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NEWS AND COMMENT The Questionable Research of Hans Holzer, Dean of Ghost Hunters (1920–2009)

JOE NICKELL thus falling into the realm of parapsy- Americans and pointed out that in any chology or research. case it was not the Shinnecocks but the During the second half of the twentieth Holzer cranked out book after mys- Montaukett Indians who had settled the century, “Dr.” Hans Holzer, a self-styled tery-mongering book, such as Haunted area. Worse, the Amityville haunting tale parapsychologist who died April 2, House Album (1971) and America’s proved to have been a hoax (Nickell 2009, at the age of eighty-nine, was the Haunted Houses (1991), in which he 2004, 73–77). dean of ghost hunters. Attracted to the reported on his “investigations” of sup- In trying to sell Amityville spooki- in childhood, he went on posedly haunted sites. ness, Holzer also published “photo- to pen over a hundred books on He is credited by Wikipedia with graphs of bullet holes from the 1974 subjects. He was also a Wiccan high coining the terms The Other Side and murders in which mysterious halos priest and claimed to have had past (for the title of his first appeared” (Grimes 2009). Actually, the lives—for instance, supposedly having book, published in 1963) Ghost Hunter single bullet-strike photo appearing in been present at the 1692 “Battle” of (“Hans Holzer” 2009c). In fact, how- Murder in Amityville (Holzer 1979, Glencoe (“Hans Holzer” 2009a). ever, the first term appears in the title of 158) is labeled a “psychic photograph,” was made under questionable (certainly Dubious Background at least one nineteenth-century book, “I Awoke”: Conditions of Life on the Other not forensic) conditions, and exhibits Holzer—who was born in Vienna, Side Communicated by Automatic overall blurring (apparently due to Austria, on January 26, 1920—used to Writing (1895), and Holzer’s antece- movement of the camera when the pic- enthrall his fellow kindergarten pupils dent, Harry Price (1881–1948), pub- ture was snapped). What Holzer terms with ghost tales that he pretended to lished a book in 1936 titled Confessions an “auric imprint” may be nothing more read but actually only “made out of of a Ghost Hunter. than, say, light reflecting from impact- whole cloth” (Holzer 1963, 9). By age beveling around the bullet hole—if, six he was guilty of “regaling my “Investigations” indeed, it is a bullet hole. (Holzer never mother’s family in Moravia with tales Holzer decried today’s so-called para- used that term, referring to “strange told me, allegedly, by the wood sprites normal investigators, whom he por- haloes exactly where the bullets had in the trees along the little river that trayed as “running around with Geiger struck” [Holzer 1991, 177].) flows through the city of Bruenn”— counters and cameras and instruments Holzer’s work was once examined in tales “about as far from factuality as you that can measure cold spots”—a method the Journal of the Society for Psychical can go” (Holzer 1968, 10). Such antics he noted that “really is bullshit” (2005). Research (December 1970). He had set the stage for Holzer to become not His own “scientific” approach was at taken two mediums to a reputedly the scientific “parapsychologist” he least as bogus. He took along an alleged haunted house, where they made certain posed as but one of the most successful “medium” who, after getting “impres- pronouncements: raconteurs of “true” hauntings. sions” and supposedly going into a They identified the ghost as Nell After a brief career as associate editor trance, invariably claimed to substantiate Gwyn and gave the cause of the of a “scientific” antiquities magazine, he the haunting, sometimes even letting the haunting as the murder of one of her became a freelance writer and—by lovers on orders from Charles II who alleged spirit speak using her vocal cords. about 1951—a ghost hunter (Holzer had given the house to her. She was Holzer’s most famous case was the supposed to have acted at the adja- 1963, 14–15, 211). Of uncertain date, “Amityville Horror,” in which he relied cent Royalty Theatre. It was also his alleged doctorate in on a reputed medium named Ethel stated that the house had formerly was from what The Daily Telegraph in housed the Royal Stables. Johnson Meyers and wrote several books London (May 4, 2009) called “an elu- on the subject. Meyers asserted that the Unfortunately, however, sive London College of Applied Science house—wherein Ronald DeFeo mur- (not, it appears, London, England).” The JSPR article reveals that just dered his parents and siblings—had Holzer (1963, 10) stated: about everything the mediums said been built atop an ancient Shinnecock was incorrect, the house not having I am a professional investigator of Indian burial ground and was haunted been built until after Nell Gwyn’s ghosts, haunted houses, and other by the angry spirit of Chief “Rolling death, the theatre not having been “spontaneous” phenomena, to use the built until about 150 years later, and scientific term—that is, anything of a Thunder.” In fact, the Amityville the Royal Stables never having been supernormal nature, not fully ex- Historical Society could find no connec- located anywhere near the site. plained by orthodox happenings, and tion between the site and Native “Whatever may be the truth about the

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ESP investigations carried out by Mr. that the house was haunted. He had munication is as bogus as those that Holzer, his treatment of his historical never seen anything of a paranormal emanated from Holzer on this side? sources is so unsatisfactory, on the evi- nature about the house and insisted, “I dence of this case, as to cast consider- Acknowledgments able doubt on the objectivity and reli- don’t believe in ghosts.” He emphati- ability of his work as a whole.” (quoted cally discounted the Meyers/Holzer I am grateful to CFI Libraries director in Berger and Berger 1991, 183) claim that Mrs. Erskine mistreated a ser- Timothy Binga and librarian Lisa Nolan for their research assistance. I reached a similar opinion of Holzer’s vant—whether named “Jeremiah” or work, especially after I reinvestigated his not. He observed that the present house References claims regarding Ringwood Manor in was never seen by Mrs. Erskine. In fact, Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. 1991. The northern New Jersey. Holzer had arrived he added, “the area of the house isn’t Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical even near the location of the original Research. New York: Paragon House. at Ringwood with Ethel Johnson Meyers Grimes, William. 2009. Hans Holzer, “Amityville” in tow. There she supposedly made con- house!” (quoted in Nickell 1995, 62). writer, dies. New York Times, May 2. Thus when Holzer wrote, “The center “Hans Holzer.” 2009a. Obituary, London Daily tact with the spirits of two former servants Te l e g ra p h , May 4. but without proof that either had ever of the hauntings seems to be what was ———. 2009b. The Economist, May 7. existed. One was said to be responsible for once the area of Mrs. Erskine’s bed- ———. 2009c. Available online at http://en. room” (Holzer 1991, 126), he betrayed wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Holzer. Accessed May ghostly footsteps in the house, while the 6, 2009. other, “Jeremiah,” “complained bitterly an utter lack of historical credibility. Holzer, Hans. 1963. Ghost Hunter. New York: Ace about his mistress,” Mrs. Robert Books. From Beyond? ———. 1968. Psychic Investigator. New York: Erskine. Of the latter, Holzer stated: Hawthorn Books. “The ghost lady whose manor we were Holzer was a skeptic of religion, much ———. 1971. Haunted House Album: A Ghostly visiting was not too pleased with our of which he termed “man made,” Register of the World’s Most Frightening Haunted although he advocated having “a spiri- Houses. New York: Dorset Press. presence. Through the mouth of the ———. 1979. Murder in Amityville. New York: medium in trance, she told us several tual concept of life” and, of course, Tower Publications. times to get off her property! She may believed in “the other side.” From there, ———. 1991. America’s Haunted Houses. Stamford, according to one of his two daughters Connecticut: Longmeadow Press. still be there,” Holzer added glibly, “for ———. 2005. Interview by Jeff Belanger, February all I know” (Holzer 1991, 125). (possibly Alexandra, who fancies she is 7. Available online at www.ghostvillage- When I visited Ringwood in 1993, I psychic), Holzer communicated soon .com/legends35_02072005.shtml; accessed May after his death on April 26. He report- 6, 2009. found the curator, Elbertus Prol, Nickell, Joe. 1995. Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, annoyed with Holzer’s account. As a edly sent “his heartfelt ‘thanks’” to and Other Alien Beings. Amherst, N.Y.: senior historic preservation specialist London’s The Daily Telegraph (“Hans Prometheus Books. ———. 2004. The Mystery Chronicles: More Real- who had been at Ringwood for a quar- Holzer” 2009a) in anticipation of his Life X-Files. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of ter of a century, Prol discounted claims obituary. But what if that alleged com- Kentucky.

Skeptic’s Web Site Becomes Advertising for Psychic Business

In October, a Hollywood-based Web In early 2007 Lancaster’s Web site the name . Lancaster’s site selling psychic consultations and broke the story of Browne’s failed Shawn attorney replied, in part: “There is simply other products acquired a notable skep- Hornbeck prediction in which Browne no place in a free society for the suppres- tic’s Web site while he recovered from a told the parents of the missing child he sion of dissent about a subject of public stroke. Beginning in 2006 Robert Lan- was dead, but he was later discovered interest,” and no legal action was taken. caster, a Web designer and skeptic, alive (See “Sylvia Browne’s Biggest Ministers in Browne’s church (and authored StopSylviaBrowne.com, exam- Blunder” in the May/June 2007 SKEP- even her ex-husband, father of psychic ining alleged psychic Sylvia Browne. TICAL INQUIRER). Lancaster subsequently Chris Dufresne) came forward and added That original Web site has been replaced appeared with James Randi on CNN’s information to the Web site. Interest con- by a pseudo-skeptical site that promotes Anderson Cooper 360. From this, Stop- tinued to build as Lancaster conducted psychic readings from LifePsychic.com. SylviaBrowne.com received national more media appearances and speaking Prior to this, Lancaster critically exam- attention, and traffic to the site rapidly engagements promoting . ined Browne’s predictions, fraud convic- increased. Noticing the bad publicity, Lancaster explored many of Browne’s tion, missing-persons claims, and her Browne’s publisher Hay House contacted failures not covered in the press, for exam- books, earning a wide audience of skep- Lancaster via an attorney threatening to ple the story of Gwendolyn Krewson tics and sowing doubt in believers. sue over copyrighted material and use of whose daughter, Holly Krewson, went

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missing in 1995. In 2002, Gwendolyn appeared on the Montel Williams Show for information about Holly when Browne told her, “She is in Los Angeles . . . on drugs. But she’s still alive.” Browne then said Holly was working as a stripper. This led Holly’s family to spend many week- ends traveling from San Diego to search Hollywood strip clubs. As Lancaster reported, Browne was wrong. In 2006 police matched Holly’s dental records to a body discovered near Descanso, in San Diego County, in 1996. Gwendolyn Krewson never learned of her daughter’s fate, as she died of an aneurysm three years earlier in 2003. Despite this sad story, Gwendolyn’s son and Holly’s brother, Tim Krewson, wrote to Lancaster thanking him for the Web site. In August 2008, Lancaster suffered a stroke that paralyzed his left side, and he has remained in the hospital ever since. James Randi promoted a fund to help with hospital expenses noting, “He is a resounding force in the skeptical world and has fought the Bad Guys effectively and diligently.” While he was recovering in the hos- pital, the domain registration for StopSylviaBrowne.com lapsed. Lan- caster’s wife was unable to check his e- mail accounts and thus received no warnings about the expired registration. place. Both auction services pulled the interest in skepticism. Perhaps Lancaster’s Subsequently, Web host GoDaddy.com sale when it was revealed that the domain work has such an impact that even the auctioned the domain when it was not was being sold on two different Web sites. have been forced to pay attention renewed, and StopSylviaBrowne.com Following a public outcry from skeptics, to the criticism. If so, it is remarkable tes- was purchased by Boris Kreiman. the Web master replaced his pseudo-skep- timony of what one skeptic can do with Kreiman’s version of the site had a tical format with comments criticizing his some spare time and knowledge of the pseudo-skeptical introduction that detractors, a psychic challenge promoting Internet. Lancaster is still recovering, but LivePsychic.com, and a challenge for a warns readers of “false psychics.” Yet the Web site will be updated when he gets notably, links to LifePsychic.com for chess game against James Randi. better. In the meantime, readers can still “tarot readings” or “psychic readings” Such behavior is not surprising from download video and examine Browne’s from phone psychics are found on every those who make money from people who predictions at www.StopSylvia.com. page. It should come as no surprise that turn to psychics. With Web traffic from LifePsychic.com is also registered to Lancaster’s site generating business, it —Ryan Shaffer Kreiman, who owns nearly 200 domain does not appear that Kreiman will easily names of a wide variety of enterprises. give up the domain. Thus, Lancaster’s Ryan Shaffer is in the department of his- When Kreiman’s procurement of wife, Susan, moved the old Web site to tory at the State University of New York at StopSylviaBrowne.com generated interest StopSylvia.com, allowing readers a chance Stony Brook, where he is pursuing a PhD from skeptics, he offered to sell it for to examine Browne’s record. But it is in British history. More information on $20,000 and then simultaneously listed it worth pointing out the irony that a pro- Robert Lancaster can be found online at for sale on eBay and SitePoint Market- moter of psychic claims is profiting from www.skepticsunite.com.

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What’s New? Observations on Science and from Bob Park

NO ENERGY: MANY IDEAS Stephen Straus died of brain cancer in 2007. That desperate BUT SOME WON’T WORK people still fall for these sham cures is also tragic. [June 19] Orbo, a perpetual motion machine promised by the Steorn EVOLUTION: DARWIN’S GOLDEN Company in Dublin, is one of them. Orbo was to be demon- RETRIEVER DOES IT AGAIN strated a year ago at the Kinetica Museum in London (www.bobpark.org/WN07/wn070607.html). It didn’t work. Biologist Thomas Huxley was known as “Darwin’s bulldog” for Steorn blamed the air-conditioning and said the demonstra- his spirited defense of Darwin’s theory. Darwin’s chief defender tion would be delayed a few weeks. Well, fifty weeks later, today is Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Steorn says they fixed the problem. Not unless they’ve changed Science Education, who just won the inaugural Stephen Jay the first law of thermodynamics. Meanwhile, a jury of scien- Gould Prize of the Society for the Study of Evolution. She was tists convened by Steorn has issued a unanimous verdict: ranked by Scientific American as one of the top ten science Steorn had “not shown the production of energy.” [June 27] leaders just a few weeks ago. [June 5]

PEOPLE: SEVEN BILLION IS THERMODYNAMICS: WHY CAN’T ALREADY WAY TOO MANY WE JUST BURN THE ASHES? When was it that the media stopped mentioning “population”? A friend at the BBC called my attention to an April 30 article We read almost daily headlines about global warming from in the business section of the New York Times. To reduce the

CO2 in the atmosphere. It’s our own fault, we’re told; we emission of carbon dioxide from power plants, there are plans caused it by burning fossil fuels; we should have been driving to sequester it deep underground. You have to pay to extract it fuel-efficient automobiles, living closer to work, and using and then pay again to get rid of it. However, a company called nuclear and solar-power generation. That’s all true, but it won’t Carbon Sciences has an audacious plan: recycle the carbon by help if we just let the population grow. Name a single world turning it into liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The author experi- problem that isn’t made worse by population growth. Biologist ences a brief attack of self-doubt: “how much energy would it Paul Ehrlich shook us awake in 1968 with The Population take to recombine carbon with hydrogen to produce a fuel that Bomb, but in 1980 he lost a public wager with University of could then substitute for gasoline?” But his self-doubts seem to Maryland economist and libertarian Julian Simon over the be swept away when the company assures him they have a price of minerals. Today, although population has risen to dou- secret biocatalyst that will combine the hydrogen in water with ble that of 1968, the media avoids even mentioning it. The the carbon in carbon dioxide without the usual large expendi- June issue of Scientific American, however, has “Population and ture of energy. That’s the same claim that inventor Sam Leach Sustainability” by Robert Engelman of Worldwatch. Everyone made almost forty years ago when he scammed investors out of should read it. [June 19] millions with an automobile that ran on water. [May 22]

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: QUESTION: WHAT IS IT $2.5 BILLION LATER, STILL NO CURE WE’RE LOOKING FOR? More than a third of all Americans use some form of alterna- Humans, tiny specks of self-replicating matter, have succeeded tive health remedies. Associated Press reporter Marilynn in finding out just how insignificant we are. It’s not enough. Marchione has written a series of articles on the failure of alter- We also need to understand the atoms we are composed of and native remedies from herbals to acupuncture to demonstrate how they came to be assembled into life forms. The Large any measurable efficacy in placebo-controlled double-blind Hadron Collider may soon explain how the energy of the Big studies conducted for the National Institutes for Health Bang became atoms. Nicholas Wade in the May 15 New York (NIH). The possible exception is ginger capsules to treat nau- Times tells us that John Sutherland, a chemist at the University sea from chemotherapy. What’s New strongly opposed the cre- of Manchester, may have unraveled the chemistry of the origin ation of the National Center for Complementary and of life. We will, at a time perhaps not far distant, be able to at NIH when it was created in 2000, on explain everything that exists, but we will still not know why. the grounds that it would be seen as evidence that the medical [May 15] world was taking alternative and complementary medicine seriously. It was. Nevertheless, when asked later to serve as the IT’S STILL COLD: lone physicist on the steering committee, I agreed. The prob- BUT DO I STILL THINK IT’S SCIENCE? lem had simply become too large to ignore. The director A month before CBS aired the 60 Minutes program on cold Stephen E. Straus was both rigorous and fair, and although half fusion [next item], I commented that “I think it’s real science.” the steering committee members were from the alternative I still do. That doesn’t mean I think it’s good science. Science world, there was a consensus on most issues. Tragically, is conditional; everything is open to further examination.

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Some scientists think the community was too hasty in writing false, and the APS does not endorse the cold fusion claims on off the claims of cold fusion in 1989. They believe there may 60 Minutes. (Aside: This morning I thought I should watch the be important truths yet to be revealed. They have searched for video on the 60 Minutes Web site one more time. Drat! CBS those truths for twenty years and have every right to continue took it off. No matter, there’s a full transcript. Uh oh! The part doing so. However, I think the likelihood of success is where CBS says the APS picked Rob Duncan to look into the extremely low and, if asked, I would recommend against the ET SuperWave is gone. CBS can change history? My God, use of public funds for that purpose. Their case is not helped time travel! Now that is powerful.) [April 24] by embracing any scientific-sounding nonsense that purports to show excess energy. [May 1] SUPERWAVE: IMPALED ON THE SHARP STAKE OF REPLICATION COLD FUSION: Rob Duncan, vice chancellor of research at the University of PLEASE, MAY I HAVE A CUP OF TEA? Missouri, went to Israel with 60 Minutes to visit Energetics The April 19 edition of the CBS News program 60 Minutes Technologies (ET), which claims SuperWave Fusion will solve was titled “Race to Fusion.” It was 1989; Fleischmann and the energy problem. It shouldn’t be necessary to remind scien- Pons are shown with the “cold fusion” test tube that would tists that neither visiting a laboratory nor peer reviewing a have killed them had they been right. Because they lived, the manuscript is enough. There must be independent replication race was called off. Michael McKubre of SRI apparently didn’t of the ET claims. Without replication, the claims are nothing. get the memo; he just kept doing it over and over for twenty The genius behind ET is the CVO, chief visionary officer, years. Lucky for him there’s still no fusion, but he says he does Irving Dardik, MD. Dardik got into cold fusion after losing get heat—except when he doesn’t. How does it work? He has- his license to practice medicine in New York. It puts us in n’t a clue, but he showed a video cartoon of deuterium defus- mind of Randy Mills of BlackLight Power, another MD who ing through palladium and said it might be fusion. In fact says he can solve the energy problem. Is SuperWave Fusion McKubre called it “the most powerful source of energy known another scam? [April 24] to man.” Whew! But wait, Dick Garwin did a fusion experi- —Bob Park ment sixty years ago; it worked all too well. Garwin thinks McKubre is mistaken. Just about every physicist agrees, so the Robert L. Park is a professor of physics at the University of Maryland American Physical Society (APS) was asked to name an inde- and a CSI fellow. His latest book is : Belief in the Age of pendent scientist to examine the claims of Energetics Science (Princeton University Press). These items are taken with per- Technology, according to 60 Minutes correspondent Scott mission from his weekly “What’s New” electronic newsletter (archives Pelley. An APS statement issued Wednesday says this is totally available at www.bobpark.org).

New Champ Lake Monster Video Surfaces

In May, new video footage of Champ, the monster said to inhabit Vermont’s Lake Champlain, was released on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT49- LQMxthg). The two-minute cell-phone video shows the silhouette of some object—probably an animal—moving toward the eastern shore. The video has created a buzz among monster enthusiasts, some proclaiming it’s the best evidence for the creature since the famous 1977 Mansi photograph that Joe Nickell and I investigated for our SKEPTICAL INQUIRER articles on the sub- ject (see the July/August 2003 issue). I was asked by ABC News to exam- ine the recent video, which holds several clues about the creature’s identity. The

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form resembles the back and head of a swimming mammal (probably of the Third Annual IIG Awards: Mythbusters Cervidae family, which includes deer, elk, and Nickell Honored, Ben Stein Lampooned and moose) and moves toward the near shore past what appears to be a buoy, pos- On May 18, 2009, the Independent from the skeptical audience. sibly suggesting shallow water. When ana- Investigations Group (IIG)—the pre- Next up was Expelled: No Intell- lyzing videos such as this, what we don’t mier paranormal investigations team igence Allowed—Ben Stein’s execrable see is often just as important as what we on the West Coast—presented its creationist propaganda movie. The do see. In this case the video abruptly third annual IIG Awards recognizing audience groaned when they viewed ends as the animal nears shore. The eye- the promotion of science in popular the very ending of the film wherein witness was supposedly worried about media. The yearly event draws come- Stein made a cloying reference to his running out of memory on his cell dians, actors, producers, scientists, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off character. After phone. That may be true, or perhaps he paranormal investigators, activists, and pleading for someone to stand up to chose to edit out the last seconds of the others to the Center for Inqury’s Steve the evils of Science, Stein asks, sequence when we could all see what Allen Theater in Hollywood. “Anyone? Anyone?” climbed ashore. Though I doubt a hoax, The event began with master of The first half of a two-part “accep- there are many unanswered questions ceremonies Jim Underdown setting tance speech” consisted of a video clip about the sighting. the stage for the IIG’s traditional with comments from two of the sci- It’s also interesting to note that this announcement of the non-winners— ence experts interviewed in the film— footage is unlike other alleged Champ those productions that promote pseu- science advocate Eugenie Scott and videos and photographs. Many show a doscience. Underdown brought Frank skeptic Michael Shermer. They both round, dark form in the water, but none Conniff to the stage to present the expressed their unequivocal disgust so closely resemble a large swimming mammal. It also seems odd that an aquatic creature would make such an obvious effort to keep its head above water. If Champ monsters exist and must regularly surface to breathe (like dolphins or whales), it’s amazing that they are not routinely sighted on the populated lake. It seems far more likely that this and other Champ sightings are the result of people mistaking natural phenomenon (including waves, logs, and animals) for monsters than that the lake is actually Photo: Owen Hammer home to dozens of huge, unknown crea- Joe Nickell was inducted into the Houdini Hall of Honor at the third annual IIG Awards. tures who somehow leave no physical evi- dence of their existence. The debate about the new Champ Truly Terrible Television Award and with Stein and his film. Shermer video will continue, with believers con- the Massively Miserable Movie Award. showed the press kit that was distrib- vinced it’s a genuine puzzle and skeptics Conniff is no stranger to exposing bad uted at an industry screening of the pointing out alternative explanations. As movies, thanks to his years on Mystery film. The kit contained a full-sized often happens with such videos, the qual- Science Theater 3000. The awards in poster of Stein in a schoolboy’s uni- ity is too poor to conclusively identify what these categories consisted of a framed form, a booklet, a whistle (for blow- was in the water. It seems certain that if the certificate printed on “genuine imita- ing the whistle on scientific bias), video evidence was of better quality, the tion parchment.” First up was Psychic and finally a bumper sticker with the mystery would vanish. Kids: Children of the Paranormal—a name of the movie, which Shermer disturbing A&E television series in quipped is “apparently to let people —Benjamin Radford which youngsters who believe that know that no intelligence is allowed Benjamin Radford is co-author, with Joe they “see dead people” are encouraged inside the car.” Nickell, of Lake Monster Mysteries: to pursue their delusions. Clips from The audience was surprised to hear Investigating the World’s Most Elusive the show brought howls of ridicule presenter Frank Conniff announce Creatures.

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that Ben Stein was at the theater to thing; I’m not a doctor,” brought to present an award to Religulous—the receive his award (it was actually come- applause. Gould followed the award funny and insightful documentary on dian Ron Lynch doing a dead-on Ben presentation with some improvised the claims of religion starring Bill Stein impression). In his “acceptance comedy, including a plea for skepticism Maher. Kindler joked that Maher was speech,” Lynch (as Stein) made clumsy regarding airport security, suggesting unavailable to pick up the award in per- references to every project involving that instead of us taking off our shoes son because he was “spending a quiet Ben Stein, and, after meekly declaring and placing them in the metal detec- evening at home with his ego.” “Bueller,” he fled the stage. tor, we place metal detectors on the For the second year in a row the The first positive award trophy of floor “where 100 percent of the IIG’s highest honor—induction into the evening was presented by triple- known shoes are.” the Houdini Hall of Honor—was pre- Next was comedienne Kathleen sented by another triple-threat actor/- Madigan, who quipped that while comedian/producer, Paul Provenza. The most of those present reject fantasy, she fourth inductee (following Harry Hou- can’t even accept reality. She was on dini, Carl Sagan, and James Randi) was hand to present Comedy Central’s a familiar name—paranormal investi- Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil with a tro- gator Joe Nickell. Nickell flew in from phy for an episode that dealt a merciless New York, leaving his Committee for blow to the CFI/Los Angeles’s neigh- Skeptical Inquiry job to be present for bor—The Church of Scientology the induction. He was gracious but (CoS). Joining Kathleen on stage to balked at the obvious implications of present the award was comedian/actor receiving an award intended to recog- nize “lifetime achievement.” The attendees, recipients, and pre-

Photo: Owen Hammer senters cavorted for hours in the lobby, Paul Provenza, Joe Nickell, and Jim plotting new skeptical schemes and Underdown. hatching new creative projects. Mean- threat actor/comedian/producer Dana while, IIG Awards producer David Gould to the Discovery Channel’s Richards slowly uncrossed his cramped Mythbusters for its episode “NASA fingers, happy in the thought that it Moon Landing Hoax,” in which myths would be nearly twelve months before about the 1969 Apollo 11 mission are having to think about next year’s examined. Conspiracy theories were awards ceremony. elegantly busted when the team simu- The evening was a hit, showing lated the conditions of the moon in once again that the skeptical commu- several ways, even going into the low- nity and the entertainment industry Photo: Owen Hammer gravity “vomit comet” just to see if the Producer David Sacks can find common cause, if only for an otherworldly gait of Armstrong and evening of fun. company could have been faked by any Andy Kindler of Everybody Loves SI readers interested in obtaining a other method. A pre-taped acceptance Raymond fame who is also a recurring DVD copy of the event can order one speech from head ’busters Adam Savage guest on The Late Show with David at www.iigwest.org/iigawards and will and Jamie Hyneman was played. Letterman. They jointly presented the eventually be able to buy advance tick- Gould went on to present a special award, accepted by creator and execu- ets for the fourth annual IIG Awards at honor to actress Amanda Peet for her tive producer David Sacks. Sacks’s gra- that same address. work in promoting childhood vaccines. cious speech acknowledged that the —Owen Hammer A video montage of her talk-show CoS is a toothless tiger no longer capa- appearances was shown in which she ble of silencing their critics. Owen Hammer is a filmmaker living in promoted vaccines specifically and sci- Andy Kindler stuck around to pre- Hollywood who works with the IIG to ence in general. In a possible reference sent the next award. His improvised investigate psychics, UFOs, state-spon- to Jenny McCarthy, she pleads with comments had the crowd in stitches. sored pseudo-medicine (a real concern in viewers to listen to scientists and doc- After his riffs on the hazards of owning California), and other scams that will tors rather than celebrities. Her com- an awards shop (what do you do during not be exposed if grassroots skeptical ment, “don’t take my word for any- the off-season? Cold call?) he managed groups don’t do it.

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NEWS AND COMMENT

Leadership Changes at the Center for Inquiry

Changes in the leadership of the Center for Inquiry, including the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (which publishes SKEPTICAL INQUIRER), were an- nounced at the end of a two-day meeting of the board of directors of the organizations June 1–2. Here is the text of the news announcement: Amherst, New York (June 2, 2009)—The Center for Inquiry and its affiliate organizations, the Council for Secular Humanism and the Com- mittee for Skeptical Inquiry, announced today that in support of its two-year succession plan Dr. Paul Kurtz, the visionary leader and founder of all three organizations, will become chair emeritus. Kurtz in this capacity will continue as a voting member of the boards of directors for the balance of his terms ending in 2013. In his new role Kurtz will have time to concentrate on writing and numerous public speaking engagements on behalf of the Center for Inquiry as the founder and face of the organization. Dr. Ronald A. Lindsay remains chief executive Paul Kurtz, chairman emeritus officer and president of the three corporations, with all rights and responsibilities associated with think tank based in Amherst, New York, is also those positions. “Transition is challenging for an home to the Council for Secular Humanism, found- organization, but I believe because of the strength ed in 1980; and the Committee for Skeptical and resources of the Center for Inquiry and its Inquiry (formerly CSICOP), founded in 1976. The affiliate organizations, including most importantly Center for Inquiry’s research and educational pro- the quality and dedication of the staff, we will be jects focus on three broad areas: religion, ethics, and able to carry out these changes successfully,” society; paranormal and fringe-science claims; and Lindsay said. “Indeed, I believe that these changes sound public policy. The Center’s Web site is will ultimately strengthen the organization.” www.centerforinquiry.net. Board member Richard K. Schroeder has been named chair of the three boards, and board mem- “I look forward to helping our ber Jonathan Kurtz has been named to the new position of vice chair of the three boards. “I look superb staff and dedicated forward to working with the new board chair, Richard Schroeder, and the new vice chair, supporters realize Paul Kurtz’s vision Jonathan Kurtz,” added Lindsay. for a rational, science-based, The Board reaffirmed the goals of the organi- zations, which are to foster a secular society based and humanistic world well into on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values and to promote critical investiga- the twenty-first century.” tion of controversial and extraordinary claims — Richard Schroeder through the use of responsible, scientific inquiry. From this point forward, the board will take a more direct role in overseeing their policies and In a subsequent action, Paul Kurtz was elected to overall direction. Three new committees will be serve on all three of the new board committees. formed within the board: a Policy Committee, a Each has four members. Nominations Committee, and a Compensation Ronald Lindsay was appointed CEO and presi- Committee. The Center for Inquiry/Transnational, a non- dent of CFI, CSI, and CSH in a June 2008 meeting profit, educational, advocacy, and scientific-research of the boards. At the time he was CFI vice president

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NEWS AND COMMENT

Richard Schroeder, the new chairman of the organizations’ boards, joined the boards in 2007 and is a longtime supporter of CFI’s Amherst head- quarters. A financial advisor and certified financial planner, he is executive vice president of Schroeder, Braxton and Vogt, Inc., financial advisors in Amherst, New York. He also worked for fourteen years as a business reporter for The Buffalo News and held other editorial positions over six years with the former Buffalo Courier-Express and the Bing- hamton, N.Y., Sun-Bulletin. Schroeder’s academic training was in financial and economic history. He spoke on financial fraud at CSICOP’s 2002 Fourth World Skeptics Conference in Burbank, California.

“We are lucky to have such a dynamic and committed group Ronald A. Lindsay, CEO and president of people to lead CSI into the future, while at the same time having the wisdom and experience of Paul Kurtz at hand to call upon, as will most certainly be required, for years to come.” – Barry Karr

“I look forward to helping our superb staff and dedicated supporters realize Paul Kurtz’s vision for a rational, science-based, and humanistic world well into the twenty-first century,” Schroeder said. Jonathan Kurtz, named to the new position of board vice chair, is president of Prometheus Books in Amherst, New York. Prometheus, an indepen- dent publisher founded by Paul Kurtz in 1969, Richard Schroeder, chairman publishes books for the educational, scientific, pro- and general counsel and a senior research fellow based fessional, library, popular, and consumer markets. in CFI’s new Washington, D.C., office. Lindsay is Barry Karr remains executive director of the both a philosopher and a lawyer. His doctorate, from Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and vice president Georgetown University, is in philosophy (with a con- and chief financial officer of CFI. He has been with centration in bioethics). He has twenty-five years the organizations since 1981. “I am looking for- experience as a lawyer in private practice advising cor- ward to the next step in the evolution of CSI and porations, universities, and other institutions, par- the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER,” Karr said. “We are lucky ticularly in employee relations. He has written to have such a dynamic and committed group of extensively in scholarly and legal journals, and his people to lead CSI into the future, while at the same book Future Bioethics: Overcoming Taboos, Myths, time having the wisdom and experience of Paul and Dogmas was published by Prometheus in Kurtz at hand to call upon, as will most certainly be September 2008. required, for years to come.”

14 Volume 33, Issue 5 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER