PHIL KLASS AND ROBERT BAKER REMEMBERED • EXPOSING A PSEUDOSCIENCE SCAM • LEGENDS OF CASTLES AND KEEPS

I / THE MAGAZINE FOR IENCE AND REASON Volume 29, No. 6 • NovxemCT If/ December 2005

Mark Perakh David Morrison Lawrence Krauss Jason Rosenhouse Sean B. Carroll Elie Shneour Lawrence S. Lerner

Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION of Claims of the Paranormal

AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY- TRANSNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO] AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet. Special Projects Director FELLOWS

James E. Alcock* psychologist York Univ., Toronto Saul Green. Ph.D., biochemist president of ZOL Loren Pankratz. psychologist Oregon Health Jerry Andrus. magician and inventor, Albany, Oregon Consultants, New York, NY Sciences Univ. Marcia Angell, M.D„ former editor-in-chief, New Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Robert L Park, professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland England Journal of Medicine and Sciences, Professor of Philosophy and John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. Stephen Barrett M.D.. psychiatrist, author, Professor of Law, University of Miami Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist Harvard consumer advocate. Allentown, Pa. C E. M. Hansel, psychologist Univ. of Wales Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Willem Betz. professor of medicine, Univ. of executive director CICAP, Italy Brussels Columbia Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist Univ. of Chicago Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human under­ Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist Simon Fraser Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of standing and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada medicine, Stanford Univ., editor, Scientific Gerald Holton. Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Irving Biederman, psychologist Univ. of Southern Review of Alternative Medicine and professor of history of science, Harvard Univ. California Amardeo Sarma. manager NEC Europe Ltd., Ray Hyman,* psychologist Univ. of Oregon Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the executive director, GWUP, Germany. Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, 77me West of England. Bristol Evry Schatzman, former president. French Physics Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition, Henri Broch, physicist Univ. of Nice, France Association Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist professor Scientific American Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist executive emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Lawrence M Krauss, author and professor of physics director. National Center for Science Education Vern Bullough, professor of history, California and astronomy, Case Western Reserve University Robert Sheaffer, science writer State Univ. at Northridge Edwin C Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Elie A. Shneour. biochemist author, Observatory Mario Bunge, philosopher. McGill University director. Biosystems Research Institute. Paul Kurtz,* chairman, Center for Inquiry John R. Cole, anthropologist editor. National La Jolla, Calif. Lawrence Kusche, science writer Center for Science Education Dick Smith, film producer, publisher. Terrey Hills, Leon Lederman, emeritus director. Fermilab; Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, N.S.W., Australia professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Nobel laureate in physics Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito. Calif. California, Berkeley Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist Emory Univ. Victor J. Stenger, emeritus professor of physics Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Technology Richard Dawkins, zoologist Oxford Univ. and astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii; adjunct Daily (China) Geoffrey Dean, technical editor, Perth, Australia professor of philosophy, Univ. of Colorado Jere Upps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of Daniel C Dennett University Professor and Austin Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETT Institute, California, Berkeley B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Director of Mountain View, Calif. Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Univ. of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts Univ. Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Angeles, Calif. Ann Druyan, writer and producer, and CEO, California, Irvine David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca. New York Peralta, New Mexico AeroVironment Inc.. Monrovia, Calif. Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. Stephen Toulmin. professor of philosophy, Univ. of of Utrecht, the Netherlands John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Southern California Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor. Encyclopedia David Marks, psychologist City University, London. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and of Philosophy Hayden Planetarium. New York City science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and Central Connecticut State Univ. contributing editor sciences, M.I.T. Antony Flew, philosopher. Reading Univ.. U.K. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and David Morrison, space scientist NASA Ames Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College, Los astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Altos Hills. Calif. Research Center Nobel laureate Kendrick Frazier, science writer, editor, SXBTKAL INQUWH Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. of E.O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus, Yves Galifret. vice-president Affiliated Calif., Berkeley Harvard University Organizations: France Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSICOP Martin Gardner, author, critic Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Richard Wiseman, psychologist University of Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Santa Fe m Nye, science educator and television host Nye Labs Hertfordshire Institute; Nobel laureate James E. Oberg, science writer Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Thomas Gilovich. psychologist Cornell Univ. Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine (retired), " Member, CSICOP Executive Council Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto Marburg, Germany (Affiliations given for identification only.)

• • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at www.csicop.org • • •

The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) b published bimonthly by the Committee for the Sci­ of the November/December 2004 issue. Or you may send a fax tequest to the editor. entific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amhera, NY 14228. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views Printed in U.S-A. PeriodkaJs postage paid at Buffalo, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Subscrip­ and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorse­ tion prices: one year (six issues). $35; two years. $60". direc years, $84; single issue. $4.95. Canadian ment by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. and foreign orders: Payment in U.S. funds drawn on a U S. bank must accompany orders; please Copyright ©2005 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranor­ add US$10 per year for shipping. Canadian and fbreigr customers are encouraged to use Visa or mal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm. 35mm mi­ MasterCard. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 41153509. Return uncWhrrable Canadian crofilm, and 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is indexed in the addresses to: IMEX PO. Boot 4332. Station Rd.. Toronto, ON M5W 3J4. Reader't Guide to Periodical I irerarure. Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made to Paul Kurtx. Chairman. CSICOP. PO. Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Tel.: 716-636-1425. Subscriptioru and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. PO. Box 703. Fat 716-636-1733. Amherst. NY 142264)703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (wuside US. call 716-636-1425). OH address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick SKEPTICAI INQUIREFrazier,R subscriber ! may not speak onEditor behal,f SKEPTICAof CSICOL PINQUIRER or the SKEPTICA. 944 DeeL INQUIRERr Drive .NE , Albuquerque. NM 87122. Fax: 505-828- 2080. Before submitting any manuscript, please consult our Guide for Authors for format and refer­ Postmaster: Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. RO. Box 703. Amherst. NY ences requirements. It is on our web site at www.csicc^.org/si/guidc-for-authors-html and on page 64 1422641703. SPECIAL REPORT

Skeptical Inquirer 20 Skeptics and TV News Expose

November/December 2005 • VOL. 29, NO. 6 'Magnetic Water Conditioners' DAVE THOMAS EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS CONFERENCE REPORT 32 Does Irreducible Complexity Imply Intelligent Design? 22 Developing Perspectives on Anomalous Experiences MARK PERAKH JULIA SANTOMAURO 37 Only a Theory? COLUMNS Framing the Evolution/Creation Issue DAVID MORRISON EDITOR'S NOTE Evolution and the ID Wars 4 38 SI on Evolution and ID NEWS AND COMMENT 'Psychic Swindler' in San Antonio Convicted of Theft by Coercion / Plane Crash Survival: Miracle or Skill and Science? / Center for Inquiry 41 The Intelligent Designer Granted Representation at the United Nations / 'Winking Jesus' IRVING ROTHCHILD Statue: Mystery Solved! / Fullerton Underpass: The Lost Episodes / Aruba Teen, Others Still Missing Despite Psychics / This Fall's Flood of Paranormal Programming / Police Chief Misleads Viewers on Psychic 42 Why Scientists Get So Angry When Detectives I Recent News on Alternative Medicine / Velikovsky Dealing with ID Proponents Papers to Princeton University / Top 25 Science Questions: A Stimulating List of What We Don't Know 5 JASON ROSENHOUSE INVESTIGATIVE FILES Legends of Castles and Keeps 45 AGU: President Confuses JOE NICKELL 24 Science and Belief, Puts THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE Schoolchildren at Risk Just the Facts, Ma'am: Empirical vs. Rationalist Approaches to Understanding 46 The Pope and I MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI 27 LAWRENCE M. KRAUSS THE SKEPTICAL INQUIREE New-Agey Feldenkrais 48 Endless Forms Most Beautiful BENJAMIN RADFORD 29 DOUBT AND ABOUT A New Revolution in Biology Science Wars II: Science and the Bush Administration SEAN B. CARROLL CHRIS MOONEY 30 NEW BOOKS 64 54 Obfuscating Biological Evolution SCIENCE BEST SELLERS 64 ELIE A. SHNEOUR FORUM Praying for Jane 56 Harris Poll Explores Beliefs about SUSAN BURY 65 Evolution, Creationism, and LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 66 Intelligent Design BOOK REVIEWS 59 What Should We Think about Americans' Beliefs Regarding The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: How a Spectacular Hoax Evolution? Became History By Peter Lamont LAWRENCE S. LERNER GREG MARTINEZ 61

IN MEMORIAM Bigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologist Examines Americas Enduring Legend 16 Philip J. Klass By David J. Daegling ROBERT SHEAFFER BENJAMIN RADFORD 62

18 Robert A. Baker Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe JOE NICKELL By Erik J. Wielenberg PETER LAMAL 63 Cover illustration by Kenn Brown Skeptical Inquirer Editor's Note THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON EDITOR Kendrick Frazier EDITORIAL BOARD James E. Alcock Barry Beyerstein Thomas Casten Martin Gardner Ray Hyman Paul Kurtz Joe Nickell Evolution and the ID Wars Lee Nisbet Amardeo Sarma e devote the core of this issue to Evolution and the ID Wars. The Bela Scheiber CONSULTING EDITORS "Intelligent Design" movement is the most pernicious pseudoscience Susan J. Blackmore John R. Cole of our time. It seeks to undermine the teaching of evolution, at a Kenneth L. Feder minimum, but at its root is a broad attack on the nature of science C E. M. Hansel E. C. Krupp Witself—science's insistence on evidence, its unrelenting testing of hypotheses, its tra­ Scott O. Lilienfeld dition of first airing new propositions before knowledgeable colleagues, its require­ David F. Marks Eugenie Scott ment of peer-reviewed scientific publication, its skeptical scrutiny of all new ideas, Richard Wiseman its error-correcting mechanisms and welcome acceptance of new ideas that better fit CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Chris Mooney better evidence, its wonderful and imaginative creativity. In its place, ID advocates James E. Oberg Robert Sheaffer would give equal time to an ancient and long-discredited faith-based idea with zero David E. Thomas scientific evidence. They would bypass all of sciences institutional mechanisms that MANAGING EDITOR painstakingly sift unsupported ideas from well-supported ones and that are at the Benjamin Radford ART DIRECTOR core of what science is all about. Lisa A. Hutter The ID advocates are well supported and crafty. They turn scientific arguments PRODUCTION Christopher Fix on their heads. They paint themselves as the open-minded inquirers. They just want Paul Loynes to be "fair." They just want to "teach the controversy." They in fact create the con­ EDITORIAL ASSISTANT troversy by publicly advancing outrageously misleading, often outright false, state­ David Park Musella CARTOONIST ments about evolution. Then when scientists respond to correct them, the IDers Rob Pudim organize vast letter writing campaigns and point to the "controversy" that ensues as WEB-PAGE DESIGN Patrick Fitzgerald, Designer evidence that it should be taught in the classroom. They disingenuously pretend Amanda Chesworth that the resulting controversy is about science, not about religion and culture. They PUBLISHER'S REPRESENTATIVE tirelessly work to put likeminded people on local school boards. They seek, and get, Barry Karr political support. They claim that it is science advancing dogma, not themselves. CORPORATE COUNSEL They pretend they want only to give the "alternative" view. The media responsibly Brenton N VerPloeg BUSINESS MANAGER report on the "controversy" and allot 50-50 space and time to each viewpoint, Sandra Lesniak falling right into the ID advocates' hands. It has been a remarkably successful polit­ FISCAL OFFICER ical and public-relations strategy, and they keep waging the war on public batde- Paul Paulin DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS grounds that continually put science to the disadvantage. Diane Giuliano The main articles, commentaries, reports, and statements in this issue deal witii Sherry Rook CHIEF DATA OFFICER all these issues and many others. We asked notable scientists and scholars knowl­ Michael Cione edgeable about this debate to present their ideas. They analyze intellectually the ID STAFF argument, they propose better ways for presenting the scientific case to the public, Darlene Banks Patricia Beauchamp they discuss why scientists get so angry at ID proponents, they provide poll results Cheryl Catania Matthew Cravatta of Americans' beliefs about evolution and creationism, and they comment knowl- Kathryn Landon edgeably about those beliefs. And one, biologist Sean B. Carroll, in an excerpt from Jennifer Miller Anthony Santa Lucia his new book, Endless Forms Most Beautiful The New Science of Evo Devo, presents Kim Stewart John Sullivan an overview of some new evolutionary science, combining embryology with evolu­ Vance Vigrass tionary developmental biology, that has provided remarkable new advances and PUBLIC RELATIONS Nathan Bupp insights into evolutionary processes over the past two decades. This reminds us— John Gaeddert importantly, I think, as would even a quick perusal of nearly any current scientific EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR journal—that the science goes on, advancing, illuminating, producing exciting new Amanda Chesworth INQUIRY MEDIA PRODUCTIONS understanding, even while a public mostly ignorant of it dithers over and argues Thomas Flynn about the modern-day equivalent of how many angels dance on the head of a pin. DIRECTOR OF UBRARIES Timothy S. Binga

The SttPncAi INQUIRER is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. an international organization.

4 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

'Psychic Swindler' in San Antonio Convicted of Theft by Coercion

Jennifer Nicole Evans, the San Antonio, Texas, fortuneteller whose crimes were chronicled in an article in # . the May/June 2005 issue of SI Mt * m H REHMTI ("Psychic Swindlers" by Amy Davis), •^LOVERS was found guilty of eight counts of dieft by coercion and sentenced to V , BT/' 1A twelve years in prison. In addition, the f -32". uk jury also decided that Evans must pay $213,000 in restitution to her victims. f Ms. Evans, who performed her - • TT services under the name "Miss Brooks," "sobbed after the judge read • the sentence" and "yelled an expletive 'L at the lead prosecutor who tried the case [Karen Betancourt, an assistant , *^ JT !\. district attorney for Bexar County, Texas]," according to a report that - appeared on the Web site MySan V Antonio.com on July 15, the day of Psychic Jennifer Evans covers her face while being arrested in San Antonio. Texas. Evans was later convicted of theft Evans's conviction. by coercion and sentenced to prison. During the course of the trial, ten of Evans's victims testified that she had from her threats. While the prosecution The outcome of the trial was uncer­ used the threat of illnesses such as can­ was difficult because the victims voluntar­ tain, because while Evans could have cer and other bad fortune that would ily gave the money to remove her gypsy been sentenced to as much as ninety- befall their loved ones if they didn't fol­ 'curse,' the jury's verdict of a twelve-year nine years behind bars, she also could low her instructions. Those instructions prison sentence is a strong indication that have been given only probation, due to invariably included handing over the laws of our great state protect the inno­ the fact that she formerly had no crimi­ money and purchasing merchandise cent from schemes, scams, and swindles." nal record. Betancourt's successful pros­ and services for Evans and some of her Amy Davis, the troubleshooter ecutorial tactic had been to stress the relatives, all to clear away the curses. reporter who authored the aforemen­ idea that Evans had, in effect, threatened She harassed them by telephone until tioned article for SI, then with News 4 people's well-being in order to extort some of them had cleared their bank WOAI in San Antonio, said of the trial's money from her clients, while Evans's accounts and were far over tJieir heads outcome: "I really wanted to sit in and defense attorney, Roy Berrera Sr., had in loan and credit-card debt. watch the trial. I felt so much a part ol asked for probation for his client, A letter we received from Susan D. the case. But since I am now living and because her victims had given the Reed, the Criminal District Attorney for working in Houston, I had to keep up money to her voluntarily. Bexar County, states: "The conviction of with the latest developments online. I D.A. Reed's statement concludes: self-proclaimed psychic/spiritualist Jennifer was actually prepared to be disappointed. "The psychic scam may be a long tra­ Evans, age twenty-four, in Bexar County, I expected her to get probation. The fact dition for the gypsy culture, but the Texas, for scamming individuals seeking that she didn't reminded me why I love law clearly protects us from the thief out her assistance sends a clear message to my job. . . . Prosecutors showed our who uses words of coercion and those who prey upon vulnerable victims in undercover video of Evans in a session alleged power of the paranormal to [their] community that they will be held with our producer during the trial. I secure the life savings of the citizens of accountable. These victims of Ms. Evans think once jurors actually saw Evans's our community." believed she had the psychic power to antics, they had to understand what she —David Park Musella harm or protect from harm their loved was doing was so much more than fool­ ones, so much so that they were willing to ing naive pawns. I am thrilled she'll David Park Musella is an editorial assis­ give her money to keep their families safe spend the next twelve years behind bars." tant with SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 5 NEWS AND COMMENT

Plane Crash Survival: Most of the passengers were out of the crash. London's Daily Mail for the plane in less than a minute, many of example, called it "The Miracle of Miracle or Skill and them taking time to grab their belong­ Toronto" while Reuters called it "The Science? ings and taking photographs of dazed Toronto Miracle Crash." Toronto Sun fellow passengers and the smoldering columnist Mike Strobel wrote a piece On August 2, 2005, amid heavy rain wreckage (these would later be sold to lamenting the news media's overuse of and lightning. Air France Flight 358 evening news programs). The copilot the word miracle. "In the news game, from Paris, France, to Toronto, searched the plane for any remaining we use it to death," he wrote. "Our Canada, crashed. The plane touched passengers before exiting. When the [ Toronto Sun] clipping file lists the word down, and the passengers cheered, for­ smoke cleared and the passengers were 240 times this year alone and 239 counted, every single person was found getting that just because the airplane's times, it did not fit. Except today. to have made it out alive. wheels hit the tarmac does not mean Miracle Flight 358. Paris to Pearson. the flight is over. The plane struggled Canada's transportation minister, We all saw that awful black smoke. A to slow down but failed, overshooting Jean Lapierre, proclaimed that the 100 funeral pyre, surely. ... No one gets out the runway by 200 yards and eventu­ percent survival rate was "nothing short of that alive." of a miracle." Passengers, pundits, and ally slamming into a ravine. Flames The "miracle" label was perfect. It the news media quickly adopted the emerged from the aircraft body as the was a great news handle and a great sil­ "miracle" tag, with hundreds of head­ twelve crew members evacuated the ver lining in a dark storm cloud. lines touting the miraculous nature of 297 passengers. However, it doesn't fit the circumstances of Flight 358. Aviation experts said that while the outcome of the crash was cer­ headquarters in New York and U.N. tainly fortunate, there was little miracu­ offices in Geneva and Vienna. The lous about it. Mark Rosenker of the Center for Inquiry can participate in con­ U.S. National Transportation Safety ferences and briefings open to NGOs, Board (NTSB), was quoted in an and generally present the scientific, skep­ MSNBC article as saying that "There is tical, and secular humanist perspective to this myth out there that says if you're the international community. involved in a catastrophic aircraft acci­ The Center for Inquiry maintains dent the odds are extremely low. [In centers and communities in Amherst, fact], the odds are extremely high." New York, New York City, Los Angeles, According to an NTSB study of 568 Tampa, and communities in fourteen crashes between 1983 and 2000, only other cities in North America. It also has five percent of passengers were killed; Centers in Germany, France, Spain, the remaining 95 percent escaped Poland, Russia, Peru, Argentina, Egypt, unharmed or without life-threatening Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, India, Nepal, injuries. In another study of more seri­ and New Zealand, and is in the process ous crashes, the odds were better than of establishing a center in China. 50/50 that passengers got out alive. And Paul Kurtz, chairman of CFI, com­ crashes that occur on the ground, as mented, "As the planetary community Flight 358 did, often have very high sur­ faces unprecedented challenges in the vival rates. Center for Inquiry future, it should be guided by human­ In modern hyperbole a miracle often Granted Representation ist values and scientific rationality. In simply means "unexpected good for­ at the United Nations an age of clashing fundamentalisms tune" from the labeler's perspective. and unprecedented missionary evange­ Journalists, preferring sensationalism to he Center for Inquiry— lism, the commitment to secular gov­ statistics, saw the burning metal wreck­ Transnational (CFI), which is ernment and freedom of conscience age and incorrectly assumed the crash T the parent organization of the should be heard. In the coming cen­ was unsurvivable without consulting Committee for the Scientific Investigation tury of bio-genetic science, scientific experts. The traveling public, who of Claims of the Paranormal (publisher of inquiry offers great opportunities for already dramatically overestimate the the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER), has been humankind and should be encouraged, dangers of air travel, have been primed granted "special consultative status" as a not censored. Scientific rationalism by a fear-mongering news media to nongovernmental organization (NGO) needs to be present in deliberations at assume rhe worst. under the United Nations Economic and the U.N." The fact that all the passengers sur­ Social Council. The New York office of the Center for vived is almost certainly due to science. This entides the Center for Inquiry to Inquiry, headquartered at Rockefeller designate official representatives to U.N. Center, will coordinate its U.N. activities. NEWS AND COMMENT

'Winking Jesus' Statue: Mystery Solved!

On July 28, 2005—according to a Hoboken, New Jersey, street "preacher"— a plaster Jesus statue he had installed as part of a sidewalk shrine suddenly opened one eye. "Some believe it is a miracle," reported the Associated Press. "Others believe someone doc­ tored the sculpture." The partially blind, unemployed Catholic, named Julio "Sly" Dones, had retrieved the two-foot-tall, Sacred Heart of Jesus statue from a garbage bin a year before. He had made it the centerpiece of a shrine of Madonnas, crucifixes, and cherubs that he had set up outside a housing project on Jackson Street. Dones says that while he was cleaning the "sleeping" figurine, which is visibly The wreckage of Air France Flight 358 at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Reuters/Frank Gunn/Pool scuffed and has peeling paint, it opened (Photo via NewsCom) its right eye. skill, and circumstance. Attributing the tained relatively minor injuries such as passengers' survival to a miracle is an broken bones. Dr. Charles Zeman, Stories soon also spread of the statue insult to the bravery, skill, and experi­ director of trauma services at Northeast blinking its right eye, turning its head, ence of the Flight 358 crew, who trained Regional Medical Center, said, "We see for years to handle just such emergen­ car accidents with worse injuries coming cies. By all accounts, the Air France crew in here every week. This is truly a mira­ acted quickly and professionally during cle." Zeman's comment on the miracu­ the emergency. They made sure that all lous nature of the accident was quoted passengers were buckled in for the land­ in a CNN headline story. ing and evacuated promptly. The comment, though perhaps The miracle designation also ignores offhanded, is interesting because it the coundess engineering safety measures demonstrates the low standard of modern and devices built into the Airbus A340. miracles. Using the term miracle to After all, the airplane design is the result describe this crash seems strange, given of decades of safety engineering. that neady everyone aboard the crashed Scientists help make aircraft materials plane died a horrible and fiery death. stronger and lighter, and crashes more Random chance and safety engineering survivable (designing impact-resistant accounts for the fact that the two survivors fuel tanks, for example, and flame-snuff­ avoided life-threatening injuries: the pair ing foam). After a century of flight, air­ was seated next to die emergency escape planes are safer than they ever have been, door, which popped open on impact. and remain far safer than autos on the The 100 percent survival rate on Flight nations highways. 358 was fortunate and wonderful, but it Less than a year earlier, on October was not an accident, nor was it a miracle; it 19, 2004, another "miracle crash" was mainly the result of good preparation, occurred. A commuter plane carrying sound science, and modern technology. doctors to a medical conference took off When science saves lives, it deserves credit. from St. Louis and crashed in a wooded —Benjamin Radford area near Kirksville, Missouri. Thirteen passengers and crew were killed; the The "Miracle Winking Jesus* statue of Hoboken, New Benjamin Radford is the managing editor Jersey. Photo by Bryan Smith/ZUMA Press. Copyright only survivors were hospitalized but sus- of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER magazine. 2005 by Bryan Smith (Photo via NewsCom)

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 7 NEWS AND COMMENT

and streaming tears. These effects were as many thought; rather the figure pre­ reputed miracle, but he stated: "As a not verifiable, however, and in any case, viously had "half closed eyes." priest, I'm always open to everything. could have been due to the imaginations Moreover, as shown by an electronic, Whatever lets a person pray is good." of what the New York Daily News called high-resolution photo which I studied This end-justifies-the-means attitude die "enraptured witnesses." As well, stat­ in close-up detail with the assistance of stands in sharp contrast to an anti- ues left outdoors might trickle moisture. SI art director Lisa Hutter, the blue eyes idolatry story told in the fourteenth The effect of die wide-open eye, however, are not painted plaster. Instead, they are chapter of Daniel (found in Catholic was there for all to see (as shown in the vitreous orbs, probably glass, embedded but not Protestant Bibles). accompanying photograph). in the face. These give the eyes signifi­ The story features an idol of Bel that A "carnival atmosphere" attended the cant added realism (except that Jesus apparently devoured huge quantities of "Winking Jesus," and reactions were probably would not have had blue eyes), food and wine and won over King Cyrus varied. A traffic attendant said she and, indeed, they are the secret behind to worship of the idol. However, Daniel regarded it as "an absolute miracle," and the opening-eye effect. sifted ashes on the floor of the sealed a masseuse promised she would "start Portions or the upper and lower right temple and so recorded the footprints of going to church from now on." But one eyelids have been broken off, their irreg­ the priests and their families who used fourteen-year-old girl shook her head ular edges providing unmistakable evi­ "secret doors" to enter and devour the and stated, perceptively, "It's just a dence of this, consequently exposing offerings. As he had reasoned, the idol sculpture. I think somebody just scraped more of the eye—notably the iris. The was only made of brass-covered clay and its eyelid off." breakage may have occurred when the "never ate or drank anything." Neither, Analysis of a number of press reports statue was being cleaned, or it may have he might have added, do plaster statues and photographs demonstrates many happened previously and only been move or weep. persons received mistaken impressions noticed later. —Joe Nickell and made erroneous statements regard­ Rev. Michael Guglielmelli of St. ing the alleged phenomenon. For exam­ Francis Roman Catholic Church, which Joe Nickell is CSICOP's Senior Research ple, the statues eyes were never closed, Dones attends, was cautious about the Fellow.

Fullerton Underpass: The Lost Episodes

hen the story broke in For example: April about hundreds of * Where are the nature lovers to build W people visiting the shrines to the magnificent animals Fullerton underpass at the Kennedy who inhabit the underpass? Who will honor the prehistoric bird (figure 1), Virgin Mary Shrine Figure 1. Prehistoric Bird Figure 2 Roadrunner Expressway in Chicago, I was a bit ihc roadrunner (figure 2), the sword- trm embarrassed. My hometown usually fish (figure 3), the jellyfish (figure 4), lags well behind my current home, and the squid (figure 5)? Los Angeles, when it comes to wacki- * Where arc the TV fans to honor ness. So when I stopped by the site Homer (figure 6) and Bart (figure 7) Simpson, Huckleberry Hound (figure one hot, July day, I was surprised to 8), and an angry Kramer (figure 9) discover a set of horrible injustices, an from Seinfeld? Figure 3. Swordfish Figure 4. Jellyfish Figure 5. Squid epidemic of oversights, a heinous * And why have the legions of crime spree of omission. Satanists who live in our society Oh, sure, the good-intentioned visi­ ignored the Grim Reaper (figure 10), and the very devil himself (figure 11)? tors had created a large shrine to a water-stain simulacrum of the Virgin Open your eyes, Chicagoans! For there Mary herself, but they also shunned is none so blind as he who will not see! many of the other miraculous stains James Underdown F'9u,e 6'Homer Simpson Figure 7. Bart Simpson Figure 8 Huckleberry Hound and images that litter the very same underpass. James Underdown is the executive director How could such obvious likenesses be of the Center fir Inquiry-West in Holly­ overlooked? Why would people pay trib­ wood, California, and the chair of the ute to an alleged virgin, while ignoring Independent Investigations Group. the accompanying icons mat also hold Photos by James Underdown. except the photo of great significance (at least to some)? the author at the "Virgin Mary Shrine," by V. Munoz. f Figure 9. Kramer from Seinfeld Figure 10. Grim Reaper Figure 11. Devil Faces NEWS AND COMMENT

Teen in Aruba, Others Still Missing Despite Psychics

Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway dis­ appeared in die early hours of May 30, 2005, while on vacation in die Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. Thousands of people joined the search, including tourists, Aruban police, U.S. Marines, and FBI officials. The islands ponds, beaches, ravines, forests, and landfills were all scoured, as Beth Holloway Twitty, Natalee's morJicr, consulted a psychic and distributed flyers around the island. Tim Miller, leader of EquuSearch, an eques­ trian search team working to find Holloway, said drat psychic information was both plentiful and invariably worth­ less. "To be honest, in Aruba we had 7,000 calls a day from diese people. Nothing ever worked." Several people were arrested in connection with die disappearance, all but one later released; as of diis writing, no one has been formally charged in her case and Holloway remains missing. Natatee Holloway (left with her mother) vanished May 30 while on a five-day senior trip to Aruba with more As the search for Holloway passed than 100 classmates and seven adult chaperones. Photo by Courtesy Beth Twitty/ZUMA Press. Copyright 2005. the two-month mark, more and more case by either the family or the detec­ to contribute to die Holloway case is people wondered why psychic detectives tives." Renier's hesitation to inject her­ understandable. (One of Renier's high- hadn't located the missing teen. After all, self into the case unbidden is admirable. profile "successes" is Laci Peterson, despite dozens of people—featured on prime- Yet if her powers truly can locate the the fact that Peterson's body was actually time cable and broadcast television missing teen—perhaps saving her life, discovered accidentally by a passerby.) shows—claim to help police locate miss­ sparing searchers untold time, money, Tragically, psychics also failed to ing persons and solve crimes. Larry King and effort, and bringing peace of mind locate three New Jersey children who and others routinely tout the amazing to a grieving family— it seems uncon­ disappeared on June 22. Daniel Agosto, powers of "psychic detectives" such as scionable that Renier would refuse to do six; Jesstin Pagan, five; and Anibal Cruz, Noreen Renier, perhaps America's best- so simply because the Holloway family eleven, were last seen playing outside known psychic. (See Gary Posner's didn't specifically ask for her help. their Camden home in the early evening. review of Renier's recent book in the In a startling admission, Renier Dozens of searchers used helicopters, September/October 2005 issue of SI.) acknowledged that psychic information boats, bloodhounds, and scuba divers to On her Web site, Renier posted "An often turns out to be wrong: "From past search the neighborhood and the nearby Open Letter to those who are concerned experience I know rJiat different peoples Delaware River. Their bodies were found with the missing girl in Aruba, Natalee dreams or psychic impressions of where two days later in die trunk of a car near Holloway." The psychic, who claims an she is vary greatly. So, more often than where the boys were last seen playing. impressive track record and "uncanny not, the information they receive con­ Autopsies concluded that the boys suffo­ success in finding missing persons," flicts, making it difficult for die authori­ cated after climbing into the trunk. states that she received "countless e- ties to know which ones may be right." Accurate psychic information might mails and phone calls asking me to find This is of course what skeptics have been have rescued the children from a horrible Natalee Holloway." Renier states that saying for years, rJiat information from death, yet not a single psychic came for­ she has not tried to help locate the teen psychics is contradictory and unreliable. ward to direct searchers to the car trunk. because no one specifically invited her Given that Renier has never directed to: "I have to be invited to work on the police to missing persons, her reluctance —Benjamin Radford

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 9 REACH OUT TO A NEW FUTURE! CENTER FOR INQUIRY Transnational

As construction of the Center for Inquiry- Transnational expansion is completed, we turn to new challenge goals in our multi-year. $26.26 million New Future Fund campaign. The New Future Fund is an ambitious campaign to support the Center for Inquiry, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, and the Council for Secular Humanism through endowment funding and support for expanded programming. The New Future Fund was launched after thorough study, and its goals reflect needs judged indispensable if the Center for Inquiry is to The Center for Inquiry has obtained United Nations recognition as a continue serving society as the leading champion of reason, scientific nongovernmental organization (NGO), opening new avenues for naturalism, and humanist values. activism and human enrichment The Center for Inquiry presses for humanism, science, and reason t >jjt tjn ^rt 111 rtn i i»/ worldwide. Centers for Inquiry have been established in Argentina. .mn'ii China. Egypt, France, Germany, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, and elsewhere, pursuing regionally tailored agendas. The Center and its affiliates have facilitated international meetings Intelligent Design (ID) theory is creationism's new of humanists and skeptics for more than two decades. Your gift to the face, sparking some 70 new controversies in an New Future Fund will help this transnational expansion continue. astonishing 26 states. CSICOP is gearing up to fight back with grassroots outreach to mobilize skeptics at the local level when ID proposals loom; a stimu­ lating new Web site, www.csicop.org/creationwatch; • U'lUfiHh and media outreach, from new literature to books to The Center for Inquiry movement began with publishing, still essential top-shelf online columnists. to our mission. Skeptical Inquirer and Free Inquiry headline a family of As ID advocates plan to shoulder Darwin and the scientific viewpoint magazines in three languages, newsletters, and Web sites. Professional out of public schools, the New Future Fund helps CSICOP say no! public education and media relations further amplify our message. Campus outreach presents our message of science and reason to the leaders of tomorrow. Your gift to the New Future Fund can support these and other Your gift to the New Future Fund can help to support core pub­ urgent priorities. We gratefully accept gifts of cash, publicly traded lishing outreach (this issue of Skeptical Inquirer is four pages longer securities, paid-up insurance policies, and other assets. We are pleased to offer attractive incentive and naming opportunities to than early-2005 issues, thanks to support from the New Future honor major contributors. All gifts are fully tax-deductible as pro­ Fund), fuel our exploitation of new communications technologies, and vided by law. Campaign personnel are available to meet with donors fund more aggressive on-campus programs. The New Future Fund is to provide updates on our plans and to discuss other commemora­ key to the future promotion of skepticism, science, reason, and human­ tive opportunities tailored to particular needs and interests. ism by the Center for Inquiry and its affiliates. Contact Diane Giuliano, Director of Development Center for Inquiry- Transnational PO Box 741, Amherst NY 14226-0741 Please join us and declare your support today. (716) 636-4869, exL 311 Write, call, e-mail, or return the bound-in E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.centerforinquiry.net postcard (at right) today!

The Center for Inquiry, the Committee (or the Scientific Investigation ot Claims ot the Paranormal (CSICOP), and the Council lor Secular Humanism are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organizations NEWS AND COMMENT

This Fall's Flood of Paranormal Programming

It appears that no matter where you click with your remote control these days, the new fall television lineup is certain to have your skeptical blood boiling. Here are some recent newspaper headlines about the network and cable fare this fall: Police Chief Misleads Viewers on Psychic Detectives "Network TV grows spookier in n episode of Court TV's Psychic Detectives series (aired May 11, 2005) tided bid for viewers" "Dressed to Kill," recreated "psychic" John Monti's role in a 1988 murder case. "Networks Bet on Appetite for Among those featured were two police chiefs involved in the search for the Paranormal in TV Lineups" A killer: James Basile (of Buckland, Massachusetts) and Steve LeTour (of Charlemont, "New TV season will have many Massachusetts). Basile summarized Monti's value in the case this way: paranormal shows" "Psychics See a Future in My first impression was maybe, just maybe. . . . And then it became sort of like a wild goose chase. . . . Wc spent between four and five days with John Monti, and we pretty Television Programs" much covered a lot of places with him in that period of time. And towards the end it The articles go on to discuss the became very frustrating, and at that point we told John wc no longer need his services, and we parted our ways. unprecedented number of new and returning television shows with paranor­ In contrast, viewers saw Chief LeTour say this: "If we [Monti, Basile, and himself] mal themes, including psychic powers, would have kept going for probably 200 more yards, we would have ran [sic] into Mark aliens, mysterious monsters, and speak­ Branch [the killer]." According to LeTour, the only reason they turned back just yards ing to the dead. short of pay dirt was that "it was getting extremely icy, and I just felt that it was getting The upcoming shows include: too dangerous." He later added, "[At first] I was very skeptical. But in hindsight, after Threshold (about government prepara­ the investigation was over, just unbelievable, it was just unbelievable." tions for an alien invasion); Surface Chief LeTour's endorsement led the show's narrator to conclude, "All along, John (about deadly sea monsters); Invasion Monti's visions were leading them directly to the body of the killer." But this was (alien invasions); Night Stalker (a revival hardly Chief Basiles "wild goose chase" scenario. When I wrote to the Charlemont of the 1970s series); Supernatural (about Police Department for clarification, I received a return call from now-Chief Mark L. two brothers battling evil forces); and Dejackome, who was (and still is also) the chief in nearby Shelburne, and who was Ghost Whisperer (a CBS clone of deeply involved in the 1988 case with Basile and LeTour. He told me: Medium, loosely based on James Van What Basile said on the show was extremely accurate. Monti sent us on more friggin" Praagh's books) starring Jennifer Love wild goose chases. One night he was going, "I can feel him! I can feel him! He was here! Hewitt. (Hey, it's not all bad!) He was here!" But [Branch] turned out to be already dead, five miles away, hanging in a There are, of course, the current and tree.. . . Monti said wc would find him behind a white farmhouse with a dog. That recent hits such as Lost, Medium, describes half the houses in town. Revelations, The 4400, Living with the As for Monti having led police to within yards of the killer's body, Dejackome said: Dead, Psychic Detectives on NBC via That's not true. That's not true. I was involved in that whole search from start to finish, Court TV, and the consistent pandering except on that particular day I didn't go out on that one search [during the sleet storm]— of such shows as Larry King Live. Then I probably was out on another call. But I just talked to Basile again about half an hour there's Ghost Hunters and Dead Famous: ago. It did get icy that night, but he said Monti never led them closer than about a mile Ghostly Encounters (chasing after such and a half from where they ultimately found him [Branch]. "spirits" as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn The Court TV documentary was so inaccurate, according to Dejackome, that Monroe, and Jim Morrison) and Court "While I was watching it, I was going, Are we talking about the same incident?'" TV's Haunting Evidence. Even Dateline When I asked him to speculate as to why LeTour would make such misleading com­ NBC got into the act with "The ments on national television, Dejackome answered, "Well, maybe that's how he Mystery of Miracles," which aired on remembers it. I don't know. But when the show asked me if I wanted to participate, I May 19, and conveniently led into the said absolutely not. I didn't want anything to do with it. John Monti did not do any­ Revelations miniseries. thing [useful] to find this guy." Maybe you're planning to turn off the cable and rent yourself a movie? Think —Gary P. Posner again. Recent movies that deal with Gary P. Posner is the founder of Tampa Bay Skeptics and a CSICOP Scientific Consultant. NEWS AND COMMENT

paranormal themes include Constantine, Swank as a professor who debunks mira­ come across something she cannot Exorcist: The Beginning, The Amityville cles. To their credit, the producers pur­ explain and renounce her skepticism.) Horror, War of the Worlds, Suspect Zero, chased back issues of the SKEPTICAL —Barry Kan- What the Bleep Do We Know?, White INQUIRER to aid in their research, and Noise, Incident at Loch Ness, and The they may be used as props in the movie. Barry Karr is Executive Director for the Exorcism of Emily Rose. A film currently (We haven't seen the script, but our psy­ Committee for the Scientific Investigation in production, The Reaper, will star two- chic powers tell us that by the end of the of Claims of the Paranormal, publisher of time Academy Award winner Hilary movie, Swank's character will probably SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.

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Cabins are going fast! Call today to ensure your reservation 1-800-398-7571 or [email protected] Info: www.centerforinquiry.net/cruise Please note: In order to participate in the Center for Inquiry cruise events, Duggar Travel. 4300 Central Ave., St Petersburg, FL 33711 you must book passage through the Center for Inquiry. 727-347-5750

12 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

Recent News on Patients were instructed to continue with after acupuncture treatment for idio­ regular treatments of chemotherapy or pathic male infertility," conducted by Alternative Medicine other care. Patients were monitored over Dr. Jian Pei et al.) made a quantitative evaluation of structural defects in sper­ Echinacea found to be ineffective as the course of five years. Researchers con­ matozoa after acupuncture treatment a cold treatment: A federally funded cluded that there was no overall differ' for idiopathic male infertility. Forty study, conducted by Ronald Turner, ence in survival between the two groups men with sperm abnormalities were M.D., et al., of the effectiveness of and that there was no evidence that patients receiving the shark-cartilage collected to see if acupuncture therapy Echinacea angustifolia against rhi- had any effect on the structure of their novirus infections, has shown that treatment experienced a better quality of life or alleviation of symptoms. In fact, sperm. Twenty-eight of the subjects herbal remedy to be ineffective as a received acupuncture twice a week over those taking shark cartilage experienced preventative or treatment for the com­ a period of five weeks. They gave semen side effects, including diarrhea, low mon cold. A pool of 437 volunteers samples which were randomized with white-blood-cell count, bone pain, and were randomly assigned to be either the samples from the twelve control- difficulty breathing. Though some claim the control group or to receive treat­ group members. A transmission elec­ that sharks rarely develop cancer because ment with one of the three prepared tron microscopy (TEM) was used to types of echinacea extract or a placebo. of the high cartilage content of their evaluate the samples, and quantitative A randomly selected group of 399 of bodies, ingesting shark cartilage sus­ analysis was made using a mathematical the volunteers were given rhinovirus pended in liquid can make an already formula based on submicroscopic char­ type thirty nine and were observed in a painful illness worse. The researchers did acteristics. Statistical evaluation of the sequestered setting for five days. The state, however, that a drug derived from data showed a decrease in the structural researchers concluded that any of the shark cartilage may play a role in cancer defects of the sperm from the acupunc­ echinacea compounds, alone or in therapy in the future. ture recipients over that of the control combination, had no clinically signifi­ group. However, the statistical data for cant effect on the rate of infection or Acupuncture may have an effect on specific pathologies, for example, the severity of the symptoms of the male sterility: A study published in the immaturity, showed no statistically sig­ nificant changes with acupuncture. rhinovirus or its resulting clinical ill­ July 2005 issue of Fertility and Sterility, Researchers concluded that acupunc­ nesses. In other words, the belief that the official journal of the American ture could be a beneficial treatment echinacea, or purple cone flower, can Society for Reproductive Medicine and for general idiopathic male infertility. protect people from the common cold other organizations ("Quantitative eval­ is unfounded. The best prevention is uation of spermatozoa ultrastructure still to eat well, get plenty of sleep, wash your hands frequently, and keep NEW STUDY RECOMMENDS BEST WAY TO TaKE B34lh*CEMO RGUTAOXP: your hands away from your face. The study ("An Evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in Experimental Rhino­ virus Infections" by Ronald B. Turner, M.D., et al.) was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on July 28, 2005.

Treatment with "raw" shark cartilage not valid in advanced cancer cases: A recent study of this popular alternative medicine was carried out by Charles L. Loprinzi and colleagues (published as "Evaluation of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer: A North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial" in the July 1, 2005 issue of Cancer). Eighty- nine patients with incurable breast or colon cancer were treated with shark car­ tilage, in powder form mixed with liq­ uid, or a placebo, three times a day.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 200S 13 NEWS AND COMMENT

however, no specific sperm pathologies that could be particularly sensitive to Velikovsky Papers to acupuncture therapy were identified. Five-year-old Autistic Boy Dies Fol­ Princeton University lowing Chelation Therapy: Abubakar Tariq Nadam, a five-year-old boy who suffered from autism, died in a he papers of Russian-born American author Immanuel Velikovsky Pennsylvania hospital after experiencing have a new home in the Princeton University Library. His daugh­ cardiac arrest in his doctor's office on ter, Ruth Sharon, of Princeton, has donated the papers for use by T August 23, 2005. The incident followed researchers, die university announced on July 29. a treatment, the boy's third, with what is Velikovsky, who lived from 1895 to 1979, is best known as the author known as chelation therapy for his con­ of a number of controversial books, primarily arguing that ancient myths, dition. Chelation therapy involves the legends, and accounts of catastrophic events related in the Bible and other intravenous injection of a synthetic texts have a basis in fact. They include Worlds in Collision (1950), Ages in amino acid (EDTA, or ethylene diamine Chaos (1952), and Earth in Upheaval (1955). The furor over diem, and over tetraacetic acid) to trap and remove the slightly later works of best-selling pseudoscience authors such as Erich heavy metals from the bloodstream von Daniken, helped launch the modern skeptical movement. through urinary excretion. Some believe "Decades of bitter debate resulted from his [Velikovsky's] controversial that autism may be brought on by con­ theories about cosmological catastrophes, particularly in regard to the centrations of lead or mercury in the planet Venus, and his interpretation of historical, geological, and paleonto- body's systems, making chelation ther­ logical evidence," said Don Skemer, the curator of manuscripts in the apy applicable to that disorder; oppo­ library's Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. nents say that there is no real evidence of Harlow Shapley, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Carl Sagan, and other that source of causation. Further, those prominent American scientists were among Velikovsky's critics. The con­ opponents argue that it is too risky for troversies over Velikovsky and the publication of his work have been the the recipients and can lead to kidney subject of several books, including that of CSICOP Fellow Donald and heart damage. The Food and Drug Goldsmith (editor), Scientists Administration has approved chelation Confront Velikovsky (1977). therapy for use only in cases of acute Velikovsky earned his heavy-metal poisoning. M.D. degree from the An autopsy will be required to reveal University of Moscow in the exact cause of a heart attack in a boy 1921 and lived in the 1920s that age, and the Pennsylvania state and 1930s with his family in police ate investigating the matter. The Palestine, where he pursued a treatment was being administered by specialization in psychoanaly­ Roy E. Kern, M.D., at die Advanced sis and psychotherapy. He Integrative Medical Center in Porters- moved to the United States in ville, Pennsylvania. The doctor's special­ 1939 and began his research ization is listed as otolaryngology with on the history of Egypt, focus on allergy and immunology. Greece, and die Jewish past. Howard Carpenter, the executive direc­ He lived first in New York tor of the Advisory Board on Autism- City and later in Princeton. Immanuel Velikovsky related Disorders, is quoted in an The Immanuel Velikovsky Associated Press report as saying that "it Papers comprise 156 boxes of published and unpublished manuscripts and was only a matter of time before die use drafts, subject files, lectures, personal and professional correspondence, and of chelation dierapy resulted in the deadi legal documents dating from the 1920s to die 1990s. of someone under treatment." The papers are available for research use in die library's manuscripts divi­ sion in die Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. —Kim Stewart and David Park Musella

—Kendrick Frazier Kim Stewart is an intern with the Center for /n^«/ry-Transnational. Kendrick Frazier is the editor of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.

14 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

Top 25 Science Questions: A Stimulating List of What We Don't Know

cience thrives on seeking solu­ Here are the twenty-five questions chosen: tions to unanswered questions. • What is the universe made of? S In recognition of that fact, • What is the biological basis of consciousness? Science magazine, observing its 125th anniversary, published a special issue, • Why do humans have so few genes? "What Don't We Know?" (July 1, • To what extent are genetic variation and 2005). The editors selected 125 ques­ personal health linked? tions that point to gaps in our basic sci­ entific knowledge. They then chose • Can the laws of physics be unified? twenty-five to highlight. • How much can human life span be extended? "The choice reflects our belief that • What controls organ regeneration? questions are more important than answers in shaping the future of sci­ • How can a skin cell become a nerve cell? ence," wrote Science editor in chief • How does a single somatic cell become a Donald Kennedy in an editorial. whole plant? "Research is about answers, but science • How does Earth's interior work? is about questions." • Are we alone in the universe? One limiting ground rule was that scientists should have a good shot at • How and where did life on Earth arise? answering the questions over the next • What determines species diversity? twenty-five years, or at least know how • What genetic changes made us uniquely to go about answering them. It's not a survey of society's chal­ human? lenges nor a forecast of what science • How are memories stored and retrieved? might achieve, the editors noted. • How did cooperative behavior evolve? "Think of it instead as a survey of our scientific ignorance, a broad swatch of • How will big pictures emerge from a sea of questions that scientists themselves are biological data? asking," wrote Kennedy and news editor • How far can we push chemical self- Colin Norman in their introduction. assembly? Science journalist Tom Siegfried, in • What are the limits of conventional the section's opening essay, explained computing? that "Science's greatest advances occur on the frontiers, at the interface • Can we selectively shut off immune between ignorance and knowledge, responses? where the most profound questions are • Do deeper principles underlie quantum posed." uncertainty and nonlocality? A special forum was posted on Science's. Web site to comment on • Is an effective HIV vaccine feasible? the topic (www.sciencemag.org/sciext/ • How hot will the greenhouse world be? eletters/125th). • What can replace cheap oil—and when? —Kendrick Frazier • Will Malthus continue to be wrong?

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 15 IN MEMORIAM

Philip J. Klass (1919-2005)

By Robert Sheaffer sional recognition, culminating in an offer from the industry-leading Aviation he man who was indisputably Week & Space Technology magazine in the most influential UFO skep­ 1952 to join its editorial staff in Ttic of all time passed away in Washington, D.C. Klass accepted the Merritt Island, Florida, on August 9 at offer, becoming the senior avionics edi­ the age of 85. Philip J. Klass was die tor. Over the following forty years, he man that UFO proponents loved to gained a worldwide reputation in the revile from the time he first became aerospace industry for his writing. He active in UFO investigations in the late was named a fellow of the Institute for 1960s, until failing health forced him to Electrical and Electronic Engineers in retire from UFOlogy in 2003. To the 1973 for his work in technical journal­ extent that UFOlogy is a religion, Klass ism and earned numerous other awards. fit perfectly into the role of its Satan, Klass's first involvement with UFOs precisely because he was so effective in came from a pair of articles he wrote for casting doubt on UFOlogy's most high- Aviation Week in 1966, later expanded profile, cherished cases. into his first book, UFOs Identified (in Philip Julian Klass was born in Des 1968). After reading John G. Fuller's Moines, Iowa, on November 8, 1919, pro-UFO book Incident at Exeter, Phil and grew up in Cedar Rapids. His father thought that the objects could be "iden­ was a lawyer, which undoubtedly influ­ tified" as plasma balls, similar to ball enced his style of argument. Klass would lightning, hovering near power lines. He often argue about a UFO case like a was convinced that the "classic" Lucci lawyer in front of a jury, sometimes Philip J. Klass. Photo by Tom Flynn brothers photos, included in Fuller's using circumstantial evidence to cast book, were a plasma phenomenon. I doubt on a dubious UFO claim when and his Papua New Guinea congrega­ first met Phil in 1968, but not until there was no "smoking-gun" evidence tion truly believed a UFO was 1970 did we have the opportunity to against it. For example, if Father Gill approaching, signaling them, and about discuss this case at length. I tried to per­ to land, why did they go inside to eat suade him that die "plasma" explanation Robert Sheaffer is a leading skeptical inves­ dinner? While many found such argu­ for the UFO phenomenon was at best tigator of UFOs, a longtime CSICOP ments persuasive, the dedicated UFO quite speculative and that the Lucci Fellow, and a founding member of the believers usually found Phil infuriating. photos were likely hoaxes, as suggested CSICOP UFO Subcommittee. He worked Klass attended Iowa State University, in the then-newly released Condon closely with Klass on many UFO-related graduating in 1941 widi a degree in Report (and since confessed by one of matters for over thirty years. He was also a electrical engineering. After graduation, the hoaxers). Because I had been able to founding director and past chairman of the he moved to Schenectady, New York, to duplicate the photos quite convincingly, Bay Area Skeptics, a local skeptics' group in take a job with General Electric. His Phil came to agree, gradually leaving the the San Francisco Bay area. Mr. Sheaffer work on defense-related electronic sys­ "plasma UFO hypodiesis" all but dis­ lives near San Diego, California. He is the tems earned him a draft deferment dur­ carded. But even this first book hints at author of UFO Sightings (Prometheus, ing World War II. Afterwards, his exper­ the depths of Phil's knowledge and 1998). His Web site is at www. tise in avionics—aviation-related elec­ interests: his firsthand investigation con­ debunker.com. tronics systems—gained him profes­ vinced him that the Socorro landing was

16 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER a hoax, and he explains the Betty and for the relevant avionics, and explain ers. Because the amount of labor Barney Hill "UFO abduction" as a com­ exacdy what had happened. involved in sending out skeptical infor­ plex psychological event. In 1976, Klass participated in the mation and "white papers" to an ever- As early as 1968, Phil began to won­ meetings that resulted in the founding of increasing number of UFO skeptics der how many UFO proponents truly CSICOP, and became one of its most steadily grew, Klass began publishing a believed their own propaganda about active and energetic Fellows. For many Skeptics UFO Newsletter (SUN) in "proof" of alien saucers and challenged years, he served on its Executive Council. December 1989, published six times a them to "put their money where their mouths are." He proposed a $10,000 agreement: Klass would pay the signer $10,000 upon definite proof of an alien landing, as affirmed by the National If I ever found out that there was any­ Academy of Sciences, or an actual appearance of an alien being on a TV thing to the claims about a secret news program. The signer, however, must pay Klass $250 a year, for up to twenty government UFO project, years, for each year that this did not hap­ pen, while Klass would remain obligated I'd write it up for Aviation Week." by the agreement for the rest of his life. (These forty-to-one annual odds against a "UFO revelation" are actually quite generous for those who go around pro­ More UFO books were to follow: year. The effort required to keep writing claiming that the government is about to UFOs: The Public Deceived in 1983, and publishing so much high-quality release dramatic UFO secrets any day UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game in material, in addition to his regular full- now.) He actually did collect some pay­ 1988, and The Real Roswell Crashed- time career, must have been prodigious. ments from a lew individuals, including Saucer Coverup in 1997. Phil also wrote Publication of SUN continued until die Stanton Friedman, but nobody stayed a book for young readers, Bringing end of 2002 (readers can access back current with the agreement very long. UFOs Down to Earth in 1997. issues online at www.csicop.org/klass Phil had made his point: even the most Klass was anything but an "armchair" filcs/home.html). ardent talkers about "government cover- investigator. He traveled to Socorro, to Klass was very much a "Washington ups" and "impending disclosures" do not Roswell, to Delphos, and many other insider." He knew cabinet secretaries and really believe their own babble. places—always at his own expense—to congressmen, and he occasionally met In 1974 came Phils second UFO investigate major UFO cases. When he presidents. The magazine where he book, UFOs Explained to my mind still was not traveling, he was on the tele­ worked was widely and affectionately his best. It took down such highly publi­ phone with witnesses, with other UFO known as "Aviation Leak," for its many cized cases as the RB-47 aircraft-radar investigators, or with law-enforcement revelations about new military projects UFO case, the army-helicopter case in personnel. Between the books, he some­ under development. He would often say Mansfield, Ohio, the "abduction" of two how managed to write an amazing something like, "If I ever found out that fishermen in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and quantity of material pertaining to cases there was anything to the claims about a an alleged "landing-trace case" in he was investigating, frequent challenges secret government UFO project, I'd write Delphos, Kansas. All of these were being to the "other side" to answer difficult it up for Aviation Week." Indeed, the total widely touted by prominent UFO believ­ questions and "white papers" that set lack of credible insider rumors and leaks ers, including the former U.S. Air Force forth his position on a controversy, usu­ on the subject was one of tiie reasons Project Bluebook consultant. Dr. J. Allen ally also containing pointed criticisms of Klass remained so completely skeptical Hynek, as solid evidence. Nobody except positions taken by the opposition. I about UFOs. He and his colleagues got Phil could have convincingly tackled accumulated entire notebooks filled plenty of insider leaks about stealth air­ UFO cases involving radar, aircraft instru­ with such papers that were being sent craft, ABM systems, spy satellites, and mentation, etc. His knowledge of avionics back and forth. the like—but nothing about UFOs. was second to none, and when a radar sys­ In 1980, Phil was instrumental in During the Cold War, on more tfian one tem or an aircraft control behaved bringing together a UFO subcommittee occasion, Russian "businessmen" in strangely, causing some to attribute the of other active skeptics, eventually Washington (no doubt working in a anomaly to distant lights in the sky, Phil including James Oberg, Gary Posner, more official capacity) offered hospitality would go straight to the technical manual James McGaha, and myself, among oth­ to Phil, hoping to glean some nuggets of

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 17 insider knowledge. Phil always kept the far more than did I. He continued his fronting UFO promoters, Phil was FBI informed of such approaches. active life until he was approaching unstoppable. He delighted in the role he A man who always placed work eighty. For many years, he lived in an called "skunk at die garden party" at pro- before relaxation, Klass typically spent at impressive bachelor apartment in UFO conferences that he frequently least eighty hours per week on the com­ Washington's exclusive Harbor Square attended, naturally at his own expense. bination of his Aviation Week career, his apartments, overlooking the Potomac On die downside, Phil's argumentative­ UFO investigations and writing, and and the Washington Monument. Many ness was not always directed at proper later, on his condominium association. out-of-town visitors, including both targets. He could be an extremely diffi­ (He felt he was protecting his investment pro- and anti-UFO researchers, enjoyed cult man to work widi, and his tendency playing as large a role as possible in his hospitality. Always atypical, the to escalate small disagreements into the management of common expenses longtime bachelor married for the first major arguments needlessly alienated and repairs.) Klass officially retired from time at age sixty to Nadya Ganev, a more than a few of his fellow skeptics. Aviation Week in 1986, but his workload Bulgarian-born woman who was work­ Toward die end of his career, even since then seems if anything to have ing as a broadcaster for the Voice of many of UFOlogy's most dedicated pro­ increased. He kept writing avionics arti­ America, and who now survives him. ponents grudgingly expressed a degree of cles, saying that the only difference his One unmistakable "Klassic" trait was admiration for Klass and for his role in retirement made was that he was now his fearlessness. Phil always followed a trimming away misinformarion and doing most of his work at home. The line of argument to its conclusion and imposture. UFO promoters typically truth is that Klass simply could not sit argued all of it forcefully, no matter who claim that skeptics are "uninformed" idle; when time opened up, he had to might disagree or be offended. During about die supposedly excellent "evidence" reach out to take on more work. the "missile gap" debates of die 1960s, for UFOs, but everybody agreed it was He used his scant free time in active Klass, using a pseudonym, wrote a series impossible to say mat about Klass. Phil pursuits, especially skiing and sailing. I of reasoned articles in an influential pub­ may be gone, but thanks to James had the privilege to accompany Phil on lication arguing against a hasty missile McGaha, Asteroid 7277, a ten-kilometer several sailing adventures on the buildup, articles that might have ended piece of rock, was officially named "Klass" Potomac River, where it was obvious he his career as an aerospace journalist had in his honor, and it will circle the sun for enjoyed the boat's pitching and swaying his identity leaked out. And when con- as long as the solar system survives.

Robert A. Baker (1921-2005)

By Joe Nickell tion—died August 8 at his home in wrote fifteen books, including They Call Lexington, Kentucky, at age 84. He is sur­ It Hypnosis (1990), Hidden Memories: obert A. Baker—one of die world's vived by his wife Dolly and six children. Voices and Visions from Within (1992), preeminent authorities on such Dr. Baker—Bob to his many Mind Games (1996), Child Sexual Abuse Rphenomena as ghosts, alien abduc­ friends—worked at die MIT Lincoln Lab and False Memory Syndrome (1998), and tions, religious apparitions, and reincarna­ (1950-1952), conducted training re­ (with Joe Nickell) Missing Pieces: How to search for the U.S. Army (1953-1968), Investigate Ghosts, UFOs, Psychics & and taught at the University of Kentucky Other Mysteries (1992). He was a fre­ Joe Nickell is CSICOP's Senior Research (1969-1988), chairing the psychology quent contributor to SKEPTICAL Fellow and author of numerous investiga­ department there until his retirement. INQUIRER and was a Fellow of CSICOP tive books—most recently Secrets of the The author of more than a hundred as well as the American Psychological Sideshows (University Press of Kentucky, professional journal articles, he also Association. 2005).

18 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER A warm and witty man, he wrote of He was also an inveterate ghost- wife was being haunted by the spirit of a his formative years (in an essay in Paul buster. While I was completing doctoral beautiful little girl. Investigating, Bob Kurtz's Skeptical Odysseys, 2001): work at the University of Kentucky, he discovered that no one else ever saw or Like other members of the human and I teamed up to investigate a number heard the spirit. Further, he learned that race 1 exist because of a set of conca:e- of paranormal cases, and in 1992, we the couple wanted desperately to have nated and fortuitous natural circum­ published our investigative manual. children but had not been successful. stances over which I had no control. If Missing Pieces. He counseled them to consider adopt­ one considers this fortunate I was also lucky in numerous other ways. First, though uneducated (no one in my great-grandparents' families was liter­ ate) my parents were both bright and liberal. They were also poor and were kind enough not to saddle me with "There are any political, social, religious, or eco­ nomic baggage. They encouraged me places, to read, think, and get an education. no haunted They also, inadvertently, started me on the skeptical path by taking me at only haunted people." an early age to the local First Baptist Church where the new minister—one Percy Walker—a kind, gentle, soft- spoken man turned into a fiery-faced, screaming maniac every time he took to the pulpit. My parents and I would ing a child, and when they did, the little gape in awe at this amazing personal­ ghost girl went away forever. ity transformation. When I asked my That case illustrates the two qualities I father what was wrong with the rev­ erend, he smiled and said, "Religion admired most in my best friend: wisdom makes some people crazy." and humanity. He again displayed both when he wrote (in Skeptical Odysseys):

Bob came to conclude that most of Emotional traumas in childhood, i.e., the thinkers and "psychological lumi­ mistreatment or lack of love, can naries" of his day were offering little warp, shape, and twist our personali­ of value regarding mankind's impor­ ties, outlooks, attitudes, and behavior tant problems, the scene being domi­ for the remainder of our lives. Emotional wounds within families, nated by "antiscientific Freudian i.e., conflict between mothers and beliefs and radical behaviorist exag­ fathers and their offspring and rela­ gerations." He was so disillusioned tives, can spawn hate, violence, and that he almost abandoned his chosen tragedies beyond rational comprehen­ career until he discovered the new sion. There is great truth in the state­ ment: God Is Love. And this is a "humanistic" psychology of Abe human not a religious contention. Maslow. Later, while still a research Emotion lies behind and motivates all scientist for the Human Resources art, music, literature, dance, the the­ Research Office of Fort Knox, he was ater, painting, and sculpture, and sci­ inspired by Paul Kurtz's Decision and ence as well. Though scientists pride themselves on theit pure unemotional the Condition of Man (1968). Robert A. Baker. powers of intellect unconraminated Subsequently, his interest in human­ Bob was fond of saying, "There are by base emotion, they fail to realize istic and anomalistic psychology would no haunted places, only haunted peo­ that their very intellect is itself driven never waver. He launched a ten-year ple." A true inquirer, he believed para­ by affect and feeling. Without an emotional core they would be little research program that examined hypno­ normal claims should neither be more than programmed automatons accepted uncritically nor dismissed out sis and its impact on memory, eyewit­ or robots. To be without affect is to be ness testimony, and the accuracy of of hand, but rather that they should be inhuman. recall, as well as investigating such appli­ carefully investigated with a view towatd cations as so-called past-life regression. solving them. That is probably as close to a sermon He concluded that hypnosis was merely One of his favorite early cases as the celebrated secular humanist ever relaxation, suggestion, and the impetus involved a young married couple living got. Amen, Bob; farewell wise, human to imagine, even to fantasize. in a small town close to Fort Knox. The friend. •

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 19 SPECIAL REPORT

Skeptics and TV News Expose 'Magnetic Water Conditioners'

DAVE THOMAS

he afternoon of Thursday, June tive reporter for KRQE TV 13, the local 23, was splendidly sunny in CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, called me TAlbuquerque, and 1 was leaving to discuss GMX and their magnets. He the office to drive over to the home of had seen their ads in local publications, longtime New Mexicans for Science and and was wondering if simple magnets Reason (NMSR) members Jerry and would provide the remarkable benefits Nancy Shelton. My cell phone went off, GMX said they would. Barker suggested and I saw it was Larry Brown of R and I call the company for their informa­ L Enterprises, Inc., a distributor for tional package, which I did. When it GMX, a firm that sells magnets for con­ arrived, I read how GMX magnets don't really alter the chemistry of water, but do NMSR physicist Kim Johnson examining scale ditioning household water supplies. under the microscope. Brown was calling to confirm meeting affect surface tension in the water, and me at the Sheltons for the GMX "Free thus control crystallization of minerals in the project, Barker had asked, "Now, if Walkthrough" at 2 P.M. Brown usually treated water. It was all possible because this stuff really works, your experiments leaves his Alamosa, Colorado, base for of the wonderful science of "magnetohy- would be able to show that, right?" We swings through Albuquerque on drodynamics," I read. There were all had agreed to take the subject seri­ Thursdays and Fridays of most weeks, numerous testimonials, and lots of scien­ ously, and give it a fair test. and we had arranged the presentation a tific support developed by a Dr. Klaus Brown went through his product line few days earlier. Kronenberg. GMX magnets were said to with us. Treatment of a house with one When Brown hung up, I quickly break down existing scale in domestic water heater ran from $600 (three mag­ called the Sheltons' house. "Is the water systems over a period of a few netic units) to $800 (four units). Pool Channel 13 guy there yet?" I asked. months. However, they were said to pre­ treatment went from $400 to $800. Hearing that he was, I asked if the hidden vent formation of new scale in systems as Evaporative coolers were the least expen­ camera was already set up. It was. "We soon as they were installed. sive, at $125 per unit (Model 400). are go! See you in twenty minutes!" I said. Larry Brown arrived on schedule, Brown's flyer said "One Model 400 will It had all begun a month earlier, and we began taping undercover video. I keep the mineral deposits from clogging when Larry Barker, the veteran investiga- had asked Barker about this earlier, ask­ the cooling pads. The cooler, pads, and ing "Don't we have to tell him we are pump will last longer and it will cool Dave Thomas, a CSICOP Fellow and taping?" Larry Barker explained that we more efficiently." "Aunt Nancy" said she SKEPTICAL INQUIRER contributing editor, were simply asking Brown to do his nor­ liked the potential, but wanted to just try is a physics and mathematics graduate of mal spiel, the same things he says to cus­ the air-conditioner model for the sum­ New Mexico Institute of Mining and tomers every week. It wasn't like we were mer to see if she liked it. Brown, Nancy's Technology and a senior scientist at Quasar trying to trick him into murdering his friend Glen (actually a news producer for International, Inc., in Albuquerque, New wife or selling drugs—we were giving KRQE), and I went up to the roof, Mexico. He is the president of New him an opportunity to present his prod­ where I saw how to install the Model Mexicans fir Science and Reason. E-mail: uct in the same way he shows it to all of 400 on the swamp cooler's water supply nmsrdave@swcp. com. his customers. From the beginning of tube, about a foot or so from where the

20 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER tube leaves the pump. Glen got the magnification, because GMX said there Larry Brown agreed to be inter­ entire walkthrough on tape. Brown also would be a very clear difference. There- viewed, and he tried his best to answer talked for several minutes about the was none, however. Barker's difficult questions. Barker asked magnet's use in improving gas mileage We also carried out a suds test, which him if seeing evidence that his systems and lowering emissions. Nancy wrote a was described in the GMX literature. didn't work would ever change his mind $125 check to GMX, and Brown zipped We put a drop of soap into test tubes about them, and Brown answered that it off to see his next customer. containing treated and untreated water, would not—that he'd heard from too The next day, Jerry retrieved the magnet from his roof and brought it over to me. Barker had asked NMSR to Barker asked him if seeing evidence figure out how to test Brown's claims, and we'd talked it over for a few days. that his systems didn't work would ever change NMSR physicist Kim Johnson sug­ gested we build two mock swamp cool­ his mind about them, and Brown ers, and run them for as long as we could. That interval was about three answered that it would not— weeks, because of the need to wrap the that he'd heard from too many story up by the end of summer sweeps. I obtained two sets of mock-cooler sup­ satisfied customers to ever doubt plies at the local hardware store, and Kim Johnson soon had two identical the magnets' utility. mini-swamp coolers running. Each had a standard pump, a water tube, a section of cooler pad to receive and shook them. GMX had said "The many satisfied customers to ever doubt the water, glass slides to form crystals as foam on top of the untreated water dis­ the magnets' utility. water dripped on them, fans to stimu­ appears after an hour. The foam on top All in all, it was an excellent segment. late evaporation, and so forth. The two of the treated water will hardly dimin­ We've worked with Barker before, on mock coolers were as identical as possi­ ish." However, no differences between topics like Roswell and free electricity, ble, and were made entirely with pris­ the two tubes could be seen. and hope to work with him again in the tine materials. The only difference was The segment showing all this was future. This wasn't even Nancy Shelton's that one cooler had the model 400 aired on KRQE TV 13 on July 27. first experience wearing a wire—that GMX installed right where it was sup­ Barker explained the basic pitch, the came in an investigation of state-fair posed to be in order to "keep the min­ undercover video, and the experimental psychics a few years ago. eral deposits from clogging the cooling setup. He then asked Kim Johnson if Those with high-speed computer con­ pads." Since the magnets were supposed there had been any differences between nections to the Internet can watch the to prevent formation of new scale magnetically treated and normal sys­ entire segment online at the KRQE Web immediately, we would have a clear tems: there was none. I said on air, "It's site, at www.krqe.com/LarryBarkcr/. indication at the end of the test. clearly pseudoscience. It has the trap­ It's titled "Scientists dispel claims of 'wet­ The experiment was started on July 1 pings of science, but when you dig into ter' water device." The caption reads: "It and ran until July 20. We met Barker it, there's nothing there. There's no evi­ claims to give you 'wetter' water, and even to review the results, and film inter­ dence, there's no proof, there's no logic, improve the gas mileage on your car. Larry views, on July 21. First, we looked at there's not even a why it works." Barker had scientists put it to the test." CU accumulation of scale on the sections of Control Slide (no Magnets) cooler-pad material. These sections had Test Slide (Magnet-Treated) been weighed beforehand, and were carefully weighed again. There was sig­ nificant scale buildup on both pads— you could easily see colored streaks of mineral deposits. The glass slides showed accumulation of crystals similar in volume and in microscopic appear­ ance. We compared magnetically treated calcite crystals to normal crystals at high Results show that magnet-treated water shows calcium buildup similar to the untreated water.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 21 Developing Perspectives on Anomalous Experiences

JULIA SANTOMAURO

s readers of the SKEPTICAL trying to explain ostensibly paranormal tical end of the continuum, Richard INQUIKI-.K are aware, anomalous events and experiences in non-paranor­ Wiseman started the day off by present­ experiences are commonly mal terms. While acknowledging the ing an entertaining summary of his pre­ A theoretical possibility that there just reported, not only in modern Western vious research investigating the unrelia­ society but throughout all known soci­ might be forces operating in the uni­ bility of eyewitness testimony. He verse which do not fit in with the con­ eties, both geographically and histori­ described the results of a series of stud­ ventional scientific worldview, they con­ cally. Such experiences are often inter­ ies in which the phenomena reported centrate on producing and testing expla­ preted as evidence that paranormal during Victorian seances were repro­ nations of anomalous experiences based forces really do exist. Parapsychologists duced using the same fraudulent tech­ upon non-paranormal, especially psy­ arc mainly concerned with attempting niques employed by fake mediums at chological, factors. to produce convincing evidence for the the time. The experiments showed that people's memories for important aspects of the sessions were often distorted and, in particular, that verbal suggestion on Developing could be a powerful factor in producing The conference such distortion. Believers appear to be Perspectives on Anomalous Experiences.... more prone to such memory distortions than nonbelievers, but only when the suggestion is in line with an outcome brought together academics requiring a paranormal explanation. Another presentation likely to have at the forefront of the fields of been of particular interest to readers of SI was given by Chris French. French parapsychology and anomalistic psychology. and his colleagues (Julia Santomauro, Victoria Hamilton, Rachel Fox, and Michael Thalbourne) have recently existence of such forces, but most also The conference on Developing completed collecting data comparing a acknowledge that not everything which Perspectives on Anomalous Experiences, group of nineteen "experiencers" (i.e., appears to be paranormal really is. held in the United Kingdom at individuals who claim to have had con­ Complementing this approach is the Liverpool Hope University College on tact with extraterrestrials) with a control one taken by most anomalistic psychol­ June 4, 2005, brought together acade­ group on a number of psychological and ogists. They are mainly concerned with mics at the forefront of the fields of parapsychological measures. Experi­ parapsychology and anomalistic psy­ encers were found to score significantly chology. An audience of around eighty higher than the control group on a Julia Santomauro is a Ph.D. candidate in was presented with speakers covering a number of relevant psychological mea­ the Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths wide range of topics from an equally sures including dissociativiry, absorp­ College, University of London. wide range of perspectives. At the skep­ tion, tendency to hallucinate, fantasy

22 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER proneness, and incidence of sleep paral­ some interesting studies of the body experiences are typically reported. Can a ysis. This pattern is consistent with the images of out-of-body experiencers. compromise be reached whereby positive idea that experiences have a markedly Other speakers presented talks which results could be produced under more different psychological profile than non- appeared to be based upon the notion natural conditions, but with still enough experiencers and, in particular, they diat psi probably does exist, but that a control to provide useful evidence? All have a profile that may indicate greater major challenge facing parapsychologists the presentations implicitly acknowl- susceptibility to false memories. How­ ever, the current project was unable to replicate the finding reported by Susan Clancy, Richard McNally, and other col­ leagues at Harvard University, that expe­ AH the presentations riences were more prone to false mem­ ories on a word-list task. Experiences implicitly acknowledged that were found to score much higher than the evidence produced by controls on measures of paranormal belief and experience, and self-reported psychic ability, than controls. However, parapsychologists to date is no differences were found between the enough to groups in terms of performance on sim­ not strong ple computerised ESP tasks. the wider scientific community. Many of the other presenters were persuade careful to address non-paranormal explanations of ostensibly paranormal experiences while remaining open to the possibility that genuine paranormal is to identify the best conditions under edged that the evidence produced by phenomena may occur. For example, which it can be reliably demonstrated. parapsychologists to date is not strong Ciaran O'Keeffe and Matthew Smith Chris Roe argued that a greater focus on enough to persuade the wider scientific presented an overview of potential envi­ psi operating during altered states of community. Only Daryl Bern, the inter­ ronmental, psychological, and parapsy- consciousness might yield results. nationally respected professor of social chological factors that might underlie Christine Simmonds argued that para­ psychology from Cornell University, reporting of anomalous experiences typ­ psychologists should concentrate on argued, in reviewing his own work ically associated with hauntings (such as identifying particular personality types on precognitive emotional arousal, that sensing a presence, anomalous sounds, (especially those with "thin" psychologi­ the evidence in favor of psi was already and temperature changes). They con­ cal boundaries) in order to improve their very strong. cluded that, although there was a need success. Caroline Watt suggested that Although this was an interesting con­ for further research, many of the experi­ experimenter effects should be more ference with many excellent presenta­ ences typically reported could be fully investigated. It is widely accepted tions, in the unlikely event that there explained in terms of a combination of within parapsychology that certain were any truly neutral observers sitting environmental and psychological fac­ experimenters have the golden touch in the audience, they could be forgiven tors. Simon Sherwood drew a similar when it comes to producing positive for being somewhat confused by the conclusion at the end of his overview of results, but others (often skeptics) almost mixed messages provided by the wide reports of apparitions of black dogs. always fail to produce results supporting range of perspectives. At one extreme Some of the speakers' presentations psi. Deborah Delanoy argued that more were the anomalistic psychologists, were entirely neutral with respect to the positive results might be forthcoming if strongly implying that psi is probably issue of whether psi exists. For example, parapsychological experiments were not real. Then came the vast majority of Jezz Fox argued that science is incapable made more ecologically valid. Although the parapsychologists, acknowledging of proving the issue cither way, and the wider scientific community is only that the evidence is far from convincing Robin Woffirt's research concentrates likely to be convinced that psi exists on but sure that psi could be demonstrated solely on the use of language when peo­ the basis of reliable positive results pro­ if only the correct conditions could be ple are reporting ostensibly paranormal duced under well-controlled conditions, identified. And one or two voices claim­ experiences. Etzel Cardena discussed it is undeniable that such conditions are ing that the evidence was already strong. anomalous experiences during deep very different from the real-life condi­ For all that, the conference certainly hypnosis and Craig Murray described tions under which ostensibly paranormal provided food for though i.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 23 INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL

Legends of Castles and Keeps

uring the Middle Ages, the cas- The stone is located in the casde at de (from the Latin castellum, Blarney, in County Cork, Ireland. Built D"small fortification") arose as in 1446, it is among the largest Irish the private fortress of a monarch or tower castles. (See figure 1.) A spiral nobleman. Its central tower (like the stone stairway leads up to three levels. Tower of London) is a keep, a term also (Originally, the first tier consisted of the applied to a fort or other stronghold, kitchen and armory, the next the dining even a jail. hall, and the third the chapel.) A smaller Castles offer a romantic, often gothic stair leads to the battlements and the allure. If they're not haunted, I like to say, Blarney Stone. they ought to be! And not only are they The stone is actually one of the great supposedly inhabited by specters, but lintels in the parapet, and is reached by they are usually the focus of other leg­ dangling upside down in the gap ends as well. between the parapet and the wall (as I have explored and written about shown in a photo in Constable and many castles and keeps—including Burg Farrington 2004, 94). Even though Frankenstein and Plassenburg casde in there are parallel iron bars at the bottom Germany (Nickell 2003a; 2003b), the of the small shaft that would potentially Kremlin fortress in Moscow (Nickell keep one from plummeting to one's 2002), the Old Melbourne Gaol in Figure 1. Sketch of Blarney Castle from author's death, and a pair of vertical iron rails to travel journal of 1971. Australia (Nickell 2001), and others. hold onto, and even with a firm grip Here are some additional ones I have kissing the Blarney Stone is supposed to from the "Keeper of the Stone," the investigated over the years and report on endow one with the powers of eloquence experience can be somewhat frightening. here for the first time. and persuasion. This is especially the case for one with Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth I acrophobia (fear of heights); as for me, I Blarney Castle (1533-1603) coined the term blarney don't even like being this tall! I survived The well-known term blarney refers to during the lengthy, tiresome negotiations the experience in 1971, but instead of the gift of eloquence, attributed espe­ concerning control of the fortress. The getting "the gift of gab" I was left speech­ cially to the Irish. It is variously defined as titular owner, Cormac McCarthy, Earl of less! (Of course, since I am of Irish ances­ cajoling, flattering talk; smooth, deceitful Blarney, dutifully following the protocols try, that was very brief.) speech; or even nonsense. Legendarily, of sixteenth-century diplomatic prose, One legend about the castle is intrigu­ wrote grandiose letters that praised the ing, and may stem from the fact that a queen, without, however, relinquishing limestone cave and dank dungeons are Joe Nickell is the author of numerous books, the land. Her regal feathers ruffled, located near the castle (O'Dwyer 2000, including lnquest on the Shroud of Turin Elizabeth was said to have huffed, "This 223; Nickell 1971). In 1651, after Oliver and Looking for a Miracle. He is presently is all blarney—he never says what he Cromwell's forces had conquered castle at work on Relics of the Christ. means!" (O'Dwyer 2000, 222). after castle—Limerick, for example.

24 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER falling to siege tactics-—-Blarney claimed a ed. [1910), s.v. "Cashel"). It is known as terpiece of the scenic views of the city. Its sort of "moral victory" over the rebels. the Rock of Cashel but is also called St. grandiose ruins of striking red sandstone Allegedly, the castle's entire garrison Patrick's Rock. are well preserved and represent "one of secretly escaped through a tunnel Legends about die casde range from die Germany's finest examples of a Gothic- beneath the massive tower—at least fanciful to the historical. The former is typ­ Renaissance fortress" (Schulte-Peevers "according to Irish folklore" (Constable ified by a tale claiming diat the rock was 2002, 543). and Farrington 2004, 118). hurled by die Devil when he spied a church During the second World Skeptics The similarity of the word blarney to being built at Cashel. Fortunately the evil Congress held in the picturesque city, the American baloney (or boloney), mean­ one had bad aim, and the Christians were July 23-26, 1998 (see Frazier 1998), I ing "nonsense," cannot go unnoted— undaunted (O'Dwyer 2000, 179). found time to visit the castle, accompa­ especially since die latter is a popular On much more likely grounds, it nied by fellow skeptic and former U.S. skeptics' epithet. (For example, Carl appears that St. Patrick—die Briton who Air Force Major James McGaha. Sagan, in his 1995 The Demon-Haunted legendarily endured danger and hardship Legends there abound. For example, World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, to convert Ireland to Christianity—did one swirls about the castle terrace, where included a chapter titled, "The Fine An baptize King Aenghus of Munster at one can see a supposed "footprint" in the of Baloney Detection.") Attempts to Cashel about A.D. 450, dius establishing stone. This is purported to have been explain baloney as deriving from bologna Cashel as a bishopric. caused by a knight having leapt from a sausage (e.g., Barnhart 1988, 73) are Patrick himself is largely a legendary third-story window when a prince made unconvincing. Some sources note that figure. While pious tales have him single- an early return to his wife's bedroom that connection is conjectural or frankly handedly Christianizing Ireland, the fact is (Schulte-Peevers 2002, 543). admit that the etymology is unknown that "this work took many more years than Of course such an "explanation" of (Webster's 1986, 34), while others offer these legends allow" (Jones 1994, 189). rhe alleged imprint is ridiculous on the different theories—for instance, that it The most famous legends of St. face of it, since it would have taken a may come from the Spanish pelone, Patrick have him using the shamrock to superhuman leap to have so impressed meaning "balls" (Hendrickson 1997, 87). explain the doctrine of the Trinity and stone. Indeed, rhe common "footprint- I have long suspected baloney might expelling snakes from the isle; hence in-the-stone" story element—or motif, as actually be a corruption of blarney itself. these became his emblems (Jones 1994, folklorists say—is typically attributed to Frequently foreign or other unfamiliar 189). However, although snakes arc the supernatural (see Nickell 2003a). expressions are corrupted to a familiar indeed absent from Ireland, that fact is Still another legend at Schloss one. For example, "Pennsylvania Dutch" not due to saintly magic since there were Heidelberg is obviously recounted not is a corruption of Pennsylvania Deutch never any snakes to expel. Instead, their for its factual value but for its punchline. (i.e., German immigrants). absence results from the same factors that The tale focuses on the Grosses Foss I finally discovered one scholarly have also excluded other reptiles (except ("great cask"), an enormous wine vat source that acknowledged baloney was the newt) as well as such common standing two stories tall in the cellar. "possibly influenced" by blarney (Lighter English mammals as the mole, the Once the largest functioning wine vat in 1994, 82). In any case, a fine distinction weasel, and two varieties of mice. The the world, it was reputedly made from between the two words was expressed by absences arc due to climactic conditions 130 oak trees and has a capacity of some Fulton John Sheen in 1938: "Baloney is and Ireland's having become separated by 50,000 gallons. flattery so thick it cannot be true, and the Irish Sea from the other British Isles According to the legend, in the eigh­ blarney is flattery so thin we like it" before they were separated from Europe teenth century rhe vat's guardian was a (Bartlett 1955, 973). (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th ed., dwarf named Perkeo, a court jester with a Macropedia, s.v. "Ireland"). tremendous thirst for wine. Some say he Rock of Cashel Not surprisingly, some say St. Patrick's could consume the contents of the Great Anodier Irish castle represents an impres­ Rock is haunted. I saw no ghosts when I Cask in a single draught ("Perkeo" 2005), sive sight: in county Tipperary, atop a visited many years ago, but I can under­ while a more reasonable source states that gigantic limestone outcropping that rises stand how folk have fancied "sper'ts av kings he only attempted to empty it by drink­ abruptly to a height of 358 feet, stands a an' bishops that rest on Cashel" (McAnally ing eighteen bottles daily for fifty years. stone fortress wall enclosing the ruins of 1888, 49). I wrote at the time in my jour­ One day, however, Perkeo substituted a great medieval structures, including the nal (Nickell 1971) that "the wind added glass of water—by accident, say most Irish-Romanesque Cormac's Chapel atmosphere,' and widi die cold grey sky, raconteurs—and died instantly! (Inow- (consecrated 1134), a thirteenth-century the cold grey stone, and the old graves, locki 1999, 70-71; Knight 2002, 303). gothic cathedral, and a ninety-foot round made an eerie place of' The Rock.'" The anecdote may have grown from tower. The latter, built shortly after 1101, a proverbial kernel of truth. Apparently, remains the oldest part of "one of the Heidelberg Castle under the rule of the elector Carl most interesting assemblages of ruins in Perched atop a ridge overlooking Phillip, a Tyrolean dwarf, did serve as Ireland" (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 th Heidelberg, the Schloss (castle) is the cen­ the court jester—a role that clever

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 25 dwarfs often filled (Nickell 2005, 107). writer—along with his illustrator—seems References Perkeo was supposedly a nickname not to know that bones are not wired Barnhart, Robert K.. cd. 1988. Chambers deriving from his response, when together like the articulated skeletons in Dictionary of Etymology. Edinburgh. U.K.: Chambers. offered wine, "Perche no? ("Why science classes, and instead of hanging as Bartlett, John. 1955. Borden's Familiar Quotations, not?"). An antique statue of Perkeo a unit they would have fallen apart, land­ 13ih cd. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. today stands next to the Great Cask ing in a heap on the floor. Brownstone, David M., and Irene M. Franck. 1989. Historic Places of Early America. New (Knight 2002, 303; "Perkeo" 2005). In fact, the legend represents an inter­ York: Atheneum. esting example of how facts are embell­ Cain, Suzy. 1997. A Ghostly Experience: Tales of St. Castillo de San Marcos ished over time by those intent on foster­ Augustine. St. Augustine, Florida: Tour Saint Augustine, Inc. The seventeenth-century Spanish-built ing mystery. Cipriani. John. 2004. Interview with author. Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, First of all, there is no "dungeon" in March 23. Florida, is the oldest masonry fort in the the Castillo (despite its having been used Constable, Nick, and Karen Farrington. 2004. continental United States. Constructed Ireland. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. as a prison on various occasions Frazier, Kendrick. 1998. Science and reason, foibles of coquina, a soft limestone formed by [Brownstone and Franck 1989, 8]). The and fallacies, and doomsdays SKEPTICAL cemented seashells, it was begun in area in question was actually a small INQUIRER 22(6), November/December: 5-8. response to a raid in 1668 by English Harris, Bruce. 2004. Castillo bookstore manager; room that was part of the powder maga­ interview by Joe Nickell, March 23. pirates. Construction started in 1672 and zine; it proved too humid for storing Hauck, Dennis William. 1996. Haunted Places: The was completed after twenty-three years. It gunpowder and was sealed off. It was National Directory. New York: Penquin Books. Hendrickson, Robert. 1997. Encyclopedia o/Word guarded Florida until mat territory was rediscovered, not in 1833, 1838, or 1938 ceded to England in 1763, and it impris­ and Phrase Origins. New York: Facts on File. as variously given (Hauck 1996, Inowlocki, Tania, cd. 1999. Fodor's upCLOSE oned Americans during the Revo­ 125-126; Cain 1997, 22) but in 1832 Germany. New York: Fodor's Travel Publica­ lutionary War (Brownstone and Franck tions. "When a cannon fell through from rhe 1989, 8). It was returned to Spain in Jones, Alison. 1994. The Wordsworth Dictionary of gundeck" (National n.d.; Harris 2004). Saints. Hertfordshire, England: Wordsworth 1783, then purchased by the United Reportedly "bones" were found Editions Ltd. States in 1819. Today it is a National Knight, Christina, ed. 2002. Fodor's Germany 2002. among the debris in the room, but Monument, operated by die National New York: Fodor's Travel Publications. Park Service. whether they were human appears far Lapham, Dave. 1997. Ghosts of St. Augustine. from certain. Concedes one source: Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press. Of the many legends of the Castillo, Lighter, J.E., cd. 1994. Random House Historical "Many rumors and stories developed Dictionary of American Slang. New York: none is more gruesome, more spine-tin­ about the bones. Tour guides shortly Random House. gling, more often repeated—and less sub­ after the turn of the century concocted McAnally, D.R. 1888. Irish Wonder* reprinted New stantiated—than that of the ghostly York! Gramercy Books, 1996. all kinds of fascinating tales involving lovers in the fort's dungeon. As it is sum­ Moore, Joyce Elson. 1998. Haunt Hunter's Guide to the 'dungeon room.'" Indeed, "Some Florida. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press. marized in The National Directory of stories were quite fantastic" (Cain National Park Service. N.d. Self-Guided Map, Haunted Places (Hauck 1996, 125). Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. 1997, 22), including, of course, the Copy obtained March 23, 2004. An eerie glow accompanied by the fable of the governor sealing his wife Nickell, Joe. 1971. Personal travel journal, January 6-8. faint odor of a woman's perfume is and her lover in that chamber. . 2001. Mysterious Australia. SKEPTICAL sometimes detected near a wall in the INQUIRER 25(2), March/April: 15-18. dungeon of this 1672 Spanish fort. Although one source acknowledges that . 2002. Moscow mysteries. SKEPTICAL The wall was the ghastly tomb of "history does not record the event" INQUIRER 26(4), July/August: 17-20,24. Sefiora Dolores Marti and Captain (Lapham 1997, 146), another, while . 2003a. Germany: Monsters, myths and mysteries. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 27(2), July/ Manuel Abela. Sefiora Dolores was the agreeing, nevertheless offers the hope wife of Colonel Garcia Marti, assigned August: 24-28. to the Spanish garrison in 1784. When that "perhaps some visitors may still . 2003b. Legend of the White Lady. Colonel Marti found out his wife was experience an eerie feeling when visiting Skeptical Briefs, March, 10-11. . 2004a. The Mystery Chronicles. Lexington, having an affair with Abela, he chained the small room in the northeast corner" Ky.: The University Press of Kentucky. them to a wall in the dungeon and (Cain 1997, 22). . 2004b. Rorschach icons. SKEPTICAL mortared a new wall of coquina stone In 2004, when I visited the Castillo INQUIRER 28(6), November/December: 15-17. in front of them. . 2005. Secrets of the Sideshows. Lexington, (for the third time) I was impressed with Ky. University Press of Kentucky. In the next century an engineer the professionalism of the staff. One O'Dwyer, Deirdre, ed. 2000. Let's Go Ireland. New noticed tJiat a section of wall sounded told me, "There aren't any ghosts," York: St. Martin's Press. Perkeo. 2005. Available online at www.zum.de/ hollow when tapped. "He chipped away explaining that he had slept there all Faecher/G/BW/LandesKunde/rhcin/hd/schloss/ the mortar, and die lantern he held illu­ night on occasion and experienced mona/pcrkeo l.htm; accessed July 28. minated two skeletons" (Moore 1998, nothing. He said that places with gen­ Sagan, Carl. 1995. The Demon-Haunted World- Science as a Candle in die Dark. New York: 43). At least, this "supposedly" happened, uine history did not need to use ghosts Random House. according to another raconteur who for tourist promotion—unlike those Schulie-Peevers, Andrea, et al. 2002. Germany, 3rd stated more specifically that "There that "don't have anything else" (Cipriani ed. Melbourne, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications. before him hung two skeletons, chained 2004). The Castillo de San Marcos cer­ Webster's New Encyclopedia of Dictionaries. 1986. to the wall" (Lapham 1997, 147). That tainly has plenty of real history. Baltimore: Ottenheimer Publishers.

26 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE MASSIMO PIG LIUCCI

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Empirical vs. Rationalist Approaches to Understanding

keptics tend to be empiricists. They want the facts. Indeed, it is Sthis emphasis on empirically verifi­ able statements that makes all the differ­ iD* ence between science and pseudo- science. Yet the long history of the debate between empiricists and rational­ Ku* ists—which eventually resulted in the methods of modern science—has been resolved in a more nuanced way: there is no hard and fast distinction between ^t*^ ir^ facts and theories but a continuous 3/ interplay that—if unacknowledged— l^s^r can trip up your next investigation. ^CI f\ \ nS\^">- Rationalism is the ancient philosoph­ ylf~~)j^ ical position that knowledge about the world can be derived primarily by the 4Z)A Jb, use of logical thought and reason. The ]C ~^£° o ' k( vC*^ most important early exponent of ratio­ Sf y. o.- _2 Q nalism was Plato, with his famous alle­ gory of the cave. He maintained that the r*****, real world is inaccessible to us directly; -N/ TWEO«V \V we only see its pale reflection through our senses, just like his imaginary pris­ Rob Pudim oners chained to a wall inside a cave, who only see the shadows of what's thing he knew (his "radical doubt") and thought. (Not that Aristotle didn't going on outside. According to Plato, then to te-derive all knowledge from the appreciate rational thinking—after all, only the rational approach of the most basic possible premise: he was sure he did invent logic!) But we have to wait philosopher can bring us outside of the of his existence because he was capable cave and allow us to directly grasp the of thinking. Alas, Descartes immedi­ Massimo Pigliucci is a professor of evolu­ world of ideas. ately runs into the obvious obstacle that tionary biology at SUNY—Stony Brook, a The rationalist program continued in there is not much else one can actually fellow of the American Association for the philosophy until it reached its apex, and know by this route without invoking Advancement of Science, and the author arguably its end, with Rene Descartes, sensory information. of Denying Evolution: Creationism, the philosopher famous for his "Cogito Plato's student, Aristotle, took a dif­ Scientism, and the Nature of Science. ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). ferent path, emphasizing the primacy of His essays can be found at www. Descartes set out to first question every- observation and experiment over pure rationallyspeaking. org.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November > December 2005 27 until Descartes and the difficulties cept of causality. In some real sense, while others point out that the hallmark encountered by the rationalist program therefore, our minds construct the of good science is hypothesis testing, so in continental Europe to see the renais­ world by channeling our thoughts and that one has to have an idea (rational­ sance of empiricist philosophy, which senses within the confines of the cate­ ism) before one can begin any investiga­ took place in England thanks in partic­ gories. Since Kant (who died in 1802) tion. Darwin himself was famously ular to George Berkeley, John Locke, wrote before Darwin and the modern accused of doing poor science by some and especially David Hume. For the theory of evolution, he couldn't even of his contemporary philosophers (see empiricists, all knowledge begins with begin to attempt an explanation of "Thinking about Science," March/April the senses; but of course, they run into where these categories came from. But 2004) and wryly observed, "How odd it the same problem that bothered Plato to today we realize that they are the result is that anyone should not see that all begin with: since we know that the of a long evolutionary history as social observation must be for or against some senses can deceive us, how do we derive primates in certain environments (such view if it is to be of any service!" certain knowledge from them? as the savannas of the Pleistocene). The reality, as Kant began to see and This impasse was tackled by the last Another way to look at science as the modern philosophers of science readily great philosopher to write about these happy marriage of empiricism and ratio­ acknowledge, is that science is a com­ topics before modern science really took nalism is to see that the two schools plex mixture of empiricism and ratio­ off: Immanuel Kant. Kant started out as emphasized the two fundamental ingre­ nalism, where the two contribute in a a rationalist, indebted to Descartes. But dients of modern science: empirical dialectical and inextricable fashion, then he read Hume, who, Kant wrote, observations on the one hand (just the rather than following a simple, linear "awoke me from my dogmatic slumber," facts!) and logical/mathematical truth flow chart as seen in many textbooks. thanks to Hume's stinging criticism of on the other. It is, however, amusing to So, the next time that we as skeptics the rationalist approach. Kant then see how the tension between the two demand "just the facts," we ought to be came upon what he referred to as his approaches is still alive and well, as can prepared to explain which facts are rel­ "Copernican revolution," a change in be seen in the endless disputes about the evant to the question at hand, which in perspective that allowed him to make alleged superiority of theory over exper­ turn implies that we must already have the next big step toward bridging the iments in physics or the instinctive dis­ some theory in mind, a theory that is a rationalist/empiricist divide. Kant real­ trust of mathematical modeling on the reflection of our mental structures and ized that the way we perceive (empiri­ part of many practicing biologists. experiences. Not even the most care­ cism) and think (rationalism) about the Indeed, the opposition of theory and ful skeptic can claim a completely world is shaped by what he called "apri­ experiment permeates textbook explana­ objective vantage point from which ori categories," i.e., innate characteristics tions of "the" scientific method, where to investigate the world. Both Kant of the human mind, such as our ability some authors stress that all science and Hume would be very pleased by to think of space and time or the con- begins with observations (empiricism) this acknowledgment.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP. MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) Date of filing: September 12, 2005. Title: The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Frequency of issue: Bimonthly. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 3965 Rensch Rd., Amherst, NY 14228-2713; P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Publisher: CSI- COP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal), Inc., 3965 Rensch Rd., Amherst, NY 14228-2713; P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Editor: Kendrick Frazier, 944 Deer Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122-1339. Managing Editor: Benjamin T. Radford, 3965 Rensch Rd., Amherst, NY 14228-2713; P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Owner: CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal), Inc., 3965 Rensch Rd., Amherst, NY 14228-2713; P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders: None. Average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months: (a) Total number of copies (net press run) 50,677. (b) Paid and/or requested circulation: (1) Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions stated on form 3541: 25,866. (2) Paid in-county subscriptions stated on form 3541: 0. (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribu­ tion: 10,076. (4) Other classes mailed through the USPS: 0. (c) Total paid and/or requested circulation (sum of b|1], [2], [3], [41): 35,942. (d) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside-county as stated on form 3541: 1,035. (2) In-county as stated on form 3541: 0. (3) Other classes mailed through the USPS: 50. (e) Free distribution outside the mail (by carriers or other means): 0. (f) Total free distribution (sum of d and e) 1,085. (g) Total distribution (sum of c and f) 37,027. (h) Copies not distributed: 13,650. Total (sum of g and h): 50,677. Percent paid and/or requested circulation (c divided by g times 100): 97.1%. Number of copies of the single issue published nearest to filing date: (a) Total number of copies (net press run) 51,450. (b) Paid and/or requested circulation: (1) Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions stated on form 3541: 27,655. (2) Paid in-county subscriptions stated on form 3541: 0. (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 9,761. (4) Other classes mailed through the USPS: 0. (c) Total paid and/or requested circula­ tion (sum of b[1l, [21, [3], [4]): 37,416. (d) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside-county as stated on form 3541: 800. (2) In-county as stated on form 3541: 0. (3) Other classes mailed through the USPS: 50. (e) Free dis­ tribution outside the mail (by carriers or other means): 0. (f) Total free distribution (sum of d and e) 850. (g) Total distribution (sum of c and f) 38.266. (h) Copies not distributed: 13,184. Total (sum of g and h): 51,450. Percent paid and/or requested circu­ lation (c divided by g times 100): 97.8%.

28 Volume 29, Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER SKEPTICAL INQUIREE BENJAMIN RADFORD

New-Agey Feldenkrais

connotations, it does share much O of the same language often found ^^* My sister-in-law is a in pscudoscience-based therapies, Feldenkrais"1 practitioner. She with its emphasis on imagination and notions of "wholeness," "new always wants to give us treat­ patterns of feeling," and so on. ments. What is this? Is it based in Many physical and massage thera­ reality? pists offer Feldenkrais therapy —B. Braid along with unproven therapies such as Reiki, aromatherapy, and Your skepticism is under­ reflexology. Feldenkrais therapy standable, and this is a good seems to be on fairly solid (if mun­ example of how sometimes—well, dane) medical and scientific bases; rarely—what smacks of New Age Feldenkrais using his Method on a patient. it doesn't claim to treat or cure any mysticism may not be. The The Feldenkrais Method enjoyed a disease (though the Feldenkrais Guild of Feldenkrais Method was developed by height of popularity in the 1970s and North America's Web site asks, "Docs Russian-born Isreali Moshe Feldenkrais early 1980s, but has receded in impor­ your back hurt? Do you have trouble (1904-1984), a physicist, engineer, and tance since then. This is due, at least in focusing your attention?"). Like any Judo instructor. Feldenkrais combined part, to the often obscurant tone of series of movements and stretches, from his knowledge of anatomy, psychology, Feldenkrais's writings. In Feldenkrais's Tai Chi to yoga, many will find it help­ and physics into a series of therapies most popular book, Awareness through ful. We can all use a reminder to sit up designed to improve posture, increase Movement (1972), he devotes nearly straight—at least a page or two of it. • flexibility and coordination, and reduce twenty pages to explaining good posture, muscle pain and tension. The program and includes section titles such as "Man's is essentially a complex series of yoga­ capacity to learn replaces the instincts of like positions, stretches, and move­ the animals" and "Performance is ments. Many physical therapists use the improved by the separation of the aim Ask the Skeptic techniques in their repertoire (especially from the means." I don't doubt that Wondering whatever happened for people recovering from illness or there is more to analyzing and instruct­ to red mercury or Uri Geller? injuries), and practitioner training and ing good posture than simply sitting Heard about some dubious para­ sessions are offered through an organiza­ upright, but this seems a bit excessive. normal or fringe-science claim? tion called the Feldenkrais Guild of Feldenkrais proponents don't do them­ Ask the skeptic! Submissions can North America (which has trademarked selves any favors by describing the be sent to: The Skeptical any and all names related to Feldenkrais Method as "utilizing func­ Inquiree, Skeptical Inquirer, P.O. Feldenkrais). tionally based variation, innovation, and Box 703, Amherst NY 14226 (or differentiation in sensory motor activity bradford6centerforinquiry.net). Benjamin Radford is the managing editor to free us from habitual patterns and Not all queries can be answered, of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER; his first book, allow for new patterns of thinking, mov­ and submissions may be edited co-authored with Bob Bartholomew, was ing, and feeling to emerge." for clarity and length. Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Though the Feldenkrais Method Need Critical Thinking. steers clear of New Age and mystical

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 29 DOUBT AND ABOUT CHRIS MOONEY

Science Wars II: Science and the Bush Administration

or policy wonks and issue advocates, All of this activity has been triggered anecdotes and examples have repeatedly a new area of specialization has by repeated charges that the Bush popped up, suggesting that the Bush Frecendy arrived on the scene: "scien­ administration has reached a new low in administration hasn't learned die error of tific integrity." Bills on the subject have its willingness to twist and undermine its ways. Whistleblowers from branches been introduced in Congress. Interest scientific information to suit desired of government ranging from the Climate groups, such as die Union of Concerned policy objectives. Such accusations have Change Science Program to the Bureau of Land Management have come for­ ward with stories of cynical informa­ Whistleblowers from branches tional meddling that have made the front pages of papers including The New of government ranging from the Climate Change York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, the UCS and PEER have Science Program to the Bureau of Land begun to survey scientists within federal agencies—so far, they've tackled the Fish Management have COITIG forward with and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service—to determine stories of cynical informational meddling. ... whether they think political players are meddling with scientific information. Scientists (UCS) and Public Employees a four-year history, stretching from early Scores of surveys have now come back for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), concerns over whether the administra­ with answers in the affirmative. now specialize in tracking political inter­ tion would even name a science adviser, Perhaps most important of all in ference widi science. Foundations are ded­ through 2001 debates over stem cells focusing attention on die issue of "scien­ icating energy and funding to die area; and global warming, past reports com­ tific integrity" have been the climate- journalists, commentators, pundits, and plied by members of Congress denounc­ change fiascoes in the run up to the G8 bloggers have also climbed on board. One ing the administtation's meddling with summit. Shortly before President Bush (yours truly) even has a book just pub­ science going on at federal agencies and departed for Gleneagles, Scotland, lished on the subject. There's room, it the composition of scientific advisory whistleblower Rick Piltz dropped a almost seems, for a career here. committees, and up to a landmark bomb with his revelations, reported in moment: a February 2004 statement by The New York Times, that a political Chris Mooney, a journalist specializing in the Union of Concerned Scientists (and appointee at the White House Council the relation of science and politics, is the assorted scientific community super­ on Environmental Quality (who had Washington correspondent for Seed maga­ stars) that denounced the Bush adminis­ formerly worked at the American zine. His book. The Republican Wat on tration for unprecedented and system­ Petroleum Institute) had taken a Science, has just been published by Basic atic abuses and misuses of science. metaphorical red pen to government Books. He is a SKEPTICAL INQUIRER con­ However, the story doesn't end there. climate-science reports and inserted lan­ tributing editor and the Doubt and About If anything, it has gathered momentum guage that had the effect of magnifying columnist for www.csicop.org. since the pivotal UCS statement, as new uncertainty about various conclusions.

30 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER A media frenzy began as this same indi­ vidual—Philip Cooney—then resigned and promptly went to work at ExxonMobil, now perhaps the leading corporation encouraging skepticism about the ongoing climate crisis. All of these events have had a cumu­ lative effect, making it virtually impossi­ ble to take seriously the ongoing denials from die White House that any undue influence is being brought to bear on sci­ ence. Those denials do, of course, persist; with each new revelation comes a dutiful response: "There's nothing out of the ordinary here"; "This is a typical intera­ gency review process"; "The debate here is really over policy, not science"; and so fonh. But such replies don't hold up very well when you consider that the critics of the administration are themselves cur­ rent or former government-agency scien­ tists who know very well what an "inter­ agency review process" is and neverthe­ less insist that such processes have been corrupted in this administration. Even if we concede that some of these whistle- blowers may have axes to grind, we're Tom Collina (left), director of the Union of Concerned Scientists Global Security Program, addresses nevertheless left with a huge horde of reporters. (FILM) AFP Photo/Mario TAMA disgruntled government scientists who can't possibly all be wrong. appointees in government agencies who to leave Americans with a less reliable, Where does that leave us? Assuming— are going about their jobs the only way less effective, less professional, and ulti­ as I think we must, given all of the evi­ they know how—i.e., talking a lot to mately less respectable government. The dence—that something alarming is hap­ their industry or Religious Right allies consequences will be felt in a wide range pening here at the interface between sci­ and frequently rewarding their lobbying of areas, ranging from public health to ence and politics, it's worth asking why attempts in scientific areas. In short, it's the environment. cxacdy that might be so. My conclusion a politico-scientific spoils system. And In conclusion, then, "scientific is that what we're seeing is the result of a as this particular spoils system proceeds integrity" emerged virtually out of certain type of constituency-driven pol­ to allocate rewards, it simultaneously nowhere as a central issue under the itics, in which federal agencies get undermines, cheapens, and compro­ Bush administration, and has since staffed with Republican political mises federal agencies as reliable, public- transmogrified into a broad-scale con­ appointees who know very well who oriented sources of scientific analysis cern about good governance and the their friends are and are willing to listen and information. effectiveness and integrity of agencies to them on matters of science. So busi­ But if we're looking at a government- funded by the public purse. The stan­ ness interests get their "scientific" argu­ wide problem based on staffing and a dard way to address concerns about ments privileged at agencies that are culture that has developed within fed­ good government is to initiate reform, supposed to be protecting endangered eral agencies, that suggests it won't be and momentum has now begun to build species and the environment, even as easily solved. In fact, the damage done in support of precisely that outcome, at religious conservative interests get their could long outlast the Bush administra­ least among Democrats in Congress. "science" humored at agencies dedicated tion, because the integrity of the federal (Though there are prominent excep­ to public health and even, to some government will have been compro­ tions, most GOP representatives remain extent, medical research. mised and because taxpayer-funded unwilling to seriously investigate or crit­ We don't have to postulate a nefari­ agencies may not recover quickly (or at icize the Bush administration.) In the ous conspiracy, then, to explain the war all) from the traumas they've been put meantime, however, political science on science that has manifested itself dur­ through. Here's where the political abuse shows no sign of going away. And ing die second Bush administration. We abuse of science becomes a core issue for already, the wounds it has inflicted may need only point to an army of political the nation's future: The crisis promises take a very long time to heal.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 31 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

Does Irreducible Complexity Imply Intelligent Design?

Michael Behes "irreducible complexity, " according to "design theorists," implies Intelligent Design of biological systems. In fact, such a conclusion lacks a logical foundation. Irreducible complexity can even more reasonably be construed as an argument against Intelligent Design. MARK PERAKH

ichael Behe is a university professor of biochem­ istry. Although he has to his credit a number of Mpapers published in professional journals on bio­ chemistry, he is much better known as the author of the pop­ ular book Darwin's Black Box (Behe 1996). Widely reviewed, both exorbitantly acclaimed and sharply critiqued, this book introduced the concept of "irreducible complexity" (IC) of protein systems in biological cells. IC, according to Behe, is a common feature of very complex protein "machines" per­ forming vital functions in bio cells. A protein assembly which is IC, according to Behe, can only properly function if all of its constituent proteins are present; if even a single compo­ nent of such a system is missing, the system becomes

32 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

nonoperation.il. II .1 system is IC, concludes Behe, this indi­ circulation some ten years before Behe (Cairns-Smith cates it cannot be a result of "blind" evolution but more rea­ 1985). Unlike Behe and his supporters, these predecessors sonably has to be attributed to "design." did not claim that irreducible complexity constituted a Michael Behe's concept of irreducible complexity (IC) great discovery or implied Intelligent Design, so diis prior (Behe 1996) has been critically discussed by experts in biol­ version would hardly invoke Millers categorical rejection ogy. The attitude of many professional biologists to Behe's K.' quoted above. concept has found its most uncompromising expression in The critical discussion of Behe's idea has mainly con­ Kenneth Miller's words: "... the notion of irreducible com­ centrated on three specific aspects of IC: plexity is nonsense" (1999, p. 150). 1. The very definition of IC has been a subject of While critical analysis of IC by professional biologists much discussion. For example, Behe's colleague, seems to be sufficient to dismiss Behe's alleged great dis­ William Dembski (viewed by the ID advocates as covery in biology, there is another aspect to IC which, to their leading logician), admitted that Behe's idea my mind, makes the very notion of "IC implies Intelligent of IC was "neither exacdy correct nor wrong" Design (ID)" implausible. (Dembski 2002, 280). A concept that's identical in all but name to irre­ ducible complexity was around for a long time before 2. The question of whether molecular systems Behe. It was applied to the problems with the evolution offered by Behe as examples of IC are indeed IC of various anatomical structures, such as the mammalian has likewise been subject to critique. A number of eye (recall the many-times-answered question, "What biologists pointed out diat systems such as bacter­ good is half an eye?") or snakes' apparatus for venom ial cilia or blood-clotting cascades which, accord­ injection (Marcell 1976). ing to Behe, exemplify IC, are in fact reducible An even more relevant and practically identical con­ without losing dieir "basic function." (See, for cept, "interlocking complexity," had been already dis­ example. Miller 1999.) cussed from the standpoint of genetics nearly eighty years 3. Behe asserts that IC systems, exemplified by the earlier (Muller 1918, 1939). Even the application of protein assemblies in biological cells, cannot have the concept of IC to the molecular assemblies within a bio­ evolved via a direct "Darwinian" path because logical cell (which is Behe's playing field) was put into such a pad) necessarily goes through ^^^ a sequence <>l intermediate stages ai which the system performs the same "basic" function. Since any system 0 comprising fewer parts than the IC system in question is, by definition of IC, dysfunctional, it could not be an evolutionary precursor of an IC system, or so says Behe. Regarding the evolution of an IC system via an indirect evolutionary path, Behe admits that such a

Mark Perakh is a professor emeritus of plr/sics nt California State University at Fullerton and the author of four books, including Unintelligent Design (Prometheus 2003), and over 300 scientific articles. EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

process is possible but, in his opinion, so highly A system is irreducibly complex if: improbable that it cannot be considered a feasible a) It consists of several parts. option. b) The parts are "well-matched." (Behe offered no The last point has been disputed by professional biologists. definition of the notion of being "well-matched.") They suggest detailed scenarios showing how, for example, a bacterial flagellum could have evolved from evolutionary pre­ c) It performs a certain "basic" function (for exam­ cursors with a sufficiendy high likelihood (Matzke 2003, ple, it clots blood). Ussery 2004, Musgrave 2004). The consensus of the vast d) It ceases to function if even a single part is missing. majority of professional biologists seems to favor the views of Behe's opponents. Except for vague protestations, wherein Having discussed several examples of protein "machines" in biological cells that, according to Behe, are IC, Behe then asserts that the existence of IC Behe has NOt provided a definition systems in biological cells points to them being designed rather than having emerged of complexity. Several such definitions have been as a result of evolution. I intend to show that Behe's assertion contradicts logic. suggested, though, by Dembski—whose various Note that Behe's concept of IC com­ prises two components: one is complexity definitions of complexity are often and the other is irreducibility. Behe expends a great deal of effort incompatible with each other. demonstrating how staggeringly complex the protein systems in a cell are. It is evident that for Behe, the complexity in question is Behe and his supporters demand from their opponents highly part of his idea, which points to design as the alternative to detailed proofs of die factual occurrence of indirect evolution­ evolution. According to Behe, biological systems must have ary paths leading to IC systems, Behe seems to be unable to been designed because they (A) are very complex and (B) can­ offer substantive counterarguments. not function unless all of their parts are present. Even if the IC concept is valid, and even if many biological Regarding A, note that Behe has not provided a definition systems are indeed IC, this in itself does not logically lead to the of complexity. Several such definitions have been suggested, design inference. I contend that IC in itself can more reason­ though, by Dembski—whose various definitions of complex­ ably be construed as an argument against the design inference. ity are often incompatible with each other. There is among In an essay titled "Irreducible Contradiction" posted on the them a definition repeated by Dembski many times, which is Internet in 1999 (Perakh 1999), I suggested critical comments in tune with Behe's point A. According to that definition, to Behe's Darwin's Black Box. In the nearly sue years since that complexity is equivalent to small probability (Dembski 1998). essay appeared, Michael Behe has never uttered a word For example, Dembski asserts in his book that "probability acknowledging the existence of my critical remarks. Nor has measures are disguised complexity measures" (114). Variations William Dembski, who has actively promoted Behe's concept of this assertion are scattered over Dembski's books. In this of irreducible complexity, ever mentioned those comments. view, the more complex a system, the less probable its sponta­ Neither did anybody else from the Intelligent Design camp. neous emergence as a result of chance. According to Behe and Recently, Dembski posted an article titled "Irreducible Dembski, the more complex a system, the more likely it was Complexity Revisited" (Dembski 2005) that has initiated some designed—this is the essence of point A in Behe's concept. discussion (RBH 2005, Perakh 2005). And an op-ed article by Point B (irreducibility) in Behe's concept asserts that an IC Behe appeared recendy in The New York Times, wherein Behe system loses its function if even a single part is missing. repeats the same much-critiqued notions without having According to Behe, protein "machines" in a cell meet both changed his position or having accounted for a single point requirements for being IC—they are very complex and they suggested by his critics. I think, therefore, it is worthwhile to are irreducible. What if this assertion is true? Does it lead log­ revisit certain points that seem to need clarification regarding ically to the design inference? Behe's answer is yes. However, I die IC concept and its alleged logical segueing into ID. submit that that answer is illogical, and here is why (starting I'll not discuss here Dembski's recent modifications of the with complexity): IC definition (addressed in Perakh 2005 and RBH 2005). Contrary to Dembski's persistent assertions, complexity is Instead, I will refer to Behe's original definition of IC, which, certainly not just disguised improbability. Examples to the con­ although suffering from certain deficiencies (as admitted by trary abound. Imagine a pile of stones. Each stone has some Dembski [2002]), does essentially reflect his principal idea. irregular shape that resulted from a series of chance events. The essence of Behe's original IC concept is as follows: Among these irregularly shaped stones, we find a perfecdy

34 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

rectangular brick. It has a simple IC systems, by definition, shape that can be described by a Kolmogorov are highly vulnerable to acci­ simple equation containing only Complexity dental damage. Therefore, if three numbers—width, length, IC systems are designed, they and height. On the other hand, fhis concept is part of the Algorithmic are poorly designed. each of the irregularly shaped TheorV y of Information/Probability/ It must be stressed that in stones can be described only by a T Complexity (ATP) whose main cre­ this case, we go beyond the more complex program contain­ ators were were Ray Solomonoff, Andrei problem of suboptimal design. ing many numbers. However, Kolmogorov, and Gregory Chaitin. Com­ When we deal with just subop­ the probability of a rectangular plex systems are represented in ATP as timal design, the ID advocates brick being produced as a result strings of binary numbers. If the structure of use various arguments that sup­ of chance is low; the brick can such a string incorporates certain regularity, posedly justify the reasons for a reasonably (with a high proba­ i.e., it is not fully random, it can be encoded design being not optimal. For bility) be assumed to be a prod­ by a computer program containing an example, one such argument is uct of design. For irregularly instruction of how to generate the string in that we simply don't know any­ shaped stones, the opposite is question, which program is shorter than the thing about the designer's rea­ true—the probability of their string itself. sons to behave as he does; having been created by chance is The Kolmogorov complexity of a system is hence, our notion is just an larger than the probability a quantify that equals the size of the shortest argument from ignorance. of their having been created by program that encodes the system in ques­ Perhaps what looks like subop­ design. Here, rhc relationship tion if the latter is represented by a string of timal design from a limited between probability and com­ digits. The longer the minimal possible human standpoint has good plexity is the opposite of the "encoding" program for a system, the larger reasons, that are beyond our one prescribed by Dembski's is the Kolmogorov complexity of that sys­ comprehension, to be as it is. definition (but compatible with tem. The more random a system, the larger Such an argument usually, the definition of Kolmogorov its Kolmogorov complexity. albeit not always explicitly, pre­ complexity [see die box to the sumes that suboptimality is a right and, for example, Chaitin "side effect" rather than a delib­ 2003]). erate goal of the designer. In the case of the stones and the brick, simplicity rather Whether such arguments arc convincing depends on the than complexity is a marker of design. This shows not only mindset of the person who hears them. For this discourse, how­ that Dembski's definition of complexity fails for certain situa­ ever, such arguments are not really relevant. Indeed, Behe's con­ tions but also that, generally, a more reasonable statement is cept contains, as a crucial part, the assumption that the irre­ that simplicity points to design while complexity as such points ducibility of a biological system is a marker of design. Such an to chance (more about this in Perakh 2004). If this is so, then assumption obviously does not refer to a designer who has failed the first part of Behe's IC concept—complexity—is more rea­ to provide an optimal solution or compromised in his design for sonably construed as an indication of "blind" evolution rather some unknown reason. It is no longer about some "side effect" than of design. that the designer has simply failed to correct or has kept for Turning to the second part of Behe's IC—irreducibility— unknown reasons that are extraneous to the design's purpose. recall that Behe's idea is that the loss of a single part of a pro­ Behe assumes that the very feature that makes the design tein "machine" makes it nonoperational. Therefore, says Behe, bad indicates that the system has been designed. In other such a "machine" could not have evolved via a "Darwinian" words, Behe's concept entails that suboptimality not be evolutionary process, which requires the existence of functional viewed as just an unfortunate oversight by the designer nor precursors. as something that, albeit seemingly detrimental to the The simple fact is, though, that if an IC system has been designed entity, has some reasons known only to the designer designed, it is a case of bad design. If the loss of a single part destroys but unfathomable to us. No, in Behe's conception, the very the system's function, such a system is unreliable, and therefore, if suboptimality is suggested as a marker of design; an IC sys­ it is designed, the designer is inept. When engineers design tem by definition is easily destroyed by damaging just a sin­ machines, bridges, skyscrapers, TV sets, or artificial kidneys, they gle part, so a system's being IC means that its vulnerability is always try to envision what can go wrong with their design and its ineliminable feature. Behe's idea implies that the system is how to ensure that small defects do not result in a failure of their irreducibly complex (and hence suboptimal) because such products: they build in certain redundancies so that in case some was the goal of the designer. "The system is suboptimal, part of the construction fails, its function will not be completely therefore, it is a product of design"—that is what Behe's con­ lost but rather taken over by certain self-compensatory features. cept entails.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 35 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

ID advocates are welcome to accuse me of offering a carica­ Cairns-Smith, A.G. 1985. Seven Clues to the Origin of Life: A Scientific ture of their idea, but it cannot be helped when an idea's essence Detective Story. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chaitin, Gregory J. 2003. Randomness and mathematical proof. In Niels sounds like a parody; the idea that "IC implies ID" can most Henrik Gregersen, cd. From Complexity to Life. Oxford: Oxford University succinctly be rendered by a maxim: stupid, therefore designed. Press. If this is a satisfying logic, I don't know what a lack of logic is. Dembski, William A. 1998. The Design Inference. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Remember also that Behe's design inference is based not on some . 1999. Intelligent Design. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press. positive evidence but rather on a negative assertion: IC systems could . 2001. What Intelligent Design is not. In William A. Dembski and not have evolved via a "Darwinian" path. Since such a path is impos­ James M. Kushiner, eds. Signs of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press. sible, concludes Behe, the only remaining option is design. -. 2002. No Free Lunch: Why Specified Complexity Cannot Be Purchased This is an argument of the either-or type. I will not discuss without Intelligence. Linharn. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. here whether or not there are indeed only two mutually exclu­ 2005. Irreducible complexity revisited. Available at www.iscid.org/ papers/Dcmbski_IrrcduciblcComplcxiryRcvisitcd_01140.pdf. Accessed sive options. My point is different: if Behe infers design only on February 1,2005. because the direct evolutionary path, in his view, is impossible Doolittle. Russell F. 1997. A delicate balance. Boston Review!! (1): 28-29. Dunkelberg, Pete. 2003. Irreducible complexity demystified. In Talk Reason. and an indirect evolutionary path is improbable, then to be con­ Available at www.iallcrcason.org/articles/dunk.cfm. Accessed on February sistent, he should use the same probabilistic criteria for judging 17, 2005. whether or not it is reasonable to assume that the feature that Inlay, Matt. 2002. Evolving immunity. In Talk Reason. Available at www.talk rcason.org/ariicles/immunity.cfm. Accessed on February 17, 2005. makes design bad is a marker of design. How probable is it that Johnson, Phillip E. 1991. Darwin on Trial Downers Grove, Illinois: the putative designer deliberately designs his products to be irre- InterVarsity Press. ducibly complex if that means the product will be unreliable? . 2000. The Wedge of Truth. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press. Dembski asserts that ID does not imply a smart designer Korthof, Gert. Review of Michael Behe's Darwin's Black Box. In Was Darwin (Dembski 2001). The designer can even be stupid, says Wrong? Available at http://homc.planct.nl/-gkorthof/. Accessed on August Dembski. However, from many other utterances of ID advo­ 1,2003. cates, including Dembski, it is clear that all such statements Marcell, Harry. 1976. Evolution—theory or faith? In Arych Carmell and Cyril Domb, eds. Challenge: Torah's Views on Science and Its Problems. New York: are just a smoke screen and, in fact, they believe that their Feldheim. "designer" is the God of the Bible. (See, for example, Dembski Matzke. Nicholas. 2003. Evolution in (Brownian) space: A model for the ori­ gin of the bacterial flagellum. In Talk Reason. Available at www.talkreason. 1999, part 3, or Johnson 2000.) This designer is supposed to org/artielcs/flag. pdf. be omnipotent and omni-benevolent. Miller, Kenneth R. 1999. Finding Darwin's God New York: cliff Streets In fact, ID advocates want to have their cake and to eat it too. Books. On the one hand, they concede that the putative designer may Morris, Henry. 2005. The design revelation. In Institute of Creation Research. Available at www.icr.oig/pubs/btg-a/btg-194a.htm. Accessed on February 17, 2005. be stupid—this they say when trying to explain suboptimality of Muller, Hermann J. 1918. Genetic variability, twin hybrids and constant design. On the other hand, they speak about Christian values, hybrids, in a case of balanced lethal factors. Genetics 3: 422-499. . 1939. Reversibility in evolution considered from the standpoint of cultural war, the Logos of John's gospel, and the imminent tri­ genetics. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 14: umph of ID over "materialistic" science. (Dembski 1999, part 3; 261-280. Johnson 2000). It is not by accident that the leading young- Musgrave, Ian. 2004. Evolution of the bacterial flagellum. In Matt Young and Earth creationist, Henry Morris, who is more consistent in his Taner Edis. eds. Why Intelligent Design Fails: A Scientific Critique of the New Creationism. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. frank biblical literalism, referred to Dembskis contortions Orr. Allen H. 1997. Darwin vs. Intelligent Design (again): The latest attack regarding the nature of the designer as "nonsense" (Morris 2005). on evolution Is cleverly argued, biologically informed—and wrong. Boston Review 2\ (6). How probable is it that the very features that make a design Perakh, Mark. 1999. Irreducible contradiction. In Talk Reason. Available at bad are markers of design (as follows from Behe's discourse)? It www.ialkreason.org/articlcs/behe2.cfm. Accessed on February 17. 2005. is hardly less improbable than the evolution of protein assem­ . 2001a. Razumniy zamyscl ili slcpaya sluchainost? (Intelligent Design or blind chance?). Kontinent 107. 338-362. blies via indirect "Darwinian" paths. . 2001b. Razumniy zamyscl ili slepaya sluchainost? Vremya Iskat 5, If Behe infers design just because evolution of protein 30-50. assemblies via indirect "Darwinian" paths looks improbable to . 2004. Unintelligent Design. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. him, design inference also has to be excluded because of the . 2005. IC's irreducible inconsistency revisited. In Talk Reason. Available at www.talkreason.otg/aniclcs/IC_stupid.cfm. Accessed on improbability of the putative designer's deliberately incorpo­ February 17, 2005. rating in the protein assemblies the very features (like IC) that RBH. 2005. Available at www.arn.org/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=gct_ topic;f= 1 V i 11( 11884;p=0. make the design bad. Ussery, David W. 1999. A biochemist's response to 'The biochemical chal­ The above discourse is, to my mind, sufficient to reject the lenge to evolution.' Bios 70, 40-45. design inference based on the notion that IC implies ID as log­ . 2004. Darwin's transparent box: The biochemical evidence for evo­ lution. In Matt Young and Taner Edis, eds. Why Intelligent Design Fails: A ically untenable. Scientific Critique of the New Creationism. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. References Wells, Jonathan. 2002. Darwinism: Why 1 went for a second Ph.D. In The Words Behe, Michael J. 1996. Darwin's Black Box: Tit Biochemical Challenge to of tlte Wells Family Available at www.tparents.org/Library/Unificaiion/ Evolution. New York: Touchstone. Talks/Wells/DARWIN.htm. Accessed on February 17. 2005.

36 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

Only a Theory?? Framing the Evolution/Creation Issue

Evolution opponents are framing the issues to our disadvantage; they focus on the phrase "theory of evolution," when theory is today understood by the public as a tentative concept unsupported by evidence.

DAVID MORRISON

ublic opinion polls tell us that we are losing the battle to explain the nature of evolution and the central role Pthat evolutionary concepts play in modern science. Tens of millions of Americans scoff at evolution and try to protect their children from what they consider to be a per­ nicious concept.

*=*<»jpft caJ X*ACQJ\ re*- EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

Given the overwhelming scientific support for evolution, "only a theory" disclaimers in textbooks know that to call evo­ we must be doing something wrong in discussing this issue lution a theory is sufficient to undermine its acceptance. with the public. There are several ways in which scientists and Channeling the discussion into a debate over the "theory of educators might enhance their effectiveness in this debate. The evolution" is an example of framing. Since the great majority problems relate to framing the issues, or rather, allowing the of Americans understand the word theory to imply uncertainty opponents of evolution to frame them. Framing involves the and vagueness, the name itself predisposes the answer. It is as selective use of language or context totrigger responses, either if a criminal defendant were described by the judge and other support or opposition. We see it in the often deceptive titles of court officials as "the murderer." Not many juries would want legislation, such as a "clear skies act" or "forest renewal act" or, to let a known murderer free, no matter how the evidence was on the other side, a "death tax." "Pro-choice" or "pro-life" presented. The one who frames the debate often wins. advocates are always careful to frame their position with the Yet many proponents of evolution seem content to argue proper emotion-charged terms. (The subject is artfully about the "theory of evolution" and its educational role. As sci­ described in George Lakoff's book Don't Think of an Elephant.) entists, they were taught that a scientific theory is a systematic As a prime example, we doom our communications efforts set of principles that has been shown to fit the facts, and has with many nonscientists by defending the "theory of evolu­ stood up against attempts to prove it false. A theory is thus the tion." Theory is quite simply the wrong word. Polls indicate highest level of understanding, synthesizing a wide variety of that three quarters of Americans agreed that "evolution is com­ observations and experiments. But that is not what the word monly referred to as the theory of evolution because it has not theory means to 99 percent of Americans, including many sci­ yet been proven scientifically." Those who advocate adding entists and educators when they are outside the classroom. Dictionaries have noted the changing definition of this David Morrison, an astrobiologist and planetary scientist, is a word. Older dictionaries give preference to the scientific defi­ CSICOP fellow and a recent winner of the Carl Sagan Medal of nition and consider the use of theory to refer to a guess or the American Astronomical Society for his contributions to public hunch to be a form of slang. Today, the slang meaning prevails, understanding of science. and a theory is a belief, something taken to be true without

SI on Evolution and ID

Here is a list of some other SKEPTICAL Disappoints," November/ News Articles/Editorials: INQUIRER articles on Intelligent December 2002 • "Time for Science to Go on the Design and creationism. Mark A. Wilson, "'Geology Offense," July/August 2005 —Editor Confronts Creationism': An • "AAAS Board Urges Opposing Undergraduate Science Cur­ 'Intelligent Design' Theory in • Charles Sullivan and Cameron riculum," January/February 2002 Science Classes," March/April McPherson Smith, "Getting the Randy Moore, "Educational 2003 Monkey off Darwin's Back: Four Malpractice: Why Do So Many • "Botanical Society of America's Common Myths about Biology Teachers Endorse Statement on Evolution," Evolution," May/June 2005 Creationism?" November/December 2003 • Dennis R. Trumble, "One November/December 2001 • "Bogus Poll of Scientists Latest Longsome Argument," Taner Edis, "Darwin in Mind: Twist in ID/Creationists Fight March/April 2005 'Intelligent Design' Meets against Science Standards," • Robert Camp, "'Teach the Artificial Intelligence," November/December 2003 Controversy': An Intelligently March/April 2001 • "American Association of Physics Designed Ruse," David Roche, "A Bit Confused: Teachers Statement on the September/October 2004 Creationism and Information Teaching of Evolution and Theory," March/April 2001 Cosmology," January/February • Bruce and Frances Martin, 1 "Neither Intelligent nor Designed," Martin Gardner, "Intelligent 2000 November/December 2003 Design and Phillip Johnson," • "Science Trumps Creationism in November/December 1997 (our • Mark Perakh, "A Presentation New Mexico," January/February earliest article on ID) without Arguments: Dembski 2000

38 Volume 29, Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

proof, an assumption, a suggestion, a hypothesis. Similarly, theoretical is used as a synonym for tentative, an idea that has Real-world Use of the not been tested with observations. How do we really use die term in everyday language? A the­ Word Theory ory is a hunch that a detective comes up with in a murder mys­ The following examples were encountered in the sum­ tery. It is one of several competing ideas, none of them proved. mer of 2005: Fringe theories and conspiracy theories are crazy ideas that are out of the mainstream. New medicines or changes in the tax From a Space.com story: laws may be good in theory but don't work in practice. Among End of Conspiracy Theories? Spacecraft Snoops Apollo some scientists, theorists are thought to lack solid grounding Moon Sites in the facts (see the accompanying sidebar). What about scientific usage? We don't hear much anymore Fringe theorists have said images of the waving flag— on a Moon with no atmosphere—and other oddities about the Theory of Gravitation, or die Atomic Theory of show that NASA never really went to the Moon. Matter, or the Theory of Plate Tectonics. These phrases have a vaguely antique flavor. Gravitation and atoms and plate tecton­ From a San Jose Mercury News story on the mystery that ics are accepted as legitimate subjects that don't need the preface no tsunami was generated by Indonesia's 8.7 earthquake "Theory of." The only two areas where "Theory of" remains in of March 28, 2005: common use are Theory of Relativity and Theory of Evolution. Relativity is associated with Einstein, a genius whose work was Scientists have two theories about what happened abstract and unintelligible to laypeople. I doubt if most people Monday. Either no tsunami was produced, or one was formed but headed out to sea and away from populated realize that die principles of relativity have been tested, or that areas. Eric Geist of USGS said "We'll just have to wait relativity has practical implications, for example in calculating and see." the interplanetary trajectories of spacecraft. Judge for yourselves what this association implies for "Theory of Evolution." From the California Academy of Science exhibit on There is another usage that should be mentioned: theory as fossils in die San Francisco Airport, August 2005: a discipline, such as organization theory, color tJieory, eco­ nomic theory, music theory, etc. These phrases imply die exis­ Scientists have a number of theories about why tence of a knowledge base or conceptual framework, and their ammonites develop spines on their shells. names are given to university courses or areas of specialization. In science thete are chaos theory, cosmological theory, infor­ From Skeptical Briefs (June 2005, vol. 15 no. 2): mation theory, and—yes—evolutionary theory (as used in the [Some cancer treatments] seem promising in theory, tide of Steve Goulds last book). This usage is, however, rarely but don't work in fact. discussed in arguments about "only a theory." If we accept die framing that calls this topic tiie theory of From The New York Times, July 22, 2005: evolution, we face a dilemma. Some people just ignore the problem and concentrate on presenting the facts of evolution. Echoes and Theories, but No Solid Links in London Bombings They may believe diat diese facts and their implications are self-evident. But the human brain does not always work that Investigators said their leading theory was that the lat­ way. We have seen recent examples. The majority of voters who est attempted bombings were a copycat-style attack. supported die 2004 re-election of George W. Bush told poll­ sters diat diey believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of From David Brooks on PBS, in reference to speculation mass destruction and that he had been behind the September about Karl Rove: 11 terrorist attacks, despite countless news stories to the con­ This is a case where the theory has gotten way out in trary. Many people believe that airplanes are more dangerous front of the facts. than cars, no matter what risk statistics are presented. Even after well-conducted trials showed that herbal medicines such From a NPR commentary on health care, August 2, as echinacea are ineffective, public sales have remained strong. 2005: Alternatively, many scientists and educators recognize the False positives in blood tests are a theoretical possibility, public misunderstanding of die scientific term theory and try to but are rare in practice. explain this to the audience. In her excellent book Evolution vs. Creationism, Eugenie Scott devotes much of the first chapter to From the History Channel special "Ape to Man," the scientific meaning of the terms theory, hypothesis, falsifica­ August 2005: tion, etc. However, few members of a nonscientific audience Human evolution remained little more than a theory until evidence was found. . .. EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

with concerns about teaching evolution to their children are An Issue of Values ready to accept that this word, whose meaning they know per­ Many antievolutionists base their opposition not on scientific fectly well, has in fact an almost opposite definition in science. issues, but on their belief that evolution threatens their value Thus before asking the audience to consider that their opinions system, specifically their family values. I don't see why we about evolution might be wrong, we start by asking them to should not face this issue directly. Family values are not the accept a contrary definition for a familiar word. Anyone who monopoly of the creationist advocates. Most in these audi­ teaches knows how hard it is for students to unlearn things they ences will share a common interest in the education of their already know and believe. So why do we accept this wholly children, which is a fundamental American family value. unnecessary burden when discussing evolution? No wonder If I were speaking to an audience of parents, I would stress those who frame evolution as a theory often win. that evolution is central to many sciences, and that one cannot We should be discussing simply evolution, the same way we be a scientist without understanding it. I would note that stu­ might discuss plate tectonics or genetics or any other branch dents who don't understand evolution will have trouble getting of science. To debate the "theory of evolution" is a trap. It is into the best colleges. I would comment on the great number of letting our opponents frame die discussion to their benefit. scientists and engineers being graduated in "competitor" coun­ Once we stop defending the theory of evolution, we are also tries like China, and note that American students are not top free to criticize "only a theory" disclaimers in textbooks with­ scorers in international science tests. We can make a persuasive out apology or diversionary explanations. and nonpartisan case that the future of the nation depends on its scientific and technical literacy. Relatively few Americans will The Either/Or Fallacy reject such arguments and state a preference for ignorance. The concept of framing has other implications for the creation- Teaching evolution is part of a bigger issue of the competitive­ evolution debate. One that we are all familiar with is the effort to ness and economic well being of the nation (and of the state and portray this as a choice between two models—godless evolution local community). This is a real issue of values, for our children versus divinely inspired creationism. In a two-model formula­ and their futures. And it is an issue that might appeal to lay tion, any perceived difficulty with evolution becomes support for members of school boards and textbook selection committees. creationism. We should not accept this framing of the conflict. Health is another value issue. Medical research is supported by Actually, I would think that today it would be obvious that there Americans across a wide political spectrum. How many people are at least three models on the table: evolution, the young-earth understand the role of evolution in the development of new med­ creationism of biblical literalists, and the more sophisticated con­ ical treatments? Or the place played by genetics in creating new cept of Intelligent Design (ID), which accepts the age of the uni­ drugs? There is no more dramatic (or scary) example of evolution verse and the change in Earths biota over time. It is a tribute to than the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens, as well as recent the discipline of the anti-evolution camp that they have avoided diseases such as AIDS. Newspaper stories about threatened pan­ most public debates between the biblical literalists and ID. But demics due to mutations in avian flu or other emerging viruses we are free to exploit this split and to ask which alternative is pro­ can only be understood in an evolutionary context. Suppressing posed to be taught alongside evolution in science classes. the study of evolution cuts off future opportunities to improve Most opponents of evolution in the schools are Christian public health. Surely this values argument has wide appeal. fundamentalists, and many of them believe that evolution is a moral issue, a struggle between the forces of good and evil. Beyond Biology Obviously proponents of evolution do not see it this way. We also suffer when we accept that evolution should be debated What we want is a level playing field where we can present the purely in terms of biology and biology courses. In the present facts. But as noted above, facts often lose out in a confronta­ American public school system, these courses are already tion with deeply held beliefs. watered-down so that evolution is likely to be mentioned in To achieve a level playing field, we should avoid debating only or one or two chapters or discussed in only one study unit evolution in a religious context. Specifically, we should not of a biology course. It is easy to belittle a subject that seems so speak on these issues in a church other than our own. In an marginal. We should reframe this issue in terms of crosscutting unfamiliar church speaking to an audience of like-minded ideas that affect all science. The audience should know that evo­ opponents of evolution, all the cards are stacked against us— lution and the concept of deep time are essential to geology and not because there is anything antireligious about evolution, astronomy and genetics and pharmacology as well as high- but because the audience believes there is. This situation also school biology. It is also an opportunity to tell an audience how creates a temptation to debate religion itself, such as arguing many people in this country are working in evolution-related about the "true" message of the first book of Genesis or con­ jobs. If the audience comes from a traditional conservative reli­ trasting the beliefs of Roman Catholics and fundamentalist gious background, they may have no idea that evolution is Protestants. This is not likely to be a winning strategy for the widely accepted among scientists and medical professionals and scientist, who is again a victim of framing. that it contributes to the livelihood of many Americans.

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Many conservative Americans support competition and challenge to their convictions about human origins or the believe that free-market economic conditions are essential to nature of the human soul. national success. Most of them would be shocked to know that Another topic diat is controversial is the origin of life. this philosophy has traditionally been known as social or eco­ Creationists love to confuse origins with evolution. They fre­ nomic Darwinism. Perhaps we should note that Darwinian quently use criticisms of, for example, the relevance of die natural selection is in many ways natures equivalent to free- Miller-Urey experiment to undercut the entire concept of bio­ market competition. The other side of this argument addresses logical evolution. Let's not be sidetracked into the problems of the belief that evolution leads to socialism and communism. the origin of life. While a great deal of research has been done Perhaps it is worth noting that Stalin's support for the anti- to define the conditions under which life began on Earth and Darwinian biologist Trofim Lysenko set back Soviet agricul­ to understand basic biochemistry, the actual process by which ture for a generation and contributed to the starvation of mil­ living things emerged is not understood by science. I believe we lions of Russians. can and should admit this mystery. There may be many people Finally, we can reframe the issue in terms that do not who will open their minds to the ideas of evolution as long as immediately offend a conservative religious audience. The we don't claim that science has all the answers, especially about context in which most opponents fear and reject evolution is the ultimate origin of life and the meaning of being human. that of human origins. The scientific story of the evolution of These topics can be explored later, when we have overcome ini­ our human ancestors is fascinating, but it also provokes the tial emotional resistance to any form of evolution. strongest resistance. My own interests, as an astrobiologist, are Above all, I hope that we can frame the evolution-creation­ in microbial evolution, which is a less threatening subject. 1 ist debate in ways that open our audience to the exciting ideas remember a young teacher coming up to me after a lecture and and accomplishments of science. When appropriate, we should saying how amazed she was that I had talked for an hour about be happy to defend teaching evolution in the context of family evolution and the history of life without mentioning primate values and economic advantage as well as pure science. There is evolution or human origins. I am not suggesting tiiat we no reason to make this a debate about religion; we are almost ignore the fascinating story of homonid evolution, but I bet sure to lose such a confrontation. But we must also understand that there are many people who would be more receptive to where our audience is coming from and find ways to present evolutionary concepts if we refrained from an in-your-face the science in a non-confrontational and accessible way. D

THE INTELLIGENT DESIGNER Irving Rothchild

lale or male? Does it ftaye any sex? Does it get a big charge out of making malaria. Docs ii come wiih a name, like Jane, Irving, or Rex? Cholera, AIDS, or a cook who's a carrier vvhai vve need is a super-intelligent define? of typhoid or worms who love to live in your spine or To define ihis uncanny Intelligent Designer! Your belly? this heartless Intelligent Designer!

I las il got any features? Does it have any limbs? Did the brain carcinoma (what's more unbenigner?) Is ii made of dark matter or two-dimensional films? Come out of the shop of the Intelligent Designer? Among all the world's gods, is it major or minor'.' Does the tse-tse fly sing a clear thankful hosanna Iliis amorphous, intangible Intelligent Designer! To the ID every time it makes someone a goner?

Does ii live on a planet, a star, or a comer? I loes il have any purpose except to confuse inside a black hole or far, far away from it? Bible myths of creation with what scientists use Can it ride on a light beam or something diviner? To learn how designs in nature are made ' This incongruous, elusive Intelligent Designer! This Intelligent Designer — a pointless charade!

would a galactic ensemble lit most of it in. Or is it as small as the head of a pin. Irving Rothchild is Emeritus Professor of ReproduOii T Or perhaps in between, like a grand ocean liner? B/O/OQW, Case Westen Reserve t-niversitu. Cleveland. This mysterious, pretentious Intelligent Designer1 Ohio. EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

Why Scientists Get So Angry When Dealing with ID Proponents

Intelligent Design proponents are constantly quoting scientists out of context to make it wrongly appear they have grave reservations about evolution.

JASON ROSENHOUSE

am sometimes asked why supporters of evolution get so angry when addressing proponents of Intelligent Design I(ID). My answer is that if the evolution/ID dispute were simply a discussion of rival scientific claims, say about whether known evolutionary mechanisms are capable of explaining the formation of complex systems, then the dis­ cussion would be far less acrimonious. In reality, however, ID proponents spend most of their time leveling bogus charges against evolution. Professionals in the relevant fields possess the expertise to immediately recognize that the charges are scientifically untrue, but the lay audiences to which these charges are directed are unlikely to be similarly equipped. The result is that ID proponents present a picture

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of modern biology that is completely unsupported scientifically and disingenuous. And this is why ID proponents are so reviled by scientists. In this article, I will document one specific example of blatant ID duplicity. It provides a useful study of ID pro­ ponents' tactics. One of the most prolific ID proponents is William Dembski. On April 26, 2005, he published an essay at his blog in which he addressed the charge that ID proponents present quotations inaccurately. The essay began this way: Unlike the serious sciences (e.g., quantum electrodynamics, which is accurate up to 14 decimal places), evolution has become an exercise in filling holes by digging others. Fortunately, the cog­ nitive dissonance associated with this exercise can't be suppressed indefinitely, so occasionally evolutionists fess-up that some gap­ ing hole really is there and can't be filled simply by digging another hole. Such admissions, of course, provide ready material for evolution critics like me. Indeed, it's one of the few pleasures in this business sticking it to the evolutionists when they make some particularly egregious admission. Consider the following admission by Peter Ward (Ward is a well-known expert on ammonite fossils and does not favor a ID-based view). .. .

Dembski is about to present a quotation from paleontologist Peter Ward to support his contention that there arc gaping holes in evolutionary biology. Dembski tells us that the quotation he is about to present is the product of the cognitive dissonance cre­ ated when scientists must suppress what they know to be true about the deficiencies of evolution. We will come to the quotation in a moment, but first there is some history to recount. As described by Dembski, he first used Ward's statement in an essay entitled "Five Questions « Evolutionists Would Rather Dodge," posted at his Web site on April 14, 2004. Shortly after this essay was posted, two contrib­ Gerald Fried utors to "The Panda's Thumb" blog, Gary Hurd and Dave Mullenix, wrote a rebuttal taking Dembski to task for, among other things, misusing Ward's statement. Dembski's blog entry, there was evidence suggesting Divine Creation, surely the Precambrian and Cambrian transition, known from numerous quoted above, was to be a belated reply to Hurd and Mullenix. localities across the face of the earth, is it." Note that Ward is not Prior to reading Dembski's blog entry, I had not read his "Five a creationist. Questions" essay. Likewise, I had not read the reply by Hurd and Mullenix. I also had never heard of Peter Ward, had not read the Already a question emerges. Taken at face value. Ward's state­ book from which the quote was taken, and did not know any­ ment above seems to affirm the idea that the Cambrian thing about Ward's scientific opinions. Consequently, I was able Explosion is strong evidence for Divine Creation. If that is an to investigate the situation with no preconceived notions about accurate presentation of Ward's opinion on this subject, then who was telling me the truth. I knew that the facts of the matter why isn't Ward a creationist? would be easy enough to obtain, and that they would allow me Ward made his statement in his 1992 book On Methuselah's to determine who was providing the straight story. Trail I obtained a copy of the book, flipped to page 29, and I began by reading Dembski's essay. The relevant statement is found that Ward had indeed written the words being attributed the following: to him. The quoted line conies at the beginning of a ten-page section entided "The Base of the Cambrian." In this section The challenge that here confronts evolution is not isolated but Ward provides a brief history of what is known about the pervasive, and comes up most flagrantly in what's called the Cambrian Explosion. In a very brief window of time during the Precambrian to Cambrian transition. geological period known as the Cambrian, virtually all die basic animal types appeared suddenly in the fossil record with no trace Jason Rosenhouse is an assistant professor of mathematics at James of evolutionary ancestors. The Cambrian explosion so flies in the Madison University and author of the EvolutionBlog: http-.ll face of evolution that paleontologist Peter Ward wrote, "If ever evolutionblog.blogspot.com. E-mail: [email protected].

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 43 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

So I decided to read the rest of the section. After the line showing that after distorting Ward's clearly stated intention, Dembski quoted, Ward goes on to describe Darwin's own con­ Dembski went on to misrepresent a statement from Stephen cerns about the Cambrian explosion (though that term did not Jay Gould. exist in Darwin's time). He also discusses various explanations Let's review. Dembski tried to imply diat the non-creationist offered by some of Darwin's contemporaries, such as Roger Peter Ward nonetheless agrees with Dembskis view that the Murchison and Adam Sedgwick, and shows how those explana­ Cambrian explosion is a problem for evolution. In reality, Ward's tions fared in the face of subsequent discoveries. clearly stated view is that while the Cambrian explosion used to This goes on for several pages. Eventually Ward comes to be viewed as a problem for evolution, recent fossil discoveries more modern views of the subject. And this is where Dembskis actually show that it is a vindication for Darwin. Hurd and creative use of quotations becomes obvious. On page 35, Ward Mullenix pointed this out, showing in great detail that Dembski writes this: had not only distorted Ward, but had done likewise to Gould. Until almost 1950 the absence of metazoan fossils older than They also showed that Dembskis version of the facts was simply Cambrian age continued to puzzle evolutionists and earth histo­ wrong. Dembski ignored what Hurd and Mullenix had said and rians alike. Other than the remains of single-celled creatures and repeated his earlier error about Ward's intentions. die madike stromarolites, it did indeed look as if larger creatures And that brings us back to Dembskis blog entry. We resume had arisen with a swiftness diat made a mockery of Darwin's the­ ory of evolution. This notion was finally put to rest, however, by the action from the point where my opening quote left off. He the discovery of the Ediacarian and Vendian fossil faunas of lat­ quotes Ward as saying: est Precambrian age. "The seemingly sudden appearance of skeletonized life has On page 36 we find: been one of the most perplexing puzzles of the fossil record. How is it that animals as complex as trilobites and Intensive searching of strata immediately underlying the well- brachipods could spring forth so suddenly, completely known basal Cambrian deposits in the years between 1950 and 1980 showed thai the larger skeletonized fossils (such as the trilo- formed, without a trace of their ancestors in the underly­ bites and brachiopods) diat supposedly appeared so suddenly ing strata? If ever there was evidence suggesting Divine were in fact preceded by skeletonized forms so small as to be eas­ Creation, surely the Precambrian and Cambrian transi­ ily overlooked by the pioneering geologists. tion, known from numerous localities across the face of And just in case there is still any doubt. Ward closes the sec­ the earth, is it." tion with die following statement: —Peter Douglas Ward, On Methuselah's Trail: The long-accepted theory of the sudden appearance of skeletal Living Fossils and the Great Extinctions metazoans at the base of the Cambrian was incorrect: the basal (New York: W.H. Freeman), 1992, 29. Cambrian boundary marked only the first appearance of rela­ tively large skeleton-bearing forms, such as the brachipods and And goes on to say. trilobites, rather than the first appearance of skeletonized Pretty convincing indicator that the Cambrian explosion poses a metazoans. Darwin would have been satisfied. The fossil challenge to conventional evolutionary theory, wouldn't you say? record bore out his conviction that the trilobites and Note that this is not a misquote: I indicate clearly that Ward does brachipods appeared only after a long period of evolution of not suppon ID and diere's sufficient unedited material here to ancestral forms, (pp. 36-37) make clear that he really is saying that the Cambrian explosion poses a challenge to conventional evolutionary theory. From these statements it is obvious that Ward does nor believe die Cambrian explosion is an insoluble problem for evolution. Unlike in his original essay, Dembski now gives the entire Quite the contrary. He states clearly diat recent fossil discoveries paragraph from which the "Divine Creation" statement pertaining to the Cambrian explosion have been a vindication of appeared. Even uSose few extra sentences are enough to make one Darwin. suspect that Ward was not saying anything useful to ID folks. So what about that "Divine Creation" remark? In context it is The phrases "seemingly" and "has been," suggest that Ward is set­ obviously a framing sentence intended to set up the ensuing dis­ ting up his readers for the eventual resolution to die problem. cussion. Ward was not stating his own opinion or die opinion of Dembski asserts that this is not a misquote on the any particular modern paleontologist. Instead he was merely grounds that (a) he indicates clearly that Ward does not sup­ describing the way things seemed to many people prior to port ID and (b) he includes enough material here to show Darwin, and for many years after Darwin. Ward's true intention. The next step was to read what Hurd and Mullenix had to say Alas, (a) is totally irrelevant. At issue here is not whether Ward on this subject. They began widi a lengthy discussion in which is an evolutionist or a creationist. Rather, the issue is what Ward diey showed that Dembskis assertions about die Cambrian thinks about the Cambrian explosion. And we have already seen explosion, quoted above, are quite false. They next discuss the that (b) is false. This paragraph by itself does not reflect Ward's Ward quote, and come to the same conclusion I did. They even intention. Ward's opinion, as stated in his book, could not have used two of the same quotes that I found. They concluded by been clearer. This is not a situation where Ward intended one

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thing, but because of sloppy writing could be plausibly inter­ ence says, for example, that current theory is fully capable of preted as saying something else. Nor is this a situation where accounting for information growth in the genome, while a hand­ Ward believes that on balance the evidence supports evolution, ful of dissenters claimed otherwise, dien I would be all in favor but that there are certain holes nonetheless in the current theory. of engaging in polite debate. The reality, however, is that many This is hardly an isolated case. When I first started investigat­ ID proponents are entirely shameless in presenting the most ing the evolution/creationism issue I noticed that antievolution- malicious caricatures of modern science. In response to such ists were constandy quoting scientists in ways that made it appear behavior, anger is entirely appropriate. they had grave reservations about modern theory. I knew for a This also explains why ID proponents rarely make any fact that the people being quoted were themselves passionate attempt to present their case to professionals. In front of such defenders of evolution. Initially I found it difficult to understand an audience their distortions would be immediately obvious. why these scientists would defend a theory they apparently had They are on far safer ground lobbying school boards and state deep reservations about. legislatures. When making your case in front of audiences that do not know the facts of the situation, it is easier to lie with So I investigated dozens of cases like the one described in this impunity. essay. In every case I found that the quotation was badly out of context. Sometimes what was presented as a minor revision of an Relevant Web Sources esoteric part of evolutionary theory was exaggerated into a criticism Dernbskis April 26, 2004, blog entry is available at www.uncommondesccnt. of the theory as a whole. Other times, like the situation described com/index.php/archives/date/2005/04/26/. here, me meaning of a statement was so twisted tiiat it was made His essay "Five Questions Darwinists Would Rather Dodge," is available in to seem to be saying the precise opposite of the author's clearly PDF format at www.designinfcrcnce.com/documents/2004.04.Five_ Questions_Ev.pdf. stated intention. In every case the quotation was made to appear to The reply by Gary Hurd and Dave Mullenix to Dembski's "Five Questions" mean something different from die writers actual opinion. essay is available at www.pandasthumb.org/pi-archives/00025l.html. This explains why scientists become so angry when dealing I have posted an essay at my blog in which I provide further details beyond what I included here. You can find that essay at cvolutionblog.blogspot. with this subject. If the issue were simply that mainstream sci­ com/2005/05/study-in-id-duplicity.html.

AGU: President Confuses Science and Belief, Puts Schoolchildren at Risk

Editor's note: The fallowing statement was issued by the American designer. That is an untestable belief and, therefore, cannot qualify Geophysical Union in Washington on August 2, 2005. as a scientific theory." "Scientific theories, like evolution, relativity, and plate tectonics, "President Bush, in advocating that the concept of 'Intelligent are based on hypotheses that have survived extensive testing and Design' be taught alongside the theory of evolution, puts America's repeated verification," Spilhaus says. "The President has unfortu­ schoolchildren at risk," says Fred Spilhaus, Executive Director of the nately confused the difference between science and belief. It is essen­ American Geophysical Union. "Americans will need basic under­ tial that students understand that a scientific theory is not a belief, standing of science in order to participate effectively in the twenty- hunch, or untested hypothesis." first-century world. It is essential that students on every level learn "Ideas that are based on faith, including 'Intelligent Design,' what science is and how scientific knowledge progresses." operate in a different sphere and should not be confused with sci­ In comments to journalists on August 1, the President said that ence. Outside the sphere of their laboratories and science class­ "both sides ought to be properly taught." "If he meant that rooms, scientists and students alike may believe what they choose Intelligent Design should be given equal standing with the theory of about die origins of life, but inside that sphere, diey are bound by evolution in the nation's science classrooms, then he is undermining die scientific method," Spilhaus said. efforts to increase the understanding of science," Spilhaus said in a AGU is a scientific society, comprising 43,000 earth and space scientists. statement. "'Intelligent Design' is not a scientific theory." Advocates It publishes a dozen peer-reviewed journal series and holds meetings of Intelligent Design believe that life on Earth is too complex to at which current research is presented to the scientific community and have evolved on its own and must therefore be die work of a the public. EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

The Pope and I

LAWRENCE M. KRAUSS

uch of my popular writing in newspapers over the past several years has been devoted to trying to Mclearly lay out the demarcation between science and religion in order to help fend off attacks on science by those who feel that the absence of an explicit consideration of a deity in scientific explorations implies that the scientific enterprise is itself somehow either inconsistent or immoral. Darwinian evolution is usually at the center of these attacks, because many groups feel that somehow evolution via nat­ ural selection poses a direct threat to the notion that human­ ity is a divine creation. Interestingly, the attacks are, how­ ever, often couched in seemingly scientific language and the claim is made that evolution is simply bad science.

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Most recently, in perhaps the most conciliatory piece I have two distinguished Catholic biologists, Kenneth Miller and ever written, I described in a May opinion piece in The New Francisco Alaya, asking die Holy Father to clarify and recon­ York Times ("School Board Wants to 'Teach the Controversy.' firm the Church's support for evolution via natural selection as What Controversy?" May 17, 2005) how recent statements a "contingent" process governed solely by natural physical made by Pope John Paul II, and by the International laws. The New York Times picked up the story, and it has cir­ Theological Commission, have made it clear that die Catholic culated around the country. Church can theologically accept natural selection mediated by unguided genetic I took the opportunity to WTIXG an open mutation, because they view God to be the "cause of all causes." Therefore, God can letter to the new Pope . .. asking the Holy act dirough natural physical processes to achieve the desired goal, presumably the Father to clarify and reconfirm the existence on Earth of human beings. More importandy, I felt, I used the exam­ Church's support for evolution via ple of Georges Lemaitre, the Belgian priest natural selection as a "contingent" process. . .. who, as a theoretical physicist, first discovered the Big Bang solution of Einstein's equations from General A number of scientists have written to me asking why I have Relativity. While the discovery of a consistent expanding universe bothered to try to influence the Catholic Church in this regard. stood the then-conventional scientific wisdom on its head (imply­ After all, with its doctrinal belief in virginal birth, opposition to ing a finite age for what had previously been assumed to have been stem-cell research, etc., the Church is not generally viewed as a an eternal universe), Lemaitre nevertheless worked hard to con­ particularly progressive scientific organization. vince Pope Pius XII to cease proclaiming a new scientific basis for This is in fact largely die reason to be particularly con­ Genesis. As he indicated, die Big Bang dieory—as it later became cerned about these recent developments, however. As long as known—was a scientific dieory that made falsi liable predictions. Catholic theology is understood as being consistent widi sci­ Whatever metaphysical implications one chooses to draw from entific investigation in general, and with evolutionary biology the theory are essentially independent of the science itself. in particular, the claims of various fundamentalist groups in As a result, I argued that the current supposed "contro­ this country diat one must be an atheist to accept diat natural versy" over die teaching of evolution in high schools in this selection has resulted in die diverse evolution of life on Earth country was not a scientific controversy at all, but a dieologi- can be demonstrated to be vacuous. If Cardinal Schonborn's cal one. Just as die Big Bang neither proved nor disproved the flawed theology is left to stand without comment, die efforts existence of God, so too evolution as a natural process is of all those who wish to help fight the public relations battle equally independent of one's theological leanings. The absence against false controversy now being waged in various school of explicit evidence for design, which in fact appears to be the districts throughout the country will be severely hampered. case, is no more a proof diat God doesn't exist than the Big Whether or not one is particularly religious, most people in Bang implies that the biblical story of Genesis is accurate. this country are. Anyone interested in education must under­ Imagine my surprise when almost eight weeks after the stand that to effectively convey ideas, you must be willing to appearance of my piece in die Times, an op-ed ("Finding reach out to understand where those you're trying to teach are Design in Nature," July 7) was published in die Times by coming from. I believe that those who feel diey must first Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, attack die basic premises of religious orthodoxy in die process that appeared to take issue with my claims and moreover indi­ of explaining die nature of science are acting inappropriately. cated that unless science manifestly recognized the "over­ Science and religion are separate aspects of the human experi­ whelming" evidence for design in nature, it could not be con­ ence. Scientists who convey the impression diat the scientific sistent with Catholic theology. experience has exclusive ownership on trudi only serve to fur- I subsequently discovered from a New York Times news arti­ dier alienate the vast majority of teligious non-fundamentalists cle ("Leading Cardinal Redefines Church's View on to whom one might hope to expose the beauty and die power Evolution," July 9) that the Cardinal apparendy became aware of the scientific process. O of my piece dirough interactions with the Washington Bureau director of the Discovery Institute, die major Intelligent Lawrence M. Krauss is Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics and Design lobbying organization in this country, and moreover, Director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology that the public relations firm for die Discovery Institute actu­ and Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University And he is the ally submitted his piece. author, most recently o/"Hiding in die Minor: The Mysterious Motivated by this, I took the opportunity to write an open Allure of Extra Dimensions, from Plato to String Theory and letter to die new Pope (Benedict XVI) (July 12), cosigned by Beyond. He is a CSICOP Fellow.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 200S 47 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

Endless Forms Most Beautiful A New Revolution in Biology

Over the past two decades, a new revolution has unfolded in biology. Advances in embryology and evolutionary development biology (dubbed Evo Devo)—involving genetic switches and simple rules that shape animal form and evolution—have profoundly reshaped our picture of how evolution works.

SEAN B. CARROLL

An excerpt from Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo.

he great variety in the size, shape, organization, and color of animal bodies raises deep questions about Tthe origins of animal forms. How are individual forms generated? And, how have such diverse forms evolved? These are very old questions in biology that date back to Darwin's time and before, but only very recently have deep answers been discovered, many of them so surprising and profound that they have revolutionized our views on the making of the animal world and our place in it. We all share an attraction to animal form, but my aim is to expand that

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wonder and fascination to how form is created, that is, was studying genetic variation in populations, igno­ to our new understanding of the biological processes rant of the relationship between genes and form. that generate pattern and diversity in animal design. Perhaps even worse, the perception of evolutionary While Darwin, Huxley, and their allies knew that biology in some circles was that it had become rele­ embryological development was key to evolution, for gated to dusty museums. more than one hundred years after their chief works, Such was the setting in the 1970s when voices for virtually no progress was made in understanding the the reunion of embryology and evolutionary biology mysteries of development. The puzzle of how a simple made themselves heard. Most notable was Stephen egg gives rise to a complete individual stood as one of Jay Gould, whose book Ontogeny and Phylogeny the most elusive questions in all of biology. Many revived discussion of the ways in which the modification of thought that development was hopelessly complex, and development may influence evolution. Gould had also stirred up would involve entirely different explanations for different types of evolutionary biology when, with Niles Eldredge, he took a fresh animals. So frustrating was the enterprise, that the study of look at the patterns of the fossil record and forwarded the idea of embryology, heredity, and evolution, once intertwined at the core "punctuated equilibrium"—that evolution was marked by long of biological thought a century ago, fractured into separate fields periods of stasis (equilibrium) interrupted by brief intervals of as each sought to define its own principles. rapid change (punctuation). Gould's book and his many subse­ quent writings reexamined the "Big Picture" in evolutionary biol­ Because embryology was stalled for so long, it played no part ogy and underscored the major questions that remained unsolved. in the so-called "Modern Synthesis" of evolutionary tiiought that He planted seeds in more than a few impressionable young scien­ emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. In the decades after Darwin, tists, myself included. biologists struggled to understand the mechanisms of evolution. At the time of The Origin of Species (1859), the mechanism for the To me, and others who had been weaned on the emerging suc­ inheritance of traits was not known. Mendel's work was redis­ cesses of molecular biology in explaining how genes work, the sit­ covered decades later and genetics did not prosper until well into uations in embryology and in evolutionary biology were both the 1900s. Different kinds of biologists were approaching evolu­ unsatisfying states of affairs, and enormous potential opportuni­ tion at dramatically different scales. Paleontology focused on the ties. Our lack of embryological knowledge seemed to make much largest time scales, the fossil record, and the evolution of higher of the discussion in evolutionary biology about the evolution of taxa. Systematists were concerned with the nature of species and form just futile exercises in speculation. How could we make the process of speciation. Geneticists generally studied variation in progress on questions involving the evolution of form without a traits in just a few species. These disciplines were disconnected scientific understanding of how form is generated in the first and sometimes hostile over which offered the most worthwhile place? Population genetics had succeeded in establishing the prin­ ciple that evolution is due to changes in genes, but this was a prin­ insights into evolutionary biology. Harmony was gradually ciple without an example. No gene that affected the form and approached through an integration of evolutionary viewpoints at evolution of any animal had been characterized. New insights in different levels. Julian Huxley's book Evolution: The Modern evolution would require breakthroughs in embryology. Synthesis (1942) signaled this union and the general acceptance of two main ideas. First, that gradual evolution can be explained by small genetic changes that produce variation which is acted upon The Evo-Devo Revolution by natural selection. And second, that evolution at higher taxo- Everyone knew that genes must be at the center of the myster­ nomic levels and of greater magnitude can be explained by these ies of both development and evolution. Zebras look like zebras, same gradual evolutionary processes sustained over larger periods. butterflies look like butterflies, and we look like we do because The Modern Synthesis established much of the foundation for of the genes we carry. The problem was that there were no, or how evolutionary biology has been discussed and taught for the very few, clues as to which genes mattered for the development past sixty years. However, despite the monikers of "Modern" and of any animal. "Synthesis," it was incomplete. At that time, we could say that The long drought in embryology was eventually broken by a forms do change, and that natural selection is a force, but we few brilliant geneticists who, while working with the fruit fly, the could say nothing about how forms change, about the visible drama of evolution as depicted, for example, in the fossil record. Sean B. Carroll is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical The Synthesis treated embryology as a "black box" that somehow Institute and a professor of genetics at the University of transformed genetic information into three-dimensional, func­ Wisconsin-Madison. He is one of the leading biologists of his gen­ tional animals. eration, and his seminal discoveries have been featured in many The stalemate continued for several decades. Embryology was popular publications. This article is excerpted by permission from preoccupied with phenomena that could be studied by manipu­ his new book Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science lating the eggs and embryos of a few species, and the evolutionary of Evo Devo (WW Norton, New York, 2005). E-mail sbcarroll@ framework faded from embryology's view. Evolutionary biology wisc.edu.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 200S 49 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

workhorse of genetics for the past eighty years, devised schemes to aspects of fruit fly body organization were found to have exaa find die genes that controlled fly development. The discovery of counterparts that did die same thing in most animals, including these genes and their study in the 1980s gave birth to an exciting ourselves. This discovery was followed by the revelation mat die new vista on development, and revealed a logic and order under­ development of various body parts such as eyes, limbs, and hearts, lying the generation of animal form. vastly different in structure among animals and long thought to Almost immediately after the first sets of fruit fly genes were have evolved in entirely different ways, were also governed by the characterized came a bombshell that triggered a new revolution in same genes in different animals. The comparison of developmen­ evolutionary biology. For more than a century, biologists had tal genes between species became a new discipline at the interface assumed that different types of animals were genetically con­ of embryology and evolutionary biology—evolutionary develop­ structed in completely different ways. The greater the disparity in mental biology or "Evo-Devo" for short. animal form, die less (if anything) the development of two ani­ The first shots in the Evo-Devo revolution revealed diat mals would have in common at the level of their genes. One of despite their great differences in appearance and physiology, all the architects of the Modern Synthesis, Ernst Mayr, had written complex animals—flies and fly catchers, dinosaurs and trilobites, diat "the search for homologous [the same] genes is quite (utile butterflies and zebras and humans—all share a common "toolkit" except in very close relatives." But contrary to the expectations of of "master" genes that govern the formation and patterning of any biologist, most of the genes first identified as governing major their bodies and body parts. The important point to appreciate is that its discovery shattered our previous notions of animal rela­ tionships and of what made animals different, and opened up a Evo Devo: whole new way of looking at evolution. We now know from sequencing the entire DNA of species A Revolutionary Quartet (their "genomes") that not only do flies and humans share a large cohort of developmental genes, but that mice and humans have The impact and importance of Evo Devo emerges virtually identical sets of about 25,000 genes, and diat chimps and from four points: humans are nearly 99 percent identical at the DNA level. These First, Evo Devo constitutes a third major act in a facts and figures should be humbling to diosc who wish to hold continuing evolutionary synthesis. Evo Devo has humans above die animal world and not an evolved part of it. I not just provided a critical missing piece of the wish the view I heard expressed by Lewis Black, the stand-up "Modern Synthesis"—embryology—and integrated comedian, was more widely shared. He said he won't even debate it with molecular genetics and traditional elements such as paleontology. The wholly unexpected evolutions detractors because "We've got die fossils. Wc win." Well nature of some of its key discoveries and the put, Mr. Black, but there is far more to rely on than just fossils. unprecedented quality and depth of evidence it has Indeed, die new facts and insights from embryology and Evo- provided towards settling previously unresolved Devo devastate lingering remnants of stale anti-evolution rhetoric questions bestow it with a revolutionary character. about the utility of intermediate forms or the probability of evolv­ Second, Evo Devo provides a new means of teach­ ing complex structures. We now understand how complexity is ing evolutionary principles in a more effective frame­ constructed from a single cell into a whole animal. And we can work. By focusing on the drama of the evolution of see, widi an entirely new set of powerful methods, how modifica­ form, and illustrating how changes in development tions of development increase complexity and expand diversity. and genes are the basis of evolution, the deep princi­ The discovery of the ancient genetic toolkit is irrefutable evidence ples underlying the unity and diversity of life emerge. Furthermore, the visible forms of gene expression of die descent and modification of animals, including humans, patterns in embryos and the concrete inventories of from a simple common ancestor. Evo-Devo can trace the modifi­ toolkit gene sets in different species provide more cations of structures through vast periods of evolutionary time— effective ways of illustrating evolutionary concepts to see how fish fins were modified into limbs in terrestrial verte­ than previous, more abstract approaches. brates, how successive rounds of innovation and modification crafted mouthparts, poison claws, swimming and feeding Third, because Evo Devo reveals and illustrates the evolutionary process and principles in such tan­ appendages, gills, and wings from a simple tube-like walking leg, gible ways, it has a critical role to play in the fore­ and how many kinds of eyes have been constructed beginning front of the societal struggle over the teaching of with a collection of photosensitive cells. The wealth of new data evolutionary biology. from Evo-Devo paints a vivid picture of how animal forms are And finally, the importance of evolutionary biol­ made and evolve. ogy is far more than mere philosophy. The fate of the endless forms of nature, including humans, depends on a broader understanding of humans' The Toolkit Paradox and the Origins of Diversity impacts on evolution. The stories of shared body-building genes and of the similarities of our genome to that of other animals have slowly been gaining

50 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

in public awareness. What is gen­ ulatory. This DNA determines erally neglected, however, is how when, where, and how much of the discovery of this common a gene's product is made. toolkit and of great similarities Regulatory DNA is organized among different species' genomes into fantastic little devices that presents an apparent paradox. If integrate information about the sets of genes are so widely position in the embryo and the shared, how do differences arise? time of development. The out­ The resolution of this paradox put of these devices is ultimately and its implications are central to transformed into pieces of anatomy diat make up animal my story. The paradox of great forms. This regulatory DNA genetic similarity among diverse contains the instructions for species is resolved by two key building anatomy, and evolu­ ideas. These concepts are crucial tionary changes within this reg­ for understanding how die ulatory DNA lead to die diver­ species-specific instructions for sity of form. building an animal are encoded in its DNA and how form is gen­ erated and evolves. The substance The Grandeur in a More of these ideas has received scant, Modern Synthesis: Act III if any, attention in the general The continuing story of evolu­ press, but they have profound tion may be thought of as a implications for understanding drama in at least diree acts. In great episodes in life's history Act I, almost 150 years ago, such as the explosion of animal Darwin closed the most impor­ forms during the Cambrian tant book in the history of biol­ period, the evolution of diversity ogy by urging his readers to see within groups such as butterflies die grandeur in his new vision of or beetles or finches, and our evolution from a common ancestor nature [see box]. In Act II, the architects of the Modern Synthesis with chimps and gorillas. unified at least diree disciplines to forge a grand synthesis. Here in The first idea is that diversity is not so much a matter of the Act III, there is also a special grandeur in die view embryology and complement of genes in an animal's toolkit, but in the words of evolutionary developmental biology provide into the making of Eric Clapton, "It's in the way that you use it." The development animal form and diversity. Pan of it is visual, in that we can now of form depends upon the turning on and off of genes at differ­ see how die forms of different animals actually take shape. ent times and places in die course of development. Differences in But beauty, in science, is much more than skin deep. The best form arise from evolutionary changes in where and when genes science is an integrated product of our emotional and intellectual are used, especially those genes that affect the number, shape, or sides, a synthesis between what is often referred to as our "left" size of a structure. There are many ways to change how genes are brain (reasoning) and "right" brain (emotional/artistic) hemi­ used and diat this has created tremendous variety in body designs spheres. The greatest "eurekas" in science combine both sensual and die patterning of individual structures. aesthetics and conceptual insight. The physicist Victor Weisskopf The second idea concerns where in the genome the "smoking noted, "What is beautiful in science is the same diing that is beau­ guns" for die evolution in form are found. It turns out that it is tiful in Beethoven. There's a fog of events and suddenly you see a not where we have been spending most of our time for die past connection. It expresses a complex of human concerns that goes forty years. It has long been understood that genes are made up of deeply to you, diat connects things that were always in you that long stretches of DNA diat are decoded by a universal process to were never put together before." produce proteins, which do the actual work in animal cells and Those connections are revealing some simple, elegant truths bodies. The genetic code for proteins, a twenty-word vocabulary, that deepen our understanding of all animal forms, including our­ has been known for forty years and it is easy for us to decode selves, and should transform how evolutionary science is taught DNA sequences into protein sequences. What is much less appre­ and accepted. ciated is that only a tiny fraction of our DNA, just about 1.5 per­ cent, codes for the roughly 25,000 proteins in our bodies. So what Evo Devo and the Teaching of Evolution else is diere in die vast amount of our DNA? Around 3 percent of The teaching of evolution faces two challenges. The first is diat it it, made up of about one hundred million individual bits, is reg­ is a vast and growing subject that encompasses many disciplines.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 51 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

The second is that it is actively opposed, particularly in die U.S., played a central role in the development of all evolutionary by some (but not all!) religious factions. I will address die new diought. The advantages of an embryological approach to teach­ contribution Evo Devo can make to improving general public ing evolution are several-fold. understanding first, die issue of opposition later. First, it is a small leap to go from the building of complexity In general, die public understanding of evolution in the in one generation from egg to adult to appreciating how incre­ United States is particularly abominable. In a survey of citizens in ments of change in the process, assimilated over greater time peri­ twenty-one countries regarding general environmental and scien­ ods, produce increasingly diverse forms. tific knowledge, die U.S. placed dead last on die question of Second, we now have a very firm grasp of how development is human evolution. Looking at die bright side, the U.S.A. can only controlled. We can explain how toolkit proteins shape form, that move up from here. toolkit genes are shared by all animals, and diat differences in In another survey, by die National Science Board in 1996, 52 form arise from changing the way diey are used. The principle of percent of Americans polled either agreed with (32 percent) or did descent by modification (of development) is crystal clear. not know (20 percent ) whedier die statement "The earliest Third, an enormous practical advantage is the visual nature of humans lived at die same time as the dinosaurs" was true or not. the Evo Devo perspective. The Chinese proverb that "hearing Score diat fact as two points for The Flintstones, zero for about something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once" Darwin, Huxley, and the educational system of the world's most is sound educational doctrine. We learn more by combining visu­ wealthy, powerful, and technologically driven nation. als widi text. Let's show students embryos and how stripes, spots, The scandal of diis ignorance is on par, I would say, with not and all die glorious features of animal forms are made. The evo­ knowing how the U.S.A. was formed, the content of its lutionary concepts follow naturally. Constitution, or the roots of Western civilization. This knowledge A fourth benefit of diis approach is diat it brings genetics is considered basic literacy and taught and repeated at many grade much closer to the powerful evidence of paleontology. Dinosaurs levels. So, too, is biology and earth science for which evolution and trilobites are the poster children of evolution diat inspire the must provide the basic framework. Yet, die statistics are appalling. vast majority of diose who touch diem. By placing these wonders The situation is bad enough, and reflected in other figures of die ancient past in a continuum from die Cambrian to die pre­ about science and math literacy, that the blame can probably be sent life's, history is made much more tangible. It would indeed shared in many quarters. There are plenty of books written about be a wonderful world if every student had guided, repeated class­ and organizations studying the general problem of scientific illit­ room contact with some fossils. eracy and its causes. I won't get into finger pointing here. The only Let me offer a couple more general suggestions. Natural selec­ way up is through education. I would rather focus on what biol­ tion is often at best described as a "just-so story" of adaptations. ogists and their allies at all levels of the teaching profession can do Finches beaks changed due to die type of food available, modis got to improve matters, particularly in regard to evolution. darker because of pollution, etc. But I do not diink diat die power First, we must insist that evolution is much more than just a of small increments of selection, compounded over hundreds or topic in biology, it is die foundation of the entire discipline. thousands of generations, is widely taught or understood. The Biology without evolution is like physics widiout gravity. Just as commonly repeated phrase "survival of die fittest" connotes more we cannot explain the structure of the universe, die orbits of die of a gladiator contest dian the subde power of selection to act on planets and moon, or tides from mere measurement, we cannot very small differences in overall survival and fecundity. The spread explain human biology or Earths biodiversity via a compendium of favorable mutations in populations is easily simulated and illus­ of diousands of little facts. All general survey courses and texts trated, and it underscores die time dimension of evolution. must have evolution as their central unifying theme. Finally, at die university level, the evolutionary view of life With respect to die scientific content to be taught, Evo Devo should be as fundamental to a college degree as Psychology 101 or has much to contribute that is new, tangible, and convincing. Western Civilization. But rather than asking students to memo­ Since die Modern Synthesis, most expositions of die evolutionary rize and regurgitate mountains of testable facts, we should empha­ process have focused on microevolutionary mechanisms. Millions size study of the history of the discovery of evolution, its major of biology students have been taught the view (from population characters and ideas, and the basic lines of evidence. This would genetics) that "evolution is change in gene frequencies." Isn't that do far more to inform citizens and prepare teachers than forcing an inspiring theme? This view forces the explanation toward students to remember the Latin names of species. We are stoning mathematics and abstract descriptions of genes, and away from our children to utter boredom widi little pebbles and missing the butterflies and zebras, or Australopithecines and Neanderthals. big picture. The drama of the story of evolution will recapture stu­ The evolution of form is the main drama of life's story, both as dent interest. found in the fossil record and in die diversity of living species. So, There is, especially in the U.S.A, another obstacle besides con­ let's teach that story. Instead of "change in gene frequencies," let's tent and teaching mediods to evolutionary literacy. I will address try "evolution of form is change in development." This is, of diat next. But, even widiout the active opposition, we can do bet­ course, a dirowback to the Darwin-Huxley era, when embryology ter, and we have to do better.

52 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WADS

Evo Devo and the Evolution/Creation Struggle Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. As a credentialed sci­ In the short time between the first and second edition of The entist, Behe's book was received as a godsend by creationists and Origin of Species, Darwin inserted three more words into that is perhaps the best known treatment of Intelligent Design. But famous closing paragraph, adding "by the Creator" to rewrite the Behe's main claim, that the living cell is an entity of irreducible phrase as "having been originally breathed by the Creator into a complexity, is empty. Behe was counting on biology to hit a wall few forms or into one ... ." Darwin later expressed his regret for in reducing complex phenomena to molecular processes. He joins doing so in a letter to botanist J.D. Hooker: a long line of prognosticators whose pessimistic forecasts have been obliterated in the continuing revolution in the life sciences. But I have long regretted that I truckled to public opinion, and Scott Gilbert, a biologist at Swarthmore College, author of the used the Pentateuchal term of creation, by which I really meant "appeared" by some wholly unknown process. leading college text of developmental biology, and accomplished historian of embryology and evolutionary biology, has summa­ The insertion of these words was intended to appease critics rized the Behe position, and its failure as follows: and make Darwin's evolutionary ideas more palatable. It has cer­ To creationists, the synthesis of evolution and generics cannot tainly served to fuel much speculation about Darwin's actual reli­ explain how some fish became amphibians, how some reptiles gious views. For some, this olive branch and Darwin's reticence in became mammals, or how some apes became human.. .. Behe disclosing his beliefs (which are only revealed to some degree in pri­ named this inability to explain the creation of new taxa through vate correspondence and unpublished notebooks) were the foun­ genetics "Darwin's black box." When the box is opened, he expects evidence of the Deity to be found. However, inside dation for reconciling and accommodating evolution and religion. Darwin's black box resides merely another type of genetics— Plenty of scientists and a broad spectrum of religious denom­ developmental genetics. inations have found such an accommodation. For example, in 1996, Pope John Paul II reiterated the Catholic position that the Developmental genetics has been shedding new light on the human body has evolved according to natural processes. But making of complexity and the evolution of diversity for twenty while some denominations have explicitly accepted the reality of years. Creationists just plain refuse to see it. How is such overt evi­ biological evolution, fundamentalists who insist upon a literal dence ignored or dismissed? I can't pretend to understand the psy­ reading of the Bible (referred to as "Creationists") and propo­ chological mechanisms that allow humans to deny reality. But I nents of "stealth" Creationist ideas such as Intelligent Design do understand the desperate political and rhetorical tactics of remain firmly opposed to evolutionary science and actively pro­ those who, holding a losing hand, refuse to accept it. mote legislation aimed at crippling the teaching of evolution in As exasperating as the continuous battle with creationists may public schools. seem, the scientific community is now better organized and more Goethe said that "Nothing is worse than active ignorance," prepared to deal with the movement. But the batde against igno­ and it is the agenda of these lost souls that the scientific and edu­ rance is not won. Q cational communities must thwart. I want to be very clear here in my position. I believe that the teaching of evolution and science are best served by promoting the scientific method and scientific A Grandeur ... and Endless knowledge and not by attacking religious views. The latter is a futile, counterproductive battle. However, I also believe, as many Forms Most Beautiful denominations have also concluded, that religion is better served by promoting and evolving their respective teachings and theolo­ Darwin closed the first edition of The Origin of Species with what has become perhaps the most gies, and not by attacking science, which is definitely a losing widely quoted passage in all of biology: strategy. Charles Harper, executive director of the John Templeton There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its sev­ eral powers, having been originally breathed into a Foundation, an organization interested in the relationship few forms or into one: and that whilst this planet between theology and science, wrote recendy in the leading sci­ has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms ence journal Nature that: most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and As scientific knowledge grows, religious commitments predicated are being, evolved. on "gaps" in scientific understanding will invariably shrink as those gaps arc closed. Those Christians who are currendy fighting I have chosen four words that remained com­ evolutionary science will eventually need to take it seriously. pletely untouched throughout all versions and edi­ tions, "endless forms most beautiful," as the inspi­ Harper is right. In this time of unprecedented power in under­ ration for and theme of this article. This phrase res­ standing embryos, genes, and genomes, and with the continual onates most perfectly with the theme of my book expansion of the fossil record, those gaps are fast disappearing. and captures the essence of the new science of Evo One example of a mistaken faith in those gaps is dial of bio­ Devo. chemist Michael Behe who in 1996 published Darwin's Black

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 200S S3 Obfuscating Biological

n May 5, 1925, biology teacher John T. Scopes was arrested in Tennessee for the crime of teaching ODarwin's "theory of evolution." Although the word evolution dates back in the English language to 1647 in another connotation, it does not appear even once in natu­ ralist Charles Darwin's (1809-1882) landmark publication, On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, which he published in 1859. The book primarily reports and brilliantly analyses Darwin's meticulous observations of finch-beak variety in the Galapagos archipelago compared to those birds on the adjacent South American mainland. In his momentous conclusions, Darwin does not breathe a single word to assert that humans are descended from

sue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

monkeys, although he proposes a still wrongly misconstrued idea of common descent. Darwin's immense and provocative contribution to biology was about natural selection and not about how new species come to be. Natural selection is only one of several mechanisms by which evolution takes place. Individual organisms do not evolve; populations do. How new species arise was not worked out until well into the twentieth century, primarily by geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) and biologist Ernst Mayr (1904—2005). It is Dobzhansky who famously said, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." By that time, the theory of evolution was firmly established through one confirming discovery after another, in every sin­ gle biological discipline from anthropology, through molecu­ lar biology and paleontology (filling in the "missing" interme­ diate forms of life, for example), to zoology. There is always a wealth of creative arguments among sci­ entists about technical details to be resolved, but the basic framework of evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology. It is as solidly based as the heliocentric theory of our planetary universe, because there exists no meaningful falsifiable evi­ dence to contradict it. If the theory of evolution turns out to be wrong, a very unlikely proposition, it could only be replaced by another and better scientific theory—not by spu­ rious special pleadings for which no scientific evidence exists. Opposition is not limited to biological evolution. There are still people at the Flat Earth Society, for example, who seri­ ously insist on religious grounds that the world is flat and that Earth is the center of the universe. Misunderstanding of biological evolution is widespread. Evolution, for example, is not synonymous with progress. Populations can and do retrogress. Evolution has nothing directly to do with the issue of the origins of life. That is an altogether different subject. Human beings did not "descend" from apes, but the two creatures do share a common ancestor. John Scopes, a high-school science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, was arrested for teaching evolution. In the simplest terms, evolution is about changes taking place in populations of living organisms as a function of time and The idea of Intelligent Design is that living organisms in general environment. and human beings in particular are so complex that they could It is difficult to understand why this subject, authorita­ not possibly have emerged by way of a purposeless, clueless, tively studied for over 150 years, elicits so much mindless mechanical route. But this is exactly what actually has been hap­ controversy. The mainly religious hostility to the theory of pening in real life, and the mechanisms for this astonishing evolution is as fierce today as was the opposition to Copern­ process are already understood in extraordinary detail. Science is icus and Galileo's heliocentric theory (that the sun and not certainly one of die most ethical of all human endeavors, as it Earth is at the center of our planetary system) centuries ago. emerges from a profound respect for the marvelous world that The Roman Catholic Church finally accepted the heliocentric scientists are continuously discovering anew. theory late in the last century, some 350 tortuous years after it was promulgated. The attempt to inculcate "creation science" in Louisiana Elie A. Shneour is Research Director and President of the Biosystems public schools was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court as reli­ Research Institute in San Diego. He is a biophysicist whose work gious dogma rather than science, in the case of Edwards v. includes intermediary metabolism. He was part of the National Aguillard in 1986. So now, the creationists have brazenly come Academy of Sciences team that generated the first search for life on back with a renewed stab at teaching "creation science" under Mars (the Viking missions) and has served on many other national die guise of Intelligent Design as part of the science curriculum. advisory panels on scientific matters. He is a CSICOP Fellow.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 55 Harris Poll Explores Beliefs about Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design

here is an enormous gap between the firmness of the scientific evidence for evolution and the American Tpublic's beliefs about it. If that hadn't already been apparent, a Harris Poll in June 2005 put some cold, hard numbers on it. These are some of the results of the nation­ wide poll of 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive® between June 17 and 21, 2005. While many in the scientific community may question why the issue of creationism and the teaching of evolution in the schools has been repeatedly raised in recent years, a new national survey shows that almost two thirds of U.S. adults (64 percent) agree with the basic tenet of creationism, that "human beings were created directly by God."

56 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER A ' ' ' ' '

At the same time, approximately one fifth (22 percent) of adults believe "human beings evolved from earlier species" (evolution) and 10 percent subscribe to the theory TABLE 1 that "human beings are so complex that tfrey required a powerful force or intelligent being to help create them" '/• DID HUMANS DEVELOP FROM EARLIER SPECIES? (Intelligent Design). Moreover, a majority (55 percent) "Do you think human beings developed from earlier species believes that all three of these theories should be taught in or not?" public schools, while 23 percent support teaching cre- Base: All Adults ationism only, 12 percent evolution only, and four percent March June Intelligent Design only. 1994 2005 Other key findings include: % % Yes, I think human beings developed from • A majority of U.S. adults (54 percent) does not think earlier species. 44 38 human beings developed from earlier species, up from 46 No, I do not think human beings developed percent in 1994. from earlier species. 46 54 • 49 percent of adults believe plants and animals have Not sure/Decline to answer 11 8 evolved from some other species, while 45 percent do not Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. believe that. •A. • Adults arc evenly divided about whether or not apes and man have a common ancestry (46 percent believe we do and 47 percent believe we do not). • Again divided, 46 percent of adults agree that "Darwin's theory of evolution is proven by fossil discover­ TABLE 2 ies," while 48 percent disagree.

Factors such as age, education, political oudook, and PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT region appear to guide views on this debate. FROM OTHER SPECIES "Do you believe all plants and animals • In general, older adults (those 55 years of age and have evolved from other species or not?" older), adults without a college degree, Republicans, con­ Base: All Adults servatives, and Southerners were more likely to embrace June the creationism positions in the questions asked. 2005 % • Those with college educations, Democrats, indepen­ Yes, I believe plants and animals have evolved from dents, liberals, adults aged 18 to 54, and those from the some other species. 49 Northeast and West support the belief in evolution in No, I do not believe plants and animals have evolved 45 larger numbers. However, even among these groups, from some other species. 7 majorities believe in creationism. Not sure/Decline to answer Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. • Despite the significant numbers who believe in cre­ ationism, pluralities among the demographic subgroups examined still believe that all three concepts (evolution, creationism, and Intelligent Design) should be taught in public schools.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

From the Harris Poll* #52, July 6, 2005.

WMm

TABLE 3 TABLE 6 DO MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY? EVOLUTION IN THE CLASSROOM "Do you believe apes and man have a "Regardless of what you may personally believe, which of common ancestry or not?" these do you believe should be taught in public schools?" Base: All Adults Base: All Adults July June June 19% 2005 2005 % % % Yes, apes and man do have a common Evolution only: "Evolution says that human beings ancestry. 51 46 evolved from earlier stages of animals." 12 No, apes and man do not have a common Creationism only: "Creationism says that human beings ancestry. 43 47 were created directly by God." 23 Not sure/Decline to answer 5 7 Intelligent Design only: "Intelligent Design says that human beings are so complex that they required a powerful Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. force or intelligent being to help create them." 4 All three 55 Neither Not sure/Decline to answer

TABLE 4 DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL DISCOVERIES? "Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the TABLE 7 following statement: Darwin's theory of evolution is proven SUMMARY OF KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN by fossil discoveries." EVOLUTION—BY EDUCATION Base: All Adults Base: All Adults January June Education 2004 2005 All H.S. Some College Post 1 % % Adults or Less College Grad Grad Agree (Net) 43 46 (n=1,000) (n=407) (n=339) (n=157)

MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY Yes 46 46 41 53 57 No 47 47 50 39 40

THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE Yes 46 40 44 55 64 TABLE 5 No 48 51 51 39 34 WHERE HUMANS COME FROM HUMAN EVOLUTION "Which of the following do you believe about how human Belief in evolution 22 17 21 31 35 1 beings came to be?" Belief in creationism 64 73 66 48 42 Belief in ID 10 6 10 15 17 Base: All Adults June 2005 % B%^lgaiii%S3IMBBMaaB^^M Human beings evolved from earlier species. 22 Human beings were created directly by God. 64 fc^f Human beings are so complex that they required a ti ^ powerful force or intelligent being to help create rg» them. 10 Not sure/Decline to answer 4

,'5JJ rolume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER - l EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

What Should We Think about Americans' Beliefs Regarding Evolution?

In interpreting poll results, we should be careful about their underlying meaning.

LAWRENCE S. LERNER

he 2005 Harris Poll #52, summarized on pages 56-58, is in general agreement with other polls Ttaken over the years: Many or most American adults believe that the universe (or at least Earths biosphere) was created by fiat of the God of the Old Testament in pretty much the form we see it today. In particular, they believe that humans are not related to anthropoid apes, let alone other forms of life. Not surprisingly, a fairly strong correla­ tion between these beliefs and the respondent's education, religious and political affiliation, and geographic location is superimposed on this general consensus. But few respon­ dents hold that evolution should not be taught in public schools, even if they do not believe in its validity. How does one understand these apparently contradictory attitudes?

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 59 EVOLUTION AND THE ID WARS

In interpreting such polls, one must be careful about their the introductory level course soon find that much of what they underlying meaning. What does it mean to "believe" in evolu­ must learn is counterintuitive. Very early, they are exposed to tion or creationism (or, for that matter, both at once)? Scientific Newton's first law of motion, which asserts that a body on which thinking of any kind plays a very small role in the daily lives of no force is acting maintains the speed and direction of its motion most Americans. Since their beliefs on scientific matters have lit­ indefinitely. But this conflicts with the experience they had that tle or no bearing on anything they do, diey feel free to "believe" very morning while driving their cars to campus. To keep the car whatever is convenient and comfortable. Because many persons going at a constant speed, they had to keep a foot on the gas pedal, have come to believe that creationist notions are consistent with thus supplying force to the wheels. And when they wanted to slow other social, political, and religious views they hold, they will down, they removed die foot and thus the force. respond with creationist opinions when asked by a pollster. In the "real world," that is, objects on which no force is act­ Unlike scientists, the general public does not understand that ing soon come to rest; force is required to keep them moving. belief takes no part in scientific thinking. It is always the pre­ The contradiction of Newton's first law is evident. Of course, ponderance of evidence that takes precedence over personal feel­ the better students come to understand that the coasting car is ings, no matter how strong they may be. (As T. H. Huxley put not an example of an object on which no force is acting, and it, "The great tragedy of Science [is] the slaying of a beautiful they reconcile the two experiences in a consistent manner. hypothesis by an ugly fact.") And scientists are well aware of Certainly, all students who want to become physicists must do how extraordinarily preponderant the evidence is in favor of so. But an awful lot of students who solve enough homework evolution, including human evolution. What is more, the scien­ problems to pass the course come to believe that the real world tist whose work is in the life sciences finds die tools that evolu­ and the "physics-class world" operate according to different tionary fact and theory provide absolutely indispensable to mak­ laws. It is their obligation, of course, to learn enough about the ing any real contribution. "physics-class world" to pass the course (and maybe to become Unfortunately, most Americans have little or no idea of the computer engineers or physicians or X-ray technicians.) But mass of evidence that substantiates evolution. Thus, when an they feel no need to reconcile that world with the one in which eloquent proponent of creationism who possesses apparent sci­ they drive their cars and generally live their lives. And many of entific credentials tells them that evolution is false, or inade­ them never do so. quate, or blindly accepted dogma, they do not recognize him as I am sure that biology teachers can tell similar stories. One a crank or a pseudoscientist or a religious polemicist. can see why citizens who don't "believe" in evolution are never­ Many scientists, philosophers, and theologians have written theless quite happy to have it taught in schools. After all, the extensively about all the forms of creationism, from young- biology class is the realm of the biology teacher and the "biol­ earthism to Intelligent Design Creationism. They have demol­ ogy-class world," and most citizens are perfecdy happy to let ished the scientific pretensions of the creationists, demonstrated that world have whatever laws it may have. They want their chil­ clearly their sectarian religious agendas, and exposed their ulti­ dren to get good grades and do not think the results will have mately political aims. But these exposes are not widely known to much bearing on their "real" lives. the general public. Not knowing that a creationist has con­ Committed creationists, of course, dissent sharply from this tributed nothing to the science he claims to represent, they can view. They believe exposure to evolutionary ideas can lead a give his statements equal weight with those of working scientists young person to all sorts of immoral views and acts, which they who actually contribute to the progress of the life sciences. list in frightening detail. But such zealots are a small minority. Even those persons who "believe in" evolution generally do Most Americans don't think that a litde evolution will pervert so on flimsy grounds. Not long ago, a man whose contact with their children. Still, they have no objection to having a litde cre­ science was typical of the general public was doing some work ationism taught in class as well. After all, it will keep the evan­ for me. He assured me that he "believed in evolution." gelical preachers happy and won't make much difference in rheir Knowing something about my work, he may have been trying children's education. And it's only "fair" to give everyone his due. to please me. But I cannot put much weight on his views in Does this mean I am complacent about the results of the the matter. poll? By no means! 1 am deeply concerned about the extent of Of course, most Americans have studied at least some science scientific illiteracy in the American public. I am certain that at the elementary-school and high-school levels. Most high-school many small improvements in the process of education can students, indeed, have taken some sort of biology course. Have improve matters somewhat. But I am not convinced that we they learned nothing at all? My own experience in teaching uni­ can expect a radical change in the scientific literacy of the versity-level physics casts some light on this question. Students in American populace any time soon. What is perhaps more important, and more useful, is to convince the public that cre­ Lawrence S. Lerner is Professor Emeritus, College of Natural ationism is religion masquerading as science, and that teaching Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, Long religion as science is unhealthy for religion, for science, and for Beach. education in general.

60 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER BOOK REVIEWS

The Trick Was a Trick GREG MARTINEZ

The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: How a Spectacular Hoax Became History. By Peter Lamont. Thunders Mouth Press, Avalon Publishing Group, Inc., 2005. ISBN 1-56025-661-3. 264 pp. Hardcover, $22.

t has become so common an image INDIAN ROPE The myth was boosted to a canter by that it has been used in countless chil­ TRICK the investigation of claims made by Idren's cartoons: an Indian fakir, his Sebastian Burchett to the Society for head wrapped in a large white turban and Psychical Research in Britain that he had secured with a large jeweled pin, charm­ witnessed die trick. After much investiga­ ing a snake with a tune. If the plot tion, the Society dismissed his report as required, he would direct his mesmeriz­ unreliable. A few months after Burchett's ing powers on a rope, which would climb flirtation with die tale, an anonymous straight up into the air and become rigid, woman pushed the story to a full gallop allowing the hero a quick escape from his by elaborating on the core story with hor­ pursuers. Because these films are chil­ rific detail. She reported having seen the dren's entertainment, this is a rather san­ trick, and embellished it by saying that itized version of a gory magical feat that the boy refused to return so the angry has entered into modern lore and is the juggler climbed the rope himself bran­ subject of Peter Lamont's spellbinding dishing a large knife. Shortly after his dis­ The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: How a ,"i 11[R 1 \\lo\l appearance up die rope, bloody body "A «fcort. *hjrp Imlc bxifc . . . wttiKtrrfulh rnHTUminc' Spectacular Hoax Became History tWTSaia parts rained down from above as the dis­ As the subtitle indicates, and La­ obedient child was dismembered for his mont's far-ranging and dogged research to be the true account of a journey to naughtiness. After the head was thrown shows, the rope trick is not simply a India by two Yale graduates. They tell a down, the juggler would climb back magic trick, but a deliberate and flimsy tale of seeing a street juggler (as they down, cover the body parts with a hoax that was perpetrated at the right were called back then) who took a ball shroud, mumble an incantation, and the time in history to capture the imagina­ of twine and, while holding the loose boy would appear from under the sheet tions of Westerners about the mysterious end in his teeth, threw the ball into the whole, smiling and presumably more East, and perpetuate itself into a kind of air, whereupon it unraveled until the obedient. It was an electrifying story visual shorthand for the entire idea of end was out of sight. A small boy whose truth was irrelevant to most read­ Eastern Mysticism and Orientalism. climbed the twine until he was thirty to ers. Waves of reports, like UFO flaps gen­ Lamont finds that the origin of such forty feet in the air, then disappeared. erations later, would hit newspapers and a potent and enduring myth lay in a Months later, after a letter to the edi­ magazines throughout Europe with an mundane place: a newspaper circulation tor pressed the issue, die newspaper almost predictable regularity. war in Chicago in 1890. John Elbert retracted the story, admitting in an Lamont particularly relishes the tale Wilkie, a young reporter for the Chicago unconvincing fashion that the article of one of the "witnesses," a member Tribune (who would eventually go on to had been "written for the purpose of of the British aristocracy of the type be an early director of the Secret Service) presenting a theory in entertaining published an unsigned article in the form." Like most newspaper retractions, Greg Martinez lives and writes in August 8, 1890, edition on the front this admission of error had no real Gainesville, Florida. E-mail martineg page of the second section. It purported effect. The myth was off and running. 66@yahoo. com.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 61 BOOK REVIEWS routinely parodied by P.G. Wodehouse, opinion that the trick was done by the masterpiece of scholarship and enter­ with the Wodehousian name of Lady fakir hanging the rope on a long human tainment. The book is exhaustively Waghorn. In 1925, she came to the hair suspended between two hills and the researched and carefully written with a publics attention with her tale of having fakir and the boy only pretending to delightful wit and verve. Lamont is witnessed the trick in 1891 during a argue while pieces of a dead monkey mindful of the fact that his story is visit to Madras. The fact that she had rained down. In the 1960s, an Indian closer to a sketch by Monty Python than managed to go thirty-four years without mystic offered to teach the trick to any­ traditionally written and researched his­ ever mentioning such an astounding one who would refrain from eating meat tories, and in his author's note and disturbing spectacle while on holi­ and having sex for three weeks. Uri he addresses the reader directly to day to any friend, relative, acquaintance, Geller, in his official biography published explain his use of extensive endnoting: or servant did nothing to dissuade her in the 1970s, explained that the trick was ". . . many of the events and characters from insisting her story was factual. pan of mass hallucination induced by in this book are so bizarre that you, the Lamont delights in relating the telepathy. As Lamont sharply concludes: reader, might wonder whether they actu­ bizarre explanations for the trick offered "One could choose . . . between the ally happened, whether they really said up by equally bizarre characters. In the views of a Jewish Nazi clairvoyant or what I claim they said. At that point you 1930s, Hitler's secretly Jewish personal those for an ambassador for psychic may wonder whether I am being truthful psychic Erik Jan Hanussen ventured that aliens, berween chopping up a monkey and accurate, whether 1 can be trusted. the rope was actually a segmented pole or becoming a vegetarian celibate." And that would hurt my feelings." made of sheep bones. In 1955, the peri­ Despite such lurid and preposterous Be assured, Professor Lamont: die patetic John Keel weighed in with the subject matter, Lamont has produced a magic of your book is no hoax.

ing and logical fallacies in the arguments Bigfoot in Life and of Bigfoot advocates, such as the claim that Bigfoot aren't seen more often Legend because they live only in very remote BENJAMIN RADFORD areas. If that's so, Daegling asks, then why are there so many reports from populated Bigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologist Examines America's areas? Logical fallacies such as special Enduring Legend. By David J. Daegling. AltaMira Press, pleading, appeals to authority, and the New York, 2004. ISBN 0-7591-0539-1. 276 pp. false-choice dilemma are noted, as well as Softcover, $24.95; Hardcover, $72. authors who selectively omit evidence (the systemic purging of hoaxer Ray t's not for lack of evidence that The book begins with a would-be Wallace's legacy from several otherwise Bigfoot remains a mystery. There's Bigfoot sighting that Daegling and a few thorough Bigfoot books is given as an Iplenty of evidence; the problem is friends experienced first-hand. It was a example). Daegling calls this "a troubling that most of it isn't good evidence. terrifying encounter out in the wilder­ practice, one that a field on the fringe of Similarly, there are plenty of books on ness, something large and hairy and—at scientific legitimacy can scarcely afford." Bigfoot, but much of what is out there least initially—unidentified. He makes The book is even-handed in its analy­ just isn't very good. Hundreds of books an important point when he asks, "What sis, and though obviously a skeptical advocate for the existence of Bigfoot would have happened if my brother inquiry, has been generally well received through mystery mongering or sup­ hadn't gotten his flashlight? I would have by the advocate camp. The Anomalist pressing the skeptical view. David lost a night's sleep and would have for­ online magazine selected Bigfoot Exposed Daegling's new book, Bigfoot Exposed, is ever wondered what had wandered into as "The Best Skeptical Cryptozoology the first to encompass the Bigfoot phe­ the edge of our camp." This example Book of 2004," though one wonders nomena as a whole, tackling both hard addresses an often overlooked signifi­ why such a distinction is made. After all, and soft evidence from an anthropolog­ cance of Bigfoot encounters: they are skepticism is simply demanding proof ical point of view. unforgettable, often terrifying, and at prior to acceptance and applying scien­ times life-changing experiences. tific methodology to a topic. One would Benjamin Radford wrote "Bigfoot at 50: Daegling brings incisive insight to a hope mat all investigative books would Evaluating a Half Century of Bigfoot field plagued by poor evidence and often be in that sense skeptical. The category's Evidence" for the March/April 2002 muddled by faulty arguments and red name highlights the glaring absence of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. herrings. Daegling exposes fuzzy reason­ truly skeptical books on the subject.

62 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER BOOK REVIEWS

Bigfoot Exposed offets a survey of die claims. He points out, for example, mat diose who seek it, has nothing to do major characters in the search for "Bigfoot data never really get any better with its zoological reality." Though Bigfoot, observations on footprints, and thus there is no gravity to the claim Daegling doesn't mention it, much of hoaxing, Bigfoot anthropology, the that we are closing in on the animal." his discussion and analysis is applicable Patterson film, eyewitness testimony, Unlike nearly every other area of scien­ to the searches for other mysterious and the lack of a fossil record for the tific inquiry, evidence for the phenome­ creatures, from lake monsters to the creature. Daegling's prose is lucid and non has barely improved over the last goat-gashing chupacabra. Similar meth­ thorough, at times erring on the side of half-century. We are no closer to identi­ odological flaws and fallacies plague overexplaining. This tendency is under­ fying Bigfoot now than we were last those endeavors as well. standable given the contentiousness of month, or last year, or in 1958 (when Bigfoot proponents have long re­ the topic; better to belabor a point than Bigfoot became famous). quested a scientific examination of the risk being misunderstood. Daegling, an associate professor at phenomena; Bigfoot Exposed provides it. The real contribution of Bigfoot the University of Florida, takes a much- This book is simply the best and most Exposed Daegling's ability and willing­ needed anthropological view of the thorough critical analysis of the Bigfoot ness to identify key issues often lost in issue. He writes, "The mythological phenomena; it is instructive for lay read­ the morass of claims and counter­ value of Bigfoot, its importance for ers, skeptics, and advocates alike.

interest to SI readers. In those chapters Can Atheists Be Ethical Wielenberg asks whether science can be Viuin- helpful in developing moral persons. Unfortunately, he subscribes to the cur­ ' -(,OI>! ESS and Virtuous? ERSI rent emphasis on neuroscience as the PETER LAMAL almost complete account of our behav­ ior, ignoring such fields as behavior Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe. By Erik J. analysis (that emphasize the importance Wielenberg. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2005. of our individual life histories and envi­ ISBN: 13 978-0-521-60784-1. 193 pp. Softcover, $20.99. ronments, while readily acknowledging the importance of our biological struc­ t is safe to say that many, perhaps the age-old notion that we should inculcate tures and functioning). overwhelming majority, of diose who certain supernatural claims, not because This book provides a conceptual Ibelieve in God (theists) also believe they are necessarily true, but because underpinning for the empirically that atheists cannot really be virtuous and they foster good behavior. demonstrable truth that many atheists ethical. If an atheist appears to be such it is only a facade; deep down, riiat atheist is immoral or at best amoral. Erik Wielen' Wielenberg considers the age-old notion that we berg's goal is to show that this belief is should inculcate certain SUpemdtUrdl false. His purpose is not to argue for the truth of naturalism, that is, die claim mat claims, not because they are necessarily true, diere arc no such diings as supernatural beings. Rather, he explores the ethical but because they foster good behavior. implications if naturalism is true. Wielenberg first examines, and re­ jects, four arguments for the claim that The book concludes with a discus­ behave virtuously and many religious if God does not exist all human lives are sion of whether naturalism is a creed we believers do not. LJ meaningless. Next he considers the view can live with. "that without God, while we may have Most of the first three chapters are certain moral obligations, we have no devoted to the kind of philosophical dis­ Peter Lamal is an emeritus professor of psy­ particular reason to care about what our cussion, analysis, and argumentation (in chology at the University of North obligations are." He goes on to consider the professional sense of the term) that Carolina—Charlotte and a fellow of whether in a naturalistic universe humil­ will not appeal to many in the general the division of Behavior Analysis of ity, charity, and hope ate possible. In the population of readers. The remaining the American Psychological Association. last chapter Wielenberg considers the two chapters should be of particular E-mail: plamal@carolina. rr. com.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 63 NEW BOOKS

Listing does not preclude future review. (and an SI contributing The Philosophy of Karl editor), reports on "con­ Popper. Herbert Keuth. Dictionary of Atheism, troversies at the inter­ Cambridge University Press, Skepticism, & Humanism. section of science and Kill :'":•, . i New York, 2005. 367 pp. Tht REPUBLICAN politics." In this, his Bill Cooke. Prometheus WAR on SCIENCE $70 hardcover, $28.99, Books, Amherst, New first book, Mooney paperback. A systematic York, 2005. 550 pp. $70 argues that science's exposition of the philosophy hardcover. Intended as a influence in politics has of Karl Popper (1902- companion piece to Tom CHRIS HOONIT dipped drastically in 1994), one of the greatest Flynn's New Encyclopedia of the last fifty-odd years. and most influential philosophers of the twen­ Unbelief this hefty com­ He contends, supported with much evi­ tieth century (The Iogic of Scientific Discovery pendium of more than 1,600 entries, written dence he has accumulated (he includes is his masterpiece). Audior Keuth is a professor by Bill Cooke, die international director of the fifty-three pages of notes, and the list of of the philosophy of science at Tubingen. Part Center for Inquiry, deals not only with the interviews he conducted and interviews he I, the largest and most important section, deals modem terminology of free thinkers, but also requested but that were declined extends with Popper's philosophy of science. Topics with people whose lives or ideas have affected over eight pages), that the Republican include the problem of induction, the prob­ die universe of free thinking. With material party's overwhelming presence in the Bush lem of demarcation (falsifiability as a criterion, ranging from "Age of Reason," "Steve Allen," administration and the politicians' willing­ metaphysical statements, testability, etc.), the and "Anthropic Principle" to "Wahhabi Islam," ness to selectively sift through scientific role of theories (including causality, predic­ "H.G. Wells," and "Zarathustra," Cooke's findings, using half-truths to emphasize tion, and universality), the problem of a theory clear, thoughtful entries make the book accessi­ and conduct a political agenda, is blind­ of scientific method, the problem of the ble as well as fascinating. In the preface, he folding the public with misinformation. empirical basis, corroboration, realism, remarks that the book is designed for "fret- He takes the "Republican Phenomenon" verisimilitude, and probability. Pan II dis­ thinkers in the broadest sense of the word, peo­ of an "increasing unwillingness to distin­ cusses Popper's social philosophy. Part III, ple who like to think for themselves, and not guish between legitimate research and ide­ Metaphysics, includes discussions on deter­ according to the preplanned routes of others." ologically driven pseudosciencc" then nav­ minism vs. indcterminism and the mind-body igates through the party's acceptance of problem (including objective vs. subjective pseudoscience, using current debates such knowledge, argumentation and imagination, The Republican War on Science. Chris as climate research, stem-cell research, cre- and interaction and consciousness). Mooney. Basic Books. New York, 2005. 328 ationism, "The Data Quality Act," and pp. $24.95. hardcover. Chris Mooney, a jour­ "junk science." nalist with a background in political writing —Kendrick Frazier and Kathryn Landon SCIENCE BEST SELLERS Top Ten Best Sellers

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64 volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER FORUM

Praying for Jane

SUSAN BURY

dear friend of mine, Jane, couldn't be of much practical use to Gary was listening. There's no God who drowned recently during a while he waited (although I and other would pluck Gary out of the rapids and Acanoe accident on a river rapids friends managed to get a bottle of scotch let Jane die. No God who would let in an Ontario wilderness. to him). some people escape the Twin Towers on I spoke with her husband, Gary, two So I tried a conditional request, sort September 11 and let others perish. days after the accident. He had been car­ of a skeptic's prayer: "If there's somebody Jane died because of a set of physical ried downstream by the rapids and had out there who's in charge of day-to-day circumstances, the outcome of billions eventually found his way to help. Jane operations, and if I've earned any points of threads of geologic forces and human was still missing at that point, and there at all for good behavior, please put them evolution intertwining over eons of remained hope that she would be found toward letting Jane live." I found myself time. All of that resulted in a rapids alive by the massive search that was considering the terms of a deal, offering existing in that spot and Jane being underway. certain charitable acts in exchange for there right then. Her death was part of When 1 asked Gary if diere was anydiing Jane's life. But then, the utter absurdity the continuity of time. I could do to help him, he said to keep Jane that the creator of die universe would When nonbelievers confront crises, in my dioughts and prayers. Then he bargain with me over another person's we can't avail ourselves of the comfort of quickly doubled back and said, "Well, not life, especially with my record of skepti­ praying, of taking some action to make necessarily prayers in a tradidonal religious cism, brought me up short. things better. In a sense, our skepticism sense, but in your dioughts." This event and others in my life have leaves us powerless. I know what he was thinking. In din­ made me more sympathetic to the great More positively and realistically, our ner conversations with Gary, Jane, and many wonderful people I know who are stance should increase our commitment other friends, I'd talked occasionally religious. When their friends are in to doing what we really can do. You've about being an atheist. Gary, a true gen­ trouble, they want to do something, often heard that instead of waiting for tleman even in his time of personal cri­ which is generous and admirable. your dear friends' memorial services to sis, didn't want to offend me by asking Religion and prayer offer the gratifying tell them you care, tell them now. Our for my prayers, so he quickly modified sense that you're making a difference, skeptical stance should add urgency to his request. especially when you can't do anything this advice. I didn't want him to feel awkward, on the ground. In the end, Jane herself gave me the especially in those awful hours of wait­ And as far as an afterlife, nothing best answer. Gary told us that just ing for word from the search teams. So would make me happier than having an moments before they reached the rapids, I reminded him of the old saying that opportunity to tell Jane and a lot of they were on a glassy-smooth lake in a there are no atheists in foxholes. That is. other people how much they meant to pristine wilderness of thick forest; Jane's besieged soldiers suddenly in danger of me and to ask their forgiveness for my favorite kind of place. Gary said she their lives without apparent hope of res­ blunders. Further, it seems to me that leaned back, resting her paddle across cue often "get religion" and appeal for any decent skeptic has to be open to the her knees, looked at the sky, and called help to—whom? God is the obvious possibility that at any minute, the skies out, "Thank you, universe!" answer. Sometimes people in such situ­ could part, lightning bolts could flash, Rather than fussy rituals and fervent ations will try to strike deals, promising and a Prime Mover could appear and in bargaining with imaginary powers, our future good deeds in exchange for res­ a thunderous voice start asking for the best approach to life may be humility cue now. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER subscriber list. before the staggering complexity of what The more I thought about the con­ So while Jane's religious friends surrounds us and gratitude for every­ versation, the more I realized it was true prayed in their way, I prayed in mine. thing we have. for me. I did have the impulse to pray But you already know the end of the that Jane would be found alive. I couldn't story. The answer to all of the prayers Susan Bury writes from Red Lodge, do anything to help the search, and I was no. In the end, I don't think anyone Montana.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 65 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

religion . .. would be foolish, but the idea of extensions and imprecise definitions con­ treating biblical literalism, for example, with tained in her remarks. some skeptical scrutiny is an excellent idea." As a form of truth in advertising, 1 Unfortunately, he goes on to say, "But it is should confess that, while I sample pieces being done. ... I don't think there's any par­ from several periodicals, I read two scrupu­ ticular expertise in this (skeptical) movement lously cover to cover. Those two are the for a critical examination of the Bible. There National Review and the SKEPTICAL are other people who are doing it just fine." INQUIRER. So it will come as no surprise that In a sense, that latter statement is true, I find myself relatively at home among two but those "other people" are not reaching a very different and sometimes very competi­ general audience to any great extent and tive perspectives on whichever topics hap­ their motives are commonly pointed at pen to come under discussion. I am, for increasing the credibility of the biblical mes­ example, frequently uncomfortable with the sage, not casting doubt on it. confining positions taken by my friends at the NR on human stem-cell research in a sit­ It is not necessary to develop the exper­ uation where, even with respect to the often tise to conduct original research into biblical perplexing moral difficulties involving the esoterica in order to conduct a perfectly valid use of fetal tissue, I see an overwhelming analysis. There are ample secondary sources potential good for the prevention and cure available to lay persons who seek them out. of a whole category of human afflictions. For the past fifty years, I have been collecting But likewise, I am today equally uncomfort­ bits and pieces. The information is out there. able with my friends at SI, if indeed The problem is that it is scattered in a thou­ Carl Sagan's Gracious Style Druyan's opinions arc broadly held, and sand places, most of which are not readily with the critical and unbalanced opposition accessible to the general public. I greatly enjoy SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, and I to the foreign-policy approaches taken by am grateful for the genuine service you are No, we should not launch an all-out the current administration and presidenr providing for die world. attack on religion, but I am convinced that a who. in Druyan's words, "with impunity When I read the Q&A with Carl Sagan "partial mobilization" against fundamentalism makes illegal and baseless unprovoked war." (July/August 2005). I was struck by his gra- would be appropriate and valuable. And I Holy mackerel! There's a phrase that leaves ciousness, his focus on ideas instead of peo­ mean fundamentalism in all its guises: Islamic statement behind, passes right through opin­ ple. One questioner accused him of ridi­ militants, Jewish zealots, and Christian funda­ ion, and moves straight on into diatribe. cule. Sagan could have said, "You're wrong, mentalists are sisters under the skin. Then, two articles later, we return tranquilly 1 wasn't ridiculing." He could even have I am further convinced that the "Four and happily to Si's traditional standards of said, "Apparently you are incapable of distin­ Horsemen" most threatening to human wel­ rational evaluation in James Randi's piece guishing ridicule from vigorous debate." fare in the twenty-first century are: demanding clear rules and precise defini­ Instead, he said, "I didn't think I had Ignorance, Superstition, Zealotry, and tions of terminology in the application of any ridicule there," and he stayed engaged Greed. Fundamentalism is rooted in the first skeptical judgments. with the questioner. Time after time, he was three, and greed is the great motivator for classy and focused on the issues; time after pandering to, exploitation of, and manipu­ time, he declined invitations to brawl. To lating the fundamentalist movement. Cheers for Sagan and cheers for Randi. me, his style is a major reason why he was And, please, let's leave political hyperbole so effective. Clyde A. Wilkes where it belongs—well outside die pages of [No address given) the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. When I contrast Sagan's style with arti­ cles in SI, I realize why I often cringe as I John Walter Putre read. I see ad hominem attacks, derision, and Ann Druyan's Turning [email protected] fighting words. To me, those tactics make die articles ineffective. 1 think dieir style Away' diminishes their content. With brain-numbing incredulity I have just Sagan demonstrated the persuasive power In "The Great Turning Away" (July/August read Ann Druyan's statement in "The Great of clarity and grace. May I suggest that ton­ 2005), Ann Druyan ponders how we in the Turning Away": "Our president declares ing down some of the attitude would contemporary United States have turned our himself an instrument of God and with enhance SI? backs on her iconic husband's vision of the impunity makes illegal and baseless unpro­ "wonders (italics hers) of the universe Thank you for your great work! voked war." revealed by vigorous skeptical science. . . .* I am inclined to forgive Ann Druyan for Mark Chussil And, to be sure, Carl Sagan was—and this belch of rage. Her scientific greatness Portland, Oregon remains—an icon who did, with little fear of surpasses all of us and our penchant for Bush contradiction, more than any other contrib­ bashing! Alas, she has caught the human utor to make available to the general public virus of hate and must be granted allowance One portion of die excellent article, "Carl botii the subject matter and method of the in the same manner she forgives all of us in Sagan Takes Questions," leaves me with very discipline he served. All the sadder, then, the our collective celestial ignorance. disservice that Druyan does to the causes of mixed emotions. But it hurts. When our heroines suffer science and skepticism by the inappropriate I quite agree diat "... an all-out attack on maladies, we suffer too.

66 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Give her time to recognize her indoctri­ tuturcs where present religions exist and a little too quick to ridicule General Systems nation. She will emerge. And mankind will, play a major role in those futures. Theory. In fact, General Systems Theory is as it always has, continue to benefit from her yet another branch of knowledge that Capra Liam McDaid inherent wisdom. knows little about. Astronomy Coordinator General Systems Theory is a small but Harold V. Blackman Sacramento City College respectable interdisciplinary school of Sacramento, California Montrose, Colorado thought that flourished between about 1940 and 1980. Aldiough its adherents included mathematicians, philosophers, sociologists, Over the last few years, I have been reading Fritjof Capra's Worldview and psychologists, its main contributions with greater dismay the more than occa­ were probably to cybernetics and advanced sional rant of liberal political views going on Burton Guttman's analysis of Fritjof Capra's modeling techniques. in my favorite magazine. When did SI go worldview (July/August 2005) awakened old from busting charlatans and psychics and Where Capra goes wrong is in seeing memories. About 1977, Capra was a guest sticking up for proper science to seemingly General Systems Theory as a replacement for speaker on the campus where I was a faculty constant bashing of religious and political reductionism in every circumstance. conservatives? Some of these anacks have member. He had been invited (and paid Although it is hard to generalize about a been passive-aggressive, and some have been well) to discuss his macaronic theological large group of diverse thinkers, major figures outright dismissals. opus, The Tao of Physics. What he really in the school such as Gregory Bateson did wanted to talk about, though, was his new not see their work as replacing reductionism I am referring to Ann Druyan's op-ed devotion to traditional Chinese medicine. but as supplementing it. In particular, they piece. While she logically argues for the Being a young, healthy man at the time, tiiought it self-evident that reductionism, good-ole days of science writers like Carl Capra had found that his tai ch'i teacher although obviously successful in the hard sci­ Sagan, she rejects his appreciation that he felt could fulfill all his medical needs. He was ences, was often not very useful in the social for the better parts of religion. Then she sciences. makes baseless claims that we are fighting an voluble on the subject, and finally made the "illegal and baseless unprovoked war," led by flat statement, "Modern medicine never As he does with almost every thought he a president who "declares himself an instru­ cured anybody of anything." stumbles across, Capra overcxtends, oversim­ ment of God." I happened to be on the panel that was to plifies, and over-mysticizes General Systems Theory and makes it something far removed I do not feel that Druyan does justice to discuss his talk, and I couldn't let that pass. At the time, the worldwide smallpox-eradi­ from what it originally was: a critique of sci­ her side of the argument or justice to her late ence made mostly by working scientists. husband's legacy by making such claims in a cation program was nearing its conclusion. science magazine, claims that belong in polit­ There was only one small focus of smallpox Bruce Byfield ical discourse instead. She may be damaging left, somewhere in Somalia, and that was http://members.axion.net/-bbyfield the whole humanist movement by helping to eradicated soon afterward. So I said, "The create an image of religious-intolerance-like human race has plenty of things to be thinking on the part of humanists! ashamed of, but if there is one thing it can be proud of, it is the eradication of the horrible The Skeptic Label Sam Brown scourge of smallpox." Alejandro J. Borgo's article, "What Should San Jose, California With a straight face, Capra replied, We Do with Skepticism?" (July/August "Modern medicine has had nothing to do 2005), raises an issue I've long thought with that." Ann Druyan comments that: "Consider all about, although more with respect to die My jaw dropped. I asked, "How do you the futures depicted in science fiction. . . . "snarl term" [pace, S. I. Hayakawa) atheist, explain the fact that smallpox is about to dis­ How many of them imagine a future in which I happen to be. Atheist is a term guar­ appear from the face of the earth?" which the dominant religious traditions anteed to raise hackles in almost any context, "Oh," said Capra, "it's just been going and beliefs of the present survive?" Well, whereas, contrary to Borgo's position, I have away by itself." one that certainly docs is the Childe Cycle found skeptic, skeptical etc., not at all inflam­ Needless to say, I never again felt the series of Gordon R. Dickson, in which matory. For example, one can hear all sorts need to take seriously anything Capra had Christian religious extremists dominate/ of people using some variant of the words, to say. rule two whole worlds. This is not just a e.g., "Hey, when you go in to talk about buy­ sideline, because the idea of faith is central Lawrence S. Lerner ing a new car at XYZ Motors, you'd better be to Cycle. Certain concepts Dickson lays out, Professor Emeritus darn skeptical—those guys are likely to tell including the idea of humanity splitting College of Natural Sciences you anything" and so on. into subcultures that divide, leave Earth, and Mathematics However, let's grant Botgo's assertions. I and evolve to their limits make the Childe California State University identify myself, in whatever context such Cycle one of the most realistic future soci­ Long Beach, California identification is relevant, as an evidentialisu eties conceived. To many fans of SF, This term usually results in one of two Dickson's vision is only equaled by responses: (1) "Oh" or (2) "Evidentialist? Heinlein's Future History, Asimov's Founda­ What's that?" In the first instance, I take the tion series, and Herbert's Dune novels. Burton S. Gunman rightly points out the "Oh" (or whatever equivalent grunt I get) to Some even think that it surpasses them. sloppiness of Fritjof Capra's thinking and the mean, "Well, OK, doesn't bother me one The point is: there are compelling SF shallowness of his knowledge. However, he's way or the other." In the second, I am given

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 67 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

an opportunity to explain what such a desig­ continue to hammer away at false claims in The proposed bright to replace skeptic nation means. Inevitably, I get into questions the unflinching manner that Galileo seems stupid. Freethinker works fine for of logic, the rules of evidence, and other refuted and James Randi debunks. Our me but requires more explanation. And related, intellectually salutary, matters. opponents favor the (at best, "window- while being a naysayer, refiner, spoilsport, The beauty of evidentialist is that it car­ dressing" and at worst, deceptive) practice or debunker won't change anyone's mind, ries none of the negative freight of atheist (or of assuming new images, a la Intelligent it can be a lot of fun. And somebody's got even agnostic) or, with respect to Borgo, skep­ Design. We expose them to the public as to do it. tic. No red flags, just an opportunity to open the deceivers they are, as they will readily a rational discussion. And it docs; indeed, expose us if we ape their ways. Neal Wilgus I'm convinced I've succeeded in opening I respectfully suggest to Mr. Borgo that Corrales, New Mexico more than a few minds. (I am a retired pro­ the people who view skeptics in a negative fessor of English and linguistics and just can't fashion do so because the scientific method stop professing!) spoils one or more of their beliefs. We could Unfortunately, the very honorable name of call ourselves the sugar-and-spice fairies from this magazine, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, has Henry F. Beechhold the planet Buckets of Rainbows and Love, probably become counterproductive to the Professor Emeritus and they'd still hate us for the way our skep­ purposes of the publication. The climate of The College of New Jersey ticism methodically destroys their most cher­ the times in the U.S.A. calls for a name Corrales, New Mexico ished fantasies. change. Here arc some suggestions: Thank you for your wonderful magazine. Science and Reason Alejandro Borgo describes our image prob­ Michael Hinckle The Magazine fir Science and Reason lem of being called skeptics. It's really a lin­ Oak Creek, Wisconsin Bimonthly fir Science and Reason guistic problem, because abstractions and Reason and Thought vague terms standing alone permit the hearer The American Magazine for Science to ovcrinterpret: freedom (of what), respect My wife and 1 read with interest your article, and Reason (for what), love (of what). Such concepts "What Should We Do with Skepticism?" We Reason, Thought, and Superstition require qualifications to make any sense. The both entirely agree with Mr. Borgo's senti­ Fred Kohler opposite of skepticism may be credulousness, ments that your present namc(s) are a detri­ [email protected] gullibility, blind faith, superstition, or ment to CSlCOP's overall efforts. As he says, nai'vetd; we regard rhesc as negative charac­ your present name, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, teristics, but others take skeptics or and other names that were recently proposed debunkers as ncgativists. Borgo's article, "What Should We Do with do not help people know of the positive, Skepticism?" is an interesting one. As a Skeptics have always existed, and some of uplifting programs conducted by your mem­ skeptic, I agree we have a bit of an image our well-known antecedents have been asso­ bers and other resources that you offer. problem. And no, I'm not fond of the title ciated with heresy, humanism, and enlight­ enment. Heresy sounds obsolete now, and Henry Gurr either. But as a print journalist, I take enlightenment can be misapplied in various Aiken, South Carolina exception to a few of his observations on ways, but humanism remains a clearer con­ the media. cept, as in "secular humanism." It can also First, he suggests that print media fall appear meaningfully without a modifier, as it I have to agree widi Alejandro Borgo. I think between TV and radio "according to their did about 500 years ago. Should this journal we could have a greater impact if we were the degrees of sensationalism, frivolousness, and be called Humanistic Inquirer? Rational Observer rather than die SKEPTICAL superficiality." I'm not sure how he came to INQUIRER. this conclusion. Such a statement overlooks Harvey Dunkle the work of print media such as Scientific Lynn Torbeck San Diego, California American, National Geographic, and this very [No address given] publication. I suppose he also forgot that the major­ I want to alternately hug and admonish Mr. ity of research is published in what one Alejandro J. Borgo's ruminations on the label Borgo for his finely written, though mis­ would call "prinr media." Yet curiously, I "skeptic" left me, well, skeptical. We're not guided, article. This man is truly an eloquent know of no radio program that broadcasts proponent of the skeptical movement, and going to win anyone over with public-rela­ scientific research or even attempts in- I've heard only good things about his work on tions gimmicks or softening the image with depth coverage of research. Second, in an Pensar. However, I strongly disagree that a a name change. No doubt many people have attempt to be objective, I usually try to get nicer image for skeptics is the direction we the "You don't believe in anything" reaction, multiple sides of a story. I can easily say I've need to be going in. I find his argument, that but so what? We weren't going to get their never labeled someone as a "skeptic" and the label "skeptic" leaves us open to such neg­ votes anyway. ative appclations as naysayer, refuser, debunker, certainly not as a "naysayer." Typically, Personally, I prefer the term agnostic, most journalists refer to people by the title and spoilsport oddly lacking in temerity. In a because you usually have to define what that world filled with yea-sayers and bunkers, I they hold, such as biology professor or means. This gives you an opportunity to openly profess to be all of die former. executive director. explain the skeptical position and often gen­ Let's not dilute our identity as skeptics erates prayers for your soul. Shows what Andrew Dunn by reworking our image but rather let's we're up against. Lakeland, Florida

68 Volume 29. Issue 6 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Going through Alejandro J. Borgo's piece, Questions for ID Malevolent Design and Incompetent "What Should We Do with Skepticism?," in Design. How else (we might ask them) did which he speaks of naysayers and refuters, 1 Proponents we end up with appendixes and bad backs? noticed he nowhere used the one key word that 1 often hear regarding skeptics. To a lot The pro-evolution community is missing a Howard J. Wilk of people out there, the word skeptic is syn­ great teaching opportunity regarding Philadelphia, Pennsylvania onymous with cynic. I think we need to Intelligent Design. High schools are not throw that word in to more clearly express merely places to dispense data for memoriza­ the negative image we radiate and the nega­ tion but also a place to teach critical-thinking Ordinary Evidence Enough tivity we face. skills to young people before they become stodgy, old adults. Like it or not, many stu­ My thanks to William Harvey (Letters to the Don Addis dents have competing origin-of-life "theories" Editor, July/August 2005) for stating what St. Petersburg, Florida on their minds. Instead of reacting with I've felt for some time. Extraordinary claims alarm and appearing fearful of discussing ID, should not necessarily require extraordinary biology teachers should embrace the chance evidence. Ordinary rules of evidence should Fleeting Fame to examine ID openly and critically. suffice, or else we have a double standard Perhaps a few teaching points will illus­ apparently only invoked for people we con­ A charlatan such as Nino Pecoraro sought out trate how ID falls apart upon critical exami­ sider crackpots, er, I mean unusual claimants. fame by being a fraudulent spiritualistic nation: As the Amazing Randi related so adroitly in medium. He reminds me a lot of Uri Geller. the same issue, debunking extraordinary How many designers were there? (One per claims can be done quite satisfactorily using whose claim to fame was bending eating uten­ solar system? One per planet?) sils. While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will be for­ everyday, garden-variety rules of testing and Were there different designers for mam­ ever remembered for his creation of Sherlock evidence. mals, reptiles, insects, etc.? Holmes and Houdini will also be forever remembered for being a top-notch magician Were there competing designers, such as John Clinger and escape artist, poor Nino Pecoraro is com­ for predators versus prey? Richmond, Virginia pletely forgotten in the mists of history. Were there subsequent designers? (The After reading this article, I will still Wright brotheis may have designed the first successful airplane, but they did not remember Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's name. I Comforting Thoughts design the 747.) will remember Houdini's name, and I will have forgotten Nino's name within a few Is the original designer still designing or After reading Greta Christinas "Comforting months time. His fame was fleeting and he retired? (Or dead?) Thoughts about Death," the related letters was probably the first man to have that short Did the designer make mistakes? (If not. to the editor that appeared in your fifteen minutes of fame. why have millions of women died during July/August 2005 issue, as well as her reply, I natural childbirth? Why did dinosaurs and want to encourage you to publish more of Rosemarie Roberts (Rosita Causing) various species of protohumans die out?) her essays. I'm impressed! She has expressed, Sacramento, California Is mankind a better designer than the orig­ in my opinion, some great concepts, and I inal? (Arc eyeglasses, heart pacemakers, do find them comforting. insulin shots, artificial hips, incubators, Far from Carr's First Failure etc., evidence of improvements mankind Tim Richards has made over the poor original design?) Lunenburg, Massachusetts G Is only one inhabitable planet in this solar You ran a brief news article on Anthony system evidence of massive inefficiency on Carr's inability to use his psychic powers to the pan of the designer? (Is this worse than help solve his granddaughter's abduction the rypical government program?) The letters column is a forum (July/August 2005). This is far from his first Who designed the designer? (If the origi­ failure, and I documented an earlier failure for views on matters raised in nal designer didn't need to be designed, previous issues. Letters should on ApatheticAgnostic.com in "Meditation dicn why does anything else?) 72" nearly three years ago. be no more than 225 words. Are we made in the designer's image? If so. On October 27, 2002, in The Calgary what does the designer need legs for? Due to the volume of letters Sun, Carr made a specific prediction not all can be published. about the actor Richard Harris: High schools should teach not just what Address letters to Letters to "Richard's cancer will go into remission; we know but also how we know what we the Editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. the third Potter film wins him industry­ know. Send by mail to 944 Deer Dr. wide applause." Unfortunately for Carr, John Clinger Harris had died two days previously. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122; Richmond, Virginia Carr's psychic powers failed to protect by fax to 505-828-2080; or by him from the embarrassment of a late and e-mail (send as e-mail text, not false prediction. Perhaps we might counter the proponents of as an attachment) to letters© John Tyrrell Intelligent Design by not opposing the csicop.org (include name and Medicine Hat, Alberta teaching of their "theory"—provided they address). Canada grant equal time to the theories of

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November / December 2005 69 THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Network of Affiliated Organizations International

AUSTRALIA. Canberra Skeptics. Canberra Australia. CHINA. China Association for Science and Technology. for Academic Societies, Japan 5-16-9 Honkomagome, Peter Barrett. President. PO Box 555, Civic Square China. Shen Zhenyu Research Center. P.O. Box 8113. Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8622 Japan. ACT 2608 Australia. Australian Skeptics Inc., Beijing China. Hong Kong Skeptks. Hong Kong. KAZAKHSTAN. Kazakhstan Commission for the Australia. Barry Williams, Executive Officer. Tel. 61- Kevin Ward. P.O. Box 1010. Shatin Central Post Office, Investigation of the Anomalous Phenomena 2-9417-2071; e-mail: skepticsOkasm.com.au. PO Shatin NT China. (KCIAP) Kazakhstan. Dr. Sergey Efimov, Scientific 8ox 268, Roseville NSW 2069 Australia, www.skep- COSTA RICA. Iniciativa para la Promotion del Secretary. Astrophysical Institute. Kamenskoye tics.com.au. Australian Skeptics—Hunter Region Pensamiento Critico (IPPEC) San Jose. Adolfo Plato. Alma-Ata, 050020. Kazakhstan. E-mail: Newcastle/Hunter Valley. Dr. Colin Keay, President. Solano; e-mail: didiersolanoOhotmail.com. Postal efimOaphi.kz. Tel,: 61-2-49689666; e-mail: bolideehunterlink.net address: Adolfo Solano (IPPEC-CR). A.P. 478-7050. KOREA. Korea PseudoScience Awareness (KOPSA) au. PO Box 166, Waratah NSW 2298. Australia Cartago. Costa Rica. Darwin Skeptics, Northern Territory, Australia Korea. Dr. Gun-ll Kang. Director. Tel.: 82-2-393- Simon Potter, Secretary. Tel.: 61-8-8932-7552, e- CZECH REPUBLIC Sisyfos-Czech Skeptics Club. Czech 2734; e-mail: KOPSAOchollian.net. 187-11 Buk- mail: dwnskepticOais.net.au. PO Box 809. Sand­ Republic. Ms. Ing Qlga Kracikova. Secretary. Tel.: ahyun-dong. Sudaemun-ku. Seoul 120-190 Korea erson NT 0812 Australia. Gold Coast Skeptics, 420-2-24826691; e-mail: olgakracikovaOemail.cz. www.kopsa.or.kr. Hastalska 27 Praha 1 110 00 Czech Republic. Queensland. Australia. Lilian Derrick. Secretary. MALTA. Society for Investigating the Credibility of www.fi.muni.cz/sisyfos/ (in Czech). Tel.: 61-7-5593-1882; e-mail: ImderrickOtelstra. Extraordinary Claims (SICEC) Malta. Vanni Pule. easymail.com.au. PO Box 8348. GCMC Bundall QLD DENMARK. Skeptica: Association of Independent Chairman. Tel.: 356-381994; e-mail: pulevan 4217 Australia. Queensland Skeptics Assoc. Inc. Danish Skeptics. Denmark. Willy Wegner. Tel.: 45- Ovol.net.mt, P.O. Box 31. Hamrun. Malta. (Qskeptics) Queensland. Bob Bruce, President. Tel.: 75*4-84-02; e-mail: skepticaOskeptica.dk. Vibevej MEXICO. Mexican Association for Skeptical Research 61-7-3255-0499; e-mail: qskepticOuq.net.au. PO 7 A DK 8700 Horsens. Denmark, www.skeptica.dk. Box 6454, Fairview Gardens QLD 4103 Australia (SOMIE) Mexico. Mario Mendez-Acosta, Apartado South Australia Skeptics (SAS) South Australia. IVr. ECUADOR. Prociencia. Peter Schenkel. PO Box 17-11- Postal 19-546 D.F. 03900 Mexico. Laurie Eddie, Secretary. Tel.: 61-8-8272-5881; e- 6064 Quito. Equador. Tel.: 593-2-226-8084; e-mail: NETHERLANDS. Stichting Skepsis. Netherlands. Jan mail: allangOtxc.net.au. PO Box 377. Rundle Mall schenkelOecnet.ee. Willem Nienhuys, Secretary, e-mail: jnienhuy SA 5000 Australia. Australian Skeptics In Tasmania ESTONIA Horisont. Indrek Rohtmets. EE 0102 Tallinn. Owln.tue.nl. Dommelseweg 1A. 5581 VA Waalre. Inc.. Tasmania. Australia. Fred Thornett, Secretary. Narva mnt. 5. Netherlands. Tel.: 61-3-6234-1458; e-mail: fredthornettOhot- FINLAND. SKEPSIS. Finland. Jukka Hakkinen. PO Box NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Skeptics. New Zealand. mall.com. PO Box 582, North Hobart TAS 7000 483. Helsinki 00101 Finland. Vicki Hyde, Chair. Tel.: 64 3 384 5136; e-mail: Australia. Australian Skeptics—Victorian Branch FRANCE. AFIS. AFIS (Association Francaise pour VickiOspis.co.nz. PO Box 29-492. Christchurch. New Victoria. Christopher Short. President. Tel.: 613- I'lnformation Scientifique) France. Jean Bricmont, Zealand, www.skeptics.org.nz. 1800-666-996; e-mail: contactOskeptics.com.au. President. 14 rue de I'Ecole Polytechnique F-75005 NIGERIA. Nigerian Skeptics Society. Nigeria. Leo Igwe. GPO Box 5166AA. Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia. Paris. France. Cerde Zetetique. France. Paul-Eric Convenor. E-mail: dpcOskannet.com.ng. PO Box www.skeptics.com.au. WA Skeptics. Western Blanrue. 12 rue; David Deitz. F-57000 Metz. France. Australia. Dr. John Happs. President. Tel.: 61-8- Laboratoire de Zetetique (laboratory). Professeur 25269. Mapo Ibadan Oyo State. Nigeria. 9448-8458; e-mail: wa.skepticsOaustraliamail.com. Henri Broch. Tel.: 33-0492076312; e-mail:broch NORWAY. SKEPSIS. Norway St Otovsgt 27 N0166 Oslo. Norway PO Box 899. Morley, WA 6062 Australia Ounice.fr. Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis Faculte PERU. Comite de Investigaciones de lo Paranormal lo des Sciences f 06108 Nice Cedex 2 France. Seudocientifico y lo irrational CIPSI-PERU. Lima. www.unice.fr/zetetique/. Peru. Manuel Abraham Paz-y-Mino. Tel.: +S1-1- 99215741; e-mail: cipsiperuOyahoo.com. El ARGENTINA. Alejandro J. Borgo. Revista Pensar. E-mail: GERMANY. Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlich- Corregidor 318 Rimac Lima 25 Peru, www.geoci- infoOpensar.org; Enrique Marquez. e-mail: skep- en Unterrsuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) ties.com/cipsiperu. ticOciudad.com.ar; Juan de Gennaro, e-mail: Germany. Amardeo Sarma. Chairman. Tel.: 49-6154- argentinaskepticsOgmail.com. 695023. E-mail: infoOgwup.org. Arheilger Weg 11 POLAND. Polish Skeptics. Adam Pietrasiewicz. E-mail: redaktorOiname.com. www.biuletynsceptyczny.z-pl. BELGIUM. Comite Beige Pour L'lnvestigatlon Sclen- D-64380 Rossdorf, Germany, www.gwup.org. PORTUGAL Associacao Cepticos de Portugal (CEPO) tifique des Phenomenes Reputes Pananormaux European Council of Skeptical Organizations Comite Para. Belgium. J. Dommanget. President of (ECSO) Europe. Dr. Martin Mahner. Tel.: 49-6154- Portugal. Ludwig Krippahl. E-mail: cepoOinter- the Committee. E-mail: omer.nysOoma.be. Obser- 695023; e-mail: infoOecso.org. Arheilger Weg 11 acesso.pt. Apartado 334 2676-901 Odivelas. vatoire Royal Belgique 3, ave. Circulaire B-1180, 64380 Rossdorf, Germany, www.ecso.org/. Portugal, http-V/cepo.interacesso.pt. Brussels, Belgium, www.comitepara.be. Studiekring HUNGARY. Tenyeket Tisztelk Tarsasaga TTT Hungary. RUSSIA. Dr. Valerii A. Kuvakin. Tel.: 95-718-2178: voor Kritische Evaluatie van Pseudowetenschap en Prof. Gyula Bencze. Tel.: 36-1-392-2728; e-mail: e-mail: V.KUVAKINOMTU-NET.RU. Vorob'evy Gory, Paranormale beweringen (SKEPP) Belgium. Prof. Or. gbenaeOrmki.kfki.hu. c/o Termeszet VfWga. PO Box Moscow State University, Phil. Dept. Moscow 119899 W. Betz. Tel.: 32-2-477-43-11; e-mail: skeppOskepp 246 HI 444 Budapest 8 Hungary. Russia, http-y/log.philos.msu.ru/rhs/index/htm. .be Laarbeeklaan. 103 B-1090 Brussels. Belgium. INDIA. Atheist Centre. Or. Vijayam, Executive Director. SINGAPORE. Singapore Skeptics. Contact: Ronald Ng. E- www.skepp.be. Benz Circle. Vijayawada 520 010. Andhra Pradesh. mail: ronaldngOiname.com.www.skeptic.iwarp.com. BRAZIL Opcao Rational. Brazil. Luis Fernando Gutman. India. Tel.: 91 866 472330; Fax: 91 866 473433. E-mail: SLOVAK REPUBLIC (SAO) Slovak Republic. Igor Tel.: 55-21-2S392442 x4401; e-mail: opcaora atheistOvsnl.com. Maharashtra Andhashraddha Kapisinsky Pavla Horova. 10 Bratislava 841 07 cionalOhotmail.com. Rua Professor Alvaro Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) states of Maharashtra & Slovak Republic. Rodrigues 255 apt 401 Botafogo. CEP: 22280-040, Goa. Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, Executive President. SOUTH AFRICA. Marian Laserson. P.O. Box 46212. Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, www.opcaoracional.com.br. Tel.: 91-2162-32333; e-mail: ndabholkarOhotmail. Orange Grove 2119 South Africa. SOCRATES. South com. 155, Sadashiv Peth Satara 415001 India. BULGARIA. Bulgarian Skeptics. Bulgaria. Dr. Vladimir Africa. Cape Skeptics. Cape Town. Dr. Leon Retief. www.antisuperstition.com. Indian Rationalist Tel.: 27-21-9131434; e-mail: leonrOiafrica.com. 5N Daskalov. E-mail: egoshevOeinet.bg. Krakra 22 BG- Association. India. Sanal Edamaruku. E-mail: 1504 Sofia. Bulgaria. Agapanthus Avenue, Welgedacht Bellville 7530 edamarukuOvsnl.com or IRAOrationalist interna­ South Africa. CANADA. Alberta Skeptics. Alberta. Greg Hart, Chairman tional net 779. Pocket 5, Mayur Vihar 1. New Delhi Tel.: 403-215-1440; e-mail: hartgOhumaneffort.com. 110 091 India. Dravidar Kazhagam. southern India. SPAIN. Circulo Esceptko. Fernando L Frias. chairman. PO Box 5571. Station 'A', Calgary. Alberta T2H 1X9 K. Veeramani. Secretary General. Tel.: 9144-5386555; Apartado de Correos 3078, 48080 Bilbao. Spain. E- Canada, httpy/abskeptics.homestead.com. Alberta e-mail: perfyarOvsnl.com. Periyar Thidal. 50. E.F.K. mail: informacionOcirculoesceptico.org. Web site: Skeptics. British Columbia Skeptics, BC and Alberta. Sampath Road Vepery. Chennai Tamil Nadu 600 007 www.circuloesceptico.org. ARP-Sociedad para el Lee Moller. Tel. 604-929-6299; e-mail: ice India. www.Periyar.org. Indian CSICOP. India, B. Avance del Pensamiento Critico ARP-SAPC Spain. mollerOshaw.ca. www.bcskeptics.info. 1188 Beaufort Premanand. Convenor. Tel.: 091-0422-872423; e- Felix Ares de Bias. Tel.: 34-933-010220; e-mail: Road. N. Vancouver. BC V7G 1R7 Canada. Ontario mall: dayaminiOmd4.vsnl.net.in. 11/7 Chettipalayam arpOarp-sapc.org. Apartado de Correos. 310 E- Skeptics, Ontario. Canada. Eric McMillan. Chair. Tel.: Road Podanur Tamilnadu 641 023 India. 08860 Castelldefels, Spain, www.arp-sapc.org. 416-425-2451; e-mail: ericOwe-compute.com. P.O. Box SWEDEN. Swedish Skeptics. Sweden. Dan Larhammar. S54 Station "p- Toronto, ON M5S 2T1 Canada. ITALY. Comitato luliano per II Controllo delle professor chairperson. Tel.: 46-18-4714173; e-mail: vvww.astro.yorku.ca/-mmdr/oskeptics.html. Toronto Affermazioni sul Paranormale (CICAP) Italy. vetfolkOphysto.se. Medical Pharmacology BMC. Skeptical Inquirers (TSI) Toronto. Henry Gordon. Massimo Polidoro. Executive Director. Tel.: 39-049- President. Tel.: 905-771-1615; e-mail: henry gordonO- Box 593. Uppsala 751 24 Sweden, www.physto. 686870; e-mail: polidoroOcicap.org. P.O. Box 1117 se/-vetfolk/index.html fiotmail.com. 343 Clark Ave.. W. Suite 1009. Thornhill. 35100 Padova, Italy, www.cicap.org. ON L4J 7KS Canada. Ottawa Skeptks. Ottawa. TAIWAN. Taiwan Skeptics, Taiwan. Michael Turton, Director. Ontario. Greg Singer. E-mail: skepticOonawa.com. PO IRELAND. The Irish Skeptics Society c/o Paul AFL Dept. Chaoyang University. 168 G-IFeng E Rd, Box 1237, Station B, Ottawa. Ontario KIP SR3 O'Donoghue. 11 Woodleigh Elm. Highfield Rd.. Wufeng.Taichung413. Cariada.vvww.admissions.carleton.ca/--addalby/cats/sk Rathgar. Dublin 6. Ireland; www.irishskeptics.net UNITED KINGDOM. The Skeptic Magazine. United Kingdom. E-mail:contactOirishskeptics.net. eptichtml. Sceptiques du Quebec. Quebec. Alan Mike Hutchinson. E-mail: subsOskeptkorg.uk. P.O. Box Bonnier. Tel.: 514-990-8099. CP. 202. Suet Beaubien JAPAN. Japan Anti-Pseudoscience Activities Network 475 Manchester M60 2TH United Kingdom. Montreal. Quebec H2G 3C9 Canada www.scep- (JAPAN) Japan. Ryutarou Minakami. chairperson, c/o VENEZUELA. Asociation Rational Esceptka de Venezuela tiques.qcca. Skeptics Quinte. Bill Broderick. 2262 Rakkousha. Inc.. Tsuruoka Bid. 2F. 2-19-6. Kamezawa. (AREV). Sami Rozenbaum. president. Address: Shannon Rd. R.R. 1, Shannonville. ON KOK 3A0. e- Sumida-ki.Tokyo. skepticOe-mail.ne.jp. Japan Rozenbaum. Apdo. 50314. Caracas 1050 A. Vene­ mail: brodericOkos.net. Skeptics. Japan. Dr. Jun Jugaku. E-mail: zuela. Web site: www.geocities.com/escepticos jugakujnOccnao.ac.jp. Japan Skeptics. Business Center Venezuela. E-mail: escepticosOcantv.net. 2277 Winding Woods Dr., Tucker. GA 30084 US. Eric Carlson, President. Tel.: 336-758-4994; e-mail: United States IOWA. Central Iowa Skeptics (CIS) Central Iowa, Rob ecarlsonOwfu.edu. Physics Department, Wake Beeston. Tel.: 515-285-0622; e-mail: ciskepticsOhot- Forest University. Winston-Salem, NC 27109 US. ALABAMA. Alabama Skeptics, Alabama. Emory mail.com. 5602 SW 2nd St. Des Moines, IA 50315 www.carolinaskeptics.org. Kimbrough. Tel.: 205-759-2624. 3550 Watermelon US. www.skepticweb.com. OHIO. Central Ohioans for Rational Inquiry (CORI) Road. Apt. 28A. Northport AL 35476 US. ILLINOIS. Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Central Ohio. Charlie Hazlett. President. Tel.: 614- ARIZONA. Tucson Skeptics Inc. Tucson, AZ. James Land (REALL) Illinois Bob Ladendorf. Chairman. 878-2742; e-mail: charlieOha2lett.net. PO Box McGaha. E-mail: JMCGAHAePimaCC.Pima.EDU. 5100 Tel.: 217-546-3475; e-mail: chairmanOreall.org. PO 282069. Columbus OH 43228 US. South Shore N. Sabino Foothills Dr.. Tucson, A2 85715 US. Phoenix Box 20302, Springfield. IL 62708 US. www.reall.org. Skeptics (SSS) Cleveland and counties Jim Kutz. Skeptics, Phoenix. AZ. Michael Stackpole, P.O. Box KENTUCKY. Kentucky Assn. of Science Educators and Tel.: 440 942-5543; e-mail: jimkutzOearthlink.net. 60333, Phoenix. AZ 85082 US. Skeptics (KASES) Kentucky. 880 Albany Road, PO Box 5083. Cleveland. OH 44101 US www.south CALIFORNIA. Sacramento Organization for Rational Lexington. KY 40502. Contact Fred Bach at e-mail: shoreskeptics.org/. Thinking (SORT) Sacramento, CA. Ray Spangen-burg, co- fredwbachOyahoo.com; Web site www.kases.org; or Association for Rational Thought (ART) Cincinnati. founder. Tel.: 916-97&0321; e-mail: krirayOquiknet.com. (859) 276-3343. Roy Auerbach. president. Tel: 513-731-2774. e-mail: PO Box 2215, Carmkhael. CA 95609-2215 US. LOUISIANA. Baton Rouge Proponents of Rational Inquiry raaOcinci.rr.com. PO Box 12896. Cincinnati, OH mvw.quikneT.com/~kitray/index1.html. Bay Area and Scientific Methods (BR-PRISM) Louisiana. Marge 45212 US. www.cincinnati skeptics.org. Skeptics (BAS) San Francisco—Bay Area. Tulry McCarroll, Schroth. Tel.: 225-766-4747. 425 Carriage Way, Baton OREGON. Oregonians for Rationality (04R) Oregon. Chair. Tel.: 415 927-1548; e-mail: tulryannCpacbell.net. Rouge. LA 70808 US George Slusher. President. Tel.: (541) 689-9598; e-mail: PO Box 2443 Castro Valley, CA 94S46-0443 US. MICHIGAN. Great Lakes Skeptics (GLS) SE Michigan. gslusherOcomcafl.net 3003 West 11th Ave PMB 176, www.8ASkeptics.org. Independent Investigations Lorna J. Simmons. Contact person. Tel.: 734-525- Eugene, OR 97402 US Web site: www.o4r.com Group {KX Center for Inquiry-West. 4773 Hollywood 5731; e-mail: Skeptic310aol.com. 31710 Cowan PENNSYLVANIA. Paranormal Investigating Committee Blvd. Los Angeles. CA 90027 Tel, 32*666-9797 ext 159: Road, Apt. 103. Westland, Ml 48185-2366 US Tri- of Pittsburgh (PICP) Pittsburgh PA. Richard Busch, Web site:www.iigwestcom. Sacramento Skeptics Cities Skeptics. Michigan. Gary Barker. Tel.: 517-799- Chairman Tel.: 412-366-1000; e-mail: mindfulOtel- Society. Sacramento. Terry Sandbek, President. 4300 4502; e-mail: barkergOsvol.org. 35% Butternut St.. erama.com. 8209 Thompson Run Rd, Pittsburgh, Auburn Blvd. Suite 206. Sacramento CA 95841 Tel.: Saginaw. Ml 48604 US. PA 15237 US. Philadelphia Association for Critical 916 489-1774. E-mail: terryOsandbek.com. San MINNESOTA. St. Kloud Extraordinary Claim Psychic Thinking (PhACT), much of Pennsylvania. Eric Diego Association for Rational Inquiry (SDARI) Teaching Investigating Community (SKEPTiq St. Krieg. President. Tel.: 215-885-2089; e-mail: President: Richard Urich. Tel.: 858-292-5635. Cloud. Minnesota. Jerry Mertens. Tel.: 320-255- ericOphact.org. By mail C/O Ray Haupt 639 W. Ellet Program general information 619-421-5844. Web 2138; e-mail: gmertensOstdoudstate.edu. Jerry St., Philadelphia PA 19119. site:www.sdari.org. Snail mail address: PO Box 623. Mertens. Psychology Department. 720 4th Ave. S. TENNESSEE. Rationalists of East Tennessee. East La iolla, CA 92038-0623. St. Cloud State University. St. Cloud. MN 56301 US. Tennessee. Carl Ledenbecker Tel.: 865-982-8687; e- COLORADO. Rocky Mountain Skeptics (RMS; aka MISSOURI. Kansas City Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, mail: AletallOaol.com. 2123 Stonybrook Rd.. Colorado Skeptics) Bela Scheiber, President. Tel.: 303- Missouri. Verle Muhrer, United Labor Bldg.. 6301 Louisville. TN 37777 US. 444-7537; e-mail: rmsOpeakpeak.com PO Box 4482, Rockhill Road. Suite 412 Kansas City. MO 64131 US. TEXAS. North Texas Skeptics NTS Dallas/Ft Worth area, Boulder, CO 80306 US. Web site: http://bcn.boulder, NEBRASKA. REASON (Rationalists. Empiracists and John Blanton. Secretary. Tel.: 972-306-3187; e-mail: co.us/community/rms. Skeptics of Nebraska), Chris Peters. PO Box 24358, skepticOntskeplics.org. PO Box 111794, Carrollton, CONNECTICUT. New England Skeptical Society (NESS) Omaha, NE 68134; e-mail: reason01Ohotmail.com; TX 75011-1794 US. www.ntskeptics.org, New England. Steven Novella M.D., President Tel.. Web page: www.reason.ws. VIRGINIA. Science 81 Reason. Hampton Rds., Virginia. 203-281-6277; e-mail: boardOtheness.com. 64 NEVADA. Skeptics of Us Vegas, (SOLV) PO Box 531323, Lawrence Weinstein, Old Dominion Univ.-Physics Cobblestone Dr., Hamden. CT 06518 US. Henderson, NV 89053-1323. E-mail: rbanderson Dept, Norfolk. VA 23529 US. www.theness.com. Oskepticslv.org. Web site: www.skepticslv.org7. D.C /MARYLAND. National Capital Area Skeptics NCAS. NEW MEXICO. New Mexicans for Science and Reason WASHINGTON. Society for Sensible Explanations. Western Maryland, D.C, Virginia. D.W. "Chip- Denman (NMSR) New Mexico. David E. Thomas. President Washington. Tad Cook. Secretary. E-mail: K7RAO Tel.: 301-587-3827. email: ncasOncas.org. PO Box Tel.: 505-869-9250; e-mail: nmsrdaveOswcp.com. PO arrl.net. PO Box 45792. Seattle, WA 98145-0792 US. 8428. Silver Spring, MD 20907-8428 US. Box 1017. Peralta. NM 87042 US. www.nmsr.org. http://seattleskeptics.org. http://www.ncas.0r9. NEW YORK. New York Area Skeptics (NYASk) metropolitan PUERTO RICO. Sociedad De Escepticos de Puerto Rico. Luis FLORIDA. Tampa Bay Skeptics (TBS) Tampa Bay. Florida NY area. Jeff Corey. President 18 Woodland Street R. Ramos. President. 2505 Parque Terra Linda. Trujilk) Gary Posner, Executive Director. Tel.: 813-849-7571; Huntington. NY 11743. Tel: (631) 427-7262 e-mail: Alto, Puerto Rico 00976. Tel: 787-396-2395; e-mail: e-mail: tbsOcfiflorida.org; 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., jcoreyOliu.edu, Web site: wwwnyask.com Inquiring LramosOesceptkospr.com; Web site www.escepti- Suite 124, Tampa. FL 33609 US. www.tampabayskep Skeptics of Upper New York (ISUNY) Upper New York. cor.com. tics.org. The James Randl Educational Foundation. Michael Sofka, 8 Providence St., Albany, NY 12203 US. The organizations listed above have aims similar to James Randi, Director. Tel: (954)467-1112; e-mail Central New York Skeptics (CNY Skeptics) Syracuse. Lisa those of CSICOP but are independent and jrefOrandi.org. 201 5.E. 12th St. (E. Davie Blvd.). Fort Goodlin, President. Tel: (315) 446-3068; e-mail: autonomous. Representatives of these organiza­ Lauderdale. FL 33316-1815. Web site: www.randi.org. infoOcnyskeptia.org, Web site: cnyskeptk5.org 201 tions cannot speak on behalf of CSICOP. Please GEORGIA. Georgia Skeptics (GS) Georgia. Rebecca Long. Milnor Ave.. Syracuse, NY 13224 US. send updates to Barry Karr, P.O. Box 703 Amherst President. Tel.: 770-493-6857; e-mail: arlongOhac.org NORTH CAROLINA. Carolina Skeptics North Carolina. NY 14226-0703.

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

Gary Bauslaugh, educational consultant. Center for Laurie Godfrey, anthropologist University of Massachusetts Massimo Pkjliucd. professor in Ecology & Evolution at Curriculum, Transfer and Technology, Victoria. B.C. Canada Gerald Goldin, mathematician. Rutgers University, New Jersey SUNY-Stony Brook. NY Richard E. Berendzen, astronomer. Washington, D.C Donald Goldsmith, astronomer; president Interstellar Media James Pomerarrtz. Provost and professor of cognitive and Martin Bridgstock. Senior Lecturer. School of Science, Alan Hale, astronomer, Southwest Institute for Space linguistic sciences. Brown Univ. Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia Research, Alamogordo, New Mexico Gary P. Posner. M.D.. Tampa. Fla Richard Busch, magician/mentalisL Pittsburgh, Penn. Clyde F. Herreid. professor of biology, SUNY, Buffalo Daisie Radner. professor of philosophy, SUNY, Buffalo Shawn Carlson, Society for Amateur Scientists, East Terence M. Hlnes. professor of psychology. Pace University, Robert H. Romer, professor of physics. Amherst College Greenwich. Rl Pleasantville. N.Y. Kari Sabbagh. journalist. Richmond. Surrey. England Roger 8. Culver, professor of astronomy, Colorado State Univ. Michael Hutchinson, author Verot fccurt* representative, Europe Robert J. Samp, assistant professor of education and Felix Ares de Bias, professor of computer science. Philip A. (anna, assoc professor of astronomy. Univ. of Virginia University of Basque, San Sebastian, Spain William Jarvis. professor of health promotion and public medicine. University of Wisconsin-Madison Michael R. Dennett writer, investigator. Federal Way, health. Loma Linda University. School of Public Health Steven D. Schafersman, asst. professor of geology, Miami Washington I. W. Kelly, professor of psychology. University of Univ., Ohio - Sid Deutsch, consultant Sarasota, Fla. Saskatchewan Bela Scheiber, systems analyst Boulder, Colo J. Dommanget astronomer, Royale Observatory, Brussels, Richard H. Lange, M.D., Mohawk Valley Physician Health Chris Scott statistician, London, England Belgium Plan, Schenectady. N.Y. Stuart D. Scott Jr.. associate professor of anthropology, Nahum J, Duker, assistant professor of pathology. Temple Gerald A. Larue, professor of biblical history and archaeol­ SUNY, Buffalo University ogy, University of So. California Erwm M. Segal professor of psychology. SUNY, Buffalo Barbara Eisenstadt psychologist educator, clinician. East WKam M. London. Touro University, International Carta Selby, anthropologist/archaeologist Greenbush, N.Y. Rebecca Long, nuclear engineer, president of Georgia Steven N. Shore, professor and chair, Dept. of Physics William Evans, professor of communication. Center for Council Against Health Fraud, Atlanta, Ga. and Astronomy, Indiana Univ. South Bend Creative Media Thomas R. McDonough. lecturer in engineering. Cartech. and Waclaw Szybalskl. professor. McArdle Laboratory, Bryan Farha, professor of behavioral studies in education, SET) Coordinator of the Planetary Society Oklahoma City Univ. James E. McGaha. Major. USAF; pilot University of Wisconsin-Madison John F. Fischer, forensk analyst Orlando. Fla. Joel A. Moskowitz. director of medical psychiatry. Sarah G. Thomason, professor of linguistics. University Eileen Gambrill, professor of social welfare. University of Calabasas Mental Health Services, Los Angeles of Pittsburgh California at Berkeley Jan Willem Nienhuys. mathematician. Univ. of Eindhoven, Tim Trachet journalist and science writer, honorary Luis Alfonso Gamez. science journalist Bilbao, Spain the Netherlands chairman of SKEPP, Belgium Sylvio Garattini. director, Mario Negri Pharmacology John W. Patterson, professor of materials science and David WHIey, physics instructor. University of Pittsburgh Institute, Milan, Italy engineering. Iowa State University •Member, CSICOP Executive Council

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West Los Angeles, California Peru Lima. Peru Nigeria Oyo State. Nigeria Saturn's Rings Sparkle with X-rays Metro New York Manhattan, New York These images from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory reveal that the rings of Saturn sparkle Europe Rossdorf, Germany in X-rays (blue dots in this X-ray/optical composite). The likely source for this radiation is the fluorescerce caused by solar X-rays striking oxygen atoms in the water molecules that com­ Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal prise most of the icy rings. France Universite of Nice, France As the image shows, the X-rays in the ring mostly come from the B ring, which is about 25,000 kilometers wide and is about 40.000 kilometers (25,000 miles) above the surface of Florida Tampa Bay, Florida Saturn (the bright white inner ring in the optical image). There is some evidence for a con­ Moscow Moscow State University centration of X-rays on the morning side (left side, also called the East ansa) of the rings. One possible explanation for this concentration is that the X-rays are associated with opti­ Egypt Giza. Egypt cal features called spokes, which are largely confined to the dense B ring and most often seen on the morning side. Credit: X-ray: NASA/MSFC/CXC/A. Bhardwaj et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScl/AURA