THE SKEPTICAL INTELLIGENCER The Quarterly Magazine of ASKE THE ASSOCIATION FOR SKEPTICAL ENQUIRY Vol 24, 2021, Number 2 (Summer) Incorporating the Skeptical Adversaria: the ASKE Newsletter Edited by Michael Heap To access a Word or pdf copy of this issue, please contact the Editor at [email protected]. If you are an ASKE member in the UK and would like a paper copy, again email the Editor. CONTENTS Regular features and announcements From the ASKE Chair 2 Language on the Fringe 6 Logic and Intuition 4 Of Interest 12 The European Scene 5 Upcoming Events 17 Medicine on the Fringe 5 About ASKE 18 Contributed articles Past Lives and Xenoglossia Michael Heap & Mark Newbrook 7 Reviews Why Rebel? A Politics of Kindness Mark Newbrook 10 Editor’s Announcement ASKE’s Skeptical Intelligencer is widely circulated electronically to skeptical groups and individuals across the globe. Formal and informal articles of interest to skeptics are welcome from people of all disciplines and backgrounds. Details about house style are available from the Editor. We also welcome writers who would like to contribute a regular column - e.g. an ‘On the Fringe’ feature. Skeptical Intelligencer, Summer 2021 FROM THE ASKE CHAIR Michael Heap The mainstream and the devoted many years of meticulous limit to the number of people— maverick research to this phenomenon, during scientists and non-scientists alike— Back in the early 1980s I attended a talk which time he and his co-workers elbowing their way to the front of the by a gentleman who believed in the interviewed numerous claimants, stage to contest the findings and reality of telepathic communication. He including children in different parts of opinions of those who, unlike first announced that there was the world. The unit that he established themselves, spend their lives studying indisputable evidence that telepathy is a at the University of Virginia is still the relevant evidence and testing their fact of life and presented an uncritical functioning. Yet he is still often theories and predictions. But review of this evidence, almost entirely described as ‘a maverick’ and his distinguishing the expert from the non- anecdotal. He then outlined his theory findings are not taken seriously by most expert is not always clear-cut. of why telepathy is possible: we each mainstream scientists, in particular As with the case of Fred Hoyle and have an unconscious mind (which for psychologists and psychiatrists. his steady state theory, you are unlikely men he called George and for women, __________________________ to lose any money betting that the maverick expert or non-expert will go to Georgina) and, by some medium as yet The maverick expert or non- unknown to science, information can be their grave still insisting they were right communicated between each George expert will go to their grave still when all the evidence has shown and/or Georgina. He believed that this insisting they were right when otherwise. was the basis of spiritualism, rather than all the evidence has shown Expert opinion on sightings of UFOs communication with the deceased. As otherwise. and big cats far as I recall, the audience (which __________________________ Related to the above are news reports clearly included members of the public Actually, ‘the maverick expert’ (or concerning common sightings of two already sympathetic to his message) ‘scientist’) is a fuzzy concept. There are anomalous phenomena, namely UFOs showed the speaker polite respect plenty of examples of experts who are, and the appearance of big cats, such as throughout both his talk and question or were, considered to be mavericks in pumas and lynxes, in places where they time. I include myself here, being a late their day because they promoted ideas are not meant to be. At the time of developer so far as my critical faculties and theories in their own speciality that writing, the world is eagerly awaiting were concerned. were considered highly implausible by the publication of a US congressional The venue of the lecture was the their mainstream colleagues. Some such report on UFOs, or ‘unexplained aerial University of Kent and the speaker was ‘mavericks’ are occasionally vindi- phenomena’ (UAPs), featuring the a Professor of Electronics (or Electrical cated, but most are not (‘They all opinions of top intelligence and military Engineering or similar). Aha! I hear you laughed at Newton/ Darwin/ Einstein/ officials (see ‘Of Interest’ on UFOs in say knowingly: the phenomenon of ‘the …. didn’t they?’ is a common defence this issue). In 2020, the US Department maverick expert’, the highly qualified for any whacky idea). There are also of Defence declassified three videos of individual who challenges the scientists who create ructions both UAPs. In May, the influential CBS consensus of the specialists, often on within and outside their discipline. One television programme ‘60 Minutes’ matters outside his or her (note 1) area such character (note 2) was the presented an alarming account of of expertise. Readers of Mark astronomer Fred Hoyle, a stereotypical, regular sightings of UAPs by the Newbrook’s contributions to the thumbs-in-braces Yorkshireman (check military (note 4). Most people in Intelligencer will be familiar with this if you’re still allowed to say this—Ed.) positions of authority have never taken phenomenon (also, ‘the maverick who was notorious not only for his seriously the idea that these are extra- scholar’). hostility to the Big Bang Theory (a term terrestrial spacecraft, but just at the Mark has drawn on his expert he himself coined), favouring the moment, informed and influential knowledge of linguistics to contribute discredited steady state theory, but also voices have been challenging the to an article in this issue of the for his alternative theories of the consensus (note 5). Intelligencer on claims of evolution of the earliest forms of life, Big cat sightings in the UK (mainly reincarnation—i.e. reports by people the causes of viral epidemics, and the lynxes, pumas and leopards) have been who sincerely recall having had a origin of petroleum. reported in the media on a regular basis previous existence. Reference is a made Often, the maverick expert turns out for decades. Google this topic at any in the article to a prominent scientist in to have no expertise in any scientific time and you can guarantee you’ll find this field, the late psychiatrist Professor discipline at all. Climate change and the recent reports in the newspapers from Ian Stevenson. Professor Stevenson COVID-19 pandemic have seen no all over the country. Animal experts are 2 Skeptical Intelligencer, Summer 2021 skeptical that these are sightings of the diversion, the implicit message being Professor Stevenson certainly took real thing, but there are dissenters, they are not meant to be taken seriously. his beliefs in past lives seriously, and including Rhoda Watkins (note 6) who For, in reality, they aren’t. even considered that some of a person’s has long experience tracking wildlife in One test of how seriously they are physical and psychological charact- different parts of the world and taken is what action is adopted by the eristics could be ‘inherited’ from their considers that there is definite evidence powers that be. If, for example, animal previous incarnation, thus providing, in of large breeding populations of experts genuinely considered that that addition to environment and genetics, a leopards and pumas across the UK (note there may be dangerous animals third factor contributing to interpersonal 7). marauding the landscape wouldn’t the differences. Needless to say, I have never __________________________ appropriate authorities be expressing come across any mention of this in concern about public safety and taking academic and clinical psychology and One test of how seriously they measures to warn and protect people? psychiatry. As for the forensic domain— are taken is what action is There appears to be very little of this I leave the possible applications of taken by the powers that be. (though most recently the MP for Professor Stevenson’s claim to your __________________________ Delyn, Rob Roberts, following a spate imagination. I recently learned that Australia has of reports in North Wales, has written to Notes its own history of big cat sightings. the Welsh Environment Minister Lesley 1. Nearly all the ones that come to my Recently ‘a panther’ was reported to be Griffiths expressing concern and it has mind are men. roaming in Mitta Valley in Victoria been announced that the Welsh 2. These people are often called (Note 8). As in the UK, there have been Government is to carry out an ‘contrarians’. Google ‘the psychology hundreds of such sightings reported in investigation [note 9]). Or how about of the contrarian’ for further study. this location over the years but a 2012 public reactions to proposals to rewild 3. https://tinyurl.com/sw2h7vjc study by the Victorian government parts of the countryside by, amongst 4. https://tinyurl.com/m9crdcdd found that it was almost certainly feral other things, introducing big cats such 5. In this connection, a noted maverick domestic cats that were being spotted. as lynx, a move that has delighted some in the past was the psychiatrist John Not taking it seriously but alarmed others such as farmers Mack, famous for taking seriously the The reality is that the discourse anxious about the threat to their idea of abduction by extra-terrestrials. concerning these claims and others like livestock. Surely if the authorities, not 6. https://www.rhodawatkins.com/ them, which if they were true would have to mention farmers, took seriously the 7. https://tinyurl.com/jwrnphmw far-reaching consequences for our lives hundreds of sightings of these creatures, 8. https://tinyurl.com/e285u2fz and our understanding of the world, their message would be ‘Don’t bother, 9.