CONCRESS Four Days with the Skeptics: CSICOP 20th-Anniversary Conference Focuses on Science, Skepticism, Media Misinformation WENDY GROSSMAN he guy in the front of the airline where Paul Kurtz, CSICOP's founder seen plenty of uncritical programs on taxi from JFK airport to La and chairman, opened die proceedings the BBC about homeopathy and even TGuardia was tired: he'd traveled with the help of four other speakers. spontaneous human combustion in all die way from Costa Rica that day While diey were talking, forty black- addition to the hour-long program on and didn't appreciate the four-hour clad members of the Buffalo Phil- UFOs Maddox mentions. Maddox delay and change of airport due to bad harmonic waited on stage to play four and Hyman are echoed the next day by weather. He wasn't too thrilled two sections from Hoist's The Planets. Chris Carter, the creator of The X-Files, hours later either, when the Amherst, Three main themes reappeared over who adds that there is no TV equiva- New York, Red Roof Inn told him they and over again throughout the confer- lent of the divisions in book stores were sold out. That's when it dawned ence: First, the mass media are, for between fiction and nonfiction sec- on me that we were going to the same many people, the primary form of edu- tions. place. cation, and these same mass media do Carter, who got faxes warning him "You here for the CSICOP confer- not understand science or present it not to appear in front of such a hostile ence?" I said. well. Second, antiscience is growing audience, found himself among auto- "No. I'm here for the skeptics' con- throughout die land. And, finally, it graph-seeking fans. His motives were gress." Aha. matters. simple when they started the show: "I CSICOP's twentieth-anniversary Or, as Australian journalist Phillip just wanted to scare the pants off peo- conference ("Science in the Age of Adams put it, "We have to deal with ple every Friday night." (Mis)Information," June 20-23)— die fact that we're involved with the But now Maddox goes on to say billed as the first World Skeptics sort of madness that destroys societies, that he thinks the problem started with Congress—drew at least 1,200 people, not just makes skeptics irritated." die end of die Cold War: "Until then, according to Barry Karr, CSICOP's At the opening news conference, a scientists were respected." Now there's executive director. The couple at die reporter from Buffalo radio station increasing acceptance of the notion table next to mine at breakfast the next WBFO asked the panel why a program that science is just another point of morning telling the waitress they were on alien abductions is harmful—it's view. I am suddenly re-experiencing going to see Steve Allen at die Saturday not, after all, 60 Minutes or the evening die generation gap. night banquet were two of diem. The news. John Maddox, editor emeritus of I am forty-two, and in my lifetime, Danish reporter sitting at die Red Roof Nature, pointed out, and psychologist everything has been questioned. The Inn waiting for a taxi was another. Ray Hyman said later, over lunch, the world is not what anyone thought it There were also many dedicated skep- same diing: it is no longer possible to was going to be when this over-fifty judge a program or news story by its tics from Germany, die U.K., Belgium, panel was growing up. The generation source. Maddox mentioned the BBC; all over the wodd, in fact. on whose cusp I coast through life Hyman mentioned the New York And so diey came and (most of Times. Both are correct in dieir exam- them) were scooped up by old yellow Wendy M. Grossman is a freelance writer ples. I've seen an astrologer profiled in school buses and taken to die State based in London. She can be reached at die New York Times Magazine, and I've University of New York at Buffalo, wendygQcix. compulink. co. uk. 6 September/October 1996 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER CONGRESS learned from the protests against the results from honest education, but it ence is a human activity, if a self-cor- Vietnam War and the Watergate hear- may turn into skepticism about the recting one. ings that no authority could be trusted usefulness of science." The official news of the conference absolutely. Our generation became folk After all, as mathematician Norman is CSICOP's new Council for Media singers instead of middle managers, Levitt (co-author of Higher Super- Integrity. The mission of the Council is and seeded the environmental move- stition) argued the next day, "We will to counter more effectively some of the ment. Our images of science include be seen as guiding people to a place wont and most irresponsible TV pro- the worst horrors of primate and med- which is bleak and cheerless because it gramming. This was announced to a ical research and Chernobyl as well as is indeed bleak and cheerless. But we scattering of journalists by seven the shimmering, Michelin-man shape make it a tougher sell than it needs to prominent skeptics: Kurtz, Adams, of Neil Armstrong stepping down onto be." Skeptics, he observed, "are Dutch astronomer Cornells de Jager, the surface of the moon. No one has inclined to be show-offs about our physician Wallace Sampson, Joe the respect they had before the 1960s, tough-mindedness, perhaps as a com- Nickell, John Maddox, Kendrick not teachers, religious figures, politi- pensatory gesture. But it's dangerous Frazier, and communications re- cians, royalty, doctors, or lawyers. Why when you're trying to increase respect searcher George Gerbner. All but Joe should scientists be any different? and attention." Nickell are over fifty. All are male. I personally probably watch more TV in Leon Lederman, the Nobel-laureate We need, Levitt wound up, "to a week than they do combined. physicist, in his speech that evening, understand ourselves as well as the touched on this when he said that the masses out there." Stephen Jay Gould, A few journalists polled say what more you "raise scientific understand- similarly, in his keynote address ram- they want most is good, working ing the more people may criticize it. I bled through stories to show the social think science needs the criticism that context in which science operates; sci- Conference continued on page 60 Richard Berendzen (1990). Eugenie Scott (1991), Sergei Kapitza csCSICOP, Award Winners(1992) , and John Maddox (1994). The Martin Gardner Lifetime Achievement Award Eight distinguished scientists, scholars, and journalists were hon- Steve Allen, author and entertainer, was presented this award in ored by die Committee for die Scientific Investigation of Claims of recognition of his lifetime achievement in cultivating the public die Paranormal on June 22, 1996, at the awards banquet of the first appreciation of critical thinking and science. Worid Skeptics Congress—also CSICOP's twentiedi-annivcrsary conference, "Science in the Age of (Mis) Information"—in Buffalo, Responsibility in Journalism Award New York. Three journalists—Philip Adams, columnist, radio moderator, Australia; Piero Angela, journalist, television moderator, author, Italy; Pierre Berton, historian, author, broadcaster, Canada—were Isaac Asimov Award presented this award in recognition of their outstanding contribu- Stephen Jay Gould, professor of geology, zoology, and history of tion to fair and balanced reporting of paranormal claims. science at Harvard University, was presented this award in recogni- Previous recipients of die Responsibility in Journalism Award tion of his outstanding commitment and ability in communicating are David Yost (1984), Leon Jaroff (1984), Boyce Rensberger the achievements, methods, and issues of science to the public. The (1986), Ward Lucas (1986), Ed Busch (1987), Michael Willesee one previous recipient of diis award was Carl Sagan in 1994. (1987). Lee Dembart (1987). Eugene Emery (1988), Stephen Doig (1990). Keay Davidson (1991), Mark Curtis (1991), Andrew In Praise of Reason Award Skolnick (1992), Henry Gordon (1992). and Jack Smith (1994). Leon Lederman, Emeritus Director of Fermilab and Nobel laure- ate in physics, was presented this award in recognition of his dis- Distinguished Skeptic Award tinguished contribution to the use of critical inquiry, scientific evi- James Randi, conjurer and author, was presented the dence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge. Distinguished Skeptic Award in recognition of his outstanding Previous winners of die In Praise of Reason Award arc Martin achievements in communicating to die public an appreciation for Gardner (1982), Sidney Hook (1984), Antony Flew (1985), die methods of scientific inquiry and die scientific outlook. Stephen Jay Gould (1986). Carl Sagan (1987), Douglas Hofstadter Previous winners of the Distinguished Skeptic Award are: (1988). Cornells de Jager (1990). Gerard Pie) (1990). Donald Henri Broch (1990), Susan Blackmore (1991), Evry Schatzman Johanson (1991). Richard Dawkins (1992). and Elizabeth Loftus (1992), and Philip J. Klass (1994). (1994). In past years CSICOP has given a Frontiers of Science and Public Education in Science Award Technology Award. Past winners of this award are: Paul MacCready Dean Edell, national radio medical commentator, was presented (1986) and Murray Gell-Mann (1987). mis award in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the public's understanding of science and scientific principles. Compiled by Stephanie Damon, staff member at CSICOP and previ- Previous winners of die Public Education in Science Award are ously on the staff at Prometheus Books. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER September/October 1996 7 dence, in this case Above Top Secret by as presenting a credible account of a gov- grams for evidence on a controversial and Timothy Good, published in 1988 by ernment cover-up.