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MICHAEL HEAP Bsc, Msc, Phd, Afbpss THE SKEPTICAL INTELLIGENCER The Quarterly Magazine of ASKE THE ASSOCIATION FOR SKEPTICAL ENQUIRY Vol 23, 2020, Number 1, (Spring) 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 14 The European Scene 4 Upcoming Events 18 Medicine on the Fringe 5 About ASKE 19 Book reviews and commentaries Placebos for Pets? The Truth about Alternative Medicine in Animals by Niall Taylor 10 Mark’s Bookshelf Mark Newbrook 11 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, Spring 2020 FROM THE ASKE CHAIR Michael Heap COVID-19 and Brexit and divided the nation for the last four the first video he sits facing a large It comes as no surprise that the internet years. white disc ‘of paper or foam’ is awash with all manner of conspiracy More on the ASKE Paranormal suspended by a thread. The disc theories and alternative medicine Challenge slightly and slowly twists back and forth around its vertical axis. In the quackery about the coronavirus Since my recent accounts of second video the object is a large pandemic. Just a few of these are applications to undertake the ASKE rectangular piece of foam or card mentioned in ‘Of Interest’. (Another Paranormal Challenge (see the Spring which rotates more extensively than example I have come across is the idea and Summer issues of the the disc. This person wanted to travel that the virus is a biological weapon Intelligencer) ASKE has received to the UK to be tested but I had to developed by the Chinese in further requests from several people explain that ASKE only tests collaboration with Democratic Party to wishing to be tested for a paranormal applicants who are resident here (I am scupper Donald Trump’s re-election.) ability. One person who forewarned the more strict about this rule now __________________________ world about the catastrophic impact of following problems I had testing a a future global pandemic was Hans The only objects she claimed to person from abroad). I suggested he Rosling in his book Factfulness, be able to affect were hosepipes contact some of the European skeptical reviewed by Ray Ward in the Winter (with or without water running societies that also test claims of 2019 issue of the Intelligencer. Whilst through them). paranormal ability. He then said that he the aim of the book is to demonstrate would be able to demonstrate his how, in so many ways, the world is a __________________________ telekinetic ability on objects in the UK much better place than it ever was, Two claims of telekinesis while still in Moscow. I replied that I Professor Rosling listed five ‘global Two of these requests have been myself did not wish to pursue this with risks’ that should concern us. These are claims of telekinesis, the ability to him. My attempts to find someone in global pandemic, financial collapse, move objects by thought. In fact the this country to assist him were world war, climate change, and claimant in the first of these referred to unsuccessful. By this time he had extreme poverty (which he her ability as ‘self-kinesis’ and the only alerted me to a YouTube video of acknowledged remains a problem objects she claimed to be able to affect himself demonstrating his ability while despite considerable alleviation). were hosepipes (with or without water his back was turned on the targeted At the time of writing this piece, running through them), something she object. He is still keen to pursue a test the UK government, along with many had been doing since she was a child. and I welcome any interested reader to others across the world, has She sent me a video clip that showed contact me and I will pass on their acknowledged the likely devastating her holding in her left hand a details to him. effect the coronavirus pandemic will somewhat rigid hosepipe in the upright A test of remote viewing have on nearly every facet of our lives position, with around 4 feet of piping A third applicant (‘K’), with whom I and has announced drastic measures to above the hand. The pipe swayed began a preliminary test, claimed to cushion its economic impact. These mainly towards and away from her. have the ability known as remote require the spending (and hence After studying the video several times I viewing (RV), defined by Wikipedia as borrowing) of hundreds of billions of came to the conclusion that the ‘the practice of seeking impressions pounds. The consequences of all this movement of the pipe was consistent about a distant or unseen target, will be felt for many years to come. with slight movements of her hand that purportedly using extrasensory In contrast, I have always believed increased and decreased the angle of perception (ESP) or “sensing” with the that whether the UK remained or left the piping to the vertical. I emailed mind’ (note 1). An internet search the EU was not something that would these opinions to her, inviting reveals that many people have an have much impact on us one way or comments and she said that she would interest in this possibility; a number of another and that ten years post-Brexit, send me a video of a more convincing sites provide materials for self-testing experts and everyone alike will still be demonstration. However, I did not hear and there are training courses that one debating whether it was a beneficial from her again. can access to hone one’s RV skills. move or not. Set against the impact of The second claim was received Readers may be aware of the Stargate coronavirus, climate warming and from a gentleman in Moscow who sent Project, sponsored by the US other global changes it seems like a two links to online videos of himself government, that ran from 1975 to minor adjustment. Yet it has obsessed demonstrating his alleged ability. In 1995 and aimed at using RV methods 2 Skeptical Intelligencer, Spring 2020 for military intelligence purposes. The In addition to the three sets of five disengaged when attempting the pre- project was deemed a failure, though pictures, a single pre-test trial was to test trial. An account of these tests is not unanimously so (op cit). be conducted in the same manner as given in the Spring 2019 issue of the My correspondence with K raised the test trials. The purpose of this was Intelligencer. two possibilities. Firstly he claimed he to ensure that K was satisfied with the N and I agreed on the protocol was able to correctly describe the procedure adopted to test his claim and described for the second of the above location of a specified person that no difficulties had been over- claimants, namely that he was required ‘anywhere on the globe’ using RV. looked in the planning. Whatever the to look at a picture of a common object Secondly he claimed that he could outcome, the pre-test trial would not (with its name) and a ‘receiver’ would correctly describe a photograph contribute to the final score on the test. choose which he was thinking of from contained in a sealed envelope. I __________________________ a picture of a set of six. For the suggested that a test of the former receiver I chose an acquaintance who claim might prove difficult for ASKE The test does not prove that he was not an ASKE member; he is a because of our limited resources, but lacks the ability he is claiming, keen believer in the possibility of describing a hidden photograph was only that he was unable to telepathy and in fact has done some something we could manage. demonstrate it on this occasion. self-training in RV. This person The protocol we agreed on for a __________________________ seemed to be ideal for the task since he preliminary test involved images of was not obviously motivated by any common scenes provided by the Before going ahead with this, one wish to see the test fail. internet. I would print five of these off potential problem became apparent. There was one pre-test trial and 12 and choose at random one of them (the This arose from my assumption that K test trials and the agreed criterion for a ‘target’) and write on it a ‘target would be travelling to do the test from pass was a minimum of eight pictures reference number’ (TRN) in the form his part of the UK, which was some (from twelve) correctly identified by of a randomly generated 8-digit distance away, and the RV procedure the receiver (p = 0.00014). The number enclosed in square brackets takes quite some time for the remote receiver correctly identified four and having a slash (/) between the viewer. K asked me if it was necessary pictures (p = .09). The pre-test target fourth and fifth digit—e.g. for him travel to us for the preliminary was misidentified.
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