn't see the need ever made based on it." to change, "because while I was never Mrs. Reagan says she realized that certain that Joan's astrological advice "if this ever came out, it could be was helping to protect Ronnie, the fact embarrassing to Ronnie—although I is that nothing like March 30 ever never imagined just how embarrass­ happened again." ing." Later, when Donald Regan Mrs. Reagan does not disclose how disclosed these practices in his book, much she paid Quigley. However CBS "it became the biggest story in town. reported that Mrs. Reagan paid Qui­ I felt a terrible cold rush to the heart gley $3,000 a month, which amounts and a sinking feeling in my stomach. to $36,000 a year. She realized an I felt shocked and humiliated. ... I astrologer shouldn't be sent checks had always considered it as a private from the First Lady, "so I asked a project, something I did to hedge our friend back in California to pay Joan bets, to try to keep Ronnie from and I reimbursed her each month." getting shot again—and to keep me In an appearance on the "Tonight" from going mad with worry." show (in which Johnny Carson, who In the midst of the furor, "what had earlier got considerable joke I felt worst about was Ronnie, and I mileage out of the astrology affair, this apologized to him. 'I feel terrible about time politely avoided such jabs), Mrs. this. I've put you in an awful position,' Reagan said she still felt she had done I said. 'No honey,' he kept saying. 'It's nothing wrong, but was sorry for the all right. I could see what you were embarrassment she had caused the going through. It's all right." president.

Spring 1990 22^ Political observers were no kinder Fraknoi, of the Astronomical Society to Nancy Reagan over the explana­ of the Pacific, pointed to the impor­ tions in her book than they were about tance of scientific literacy and the way the original disclosures about astrol­ that publication of pseudoscience ogy in the White House (SI, Fall 1988, "tends to undermine the efforts of pp. 11-12). scientists and educators to improve New York Times columnist William the public understanding of science." Safire lambasted her over the revel­ The wording suggested was: "The ation that she had kept her astrological following astrological forecasts should watch over the president's schedule be read for entertainment value only. secret from her husband: "If a pres­ Such predictions have no reliable basis ident decides to hire a witch doctor in scientific fact." to help his planning by reading the The appeal caused considerable entrails of chickens or if he uses a interest and controversy (SI, Spring divining rod to discover leaks or 1985, pp. 194-196). But a few news­ prefers Tarot cards to CIA evalua­ papers began running the suggested tions, that's the judgment we have disclaimer, or a similar one, and the elected. number continues to grow. The latest "But if the timing of his movements major addition to the roster is the St. and selection of his appearances are Louis Post-Dispatch. Its disclaimer says determined by his fearful wife's simply, "Note: Horoscopes have no superstition without his knowledge, basis in scientific fact and should be that abuse of the first lady's authority read for entertainment, not guidance." cannot be dismissed as harmless or In a recent talk to a seminar of the cute." Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, Cornell astronomer —Kendrick Frazier and educator (and CSICOP Fellow) Carl Sagan called astrology "bunk" and strongly criticized newspapers for carrying horoscope columns. Astrol­ Twenty-Eight Papers ogy "shares with racism and sexism the idea that you can divide the human Use Astrology community into a few slots and you Disclaimer can decide about people by knowing which of the 12 slots they happen to fit into," Sagan said. ive years ago, at a news confer­ "Pick up a newspaper and you can ence in San Francisco and in a immediately tell—We're for hokum. F followup letter to all daily news­ We're in favor of bunk. It's a very bad papers in the United States, the sign. I wouldn't mind so much if Committee for the Scientific Investi­ opposite every astrology column there gation of Claims of the Paranormal were a daily debunking-pseudoscience (CSICOP) proposed that newspapers column." add a disclaimer to their astrology Here is a list of newspapers known columns. to be publishing a disclaimer with their CSICOP Chairman Paul Kurtz astrology columns, as of January 1990: called on newspapers to warn readers that neither astrology nor the advice Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.) published in horoscope columns has Alabama Journal (Ala.) scientific validity. Kurtz and Andrew Arizona Daily Star (Ariz.)

230 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Sun City Daily News (Ariz.) San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) Consulting the Wilmington News Journal (Del.) • Wrong Stars St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Ga.) Honolulu Advertiser (Hawaii) ^\n amusing, and illuminating, Charleston Times Courier (111.) L^^ item about a newspaper's hand- Mattoon Journal Gazette (III.) # \ ling of a logistics problem it had Indianapolis Star (Ind.) with its astrology column was Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (La.) revealed recently by the newspaper Baton Rouge State Times (La.) itself. Shreveport Journal (La.) In his "My Turn" column, F. G. Adrian Telegram (Mich.) Eaton, managing editor of the Adrian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Mo.) Michigan, Daily Telegraph, wrote Battle Creek Enquirer (Mich.) about the occasional problems caused Asbury Park Press (N.J.) when syndicated materials don't Auburn Citizen (N.Y.) arrive on time. With some popular Hillsboro Press Gazette (Ohio) comics, they were able to substitute Altoona Mirror (Pa.) some strips scheduled for the follow­ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pa.) ing week. Another time they had to Memphis Commercial Appeal (Tenn.) pirate some bridge columns from old Austin American Statesman (Tex.) papers. That brings Eaton to the Orange Leader (Tex.) astrology column: Milwaukee Journal (Wis.) "Probably the most notorious Toronto Globe & Mail (Canada) example of this kind of piracy occurred a couple of years ago too. (I've never The exact wording of a disclaimer told this story publicly before.) It has never been the important issue. involved the AstroGraph. Indeed, as reader Thomas D. Fuller "We didn't have AstroGraph to use points out in a letter to the editor in for a period of several weeks. The copy this issue, a Virginia regional maga­ for this feature comes to us by satellite zine uses a witty disclaimer that pokes and is beamed directly into our com­ fun at both itself and its horoscope puter. But for a while for some reason column. In doing so, it shows that the beam wasn't beaming right. We what's going on is only entertainment. lost about a month's worth. "The people from the composing room came to me wondering what they should put on these pages, since they had no copy. What we did have, however, were copies of astrology columns from months before. Reason­ ing that it is all a bunch of claptrap anyway, we changed the dates and re­ sorted the months (signs) and re-ran those columns. "Anyone who actually looked to the AstroGraph for important life deci­ sions would have been conferring with the wrong stars. But since the stars don't actually affect daily life on

Spring 1990 231 earth, we didn't figure we had done According to a poll carried out to anybody any harm." • accompany the article in L'Express, a sizable proportion of the population believes in paranormal phenomena of one kind or another, including astrol­ ogy, fortune-telling, witchcraft, France Possessed sorcery and telepathy. By the Occult Education has nothing to do with it. French schools still teach in the and Irrational Cartesian tradition, with heavy emphasis on math, geometry, logic, and science. But the poll of more than he French have long thought of 1,500 people indicated that those with themselves as rationalists deeply a higher scientific qualification were Timbued with the spirit of the more likely to believe in the paran­ seventeenth-century philosopher ormal than those with basic primary Rene Descartes, who exalted the mind schooling—46 percent compared with and vowed never to accept any idea 41 percent. unless he had first subjected it to And belief in the paranormal and rigorous critical analysis. astrology is highest among young But the Cartesian ideal is taking a people aged 18 to 24, the poll indicated. buffeting as, according to sociologists, According to the magazine the French turn their backs on tra­ L'Evenement de ]eudi, the fascination ditional religion, rationalist ideologies with the occult is most widespread such as Marxism, and belief in scien­ among students, senior management, tific progress. professors, and especially school The rise of the occult and the teachers. The most skeptical, it said, irrational has been the cover story on were agricultural workers, techni­ two of the country's national news cians, and skilled workers. The magazines. Greens, members of the fast-growing environmental movement, are, for some reason, along with the far-right Apres moi,i National Front, most likely to believe in the paranormal, the magazine said. While France has fewer than 36,000 Roman Catholic clergy, there are more than 40,000 professional astrologers who declare their income to tax authorities—which says nothing of the undoubtedly far greater number of moonstruck star- gazers, faith healers, mediums, necro­ mancers, and fortune tellers of every imaginable stripe who choose not to declare their income. It might come as no surprise to some of the whackier regions of the U.S. West Coast or the zanier ele­ ments in the Soviet Union, which has been in the grip of hysteria about

232 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 visiting spacemen, but the reality is Quack medicine flourishes, along that France appears to be taking its with the sale of costly "magnetic" and cue from Nostradamus rather than "galvanic" machines that claim to ward Descartes these days. off aches and pains, remove excess Large and established companies poundage, restore sagging flesh, and turn to graphologists, birth-date guarantee untroubled sleep. interpreters, and astrologers before "Instinctotherapy," which follow­ hiring job candidates. A leading com­ ers claim can cure everything from puter company only hires people after toothaches to AIDS, has a lively a tarot-card reading. A big insurance following despite the arrest of its group uses a swinging pendulum to leading guru, Guy-Claude Burger, a judge whether a candidate is honest. former musician, on a charge of Stores selling the paraphernalia of illegally practicing medicine. Instinc­ the occult, from Ouija boards to tarot totherapy consists of eating as much cards, have sprung up even in some as you like of whatever it is you fancy of the poshest shopping malls. Sor­ providing it is uncooked. cerers advertise in newspapers prom­ An author named Rika Zarai has ising to recover a lost love or find a become both rich and a media star new one. One firm of occult practi­ with her claims to restore faded sex tioners, called Divinitel, claims annual lives and to cure AIDS and just about revenues of five million francs for everything else with special diets and services that include removing spells combinations of herbs. Miss Zarai sold and bringing back lost romance. two million copies of a book called My Books about the occult are among Natural Medicine. the best of best-sellers. The Predictions of Nostradamus alone has sold more —Barry James than 1.3 million copies. More than 300 publishers specialize in books on the Barry James is a reporter for the occult, and there are hundreds of International Herald Tribune, where specialty stores to sell the books. this article originally appeared. Reprinted Magazines specializing in horoscopes, with permission. fortune telling, and the occult sell a total of more than 300,000 copies. The French do not even have to leave home to get their fortunes told. Minitel, the state-owned videotex Latin-American system that services millions of homes, offers horoscopes, tarot-card • Skeptics Conference readings, astrological predictions, and the like, provided by private message services that operate on the system. he first Latin-American skeptics Television and radio broadcasts also conference convened in Mexico are cluttered with programs about TCity on November 10 and 11, horoscopes and astrology. 1989, cosponsored by the Mexican Magic gewgaws find a ready Society for Skeptical Research (Socie- market. A well-known actress, dad Mexican para la Investigacion Danielle Gilbert, was briefly jailed Esceptica, SOMIE) and the Committee recently for promoting the sale of for the Scientific Investigation of 450,000 purportedly magic "Egyptian" Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). rings. More than 300 people attended ses-

Spring 1990 233 sions at the University of Mexico and 1989. The Mexican skeptics have been the Holiday Inn in Mexico City. active over the years, questioning The conference focused on the psychic claims and pseudoscience on growing influence of "magical think­ both national and local television and ing" and the need to develop public radio and in print, as well as spon­ appreciation of the scientific method. soring such projects as scientific The keynote address was delivered by research into "extra-occular visual Mario Bunge, a native of Argentina perception," a widely promoted belief and now professor of philosophy at in Mexico, and an investigation of the McGill University and one of Canada's magical healing powers of pepesco- most distinguished philosophers. huibe, a tree bark that is claimed to Bunge deplored the growth of pseudo- cure almost everything. science and the vulgarization of SOMIE now has more than 160 modern culture. He emphasized the members. Its chairman is Mario importance of developing skepticism Mendez-Acosta, an engineer and and critical thinking in educational journalist. Victor Vazquez, professor institutions. of psychology at the University of Other speakers were from the Mexico, is vice-chairman. Other executive council of CSICOP, includ­ members of the executive committee ing Ray Hyman of the University of are Carlos Calderon, a stage magician Oregon; James Alcock, York Univer­ who goes under the name of "Aba- sity, Toronto; James Randi, the well- Daba"; Victor Velarde, a medical known magician; Barry Karr, execu­ doctor; Maurico-Jose Schwarz, a tive director of CSICOP, and myself. newspaper columnist; and UFO Several psychologists from the Uni­ investigator Hector Chavarria. versity of Mexico, and the influential SOMIE has launched a new journal, journalists Luis Gonzalez de Alba and El Investigador Esceptico, which will be Raoul Priepo also participated. made available throughout Latin CSICOP's executive council America for Spanish-speaking read­ members were especially impressed by ers. We were impressed by their the fortitude of the students and ambitious plans for the future. faculty of the University of Mexico. The generous hospitality of the Because of strikes and demonstrations SOMIE group was especially appre­ in Mexico City on the opening day of ciated by those who attended the the conference, our bus from the hotel conference from the United States, to the university's psychology depart­ Canada, and Central and South Amer­ ment was delayed two hours; yet the ican countries. Given the widespread auditorium was packed with eager body of uncorroborated and unveri­ attendees who sat patiently waiting fied claims of the paranormal in for us and then through four hours Mexico and throughout Latin Amer­ of our discussions without a break. ican, SOMIE can play an important There was extensive press cover­ role in providing some balanced age of the conference. All of the major appreciation for the fruits of scientific newspapers—El National, La Jornada, inquiry. Excelsior, etc.—and TV and radio stations covered the sessions. —Paul Kurtz Although a skeptics group has been informally in operation in Mexico for Paul Kurtz is chairman of CSICOP and almost a decade, SOMIE was not a professor of philosophy at SUNY- officially established until August Buffalo.

234 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Clinique de Psychiatrie Biologique in European Conference France, reported on French research Examines Fringe in homeopathy. At the end of 1985, Aulas said, Georgina Dufoix, then J Science and Medicine Minister of Social Affairs, attempted to establish a foundation for the examination of alternative medical Following is a brief overview of the Second methods. The foundation was aban­ European CSICOP Conference, held at doned in 1986, however, by Dufoix's Bad Tolz, near Munich, West Germany, successor, Michele Barzach. The only from May 4 to 7, 1989. The hosts were clinical research on homeopathy com­ the West German Society for the Scientific pleted in France was performed by Investigation of Para-Science (GWUP). Grecho, a research team formed for Speakers included European experts on this purpose. Though they proposed topics of particular importance in Europe, three separate studies, they completed and several members of the Executive only one—on homeopathy and the Council of the Committee for the Scientific resumption of digestion after abdom­ Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal inal surgery. The results of this study (CSICOP). Most of the talks were were negative. Aulas stressed that simultaneously translated into English, further scientific evaluation of alter­ German, and Spanish. Our thanks for native medical treatments, including this summary to Mark Plummer, former homeopathy, whose effectiveness has executive director of CSICOP, and yet to be demonstrated, is ethically Amardeo Sarma, secretary of the host necessary. He claimed that the pos­ organization. sibility of such evaluation has been demonstrated by the Grecho exper­ hree sessions (1, 2, and 4) of the iment, which was done under strictly 1989 CSICOP conference in Bad controlled conditions and in complete Tolz dealt with fringe medicine. independence of homeopathy labora­ T tories. The term fringe implies that such techniques are not a part of main­ Andreas Gertler, of the Institute of stream Western medical practice but Forensic Medicine in East Berlin, gave leaves open the possibility that any of a paper on the situation of alternative these therapies may be totally inef­ medical practices in East Germany. fective, somewhat helpful, or quite Many patients there, said Gertler, are helpful in healing. Paul Knipschild, an not content with orthodox medical epidemiologist at the University of practice, feeling that doctors should Limberg in the Netherlands, said that use fewer pills and less machinery and evidence from clinical research must spend more time with the patient. In be used to evaluate alternative treat­ East Germany, a law prevents non- ments. Clinical epidemiology, the graduated physicians from practicing methodology of performing and eva­ any kind of professional medicine, but luating such research, is still evolving, Gertler said the M.D.s themselves use but Knipschild said that his general nonconventional techniques, such as impression from evaluating such tech­ acupuncture, neural therapy, and niques as acupuncture and homeo­ cancer treatments that include mistle­ pathy, as well as certain dietary sup­ toe extracts, special diets, and teas, and plements, is that the better-performed homeopathy. Though acupuncture studies show less effectiveness. has been tested by centuries of use Jean-Jaques Aulas, of the Unite in China, Gertler pointed out that it

Spring 1990 235 has been the subject of serious crit­ physiological processes. These pro­ icism, mainly by forensic pathologists. cesses function to secure human He was quite skeptical of all the existence and are important when the alternative therapies he discussed. body is threatened by sickness. The B. Velimirovic, a professor of power of medical mysticism, Schaefer medicine at the University of Graz, said, lies in the strong effect of Austria, worried that as the New Age emotion on the body. Schaefer is con­ movement spreads from America to cerned that a completely rational base Europe, it may bring with it other for medicine will destroy faith as a questionable medical practices. Along healing factor, but he said that the with this infusion, Germany has seen same principle can be used rationally its own development of holistic med­ within the system of psychosomatic icine, which Velimirovic blames not on medicine. a growing awareness of, and confi­ In Session 4, ethnologist Helga dence in, the individual's ability to Velimirovic addressed the topic of maintain good health without the use "psychic surgeons" of the Philippines. of complex laboratory chemicals, but Though psychic surgery is frowned on economic factors, such as the high upon by most Filipinos, people from cost of medical services and the all over the world mistakenly believe inability of the system to cope with it is a practice of traditional shama­ the burdens of the social environment. nism and travel to the Philippines for Session 3, on the New Age, began such treatments as a "last hope." Actu­ with a harsh critique, by Martin ally the origin of psychic surgery dates Lambeck, professor of physics at the to the early twentieth century. Technical University of Berlin, of Further, scientific examinations have Fritjof Capra's popular books The Tao shown that it is based on trickery. of Physics and The Turning Point, which In his paper "Legal Issues When relate discoveries in quantum physics Dealing with Fringe Medicine," A. P. to Eastern thought. Lambeck claimed F. Ehlers, a physician from Munchen, that Capra's assertions are based on West Germany, called for new legal a misinterpretation of a hypothetical restrictions on the freedom to practice experiment proposed by Einstein, therapy. Available legal instruments, Podolsky, and Rosen, and that Capra's he said, are insufficient to prevent own claims are in contradiction to the damage to the health and well-being true meaning of the assertions of of patients who are unable to assess authorities, as well as to the findings the implications of the increased use of all experiments so far conducted. of fringe medicine. It is, in general, In a paper titled "The Longing for only after the damage has occurred Mysticism," Hans Schaefer, professor that legal measures are possible. emeritus of Heidelberg University, In Session 5, University of London acknowledged that' because of the biologist Michael Howgate discussed placebo effect nonscientific beliefs Archaeopteryx lilhographica, a fossil sometimes appear to be successful in discovered in 1861. The fossil supports the healing of illness. Schaefer evolutionary theory because it is an believes that thinking is strongly intermediate species, part reptile and influenced by emotional states, which part bird. Anti-evolutionists have are explained physiologically as the gone from calling it a "peculiarly stimulation of subcortal zones of the feathered reptile" (nonbird) to claim­ brain, controlled by chemical pro­ ing it is 100-percent bird. Neither of cesses that in turn depend on electro­ these positions is defensible, however.

236 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Although Fred Hoyle claims that the actual experiments, however, were fossil is a fake, Howgate—along with intended to check on conventional experts in paleontology—considers dowsing claims, including the so-called this claim to be completely unfounded. E-rays (Erdstrahlen in German). These Ulrich Thimm, a journalist from E-Rays are claimed to cause the Giessen, discussed the position of dowsing reaction. After participants in creationism in West Germany, where the project presented the experiments, 78 percent of the population believe Sarma criticized some of the known that the Book of Genesis correctly loopholes in the test. He also regretted describes the origin of the earth and the refusal of the Munich researchers, its life. Creationism, which was who are known to be "open" to imported from the United States, paranormal claims, to accept support continues to grow in Germany, draw­ and advice from the German Society ing its support from evangelical for the Investigation of Para-Science. Christians. John Lord, of the University of Session 6 began with a discussion Surrey, U.K., discussed parapsychol­ by Rolf Manne, professor of chemistry ogy and its failure to meet at least one at the University of Bergen, of the criterion for acceptance as a science. Norwegian experience with dowsing He summarized work of recent phi­ as a means of locating avalanche losophers of science (Popper, Lakatos, victims. Double-blind experiments Kuhn), and also focused on J. S. Mill's performed by the Norwegian Army in outline of scientific methodology. 1987 showed a lack of positive results Lord showed how parapsychology, be­ (see SI, Spring 1988, p. 234). Manne cause of the fundamental flaws in its stressed the need for the Norwegian preconceptions, cannot possibly fol­ Army and the Red Cross to find low Mill's procedures, which he feels legitimate, simple, and safe tools for are fundamentally sound. For these the location and rescue of avalanche reasons, Lord feels that parapsychol­ victims. He wondered how to separate ogy has no credibility as a science and any possible legitimate effect of is impotent to discover anything sig­ dowsing from the illusory effect nificant about its own subject matter. discovered in Norway. Curt Roslund, astronomy profes­ James Randi, who had offered all sor at the University of Gothenburg, dowsers—and claimants of other Sweden, discussed the "Astrology, paranormal powers—to take part in Science or Pseudoscience" course his live television show aired in June instituted in 1977 at his university. It 1989 (see SI, Fall 1989) with the is designed to demonstrate the inva­ chance to win $100,000, offered his lidity of astrology, and is effective services to those involved in the because it is taught by astronomers, German Dowsing Research Project to who are well versed in planetary ensure proper experimental condi­ motions and statistics. The course is tions. not restricted to university students, Amardeo Sarma, secretary of and it draws many schoolteachers who GWUP, discussed the German dows­ can then pass the critique of astrology ing project, which received 400,000 on to their students. Deutschmarks from the German Claude Benski, secretary general of Federal Ministry for Research and the French Committee for the Study Technology. The project was titled of Paranormal Phenomena, discussed "The Reaction of Low-Intensity Fields the statistical risks when testing on Biological Macrosystems." The hypotheses. Normally there are two

Spring 1990 237 kinds of risks involved: the risk of rejecting a hypothesis that is true, and 'What Unsolved the risk of accepting a hypothesis that Mystery?': An is not true. Statistical evaluation enables a researcher to know what the Editorial Slam chances are for obtaining the observed results independent of the truth or falsity of the hypothesis. Benski noted hen the television show that paranormal claims are usually "Unsolved Mysteries" blew evaluated without proper use of the Wup a pleasant Nebraska statistical method, thereby incurring church (scheduled for razing anyway) a third risk: that of conscious or to dramatize a supposed mystery in unconscious cheating. the explosion of another church, in Jean-Paul van Bendegem, a profes­ Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1950, the sor at the Free University of Brussels, Omaha World-Herald decided to edi­ described the new arguments, by torialize against the show's sensation­ Larry Landen, for drawing the distinc­ alism. At the same time the paper tion between science and pseudo- struck a strong blow for clear thinking science. Landen's is a pragmatic about "mysteries." approach, which bases the claim of "While there is no 'unsolved mys­ validity for a theory on its problem- tery' about the Beatrice blast—fire solving capacity, making reference to officials blamed gas—'Unsolved Mys­ truth-value irrelevant, but pointing to teries' producer Tim Rogan plans to the worthlessness of pseudoscience as play around with the 'divine interven­ the distinguishing factor. tion' aspect of the fact that 12 choir The two papers given in the final members scheduled to be at practice session, taken together, were some­ when the church exploded hadn't yet what alarming. First, Andreas Dill's arrived," said the editorial, titled paper, presented by Andreas Gertler "What Unsolved Mystery?" (Novem­ because Dill was unable to attend, ber 23, 1989). "'What was the force pointed out that although there was that led all 12 members to show up no necessary connection between the late that night?' Rogan asks. two, both fascism and pseudoscience "The 'force' was undoubtedly coin­ rejected elementary rules of critical cidence," the editorial states. It thinking. He described the anti- recounts World-Herald news accounts scientific nature of fascism. at the time suggesting various mun­ Finally, science writer D. J. Fisher, dane reasons for the choir members' of Bristol, U.K., discussed the prolif­ being late. eration of university-level research in "When Rogan and his people try the U.K. into pseudoscientific areas. to capitalize on a simple gas explosion Much of this, Fisher says, is biblio­ that occurred in a small Nebraska graphic or skeptically inspired, but church almost 40 years ago, it shows some exhibits typical hallmarks of something about how desperate these what he calls "pathological science"— multiplying tabloid television shows something to watch out for. are to find 'stories' to illustrate. "A mysterious force indeed. The Third C51COP European Conference "That kind of what-if nonsense, is scheduled to be held at the Free stretching facts like Silly Putty and University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, bouncing them nearly as high, is why August 10-11, 1990. tabloid television shows don't deserve

238 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 the time Americans spend watching them." In Brief: Quakes, Crumbling Communism, —X.F. and a Complaint

Official Rehabilitation ^\fter the San Francisco area of Galileo? Pope Praises ^Aearthquake last October, M \Washington Post columnist 'That Great Man' Richard Cohen decided to ask Joan Quigley, Nancy Reagan's much- publicized astrologer, if she had or some years now the Catholic known it was coming and had taken church has been taking a series advance action. He found she had been F of steps to atone for its trial and at home, in San Francisco. "I've never incarceration of Galileo on heresy been so jolted, so shaken," she said. charges more than 350 years ago. Pope Says Cohen, "What I want to know John Paul II had previously said the is why a woman who told the pres­ Inquisition erred in condemning Gali­ ident the precise moment to sign a leo for teaching that the earth goes treaty couldn't see an earthquake around the sun. coming." Alas, she said that kind of But this past September John Paul prediction is best left to an earthquake traveled to Galileo's home town of astrologer. Quigley insisted that she Pisa and made his strongest pro- did know an earthquake was coming, Galileo statement yet. He said Galileo just not when. "No doubt," writes was right and the church was wrong. Cohen. "But the fact remains that the Speaking on Sunday, September woman who told Nancy Reagan what 24, 1989, at the University of Pisa, treaties Ronald Reagan should sign, where Galileo studied and taught, the when he should sign them, what to pope referred to some of the univer­ do and when to do it at Bitburg, when sity's distinguished alumni—"above Air Force One should take off, when all, the very great Galileo." press conferences should be held, and At the beginning of the same even that Mikhail Gorbachev was on weekend, John Paul stood on a bridge the level and it was time to drop the overlooking the Arno River and 'evil empire' nonsense did not get out declared: "How can one not call the of town for an earthquake." name of that great man who was born here and from here took the first steps toward immortal fame? "Galileo Galilei, whose scientific The crumbling of communist power work, imprudently opposed at the in Eastern Europe and the dismantling beginning, is now recognized by all as of the Berlin Wall in the latter months an essential step in the methodology of 1989 were among the most of research and, in general, on the path momentous events of the postwar era. toward the knowledge of the world They were also a surprise to virtually of nature." everyone. "No journalist, politician, The pope's statements were widely professor, or economic expert saw interpreted by the citizens of Pisa as that change would come so suddenly Galileo's official rehabilitation. • to so many countries all over the East,"

Spring 1990 239 amateur astronomer and feel that the whole UFO 'phenomenon' is a crock of manure. ... He then launched into a rapturous advertisement for the . . . series, saying all my doubts would be resolved. Needless to say, I informed him of my lack of interest in the subject and ended the conver­ sation. At a time when most of the media pander to pseudoscience, Time- Life's approach to science is refreshing and informative. However I am dis­ tressed at Time-Life's desire to get on the 'New Age bandwagon.' ... I do not wish to receive any more solici­ tations from Time-Life Books, either by phone or mail."

wrote the New York Times (December A show of "psychics" and "seers," 1,1989). What a good opportunity this scheduled for the Indiana, Pennsyl­ was for astrologers and psychics to vania, Mall's twentieth-anniversary have shown off their ability to see the celebration, had to be canceled, accord­ future. ing to the mall's announcement, due to "unforeseen scheduling diffi­ culties."

When SI reader Vincent F. Safuto of -K.F. Lake Worth, Florida, got a "very irritating and insulting" phone call from Time-Life Books about its pro- paranormal "Mysteries of the • Worth Quoting Unknown" series (see SI, Summer 1989; Summer 1987; Spring 1987), he Science and Codswallop wrote a letter of complaint to George Constable, editor of Time-Life Books. The difference between science and Safuto described the calls as "an insult codswallop is real, if not always that to my intelligence." After some pre­ evident. Science is what impels us to find liminaries, Safuto told Time-Life, out if something might be or clearly isn't during which he and the phone the case. Codswallop is what tells us that solicitor discussed the science- things can just as easily be one thing or oriented "Voyage Through the Uni­ another and there's no telling which and verse" series, which Safuto gets and so we might just as well forget about it enjoys, the solicitor "proceeded to tell and believe whatever pleases us the most. me about the arrival of 'aliens' from Science is spending a lifetime trying to a UFO that had landed in the Soviet discover, if only to discover we were wrong. Union and how interesting it all was. I replied that I was the wrong person —Ralph Estling, in New Scientist to ask about UFOs, since I am an (May 27, 1989, pp. 75-76)

240 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Hallmarks of Cranks the grocery store checkout counter. Here J can read all about the latest UFO sight­ A hallmark of crank manuscripts is that ings and other fantastic scenarios. . . . they solve everything. . . . A second At the National Air and Space hallmark of cranks is that they are Museum we feature original artifacts of humorless. A third hallmark of the crank genuinely fantastic air and space ex­ is that he is sure everyone is out to steal ploits. . . . his ideas. A fourth hallmark of the crank If we can sensitize our visitors to the is that he is determined to bring the "real stuff" in the Museum, perhaps they newspapers in somehow. A fifth hallmark will come away more objectively critical of cranks is that they use a lot of capital of the bizarre stories that appear even in letters. mainstream media and overcome our better judgment with repetition. While the —Jeremy Bernstein, Science tabloids appeal to our craving for the Observed: Essays Out of mysterious, the real world offers every bit My Mind (Basic Books, as much drama—actually more, because New York, 1983, pp. 305-314) editors have limited imaginations, but nature has no such constraints.

The Real Stuff —Howard A. Smith, National Air & Space Museum, in One of the most amazing spaces 1 run Air & Space/Smithsonian, across regularly is the magazine rack at (Dec. 1989/Jan. 1990)

THE FIRST 06>\COP MEMBER

Spring 1990 241 We invite you to join us in Washington, D.C. for the 1990 CSICOP Conference Hyatt Regency Crystal City (at Washington National Airport) Critical Thinking and Scientific Literacy Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 30 through April 1 Note: The CSICOP Hospitality Room on the lobby floor of the hotel will open at 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 29 (cash bar 7:30 to 11:00 P.M.) This room will be available to registrants for the duration of the conference. Friday, March 30 7:30 - 9:00 A.M.: Registration 9:00 A.M. -12:00 NOON: SCIENTIFIC LITERACY Moderator: Paul Kurtz, CSICOP Chairman, professor of philosophy SUNY, Buffalo Michael Zimmerman, associate dean and professor of biology, Oberlin College John Paulos, professor of mathematics. Temple University, author of lnnumeracy Robert Crease, asst. professor of philosophy, SUNY at Stony Brook 12:00 NOON - 2:00 P.M.: Lunch Break 2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.: Two concurrent sessions I. CRITICAL THINKING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION Moderator: Paul MacCready, scientist, engineer, AeroViroment, Inc. Anton Lawson, professor of zoology, Arizona State University Richard Schrock, assistant professor of biology, Emporia State University Steven Hoffmaster, professor of physics, Gonzaga University II. (1) PUBLIC POLICY AND THE PARANORMAL (2:00 - 4:00 P.M.) Ray Hyman, professor of psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene Claiborne Pell, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (2) EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT UFOs BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK (4:00 - 5:00 P.M.) Philip J. Klass, aerospace journalist and UFO investigator 5:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.: Dinner Break 8:00 P.M.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS Gerard Piel, chairman emeritus, Scientific American, former presi­ dent of AAAS

Saturday, March 31 9:00 A.M. -12:00 NOON: ASTRONOMY AND PSEUDOSCIENCE Moderator: Philip lanna, associate professor of astronomy, University of Virginia Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, executive director, Astronomical Society of the Pacific David Morrison, chief, Space Science Division, NASA Bernard Leikind, physicist, General Atomics Inc. 12:00 NOON - 2:00 P.M.: CSICOP LUNCHEON (optional) Hosted by Kendrick Frazier and Philip J. Klass 2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.: Two concurrent sessions I. PSYCHIC PHENOMENA AND THE LAWS OF PHYSICS Moderator: James Alcock, psychologist, York University, Toronto Milton Rothman, professor of physics (ret.), Philadelphia Robert Jahn, dean emeritus, School of Engineering, Princeton Victor Stenger, professor of physics and astronomy. University of Hawaii Menas Kafatos, professor of physics, George Mason University II. ANIMAL RIGHTS AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Moderator: Lee Nisbet, professor of philosophy, Medaille College Randall Lockwood, director, Higher Education Program, Humane Society of the U.S., Washington, D.C. Larry Horton, vice-president of public affairs, Stanford University Franklin Loew, dean. School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University Donald J. Barnes, Director, Washington Office of the Anti- Vivisection Society 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.: Pre-Banquet Social Hour (cash bar) 7:00 P.M. -10:00 P.M.: AWARDS BANQUET (optional) Awards Presentation: Paul Kurtz, CSICOP Chairman "Public Understanding of Science," Richard Berendzen, presi­ dent, American University Bill Nye, the "Science Guy" (program continued on next page) Sunday, April 1 9:00 A.M. -10:30 A.M.: OPEN FORUM with CSICOP Executive Council 11:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M.. THE SKEPTICS' PERSPECTIVE Moderator: Barry Karr, CSICOP executive director; D. W. "Chip" Denman, president. National Capital Area Skeptics; Barry Beyerstein, chairman, British Columbia Skeptics; James McGaha, chairman, Tucson Skeptical Society, Mario Mendez-Acosta, chairman, Mexican Society for Skeptical Investigation, Al Seckel, exec, director, Southern California Skeptics, Gary Posner, secretary, Tampa Bay Skeptics, and others REGISTRATION: Please use form below. Preregistration is advised. (Registration fee does not include meals or accommodations.)

Conference Registration Form 1990 CSICOP Conference, P.O. Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215 • YES, I (we) plan to attend the 1990 CSICOP Conference. • $99 registration for person(s), includes Keynote Address. (Students $45.00) $ • $20.00 Saturday Luncheon for person(s) $ D $30.00 Saturday Awards Banquet for person(s) $ • $7.00 Keynote Address (this fee is for nonregistrants only) for person(s) $ • Check enclosed Charge my MasterCard D Visa D Acct. # Exp Name. Address. City State Zip • No, I will not be able to attend the conference, but please accept my contribution (tax-deductible) of $ to help cover the costs of this and future CSICOP special events. ACCOMMODATIONS: Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Washington National Airport. Telephone 703-418-1234. Single occupancy $85, double occupancy $95, triple occupancy $105, plus tax. For these special rates, request accommodations for CSICOP Conference. These rates will be honored for any night(s) from March 27 through April 3. Check-in time 3:00 P.M.; check-out time 12:00 NOON. Complimentary van service to and from Washington National Airport. For further information, call or write: Mary Rose Hays, 1990 CSICOP Conference, P.O. Box 229, Buffalo, New York 14215, or call 716-834-3222. Notes of a Fringe-Watcher MARTIN GARDNER St. George And the Dragon Of Creationism

No real beauty, no lasting goodness can lectures at the British Museum, and in my belief, result from anything which the two men became good friends. is not true. Later they had a falling out over disagreements about the process of —St. George Mivart evolution, but one of the finest tributes ever paid to Huxley was n the long, sad history of the war Mivart's "Reminiscences of Thomas between science and Christianity, Huxley," in the Nineteenth Century I no episode is sadder than the career (December 1897). "I learned more of St. George Jackson Mivart (1827- from him in two years," Mivart wrote, 1900). It is a story that has been almost "than I had acquired in any previous forgotten. It deserves retelling. decade of biological study." One of England's most distin­ In 1871, Mivart published his most guished zoologists, Mivart was born famous book, The Genesis of Species. in London, where his father, a Low Although he accepted the broad Church Anglican, owned the Mivart scenario of Darwin's Origin of Species, Hotel, on Brook Street. (Later it he argued convincingly that natural became Claridge's.) At the age of 16, selection alone was insufficient to Mivart was converted to Roman account for the rise of species. It had Catholicism. Until his death he re­ to be supplemented "by the concur­ mained loyal to his faith, never rent action of some other natural law doubting a personal Triune God, an or laws, at present undiscovered." afterlife, the miracle of the Eucharist, These were accurate and prophetic or the superiority of Catholicism to words. Like Darwin, Mivart was a all other religions. He had hoped to Lamarckian, unaware of what would go to Oxford, but his conversion later become known about the role barred him from both Oxford and played by genes and their random Cambridge. mutations in the evolutionary process. It was Thomas Huxley who per­ Darwin recognized the many gaps suaded Mivart that evolution was as in the fossil record and the absence firmly established as Copernican of known transitional forms, but he astronomy—although the process by explained those blanks by stressing which it operated left room for debate. how rare conditions are for fossiliza- For years Mivart attended Huxley's tion. Mivart believed the gaps were

Spring 1990 245 evolution, religion, and the philosophy of science. Among his some twenty other books, the following titles suggest the scope of his research and thinking: The Common Frog; The Cat (557 pages!); Nature and Thought; A Philosophical Catechism; On Truth; The Origin of Human Reason; Birds; Essays and Criticisms; American Types of Animal Life; An Introduction to the Elements of Science; and The Groundwork of Science. He also published, under the pseudonym of D'Arcy Drew, a novel of ideas titled Henry Standon. No book by Mivart is now in print. The initial reaction to Mivart's views, among both Catholics and Anglicans, was favorable. Cardinal John Henry Newman, a friend of St. George Jackson Mivart, who sought to Mivart, thought highly of them. Pope reconcile science and religion. Pius IX, in 1876, awarded Mivart a doctor of philosophy degree for his too large to be so explained. "These efforts to reconcile science and 'jumps' are considerable in comparison Catholic faith. On November 1, 1874, with the minute variations of 'Natural Lewis Carroll put this entry into his Selection/ " he wrote. In a dim way, diary: Mivart anticipated the punctuated- equilibrium theory advocated today by Not being well, I stayed in all day, Stephen Jay Gould and his associates. and during the day read the whole The biggest leap of all, Mivart of [Sir George] Mivart's Genesis of argued in Man and Apes (1873), was Species, a most interesting and satisfactory book, showing, as it the abrupt transition from apelike does, the insufficiency of "Natural creatures to the first humans. Like Selection" alone to account for the most of today's Catholic philosophers, universe, and its perfect compatibil­ and like Mortimer Adler in his book ity with the creative and guiding The Difference of Man and the Difference power of God. The theory of "Cor­ It Makes, Mivart believed that the respondence to Environment" is jump was too huge to be accounted also brought into harmony with the for without a divine intervention that Christian's belief. infused an immortal soul into the minds of the first men and women. In the sixth edition of Origin of "For my part," he wrote, "my reason Species, Darwin devoted many pages alone convinces me that there is far to Mivart's views on evolution and more difference between the lowest why he disagreed with them. At first, savage and the highest ape than there Darwin and Huxley treated Mivart is between the highest ape and a lump with respect, but his continual attacks of granite." on their opinions soon turned both Mivart was a skillful, prolific, men against him. The church, too, widely read author of books and became hostile. Why? Because Mivart articles about anatomy, zoology, kept insisting, over and over, that

246 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 unless the church wholeheartedly if his church were to continue to hold accepted evolution as a fact, not just the allegiance of the educated: It must a theory that Catholics were permit- stop teaching that outside the church ted to believe, it would be repeating there is no salvation. It must accept the same colossal mistake it had made evolution. It must abandon the doc- in refusing to accept Galileo's Coper- trine of biblical inerrancy. Indeed, he nican astronomy. The Bible, Mivart wrote, educated Catholics had already argued, is not a guide for any kind ceased to accept the Genesis account of science. Nor can it be taken as of creation, the stories of Adam and accurate in its history. Eve, Noah's flood, the Tower of Babel, Trying to persuade his church to Joshua's stopping of the earth's rota- accept evolution, and to broaden its tion, and hundreds of other biblical approach to Scripture, became the myths "no more worthy of respect dominant goal of Mivart's life. As he than Jack and the Beanstalk." grew older, his views became more Mivart soon was going even liberal. He began to denounce such further in blasting cherished dogmas, entrenched doctrines as the everlast- Although the Bible is inspired in its ing punishment of the wicked. Three theological and moral teachings, he forceful articles titled "Happiness in wrote, informed Catholics of the Hell" (Nineteenth Century, December future will have to abandon such 1892, February and April 1893) were primitive doctrines as the Virgin Birth, praised by liberal Anglicans, but the Immaculate Conception, the phys- roundly denounced by leading ical resurrection of Jesus, and beliefs Catholics. in witchcraft and demon possession. Later, in "The Continuity of Such changes of opinion, he argued, Catholicism" {Nineteenth Century, Jan- had already taken place among liberal uary 1900), Mivart outlined the major Catholics. In view of many past changes he believed were inevitable alterations of Catholic beliefs, Mivart

Spring 1990 247 did not consider these new changes to transpose Mivart's body to sacred to be serious breaches of church ground. He had been suffering from doctrine: "I am convinced that the diabetes before he died, they said, great changes herein referred to are and therefore was not in his right but preludes to far greater changes in mind when he wrote his offensive the future—changes which will be articles! most salutary." Mivart's books on evolution are In his last article before his death, now dated and of only historical "Scripture and Roman Catholicism" interest, but his quixotic, courageous (Nineteenth Century, March 1900), efforts to liberalize his church have Mivart continued to hammer home his succeeded beyond anything he message. He spoke of the "impassable deemed possible. There is little in his gulf" that "yawns between science and writings about Catholic theology that Roman Catholic teaching." The is not now commonplace opinion church will decline, Mivart warned, if among Catholic intellectuals even if it continues to defend the doctrine of such liberal views have not yet papal infallibility. Like the fatal gar­ invaded the Vatican or filtered down ment of Nessus, that doctrine will to the masses of Catholics around the "cling to her and eat away her sub­ world. If there is a line in Mivart's stance till she is reduced to a moul­ attacks on church dogmas that Father dering and repulsive skeleton." Andrew Greeley, Hans Kung, Edward In a more hopeful mood, Mivart Schillebeeckx, and a hundred other wrote elsewhere, "I do believe that a liberal Catholic thinkers today cannot noble and true Catholicity is possibly accept, I do not know what line it is. developed in continuity with the Even the Vatican's official position is Catholicity of the past, but it must be that evolution may be taught in a continuous development like that of Catholic schools as a viable theory the butterfly from the grub." This provided it does not deny that God new reformation is less likely to come injected human souls into the pro­ from the Vatican, he believed, than cess when the time was ripe. Catholic from the pressure of enlightened theologians, philosophers, and schol­ Catholic opinion, a "slow, silent, ars, in their acceptance of evolu­ indirect action" that in time will win tion and modern biblical criticism, are the day. far ahead of today's know-nothing Protestant fundamentalists. Such strong indictments were too much for the church. Cardinal Her­ It is a scandal that Mivart's role in bert Vaughan, Archbishop of West­ pioneering these changes has been so minster, demanded that Mivart sign completely ignored. Only one book a lengthy confession of faith. When has been devoted to his career, A Mivart refused, his Nineteenth Century Conscience in Conflict (Columbia Uni­ articles were placed on the church's versity Press, 1960), an excellent Index of forbidden writings, and biography of Mivart by anthropologist Mivart was excommunicated. After Jacob Gruber. Gruber sees Mivart as his death two months later, from a a tragic figure, a bit too vain and too heart attack, his body was denied sure of himself, who died rejected by Christian burial. The final ironic insult both his church and by England's came four years later when his scientific establishment. Even the Catholic followers (often called Catholic "modernists" who appeared "Mivartians" in England and "Mivart on the scene in France and England Men" in France) persuaded the church around the turn of the century were

248 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 not favorably impressed by his work. the galling punishment," Gruber George Tyrell, a leading Jesuit mod­ writes in his epilogue. "Always he was ernist (he too was soon excommun­ alone." It is probably too early to icated), saw in Mivart no more than expect the Catholic church to recog­ "a useful object lesson ... on the nize Mivart's prescience. Surely it is necessity of keeping one's temper." not too early to gather his major Like Galileo, Mivart fought his articles on science and religion into a final battles alone. "Alone he reaped single volume. •

International Skeptics Conference Sponsored by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal and European Skeptics Organizations Brussels, Belgium Friday and Saturday, August 10 and 11,1990 "Paranormal Belief in Europe"

Friday, August 10: 7:00 P.M.—Brussels Hilton Hotel Awards Banquet Speakers include: Michael Hutchinson (UK), Vladimir Lvoff (USSR), Lars Peter Jepson (Denmark), Claude Benski, Merlin Gerin (France), Cornelis de Jager, Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands), Henri Broch, Univ. of Nice (France), Amardeo Sarma, Society for the Scientific Investigation of Para-Science (W. Germany) Saturday, August 11—Free University of Brussels 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 NOON and 2:00 - 5:00 P.M. Speakers include: Susan Blackmore, Univ. of Bristol (UK), Cornelis de Jager, Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands), Paul Kurtz, SUNY at Buffalo (USA), Ray Hyman, Univ. of Oregon (USA), Jean-Claude Pecker, College of France, Henri Broch, Univ. of Nice (France), A. Gertler, Inst, of Forensic Medicine (E. Germany), Evry Schatzman, president, French Physics Assn. Additional speakers to be announced. (Simultaneous translation in English and French.) Registration: $45 (students $25); Banquet: $35 Accommodations: Special rates available at the Brussels Hitlton Hotel. For further information, contact Mary Rose Hays, CSICOP, P.O. Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215- 0229. Tele.: (716) 834-3222. FAX (716) 834-0841. • YES, I(we) would like to attend the International Skeptics Conference Check enclosed D Charge my MasterCard • or Visa D Acct. #. .Exp. date_

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ROBERT SHEAFFER

he earthquake that caused so for runaway cats published in the San much destruction in Northern ]ose Mercury News. (See this column, T California last fall seemed to Summer 1988.) His procedure is catch most "psychics" and other refuted by two separate articles in prognosticators napping. San Fran­ California Geology (January 1981, cisco "psychic astrologer" Terry Brill, moon phases; February 1988, missing who gets far more media attention cats) using proper statistical methods. than the dismal track record of her He claims credit for predicting the predictions warrants, reassured Cal- October 17 earthquake, pointing out ifornians in December 1988 that they that it occurred during one of his need fear no major quake during 1989. "seismic windows," while neglecting In fact, on August 14,1989, an article to mention that his "seismic windows" about Brill in the San Francisco Chron­ are open longer than they are closed. icle quoted her as saying: "I predicted What Berkland actually predicted was last year before the New Year on KGO a quake of magnitude 3.5 to 6.0, radio and TV and KCBS that there occurring between October 14 and would be a 5.2 earthquake this year 21—the smaller quakes being, of with some aftershocks, but I didn't see course, quite common—which is not a major 7-pointer destroying the Bay quite the same thing as predicting a Area." This was published exactly two 7.1-magnitude quake on October 17. months and three days before the To make matters worse, it was noted magnitude 7.1 Loma Prieta earth­ in the Mercury News that during the quake struck the region on October month before the quake the number 17, 1989, causing scores of deaths and of ads placed for lost pets "decreased billions of dollars in property damage, the closer we drew to Oct. 17." collapsing buildings and freeways, and Farther south, in Orange County, closing the Bay Bridge. well beyond the range of the quake's In San Jose, geologist and unor­ destructive effects, another famous thodox earthquake prognosticator Jim prognosticator, Oscar the Fish, is said Berkland was placed on administrative to have registered the effects of the leave from his job with Santa Clara big quake by swimming on his side. County because his unauthorized (not Oscar, a tropical fish with only one to mention unfounded) predictions of good eye, who used to live in the additional earthquakes proved highly biology lab in the Corona del Mar High unsettling to quake-scarred residents School, is said to have predicted 15 as well as embarrassing to the county to 20 quakes in three years by swim­ government. Berkland's earthquake ming sideways, the Associated Press predictions are based on the phases reported. Indeed, Oscar may even of the moon and the number of ads have given advance warning of the big

Spring 1990 251 quake up north, but no one was chic powers" and the New Age sug­ present to heed it. Oscar had been gests that there is not necessarily a sequestered in protective custody correlation between intelligence and because of death threats; apparently critical thinking. One Mensan, Steve some Californian who has been rattled MacDonald, has come up with an un­ by these quakes must believe that the usual gimmick that singles him out quakes themselves can be prevented from the herd of run-of-the-mill if the predictor-fish is not around to "psychics." signal them. Ron Schnitger, a biology What does Steve MacDonald do? teacher at the high school, noted that He has expanded his work as a palmist just hours after the Northern Califor­ to include reading palms over the nia quake, Oscar "was sleeping with telephone. Before you say, "That's his good eye dpwn," an event so rare ridiculous!" remember that in the "I've never seen that happen." realm of the miraculous, anything can happen. Besides, if a good palmist can read the future from a news photo of a politician's wave (this column, As many people know, Mensa is an Summer 1989), then an even better organization of people whose high palmist should be able to do it all IQ's place them in the top 2 percent psychically, by remote viewing. Mac- of the population. And, as most Donald's technique was explained in skeptics know, the longstanding infat­ the Mensa Bulletin; "You rub your uation of many Mensans with "psy- palm over the mouthpiece of the

252 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 phone, then keep quiet and let him women from upper-middle-class to [MacDonald] talk about you. . . . upper-class backgrounds are intrinsi­ Maybe hell have you pan the phone cally open to the paranormal. And I around the room like a video camera, prefer reading people who are bril­ then comment on the art on your wall liant—who go to Harvard or Yale, who and the shoes off to your left." are going to become doctors and MacDonald's ability to perform what lawyers and journalists and such." some would describe as "cold reading" Asked if it is harder to "read" men, has led to his appearance on several MacDonald replied, "The only skeptics national television shows. I've really encountered were men, and But the cleverest angle in MacDon­ I just decided that I have no real reason ald's approach to the paranormal is his to read men's palms." It's people like choice of subjects: he reads palms in Steve MacDonald who demonstrate person only for women, specializing in that Mensans really are pretty smart! attractive young women, and his very favorite subjects are those women enrolled at colleges of high academic repute. Steve is a single guy, and in What is the truth behind the report the manner of Tom Lehrer's joke of a flying saucer that Tass, the Soviet about the doctor who specialized in press agency, says landed in a city park "diseases of the rich," MacDonald in Voronezh, USSR? According to the specializes in reading the palms of Tass report, which was quickly pub­ women who are young, brainy, and lished and commented upon world­ beautiful. In fact, speaking candidly, wide, three children in their pre-teen he said: "That was my original impetus years were playing in a park around for becoming a palm reader. It was a 6:30 P.M. on the evening of September great way to meet women. I'm single 27, 1989. This would have been and young; they're single and young. around sunset, a time when Venus I get to hold their hands and look into would have been shining brightly if their eyes and say nice things about the sky was clear. Suddenly they saw them. They love it. ... I find that "a pink shining in the sky and then spotted a ball of deep red color" about 10 meters in diameter. Before long, they said, they could see a hatch opening, and the object landed. Out came two giant creatures three meters tall, dressed in silvery overalls, accom­ panied by a robot. "He didn't have a head, or shoulders either," one of the boys was reported to have said. "He just had a kind of hump. There he had three eyes, two on each side and one in the middle." The creatures were said by Tass to have taken "a short promenade about the park" before their departure. Tass further reported that the creatures left behind two pieces of deep-red rock of a kind that "cannot be found on earth." However, the rock

Spring 1990 253 was later identified as hematite, a investigation of the claims, finding no common form of iron ore. Tass also verifiable proof of a landing of aliens. quoted Genrich Silanov, head of the Its radiometric, spectroscopic, and Voronezh Geophysical Laboratory, as other studies failed to uncover "any saying that the UFO landing site had anomaly either in the earth or sur­ been identified "by means of biloca- rounding vegetation" to support any tion," a popular Soviet form of of the claims. By then, of course, "remote viewing." But when the media interest had waned, and few Associated Press reached Silanov by news organizations gave the commis­ telephone, he said: "Don't believe all sion's verdict any prominence.) you hear from Tass. We never gave Should anyone smugly insist that them part of what they published." "it can't happen here," I remind you The phone connection was then of the saucer that, according to abruptly cut off. We can't say for sure Timothy Green Beckley, crashed in what is going on in Voronezh, but it Manhattan's Central Park (this would appear that in an era when column, Winter 1990). Now another pereslroika makes it necessary for such incident has surfaced: The New Soviet news organizations to compete, York Post quotes a local UFO buff who Tass may have learned how the claims that on the night of March 9, National Enquirer became the largest- 1989, a busload of people passing circulation newspaper in America. Kissena Park in Queens were startled (A month later an official Soviet by the sight of a UFO touching down scientific commission concluded its beside the duck pond. •

WE'RE DOOMED*, ARE. WORKING Weird ON AN ANTI- LABORATORY MACHINE.

254 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Paranormal Pandemonium in the Soviet Union i

PAUL KURTZ

ast summer, I was among the leaders of a dialogue with the Soviet Union held in LMoscow.1 Cosponsored by the Interna­ tional Humanist and Ethical Union and the Soviet Academy of Social Sciences, this dialogue included a delegation of 14 Western humanists. The main topic under discussion was the conflict between humanism and atheism, and the humanist defense of freedom of conscience against religious repression. Our delegation was struck by the tremendous growth of religiosity Magical thinking in the Soviet Union and the apparent shift in is on the rise Soviet policy to permit religious freedom. Because there was also a noticeable increase in among the Soviet paranormal beliefs, I met with several Soviet people. Will the scientists in order to establish regular commun­ ication between them and the Committee for formation of two the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the skeptics groups Paranormal (CSICOP). We are of course glad to cooperate with skeptics throughout the world provide an who wish to use scientific methods to examine antidote? paranormal claims—although our initial enthu­ siasm about the growth of such groups in China was later dampened by the Chinese govern­ ment's repression of the student movement.2 We hope that the Soviet skeptical movement will continue to develop under Gorbachev. Two skeptics groups are being established in the Soviet Union. These groups have expressed the intention of working closely with CSICOP and the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER in scien­ tifically scrutinizing claims of the paranormal. One of these groups is associated with the influential Soviet journal Science and Religion, which has been publishing skeptical studies of paranormal claims in its pages and will now do

Spring 1990 so by drawing on the resources of the on both sides of the former "Iron worldwide skeptical movement. Curtain" have not made any scientific Among the topics they have examined breakthroughs. The pages of the are astrology, parapsychology, and SKEPTICAL INQUIRER have published faith-healing. Science and Religion has reports of these skeptical conclusions. a circulation of more than 500,000 and The Soviet establishment for a long is published by Znaniye (the Knowl­ time looked askance at paranormal edge Society), a large publishing claims. They are contrary to Marxist organization. The second group, ideology and so have been heavily sponsored by the Perspectiva Scien­ censored. Nonetheless, it is clear that tific Center in Kiev, is still in its in the Gorbachev era of glasnost and formative stage but has requested and perestroika, a veritable paranormal ava­ been granted permission to translate lanche has descended on the Soviet articles from the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Union. One science writer in Lenin­ into Russian. grad, a regular reader of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, has written to us II saying that "paranormal pande­ monium" has broken out in the Soviet The need for skeptical inquiry in the Union and that he finds the SKEPTICAL Soviet Union is apparent to anyone INQUIRER a necessary antidote. In who has followed the reports of many ways the Soviet Union is aping psychic phenomena coming from that the worst excesses of the sensation­ country—and our efforts are at best alist mass media in the West, which only a modest correction to what is often more interested in selling appears to be a paranormal tidal-wave. bizarre claims to a gullible public than For many years stories about "paran­ in ascertaining the truth. This is no ormal breakthroughs" behind the Iron doubt the price that a freer society has Curtain have been filtering through to pay for freedom of expression. to the West. The book by Sheila Although the Marxist-Leninist Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder, Psy­ 3 regime for a long time frowned upon chic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, paranormal claims as "bourgeois" or has been much quoted; moreover, "idealistic spiritualism," such reports several Western paranormal buffs are now common in the Soviet media. have warned of the "psychic arms The popular morning television show race," claiming that because of the "120 Minutes" (equivalent to the U.S. alleged military use of psychic powers "Today" show) regularly features the KGB had been spending large psychic healer Allan Chumak. hvestia sums of money on paranormal recently reported that "practically research. For example, Russell Targ every city has its extrasensory healer." and Harold Puthoff, two American Soviet Life, in its January 1990 issue, psychic researchers, claim that they featured a story about Chumak with have been conducting "remote view­ the headline "Alan Chumak cures ing experiments" with Soviet col­ people through his television leagues with significant results. Most programs." of these reports in our view are I caught Chumak on television one exaggerated and should be taken with morning. An owlish middle-aged man a grain of salt. So far as scientific with horn-rimmed glasses and a mane researchers associated with CSICOP of white hair, he flings his hands about have been able to ascertain, parapsy- and peers into the camera. He has chologists working with the military become something of a psychic super-

256 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 star and receives thousands of letters, School of Astrology . . . does exist and telegrams, even bouquets of flowers, a whole number of talented astrolog­ from his fans. Many attest to ers are coming to the fore." Chumak's "healing energy." His fol­ During my visit I noted astrologers lowers put tubes of cold cream and selling horoscopes on Arbut Street, jugs of water in front of their tele­ each of them surrounded by dozens vision sets. Later they rub the cold of people. Recently, Moskovskaya cream on themselves or drink the Pravda, the official publication of the water for its healing power. The Moscow Communist Party, began producers of "120 Minutes" once took publishing an astrology column, mim­ Chumak off the air, but after a icking Western newspapers. The mountain of mail protesting his Soviet government for a long time removal poured into the station, they considered astrology a pseudoscience brought him back. and censored astrological predictions According to a story in the from publication. Yet the author of the Washington Post (September 4, 1989) new astrology column is extolled as Chumak sometimes holds seances "a specialist in the arts of white, black, outside his apartment house in Mos­ and other magic" and "a master of the cow, which people from all over the magical sciences." The first column to country attempt to visit. appear claimed that the conjunction He also claims to have scattered of Saturn with the Year of the Snake clouds in Kaunas, Lithuania, and is was a good omen and that 1989 would thinking of using his powers to be favorable for the Soviet environ­ prevent fruits and vegetables from ment. And Komsomolskaya Pravda, the rotting, thus helping to solve the party newspaper of Komsomolsk, Soviet Union's food crisis. Another recently announced that the Abom­ popular healer is hypnotist Anatol inable Snowman had been caught Kashpirovsky, from Kiev, who stealing apples in the Saratov region claimed on television to have helped on the Volga. a woman lose 200 pounds. He main­ There has also been a renewed tains he can heal broken limbs, scars, interest in UFO reports in the Soviet blindness, even AIDS, by means of Union. According to Professor Vla­ parasuggestion. dimir Azhazhei, of Moscow State The simple question that a skeptic University, UFOlogy had been consi­ has to pose is whether any of these dered a "bourgeois science" by Soviet claims have been corroborated — authorities, but now, he said, it is whether those who claim to have been "growing like mushrooms" and some healed have been diagnosed before 50 groups of amateur UFOlogists now and after the fact. Efforts to verify exist. such powers among U.S. healers have According to a story in Pravda had negative results. (October 12, 1989), farmers in the Astrology has apparently been Chernovtsky region said that on July revived in the Soviet Union. The 16,1989, they had seen "huge headless December 1989 issue of Soviet Life figures traveling as though on carries an article on astrology. The motorcycles." editor states that "until recently, Last summer a Tass story in Social­ astrology was considered a pseudo- ist Industry reported the sighting of a science and people who consulted UFO by Lyubov Medvedev, a dairy their horoscopes were considered worker from the Perm region of the foolish. Nevertheless, a Soviet U.S.S.R. According to her, the alien

Spring 1990 257 creature "resembled a man, but was residents of Voronezh saw a large taller than average with short legs shining ball or disc hovering over the . . . and had only a small knob instead park. It reported that the UFO landed of a head." and that three creatures emerged The Perm Commission on Abnor­ accompanied by a small robot. "The mal Phenomena (PCAP) went on an aliens were three or even four meters expedition to an "abnormal zone." tall (9 to 12 feet), but with very small Strange phenomena began on July 29, heads." According to Tass, onlookers 1989. They reported that some were "overwhelmed with a fear that members of the party experienced a lasted for several days." Tass also "sensation of pressure on their heads quoted Genrikh Silanov, head of the as though they were wearing a hat Voronezh Geophysical Laboratory, as too tight." Aleksander Goryunkhin saying that scientists investigating the conducted an experiment in which a area found a 20-yard depression with mechanical watch was placed inside a four deep dents and two pieces of thermos bottle and left for a length unidentified rock. "At first glance," of time in a zone that Emil Bachurin, said Silanov, "they look like sandstone a Perm geologist, considered inten­ of a deep red color. However, miner- sive. "The watch lost five hours and alogical analysis has shown that the 41 minutes in the course of the substance cannot be found on earth." Silanov was further quoted as saying experiment." (Randi: Where are you?) that "additional tests are needed to Members of the team offered various reach a more definite conclusion." hypotheses to explain these pheno­ According to Tass, Silanov said that mena. Bachurin believes that "telepa­ a "biolocation" method of tracking was thic contact" with extraterrestrials used to confirm the landing site and could have accounted for some of the paths taken by the aliens. No date them. for the sighting was given. Ill The CSICOP office in Buffalo was immediately bombarded by the press A recent UFO flap vividly demon­ inquiring about the Tass dispatch: strated the outbreak of paranormal This included calls from AP, CNN, beliefs and the need for scientific ABC Radio, and dozens of other media expertise. There were widely reported in the United States; CBC in Canada; news stories on October 9 of last year the Times, the Telegraph, and the BBC about the reputed landing of extra­ in London; and many others. Barry terrestrial visitors in Voronezh, a city Karr, our Executive Director, asked 300 miles southeast of Moscow. me to deal with the many calls that According to the Associated Press were coming in. story, Tass, the official Soviet news "What does CSICOP make of this agency, reported the following: report?" was the usual query. "If Tass reports this, mustn't there be some­ Scientists have confirmed that an thing to it?" Calls to Tass by the media unidentified flying object recently landed in a park in the Russian city had indicated that Tass was dead of Voronezh. . . . They have also serious and that this was not an April identified the landing site and found Fool's hoax. traces of aliens who made a short "We have not had a chance to promenade around the park. investigate the story," I responded. And I was curious. "Do you accept The Tass dispatch claimed that other stories from Tass as true?" I

258 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 asked. "No," they replied, "of course not." "Then," I said, "why accept this without further corroboration?" They replied, "But these reports quote scientists and seem to be Moscow SOVIET authentic." I said we would try to look into UNION the matter and if we uncovered anything we would get back to them. •Voronez I immediately called Philip J. Klass, our veteran UFO investigator, who heads CSlCOP's UFO Subcommittee. Phil replied that he was hard at work \ on a story for Aviation News & Space Reported Technology, had a deadline to meet, and UFO landing did not then have the time to inves­ IRAN tigate the case. "Look," said Klass, "if aliens had really landed in the Soviet Union, as reported, and if this has been con­ firmed by Soviet scientists, it would be a momentous event in human 27, when they "saw a pink object history. And," he quipped "President shining in the sky, and then spotted Gorbachev should immediately call a a ball of deep red color" about 10 press conference and proudly an­ meters in diameter. A crowd gathered nounce that at a time when everyone and reportedly saw a hatch opening seems to want to leave the Soviet and "humanoids" in the lower part of Union, at least someone was attempt­ the ball. The creatures had "discs on ing to get into it!" their chests." "bronze boots," and I next called Jim Oberg, a member were dressed in "silvery overalls." of CSlCOP's UFO Subcommittee who Tass said that one of the boys began works for NASA. Oberg is one of the to scream, but was paralyzed by a stare leading experts on Soviet satellite from the aliens' shining eyes. After launches and UFO reports. He said disappearing briefly the humanoids that he would check the story with returned and one directed a tubelike his contacts in the Soviet Union. I had gun at a 16-year-old boy, who van­ tried to call our acquaintances there, ished but reappeared after the aliens but as often happens when telephon­ departed. Telephone interviews with ing the Soviet Union, the circuits were Vladimir Levedev, the Tass corres­ busy and it was impossible to get pondent in Voronezh, said that he had through. conversations with dozens of wit­ Meanwhile, a Tass report pub­ nesses and experts who had talked lished in the newspaper Sovetskaya with the children and investigated the Kultura identified the alleged wit­ evidence. He added that there had nesses of the alien landings: three been three sightings of UFO landings schoolchildren, two boys and a girl— in Voronezh between September 23 Vasya Surin, Zhenya Blinov, and and September 29. Although he had Yuliya Sholokhova. They were playing not witnessed any of the strange in a park at 6:30 P.M. on September events himself, he had visited the site

Spring 1990 259 and could see traces of the landing— all you hear from Tass. We never gave "holes of a clear shape that resembled them part of what they published." the footprints of an elephant!" When Socialist Industry later What should be made of these (October 11) asked Silanov and Yulu- accounts? Levedev was apparently zutzev, a member of his department, indignant when Western correspond­ "What about the newspaper report ents questioned the seriousness of the that the UFO landing has been con­ story. firmed as a fact by specialists?" they The New York Times contacted replied, "We protest this wording!" Vladimir A. Moiseyev, director of the At this point we are unable to say regional health department, who said definitively what really occurred. But despite claims that there was wide­ there is reason to be highly skeptical spread fear in Voronezh, none of the that there was a close encounter with witnesses had asked for medical help. extraterrestrials. There were appar­ His department planned to examine ently two separate incidents. First, the children, but still had not done so some people claimed to have wit­ weeks after the incident. nessed a strange object in the sky. This I had asked Jim Oberg to examine object has not yet been identified. the tracking data available at NASA Second, three children reported an of all rocket launches and space debris alien encounter. But they were the over the Soviet Union to see if there only witnesses to be found. was a possible misidentification that James Oberg, after he had made could explain the sighting. He contact with the Soviets, reported to reported that there was no evidence us that Vladimir Posner, the well- of anything nearby to easily explain known correspondent for the Soviet the phenomena. Union's evening news program Who were the scientists in the "Vremy" ("Truth"), had sent a film Soviet Union who had studied the crew to Voronezh, apparently in evidence? They included members of response to the international furor the "Voronezh Amateur Section for that the reports had raised. But they the Study of Abnormal Phenomena," could find no other "witnesses" except who, according to Socialist Industry the children. They ended their report (October 13,1989), apparently visited on a very skeptical note. I was able the site a week after the alleged event. to catch this film clip when it was later The method of "biolocation" they used aired on CNN News. It suggested an was "a form of ESP dowsing"—whose alternative explanation: that the effectiveness most Westerners ques­ creative imagination of young children tion. was perhaps at work. If so, this is not What about the sensational claims unlike many UFO cases in the United made by Genrikh Silanov of the States. Voronezh Geophysical Lab that the The French Press Agency issued two pieces of rock "were not some­ the following report on October 28: thing found on Earth"? In a subse­ quent story Silvanov reported that the . . . There exists no verifiable proof sandstone was indeed very common of a landing by aliens in Voronezh. in the Soviet Union and was actually Sixteen radiometric analyses, 19 checks of the ground, 9 tests for a form of hematite. In a follow-up micro-organisms, and 20 spectro- telephone interview with the Asso­ chemical measurements failed to ciated Press (October 11), Silanov uncover "any anomaly either in the replied in exasperation: "Don't believe earth or surrounding vegetation"

260 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 that might indicate the landing of But the fledgling enterprise an unidentified flying object, the warns clients: "We cannot guaran­ commission reported. tee a meeting with aliens, for that "Igor Sarotsev, vice-rector of the is a matter of chance." University of Voronezh and chair­ man of the commission, said that IV the presence of a larger than normal quantity of the radioactive isotope The upsurge of reports of paranormal cesium in the area of the alleged phenomena in the Soviet Union, sighting did not constitute proof of a landing. especially considering its present After Chernobyl, this kind of political, cultural, and economic situa­ phenomenon has been found in tion, should be treated with caution. many areas," [Saratsev said]. . . . In the pre-Gorbachevian era, the The official commission report Soviet Union was a closed society. was bad news for "Stalker," a new Rumors circulated among the popu­ cooperative or private business lace and often spread like swampfire. which opened up after the Voro­ Moreover, given the hegemony of nezh sightings. Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist ideology, The company has set up tours any kind of independence of thought of Voronezh, which it calls the "land or skepticism about the prevailing of the aliens." A 59 rubles ($95) fee official dogma was considered danger­ covers transportation, loding, and a visit to the landing site. Another ous. With such thinking bottled up for two rubles ($3) provides a confer­ so long, perhaps the critical faculties ence with talks by specialists and of the Soviets have atrophied. witnesses. In an Op Ed piece in Moscow

Printed by permission of Tribune Medio Services.

Spring 1990 261 News (vol. 44, no. 13, November 5-12, dialectical process—declines in the 1989), Yevgeiya Albats deplores the Soviet Union with the shattering of influence of Chumak and Kashpi- its official ideological view, new rovsky, who under government spon­ metaphysical ideas filter in. sorship claim extraordinary psychic No doubt the chief defense against powers. A lot of people accept this magical thinking is the use of critical nonsense, says Albats, because the intelligence. Whether the develop­ Russian people have been so accus­ ment of two skeptics groups in the tomed to "listening with our eyes Soviet Union will help to provide at closed" to official propaganda. They least some critical, scientific antidote have only transferred their gullibility and some balance to the rising level from political leaders to paranormal of paranormal nonsense is perhaps healers, she says. doubtful. After all, in the United Some commentators on the Soviet States, a relatively free society, the scene have provided an even more paranormal upswing continues cynical interpretation of this pheno­ unabated—given the domination of menon. Time (October 23, 1989) the public imagination by largely quotes a disillusioned party member unchallenged psychic claims, on the who views the state sponsorship of one hand, and powerful international psychic and UFO claims as a new media conglomerates promoting opiate for the masses: "They've been paranormal claims as true, on the feeding us rubbish about the dreams other (e.g., Time-Life's Mysteries of the of communism for years, and we now Unknown series). As the Soviet Union see they were lying. At least this gives begins to enter into the free world can us something new to dream about." we expect any less of them? Perhaps Has the Soviet leadership, unable to large segments of the Soviet popula­ supply bread and other consumer tion getting caught in the paranormal goods to its populace, thus decided to quagmire is the inevitable result? substitute circuses? I doubt that this is a conscious policy decision. The resurgence of belief in the Notes paranormal in the Soviet Union may 1. For a fuller account of this dialogue simply mean that in this freer society see my "Militant Atheism vs. Freedom of the "transcendental temptation" has Conscience," FREE INQUIRY, Fall 1989. reasserted itself and that attempts to 2. Paul Kurtz, "CSICOP Visits China," keep it pent up have failed. I have SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Summer 1988. suggested that there is a profound 3. Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder, hunger in the human breast for Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. plumbing the mysterious depths of New York: Bantam Books, 1971. reality, and a tendency to believe in the incredible—the supernatural, Paul Kurtz is chairman of CSICOP and occult, and paranormal. As belief in professor of philosophy at the State the metaphysical Utopian ideal—the University of New York at Buffalo.

262 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 <7 SCIENCE EDUCATION Why We Need To Understand Science

CARL SAGAN

s I got off the plane, he was waiting for me, holding up a sign with my name on ALit. I was on my way to a conference of scientists and television broadcasters, and the organizers had kindly sent a driver. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" he said as we waited for my bag. "Isn't it confusing to have the same name as that science guy?" It took me a moment to understand. Was Ignorance of he pulling my leg? "I am that science guy," I science threatens said. He smiled. "Sorry. That's my problem. I thought it was yours too." He put out his hand. our economic "My name is William F. Buckley." (Well, his name well-being, our wasn't exactly William F. Buckley, but he did have the name of a contentious television inter­ national security, viewer, for which he doubtless took a lot of and the good-natured ribbing.) democratic As we settled into the car for the long drive, he told me he was glad I was "that science guy"— process. We must he had so many questions to ask about science. do better. Would I mind? And so we got to talking. But not about science. He wanted to discuss UFOs, "channeling" (a way to hear what's on the minds of dead people—not much it turns out), crystals, astrology. . . . He introduced each subject with real enthusiasm, and each time I had to disappoint him: "The evidence is crummy," I kept saying. "There's a much simpler explana­ tion." As we drove on through the rain, I could see him getting glummer. I was attacking not just pseudoscience but also a facet of his inner life.

Spring 1990 And yet there is so much in real part of the world. Because of the low science that's equally exciting, more birthrate in the sixties and seventies, mysterious, a greater intellectual the National Science Foundation challenge—as well as being a lot closer projects a shortage of nearly a million to the truth. Did he know about the professional scientists and engineers molecular building blocks of life sitting by 2010. Where will they come from? out there in the cold, tenuous gas What about fusion, supercomputers, between the stars? Had he heard of abortion, massive reductions in stra­ the footprints of our ancestors found tegic weapons, addiction, high- in four-million-year-old volcanic ash? resolution television, airline and What about the raising of the Hima­ airport safety, food additives, animal layas when India went crashing into rights, superconductivity, Midgetman Asia? Or how viruses subvert cells, vs. rail-garrison MX missiles, going to or the radio search for extraterrestrial Mars, finding cures for AIDS and intelligence, or the ancient civilization cancer? How can we decide national of Ebla? Mr. "Buckley"—well-spoken, policy if we don't understand the intelligent, curious—had heard virtu­ underlying issues? ally nothing of modern science. He I know that science and technology wanted to know about science. It's just are not just cornucopias pouring good that all the science got filtered out deeds out into the world. Scientists before it reached him. What society not only conceived nuclear weapons; permitted to trickle through was they also took political leaders by the mainly pretense and confusion. And lapels, arguing that their nation— it had never taught him how to whichever it happened to be—had to distinguish real science from the cheap have one first. Then they arranged to imitation. manufacture 60,000 of them. Our All over America there are smart, technology has produced thalidomide, even gifted, people who have a built- CFCs, Agent Orange, nerve gas, and in passion for science. But that passion industries so powerful they can ruin is unrequited. A recent survey sug­ the climate of the planet. There's a gests that 94 percent of Americans are reason people are nervous about "scientifically illiterate." science and technology. And so the image of the mad A Prescription for Disaster scientist haunts our world—from Dr. Faust to Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. We live in a society exquisitely depen­ Strangelove to the white-coated loon­ dent on science and technology, in ies of Saturday morning children's which hardly anyone knows anything television. (All this doesn't inspire about science and technology. This is budding scientists.) But there's no way a clear prescription for disaster. It's back. We can't just conclude that dangerous and stupid for us to remain science puts too much power into the ignorant about global warming, say, hands of morally feeble technologists or ozone depletion, toxic and radioac­ or corrupt, power-crazed politicians tive wastes, acid rain. Jobs and wages and decide to get rid of it. Advances depend on science and technology. If in medicine and agriculture have saved the United States can't manufacture, more lives than have been lost in all at high quality and low price, products the wars in history. Advances in people want to buy, then industries transportation, communication, and will drift out of the United States and entertainment have transformed the transfer a little prosperity to another world. The sword of science is double-

264 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 As,—% edged. Rather, its awesome power How Bad Is It? Very Bad forces on all of us, including politi­ cians, a new responsibility—more "It's Official," reads one newspaper attention to the long-term consequen­ headline. "We Stink in Science." Less ces of technology, a global and trans- than half of all Americans know that generational perspective, an incentive the earth moves around the sun and to avoid easy appeals to nationalism takes a year to do it—a fact established and chauvinism. Mistakes are becom­ a few centuries ago. In tests of average ing too expensive. 17-year-olds in many world regions, Science is much more than a body the United States ranked dead last in of knowledge. It is a way of thinking. algebra. On identical tests, the U.S. This is central to its success. Science kids averaged 43 percent and their invites us to let the facts in, even when Japanese counterparts 78 percent. In they don't conform to our preconcep­ my book 78 percent is pretty good— tions. It counsels us to carry alterna­ it corresponds to a C+, or maybe even tive hypotheses in our heads and see a B-; 43 percent is an F. In a chemistry which ones best match the facts. It test, students in only two of thirteen urges on us a fine balance between nations did worse than the United no-holds-barred openness to new States. Compared to us, Britain, ideas, however heretical, and the most Singapore, and Hong Kong were so rigorous skeptical scrutiny of every­ high they were almost off-scale, and thing— new ideas and established 25 percent of Canadian 18-year-olds wisdom. We need wide appreciation knew just as much chemistry as a of this kind of thinking. It works. It's select 1 percent of American high an essential tool for a democracy in school seniors (in their secondary an age of change. Our task is not just chemistry course, and most of them to train more scientists but also to in "advanced" programs). The best of deepen public understanding of 20 fifth-grade classrooms in Minne­ science. apolis was outpaced by every one of

Spring 1990 265 20 classrooms in Sendai, Japan, and military budget, or for agriculture, or 19 out of 20 in Taipei, Taiwan. South for cleaning up toxic wastes. Why just Korean students were far ahead of for education? Why not support it American students in all aspects of from general taxes on the local and mathematics and science, and 13-year- state levels? What about a special olds in British Columbia (in western education tax for those industries with Canada) outpaced their U.S. counter­ special needs for technically trained parts across the board (in some areas workers? they did better than the Koreans). Of American kids don't do enough the U.S. kids, 22 percent say they schoolwork. The average high school dislike school; only 8 percent of the student spends 3.5 hours a week a Koreans do. Yet two-thirds of the week on homework. The total time Americans, but only a quarter of the devoted to studies, in and out of the Koreans, say they are "good at classroom, is about 20 hours a week. mathematics." Japanese fifth-graders average 33 hours a week. Why We're Flunking But most American kids aren't stupid. Part of the reason they don't How do British Columbia, Japan, study hard is that they've received few Britain, and Korea manage so much tangible benefits when they do. Com­ better than we do? petency (that is, actually knowing the During the Great Depression, stuff) in verbal skills, mathematics, teachers enjoyed job security, good and science these days doesn't increase salaries, respectability. Teaching was earnings for average young men in an admired profession, partly because their first eight years out of high learning was widely recognized as the school—many of whom take service road out of poverty. Little of that is rather than industrial jobs. true today. And so science (and other) In the productive sectors of the teaching is too often incompetently or economy, though, the story is differ­ uninspiringly done, its practitioners, ent. There are furniture factories, for astonishingly, having little or no example, in danger of going out of training in their subjects—sometimes business because few entry-level themselves unable to distinguish workers can do simple arithmetic. A science from pseudoscience. Those major electronics company reports who do have the training often get that 80 percent of its job applicants higher-paying jobs elsewhere. can't pass a fifth-grade math test. The We need more money for teachers' United States already is losing some training and salaries, and for labor­ $25 billion a year (mainly in lost atories—so kids will get hands-on productivity and the cost of remedial experience rather than just reading education) because workers, to too what's in the book. But all across great a degree, can't read, write, count, America, school-bond issues on the or think. Parents should know that ballot are regularly defeated. U.S. their children's livelihoods may parents are much more satisfied with depend on how much math and what their children are learning in science they know. Now, while the science and math than are, say, kids are in school, is the time for them Japanese and Taiwanese parents— to learn. Parents might encourage whose children are doing so much their schools to offer—and their kids better. No one suggests that property to take—comprehensible, well-taught taxes be used to provide for the advanced science courses. They might

266 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 also limit the amount of mind- numbing television their children watch. "Why in all America is there What We Can Do no TV drama that has as its hero someone devoted to Those in America with the most figuring out how the Universe favorable view of science tend to be young, well-to-do, college-educated works?" white males. But three-quarters of new American workers between now and 2001 will be women, nonwhites, those traditionally steered away from and immigrants. Discriminating science. We should also provide the against them isn't only unjust, it's also financial and moral encouragement self-defeating. It deprives the Amer­ for academic scientists to spend more ican economy of desperately needed time on public education—lectures, skilled workers. newspaper and magazine articles, Black and Hispanic students are television appearances. This requires doing better in standardized science scientists to make themselves tests now than in the late 1960s, but understandable and fun to listen to. they're the only ones who are. The To me, it seems strange that some average math gap between white and scientists, who depend on public black U.S. high school graduates is still funding for their research, are huge—two to three grade levels; but reluctant to explain to the public what the gap between white U.S. high it is that they do. Fortunately, the school graduates and those in, say, number of scientists willing to speak Japan, Canada, Great Britain, or to the public—and capably—has been Finland is more than twice as big. If increasing each year. But there are not you're poorly motivated and poorly yet nearly enough. educated, you won't know much—no Virtually every newspaper in mystery here. Suburban blacks with America has a daily astrology column. college-educated parents do just as How many have a daily science well in college as suburban whites column? When I was growing up, my with college-educated parents. Enrol­ father would bring home a daily paper ling a poor child in a Head Start and consume (often with great gusto) program doubles his or her chances the baseball box scores. There they to be employed later in life; one who were, to me as dry as dust, with completes an Upward Bound program obscure abbreviations (W, SS, SO, W- is four times as likely to get a college L, AB, RBI), but they spoke to him. education. If we're serious, we know Newspapers everywhere printed what to do. them. I figured maybe they weren't What about college and university? too hard for me. Eventually I got There are obvious steps similar to caught up in the world of baseball what should be done in high schools: statistics. (I know it helped me in salaries for teachers that approach learning decimals.) what they could get in industry; more Or take a look at the financial scholarships, fellowships, and labora­ pages. Any introductory material? tory equipment; laboratory science Explanatory footnotes? Definitions of courses required of everyone to abbreviations? Often there's none. It's graduate; and special attention paid to sink or swim. Look at those acres of

Spring 1990 267 enthusiasm for science. When I talk to high school students, I find some­ thing different. They memorize "I'm haunted by the vision of "facts." But, by and large, the joy of a generation of Americans discovery, the life behind those facts, has gone out of them. They're worried unable to distinguish reality about asking "dumb" questions; from fantasy, . . . unequipped they're willing to accept inadequate even to frame the right answers; they don't pose follow-up questions; the room is awash with questions or to recognize the sidelong glances to judge, second by answers.". second, the approval of their peers. Something has happened between first and twelfth grade, and it's not statistics! Yet people voluntarily read just puberty. I'd guess that it's partly the stuff. It's not beyond their ability. peer pressure not to excel (except in It's only a matter of motivation. Why sports); partly that society teaches can't we do the same with math, short-term gratification; partly the science, and technology? impression that science or math won't By far the most effective means of buy you a sports car; partly that so raising interest in science is television. little is expected of students; and There's lots of pseudoscience on partly that there are so few role television, a fair amount of medicine models for intelligent discussion of and technology, but hardly any science and technology or for learning science—especially on the three big for its own sake. commercial networks, whose execu­ But there's something else: Many tives think science programming adults are put off when youngsters means rating declines and lost profits, pose scientific questions. Children ask and nothing else matters. Why in all why the sun is yellow, or what a dream America is there no television drama is, or how deep you can dig a hole, that has as its hero someone devoted or when is the world's birthday, or to figuring out how the universe why we have toes. Too many teachers works? and parents answer with irritation or Stirring projects in science and ridicule, or quickly move on to some­ technology attract and inspire young­ thing else. Why adults should pretend sters. The number of science Ph.D.'s to omniscience before a five-year-old, peaked around the time of the Apollo I can't for the life of me understand. program and declined thereafter. This What's wrong with admitting that you is an important potential side-effect don't know? Children soon recognize of such projects as sending humans that somehow this kind of question to Mars, the Superconducting Super­ annoys many adults. A few more collider to explore the fine structure experiences like this, and another child of matter, and the program to map has been lost to science. all human genes. There are many better responses. Every now and then, I'm lucky If we have an idea of the answer, we enough to teach a class in kinder­ could try to explain. If we don't, we garten or the first grade. Many of could go to the encyclopedia or the these children are curious, intellectu­ library. Or we might say to the child: ally vigorous, ask provocative and "I don't know the answer. Maybe no insightful questions, and exhibit great one knows. Maybe when you grow

268 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Don Addis. St. Petersburg rimes up, you'll be the first to find out." than half a dozen strategic weapons But mere encouragement isn't systems. The submediocre perfor­ enough. We must also give the chil­ mance of American youngsters in dren the tools to winnow the wheat science and math, and the widespread from the chaff. I'm haunted by the adult ignorance and apathy about vision of a generation of Americans science and math, should sound an unable to distinguish reality from urgent alarm. fantasy, hopefully clutching their crystals for comfort, unequipped even Carl Sagan teaches and does research at to frame the right questions or to Cornell University. His Emmy and recognize the answers. I want us to Peabody Award-winning television science rescue Mr. "Buckley" and the millions series COSMOS has been seen in more like him. I also want us to stop turning than 60 countries by 400 million people. out leaden, incurious, unimaginative Videocassettes of all 13 episodes are now high school seniors. I think America available. The accompanying book, needs, and deserves, a citizenry with Cosmos, is the best-selling science book minds wide awake and a basic under­ ever published in the English language. standing of how the world works. This article originally appeared in Parade Public understanding of science is Magazine. Copyright ®1989 by Carl more central to our national security Sagan.

Spring 1990 269 The Crisis in Pre-college Science and Math Education

GLENN T. SEABORG

ur nation is at risk. Our once unchal­ lenged preeminence in commerce, indus­ O try, science and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. . . . If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational "This country performance that exists today, we might well have cannot afford viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. ... We have, another generation in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, of students who are unilateral educational disarmament. unprepared to These are the dramatic opening lines of the respond to the report "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for worldwide growth Educational Reform" that the members of our of scientific National Commission on Excellence in Educa­ tion handed to President Ronald Reagan in a knowledge and ceremony at the White House in April 1983. technological The Commission was created in August 1981 power." by then-Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell, whom the Seaborg Center is very fortunate to have as chairman of its National Advisory Council. The Commission was charged with reporting on the quality of education in our country and making positive recommendations for remedying our deficiencies. What we learned in the course of our 20-month study and at public hearings across the country was so appalling that we decided to make our report

270 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 /bUc^'fr]

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P**^ as dramatic as possible to draw atten­ he believed that these efforts, aided tion to these serious problems and to by the federal government, would reach maximum readership. result in significant changes in our We succeeded in drawing almost educational system. He said that "as unprecedented attention from educa­ a nation, we have no natural resource tors, parents, public, and press. It is more precious than our intellectual now apparent that the educational resources" and that he wanted to crisis and the urgent need for reform make science education one of the are broadly perceived as being a top most important investments for the priority. In the last presidential elec­ future of our nation. tion George Bush made education an So, how bad is the crisis in edu­ important campaign issue, thus put­ cation in this country? ting the need for educational reform Since the "Nation at Risk" report, at the top of the national agenda. Last there have been dozens of other year President Bush reaffirmed his reports, by a wide spectrum of Amer­ commitment to improving education ican organizations, emphasizing and when he visited the exhibits of the 40 deploring the state of pre-college Westinghouse Science Talent Search education in science and math in the winners. This was the first time in the United States today. (See box.) These 48-year history of this competition reports indicate that, while some that the president of the United States progress has been made, there is still made a tour of the students' exhibits. much work to be done to resolve the In his remarks President Bush encour­ crisis in education. aged the efforts of programs like the In a recent survey conducted in six Science Talent Search and said that nations, 13-year-old American school-

Spring 1990 271 children placed last in mathematics, they had learned, the performance of behind South Korea, Spain, Great the American schoolchildren dropped Britain, Ireland, and Canada. More­ dismally. At the highest level, 33 over, the high-ranking Koreans sur­ percent of Koreans had the skills to passed the Americans by a wide mar­ apply scientific principles, while only gin: 78 percent of Korean 13-year-old 12 percent of Americans could do so. students have the ability to use In a 13-nation survey of twelfth- intermediate math skills to solve two- graders, American students scored step problems but only half as many thirteenth in biology, eleventh in Americans could do so. Moreover, 40 chemistry, and ninth in physics. percent of the Korean children can In report after report, American understand and apply mathematical students consistently score in the concepts, but less than 10 percent of lower end of the scale. It is evident American schoolchildren can do so. that too many students are leaving our While most American 13-year-old schools without adequate skills to be schoolchildren can add, subtract, full participants in our increasingly multiply, and divide, they are seriously technologically oriented society. By lacking in cognitive skills, such as 1993, those 13-year-old students, who reasoning, investigating, and estimat­ today are performing so poorly in ing. However, many entry-level jobs math and science, will be voting and today are demanding workers with entering the work force—the scien­ high-order, more sophisticated skills tific and industrial leadership of our for which these students are not being nation will be in their hands. adequately prepared. Already it is evident that the In another report, released in industrial supremacy of our nation is September 1988, results showed that, being seriously threatened. Currently compared with students from 13 other only about 6 percent of American countries, twelfth-grade American adults are scientifically literate. This students scored in the lower range on greatly diminishes their productivity mathematics achievement tests. In in a more technologically demanding geometry, American students did only workplace. slightly better than those in Hungary Scientific illiteracy also affects the and Thailand; in algebra, only Thai­ ability to function effectively as land was worse; and the United States citizens and the ability to play an ranked last in calculus. Overall the informed role in social and political American students obtained only half decision-making on issues with scien­ as many points on tests as those from tific or technological content, such as Hong Kong, the highest-ranking those involving nuclear power, acid group. rain, the ozone layer, genetic engi­ In science, the statistics are just as neering, chemical warfare, and so grim. In the same six-nation survey forth. The vitality of a democracy of 13-year-old schoolchildren, Amer­ assumes a certain "core of knowl­ icans again scored below average. edge," shared by everyone, that serves Ironically, the United States came in as a unifying force. behind Spain, which does not have a There can be no doubt that scien­ reputation for being in the forefront tific literacy, a solid understanding of in science and technology. Again, as science and mathematics, is now more in math, when the 13-year-olds were important than ever before—there is tested for conceptual understanding, irrefutable evidence that the skills of interpretation, and application of what our youth are not only failing to" keep

272 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 A Litany of Concern

Here are some of the recent reports that have documented and deplored the state of pre-college science and math education in the United States today.

Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation of the Future of Mathematics Education National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. (1989) The Forgotten Half: Pathways to Success for America's Youth and Young Families The William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship (November 1988) 1988 Education Indicators Joyce D. Stern, editor; Marjorie O. Chandler, associate editor. U.S. Department of Education (1988) Moral Education and Character Ivor Pritchard, editor. U.S. Department of Education (September 1988) American Education: Making It Work "A Report to the President and the American People," William J. Bennett (April 1988). This is a follow-up report assessing the progress that has been made in education since 1983, when "A Nation at Risk" was published. The Forgotten Half: Non-College Youth in America The William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship (January 1988) Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering National Science Foundation (January 1988) The Condition of Education: Postsecondary Education Joyce D. Stern, editor; Marjorie O. Chandler, associate editor. U.S. Department of Education (1988) Undergraduate Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education National Science Board, NSB Task Committee on Undergraduate Science and Engineering Education (March 1986) up with the increasing demands—but math education for all our young. actually are deteriorating at an alarm­ The task of guiding the intellectual ing rate. (and often social) development of our This country cannot afford another young is all-important. We must begin generation of students who are unpre­ to recognize teachers' contributions pared to respond to the worldwide not only by adequately compensating rapid growth of scientific knowledge them for their service, but also by and technological power. The nation's giving them the due respect that future depends on them. Therefore, would motivate them to refine their we must improve general science and skills and expand their knowledge to

Spring 1990 273 meet future challenges. While some institution committed to improving teachers are eminently qualified, a sig­ the quality of mathematics and science nificant number of them have little instruction for pre-collegiate stu­ background in science or mathematics dents. For more than two decades the or have not had any involvement with Hall has dedicated its superior resour­ these subjects in many years and have ces as part of the University of simply lost touch with changes in their California to the continuing battle fields. against educational mediocrity. According to a 1985-1986 national The Lawrence Hall of Science, survey supported by the National which I serve as chairman, was Science Foundation and released in conceived in 1958 and built in 1968 1988, many science and math teachers as a memorial to Ernest O. Lawrence, feel they lack adequate training and the University of California's first are not qualified to teach. Indeed, the Nobel Laureate and inventor of the study showed that only about one in cyclotron. As a dynamic research and three elementary science teachers has educational institution, the Hall con­ taken a college chemistry course and tinues today, 22 years after its ded­ only one in five teachers has taken a ication in 1968, to focus its efforts on college physics course. While 82 three main objectives: percent of them felt they were very • To improve the quality of mathe­ well qualified to teach reading, only matics and science instruction for the 66 percent felt they could teach math. benefit of pre-collegiate students In the science disciplines, fewer than through the development of innova­ one-third of the teachers felt very well tive math and science courses and qualified to teach the life sciences and accompanying curriculum materials only 15 percent felt very well qualified and teacher training services. to teach the physical or earth and • To augment the mathematics and space sciences. science instruction provided by our At the high school level, less than schools by offering special mathemat­ one in three teachers had included ics and science courses at the Hall. earth and space sciences in their • To enhance the knowledge, undergraduate curriculum. The appreciation, and enjoyment of report also states that "more than half mathematics and science for the of all secondary science teachers have general public by providing the com­ never had a college computer-science munity with a math and science course and almost half have had no center. college calculus." In its efforts to improve instruction However, most science and math in math and science the Hall has teachers feel that they would enjoy developed programs for students and teaching these subjects if they had teachers in their own schools. Two adequate preparation. Whatever their particular programs that have been situation, these teachers need oppor­ recognized for their excellence are tunities to upgrade their math and CHEMStudy, a comprehensive high science teaching skills. Thus there is school chemistry curriculum, and the not only a need to increase the Science Curriculum Improvement available pool of qualified math and Study (SCIS), an activity-oriented science teachers, but there is also a science program for children K-6 that need to enhance the capabilities of was developed in the late 1960s and those now teaching these subjects. is now used in more than 20 percent The Lawrence Hall of Science is an of the nation's elementary schools.

274 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Through its in-school programs, the The Seaborg Center, while still Hall reaches more than 122,000 young, is rapidly gaining a national children every year in the San Fran­ reputation that has brought funding cisco Bay Area. agencies to the Center with specific The Hall sets as a priority the requests. The Lawrence Hall of development of programs that deal Science at the University of California with the issue of attracting and at Berkeley, the Kellogg Foundation, retaining underrepresented stu­ and the Public Service Satellite Con­ dents—such as young women and sortium have all sought out the minorities—in mathematics and com­ Seaborg Center and Northern Mich­ puter education. igan University to direct or participate For more than two decades, the in programs that will impact not only Hall has also provided innovative the Upper Peninsula but teachers and leadership in pre-collegiate math and students throughout the United science education through the publi­ States. cation of major curricula. These The Lawrence Hall of Science and learning materials are utilized by the Seaborg Center can join forces to millions of students in the United help achieve the goal of educational States and around the world. Curric­ reform so urgently needed in our ula and exhibits developed by the Hall country today. We all have a vested are currently used by schools and interest in education and we must all science centers in more than 30 work together, employing all our countries. Each year, more than 700 resources, to reform and improve our educators from around the world visit educational system and ensure a the Hall to learn new techniques to prosperous future for our nation. improve science and mathematics Whatever the expense of improving instruction. education, it is an investment in the The Lawrence Hall of Science has future we must make. Excellence achieved national and international costs. But in the long run mediocrity prominence as a result of its inno­ costs far more. vative and effective programs. How­ ever, despite the Hall's numerous Glenn T. Seaborg, University Professor discoveries and noted accomplish­ of Chemistry at the University of ments, much more work still needs to California, Berkeley, and associate be done. director of the Lawrence Berkeley Labor­ There is a need for more institu­ atory, is one of the nation's most tions like the Hall. Therefore, I was distinguished scientists, educators, and deeply honored to participate recently statesmen of science and has been active in the dedication ceremonies of in science-education issues throughout his another institution committed to im­ career. He has been chairman of the proving the education of our young— Atomic Energy Commission and president the Glenn T. Seaborg Center for of both the American Chemical Society Teaching and Learning Science and and the American Association for the Mathematics. As part of Northern Advancement of Science. In 1951, Michigan University (NMU), the Professor Seaborg received the Nobel Prize Seaborg Center is in a unique position in Chemistry. This essay is adapted from to provide, through its services, re­ a talk he gave at the opening of the Glenn sources, and programs, quality edu­ T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and cation for students and teachers of the Learning of Science and Mathematics at Upper Peninsula. Northern Michigan University.

Spring 1990 275 Police Pursuit of Satanic Crime Parti

ROBERT D. HICKS

aw-enforcement officials throughout the United States flock to training seminars L about satanic cults and crime. In Virginia alone, cult-crime officers gave at least 50 seminars in 1988. The seminars, orchestrated by a loose network of investigators, ex-police officers (now cult consultants), therapists, and clergy, offer a world-view that interprets the familiar and explainable—and the unfamiliar ce law-enforcement and poorly understood—in terms of increasing model of cult crime participation by Americans in satanic worship. exaggerates levels of The seminars further claim that satanism has satanic and cult spawned gruesome crimes and aberrant behav­ involvement, is ior that might presage violent crime. In particular, law-enforcement officials have developed a derived largely from model of "the problem," a scheme widely news articles, and is disseminated through police-training seminars rife with errors and as well as through networks of investigators, ignorance. newsletters, and public presentations. Is this concern justified? I argue that the current preoccupation of law- enforcers with satanism and cults has not been prompted by anything new: the phenomenon has a firm historical and cultural context. Fur­ ther, I suggest that the news media are largely responsible for the law-enforcement model of cult activity, since the evidence officers cite for cult mayhem is generally based on nothing more than newspaper stories. Frequently, these news stories do not even attribute nasty incidents to cults, but the police infer causality anyway. I suggest that for police the actual problem with cults, in terms of their threat to public order, is very small, has nonsupernatural explanations, and requires no new law-enforcement resour­

276 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 ces. Newspaper accounts substantiate and fuel police interest in cults. For "Signs of Satan" instance: —In July 1988, the Myrtle Beach, Florida, Sun-News reported that police arrested four teenagers for vandaliz­ ing a cemetery, allegedly trying to remove body parts from a grave for satanic rituals (Edge 1988). The judge denied bond because she felt that, once freed, the boys would run amok during upcoming Walpurgisnacht (April 30), a satanic holiday. The boys, the judge felt, couldn't control their own behavior once in thrall to Satan. —In February 1989, the Wall Street Horned hand Journal reported that police arrested two brothers for trying to kill a judge through a hoodoo spell. (Hoodoo, a variant of voodoo, survives in the American South primarily among im­ poverished blacks.) The brothers had arranged with a Jamaican "voodoo priest" to cast a death spell using a photograph of the judge and a lock of his hair. Although the brothers got caught by ingenuously asking the judge's wife for the hair and the photograph, the police nevertheless charged them with conspiracy to com­ Symbols representing the moon goddess mit murder based on the hex alone Diana and the morning star of Lucifer. (McCoy 1989). —In Virginia, in October 1988, a Style News article described cult paraphernalia left at a popular river­ side park, but a park official wasn't worried: the paraphernalia could not be the work of dangerous satanists / because "real satanists don't leave any traces," he observed (Bacon 1988). Lightning bolt —The Kansas City Times reported in March 1988 that a Chicago police investigator said of cult crime, "I think it's going to be a growing problem as we go into the nineties." He further noted that, although there are no national statistics on the problem, a network of satanists does exist— people who perform child molestation and murder as a form of worship. A Swastika

Spring 1990 277 deputy sheriff warned that satanists obscure or not verifiable (e.g., no are responsible for as many as 50,000 public access to ongoing criminal human sacrifices a year, "mainly investigations); second, the eclectic transients, runaways, and babies nature of the law-enforcement model conceived solely for the purpose of of cult crime makes focused criticism human sacrifice" (Berg 1988). difficult. The information law- —The same Kansas City Times enforcers use to document cult activ­ article, surveying the law-enforce­ ities derives largely from newspaper ment interest in cults, recounted the articles. Reporters often cater to the first of several preschool or daycare- lurid and the macabre, frequently center cases in which children's implying cause-effect relationships or uncorroborated testimony caused in­ hinting at dark deeds. dictments of many adults for sexual For example, articles on teen sui­ abuse. The children said that adults cides sometimes note that the victim dressed in robes performed ceremo­ was known to listen to heavy metal nies involving not only rape but even rock music or to play "Dungeons and murder, cannibalism, and mutilation Dragons," a fantasy role-playing (Berg 1988). game. Some law-enforcers and con­ The readers of such accounts, given cerned parents perceive a cause-effect the impassioned testimony of police relationship: "Dungeons and Drag­ officers, therapists, teachers, and con­ ons" introduces young lives to the cerned parents, may well presume the occult and may prompt suicides. existence of a problem of national Patricia A. Pulling, founder of the proportions. The lack of criminal con­ Virginia-based group Bothered About victions for these crimes has not de­ Dungeons and Dragons (BADD), terred satanic-conspiracy propo­ implies such a relationship when she nents. claims that many teen suicides are In my role as a law-enforcement linked to the game, giving only news­ specialist with the Virginia Depart­ paper articles (including even the ment of Criminal Justice Services, I Weekly World News) as her sources. have a professional interest in what Law-enforcement literature makes has become a trendy topic on the police the same kind of mistakes. For exam­ seminar circuit: cult crime. At first ple, an article in Law-Enforcement alarmed by what I learned at the News, a publication of the John Jay seminars, I became progressively College of Criminal Justice in New more skeptical, then even more York, began: "A 14-year-old Jefferson alarmed by the cult experts' anti- Township, N.J., boy kills his mother intellectual and anti-rationalist stance. with a Boy Scout knife, sets the The law-enforcement model of cult family home on fire, and commits crime appeared shoddy, ill-considered, suicide in a neighbor's back yard by and rife with errors of logic (faulty slashing his wrists and throat. Inves­ causal relationships, false analogies, tigators find books on the occult and lack of documentation, unsupported Satan worship in the boy's room" generalizations) and ignorance of an (Clark 1988). But did the boy have a anthropological, psychological, and collection of spiders? A stack of historical context. pornographic literature under his One cannot easily analyze the law- bed? A girlfriend who just jilted him? enforcement concern with cults, for Newspaper accounts don't often two reasons: first, the sources of mention such other possible expla­ information are irregular, sometimes nations.

278 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 The Cult-Crime Model Fundamentalist Christianity drives Fundamentalist Christianity the occult-crime model. Cult-crime officers invariably communicate fun­ drives the cult-crime model. damentalist Christian concepts at Cult officers invariably employ seminars. They employ fundamental­ fundamentalist rhetoric, ist rhetoric, distribute literature that emanates from fundamentalist au­ distribute fundamentalist thorities and sometimes offer bibliog­ literature . . . and sometimes raphies giving many fundamentalist team up with clergy to give publications, and they sometimes satanism seminars. team up with clergy to give seminars on satanism. The most notable circu­ lar among cult-crime investigators, the existence of Satan as a lurking, File 18 Newsletter, follows a Christian palpable entity who appears to tempt world-view in which police officers and torture us. Satan becomes the who claim to separate their religious ultimate crime leader: the drug lord, views from their professional duties the Mafia don, the gang boss. nevertheless maintain that salvation Chicago police investigator Jerry through Jesus Christ is the only sure Simandl doesn't just investigate antidote to satanic involvement, crimes, he also interprets cult whether criminal or noncriminal, and behavior, particularly that which point out that no police officer can threatens Christians. He apparently honorably and properly do his or her can tell whether an act of church duty without reference to Christian vandalism was committed mindlessly standards. by kids or purposefully by a cult group: At seminars, cult-crime officers "For example, an organ might be distribute handouts showing symbols vandalized by having its keys broken. to identify at crime scenes, accompan­ That means that the vandals were ied by their meanings. The handouts seeking to deny a congregation the typically attribute no sources, but ability to 'communicate with God' many derive from Christian material. through music" (Clark 1988). Simandl For example, the peace symbol of the draws amazing inferences about these 1960s is now dubbed the "Cross of crimes, although they have the lowest Nero." Someone decided that the clearance rate because they frequently upside-down broken cross on the leave no suspects and no evidence symbol somehow mocks Christianity. beyond the destroyed property. The (In fact, common knowledge has it church vandalism so shocks religious that the symbol was invented in the sensibilities that some cult-crime 1950s using semaphore representa­ officer—armed with the world-view tions for the letters "n" and "d" for that cults cause crime—can only nuclear disarmament.) interpret the crime as satanic. Fundamentalist Christianity moti­ vates the proponents of cult-crime Facing Facts conspiracy theories in other ways. Apparently, arguing against their Evil is, indeed, the operative word. theory is, to them, attacking their Law enforcers who meld cult-crime world-view. To some cult-crime offi­ theories with their professional cers, arguing against the model denies world-views have transformed their

Spring 1990 279 legal duties into a moral confrontation animal's throat. . . . The heart's still between good and evil. Larry Jones, pumping, and they will use an a police officer from Boise, Idaho, edits embalming tool to get the blood out. the File 18 Newsletter. Jones believes It's fast and efficient. Hell, the farmer that a satanic network exists in all heard the animal whine, and he was strata of society and maintains there within five minutes" (Kahaner extreme secrecy to shroud its program 1988: 146). of murder. A sheriff's investigator, in a mem­ Defensive about the lack of phys­ orandum about cattle mutilations, ical evidence of cult mayhem, Jones interviewed a young woman who writes: claimed to be a former satanic-cult member who had mutilated animals. Those who deny, explain away, or Her cult, which consisted of "doctors, cover up the obvious undeniably lawyers, veterinarians" were taught growing mountain of evidence by the vets how to perform the often demand statistical evidence or requisite fatal surgery. The animal's positive linkages between opera­ blood and removed organs, it seems, tional suspect groups. At best, this were used for baptismal rites. She demand for positive proof of a further related: "horizontal conspiracy" is naive. . . . Consider the possibility that the reason supposedly unrelated groups When using the helicopter [the cult in different localities over various members] sometimes picked up the time periods acting-out in a similar cow by using a homemade . . . sling manner, is that consistent directives ... and they would move it and drop are received independently from it further down from where the higher levels of authority. Instead mutilations occurred. This would of being directly linked to each account for there not being any other, these groups may be linked footprints or tire tracks. . . . When vertically to a common source of using the van trucks they would also direction and control. Those who have a telescoping lift which ... was accept this theory as a reasonable about 200 feet long mounted out­ possibility need to rethink the side the truck and would use that meaning, scope and effects of the to extend a man out to the cow, and term conspiracy! (File 18 Newsletter, he would mutilate it from a board 4[1], 1989) platform on the end of the boom and he would never touch the ground. . . . They sometimes do In other words, if the evidence three or four cows. (Kahaner 1988: doesn't seem to fit a particular con­ 148) spiracy theory, just create a bigger conspiracy theory. Jones and other cult-crime officers impose their model It seems that the cult members went on a pastiche of claims, exaggerations, to such lengths because they delighted or suppositions. For example, cult in baffling the police. investigators would have us believe The sheriff's investigator reported that cult practitioners develop skills in to his supervisor each detail of this the vivisection of livestock and house­ story, but obviously he was unac­ hold pets. One investigator, retired quainted with Occam's Razor. Trucks police captain Dale Griffis from Ohio, with 200-foot booms are not plentiful says: "Occultists will stun the animal and would appear conspicuous in rural on his back with an electric probe. America, particularly when helicopter Then they will spray freon on the air support is called in. The investi-

280 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 gator never considered the work of a predator, or even the action of a vandal. Of course, news accounts of such livestock deaths, particularly if related by cult-crime officers, most often attribute deaths to cultists and claim the animals were killed and the organs "surgically" removed. Did a surgeon do the work? Can a police officer tell the difference between a hole in a cow's belly put there by a scalpel and one caused by a predator's sharp teeth? A comprehensive investigation of cattle-mutilation claims, carried out by former FBI agent Kenneth M. Rom­ mel, Jr., made exactly these criticisms, The pentagram is another "sign of Satan.' and many others. Rommel (1980) concluded that virtually all reported tianity" (File 18 Newsletter, 4[1]:3). livestock mutilations are due to nat­ The police have found no evidence ural actions of scavengers and preda­ to support Jones's earlier suggestion tors. He cautioned law-enforcement that a "vertical conspiracy" might officers not to use the term "surgical exist—a higher leader directing precision" and not to be misled by groups to do murderous business colorful statements by people inter­ within an authoritarian cult led by a ested in spreading rumors, theories, charismatic leader. and fears. Cult-crime officers may deny facts The Cult-Crime Model: that contradict their theories. For A Description example, one of the recent murders they dubbed "satanic" was that of Characteristically, law-enforcement Stephen Newberry, a teenager from cult seminars all promote the same Springfield, New Jersey, whose model of satanic cults, although friends bashed him to death with a largely without any substantiation or baseball bat. Even though Larry Jones documentation. The model persuades quotes local investigators, a prosecu­ because it takes phenomena familiar tor, a psychologist, and an academic to the officers and imbues them with cult expert who claimed that no new meanings: officers learn a new satanic sacrifice of Newberry occurred lexicon to describe old phenomena and but instead blamed drug abuse, Jones therefore see the cult problem as a nevertheless offers the opinion that new threat to public order. So what the experts "do not give credit to the is the model? strong influence of the tenets of the The model, now almost seven years satanic belief system over its initiates. old, loosely postulates various levels In some cases the subjects become of satanic or cult involvement (see involved with satanism . . . prior to box). Characteristically, the officers— the onset of family problems. . . . The the self-proclaimed experts who teach only true and lasting solution to 'devil the seminars—do not define the object worship' or satanic involvement is a of their concern. They use the terms personal encounter with true Chris- cult, occult, and satanism interchange-

Spring 1990 281 ably but with the connotation of Virginia, September 13, 1988). (Cult- disruption, coercion, mind-control by crime officers imply that Christians a charismatic leader, plus, of course, never do this.) When satanists pray, criminality. The terms are extended they demand, he says. "Satanism is a to religious practices dubbed "nontra- self-indulgent religion" based on two ditional," e.g., voodoo, Santeria, themes: "All humans are inherently Native American practices. The label evil," and "Life is a struggle for the masks an implicit bias that Christian­ survival of the fittest." ity is the traditional belief, the norm. The same law-enforcers who employ The Satanists: LaVey and Crowley the term nonlraditional apparently don't see the irony of introducing their The historical discourse continues by seminars with the caveat that officers pegging two twentieth-century satan­ must respect First Amendment rights ists who have molded the contempor­ and not interfere with noncriminal ary philosophy of their movement: religious practices. Larry Jones also Aleister Crowley and Anton LaVey. advises his readers not to interfere Crowley, described in police seminars with constitutionally protected civil as an "influential satanist," although liberties, yet nonetheless judges non- indulging in pagan shenanigans dur­ traditional groups or cults according ing the early twentieth century, to his standards. became involved with (although cult In a discourse on Wicca (as some officers mistakenly say that he witches call themselves), he posits, for founded) the Order of the Golden example, that any belief system must Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis, set absolute standards of conduct. "the largest practicing Satanic cult Relative ones won't do because they operating today." Further, say the "open the door to excesses" (File 18 police, the main belief fostered by Newsletter, 3[3]:7). He can only find groups deriving from Crowley's fault with Wicca by abstracting this legacy involves "sexual perversion." standard that measures the legitimacy LaVey, on the other hand, a former of belief systems. While concluding police photographer and circus per­ that Wicca is benign and its practition­ former, founded the Church of Satan ers claim no connection with satanism, in San Francisco in 1966 at the zenith Jones nevertheless describes much of of Haight-Ashbury hippiedom. Police Wicca as derived from "Luciferian" officers teach that LaVey's two books, Aleister Crowley, who allegedly had The Satanic Bible and The Satanic ties to satanist and black-magic Rituals Book, can be dangerous, and organizations. they observe incredulously that both The cult-crime model begins with can be found in shopping-mall book­ a brief, disjointed history of Satanic stores. In particular, law enforcers cite practices. Typically, lecturers usher in LaVey's nine dicta of the Church of pagans and witches as part of the Satan, which include (LaVey 1969): satanic extended family, sometimes accompanied by specific details of how Satan represents indulgence, in­ cultists ply their beliefs. One inves­ stead of abstinence! . . . tigator generalizes that witches pray Satan represents vengeance, in­ to 300 deities, and not for benign stead of turning the other cheek!. . . purposes: witches pray for something Satan represents all of the so-called smacking of self-interest (from a sins, as they lead to physical or Richmond Bureau of Police seminar. mental gratification! . . .

282 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 The Cult-Crime Model This model is promulgated widely at them power, but other law- law-enforcement cult seminars, largely enforcers, such as Griffis, believe without any substantiation or that self-styled satanists borrow documentation. from the occult because satanic ideology permits or encourages Traditional Satanists: The first, their crimes. This idea is the most and highest, level of satanists plausible component of the model: includes transgenerational family sociopaths or psychopaths, already satanism, the cult survivors' tales, distanced from common standards and daycare-center ritual abuse. of behavior, may choose an ideol­ Such satanists comprise an inter­ ogy that helps them reconcile their national underground, tightly crimes with their consciences. organized and covert, responsible for upwards of 50,000 human sacri­ Dabblers: Dabblers, those in the fices a year (some of which are outer, or fourth level of cult invol­ babies bred for sacrifice). vement, are mostly children, teen­ Organized Satanists: The second agers, or very young adults who, level of satanic involvement in­ in unsophisticated fashion, play cludes public groups, such as the with satanic bits and pieces. At this Church of Satan and the Temple level, "Dungeons and Dragons" of Set. Cult-crime officers' defini­ (D&D) and like games rope kids tion of this level as dangerous is into the occult, as does heavy metal ambiguous since organized groups rock music with satanic lyrics. formally proscribe acts of violence. Some investigators here introduce But cult seminars imply a fortiori the implantation (backmasking) of that such groups promote self- satanic messages in music. But the indulgence to the point of attract­ real bete noir of youth is the fantasy ing psychopaths or criminals. Thus role-playing game, usually D&D. it is the perceived likelihood of Says one investigator, "Every kid public satanic organizations at­ that plays D&D will not get into tracting bad people that justifies satanism, but how many kids do we law-enforcement surveillance. lose before we have a problem?" (Richmond Bureau of Police Self-styled Satanists: The third seminar, Virginia, September 13, level of involvement includes self- 1988). But through playing the styled satanists, such as mass mur­ game, "some kids cross over an derers like John Wayne Gacey and imaginary line and start connecting their D&D world with the real Henry Lee Lucas. These men, also world." In the seminars, cult-crime social isolates, invented ideologies officers give estimates of 95 to 150 to affirm their behavior. Some cult- documented deaths of children crime officers even maintain that directly linked to the game (based these criminals do their evil deeds on news articles). as a form of satanic sacrifice to give Cult officers maintain that LaVey's mystery, one police investigator held dicta foster in his followers the up a copy of Crowley's book at a attitude, "If it feels good, do it," thus seminar, stating that one can obtain justifying criminal acts. it only from a certain Pennsylvania , Aleister Crowley is said to have occult bookstore or from the Ordo added a more wicked dimension to this Templi Orientis, and that he himself philosophy, for in his Book of the Law could not reveal how he obtained his (written before World War I) he copy.1 stated, "Do what thou wilt shall be LaVey, on the other hand, operates the whole of the law" (Crowley without a deity. To the Church of 1976:9). The statement quoted by the Satan, the Evil One is no deity but law-enforcement officers out of con­ rather a symbolic adversary. The text implies to them license for Church of Satan, then, pulls a clever murder. In context, however, one trick: reads a metaphorical jaunt through the ancient Egyptian pantheon full of "What are the Seven Deadly Sins?" erotic and occasionally Masonic allu­ LaVey is fond of asking. "Gluttony, sions. One might infer from context avarice, lust, sloth—they are urges that the law officers' quotation, too, every man feels at least once a day. is figurative speech. How could you set yourself up as the most powerful institution on The Book of the Law, as dictated by earth? You first find out what every a shadowy prophet to Crowley, con­ man feels at least once a day, tains a damning quotation: "Love is establish that as a sin, and set the law, love under will. There is no yourself up as the only institution law beyond Do what thou wilt." But capable of pardoning that sin." the text even explains the credo by (Lyons 1988:111) pointing out that people move through their lives according to their Since people's guilt, apprehension, and destinies, that people act according to anxiety about such urges are worse experience, impulse, and the "law of than experiencing the urges them­ growth." In short, people are con­ selves, the Church of Satan offers trolled by destiny: they cannot act people a release: Indulge yourselves, apart from it. "Do what thou wilt" says the Church, as long as you abide means "Do what accords with your by the law and harm no one. Lyons destiny." Crowley's most recent biog­ (1988) reports examples of Church of raphy points out that he did not intend Satan psychodramas that engineer the phrase to mean, "Do what you people's confrontations with their like," but rather, as Crowley later own fears, such as a woman afraid of wrote, "Find the way of life that is her domineering husband who role- compatible with your innermost plays him to help reduce his menacing desires and live it to the full" (King effect on her. Further, the rituals of 1978:36). The same biographer adds the Church of Satan frequently that an exegesis of the work may be invoke fictional deities. "In joining the impossible because Crowley himself Church of Satan, these people not claimed that he didn't understand all only managed to inject a little mystery of it. and exoticism into their otherwise Nevertheless, say law-enforcers, banal lives, they achieved a mastery deviant people use Crowley's prescrip­ of their own fates by the practice of tion to justify sex crimes, child- ritual magic," Lyons wrote (1988:116). molesting, and murder. To add to the Lyons's point was confirmed by the

284 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 participant observation experiment of pheles from the arcanum arcanorum of anthropologist Edward Moody, who medieval alchemists: the D&D gods, found the Church of Satan therapeu­ in fact, derive largely from the imag­ tic (1974). inations of the game designers and the If LaVey's ideology is contrived of encyclopedia (Michael Stackpole, fiction, symbolism, and a deliberate game designer, personal communica­ antidote to Establishment Christian­ tion, 1989). ity, and Crowley retailed in the metaphysical (what one would now Note call New Age), why the law- enforcement interest? Cult officers 1. Taking the officer's statement as a focus on these two because they have challenge, I examined his copy, the title page been published and their philosophies complete with an ISBN number and the reprinting publisher's name, Samuel Weiser, are within easy reach. No other Inc. With help from directory assistance, I "satanic" ideologies exist that have so contacted the publisher's customer-relations openly and publicly philosophized. representative. I discovered that the com­ They make easy targets. One of the pany, which publishes many New Age books, first articles on this subject in a law- still prints Crowley in paperback, so I placed an order for The Book of Law. I alarmed the enforcement journal even pointed out representative by explaining what the officer that LaVey uses a symbolic Satan and had said about the impossibility of obtaining noted in context that LaVey's church a copy, to which the surprised woman said, even condemns sex crimes, including "But well sell it to anyone who asks!" I bestiality, but nevertheless stated, "It received my copy within ten days. (The officer who created the mystery over the seems contradictory for a group to book was an investigator for the Richmond, encourage all forms of sexual expres­ Virginia, Bureau of Police, lecturing on sion, and at the same time place September 13, 1988.) parameters on that activity" (Barry 1987:39). References By touting certain books as evil and American Library Association (Office of pernicious, cult-crime officers have Intellectual Freedom). 1988. Memoran­ appointed themselves conservators of dum, January-February. our libraries. Cult consultant Dale Bacon, L. A. 1988. Cult activity in James Griffis has recommended that officers River Park. Style Weekly, 6 (42):6. October contact public libraries for names of 18. Barry, R. J. 1987. Satanism: The law enforce­ patrons who have borrowed books on ment response. National Sheriff, 38 (1):38- the occult (according to an Office of 42. Intellectual Freedom Memorandum, Berg, M. 1988. Satanic crime increasing? American Library Association, Janu­ Police, therapists alarmed. Kansas City ary/February 1988, p. 7). Times, March 26. Clark, J. R. 1988. The macabre faces of The cult-crime officers not only occult-related crime. Law Enforcement cite numerous books a la LaVey and News, 14(279-280). October 31 and Crowley as bona fide compendia of November 15. occult knowledge rising from the dim Crowley, A. 1976. The Book of Law. (Reprint) York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser. horizon of ancient history, but also Cult Crime Impact Network. 1988. File 18 cite as dangerous the occult symbols Newsletter, 3(3). on rock music albums, the songs' . 1989. File 18 Newsletter, 4(1). lyrics, and the fantasy characters that Edge, C. 1988. Four Satan worshipers appear in the advanced levels of arrested in attempt to rob Conway grave. Sun News (Myrtle Beach, Fla.), July 28. "Dungeons and Dragons." Yet the Kahaner, L. 1988. Cults That Kill. New York: game does not invoke any Mephisto- Warner Books.

Spring 1990 285 King, Francis. 1978. The Magical World of Attorney, First Judicial District, State of Aleister Crowley. New York: Coward, New Mexico, June 1980. McCann & Geoghegan. Stackpole, M. 1988-89. Personal communica­ LaVey, Anton. 1969. The Satanic Bible. New tions. York: Avon. Lyons, A. 1988. Satan Wants You: The Cult of Devil Worship in America. New York: Next: "Part II: The Satanic Conspiracy Mysterious Press. and Urban Legends." McCoy, C. 1989. Mississippi town is all shook up over voodoo plot. Wall Street journal, Robert Hicks is a law-enforcement February 24. Moody, E. J. 1974. Magic therapy: An specialist/criminal justice analyst with the anthropological investigation of contem­ Virginia Department of Criminal Justice porary Satanism. In Religious Movements Services, 805 E. Broad St., Richmond, in Contemporary America, ed. by I. I. VA 23219, 804-786-8421. This Zaretsky and M. P. Leone. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. article expresses his opinions, not those of Rommel, Kenneth M., Jr. 1980. Operation his agency or the Virginia state animal mutilation. Report of the District government.

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286 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 The Spread of Satanic-Cult Rumors

JEFFREY S. VICTOR

cientists sometimes discover something really interesting by accidentally stumbling Sonto completely unexpected findings. This is what happened to me after I decided to in­ vestigate the causes of a rumor-panic about satanic cults that ocurred in Jamestown, New York, on Friday, the 13th of May, 1988. It caught my curiosity because I knew a few of the Rumor-panics teenagers who were victims of the malicious gossip and vigilante harassment created by the about dangerous stories. satanic cults I have been trained as a sociological re­ have occurred all searcher, which means that I investigate the causes of group behavior. A rumor-panic is over the country much like the stampede of a herd of buffalo: since 1984. It is a product of group forces, rather than of the personal motives of individuals. I used a wide variety of methods to collect information relative to the rumor stories and behavior in response to those stories. My goal was to obtain an "ecological" view of the com­ munity of Jamestown as a social system affected by social forces in the larger social system of the national society. My research methods included interviews I conducted with a wide variety of community authorities, including police, school officials, youth group workers, ministers, psychothera­ pists and newspaper reporters. The Jamestown Police Department was exceptionally helpful in providing me with nonconfidential information regarding their own investigations of the various rumor stories. I also interviewed news­ paper reporters from other towns in the region who covered the story. Students from one of my classes conducted interviews with 49 local

Spring 1990 area teenagers, parents, and informal rumors are also amazingly similar, for authority figures (such as teachers and example, "A satanic cult is killing ministers), shortly after the rumor- animals at secret ritual meetings in the panic occurred. One student, on an woods" or "A satanic cult is planning independent study project, did a to kidnap and sacrifice blond, blue- research study of teenage peer group eyed children." In addition, there are conflict in Jamestown in reaction to many locally inspired variations of the rumors, interviewing 30 teenagers these themes, which may include from different youth subcultures. I references to killing black cats, or lists also had information of my own as of teenagers to be sacrificed, or a member of the community and as allusions to drug-induced sex orgies. the father of a teenage son in the local The people of Jamestown were high school. As a teacher in a com­ fortunate in having an exceptionally munity college, most of my students professional police force that did not (youth and adults) are from the local let itself succumb to the rumor­ area. Many of them talked to me at mongering hysteria. Instead, they length about the rumors. I also reacted with proper concern for obtained useful information from verifiable facts and with responsible school attendance records, reports actions designed to discourage vig­ from local government agencies, and ilante violence. My research found other documents. that this was not the case in many I used a variety of sources to put other locations. In some cases, police my local research findings into a reacted by passing on rumors as facts, national context, including recent by arresting the innocent victims of books by crime reporters, fundamen­ the rumors, and by engaging in talist Christian proselytizers, and irresponsible witch-hunts. scholars studying cult behavior. I In one case in New Hampshire, for found the most useful information example, police publicly claimed to about satanic panics and satanist have found evidence of ritually activity around the country in news­ slaughtered animals, which were later paper articles. The most thoroughly determined to be only road kills researched overview was published in cleaned up by state road workers and a series of articles in the Memphis deposited in the woods. In another Commercial Appeal (Charlier and case, in Cobleskill, New York, in Downing 1988). response to reports of a "satanic cult In researching the Jamestown ritual meeting" and impending human rumors, I was surprised to find that sacrifice, police rushed with guns very similar rumor-panics in response drawn into a wooded site. They found to fears of dangerous satanic cults only some college students in hooded have been occurring all around the garments practicing a medieval play country since 1984. One of them, for and using wooden daggers and swords example, occurred on Friday the 13th as props. Actions like these are not over most of the state of South only embarrassing but also create Carolina in 1987, a year before it danger where none exists. happened in Jamestown. My research found that many I have so far located 21 sites of past people in the Jamestown area believed rumor-panics about satanic cults. that the police, the editors of the local These have almost all occurred in newspaper, and Jamestown school economically declining small towns officials, who dismissed the stories as and rural areas of the country. The the empty rumors they were, were all

288 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 New York Lake Erie

'" ON Wwran Ohio

S

YOUNGS- TOWN Pennsylvania The shaded area is where satanic rumor-panics occurred during May 1988. Locations shown are where rumor activity was most intense according to newspapers reports. (Map by Patrick Moser.) engaged in some kind of grand cover- what is happening nationally. I found, up of the real facts. This should not for example, that these rumors were be surprising since so many of our not a sudden outburst. Instead, they political and corporate leaders have so were the result of a gradual process often lied to the public about unplea­ that took months to develop. Local sant goings on. Other research has gossip "snowballed" into elaborate shown that the American people's stories, as layer after layer of fiction confidence in the ability of their were added and the stories were leaders and institutions to solve repeated over and over by hundreds problems is at an all-time low. This of different people. I reasoned that may be one reason the satanic-cult whatever "triggered" the rumor rumors are taken seriously by so many process had to reach a wide audience people. simultaneously. I found evidence that When I began my research, I the satanic-cult rumors first appeared assumed that the rumors were limited after ideas from television talk-show to the Jamestown area. However, I programs about satanism were dis­ was surprised to find that similar torted to fit into local gossip in stories were circulating at the same different communities in the region. time over a 250-mile area of southern I also found that various groups of New York and northwestern Pennsyl­ people were affected differently by the vania. Moreover, since similar rumor- rumors. A great many people did not panics had occurred across the coun­ take them seriously and paid little try before the one in Jamestown, I attention. On the other hand, realized that the underlying causes of hundreds of parents became alarmed, the satanic-cult scare must be national to the point of keeping their children in scope. home from school, out of fear that Nevertheless, my local investiga­ they might be kidnapped by the "cult." tion provided important clues about My evidence indicates that less-

Spring 1990 289 1/21/87

14/87

Locations of some recent rumor panics and the dates they were reported in newspapers.

educated and lower-income parents believe that the satanic-cult scare is were more likely to take the stories an expression of the desire of Amer­ seriously. icans for clear and consistent values Determining the underlying causes that can give stability to their lives and of these satanic-cult rumors is diffi­ those of their children. cult, and it is really a matter of A great many parents today are interpretation. Past studies of rumor­ seeking scapegoats for their fears and mongering have found that such frustrations. Parents in small-town activity increases in times of wide­ America have to worry about threats spread social stress, when many to their children that few of their people are seeking explanations for grandparents had to face: the drug frustrating life experiences. I believe plague, violent juvenile crime, dis­ that economic difficulties and the order in the schools, and even teenage resultant breakdown in family rela­ suicide. The increasing breakdown of tions is a source of that frustration. family structure has served to deepen Other research has found that small­ these fears and intensify the need to town and rural areas all over the blame somebody for the mess. country are suffering from a loss of I found one thing especially dis­ well-paid blue-collar jobs. This stress­ turbing. It appears that some people ful situation is most strongly affecting are going around the country making poorly educated young parents in thousands of dollars from lecture fees rural areas, about one-third of whom by cultivating fear about satanic cults. now live in poverty. Many of these same Satan-hunters Another clue to the causes of these have broadcast their claims to national rumors can be found in the stories audiences on the television talk-shows themselves. Rumors that claim that of Geraldo Rivera, Oprah Winphrey, some kind of alien group is threaten­ and Sally Jesse Rafael. Their wild, ing the people in a society are called unsubstantiated claims about sata- "subversion myths." Subversion nism have the effect of inflaming myths about Jews, or communists, or passions. Many innocent people can witches are common when people feel be victimized by their appeals to the that their traditional values are being scapegoating hysteria. threatened by social problems. I Kenneth Lanning, the head of the

290 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 FBI's special unit in charge of inves­ rumor-mongering are already being tigating claims about satanic-cult felt around the country. crimes, finished a report of his find­ ings in June 1989. In his conclusion, he cautions: "Until hard evidence is References obtained and corroborated, the Amer­ Charlier, Tom, and Shirley Downing. 1988. ican people should not be frightened Facts, fantasies caught in tangled web, into believing that babies are being Memphis Commercial Appeal, January 17; bred and eaten, that 50,000 missing Allegations of odd rites compelled closer look, January 17; Links to abuse hard to children are being murdered in human prove, January 18. sacrifices, or that satanists are taking Victor, Jeffrey S. 1989. A rumor-panic about over America's day care centers. . . . a dangerous satanic cult in Western New An unjustified crusade against those York. New York Folklore, 15(l-2):23-49. perceived as satanists could result in wasted resources, unwarranted dam­ Jeffrey S. Victor is a professor of sociology age to reputations, and disruption of at Jamestown Community College, James­ civil liberties." Unfortunately, I found town, NY 14701. He is writing a book evidence that these harmful effects of about the national "satanic cult" hysteria.

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Spring 1990 291 Lying About Polygraph Tests

ELIE A. SHNEOUR

n every culture, lying is proscribed, and great efforts are made in attempts to overcome it. I This is not so much because people dislike being misled, but because lies pose a threat to the stability of society. Lying is tolerated only when life or property is in imminent danger. The ultimate deception, however, comes from claims for the effectiveness of lie detection using modern technology. This is nothing short of the assertion that it is now possible to read other Polygraph testing persons' minds through the expert use of an instrument called the polygraph. uses the jargon of In its most recent incarnation, the polygraph science for is a small suitcase-sized machine that can measure, and continously record on a strip chart, legitimacy but it the following physiological variables: pulse rate; properly belongs blood pressure; rate and depth of respiration; to pseudoscience. and galvanic skin response (GSR), also called electrodermal response (EDR), which is a measure of sweat production through electrical conductance. The scientific basis for making these pre­ sumed lie-detecting measurements rests on the following premises: (1) that the transducers used in a polygraph are able to make, when properly calibrated and responsibly operated by a skilled operator, fairly accurate measurements of these variables, (2) that the physiological variables measured by a polygraph are related to physiological arousal, and (3) that psycho­ logical stimuli can be associated with these physiological responses. No one seriously questions the first of these premises. The controversy swirling around polygraph tests focuses on premises (2) and (3) and the contention that it is possible to interpret them in ways that can detect deception. On this subject there is an extensive and, to a large

292 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 extent, a confusing literature: It successful effort by the examiner to ranges all the way from anecdotal to convince the subject that the exam­ peer-reviewed scientific reports, per­ ination is conducted by an expert and formed with protocols as complex as that any attempted deception by the those used in the clinical trials of new subject will become immediately drugs. In general, it can be concluded obvious to the examiner. The pre-test from these reports that the anecdotal interview also includes questions data tend to support the polygraph about whether the subject is under the tests as an effective method of decep­ influence of licit or illicit medication tion detection, while the doubts get susceptible of affecting the results of increasingly more significant as one the examination. moves ever closer to carefully con­ It is a remarkable fact that the trolled clinical experiments.1 medication assessment is almost never Although there are important dif­ made the subject of independent ferences in how polygraph tests are verification by the collection and actually administered, with conflicting testing of blood and urine samples, claims made about which procedures thus resting solely on the word of a and methods are optimal in the detec­ person whose credibility is the justi­ tion of deception, they all generally fication for the polygraph examina­ include three phases: (1) the pre-test tion. The second part of a polygraph interview, (2) the questioning pro­ examination is the actual questioning cedure, and (3) the post-test interview. procedure, which has been exhaustively The pre-test interview is intended to reviewed by the leaders in the field, generate the psychological climate notably by Barland and Raskin and by 2 3 essential to optimize the effectiveness Reid and Inbau. - This part of the of the examination to follow. It examination begins with the subject consists, in the main, of a usually being cuffed and strapped to the

Spring 1990 293 device. The considerable resulting distinctive polygraph response will be discomfort is eased every 15 minutes obtained when the examiner asks or so while the examiner changes whether the car stolen was blue. charts. Actually, this phase of the exam­ These interludes provide the exam­ ination is even more complex than iner with opportunities to ask the that. There are several arcane strate­ subject about his reaction to the gies of questioning being endlessly questions posed and allow refinement debated by the polygraph community. of the questions to be asked next. The We need not dwell on them here. They examiner also performs stimulation include zone of comparison (ZOC) tests to further convince the subject tests, peak of tension (POT) tests, of the accuracy of the polygraph guilty knowledge tests (GKT), and examination. There are many variants modified general questions tests of the "stim" tests, but the most (MGQT). There is no consensus about common ones involve the use of play­ which of these strategies might be ing cards. The examiner unerringly optimal, because no credible database identifies cards secretly chosen by the has ever been developed to evaluate subject, on the basis of questions and this or any other significant issue in­ answers recorded by the polygraph. volving polygraph testing. These stim tests sometimes involve The final part of the polygraph deception by the examiner: the use of examination is the post-test interview. marked cards to ensure a perfect Releasing the straps and changing the score, something he or she knows the charts, mentioned earlier, are oppor­ unaided polygraph can never produce. tunities, albeit strained, for verbal The examination strategy consists exchanges between examiner and of asking questions intended to reveal subject. This helps the examiner not deception by the subject. They usually only to formulate questions but, more include relevant questions, such as "Did significantly, to form an opinion of the you steal the $1,000?" or, in a security subject's truthfulness. At the conclu­ investigation, "Did you ever have a sion of the examination, the examiner contact with any foreign intelligence usually makes an on-the-spot assess­ agent?" Since there is no known ment of the subject as deceptive or physiological response unique to lying, truthful, an opinion that the examiner it is necessary to continuously reestab­ shares with the subject. The exception lish a baseline evaluation of responses to this rule is the federal government's against neutral or irrelevant questions, evaluation of national security cases, such as "Is your name Jones?" or "Is in which an official review of the today Monday?" results must be made prior to disclo­ There are also control questions sure to the subject. intended to elicit guilty responses to If the subject is judged to have been questions about lying by even honest deceptive, the examiner will attempt people, such as "Have you ever lied to elicit a confession. This is usually about your age?" and concealed infor­ done indirectly, to facilitate the mation questions aimed at detecting opportunity for the subject to clarify, whether the subject is familiar with explain, or confess the meaning of the information that only a guilty person responses elicited by the examiner would know. For example, if a stolen during the polygraph examination. car was blue, several successive ques­ Although few examiners will admit it, tions are asked, going through a list a good judge of human behavior will of colors. It is presumed that a override the polygraph charts and

294 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 generate a report that is more heavily the National Security Agency, and the weighed by the examiner's own per­ several military investigative branches ception of the subject. It can be argued of the U.S. and its allies, spend 14 in this context that nothing can weeks in training at the school. The substitute for an expert cross- first four weeks of lectures are on the examination, without the mumbo- subjects of law, semantics, ethics, jumbo associated with the use of the physiology, pharmacology, psychol­ polygraph. This is a recognition of the ogy, and the operation, testing, and fact that the best lie detector in maintenance of the polygraph. This is existence since the dawn of human followed by 10 weeks of actual prac­ history has been, and remains, the tice, after which the successful can­ perceptive human being. Alas, few didate can conduct polygraph polygraph examiners appear to fit that examinations for the government. By description. comparison, in most states at least a Since the examiner is the key to year's training is necessary to become the effective use of the polygraph, it a licensed barber. is interesting to observe that very little Although polygraph evidence can­ attention has been paid to document not be used in most courts of law, a question that lies at the core of except by subterfuge, and polygraph polygraph testing legitimacy: Who is testing as a condition of civilian the polygraph examiner and how, by employment has now been outlawed, whom, and where is he trained and the U.S. government still heavily accredited? depends on these examinations. The There are about six thousand General Accounting Office (GAO) people in the United States who call reported in 1987 that 2.2 million themselves polygraphers, and there security clearances were held within are no formal licensing procedures for 41 government agencies, exclusive of them. Anyone can put up a shingle, the NSA and the CIA. A significant buy something simulating a poly­ proportion of these clearances were graph, and conduct polygraph exam­ subject to polygraph examination. In inations on which people's livelihood, the Department of Defense alone, for reputation, and freedom may depend. example, the number of polygraph One national organization, the Amer­ tests administered more than doubled ican Polygraph Association, has been between 1981 (6,556) and 1985 trying, with largely indifferent (13,786). They exceeded 21,000 by results, to set standards for polyg­ 1987—in spite of the fact that there raphers. Only the U.S. government were 750,000 fewer federal contrac­ runs an international school for polyg­ tors and workers with security clear­ raphers, most of whose alumni are ances in 1985 than there were in 1984. subsequently employed as polyg­ In 1985, the U.S. government had 160 raphers by the United States and its polygraph operators and had ordered allies. 153 additional machines. This school, claimed with some The heavy reliance on polygraph justification to be the best in the examinations in national security world, opened in 1951 and greatly procedures has been reviewed, docu­ expanded after 1981, is located in mented, and sharply criticized in building 3165 of Fort McClellan in several reports. A notable example is Alabama. Some three dozen students the one published by the U.S. House at a time, drawn mostly from the Select Committee on Intelligence of ranks of the FBI, the Secret Service, the 100th Congress. It concludes that

Spring 1990 295 the rapidly increasing use of, and graph tests' jeopardy to the basic excessive reliance on, polygraph constitutional premise that a person examinations since 1981 creates a false is innocent until proved guilty, that it sense of security and represents a is better to let a guilty person evade dangerous trend that may increase the net of justice than to punish a rather than decrease the risks to our single innocent person. Nearly all national security.4 parties to polygraph testing, including The central premise of polygraph U.S. government authorities respon­ testing, the psychological assumption sible for such examinations and the that guilt can always be inferred from quasi totality of responsible academic emotional disturbance, is considered investigators in this field, have taken to be implausible by the majority of the position that polygraph testing knowledgeable psychologists in the should not be permitted as a condition field. The American Polygraph Asso­ for gaining and retaining employ­ ciation claims that studies of poly­ ment. The U.S. Congress, under the graph examinations yield accuracy leadership of Senator Orrin Hatch (R- rates of from 87.2 to 96.2 percent. Utah), passed legislation now in effect Although these undocumented fig­ making the use of polygraph testing ures are dubious at best, if for the sake for most civilian employment illegal. of argument we accept a 90-percent Polygraph testing uses the jargon figure, this means that out of the total and attributes of science for legiti­ of 21,000 examinations reported by macy, but it properly belongs to the federal government (not including pseudoscience. Its main justification the CIA and NSA) in 1986, 2,100 got for existence is that it can be effective away with their guilt or were innocent in getting at the truth through intim­ when they "failed" the test, and some idation. It is not the technical data that of those who got away with false provides such a determination, but the negatives (i.e., labeled as truthful and interpretation given to the data by the reliable) may, at this very moment, polygraph examiner. Objective criteria still hold sensitive government posi­ to make such determinations simply tions of trust. do not exist and there is as yet no But the ultimate irony lies in the known reliable method to get at the well-established observation that truth by the application of scientific polygraph examinations tend to err on principles. generating substantially more false The debate about polygraph exam­ positive than false negatives. This inations has raged for more than six means that truthful persons incrim­ decades, and still no consensus has inated as liars by the polygraph will emerged on their effectiveness or outnumber actual liars. Good advice their justification in detecting decep­ would be that if you are innocent, tion.5 Until modern technology devel­ never take a lie-detector test. But if ops credible methods, if this is at all you are guilty, by all means take one: possible, polygraph tests will remain you may be exonerated. Acceptance the subject of continuing controversy. of polygraph testing is a peculiarly unique U.S. phenomenon, where the Notes procedure is rarely questioned and is accepted at face value by most people. 1. Scientific Validity of Polygraph Testing: A Research Review and Evaluation. (Washing­ It is almost unknown in the rest of ton, D.C.: Office of Technology Assessment, the civilized world. November 1983). This underscores the issue of poly­ 2. G. H. Barland and D. C. Raskin,

296 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Validity and Reliability of Polygraph Exam­ 5. W. G. Iacono and C. J. Patrick, What inations of Criminal Suspects, Report No. 76- psychologists should know about lie detec­ 1, Contract No. Nl-99-0001 (Washington, tion, Chapter 17 of Handbook of Forensic D.C.: National Institutes of Justice, Depart­ Psychology, ed. by A. Hess and I. Weiner (New ment of Justice, 1976). York: Wiley, 1986). 3. J. E. Reid and F. E. Inbau, Truth and Deception: The Polygraph Technique, 3rd ed. (Baltimore: William Wilkins, 1977). Copyright ©1990 by Elie A. Shneour 4. Report by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, 100th Congress, Report No. 100-3 (Washington, Elie A. Shneour is director of the Bio- D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, systems Research Institute, P.O. Box 1987). 1414,LaJolla, CA 92038.

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Spring 1990 297 Worldwide Disasters and Moon Phase

I. W. KELLY, D. H. SAKLOFSKE, and ROGER CULVER

hroughout history the moon has been associated with a great many human Tactivities. Lieber (1978), for example, reviews lunar speculations regarding murder, aggression, evolution, romance, birth rate, human restlessness, fatal traffic accidents, and civilization in general. The moon is especially hypothesized to be associated with notable crimes and disasters; and Lieber (1978, p. 12) contends that the most violent crimes have occurred at the time of the full moon. Since An empirical some advocates of lunar effects point to investigation calamitous events that have occurred during the times of the full moon as evidence of such shows no effects, one would expect to observe a strong relationship relationship between the full moon and an increase in the frequency of notable or great between moon disasters. The reasons for this supposed phase and correlation or even causal relationship are not always clear (Culver, Rotton, and Kelly 1988). disaster We have conducted a small-scale exploratory occurrence. examination of this possibility. Since we are dealing with "notable" disasters or those that involve a great number of deaths or receive a large amount of media coverage, the sample sizes in this study are smaller than those typically used in investigating lunar effects. By definition, a notable disaster does not occur very often. Given the small sample sizes, only a relatively large lunar relationship would be expected to come out of this study. However, while small effects may be of interest to the scientist and theoretician, the average person is more interested in relationships that have a predictive value in everyday life. This study

298 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 a) Major U.S. Railroad Wrecks (Sine* 1176) n 75

z o o o.to -1

It frh0 1 2 1 4 S • 7 I 9 10 11 12 13 14 IS I117 I111 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 27 21 29 b) Principal U.S. Mine Disaster! (Sine* 1888) n = 5»

DJ n Qi Q,0 0 1 2 3 4 S I 7 I 9 10 11 12 13 14 IS 16 17 1119 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 27 21 29 c) Notable World-wide Marine Disasters (Since 1854) n •• 89

0 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 I 9 10 11 J12 1]3 1 4 IS 16 17 II 19 20 21 m22 23 24 2S 2ffl6 27 21 29 >• d) Notable World-wide Fires (Since 1835) n 112 O z Ul 3 O Ul cc rTflhi-rl m0 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 t7 II 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 u. Ul t) Notable World-wide Explosion* (Since 1910) n 68 >

Ul

Q. nlln-.n D 010 01 23 456 719 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 II 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 29 I) Notable World-wide Aircraft Disasters (Since 1937) n 93

0.00 tin 0123 456 719 10111213 14 15 1617 11192021222324252627212\n hfl9 0.10 g) Notable World-wide Assassinations and Assassination Attempts (Since 1865) n 78i—i n .0 123456 769 10m 1112 1 3 14 15 16 17 16 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 26 29

0 15 A h) Notab,e Worldwide Kidnappings (Since 1900) n_ 41

hn n 0123456 719 10 11 12 13 14 IS 16 17 II 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2129 DAY OF SYNODIC LUNAR CYCLE FIGURE 1. Histograms of notable disasters according to day of synodic lunar cycle. (Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1989. World Almanac. New York.) focuses on the belief that there is a cycle. No evidence was uncovered that practicable relationship between lunar supports the folklore that there is a phase and disaster. Our source for the relationship between moon phase and disasters was The World Almanac and disasters that has a usefulness in Book of Fads 1989. everyday life.5 An examination of the relative frequency of the disasters graphed Notes according to day of the synodic lunar cycle (Figure 1) indicates that the full 1. Only 56 of the 66 mine disasters moon days have no elevated frequen­ mentioned in the World Almanac were cies of disaster occurrence. A statis­ utilized in this analysis. Prior to 1968, the World Almanac recorded only disasters in tical analysis (4x8 chi square) revealed which 60 or more lives were lost. After 1968, no evidence of a relationship between all mine disasters in which five or more lives frequency of type of disaster (U.S. rail­ were lost were recorded. We have analyzed road accidents, U.S. mine disasters,1 only data in which 60 or more lives were marine disasters worldwide, fires lost. However, the data eliminated do not worldwide, aircraft disasters world­ affect our conclusions. On the contrary, not 2 one of the ten dates omitted occurred on one wide, and explosions, assassinations, of the five days centered at the full moon. and kidnappings worldwide) and five It should also be pointed out that where days centered on each of the four a disaster occurred over several days, the phases of the moon (new moon, first first day that the disaster occurred was the quarter, full moon, and third quarter): date we recorded. 2 2. The negative finding regarding notable [x (21) = 17.48, p = 0.68], where aircraft disasters is consistent with Kelly, n = 426. Saklofske, and Culver (1990), who found no relationship between all fatal aircraft acci­ Similarly, an analysis (one factor dents (one or more people killed) and moon chi square) with disasters and five days phase in Canada over an eight-year period. centered on a moon phase did not 3. A spectral analysis would have been result in evidence that disasters occur a more powerful statistical tool than chi more often during any one moon square to analyze the present data. Unfor­ 2 tunately, the long time period covered and/ phase [x (3) = 1.51, p = 0.68]. or small sample sizes of our studies preclude Finally, an overall analysis across such an analysis. The study was conducted, all disasters provided no evidence that however, with the statistical power of the disasters (of all types) tend to occur analysis in mind. The sample size for the 4 x 8 contingency table was n = 426. We decided on any one day of the synodic lunar that an effect size described by Cohen (1977) cycle more often than on any other as "moderately small" (v> - 0.20, Cramer's 2 3 [x (28) = 30.16, p = 0.36]. 9' = 0.12) would be of sufficient importance These findings are consistent with for the purposes of our study. In addition, other reviews that have failed to find because of the exploratory nature of looking for lunar relationships in this area we a relationship among psychological, adopted a less stringent significance level physical, and sociological behaviors (a = 0.10). The power of our (4 x 8) analysis and the synodic lunar cycle (Kelly, for detecting the abovementioned effect size Rotton, and Culver 1985; Culver, (a = 0.10) is 0.74. Similarly, the one-factor chi-square across the four phases for all Rotton, and Kelly 1988; Martens, disasters (n - 426) under consideration has Kelly, and Saklofske 1988; McFarlane, power = 0.97 for a noticeably useful relation­ Martin, and Williams 1988; Coates, ship (to = 0.20), but this analysis would have Jehle, and Cottington 1989).4 only a one-in-two chance of picking up a weaker effect (w - 0.10) The one-factor chi- In conclusion, in these analyses we square across moon-day for all disasters have looked at eight types of disasters (n = 612) under consideration has power and their frequencies at the four = 0.80 for w =0.20 but only a one-in-three phases and moon-day of the lunar chance of detecting a weaker effect

300 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 (w = 0.10). All analyses have too small a Kelly, I. W., J. Rotton, and R. Culver. 1985. sample size to detect a weak lunar relation­ The moon was full and nothing happened. ship with any degree of confidence. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, IO(2):129-143. 4. For an agnostic but contrary view of Kelly, I. W., D. H. Saklofske, and R. Culver. the substantial issues involved in investigat­ 1990. Aircraft accidents and disasters and ing lunar effects on human behavior see Cyr the full moon: No relationship. Psychol­ and Kalpin (1987). ogy, forthcoming. 5. We would like to thank James Rotton Lieber, A. L. 1978. The Lunar Effect. Garden for critical comments on an earlier draft of City, N.Y.: Anchor Press/Doubleday. this paper. Martens, R., I. W. Kelly, and D. H. Saklofske. 1988. Lunar phase and birthrate: A 50- References year critical review. Psychological Reports, 63:923-934. Culver, R., J. Rotton, and I. W. Kelly. 1988. McFarlane, J., C. Martin, and T. Williams. Moon mechanisms and myths: A critical 1988. Mood fluctuations, women versus appraisal of explanations of purported men, and menstrual versus other cycles. lunar effects on human behavior. Psycho­ Psychology of Women Quarterly, 12:201- logical Reports, 62:683-710. 223. Coates, W., D. Jehle, and E. Cottington. 1989. Trauma and the full moon: A waning World Almanac. 1987. The World Almanac theory. Annals of Emergency Medicine, and Book of Facts 1988. New York: World 18(7):763-765, July. Almanac. Cohen, J. 1977. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (rev. ed.). New Ivan Kelly and Don Saklofske are pro­ York: Academic Press. fessors in educational psychology at the Cyr, J. J., and R. A. Kalpin. 1987. The lunar- lunacy relationship: A poorly evaluated University of Saskatchewan, Canada. hypothesis. Psychological Reports, 62:391- Roger Culver is an astronomer at 400. Colorado State University.

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Spring 1990 301 Reviews Demystifying Hypnosis

Hypnosis: The Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective. Edited by Nicholas P. Spanos and John F. Chaves. Prometheus Books, 1989. 511 pp. Cloth $34.95.

Lewis Jones

f I tell you what I'm thinking or in all, and the text is backed up by feeling, how do you know I'm speak­ about 1,500 references. I ing the truth? For centuries philo­ What is hypnosis? Spanos and sophers have chewed over the Chaves point out that for most Problem of Private Events, and it has laypeople and many research workers been tackled from the isolation of the and health-care providers, it involves philosopher's study, by sittin' and a trance, or at least an altered state thinkin'. of conciousness that is brought on by And then the experimental psy­ repetitive verba! rituais, known as the chologist came along, took the prob­ induction procedure. The person lem away from the philosopher, and hypnotized allegedly becomes a pas­ shook it by the scruff of the neck. sive automaton and comes under the Take statements like these: "I don't control of the hypnotist. remember where I heard that"; "I've The vogue began with the German forgotten the word"; "I don't know physician Anton Mesmer in the late why I did that"; "It doesn't hurt"; "I've eighteenth century. At that time, his gone deaf"; "I can't see it"; "It's red." "animal magnetism' was investigated There are two ways of finding out by the Royal Commission in France. whether these statements are true. Their experiments led them to the One is to simply ask the speaker and conclusion that the patient's "imagi­ believe whatever he says. The other nation and expectant desire" were is to sit down and figure out independ­ sufficient to account for Mesmer's ent ways of getting at the truth. On results. the face of things, many of these Not that this stopped the march of statements may seem to be beyond mesmerism. It became entwined with investigation, but tackling them has a range of other occult beliefs and got produced some of the most ingenious a new lease on life. And now here we testing procedures devised by exper­ are toward the end of the twentieth imental psychologists. (Yes, I'm afraid century with the American Psycho­ the word experimental is necessary.) logical Association sheltering a full- Hypnosis is a case in point, and fledged Division of Psychological Hypnosis, a collection of essays and Hypnosis (are there other kinds?). studies edited by Nicholas Spanos and It is about 40 years now since John Chaves, is well stocked with the T. R. Sarbin (one of this book's results of tests. There are 19 papers contributors) threw out the long-held

302 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 belief in an "altered state of conscious­ ness." And in the 1960s, T. X. Barber finally unsheathed the simple weapon that had been the death of so many groundless belief systems—the con­ trol group. One group was given a hypnotic induction procedure, a second group was asked to just imagine whatever was suggested to them, and a third group was simply urged to do their best to respond to suggestions. "Hypnotized subjects responded to suggestions for age regression, hallu­ cination, amnesia, pain reduction, and so forth—but so did the controls. And those who were simply told, "Do your best," did just as well as those who were "hypnotized." (I'm afraid the word hypnotized often has to go about with quotes acting as bodyguards.) Other researchers soon found that nonhypnotic subjects also did as well in producing "so-called immoral, self- goal is "to behave like a hypnotized destructive, or criminal behavior." It person as this is continuously defined turned out that all subjects knew by the operator and understood by the perfectly well that they would be safe subject" (R. W. White). For many from harm since they were aware they subjects, merely defining the situation were taking part in experiments in an as hypnosis results in their classifying academic setting. everyday behaviors like arm-raising as The subjects who did best in tests "involuntary." And T. X. Barber and of hypnotic susceptibility were those D. S. Calverley made the amusing who had been asked to pretend to be discovery that when a group of hypnotized. And hypnotic perfor­ subjects were told that hypnosis was mance could be noticeably improved a test of gullibility, "hypnotic respond­ with some training. In other words, ing was virtually nullified." what had been thought of as a genet­ When a subject is told that he will ically endowed susceptibility was in perform a certain action on cue after fact a skill that could be learned. "waking up," is that action really Some fairly recent work has sug­ beyond his control? Thirteen subjects gested that hypnotic susceptibility were told to scratch their ear when might be related to the trait of they heard the word psychology, and "absorption." ("Do you become com­ they all did so. The hypnotist gave the pletely absorbed and 'lose yourself in impression that the experiment was watching a film, reading a book, over and had an informal conversation listening to music?") But this too has with a colleague in which the cue word now fallen by the wayside. was used: Nine of the subjects failed The fact is that hypnotic subjects to respond. When the hypnotist then know how hypnotic subjects are intimated that the experiment was still supposed to behave, and their general in progress, seven of those nine began

Spring 1990 303 responding again. Another experi­ Furthermore, most amnesics will menter found that all post-hypnotic confess to remembering more and responding stopped when he left the more of the "forgotten" material room, apparently to attend an under adequate pressure, "to the emergency. extent that they have nothing left to In a similar experiment, Spanos and remember when amnesia is lifted." his associates found that subjects all Coe's conclusion on the result of dutifully coughed when they heard post-hypnotic amnesia studies: the word psychology in the experimen­ "Responsive hypnotic subjects can be tal situation. But Spanos had arranged viewed as engaged in strategic enact­ for a confederate to pose as a lost ment to fulfill the role of a good student asking for the psychology hypnotic subject as they perceived it." department. None of the subjects Hypnotic deafness? If you get responded to the cue word. someone to read or speak into a I. F. Hoyt and J. F. Kihlstrom have microphone and feed back the sound concluded that "post-hypnotic of his voice into headphones after a information-processing is no different momentary time lag, his speech will from nonhypnotic information- become seriously disrupted, with processing." slurring, hesitations, and stammering. Subjects are sometimes given a Hypnotic subjects claiming to be deaf post-hypnotic suggestion that they show the same disruptions. will not remember certain key words. "High-susceptible" subjects and Do they really forget these words? "low-susceptible" subjects have been According to their verbal reports, they told that they are deaf in one ear. Then do. But according to their galvanic skin pairs of words have been presented resistance, they don't. simultaneously, one member of the In another example, subjects are pair to each ear. Subjects should only given a list of words to learn. They be able to hear words presented to are then "hypnotized" and given their "good" ear. In fact, both groups another list to learn. This second list show the same number of intrusions has been constructed so as to interfere from the "deaf" ear. with the recall of the first list. Some Color-blindness? When hypnoti­ subjects are then given a post­ cally color-blind subjects are shown hypnotic amnesia suggestion to forget the Isihara "malingering" card, they the second list. Other subjects are report that they can't see the number given no suggestion. When recall is that in fact can be seen by all genuinely tested later, subjects in both groups red/green-blind individuals. recall the first list at the same level. Post-hypnotic negative hallucina­ William C. Coe asks simply: "Is their tions? Hypnotically blind subjects amnesia credible?" continue to process the visual infor­ Spanos and others found that mation they claim not to see. between 40 and 63 percent of their There are a number of standard "amnesic" subjects later admitted that ways of reducing the effects of pain they had suppressed their reports. (e.g., self-distraction, placebos, relax­ Coe writes: "Perhaps we should ation, cognitive re-interpretation, wonder how many did not confess?" positive imagery). Does hypnosis do And he comments: "The 'skill' they a better job? employ is not reporting." Not surpris­ Perhaps the best-known (and most ingly, simulators are just as successful often quoted) person to use mesmer­ in employing this "skill." ism for surgical pain was the

304 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 nineteenth-century physician John Esdaile. He reported thousands of minor surgical procedures. Medical 'Hypnotized' subjects workers in Austria, in France, and in responded to suggestions for the United States tried to replicate his successes. They all failed. age regression, Like the acupuncture miracle- hallucinations, amnesia, pain workers of China, Esdaile plied his reduction, and so forth—but trade in a distant clime (in his case, India)—"far from the din of skeptical so did the controls. And those colleagues" in the polite phrase of John who were simply told 'Do Chaves. your best' did just as well. When the time came to investigate Esdaile's achievements, the Bengal government appointed a commission. childbirth "hypnotic procedures have Esdaile selected only ten patients for failed to meet the grandiose claims observation. Three were discarded that have sometimes been made for because they appeared to be unre­ them." Without the counter-check of sponsive to his techniques. One case a control group, it is all too easy to was "inconclusive." Three showed attribute an easy birth to the use of "convulsive movements of the upper hypnosis, because "anywhere from 9 limbs, writhing of the body, distortion to 24 percent of women experience of the features, giving the face a relatively painless childbirth without hideous expression of suppressed any intervention." agony. . . ." The remaining three But—sadly again—"it is unlikely showed no outward sign of pain, that any psychological techniques, though two of them showed erratic whether labeled 'hypnosis' or 'pre­ pulse rates. This was hardly the pared childbirth training,' will be wonder anesthetic that everyone had entirely effective in reducing the pain been led to expect. in childbirth for most women." Esdaile's tiny (and selective) sample Richard F. Q. Johnson asked 42 did not take into account the wide prominent researchers if they had variation in different people's ability ever tried to produce blisters by to tolerate pain. More recent attempts hypnotic suggestion. Seven said they to use hypnotic analgesia have suf­ had obtained positive results. But fered the same flaws that have ruined none had published their results, and the claims for acupuncture analgesia: they were very skeptical of their the treatment has almost always been findings. They suspected that highly accompanied by chemical anesthetics, motivated subjects might secretly sedation, or local anesthesia. injure themselves to produce the In fact, suggestions for reducing results the hypnotist wanted. the perception of pain can be effective Nevertheless, further research is whether accompanied by hypnotic called for, especially comparing nor­ induction or not. And, sadly, as mal subjects with those who have a Chaves points out, "a recent review sensitive skin. After all, anxiety is of significant developments in medical associated with the production and hypnosis over the past 25 years fails intensity of some skin ailments, such to cite a single report of hypno- as hives. analgesia. . . ." Nearly all cases of religious stig­ Joyce L. D'Eon reports that in mata can be explained in terms of

Spring 1990 305 deliberate self-injury. The bleedings are brought to the attention of inves­ tigators only after they have begun, The likeliest result of and it is almost impossible to keep a 24-hour watch on the subjects. allowing the police to use Warts? If they are left untreated, hypnotists would be 'the they will generally go away of their own accord after two or three years. confident reporting of In a controlled study, 17 patients with inaccurate information.' warts on both sides of their bodies were given hypnotic induction, then told that the warts would disappear of either hypnosis or cancer. It is from one side. Some warts did in fact crippled by a lack of sophisticated go away—from both sides of the body. research, weakened by the strongly But any treatment that the patient 'essentialist' preconceptions brought believes in is likely to produce results to the topic by the authors, and is just as dramatic as those claimed for doomed to obscurity by virtue of its hypnosis. post-hoc conclusion." There is no Johnson summarizes: "The skin support, Stam concludes, "for the may at times be strongly influenced claims that psychological techniques by thinking and suggestion. Never­ actually reject or contain cancer or theless, the precise relationship otherwise lead to its regression." between verbal suggestion and Where does the law stand in all changes in the skin has yet to be this? In the case of K. Bianchi, the so- determined." called Hillside Strangler, the Los Hendrikus J. Stam reports: "The Angeles courts gave a curious solidity use of hypnosis for the treatment of to the spirit form known as hypnosis. cancer pain, like other psychological The law ruled that testimony from techniques for the treatment of this hypnotized witnesses was not problem, has remained largely admissible in court. As H. P. de Groot untested. The bulk of this literature and M. I. Gwynn conclude in their is in the form of case reports." His discussion of the case, "It makes little conclusions offer little hope: "Where sense to ask whether or not Bianchi does this leave the literature on the was 'really hypnotized,' because the treatment of cancer pain? More or less construct 'hypnosis' has little utility as where it began, unfortunately. The a scientific account of hypnotic lack of systematic studies and the responding." continued exaggerated claims made In Canadian law, hypnotic for this technique have left it in suggestion, along with such influences scientific and therapeutic limbo." as drugs and alcohol, is allowed as a As for the treatment of nausea and basis for the defense of "automatism." vomiting, "the available research data And the American Law Institute's have yet to indicate any advantage for Model Penal Code claims that anyone hypnosis over standard relaxation or following hypnotic suggestion is not systematic desensitization treat­ acting voluntarily, and so can't be ments." considered criminally liable. But How about treatment of the cancer various American states offer itself? "This large and diverse litera­ differing viewpoints. ture on hypnosis and cancer does not In England, a judge in Maidstone shed much light on our understanding has ruled that the testimony of four

306 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 witnesses was not admissible in court internal forces and a vocabulary more because they had been previously suited to occult mysteries? The "hypnotized." answer turns out to be the clinicians. By contrast, the cognitive- William C. Coe's study of hypnosis behavioral point of view takes the journals is revealing. "It seems that position that the actions of a "hyp­ the vast majority of clinicians prefer notized" subject are voluntary. T. X. using special state concepts in vague Barber has made the point that ways, perhaps naively, or perhaps to explaining a hypnotic subject's behav­ mystify purposely. It seems equally ior in terms of a trance or altered state clear that the vast majority of exper­ of consciousness is like explaining a imental investigators avoid using shaman's behavior in terms of spirit special state concepts." possession. It appears that "the opaqueness and As for hypnotizing witnesses to get vagueness of special state concepts at the facts, "There is no conclusive allow the aura of mystery and power evidence, either anecdotal or experi­ long associated with hypnosis and mental, to indicate that hypnosis can hypnotists to remain alive." act as a 'truth serum' " (G. F. Wag- From a scientific viewpoint, "Hyp­ staff). There is not even any known notic induction rituals are viewed as method for detecting whether anyone historical curiosities that reflect is simulating "hypnosis" or not. outmoded nineteenth-century at­ The likeliest result of allowing the tempts to conceptualize the behaviors police to use hypnotists would be "the associated with this topic as linked in confident reporting of inaccurate some way to sleep." information" (P. W. Sheehan and "In short," say Spanos and Chaves, J. Tilden). "clinical hypnosis as a research area All in all, "The kinds of experiences appears to be at roughly the same and behaviors that are elicited by point as experimental hypnosis re­ hypnotic procedures can also be search before Barber began his sys­ produced by placebos and other tematic controlled experimentation in expectancy-modification procedures." the late 1950s." As long ago as 1962, T. R. Sarbin Alas, this richly stocked tome proposed that the term hypnosis be provides no index to help readers refer stricken from the professional vocab­ back to anything they've read. So be ulary of psychology. That day has still warned—youll need to make up your not come, although the cognitive skills own index as you go along. involved are being more often Nevertheless, this book, with its referred to nowadays by such terms hundreds of follow-up references, will as goal-directed fantasy or think-with tell you pretty much anything you suggestions. need to know about hypnosis and its Hypnosis was born at a time when standing in 1989. Outside the profes­ theological explanations were just sional journals, it is now the definitive beginning to give way to the rational­ source of information on the subject. ity rules of science. So in the late twentieth century, who is it who still hangs onto this concept of human Lewis Jones is a London-based writer and conduct as a function of strange editor.

Spring 1990 307 The 'Communion' Movie And Its Would-be Mystic Communion (the movie) Ronald D. Story

hen I wrote UFOs and the mystics, are delusions that spring Limits of Science (Morrow, from the unconscious mind. Strieber W 1981), I went as far as I could suspected as much; but what would to honestly support the UFO pheno­ you rather believe if you were in his menon as a genuine mystery. Actu­ shoes: that your mind was playing ally, I still believe it is, but a mystery tricks or that you were a "chosen one" of the mind, not a physical anomaly. intermittently beamed up to a higher I now have zero faith in the premise realm of being? that UFOs represent anything special It is also possible, following the in external reality other than misper- incredible success of Communion (the ceptions colored by cultural book), that Strieber has nurtured a influences. natural fantasy-prone personality Whitley Strieber's books Commun­ (as a tool of his craft) through a form ion (Morrow, 1987) and Transformation of meditation that produces striking (Morrow, 1988) serve as testimony to hallucinations. Perhaps through at­ what Maya Pines stated in The Brain tempting to expand his conscious­ Changers: Scientists and the New Mind ness into the mystic realm, he has Control (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, rattled a cage or two, deep within his 1973): "As a nation, we are turning unconscious, letting some of his own inward. Through drugs, meditation, demons out to roam loose in the alpha training, and other means, more night. people than ever before are trying to An admirably honest view of the change their mental functions." Communion film, in Movies USA Whitley Strieber, like Shirley magazine (vol. 3, no. 1, 1989), states: MacLaine, appeals to this inner escap­ "Academy award winner Christopher ism. It has been said that our era of Walken stars as Whitley Strieber, the high technology has spawned a new author who may or may not have been search for the spiritual. Unfortu­ kidnapped by aliens. Based on Strieb­ nately, in doublespeak, the word er's novel, Communion [the movie] spiritual covers a lot of nonsense that examines the self-doubts and fear of is difficult to define, but you know it madness that come with an extreme when you hear it. experience. As the plot unravels, the Strieber, in my view, represents a audience must figure out which is new twist to an old theme, recast in furthest out there—the author or the terms of modern space-age (or New aliens." Another typical review called Age) symbols. Jung would have loved the movie "self-indulgent" and "pond­ the symbolism; and it is a pity that erous and agonizingly slow"; it quickly Freud is not around to interpret disappeared from theaters. Strieber's dreams. I have no doubt that By his own admission, Strieber has these dreams, called "visions" by had trouble distinguishing fantasy

308 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 from reality; so what good would a so-called lie-detector (polygraph) test be? Likewise, his time-regression hypnosis, which is portrayed in the movie as confirming Strieber's other­ worldly visions. Hypnosis is a state of concentrated attention and height­ ened suggestibility in which the imagination can literally run wild. That is why, as Newsweek reported, March 22, 1982, the "California Supreme Court barred from giving evidence in court virtually all wit­ nesses who had been hypnotized. The problem, the judges said, is that hypnotized persons are especially susceptible to suggestion; once in a IN STEREO - 4,45 7:35-9,45 I li trance they often produce 'pseudo- memories or fantasies' that they later swear are true." Recent articles in the some kind of nut! I was especially SKEPTICAL INQUIRER have made the surprised because Strieber himself same point, e.g., Baker, Winter 1987- wrote the screenplay, which was not 88; Spanos, Winter 1987-88.) true to the book. The author of many horror-fiction UFO-abductionist Budd Hopkins novels, can Strieber still be selling (author of Intruders, Random House, fiction but at the same time be 1987), to whom Strieber first convinced it is fact? I do believe that reported his experiences, was con­ he is giving an honest account of his spicuously absent from the movie. hallucinations and delusions, which (This was not surprising in light of he calls his experiences, but that they their later feud over who should be are figments of an overactive imag­ America's leading guru in the UFO- ination—not real physical beings that abduction field.) Instead, a woman (a follow him back and forth between psychiatrist/psychologist, who also his cabin in upstate New York and his seemed to be a believer in literal UFO- Greenwich Village apartment. abduction tales) conducted the hyp­ Dreams of goblins become "encoun­ notic sessions with Strieber and ters" with "visitors." One reason referred him to the UFO-abductee Communion, the book, was so success­ support group. ful is that it fits neatly into the genre After the initial success of Com­ of the so-called New Age, which munion (topping the New York Times usually includes a distrust of science bestseller list for months in 1987), in and complete openness to "spiritual which Strieber admits his inability to awareness." distinguish between what is objec­ What surprised me most about tively real and what may be mental Communion, the movie, was that illness, he writes in the sequel, instead of convincing the audience Transformation (1988): "My expe­ that the visitors were real (which may rience has come to include too many or may not have been the intention), witnesses for me to consider that it what came shining through to me was is internal to my mind." But witnesses a portrayal of the main character as to what? Nowhere in Strieber's

Spring 1990 309 books—or in the movie—is he ever eat chocolate" or "Just hang in there, accompanied by anyone while in the and everything will be okay." presence of the "visitors." Witnesses Is Strieber's modus operandi to mix to lights and sounds, perhaps, but not delusions with reality. Author Erich the visitors themselves, with the von Daniken did this back in 1968 exception of his young son, whom I when he created a furor over alleged believe was influenced by the father ancient astronauts. The story didn't or vice versa. Actually, there is one do very well as fiction, but it received other exception, which is published in considerable attention when it was Transformation and in the publicity repackaged and sold as "nonfiction." release that is sent to reviewers by However, von Daniken never claimed the publisher. Believe it or not, the special status as a New Age mystic able claim is that Morrow senior editor to make direct contact with aliens or Bruce Lee saw two of the visitors, other ethereal beings. wearing sunglasses, leafing through However, an interesting parallel the book Communion in a Manhattan was contained in von Daniken's bookstore! Miracles of the Gods (Delacorte, Strieber also claims that the vis­ 1975)—the notion that visions and itors "are already having a staggering religious miracles were somehow but largely hidden impact on our beamed down to us by extraterres­ society." But where is the impact? One trials. The jacket copy of Miracles says of the major points always raised by that "overripe intelligences are send­ skeptics is that the supposed visitors ing energetic thought impulses to us, have not contributed anything to our their brothers and sisters of the same society in the 40 years of their alleged heritage. These impulses are intended existence. If they're really here, then to stimulate and enlarge our con­ why don't they help us out? Are they sciousness." Von Daniken quoted a waiting for us to go broke, starve to West German opinion poll that found death, or kill each other off, so they that "53 percent of the people ques­ can inherit a dead and polluted planet? tioned believed in miracles and What Strieber suggests is the old visions." parallel-universe routine, in which the Perhaps an even more fitting prece­ visitors kind of fade in and out of dent was that set by George Adamski another dimension. But, again, why? (1891-1965) in the early 1950s. To test our patience? It doesn't make Adamski also began as a fiction writer, sense. but nothing much happened until he The most Strieber tells us is that claimed actual contact with Venusians the visitors are having communion in his bestseller Flying Saucers Have with one soul at a time. A Mississippi Landed (British Book Centre, 1953). fisherman one night and an Arizona Adamski's aliens were not of the bug- woodcutter the next; but all must wait eyed fetus type that are in vogue their turn. (Remember that 99 percent today. The first one was described as of all UFO abductions occur while the a beardless, suntanned version of chosen one is home in bed at night, Jesus (with long blond hair), wearing and usually in the middle of a dream.) a ski suit and sandals. The primary And, as has always been the case with purpose of the Venusians' visit to spiritualism, the most profound mes­ Earth was to warn us of potential sages we ever get during these con­ nuclear disaster. This seemed to be tacts with superior intelligences or one of Strieber's concerns as well, but mystical beings are things like, "Don't nowadays his aliens are more inter-

310 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 nowadays his aliens are more inter­ are made of. Anyone who reads ested in the environment—particu­ Freud's Interpretation of Dreams (1900) larly the ozone layer. and Joseph Campbell's Hero with a To repeat what Jung said about Thousand Faces (1949) should have another contactee, about 30 years ago, little difficulty recognizing the Strieber "comes like a gift to the obvious parallels and telltale signs that psychologist." Like Orfeo Angelucci, reveal the mythical nature of the Strieber "reveals . . . clearly the UFO-abduction stories. But if we are unconscious background of the UFO not willing or able to face the obvious, phenomenon." Unlike such people as then maybe we should forget the Betty and Barney Hill and Travis ozone layer and start worrying about Walton, Strieber tells a more complete the depletion of common sense. story. A careful reading of his books Ronald Story is a technical writer, editor suggests that the "visitor experience" of The Encyclopedia of UFOs, and is a purely mental activity, composed author of Space Gods Revealed. He lives of exactly the same stuff that dreams in Tucson.

Battling Scams, Swindles, and Schemes

Don't Get Taken! by Robert A. Steiner. Wide-Awake Books, Box 659, El Cerrito, CA 94530, 1989. 206 pp. Paper $14.95.

Kent Harker

ike a country song, the title tells tricks of the trade from books and the whole story. Don't Get Taken! legitimate sleight-of-hand artists and L is fun to read. Regardless of your soon was performing on stage. Don't familiarity with the skeptical litera­ Get Taken! is essentially the accum­ ture, you are not immune to the well- ulation of Steiner's 20 years of hands- calculated designs of the con artist. "Al on experience in the trenches tracking Capone . . . gave $50,000 to a con" psychic scams and other swindles. (p. 7). Steiner, who was a founder and The book begins where many of first chair of Bay Area Skeptics and us got our first painful childhood the 1988-1989 national president of introduction to a scam: from the the Society of American Magicians, grifters (those who operate gambling chose a meaningful title for his book, devices at carnivals). The experience and his chapter titles are no less so. young Bob Steiner had at his first "Astrology Is Bigotry," Chapter 6, carnival launched him on something doesn't leave one in the dark about of a crusade. He then learned the where Steiner stands. Think about

Spring 1990 311 what bigotry means. This kind of 50- My favorite chapter is "Pyramid caliber rat-a-tat is classic Steiner. No Schemes." I'm certain that even wimps allowed. But the blitzkrieg everyone in the Khmer Rouge has quality is attenuated by an echo in the received a chain letter. We know the back of one's head, the one that says only one who can win is the one who this book has something to do with starts the whole thing, but few of us avoiding financial and emotional have ever stopped to actually do some harm. That echo will keep even calculations. We know the numbers committed believers on track when quickly exhaust the population of the other approaches might have derailed whole planet, so it doesn't seem worth them miles before. the trouble to run the numbers out. We often fall into the snare of Even given this intuitive awareness, trying to refute the examples of actually seeing the astronomical fig­ "psychics" and other charlatans on ures is staggering. Have you any idea their own territory, without looking what $500 nonillion is? If Steiner had on the other side of the coin, as it were. any sense he would quit trying to Steiner turns that coin over and slaps make money writing books and start it on the table: the chapter called a chain letter. "You could be a mil­ "Hitler Was an Aries" is typical of lionaire. All you have to do is be a Steiner's looks at the dull side of the scoundrel"—this is what someone told coin, the side that does not reflect the Steiner after he had posed as a psychic wonders of astrology—the side the and later told the audience it was a soothsayers would rather we not hoax (p. 17). consider. For example, this side says Steiner has given demonstrations that an Aries, according to astrologer of psychic surgery to many medical Linda Goodman, "can't lie worth a groups and citizen-watch organiza­ tinker" (p. 41). You might also be in­ tions. He was also in on the planning terested in the noble astrological traits and execution of some of James of Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and Randi's faith-healing investigations. Joseph Goebbels in the same chapter. The chapter on this topic summarizes You'll find there is not much good that work and whets the reader's in the scams. There is plenty of bad craving for more information. and some downright ugly you didn't I wouldn't want to leave the know about. We've all heard of those impression that the hobnail boots on who read tea leaves, bones, tarot, and Steiner's pen, to mix a metaphor, other paraphernalia, but have you trample the pages like a bull in a china heard of the "Blood Readers"? Your shop. There is always precision in blood type is more reliable than the Steiner's Q.E.D.s, and a generous stars to augur your path, according amount of painted prose and human to the practitioners. You will learn concern for the victims of the sleaziest what type-O carriers have in common crime—fraud. with mafiosi. If you're tired of "What's Don't get taken! Get the book. your sign?" you might chance "I'm AB-negative, and 111 bet you are an O-positive" to get the conversation Kent Harker is editor of BASIS, newsletter going. of the Bay Area Skeptics.

312 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Some Recent Books V+&3&S&. r*&SkS&~zr

Alternate States of Consciousness: Professor Grove wrote in our Fall Unself, Otherself, and Superself. 1988 issue). University of Toronto Hilary Evans. An exploration into the Press, 340 Nagel Drive, Buffalo, NY whole range of ASC experiences, from 14225, 1989, 229 pp., $35 cloth, dreaming to religious ecstasy, hypno­ $14.95 paper. sis to amnesia, and near-death expe­ riences to multiple personality. On Being a Scientist. Committee on Sterling Publishing Co., 387 Park the Conduct of Science, Council of the Ave., New York, NY 10016,1989, 256 National Academy of Sciences. First- pp., $10.95 paper. of-its-kind booklet provides guidance to science graduate students on proper The Dual Brain, Religion, and the conduct of science. Among the ques­ Unconscious. Sim C. Liddon, M.D. tions addressed: How can a scientist Psychiatrist Liddon attempts to intro­ avoid self-delusion in making obser­ duce a new conceptual framework for vations? How should errors in scien­ gaining a rational understanding of tific papers be corrected? What should subjective human experience—emo­ a researcher do who suspects a col­ tions, desires, intentions, values. The league of misconduct? What contribu­ author seeks ways to include nonra- tions should coauthorship imply? tional aspects of human nature into National Academy Press, 2101 Con­ a matrix consistent with scientific stitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC understanding without resorting 20418, 1989). 22 pp., $5.00 paper. either to mystical explanations or to reducing experience to mere chemical Psychology, 2nd ed. Carole Wade and process. Uses data from split-brain Carol Travis. Introductory psychology experiments in combination with textbook provides a refreshing, uni­ knowledge of the symbolic process. fying approach to psychology based on Prometheus Books, 700 E. Amherst critical thinking. The intention is to St., Buffalo, NY 14215, 1989, 265 pp., imbue students "with both intellectual $21.95 cloth. cautiousness and an open mind" so they can better examine for them­ In Defence of Science: Science, Tech­ selves the complex questions and nology, and Politics in Modern competing claims (some of them pop Society. J. W. Grove. Essays on the philosophies with a "quasi-scientific role of science in the modern world veneer") that make it increasingly devotes lengthy sections to perver­ difficult for the public to distinguish sions of science (e.g., the IQ controv­ "scientific psychology" from "psycho­ ersy), pseudoscience (e.g., Velikovsky babble." Covers all aspects of a first- and parapsychology), and anti-science year course in psychology but always (e.g., creationism, and the intellectual from a viewpoint of critical thinking revolt against science, on which rather than mere recitation of facts

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From Shopping for Enlightenment *1989 by Laura Eisen and Mark Frey. Published by Celestial Arts. Berkeley. Calif. and information. Includes many short Shopping for Enlightenment: The sections on such subjects as Science Whole Universe Catalog. Laura Eisen vs. Pseudoscience; Extrasensory Per­ and Mark Frey. A humorous look at ception: Reality or Illusion?; Sense and New Age fads and fancies, through Nonsense About Human Experience; a series of tongue-in-cheek cartoon and Thinking Critically and Crea­ "ads" for dozens of New Age acces­ tively. Harper & Row, New York, sories, such as the Chakkra Balancer, 1990. 698 pp. + appendix, glossary, Astral Travel Meter, Near-Death bibliography, indexes. $40.50, cloth. Simulator, Past-Life Programmer, and Aura-Cleansing Gel. Celestial Arts, The Search for Psychic Power: ESP P.O. Box 7327, Berkeley, CA 94707, and Parapsychology Revisited. C. E. 1989, 66 pp., $5.95 paper. M. Hansel. Psychologist and recog­ nized world authority on, and critic Subterranean Worlds: 100,000 Years of, ESP and parapsychology here of Dragons, Dwarfs, the Dead, Lost updates his earlier ESP and Parapsy­ Races and UFOs from Inside the chology: A Critical Re-Evaluation (1980) Earth. Walter Kafton-Minkel. A with further examinations of serious "sometimes entertaining, sometimes parapsychology experiments, plus completely ludicrous" exploration of comments by critics of the earlier human obsessions about subterra­ work and his responses to them. nean worlds. This examination of lore Hansel, as always, subjects experi­ about the interior of the earth reveals mental protocols to detailed methodo­ much about extremes of the human logical examination and assesses imagination and capacity for delusion. claims against strict criteria for scien­ Loompanics Unlimited, P.O. Box 1197, tific acceptance, foremost among Port Townsend, WA 98368,1989, 306 them being repeatability. Prometheus pp., $18.95 paper. Books, Buffalo, N.Y., 1989, 308 pp., $24.95 cloth. —K.F.

314 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Articles Of Note

Ansley, David. "The Dream Diamond, Jared. "Bittersweet Dreams Machine." West magazine (San Jose of Glory." Natural History, November Mercury News), August 27, 1989, pp. 1989, pp. 28-36. Sympathetic explo­ 8-15. Investigative feature on the late ration into what motivated Robert inventor Joseph Papp and his "ther­ Peary to claim that he had reached the monuclear plasma engine" perpetual- North Pole. The National Geographic motion machine. Society has published a report of an investigation it sponsored that sup­ Campbell, Steuart. "Reflections on ports Peary's assertions ("New Evi­ the Knock Apparition." New Huma­ dence Places Peary at the Pole," nist, June 1988, pp. 20-21. Proposal of National Geographic, January 1990, pp. an astronomical source (Jupiter) for 44-61). the Knock apparition of 1879. Donnelly, F. K. "Secular vs. Sacred Coates, Wendy, Dietrich Jehle, and History: The Case of the World Eric Cottington. "Trauma and the Full History Chart." History and Social Moon: A Waning Theory." Annals of Science Teacher (Toronto, Canada), Fall Emergency Medicine, 18:7, July 1989, 1989. pp. 40-41. History teacher 763-765. Retrospective study of rela­ reports that the widely sold eight- tionship between moon phase and foot-long "World History Chart" major trauma reviews 1,444 trauma (International Timeline, Vienna, Vir­ victims admitted to Allegheny ginia, 1985) presents "a narrow, sacred General Hospital, Pittsburgh, during interpretation of certain periods of one calendar year. Full moons were world chronology representing the defined as three-day period in the unorthodox view of one small reli­ 29.531-day lunar cycle centered on the gious group." The line for North day of full moon. There was no America says various Old Testament statistical difference in the number of figures, including Noah and Adam and trauma admissions between the full- Eve, were all residents in the "New moon (3.58 per day) and non-full- World." The timeline for Latin and moon days (3.98 per day). There was South America includes "pseudo- likewise no statistical difference in historical" individuals like Lehi and mortality rate, mean Injury Severity Moroni. Further, there is an entry for Score, or mean length of stay. Victims the years A.D. 30 and 40 that reads, of violence were admitted at a similar "The Ressurrected Christ Appears in frequency on full-moon (0.444 per the Americas." Notes Donnelly: "All day) and non-full-moon days (0.555). this is straight out of the Book of "We conclude that the belief in the Mormon. . . . Mormon chronology is deleterious effects of the full moon on presented as factual assertion." The major trauma is statistically un­ chart "presents an odd combination of founded." conventionally accepted chronology,

Spring 1990 315 common errors and Velikovskian Ince, Susan. "Blaming the Victim." disaster cycles, along with a narrow, Savvy Woman, August 1989, pp. 82- sectarian view of the Pre-Columbian 83. Contends that some New Age history of the Americas." practitioners overstate the power of positive thinking in curing illness. Fishman, Steve. "Questions for the Includes mentions of popular authors Cosmos." New York Times Magazine, Joan Borysenko and Bernie Siegel, November 26, 1989, pp. 50-55. Short who have "brought New Age 'blaming feature on Princeton engineering dean the victim' to America's medical emeritus Robert Jahn and his labor­ mainstream." atory efforts to prove that ESP exists. Unfortunately the article provides Jones, Tony. "Science in the Bear-Pit." little independent evaluation of Jahn's New Scientist, October 7,1989, pp. 70- work. A short critical letter by Martin 71. Excellent column on how John Gardner asking about replications Mosely, program supervisor for Grif­ appeared later (December 24, p. 4). fith Observatory's planetarium, tack­ les the problem of pseudoscience. He Frasca, Michael A. "Don't Blame the has created a one-hour planetarium Moon." Sky & Telescope, October 1989, program addressing irrational beliefs p. 340. Column reports on several of head on. He doesn't tell people their the many studies showing—contrary beliefs are rubbish, however, but to folklore—no link between moon attempts "a more human approach," phase and homicides or other forms pointing out inconsistencies, and the of human misbehavior. like.

Gregory, Richard L. "Alchemy of Kraus, Carolyn. "Water Witching." Matter and of Mind." Nature, 342:471- New Yorker, October 9, 1989, pp. 97- 473, November 30, 1989. British 124. Lengthy but readable report in neuropsychologist delves into Isaac typical New Yorker anecdotal, discur­ Newton's attraction to the occult, yet sive fashion into dowsers and water- finds much in common with the witchers. Nothing particularly evalua­ "power of symbols in our everyday tive in it, but filled with dowsers' lore life" today. and experiences and conflicts among themselves. Heard, Alex. "Rolfing with Yeltsin." New Republic, October 9,1989, pp. 11- Marshall, Eliot. "Anthropologists 13. Report on interactions between Debate Tasaday Hoax Evidence." American and Soviet New Agers, Science, 246:1113-1114, December 1, especially Boris Yeltsin's recent U.S. 1989. News report about anthropol­ visit sponsored by the Esalen Institute. ogists' concern over the Tasaday Heard finds "a huge subculture of matter. The American Anthropolog­ groups . . . devoted, full-time, to ical Association has now formed a churning out kooky project ideas for panel under Fred Eggan to investigate. fostering greater U.S.-Soviet under­ standing." Includes mentions of Niebuhr, R. Gustav. "Millennium underwater rebirthing and the Pen­ Fever: Prophets Proliferate, the End tagon Meditation Club. Heard decides Is Near." Wall Street Journal, such efforts aren't necessarily bad, but December 5,1989, pp. 1, 5. Report on "none of these people must ever be the rise of apocalyptic prophecy as the allowed to run anything." year 2000 nears.

316 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Patterson, Robert. "Chelation Ther­ case) that Michel Gauquelin's neo- apy and Uncle John." Canadian Medical astrology correlations have a physical Association Journal, 140:829-831. A basis in geomagnetic effects of sun- young physician's uncle asks him planet interactions. about chelation therapy, and the doctor's examination of the claims Synodinos, Nicolaos E. "Subliminal finds little to recommend it. Stimulation: What Does the Public Think About It?" Current Issues & Queenan, Joe. "Crystal Clear." Forbes, Research in Advertising, 1988, 11(1), August 7,1989, p. 52. Forbes examines 157-187. Survey of beliefs and atti­ every single New Age financial book tudes of 500 adults toward "sublim­ (two dozen!) it found in two New Age inal" stimulation. bookstores. "New Age is actually a full-service crackpot movement and as Wheeler, Thomas D. "A Response to such its tentacles reach into such far- D. James Kennedy's Presentations on flung areas as management, tax Creationism and Evolution on 'The planning, and market investing." The John Ankerberg Show.' " (Manu­ books examined? "We can safely script, 86 pp., available from author report that all are interchangeably at 426 Deerfield Lane, Louisville, KY moronic." 40207, for $3.50 to cover copying and postage.) A biochemistry professor's Sobel, Dava. "Dr. Zodiac." Omni, detailed analysis and refutation of six December 1989, pp. 62-72. Lengthy creationist television programs aired and uncritical report on highly spec­ in late 1987 and since made available ulative ideas of a British astronomy on videotape. lecturer, Percy Seymour, proposing (but offering no data in support of his —Kendrick Frazier

Spring 1990 317 Letters to the Editor

Myths about science things are known more surely than others. While Milton Rothman makes many good points and sensible statements Steuart Campbell ("Myths About Science . . .," SI, Fall Edinburgh, Scotland 1989), his devotion to a belief in absolute knowledge is out of date. The modern philosophy of science rejects absolutism I do not know whether so-called para­ and believes that "scientific knowledge normal phenomena are possible occur­ is the consensus of the scientific com­ rences. But I do affirm without munity" (Harold Brown, Perception, hesitation that there is a significant Theory and Commitment, London, 1979). difference between those who say, "I do Rothman writes: "Either we know not know whether so-called paranormal something for sure or we know nothing phenomena are possible occurrences," at all." In fact we know nothing at all and those who say, "I know that so- "for sure," but we hold various beliefs called paranormal phenomena are not with varying degrees of confidence (a possible occurrences." Rothman appears point Rothman does actually under­ to believe that those who emphasize stand). I particularly object to Rothman's such distinctions are "dogmatic skeptics" condemnation of Jacob Bronowski, who in contrast to the "pragmatic skeptics" in my opinion got it right: "All infor­ of the historical scientific community. mation is imperfect" (my emphasis). To most readers, "dogmatic" is a pejor­ Rothman's examples are similarly ative characterization; I think the author imperfect. Mathematics is not concerned uses it to emphasize his notion that with reality; it is our invention. One plus persons who adhere to the more one equals two (in base ten) because we extreme forms of philosophical skepti­ say so, not because we know it. As for cism are dishonestly appealing to argu­ electrons, we don't really know what ments that they themselves do not they consist of and we have invented accept as valid in order to legitimize their the concepts of charge and fields. We wish-fulfilling belief in occult matters. define an electron (as Rothman admits), So the first order of business must be but our definition can only approximate to demolish philosophical skepticism (in the truth. Certainly we believe that the its most extreme form, Humean empiri­ earth is not flat because the number of cism) as an intelligible and viable posi­ data that support this belief is vast. But tion. to claim that the earth is not the center But Rothman's argument is a peculiar of the universe implies that one knows one. The extreme skeptic, if he is where that center is. In fact we believe educated, is likely to found his position that the universe has no center! on grounds of logic, proceeding step by Rothman's over-reaction to mystics' step through analytical arguments that claims that "nothing is known for sure" appear to him to be unassailable (though, has led him to abandon a fundamental of course, not strictly indubitable). To scientific principle. Instead of defending answer this skeptic by reciting the absolutism, he should have accepted that history of scientific progress is to decline the claim is true (or rather believed to to respond to his central point: that no be true), but pointed out that some one has yet succeeded in coming forth

318 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 with an assertion the truth of which is that they could not possibly be true, but beyond all possibility of doubt. . . . rather that we have not been presented We do in fact behave as if certain with sufficient evidence to warrant a assertions are known to be true. We win belief in them. far more often than we lose when we assign likelihoods to various outcomes Scott R. Dickerson on the basis of memory's testimony as Los Alamitos, Calif. to the unbroken repetition of "effect" after the ostensible "cause." But Rus­ sell's quoted comment ("It is clear that More often than not I agree with your some things are almost certain . . .") journal, but I can't agree with Milton hardly "clarified this dilemma." Russell's Rothman's "Myths of Science." When assertion is not warranted in logic; I baloney by pseudos, fundies, and New believe it is a careless expression of his Agers gets too deep, I too crave an easy frustration, and not a fair representation kill. But Rothman's kill is too easy. of his philosophical position. His History He argues what we know now, we of Western Philosophy of three years will always know—at least vis-a-vis psi, previous states the conclusions of flying saucers, perpetual motion philosopher David Hume, whom I take machines, and, the Law of Conservation to be the primary source for the position of Energy. Yet unless he's Jeane Dixon of extreme skepticism: "The supposi­ (of legend rather than fact), there's no tion, that the future resembles the past, way he can predict that. For example, is not founded on arguments of any kind, he argues we will always know the Law but is derived entirely from habit." of Conservation of Energy is true since Russell's comment on Hume: "To refute it has been proved down to one part in him has been, ever since he wrote, a 1015. Yet there's no way he can know favorite pastime among metaphysicians; it will remain proved at 1016. for my part, I find none of their Also, Rothman argues we will always refutations convincing." Russell hoped know current theories are true; new to find some independent justification theories only add exceptions. But he for the principle of induction, a justi­ can't predict that the exceptions won't fication "incapable of being inferred make the previously impossible possible. from experience or from other logical Electricity, I hear, was impossible under principles." He is generally held to have Newton, but not under Faraday or been unsuccessful. Hertz. Maybe some future exception What, then, of Rothman? He has not will make it possible to get something succeeded where Russell failed. I am not for nothing, even though it's now persuaded that extreme skepticism is an impossible. untenable or unwarranted philosophical Furthermore, Rothman argues that position; merely an inconvenient one, in we will always know that only four basic that it creates a conflict between one's forces, and maybe a fifth, exist at room deepest philosophical stance and one's temperature: strong nuclear, electro­ actual behavior. We will continue to act magnetic, weak nuclear, and gravita­ as though knowledge is a possible thing. tional. But he can't predict that some Our civilization will continue to advance backward glance, some blurring of by adhering to scientific principles distinctions, some new way of looking whose apparent previous reliability at nature, some technique of creativity cannot serve to preclude their future won't yield a sixth, seventh, and eighth refutation. We will continue to require force. I'm afraid Rothman risks joining that extraordinary claims be accepted the many other experts who called only accompanied by extraordinary things impossible, and those things later evidence. turned out to be all too possible. He may But please: let us not justify simple even be joining the physicist Rutherford prudence with bad philosophy. The who called atomic energy "moonshine" problem with paranormal claims is not 12 years before the Hiroshima bomb.

Spring 1990 319 15% discount on orders of $100 or more Back Issues of the Skeptical Inquirer ($6.25 for each copy. 15% discount on orders of $100 or more.) To order, use reply card attached. WINTER 1990 (vol. 14, no. 2): The new catastro- validity of graphological analysis, Adrian Furnham. The phism, David Morrison and Clark R. Chapman. A field intellectual revolt against science, J. W. Grove. Reich guide to critical thinking, James Lett. Cold fusion: A the rainmaker, Martin Gardner. case history in 'wishful science'? Milton A. Rothman. SUMMER 1988 (vol. 12, no. 4): Testing psi claims The airship hysteria of 1896-97, Robert E. Bartholomew. in China, Paul Kurtz, James Alcock, Kendrick Frazier, Barry Newspaper editors and the creation-evolution Karr, Philip J. Klass, and James Randi. The appeal of the controversy, Michael Zimmerman. Special report: New occult: Some thoughts on history, religion, and evidence of MJ-12 hoax, Philip J. Klass. The great science. Philips Stevens, Jr. Hypnosis and reincarnation, Urantia mystery, Martin Gardner. Jonathan Venn. Pitfalls of perception, Anthony G. Wheeler. FALL 1989 (vol. 14, no. 1): Myths about science, Milton Wegener and pseudoscience: Some misconceptions, A. Rothman. The relativity of wrong, Isaac Asimov. Nils Edelman. An investigation of psychic crime- Richard Feynman on fringe science. Luis Alvarez and busting, C. Eugene Emery, Jr. High-flying health the explorer's quest, Richard A. Muller. The two quackery, Terence Hines. The bar-code beast, M. Keith. cultures, Lewis Jones. The 'top-secret UFO papers' NSA Occam's Razor and the nutshell earth, Martin Gardner. Won't release, Philip J. Klass. The metaphysics of SPRING 1988 (vol. 12, no. 3): Neuropathology and Murphy's Law, Robert M. Price. The Unicorn at large, the legacy of spiritual possession, Barry Beyerstein. Martin Gardner. Varieties of alien experience, Bill Ellis. Alien-abduction SUMMER 1989 (vol. 13, no. 4): The New Age—An claims and standards of inquiry (excerpts from Milton Examination: The New Age in perspective, Paul Kurtz. Rosenberg's radio talk-show with guests Charles L A New Age reflection in the magic mirror of science, Gruder, Martin Orne, and Budd Hopkins). The MJ-12 Maureen O'Hara. The New Age: The need for myth Papers: Part 2, Philip J. Klass. Doomsday: The May in an age of science, Ted Schultz. Channeling, James 2000 prediction, Jean Meeus. My visit to the Nevada Alcock. The psychology of channeling, Graham Reed, Clinic, Stephen Barrett. Morphic resonance in silicon 'Entities' in the linguistic minefield, Sarah Grey chips, F. J. Varela and Juan C. Letelier.Abigail' s anomalous Thomason. Crystals, George M. Lawrence. Consumer apparition, Mark W. Durm. The riddle of the Colorado culture and the New Age, Jay Rosen. The Shirley ghost lights, Kyle J. Bunch and Michael K. While. The MacLaine phenomenon, Henry Gordon. Special report: obligation to disclose fraud, Martin Gardner. California court jails psychic surgeon, Richard ]. WINTER 1987-88 (vol. 12, no. 2): The MJ-12 papers: Brenneman. Part I, Philip J. Klass. The aliens among us: Hypnotic regression revisited, Robert A. Baker. The brain and SPRING 1989 (vol. 13, no. 3): High school biology consciousness: Implications for psi, Barry L Beyerstein. teachers and pseudoscientific belief, Raymond E. Eve Past-life hypnotic regression, Nicholas Spanos. Fantas­ and Dana Dunn. Evidence for Bigfoot? Michael R. Dennett.izin g under hypnosis, Peter J. Reveen. The verdict on Alleged pore structure in Sasquatch footprints, creationism, Stephen Jay Gould. Irving Kristol and the Deborah J. Freeland and Waller F. Rowe. The lore of facts of life, Martin Gardner. levitation, Gordon Stein. Levitation 'miracles' in India, B. Premanand. Science, pseudoscience, and the cloth FALL 1987 (vol. 12, no. 1): The burden of skepticism, of Turin, Joe Nickell. Rather than just debunking, Carl Sagan. Is there intelligent life on Earth? Paul Kurtz. encourage people to think, Al Seckel. MJ-12 papers Medical Controversies: Chiropractic, William Jarvis; 'authenticated'? Philip J. Klass. A patently false patent Homeopathy, Stephen Barrett, M.D.: Alternative myth, Samuel Sass. therapies, Lewis Jones; Quackery, Claude Pepper. Catching WINTER 1989 (vol. 13, no. 2): Special report: The Geller in the act, C. Eugene Emery, Jr. The third eye, 'remembering water' controversy—articles by Martin Martin Gardner. Special Report: CSICOP's 1987 Gardner and James Randi; bibliographic guide to the conference. 'dilution controversy.' Pathologies of science, pre­ SUMMER 1987 (vol. 11, no. 4): Incredible cremations: cognition, and modern psychophysics, Donald D. Jensen. Investigating combustion deaths, Joe Nickell and John A reaction-time test of ESP and precognition, Terence F. Fischer. Subliminal deception, Thomas L Creed. Past Hines and Todd Dennison. Chinese psychic's pill-bottle tongues remembered? Sarah G. Thomason. Is the demonstration, Wu Xiaoping. The Kirlian technique, universe improbable? David A. Shotwell. Psychics, Arleen J. Watkins and William S. Bickel. Certainty and computers, and psychic computers, Thomas A. Easton. proof in creationist thought, Joseph E. Leferriere. Pseudoscience and children's fantasies, Gwyneth Evans. FALL 1988 (vol. 13, no. 1): Special report: Astrology Thoughts on science and superstrings, Martin Gardner. and the presidency—articles by Paul Kurtz and Mur­ Special Reports: JAL pilot's UFO report, Philip J. Klass; ray L Bob. Improving Human Performance: What Unmasking psychic Jason Michaels, Richard Busch. about parapsychology? Kendrick Frazier. The China SPRING 1987 (vol. 11, no. 3): The elusive open mind: syndrome: Further reflections on the paranormal in Ten years of negative research in parapsychology, Susan China, Paul Kurtz. Backward masking, Tom McIver. The (continued on next page) Back issues (cont'd.) Blackmore. Does astrology need to be true? Part 2: The SPRING 1985 (vol. 9, no. 3): Columbus poltergeist: answer is no, Geoffrey Dean. Magic, science, and I, James Randi. Moon and murder in Cleveland, N. metascience: Some notes on perception, Dorion Sagan. Sanduleak. Image of Guadalupe, Joe Nickel! and John Velikovsky's interpretation of the evidence offered Fischer. Radar UFOs, Philip J. Klass. Phrenology, Robert by China, Henrietta W. ho. Anomalies of Chip Arp, W. McCoy. Deception by patients, Loren Pankratz. Martin Gardner. Communication in nature, Aydin Orstan. Relevance of WINTER 1986-87 (vol. 11, no. 2): Case study of West belief systems, Martin Gardner. Pittston 'haunted' house, Paul Kurtz. Science, crea- WINTER 1984-85 (vol. 9, no. 2): The muddled 'Mind tionism and the Supreme Court, Al Seckel, with Race,' Roy Hyman. Searches for the Loch Ness mon­ statements by Francisco J. Ayala, Stephen jay Gould, and ster, Rikki Razdan and Alan Kielar. Final interview with Murray Gell-Mann. The great East Coast UFO of Milbourne Christopher, Michael Dennett. Retest of August 1986, fames E. Oberg. Does astrology need to astrologer John McCall, Philip lanna and Charles Tol- be true? Part 1, Geoffrey Dean. Homing abilities of bees, bert. 'Mind Race,' Martin Gardner. cats, and people, James Randi. The EPR paradox and FALL 1984 (vol. 9, no. l): Quantum theory and the Rupert Sheldrake, Martin Gardner. Followups: On paranormal, Steven N. Shore. What is pseudoscience? fringe literature, Henry H. Bauer: on Martin Gardner Mario Bunge. The new philosophy of science and the and Daniel Home, John Beloff. 'paranormal,' Stephen Toulmin. An eye-opening double FALL 1986 (vol. 11, no. 1): The path ahead: Oppor­ encounter, Bruce Martin. Similarities between identical tunities, challenges, and an expanded view, Kendrick twins and between unrelated people, W. Joseph Wyatt Frazier. Exposing the faith-healers, Robert A. Steiner. Was et al. Effectiveness of a reading program on paranormal Antarctica mapped by the ancients? David C. Jolly. Folk belief, Paul J. Woods, Pseudoscientific beliefs of 6th- remedies and human belief-systems, Frank Reuter. graders, A. S. and S. J. Adelman. Koestler money down Dentistry and pseudoscience, John E. Dodes. Atmos­ the psi-drain, Martin Gardner. pheric electricity, ions, and pseudoscience, Hans SUMMER 1984 (vol. 8, no. 4): Parapsychology's past Dolezalek. Noah's ark and ancient astronauts, Francis eight years, James E. Alcock. The evidence for ESP, C. B. Harrold and Raymond A. Eve. The Woodbridge UFO E. M. Hansel. $110,000 dowsing challenge, James Randi. incident, Ian Ridpath. How to bust a ghost, Robert A. Sir Oliver Lodge and the spiritualists, Steven Hoffmaster. Baker. The unorthodox conjectures of Tommy Gold, Misperception, folk belief, and the occult, John W. Martin Gardner. Connor. Psychology and UFOs, Armando Simon. Freud SUMMER 1986 (vol. 10, no. 4): Occam's razor, Elie and Fliess, Martin Gardner. A. Shneour. Clever Hans redivivus, Thomas A. Sebeok. SPRING 1984 (vol. 8, no. 3): Belief in the paranormal Parapsychology miracles, and repeatability, Antony worldwide: Mexico, Mario Mendez-Acosta; Netherlands, Flew. The Condon UFO study, Philip J. Klass. Four Piel Hein Hoebens; U.K., Michael Hutchinson; Australia, decades of fringe literature, Steven Dutch. Some remote- Dick Smith; Canada, Henry Gordon; France, Michel Rouze. viewing recollections, Elliot H. Weinberg. Science, mys­ Debunking, neutrality, and skepticism in science, Paul teries, and the quest for evidence, Martin Gardner. Kurtz. University course reduces paranormal belief, SPRING 1986 (vol. 10, no. 3): The perennial fringe, Thomas Gray. The Gribbin effect. Wolf Roder. Proving Isaac Asimov. The uses of credulity, L. Sprague de Camp. negatives, Tony Pasquarello. MacLaine, McTaggart, and Night walkers and mystery mongers, Carl Sagan. McPherson, Martin Gardner. CSICOP after ten years, Paul Kurtz. Crash of the WINTER 1983-84 (vol. 8, no. 2): Sense and nonsense crashed-saucers claim, Philip J. Klass. A study of the in parapsychology, Piet Hein Hoebens. Magicians, Kirlian effect, Arleen J. Watkins and William S. Bickel. scientists, and psychics, William H. Ganoe and Jack Kir- Ancient tales and space-age myths of creationist evan­ wan. New dowsing experiment, Michael Martin. The gelism, Tom Mclver. Creationism's debt to George effect of TM on weather, Franklin D. Trumpy. The McCready Price, Martin Gardner. haunting of the Ivan Vassilli, Robert Sheaffer. Venus WINTER 1985-86 (vol. 10, no. 2): The moon was full and Velikovsky, Robert Forrest. Magicians in the psi lab, and nothing happened, /. W. Kelly, James Rotton, and Martin Gardner. Roger Culver. Psychic studies: The Soviet dilemma, FALL 1983 (vol. 8, no. 1): Creationist pseudoscience, Martin Ebon. The psychopathology of fringe medicine, Robert Schadewald. Project Alpha: Part 2, James Randi. Karl Sabbagh. Computers and rational thought, Roy Forecasting radio quality by the planets, Geoffrey Dean. Spangenburg and Diane Moser. Psi researchers' inatten­ Reduction in paranormal belief in college course, Jerome tion to conjuring, Martin Gardner. J. Tobacyk. Humanistic astrology, J. W. Kelly and R. W. FALL 1985 (vol. 10, no. 1): Investigations of fire- Krutzen. walking, Bernard Leikind and William McCarthy. Firewalk- SUMMER 1983 (vol. 7, no. 4): Project Alpha: Part ing: reality or illusion, Michael Dennett. Myth of alpha 1, James Randi. Goodman's 'American Genesis,' Kenneth consciousness, Barry Beyerstein. Spirit-rapping un­ L Feder. Battling on the airwaves, David B. Slavsky. masked, torn Bullough. The Saguaro incident, Lee Taylor, Rhode Island UFO film, C. Eugene Emery, Jr. Landmark Jr., and Michael Dennett. The great stone face, Martin PK hoax, Martin Gardner. Gardner. SPRING 1983 (vol. 7, no. 3): Iridology, Russell S. SUMMER 1985 (vol. 9, no. 4): Guardian astrology Worrall. The Nazca drawings revisited, Joe Nickell. Peo­ study, G. A. Dean, I. W. Kelly, J. Ration, and D. H. Saklofske. ple's Almanac predictions, F. K. Donnelly. Test of Astrology and the commodity market, James Rotton. numerology, Joseph G. Dlhopolsky. Pseudoscience in the The hundredth monkey phenomenon, Ron Amundson. name of the university, Roger J. Lederer and Barry Singer. Responsibilities of the media, Paul Kurtz. 'Lucy' out WINTER 1982-83 (vol. 7, no. 2): Palmistry, Michael of context. Lam H. Albert. The debunking club, Martin Alan Park. The great SRI die mystery, Martin Gard­ Gardner. ner. The 'monster' tree-trunk of Loch Ness, Steuart Campbell. UFOs and the not-so-friendly skies, Philip L Feder. Voice stress analysis, Philip J. Klass. Follow- J. Klass. In defense of skepticism, Arthur S. Reber. up on the 'Mars effect,' Evolution vs. creationism, FALL 1982 (vol. 7, no. 1): The prophecies of Nostra­ and the Cottrell tests. damus, Charles J. Cazeau. Prophet of all seasons, James SPRING 1980 (vol. 4, no. 3): Belief in ESP, Scot Morris. Randi. Revival of Nostradamitis, Piel Hoehens. Unsolved UFO hoax, David 1. Simpson. Don Juan vs. Piltdown mysteries andextraordinary phenomena, Samual T. man, Richard de Mille. Tiptoeing beyond Darwin, /. Gill. Clearing the air about psi, James Randi. A skotography Richard Greenwell. Conjurors and the psi scene, James scam, James Randi. Randi. Follow-up on the Cottrell tests. SUMMER 1982 (vol. 6, no. 4): Remote-viewing, WINTER 1979-80 (vol. 4, no. 2): The 'Mars effect' D. F. Marks. Radio disturbances and planetary posi­ — articles by Paul Kurtz, Marvin Zelen, and George Abell; tions, J. Meeus. Divining in Australia, D. Smith. "Great Dennis Rawlins; Michel and Franchise Gauquelin. How I was Lakes Triangle," Paul Cena. Skepticism, closed- debunked, Piet Hein Hoehens. The metal bending of mindedness, and science fiction, D. Beyerstein. Followup Professor Taylor, Martin Gardner. Science, intuition, on ESP logic, C. L Hardin and R. Morris and S. Gendin. and ESP, Gary Bauslaugh. SPRING 1982 (vol. 6, no. 3): The Shroud of Turin, FALL 1979 (vol. 4, no. 1): A test of dowsing, James Marvin M. Mueller. Shroud image, Walter McCrone. Randi. Science and evolution, Laurie R. Godfrey. Science, the public, and the Shroud, Steven D. Scha- Television pseudodocumentaries, William Sims Bain­ fersman. Zodiac and personality, Michel Gauquelin. bridge. New disciples of the paranormal, Paul Kurtz. Followup on quantum PK, C. £. M. Hansel. UFO or UAA, Anthony Standen. The lost panda, Hans WINTER 1981-82 (vol. 6, no. 2): On coincidences, van Kampen. Edgar Cayce, James Randi. Ruma talk. Gerard Croiset: Part 2, Piel Hoehens. SUMMER 1979 (vol. 3, no. 4): The moon and the Scientific creationism, Robert Schadewald. Follow-up on birthrate, George Abell and Bennett Greenspan. Bio- 'Mars effect,' Dennis Rawlins, responses by CS1COP rhythms, Terence Hines. 'Cold reading,' James Randi. Council and George Abell and Paul Kurtz. Teacher, student, and the paranormal, Elmer Krai. FALL 1981 (vol. 6, no. 1): Gerard Croiset: Part 1, Encounter with a sorcerer, John Sack. Piel Hein Hoehens. Test of perceived horoscope accuracy, SPRING 1979 (vol. 3, no. 3): Near-death experiences, Douglas P. Lackey. Planetary positions and radio James E. Alcock. Television tests of Musuaki Kiyota, propagation, Philip A. lanna and Chaim J. Margolin. Christopher Scott and Michael Hutchinson. The conversion Bermuda Triangle, 1981, Michael R. Dennett. Observa­ of J. Allen Hynek, Philip J. Klass. Asimov's corollary, tion of a psychic, Vonda N. Mclntyre. Isaac Asimov. SUMMER 1981 (vol. 5, no. 4): Investigation of 'psy­ WINTER 1978-79 (vol. 3, no. 2): Is parapsychology chics,' James Randi. ESP: A conceptual analysis, Sidney a science? Paul Kurtz. Chariots of the gullible, W. S. Gendin. The extroversion-introversion astrological Bainbridge. The Tunguska event, James Oberg. Space effect, Ivan W. Kelly and Don H. Saklofske. Art, science, travel in Bronze Age China, David N. Keightley. and paranormalism, David Hahercom. Profitable FALL 1978 (vol. 3, no. 1): An empirical test of astrol­ nightmare, Jeff Wells. A Maltese cross in the Aegean? ogy, R. W. Bastedo. Astronauts and UFOs, James Oberg. Robert W. Loftin. Sleight of tongue, Ronald A. Schwartz. The Sirius SPRING 1981 (vol. 5, no. 3): Hypnosis and UFO "mystery," Ian Ridpath. abductions, Philip J. Klass. Hypnosis not a truth serum, SPRING/SUMMER 1978 (vol. 2, no. 2): Tests of three Ernest R. Hilgard. H. Schmidt's PK experiments, G £. psychics, James Randi. Biorhythms, W. S. Bainbridge. M. Hansel. Further comments on Schmidt's experi­ Plant perception, John M. Kmetz. Anthropology beyond ments, Roy Hyman. Atlantean road, James Randi. Deci­ the fringe, John Cole. NASA and UFOs, Philip J. Klass. phering ancient America, Marshall McKusick. A sense A second Einstein ESP letter, Martin Gardner. of the ridiculous, John A. Lord. FALL/WINTER 1977 (vol. 2, no. 1): Von Daniken, WINTER 1980-81 (vol. 5, no. 2): Fooling some people Ronald D. Story, The Bermuda Triangle, Larry Kusche. all the time, Barry Singer and Victor Benassi. Recent per­ Pseudoscience at Science Digest, James E. Oberg and petual motion developments, Robert Schadewald. Robert Sheaffer. Einstein and ESP, Martin Gardner. N- National Enquirer astrology study, Gory Mechler, Cyndi rays and UFOs, Philip J. Klass. Secrets of the psychics, McDaniel, and Steven Mulloy. Science and the mountain Dennis Rawlins. peak, Isaac Asimov. SPRING/SUMMER 1977 (vol. 1, no. 2): Uri Geller, FALL 1980 (vol. 5, no. 1): The Velikovsky affair — David Marks and Richard Kammann. Cold reading, Ray articles by James Oberg, Henry J. Bauer, Kendrick Frazier. Hyman. Transcendental Meditation, Eric Woodrum. A Academia and the occult, ]. Richard Greenwell. Belief statistical test of astrology, John D. McGervey. Cattle in ESP among psychologists, V. R. Padgett, V. A. Benassi, mutilations, James R. Stewart. and B. P. Singer. Bigfoot on the loose, Paul Kurtz. Parental FALL/WINTER 1976 (vol. 1, no. 1): Dianetics, Roy expectations of miracles, Robert A. Steiner. Downfall Wallis. Psychics and clairvoyance, Gary Alan Fine. of a would-be psychic, D. H. McBurney and J. K. "Objections to Astrology," Ron Westrum. Astronomers Greenberg. Parapsychology research, Jeffrey Mishlove. and astrophysicists as astrology critics, Paul Kurtz and SUMMER 1980 (vol. 4, no. 4): Superstitions, W. S. Lee Nisbet. Biorhythms and sports, A. James Fix. Von Bainbridge and Rodney Stark. Psychic archaeology, Kenneth Daniken's chariots, John T. Omohundro. Rothman's problem is that his argu­ charged electrons is also perfect knowledge, ment is too extreme. I admit the Law as is the fact that electrons exist. The existence of Conservation of Energy was created of electrons does not depend on opinion. It with a lot of mental blood and treasure. depends on the fact that our instruments While for the reasons stated above it detect objects having a certain mass, electric shouldn't be impossible to overturn, it charge, spin, and other properties, which should take a lot of mental blood and treasure to do it. As Randi says: extraor­ we define to be electrons. Furthermore, people dinary claims demand extraordinary all over the world can build instruments proof. Thus the extraordinary is going to detect electrons having the same mass, to have to occur under strict controls. electric charge, and spin. The numbers we Under those conditions, neither the get for the mass, electric charge, etc., have fuzzy photographs of Nessie hunters some small uncertainty connected with them, nor the now-I-see-it-now-you-don't but there is no uncertainty to the fact that evidence of saucer witnesses make it. electrons exist. You may deny that this is so, but then it is up to you to build transistors Richard A. Dengrove and other electronic devices based on some Alexandria, Va. other theory. Pragmatism is more than a convenience: in science it is a necessity. Milton Rothman responds: The statement that "scientific knowledge is the consensus of the scientific community" There is in the foregoing letters some is one of those slogans that sounds nice but confusion concerning basics. So let me begin that requires careful analysis to ensure that at the beginning. I am not a philosopher. it has a sensible meaning. There was a time I am an experimental physicist and a when "the earth is flat and is at the center philosophical realist. Therefore I start with of the solar system" was the consensus of the premise that a real world exists outside the scientific community, such as it was. our minds and that it is the purpose of science However, it was not, and never was, to determine what we can about the nature scientific knowledge. It was merely a of that real world. (See, also, the article consensus. Opinion must not be confused by Mario Bunge in the SKEPTICAL with knowledge. INQUIRER, Fall 1984.) As a realist, I am Knowledge (in the physical sciences) is opposed to the idealist who believes that correct information about the real world. "mind" is the fundamental thing and that This information must be verifiable by what we see is just made up within the mind. appropriate observations. And it is not If I did not believe in reality there would knowledge until it is verified. Not all be no point in doing experiments. Knowledge knowledge is perfect, but some knowledge is the total of what we learn about reality is perfect enough for all practical purposes. from our observations and from the theories It was never my intention to state that that organize those observations. all knowledge is unchanging. Indeed, what Steuart Campbell argues that all I said was that "the evolution of theories knowledge is imperfect. Yet he ignores my is from the less correct to the more correct counterexamples: one apple plus one apple .. ."(SI, Fall 1989, p. 31). Certain general equals two apples, and the earth is not physical principles (such as conservation of shaped like a Euclidean plane surface. This energy) relate to fundamental symmetries of is perfect knowledge. You may consider it time and space, and once our understanding trivial knowledge, but the statement that "all of these symmetries has been verified there knowledge is imperfect" does not make is no reason to believe that it is going to exceptions for either trivial or mathematical change. To put it another way, the knowledge. The fact that in our part of the symmetries and our knowledge of them will universe all atoms consist of positively not change unless there is a reason for them

Spring 1990 323 to change. particles thai we have discovered during the Scott Dickerson is correct. It is not past century remain intact, and there is no possible to prove through logic that realism evidence of others. is more valid than idealism. I didn't claim to be a philosopher. And most philosophers of the past have not been physicists. But let me say this: 1 choose realism over idealism The relativity of wrong because of predictability. Realistic theories Isaac Asimov's essay "The Relativity of can make accurate predictions about the real Wrong" (SI, Fall 1989) was nicely done. world. Idealistic theories (theories that His point, that science progresses not assume "mind" is the primary thing) cannot. by replacing wrong theories with right Whenever realistic predictions cannot be ones, but instead by moving through made with accuracy we can explain why successive refinement from less com­ this is so. (See my book A Physicist's Guide plete to more complete theories, really to Skepticism, or any book on Chaos.) deserves broader recognition. However, Nevertheless, some predictions based on his conclusion, that we live in a time when the universe is essentially under­ realism can be made with perfect accuracy stood, is undermined, I believe, by his (e.g., 1 am going to die within the next 50 failure to make a small but important years; wait 50 years and see if I'm right.) distinction. By contrast, no predictions relating to A key factor in scientific progress is physical phenomena based on idealistic improvement in the tools of observation. theories can be made with any kind of Newton's laws were developed to confidence. For this pragmatic reason J choose explain phenomena accessible to obser­ realism over idealism. vation in his day, including («) gravita­ tional interaction of massive bodies, but Richard Dengrove claims I said some not including (b) relative motions near things I didn't say. 1 didn't claim conser­ the speed of light or (c) molecular or vation of energy would always he true just atomic phenomena. Newton's laws give because of its accuracy. I said that today's accurate predictions in domain (a), but known laws were true in the past because not in domains (b) and (c). The theory we can measure the wavelength of the light of relativity does well in domains (a) and coming to us from the most distant stars. (b), but not (c). Now the relativistic And if the laws were true for the past five domain (b) is an extension of Newton's billion years, why should they suddenly domain (a). Phenomenal domains are extended or refined by advances in the change now? As for electricity being nature and accuracy of our observational impossible under Newton, 1 never heard of capabilities. Whether theories are any such thing. If anybody ever said it, it extended or refined in the same sense was just an opinion. You should not believe is debatable. anybody's opinion if it is not backed up by I think that Asimov should have facts. The hardest thing in science is learning argued that science progresses by to tell the difference between knowledge and adapting theory to successively opinion. extended/refined phenomenal domains. just recently some confirmatory items This is different from claiming that the have appeared in the news. The weak "fifth theories themselves are successive refinements of previous theories, as force" that some physicists believed they had Asimov appears to claim. It is also found has now been discredited. The different from asserting that old theor­ experimental results can be explained by ies are merely incomplete versions of irregularities in the composition of the earth. new ones. Rather, old theories work well And preliminary results from the new only in incomplete portions of new particle accelerators confirm the "standard extended phenomenal domains to which model of matter." The three families of we now have access. The relativistic

324 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 postulate that the speed of light is experience and knowledge against an constant regardless of the relative imbecilic instructor. We educators motion of the observer does not in any apparently know very little more than sense seem to be a refinement or our students, even to the point where completion of the Newtonian world- we would not recognize the special view. The Newtonian theory really is . student who spells "sugar" as "sucrose" wrong in this regard, but its wrongness or"C12H22On." doesn't make much difference in the Why not have a spelling test like limited phenomenal domain of everyday "How many ways are there to spell experience. As Asimov would say, it is sugar? Justify each." On occasion, sure. nearly right in this domain. Neverthe­ It sounds like fun, but as a consistent less, it is very wrong in more extended means of evaluation, no. State and local domains. curriculum objectives must be met; that The sun-centered Copernican model question is hardly on any achievement is not a mere refinement of the earth- test. Not only must we instruct under centered Ptolemaic model. And in spite constraints—teaching is so different of the fact that a sphere looks flat locally, from writing articles—we must also a spherical-earth theory is not a mere manage a large group of youngsters. completion of a flat-earth theory. Each Would Asimov like tripling the time of these new theories has qualitative grading papers, day after day, week after aspects that are entirely absent from the week, not just reading, but evaluating old ones: The notion, for example, that how much wronger one answer is than moving in a straight line along the another? Two points wronger, 10 surface of the earth will eventually percent wronger, five times wronger? return you to your starting point is Justify each. To the student. To the entirely novel from a flat-earth perspec­ parent. To the school board. To another tive. Moreover, from the viewpoint of author. Besides, why should a team that the new theories, the old theories do not loses a ballgame by nine runs get really give an "essential understanding" "marked" just as wrong as a team that of the universe. There are essential loses by three runs? Welcome to the real qualitative aspects of the universe world! missing and not even hinted at in the old theories. Lou Blazquez So what reason is there to believe Flagstaff Junior High that our current theories give us essen­ Flagstaff, Ariz. tial understanding? They may do so in the phenomenal domains for which they were created, but if our observational The following true story is a particularly capabilities are extended in unforeseen egregious example of the evils of using ways, there is no telling what "paradigm the notion of absolute wrong in the shifts" may occur. Newton's laws will classroom, as was pointed out by Isaac always get us to the moon, but "the Asimov. moon" and "us" may be entirely differ­ A first-grade class was discussing ent from what we now imagine. some elementary astronomy, and the teacher posed the question: "What is the Gordon B. Hazen nearest star?" The first child to speak Wilmette, 111. suggested "Alpha Centauri," of which it seems the teacher had never heard. On being told that he was wrong, the I protest several items in the otherwise child protested. He was then subjected perceptive article by Isaac Asimov. He to a lengthy argument demonstrating puts his idea of what a teacher is on that the answer should be "the sun" and a hook, then throws darts at his invented was eventually brought to tears. caricature. He pits a student of unknown Perhaps the most disturbing thing grade level with Asimov's long years of about this story is that it was told

Spring 1990 325 to me by the teacher herself, with thought. Knowing you know "nothing" considerable self-justification and pride is indeed a mark of wisdom. in the correctness of her view. David Carl Argall John G. Fletcher La Puente, Calif. Pleasanton, Calif.

Isaac Asimov says it is his business to write The English Literature major is right controversial essays and says it's only fair and Asimov is wrong. We do not "live to let others disagree with him. Rather than in a century when the universe is respond, he may write another controversial essentially understood." In fact we live article at another time.—ED. in such a century less than in any previous century, precisely because we have learned so much about the Murphy's Law universe. As the Lit major points out and What Robert M. Price fails to note in Asimov agrees, each century has felt it his article on Murphy's Law {51, Fall essentially understood the universe, and 1989) is the relativity of what he labels each succeeding century has made new "negative synchronicity." A case in discoveries and denied the claim of the point—on the same day that Price's previous century. So, to be true, Asim- articles came to my attention I received ov's "essentially understood" can only a second copy of The New Official Rules, mean that, whereas the writings of an by Paul Dickson, a book that is inti­ Asimov of 1880 would have no scientific mately involved with Murphy's Law. I'd value today, an Asimov of 2080 would received the first several days earlier as deem those of today to need no more a review copy, and the second was sent than a brushup. me at Dickson's request because of It isn't hard to show the reverse several contributions I'd made to the is the case. I took a 1980 book of volume; but the point is that what may Asimov's and showed that even by 1985 seem like negative synchronicity to the it needed revision. Today, it would publisher (Addison-Wesley) certainly need even more. The essential under­ seems a positive one to me. standing of 1980 was not the essential A more important shortcoming of understanding of even slightly later Price's article is his apparent ignorance years. of Dickson's labor in the realm of Put another way, if the universe is Murphology, which puts Arthur Bloch's essentially understood, there should be work to shame. Price's main reference a clear decline in the amount of new is to Bloch's Murphy's Law (volume knowledge. (We essentially understand one), which contains perhaps 300 laws it, so little is left to learn.) That, of in its 92 pages, and Price gives no course, has not happened, and the indication that there have been several doubling of human knowledge occurs at similar volumes in the series. But an ever faster pace. compare: Dickson's The Official Rules This accelerating increase in human (1978) contains 1,500 Murphy-type laws knowledge means that we are getting (including an in-depth section on further from an essential understanding Murphy himself); his The Official of the universe even as we approach it Explanations (1980) adds another 1,500 faster. We once knew one thing and (with more Murphy history); and his deemed there was only one more to latest, The New Official Rules, adds 1,500 learn. Now we know hundreds and more. know of thousands we have yet to learn. Dickson is also the founder and As Socrates implied, our great increase Director-for-Life of the Murphy Center in knowledge has also taught us there for the Codification of Human and is a great deal more to learn than we Organizational Laws (Box 80, Garrett

326 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 Park, MD 20896), and as such he's open on the wrong side." to any and all new laws and insights I think that mathematicians will thereinto that readers may wish to send especially appreciate this. him. As a proud Senior Fellow of the Murphy Center I'm happy to give it this Frans Kok plug. As a collector of synchronicities Brussels, Belgium and a member of the Discordian Move­ ment, I suggest that Price be more careful what he has to say about Jung On reading Robert Price's article on and Eris! Murphy's Law, my first thought was to wonder why this subject had not been Neal Wilgus raised before. The applicability of Albuquerque, N.M. Murphy's Law is as widely believed as any pseudoscience and with at least as much justification. In reading the delicious article by Price My second thought was that, long about Murphy's Law, I remembered an before I became an active skeptic, I had ancient joke that illustrates—in my recognized the existence of the "shyness opinion, marvelously—the skepticism effect." Shortly after first encountering that should always be applied to Murphy's Law—or Sod's Law, as I knew miracles. it then—I promulgated Napier's Princi­ The joke goes as following: Sara, ple of Scientific Research. It read, "Any living in a Polish ghetto before the war, experiment carried out to verify the drops a buttered slice of bread, and it truth of Sod's Law will, by Sod's Law, lands on its nonbuttered side. Now, generate inconclusive results." Murphy's Law was in that time formu­ Could it be that all psychic phenom­ lated differently from Jenning's Corol­ ena are merely special instances of lary to the Law of Selective Gravity. In Murphy's Law? fact, the Murphy's Law concerning the problem of falling bread was in that time Tom Napier that, contrariwise to the normally North Wales, Pa. expected 50/50 distribution of the side of the slice landing on the ground, you will have a 100-percent chance of having In his discussion of Murphy's Law, Price it falling on the buttered side. There was has rather badly missed the point. I first then no proportional relation to the price heard of Murphy's Law ("Whatever can of the carpet as there were no carpets go wrong will go wrong") about 30 years on the floor, but just soil. The dire ago, and at that time it was obviously consequence of the slice falling on its a joke. There was of course always a buttered side was to make it unfit for degree of truth to it as a statistical law, human consumption, in that time a in reality a corollary of the Law of Large much more serious problem than prices Numbers. But just as the completely of carpets. valid and thoroughly accepted Law of So, as Sara is astonished, she runs Large Numbers cannot deterministically to the rabbi and asks excitedly if this predict when an event will happen, rare phenomenon of a slice falling on neither can Murphy's Law. Nevertheless the nonbuttered side could not perhaps if the probability of something going be a real miracle. The rabbi is a very wrong is greater than zero, then if we prudent man and says that he will think wait long enough, perhaps a few million about it, because one should not believe years, it is bound to happen. too rapidly in miracles. He asks her to For many people Murphy's Law come back next week. remains a joke. Yet it has by now almost She does, but on her hopeful ques­ acquired the status of a real law. I am tion: "Well Rabbi, was it a miracle?" He not sure exactly when it crossed the replies: "No, Sara you buttered your slice threshold from a joke to an important

Spring 1990 327 principle, but the change was certainly I do not think 1 have missed the point caused by the widespread use of com­ of Murphy's Law as Neil Rickert suggests. puters, each capable of performing 1 believe 1 am agreeing with him that the millions of operations per second. We typical "going wrong" of things is really only no longer need wait a million years for to be expected and needs no "explanation," something to go wrong. For those of us except as one more strained rationalization in the computer field, Murphy's Law is to preserve the Self-Sealing Premise cherished a serious fact of everyday life that we by order-loving humans that the world dare not ignore. ordinarily "works" to suit their desires and that when it doesn't it must be the result Neil W. Rickert of Murphy's gremlins, much like the Azande Dept. of Computer Science "witchcraft" theodicy studied by Evans- Northern Illinois University Prilchard. It is the silly element of a "system DeKalb, 111. of entropy," an "order of disorder," that Murphy humorously provides. The Law of Large Numbers may describe what is really Robert M. Price replies: going on; but Murphy's Law, whether seriously intended or not, is more like a May 1 propose "Price's Law"? "No matter superstition with its implication of a willfully how illuminating an article you write, directed conspiracy against human con­ putting the ink onto paper is like spilling venience. blood in the water: you are only attracting sharks (critics)." just kidding! As these letters show, no matter what one says, no one can The new inquisition cover all aspects of a subject, and any writer is lucky when others—as these letter writers I read with great interest Robert did—come to help shoulder the burden. Neal Sheaffer's review of Robert Anton Wilgus is right: my ignorance of other works Wilson's The New Inquisition (SI, Fall on Murphy's Law is not only apparent but 1989). In it, he calls Wilson a terrorist, real. Thanks to his wide knowledge of arcana but that is a matter between Sheaffer (evident in many helpful works like his and Wilson. What concerns me is factual fascinating Illuminoids) and his bibliog­ accuracy, and in this regard Sheaffer raphical tips, the serious Murphologist can falls down rather badly. Indeed, his pursue his/her studies in greater depth. assessment of Wilson's work is so Trans Kok's joke is wonderful and is in completely different from my own that fact a prime example of another variety of it prompted me to go back and read the psychology masquerading as philosophy, the book again; and I have been unfortu­ "Self-Sealing Premise." The tendency to nately forced into concluding that concoct a harmonizing rationalization to Sheaffer either (a) has not read the book patch the holes in a theory or belief no matter very carefully; or (b) has read it but how much tortuous twisting of data and hasn't understood it; or (c) has read it reasoning is necessary. This is what Albert and understood it, but is deliberately Schweitzer called "the crooked and fragile misrepresenting what it says; or (d) any thinking of Christian apologetics." combination of (a), (b), and (c) above. Has Tom Napier provided us with a The review is full of errors, omis­ Murphite version of the Liar Paradox? If sions, and misunderstandings. For Sod's/Murphy's Law itself makes it annoy- example, Sheaffer states on page 79, ingly impossible to verify Sod's/Murphy's "Apparently Wilson operates on the Law, couldn't that very infallible failure rate principle that all claims should be treated count as evidence that Sod's/Murphy's Law as equal"; and on page 80, "Wilson thinks is true? What else could account for it? Of that.. . [we should] welcome with open course this sort of thinking is characteristic arms any and all yarns about miraculous of the Self-Sealing Premise, of which claims events." These statements are flatly for psychic phenomena do indeed usually contradicted in Wilson's own words, not make use. once but in many places. For example,

328 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 "A wiser . . . student might become There I was, sitting with head in hand, merely a liberal Humean—one who crushed with despair at the avalanche holds that no proof is absolute but some of books, articles, movies, television ideas are more plausible than others" shows, astrology columns, crystal {TNI, p. 37). Or, "I am not asking you healers, channelers, and others of a to believe these yarns at all ... I am similar ilk touting the paranormal. merely asking you to observe in yourself Then, lo and behold, I read Robert the strength and immediacy of the Sheaffer's book review of The New impulse to deny at once" (p. 51). Or, Inquisition in your Fall 1989 issue and ". • . Many of the claims of the New learned that CSICOP, which I had Irrationalism are . . . absurd" (p. 64). always thought of as trying to bail out There are many other errors, for the ocean with a thimble, is actually the example: powerful inquisitional arm of the "Cit­ Sheaffer: ". . . What Wilson and adel of Science" dedicated to suppressing others actually seek for today's heretics all beliefs not acceptable to its masters is exemption from critical examination (but unable to educate millions of of their claims" (p. 82). Wilson: "Any American children on the basics of system that claims certainty must science or the scientific method). If the answer all challenges" (p. 8). real Inquisition had the same success Sheaffer: "This superficial critique rate as CSICOP has had, the Enlight­ . . . will delight those whose minds, like enment would have arrived several Wilson's, are inflexibly made up" (p. 82). centuries earlier. Wilson: "I am not advocating any specific For people who are being suppressed, old or new paradigm; I am merely the various holistic and crystal healers, advocating agnosticism and tolerance UFO-abductee book-writers, channel­ for dissent" (p. 21). Again,"... Nobody's ers, psychics, creationists, and other fundamentalism alarms me as much as purveyors of the paranormal, psycho­ my own, whenever I spot a bit of it babble, and similar silliness, seem to be skulking around in the back rooms of doing pretty well. When a channeler like my skull" (p. 69). And, "We might all J. Z. Knight can make upwards of become . .. much less stupid, if we tried, $200,000 a night, we obviously need a even occasionally, to look dispassion­ better inquisitor. ately and without prejudice at those events which do not seem to fit our own Eugene Weisfeld favorite reality-tunnel. . ." (p. 91). Taos, N.M. Sheaffer: "[Wilson] might have . . . realized that authors published in SI do not automatically agree with each other Sheaffer repeats a long-standing, like robots in lockstep, although the though oft-corrected, canard about existence of diversity among rationalists Velikovsky that I once more wish to put being so far outside Wilson's 'reality to rest. tunnel,' he would probably have failed According to Sheaffer, scholars to recognize it . . ." (p. 81). Wilson: "Dr. reacted so vehemently to Worlds in Hyman [whom Wilson cites as one of Collision in 1950 because it "was going Velikovsky's defenders] is a member of to be published as a textbook" (p. 82). This CSICOP. ... I mention this fact lest is ridiculous on its face. any careless reader think i wish to Sheaffer is unwittingly repeating the denounce that whole society in a lump" myth started by Isaac Asimov in the (p. 69). October 1974 Analog that Damon Sheaffer, it seems to me, is a very Knight corrected in February 1975. careless reader indeed. James Oberg repeated the error in the Fall 1980 SI and Henry Bauer duly Michael G. Price corrected it in Spring 1981. Regrettably, Vancouver, B.C. Oberg's article was reprinted in Para­ Canada normal Borderlands of Science (1981) with

Spring 1990 329 no corrections. In Beyond Velikovsky Robert Sheaffer responds: (1984), Bauer also corrected Asimov's account. This textbook allegation was Wilson describes himself as a "guerrilla also refuted by Ralph Juergens in Kronos, ontologist,"signifying his intention to attack 6(4), 1981, as well as by Velikovsky in language acknowledge in the way terrorists Stargazers and Gravediggers (1983). attack their targets: to jump out from the The persistence of this false allega­ shadows for an unprovoked attack, then slink tion in light of all the corrections is back and hide behind a hearty belly-laugh. frustrating. Velikovsky dealt exclusively 1 stand by my statement that Wilson's with Macmillan's Tradebook Depart­ knowledge of CS1COP is negligible, his ment. What did upset some academics opposition to it visceral and grounded in was a listing of Velikovsky's book under prejudice, not reason. Obviously Michael the heading of "Science" in the back of Price's sharply critical letter—and a quick a College Department catalog with other look at the back issues of SI reveals many new books separate from the textbooks others—could never be published in the (see Kronos, 9[2], 1984, pp. 46-53). journal imagined by Wilson. However, the furor over Velikovsky's When an author is inconsistent with his book started with an article in the own professed principles, one can find January 1950 Harper's, before publica­ quotations that seem to contradict any tion and before the "Science" listing interpretation, and such is the case with the appeared. Wilson quotes Price musters. While paying Henry Bauer gives some insights into prodigious lip-service to the ideals of the reaction to Velikovsky in his openness, diversity, and the questioning of December 1988 La Recherche article, cherished beliefs, Wilson displays zero reviewed in the Fall 1989 SI. For myself, tolerance for critical examination of the the reaction can be explained by scholars irrational beliefs so dear to him. Not only over-reacting to the popularity of the is Wilson unwilling to grant any validity book from a reputable publisher whose to the arguments of his opponents, but he palpable nonsense was patent, though attributes to them the basest of motives, not readily explained to the public (see indicting scientists and skeptics as agents of SI, Summer 1986, pp. 380-381). Furth­ a sinister inquisitorial conspiracy to silence ermore, Velikovsky exacerbated condi­ any who might question its inhumane tions though his arrogant and murder-for-prof it scheme. As Eugene contentious contacts in 1946 and 1947 Weisfeld's letter notes, if this is an in­ with the dean of American astronomers, quisition, it is a singularly inept one, given Harlow Shapley, a key figure in 1950. that the number of books sold each year Particularly damning is the letter that opposing the viewpoint of "The Citadel" accompanied the copy of Cosmos without positively dwarfs those supporting it. Such Gravitation that Velikovsky sent to is the problem faced by all conspiracy Shapley at Harvard on March 31, 1947. theorists in an open society: trying to explain The reader will look in vain for this why that powerful, sinister conspiracy has episode in Stargazers and Gravediggers, not yet succeeded in silencing them. because Velikovsky suppressed events in My apologies to C. Leroy Ellenberger his memoir that were inconsistent with and to SI readers if 1 have erred in stating the public image he cultivated. the exact nature of the 1950 flap over Finding a simple explanation for a Velikovsky's book. However, many groups— complex of behaviors, e.g., the many and practically all individuals—boycott intense reactions to Worlds in Collision, those providers of goods and services that is worthwhile. However, a totally wrong for whatever reason they do not like. It explanation, such as Sheaffer's, serves may be because these firms do business in no purpose except to muddy the water South Africa, or the Soviet Union, or and damage the critic's credibility. publish irresponsible trash, or are cruel to whales, ferrets, rabbits, foxes, rain forests, C. Leroy Ellenberger nuclear opponents, nuclear proponents, or St. Louis, Mo. spill oil, or don't spill oil, and make a lot

330 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 of money selling it. Anyone is free to "The Black Hole Biscuit brings you refuse to do business with any firm, for advice from deep space. The Biscuit's any reason whatsoever, and this is an spacey advice comes to you with only essential element of a free society. a modicum of validity. Predictions are Wilson, who goes on incessantly about iffy, people are changeable, and the stars his love of freedom, reaches the height are pretty far away. The Biscuit takes of hypocrisy when he brands as "Inquis­ a flier the first of every month. Run your itors" those who peacefully exercise sign up the pole—it might fly." their freedoms in ways he disapproves. This message clearly communicates "For entertainment only," but does so in an entertaining way. I encourage you Don't abandon reason to follow Novascope's example and not insist on a caption that reads like a "Fighting Occultists with Consumer Surgeon General's warning. Advocacy" (SI, Fall 1989 "Forum") ought to be recognized as opposing the prin­ Thomas D. Fuller ciples CSICOP stands for. Instead of Alexandria, Va. reasoned argument, presentation of proof, and the scientific method, we are told it's necessary to get the public "outraged." Why? Because "scientific On Crowley and backmasking arguments rarely dissuade people from frequenting occultists." And, "objecting In regard to the letters in the Fall 1989 to paranormal claims on the basis of issue, I never have stated or intimated scientific principles does not generally that either Aleister Crowley or Jimmy sway people." The remedy is to arouse Page was satanic. I am puzzled as to how strong anger by telling the public they David Godwin reached the conclusions are being cheated by "unregulated" and he sets forth in his letter. "unaccredited" practitioners. I suppose The reason I began studying the we will know we are being successful "backward messages" phenomenon was when an angry mob burns down the my abhorrence for the claims made on home of an astrologer and hangs her this topic on religious talk-shows. Barry from the post outside. Mraz, the genius recording engineer behind the first eight Styx albums, sent It's probably true that most people me a tape of a PTL show aired in 1982 do not accept arguments based on in which Paul Crouch, Jr., was discussing scientific method and that they tend to "backmasking." As I mentioned in my prefer irrational but appealing practices previous letter, I was surprised to find to valid but dull ones. Is this a justifi­ a few recording artists had attempted to cation to abandon reasoned persuasion? produce forward/backward lyrics. The two recordings of particular interest Rinehart S. Potts were "Stairway to Heaven" by Led School and Public Librarianship Zeppelin and E.L.O.'s "Eldorado." Glassboro State College Although I found forward/backward Glassboro, N.J. segments in these and a few other songs targeted by California Assemblyman Phil Wyman during the 1982 hearings. For entertainment only I actually defended the music industry I applaud your efforts to label horoscope by submitting lengthy written testim­ columns in the media as entertainment, ony to legal counsel Jay DeFuria of the not fact. California Assembly, in which I dis­ I recently picked up a copy of Nova- cussed the absurdity of a recording scope, a Northern Virginia regional labeling bill. I argued that there would magazine, and found that their horo­ be no way to monitor questionable scope column (called "The Black Hole backward speech and that it would be Biscuit") bears the following legend: an infringement of artistic freedom.

Spring 1990 331 In the same year, I ran across Aleister segments, including those in "Stairway Crowley's comments on page 417 of to Heaven." We inspected speech spec­ Magic in Theory and Practice. I went on trograms of the segments and also their record in print and on radio and TV talk- phonetic transcription and got helpful shows and discussed Crowley's com­ insights from phonetician Ian Catford ments and Jimmy Page's known obses­ and speech scientist George Allen. More sion with him. Some of the information than two years were spent in this I received came from people in the investigation. recording industry who know Page. Jimmy owns the largest collection of Michael W.Walker Crowley memorabilia, purchased Crow­ Toledo, Ohio ley's Scottish mansion, and named his occult bookstore in London after Agis­ ter's journal, The Equinox. It should come as no great surprise that Jimmy Page Bar-code beast returns and Robert Plant would attempt a forward/backward song in the finest of I regret to inform you and your readers Crowleyian tradition. As for Godwin's that Michael Keith's article, "The Bar- apparent upset about my claim that Code Beast" (Summer 1988), remains doing things backward has long been lamentably relevant. associated with ceremonial magic, I On October 19, 1989, I happened suggest he consider "ridicule rituals" like upon the local Trinity Broadcasting the Black Mass. . . . Network channel and saw a few minutes of that evening's "Praise the Lord" Charles J. Phelan asserts that my program. One of the show's guests was research did not include Crowley or Doug Clark, a self-described "prophecy ceremonial magic. Again, this reader did preacher," who claimed to have received not bother to read the papers I have a letter from "the man who designed written that were listed at the end of the UPC code"—now a born-again— my letter. Crowley was indeed all those containing "a complex formula" that wonderful things mentioned by Phelan. supposedly proves that the number 666 However, I chose the term occultist was deliberately included as a part of because that hat seemed to fit this topic. the code. Unfortunately, this tall tale is I never have stated that Crowley's firmly embedded in the minds of evan­ reversing exercising had anything to do gelical Christians and won't simply with subliminal messages. Backward collapse under the weight of its own utterances do not constitute subliminal silliness. messages. I only stated that Page was undoubtedly influenced by Crowley's It would be asking too much for mere exercises enough to write a song that facts to kill this lunatic yarn, but at least could be intelligible if played in reverse. we can pull out a UPC code with a six I have absolutely no idea whether Page in both halves (or at least in the first or Plant or any other performers half) and start quoting Michael Keith. actually believe backward messages can be subconsciously perceived. Jeffrey Hukkanen Whittier, Calif. Finally, regarding Charles Clifton's letter, there are too many recognizable phrases on the reverse play of "Stairway to Heaven" to be coincidental. These Channeling and delusions phrases are the result of careful slurring and are not readily apparent on the live Although Professor Graham Reed's version of the song. This suggests that article "The Psychology of Channeling" many studio takes were necessary for (SI, Summer 1989) was most enjoyable an intelligible trade-off in each direction. and informative, I disagree with some Speech scientist Ray Daniloff and I were of his comparisons of channeling experi­ able to make our own forward/backward ences and psychotic disorders.

332 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 14 From the clinical point of view, conditions with sufficient accuracy to channelers' reports can be distinguished predict the behavior of a chaotic system from delusions by the fact that patho­ far into the future. logical delusions are always idiosyn­ Intriguingly, one of the better ways cratic, that is, not shared by other of maximizing accuracy of prediction of persons except in so-called induced chaotic systems is to use neural net­ psychotic disorder. The problem in dis­ works. These are highly interconnected tinguishing the unusual experiences networks of simple processors, modeled reported by channelers from the unusu­ in silicon, mimicking the brain. If these al experiences of psychotic persons is systems can manage crude precognition, largely a manifestation of comparing imagine what could be achieved with a these experiences only at a symptomatic net as big and powerful as that in our level instead of at a phenomenological heads! level. For example, if a person tells a psychiatrist that he or she is occupied Nick Beard by another person, this would not be London, England automatically judged a delusion. Many other questions would need to be asked in an effort to understand the patient's Children's books inner experience. The experience of the psychotic person in believing that he or James Rusk (SI, Fall 1989) bemoaned the she is occupied by someone else or lack of children's books presenting a another spirit is entirely different from skeptical approach to pseudoscience. the experience of the channeler—unless, One excellent source is Mysteries and of course, the channeler is also Fantasies, the 1986 supplement to Child- psychotic. craft's "The How and Why Library" On the same basis, I doubt that (Robert O. Zeleny, editor-in-chief; channelers often experience true aud­ World Book, Inc., Chicago). itory hallucinations. Those who consult Aimed at ages five (read aloud) to psychiatrists frequently report hearing twelve, this book debunks such fantasies voices but careful questioning usually as the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, and brings out that they are merely report­ alien visitation, including the idea that ing vivid thoughts as "voices." the Nazca ground pictures were landing patterns. It clearly explains in nonsexist P. C. S. Hoaken, M.D. language how scientists seek independ­ Professor of Psychiatry ent, verifiable evidence and the simplest Queen's University explanations. Best of all, it intersperses Kingston, Ontario the debunkings with real, important Canada scientific mysteries, such as what happened to the Neanderthals and why (and whether) dinosaurs became ex­ Chaos and pseud-abuse tinct. Mysteries and Fantasies also includes Keith Lockett (Letters, Summer 1989) an annotated bibliography with intended wrote that chaos theory is a likely future age ranges. The following books victim of pseud-abuse. I agree, and (although apparently out of print) are would like to add my prediction (chan­ said to present skeptical accounts: neled from my computer) about how Monsters of North America (for ages 5 such abuse could be manifest. to 8), by William Wise (Putnam, 1978); Chaos theory shows that many Monsters from Outer Space (for ages 9 natural systems once thought to be to 12, by William Wise (Putnam, 1979); random could in fact be deterministic, Strange Mysteries from Around the World but effectively random because of their (for ages 9 to 12), by Seymour Simon exquisite sensitivity to initial conditions. (Four Winds, 1980). I have not read It is thus impossible to measure initial these, but hope that there is a SKEPTICAL

Spring 1990 333 INQUIRER reader who will share an A set of Sis evaluation with us. I want to dispose of my back issues of Elizabeth J. Lawlor SI, complete from Vol. 2, No. 2. I will Riverside, Calif. appreciate and answer any letters offering to buy the set or to recommend its donation. James Rusk and other SI readers may be interested in a new line of Prome­ O. L. Beckwith theus books that foster a skeptical and P.O. Box 89 rational viewpoint in children. The Wharton, NJ 07885 authors of three of the books are CSICOP Fellows; the books are The Magic Detectives: Join Them in Solving Strange Mysteries by Joe Nickell, It's Magic by Henry Gordon, and The Snark Puzzle Book by Martin Gardner. In some way, each of these books emphasizes the development of logic and critical think­ The letters column is a forum for views on ing; all are delightfully illustrated and matters raised in previous issues. Please try show that skepticism is important—and to keep letters to 300 words or less. They fun. should be typed, preferably double-spaced. Look for additions to the list in the Due to the volume of letters, not all can future. be published. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Address them to Letters Lorraine Baranski, Director to the Editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, 3025 Advertising and Promotion Dept. Palo Alto Dr. N£, Albuquerque, NM Prometheus Books 87111. Buffalo, N.Y.

334 Local, Regional, and National Organizations The organizations listed below have aims Michigan. MSU Proponents of Rational similar to those of CSICOP and work in Inquiry and the Scientific Method cooperation with CSICOP but are indepen­ (PRISM), Dave Marks, 221 Agriculture dent and autonomous. They are not affiliated Hall, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, with CSICOP, and representatives of these MI 48824. Great Lakes Skeptics, Don organizations cannot speak on behalf of Evans, Chairman, 6572 Helen, Garden CSICOP. City, MI 48135. Minnesota. Minnesota Skeptics, Robert W. UNITED STATES McCoy, 549 Turnpike Rd., Golden Valley, Alabama. Alabama Skeptics, Emory Kim- MN 55416. St. Kloud ESP Teaching brough, 3550 Watermelon Road, Apt. Investigation Committee (SKEPTIC), 29A, Northport, AL 35476. Jerry Mertens, Coordinator, Psychology Arizona. Tucson Skeptical Society (TUSKS), Dept., St. Cloud State Univ., St. Cloud, James McGaha, Chairman, 2509 N. MN 56301. Campbell Ave., Suite #16, Tucson, AZ 85719. Phoenix Skeptics, Michael Stack- Missouri. Kansas City Committee for Skep­ pole, Chairman, P.O. Box 62792, Phoenix, tical Inquiry, Verle Muhrer, Chairman, AZ 85082-2792. 2658 East 7th, Kansas City, MO 64124. Gateway Skeptics, Chairperson, Steve California. Bay Area Skeptics, Rick Moen, Best, 6943 Amherst Ave., University City, Secretary, 4030 Moraga, San Francisco, MO 63130. CA 94122-3928. East Bay Skeptics Society, Daniel Sabsay, President, P.O. New York. Finger Lakes Association for Box 20989, Oakland, CA 94620. Society Critical Thought, Ken McCarthy, 107 for Rational Inquiry, Bob Lee, President, Williams St., Groton, NY 13073. New 1457 57th St., Sacramento, CA 95819. York Area Skeptics (NYASk), Joel Serebin, Southern California Skeptics, Susan Chairman, 160 West 96 St., Apt. 11M, Shaw, Secretary, P.O. Box 7112, Burbank, New York, NY 10025-6434. Western New CA 91505; San Diego Coordinator, Ernie York Skeptics, Tim Madigan, Chairman, Ernissee, 5025 Mount Hay Drive, San 3159 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, NY 14215. Diego, CA 92117. North Carolina. N.C. Skeptics, Michael J. Marshall, Pres., 3318 Colony Dr., James­ Colorado and Wyoming. Rocky Mountain town, NC 27282. Skeptics, Bela Scheiber, President, P.O. Ohio. South Shore Skeptics, Page Stephens, Box 7277, Boulder, CO 80306. Box 5083, Cleveland, OH 44101 District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania. Paranormal Investigating and Virginia. National Capital Area Committee of Pittsburgh (PICP), Richard Skeptics, c/o D. W. "Chip" Denman, 8006 Busch, Chairman, 5841 Morrowfield Valley Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Ave., #302, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Dela­ Florida. Tampa Bay Skeptics, Gary Posner, ware Valley Skeptics, Brian Siano, Secre­ 6219 Palma Blvd., #210, St. Petersburg, tary, Apt. 1-F, 4406 Walnut St., FL 33715. Philadelphia, PA 19104. Georgia. Georgia Skeptics, Keith Blanton, South Carolina. South Carolina Committee Vice Pres., 150 South Falcon Bluff, to Investigate Paranormal Claims, John Alpharetta, GA 30201. Safko, 3010 Amherst Ave., Columbia, SC Illinois. Midwest Committee for Rational 29205. Inquiry, Ralph Blasko, Chairman, P.O. Tennessee. Tennessee Valley Skeptics, Box 977, Oak Park, IL 60303. Daniel O'Ryan, Secretary, P.O. Box Indiana. Indiana Skeptics, Robert Craig, 50291, Knoxville, TN 37950. Chairperson, 5401 Hedgerow Drive, Texas. Austin Society to Oppose Pseudo- Indianapolis, IN 46226. science (ASTOP), Lawrence Cranberg, Kentucky. Kentucky Assn. of Science Edu­ President, P.O. Box 3446, Austin, TX cators and Skeptics (KASES), Chairman, 78764. Houston Association for Scientific Prof. Robert A. Baker, 3495 Castleton Thinking (HAST), Darrell Kachilla, P.O. Way North, Lexington, KY 40502. Box 541314, Houston, TX 77254. North Louisiana. Baton Rouge Proponents of Texas Skeptics, Mark Meyer, Secretary Rational Inquiry and Scientific Methods and Treasurer, P.O. Box 22, Arlington, (BR-PRISM), Henry Murry, Chairman, TX 76004-0022.West Texas Society to P.O. Box 15594, Baton Rouge, LA 70895. Advance Rational Thought, Co- Massachusetts. Skeptical Inquirers of New Chairmen: George Robertson, 516 N Loop England, Laurence Moss, Chairman, c/o 250 W #801, Midland, TX 79705; Don Ho & Moss, Attorneys, 72 Kneeland St., Naylor, 404 N. Washington, Odessa, TX Boston, MA 02111. (continued on next page) (continued from previous page) Contact, Dept. of Psychiatry, Airedale Texas, continued. General Hospital, Steeton, Keighly, West 79761. Yorkshire, UK BD20 6TD. Washington. Northwest Skeptics, Philip ITALY. Comitato Italiano per il Controllo Haldeman, Chairman, T.L.P.O. Box 8234, delle Affermazioni sul Paranormale, Kirkland, WA 98034. Lorenzo Montali, Secretary, Via Ozanam Wisconsin. Wisconsin Committee for 3, 20129 Milano, Italy. Rational Inquiry, Mary Beth Emmericks, MEXICO. Mexican Association for Skeptical Convenor, 846S N. 51st St., Brown Deer, Research (SOMIE), Mario Mendez- Wl 53223. Acosta, Chairman, Apartado Postal 19- AUSTRALIA. National: Australian Skeptics, 546, Mexico 03900, D.F. P.O. Box E 324 St. James, NSW 2000. NETHERLANDS. Stichting Skepsis, Rob Regional: Australian Capital Territory, Nanninga, Secretary, Westerkade 20, P.O. Box 555, Civic Square, 2608. New 9718 AS Groningen. South Wales, Newcastle Skeptics. Chair­ NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Skeptics, person, Colin Keay, Physics Dept., Warwick Don, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. Newcastle University 2308. Queensland, of Otago, Dunedin, NZ. 18 Noreen Street, Chapel Hill, Queens­ NORWAY. NIFCO, K. Stenodegard, P.O. land, 4069. South Australia, P.O. Box 91, Box 2119, N-7001, Trondheim. Skepsis, Magill, S.A., 5072. Victoria, P.O. Box Terje Emberland, Contact, P. B. 2943 1555P, Melbourne, Vic, 3001. West Toyen 0608, Oslo 6. Australia, 25 Headingly Road, Kala- SOUTH AFRICA. Assn. for the Rational munda, W.A., 6076. Investigation of the Paranormal (ARIP), BELGIUM. Committee Para, J. Dommanget, Marian Lasersoh, Secretary, 4 Wales St., Chairman, Observatoire Royal de Bel- Sandringham 2192. gique, Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 SPAIN. Alternativa Racional a las Pseudos- Brussels. ciencias (ARP), Luis Alfonso Gamez CANADA. National: James E. Alcock, Chair­ Dominguez, c/o el Almirante A. Gaz- man, Glendon College, York Univ., 2275 taneta, 1-5* D. 48012 Bilbao. Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. SWEDEN. Vetenskap och folkbildning Regional: Alberta Skeptics, Elizabeth (Science and People's Education), Sven Anderson, P.O. Box 5571, Station A, Ove Hansson, Secretary, Sulite Imavagen Calgary, Alberta T2H 1X9. British 15, S-161 33 Bromma. Columbia Skeptics, Barry Beyerstein, SWITZERLAND. Conradin M. Beeli, Con­ Chairman, Box 86103, Main PO, North venor, Muhlemattstr. 20, CH-8903 Vancouver, BC, V7L 4J5. Manitoba Birmensdorf. Skeptics, Bill Henry, President, Box 92, UNITED KINGDOM. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER St. Vital, Winnipeg, Man. R2M 4A5. Representative, Michael J. Hutchinson, Ontario Skeptics, Henry Gordon, Chair­ 10 Crescent View, Loughton, Essex LG10 man, P.O. Box 505, Station Z, Toronto, 4PZ. British & Irish Skeptic Maga­ Ontario M5N 226. Quebec Skeptics: Jean zine, Editors, Toby Howard and Steve Ouellette, C.P. 282, Repentigny Quebec, Donnelly, 49 Whitegate Park, Flixton, J6A 7C6. Manchester M31 3LN. London Student EAST GERMANY. East German Skeptics, Skeptics, Michael Howgate, Presi­ A. Gertler, Chairman, Inst, for Forensic dent, 71 Hoppers Rd., Winchmore Hill, Medicine, Humboldt Univ., Berlin 1040. London N21 3LP. Manchester Skeptics, FINLAND. Skepsis, Matti Virtanen, Secre­ Toby Howard, 49 Whitegate Park, Flix­ tary, Kuismakujo 1 S 18, Helsinki 00720. ton, Manchester M31 3LN. Wessex FRANCE. Comite Francois pour 1'Etude des Skeptics, Robin Allen, Dept. of Physics, Phenomenes Paranormaux, Claude Southampton University, Highfield, Benski, Secretary-General, Merlin Gerin, Southampton S09 5NH. West Country RGE/A2 38050 Grenoble Cedex. Skeptics, David Fisher, Convenor, 27 INDIA. B. Premanand, Chairman, 10, Elderberry Rd., Cardiff CF3 3RG, Chettipalayam Rd., Podanur 641.-023 Wales. Coimbatore Tamil nadu. For other Indian WEST GERMANY. Society for the Scientific organizations contact B. Premanand for Investigation of Para-Science (GWUP), details. Amardeo Sarma, Convenor, Postfach IRELAND. Irish Skeptics, Peter O'Hara, 1222, D-6101 Rossdorf. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Paul Kurtz, Chairman Scientific and Technical Consultants (partial list) William Sims Bainbridge, professor of sociology, Illinois State University. Gary Bauslaugh, dean of technical and academic education and professor of chemistry, Malaspina College, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Richard E. Berendzen, professor of astronomy, president, American University, Washington, D.C. Barry L. Beyerstein, professor of psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Martin Bridgstock, lecturer. School of Science, Griffith Observatory, Brisbane, Australia. Vern Bullough, dean of natural and social sciences, SUNY College at Buffalo. Richard Busch, magician, Pittsburgh, Pa. Shawn Carlson, physicist, Berkeley, Calif. Charles J. Cazeau, geologist, Tempe, Arizona. Ronald ). Crawley, professor of physics, California State University, Fullerton. J. Dath, professor of engineering, Ecole Royale Militaire, Brussels, Belgium. Felix Ares De Bias, professor of computer science, University of Basque, San Sebastian, Spain. Sid Deutsch, professor of bioengineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel. J. Dommanget, astronomer, Royale Observatory, Brussels, Belgium. Natham ). Duker, assistant professor of pathology. Temple University. Barbara Eisenstadt, educator, Scotia, N.Y. Frederic A. Friedel, philosopher, Hamburg, West Germany. Robert E. Funk, anthropologist. New York State Museum & Science Service. Sylvio Garattini, director, Mario Negri Pharmacology Institute, Milan, Italy. Laurie Godfrey, anthropologist. University of Massachusetts. Gerald Goldin, mathematician, Rutgers University, New Jersey. Donald Goldsmith, astronomer; president. Interstellar Media. Clyde F. Herreid, professor of biology, SUNY, Buffalo. William Jarvis, chairman. Public Health Service, Loma Linda University, California. I. W. Kelly, professor of psychology. University of Saskatchewan. Richard H. Lange, chief of nuclear medicine, Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, New York. Gerald A. Larue, professor of biblical history and archaeology, University of So. California. Bernard ). Leikind, staff scientist, GA Technologies Inc., San Diego. Jeff Mayhew, computer consultant. Aloha, Oregon. Joel A. Moskowitz, director of medical psychiatry, Calabasas Mental Health Services, Los Angeles. Robert B. Painter, professor of microbiology. School of Medicine, University of California. John W. Patterson, professor of materials science and engineering, Iowa State University. Steven Pinker, assistant professor of psychology, MIT. James Pomerantz, professor of psychology, Rice University; Daisie Radner, professor of philosophy, SUNY, Buffalo. Michael Radner, professor of philosophy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Robert H. Romer, professor of physics, Amherst College. Milton A. Rothman, physicist, Philadelphia, Pa. Karl Sabbagh, journalist, Richmond, Surrey, England. Robert J. Samp, assistant professor of education and medicine, University of Wisconsin- Madison. Steven D. Schafersman, geologist, Houston. Chris Scott, statistician, London, England. Stuart D. Scott, Jr., associate professor of anthropology, SUNY, Buffalo. Al Seckel, physicist, Pasadena, Calif. Erwin M. Segal, professor of psychology, SUNY, Buffalo. Elie A. Shneour, biochemist; director, Bio- systems Research Institute, La Jolla, California. Steven N. Shore, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, N.M. Barry Singer, psychologist, Eugene, Oregon. Mark Slovak, astronomer, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Douglas Stalker, associate professor of philosophy, University of Delaware. Gordon Stein, physiologist, author; editor of the American Rationalist. Waclaw Szybalski, professor, McArdle Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ernest H. Taves, psychoanalyst, Cambridge, Mass­ achusetts. Sarah G. Thomason, professor of linguistics. University of Pittsburgh, editor of Language.

Subcommittees Astrology Subcommittee: Chairman, I. W. Kelly, Dept. of Educational Psychology, University of Saskat­ chewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0, Canada. College and University Lecture Series Subcommittee: Chairman, Paul Kurtz; Lecture Coordinator; Ranjit Sandhu, CSICOP, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 1421S-0229. Education Subcommittee: Chairman, Steven Hoffmaster, Physics Dept., Gonzaga Univ., Spokane, WA 99258-0001; Secretary, Wayne Rowe, Education Dept., Univ. of Oklahoma, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019. Electronics Communications Subcommittee: Chairman, Barry Beyerstein, Dept. of Psychology, Simon Fraser Univ., Burbaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 Canada; Secretary, Page Stevens, Box 5083, Cleveland, OH 44101. Legal and Consumer Protection Subcommittee: Chairman, Mark Plummer, c/o CSICOP, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Paranormal Health Claims Subcommittee: Co-chairmen, William Jarvis, Professor of Health Education, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 93350, and Stephen Barrett, M.D., P.O. Box 1747, Allentown, PA 18105. Parapsychology Subcommittee: Chairman, Ray Hyman, Psychology Dept., Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97402. UFO Subcommittee: Chairman, Philip J. Klass, 404 "N" Street S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024. v '&k*VMt<"7lbf %%P x ;«*«* V «"T..^*^' -«,, •*«-

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