DOCSLIB.ORG

Ten Titanic Myths | Psychoanalysis | Gender & Personality | Pseudoscience in Universities | ‘Patience Worth’

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ten Titanic Myths | Psychoanalysis | Gender & Personality | Pseudoscience in Universities | ‘Patience Worth’ SI MJ Cover_SI JF 10 V1 3/29/12 9:41 AM Page 1 Ten Titanic Myths | Psychoanalysis | Gender & Personality | Pseudoscience in Universities | ‘Patience Worth’ the Magazine for Science and Reason Vol. 36 No. 3 | May/June 2012 INTRODUCTORY PRICE U.S. and Canada $4.95 Published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:00 AM Page 2 AT THE CEN TERFOR IN QUIRY –TRANSNATIONAL Paul Kurtz, Founder Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Richard Schroeder, Chairman Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO Benjamin Radford, Research Fellow www.csicop.org Bar ry Karr, Ex ec u tive Di rect or Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow James E. Al cock*, psy chol o gist, York Univ., Tor on to Thom as Gi lov ich, psy chol o gist, Cor nell Univ. Jay M. Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Mar cia An gell, MD, former ed i tor-in-chief, Wendy M. Grossman, writer; founder and first editor, Astronomy and director of the Hopkins New Eng land Jour nal of Med i cine The Skeptic magazine (UK) Observatory, Williams College Kimball Atwood IV, MD, physician; author; Sus an Haack, Coop er Sen ior Schol ar in Arts and John Pau los, math e ma ti cian, Tem ple Univ. Newton, MA Sci en ces, professor of phi los o phy and professor Massimo Pigliucci, professor of philosophy, of Law, Univ. of Mi ami Steph en Bar rett, MD, psy chi a trist; au thor; con sum er City Univ. of New York–Lehman College ad vo cate, Al len town, PA Harriet Hall, MD, family physician; investigator, Stev en Pink er, cog ni tive sci en tist, Harvard Univ. Willem Betz,MD, professor of medicine, Univ. of Brussels Puyallup, WA Ir ving Bie der man, psy chol o gist, Univ. of C.E.M. Han sel, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Wales Philip Plait, astronomer; lecturer; writer South ern CA David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Mas si mo Pol id oro, sci ence writer; au thor; ex ec u tive Sandra Blakeslee, science writer; author; New York Columbia Univ. di rect or of CI CAP, It a ly Times science correspondent Doug las R. Hof stad ter, pro fes sor of hu man Anthony R. Pratkanis, professor of psychology, Sus an Black more, vis it ing lec tur er, Univ. of the West un der stand ing and cog ni tive sci ence, In di ana Univ. Univ. of CA, Santa Cruz of Eng land, Bris tol Ger ald Hol ton, Mal linc krodt Pro fes sor of Phys ics and Benjamin Radford, investigator; research fellow, Mark Boslough, physicist, Sandia National Laborato- pro fes sor of his to ry of sci ence, Har vard Univ. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ries, Albuquerque, NM Ray Hy man*, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Or e gon James “The Amazing” Randi, magician; CSICOP Hen ri Broch, phys i cist, Univ. of Nice, France Le on Jar off, sci en ces ed i tor emer i tus, Time founding member; founder, James Randi Jan Har old Brun vand, folk lor ist; pro fes sor emer i tus Stuart D. Jordan, NASA astrophysicist emeritus; Educational Foundation of Eng lish, Univ. of Utah science advisor to Center for Inquiry Office of Mil ton Ro sen berg, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Chic a go Mar io Bunge, phi los o pher, McGill Univ., Montreal Public Policy, Washington, DC Wal la ce Sam pson, MD, clin i cal pro fes sor of med i cine, Robert T. Carroll, emeritus professor of philosophy, Ser gei Ka pit za, former ed i tor, Rus sian edi tion, Sacramento City College; writer Sci en tif ic Amer i can Stan ford Univ.; ed i tor, Sci en tif ic Re view of Sean B. Carroll, molecular geneticist; vice president Barry Karr, executive director, Committee for Al ter na tive Med i cine for science education, Howard Hughes Medical Skeptical Inquiry, Amherst, New York Am ar deo Sar ma*, chairman, GWUP, Ger ma ny Institute, Madison, WI Law rence M. Krauss, foundation professor, School Richard Saunders, vice president, Australian Thomas R. Casten, energy expert; founder and of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Dept.; Skeptics; educator; investigator; podcaster; chairman, Recycled Energy Development, director, Origins Initiative, Arizona State Univ. Sydney, Australia Westmont, IL Harry Kroto, professor of chemistry and Eu ge nie C. Scott*, phys i cal an thro pol o gist; ex ec u tive John R. Cole, an thro pol o gist; ed i tor, Na tion al biochemistry, Florida State Univ.; Nobel laureate di rect or, Na tion al Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u ca tion Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u ca tion Ed win C. Krupp, as tron o mer; di rect or, K.C. Cole, science writer; author; professor, Grif fith Ob ser va to ry, Los Angeles, CA Rob ert Sheaf fer, sci ence writer Univ. of Southern California’s Annenberg Paul Kurtz, professor emeritus of philosophy, El ie A. Shne our, bi o chem ist; au thor; president and School of Journalism SUNY at Buffalo research director, Bi os ys tems Re search In sti tute, Fred er ick Crews, lit er ary and cul tur al crit ic; pro fes sor Law rence Kusche, sci ence writer La Jol la, CA emer i tus of Eng lish, Univ. of CA, Berke ley Le on Le der man, emer i tus di rect or, Fer mi lab; Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute, Rich ard Dawk ins, zo ol o gist, Ox ford Univ. No bel lau re ate in phys ics Mountain View, CA Ge of frey Dean, tech ni cal ed i tor, Perth, Aus tral ia Scott O. Lil i en feld*, psy chol o gist, Emory Univ., Simon Singh, science writer; broadcaster; UK Cor nel is de Ja ger, pro fes sor of as tro phys ics, Atlanta, GA Dick Smith,film pro duc er; pub lish er; Ter rey Hills, Univ. of Utrecht, the Neth er lands Lin Zix in, former ed i tor, Sci ence and N.S.W., Aus tral ia Dan i el C. Den nett, Aus tin B. Fletch er Pro fes sor Tech nol o gy Dai ly (Chi na) Keith E. Stanovich, cognitive psychologist; of Phi los o phy and di rect or of Cen ter for Cog ni tive Je re Lipps, Mu se um of Pa le on tol o gy, Univ. of CA, Stud ies, Tufts Uni v. Berke ley professor of human development and applied psychology, Uni v. of Toronto Ann Druyan, writer and producer; CEO, Eliz a beth Loft us*, pro fes sor of psy chol o gy, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca, NY Univ. of CA, Ir vine Rob ert Stein er, ma gi cian; au thor; El Cer ri to, CA Sanal Edamaruku, president, Indian Rationalist Da vid Marks, psy chol o gist, City Univ., Lon don Vic tor J. Sten ger, emer i tus pro fes sor of phys ics Association and Rationalist International Mar io Men dez-Acos ta, jour nal ist and sci ence writer, and as tron o my, Univ. of Ha waii; ad junct pro fes sor Edzard Ernst, professor, Complementary Medicine, Mex i co City of phi los o phy, Univ. of CO Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Kenneth R. Miller, professor of biology, Karen Stollznow*, linguist; skeptical investigator; Plymouth, Exeter, UK Brown Univ. writer; podcaster Ken neth Fed er, pro fes sor of an thro pol o gy, Marv in Min sky, pro fes sor of me dia arts and sci en ces, Jill Cor nell Tar ter,as tron o mer, SE TI In sti tute, Cen tral Con nec ti cut State Univ. M.I.T. Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy, Moun tain View, CA Da vid Mor ri son, space sci en tist, NA SA Ames Re search Car ol Tav ris,psy chol o gist and au thor, Los Ange les, CA SE Louisiana Univ. Cen ter An drew Fra knoi, as tron o mer, Foot hill Col lege, Rich ard A. Mul ler, pro fes sor of phys ics, Univ. of CA, Da vid E. Thom as*, phys i cist and math e ma ti cian, Los Al tos Hills, CA Berke ley Per al ta, NM Kend rick Fra zi er*, sci ence writer; ed i tor, Joe Nick ell, sen ior re search fel low, CSI Neil de Gras se Ty son, as tro phys i cist and di rect or, SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER Jan Willem Nienhuys, mathematician, Waalre, Hay den Plan e tar i um, New York City Christopher C. French, professor, Department The Netherlands Ma ri lyn vos Sa vant, Pa rade mag a zine of Psychology, and head of the Anomalistic Lee Nis bet, phi los o pher, Med aille Col lege con trib ut ing ed i tor Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths College, Univ. of London Steven Novella, MD, assistant professor Stev en Wein berg, pro fes sor of phys ics and as tron o my, Yv es Gal i fret, executive secretary, of neurology, Yale Univ. School of Medicine Univ. of Tex as at Aus tin; No bel lau re ate Bill Nye, sci ence ed u ca tor and tel e vi sion host, l’Union Rationaliste E.O. Wil son, Univ. pro fes sor emer i tus, organismic and Nye Labs Luigi Garlaschelli, chemist, Università di Pavia evolutionary biology, Har vard Univ.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Chupacabra Mystery
    SI May June 11 CUT_SI new design masters 3/25/11 11:29 AM Page 45 Slaying the Vampire Solving the Chupacabra Mystery The mysterious vampire beast el chupacabra is said to have terrorized people around the world since at least 1995. A five-year skeptical investigation reveals the surprising origin of this monster, finding that there’s more to this vampire than meets the eye. BENJAMIN RADFORD approximately four-feet tall that had igfoot, the mysterious creature said to roam the thin arms and legs with three fingers or North American wilderness, is named after what it toes at the end of each (Corrales 1997). leaves behind: big footprints. Bigfoot’s Hispanic It had no ears or nose but instead two B small airholes and long spikes down its cousin, el chupacabra, is also known for what it leaves behind: back (see figure 1). When the beast was dead animals mysteriously drained of blood. Goats are said later reported in other countries, it took to be its favorite prey (chupacabra means goat sucker in Span- on a very different form (see figure 2). A few were found dead (for example, in ish), and it is the world’s third best-known mystery creature Nicaragua and Texas), and the carcasses (after Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster). turned out to be small four-legged an- imals from the Canidae family (such as El chupacabra first appeared in 1995 mense confusion and contradiction” dogs and coyotes). after Madelyne Tolentino, an eyewit- surrounding el chupacabra, making it The next step was identifying and ness in Puerto Rico, provided a detailed “almost impossible to distinguish fact analyzing the central claims about el description of the bloodsucker.
    [Show full text]
  • Automatic Writing and the Book of Mormon: an Update
    ARTICLES AND ESSAYS AUTOMATIC WRITING AND THE BOOK OF MORMON: AN UPDATE Brian C. Hales At a Church conference in 1831, Hyrum Smith invited his brother to explain how the Book of Mormon originated. Joseph declined, saying: “It was not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.”1 His pat answer—which he repeated on several occasions—was simply that it came “by the gift and power of God.”2 Attributing the Book of Mormon’s origin to supernatural forces has worked well for Joseph Smith’s believers, then as well as now, but not so well for critics who seem certain natural abilities were responsible. For over 180 years, several secular theories have been advanced as explanations.3 The more popular hypotheses include plagiarism (of the Solomon Spaulding manuscript),4 collaboration (with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, etc.),5 1. Donald Q. Cannon and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., Far West Record: Minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1844 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 23. 2. “Journal, 1835–1836,” in Journals, Volume. 1: 1832–1839, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008), 89; “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons 5, Mar. 1, 1842, 707. 3. See Brian C. Hales, “Naturalistic Explanations of the Origin of the Book of Mormon: A Longitudinal Study,” BYU Studies 58, no.
    [Show full text]
  • Visions of the Eschaton in UFO Conspiracy Theory
    new world orders millennialism in the western hemisphere The Plate in My Head is a Government Plot: Visions of the Eschaton in UFO Conspiracy Theory Carol Matthews University of Kansas Harold Bloom, in his Omens of the Millennium (1996), a very personal meditation on the texts and modalities of the turn of mind we call “gnosticism,” tells the humorous story of an encounter he had with fellow Yale colleague and “gnostic” ruminator, Bentley Layton, author of the popular scholarly translation, The Gnostic Scriptures (1987). Apparently, Bloom had had a long day and was beginning the last trek across campus before going home. He ran into Layton who was on his own last migration of the afternoon. Bloom reflects that he must have had a very sour look on his face, for Layton, upon greeting him, inquired as to why he seemed to be in such a terrible, somber mood. Bloom replied that his feet were killing him. Layton paused, became thoughtful, raised one finger, and in a deep, prophetically amused voice reportedly answered with a joke that probably only another academician could understand: “Ah, that is because of the archon of shoes.”1 So, we begin with the archon of shoes. When I was exposed to “gnosticism” many years ago in my “Texts of Early Christianity” courses, and incidentally, to the writings of Layton, I was struck with how similar the “grand Gnostic” myth which Layton described resembled in many ways a modern secular conspiracy theory. According to Layton’s schemata, the “gnostic” mind-set of those ancients who subscribed, whether Pagan, Persian, Jewish or Christian, shared some basic assumptions, central among these being that humans are in a kind of exile from true knowledge about their origins and final destinies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Amazing Meeting 5
    The Amazing Meeting 5 Per Johan Råsmark James Randi är känd för de flesta skeptiker. Det finns knappast någon som inte vid något till- fälle i en diskussion nämnt hans utmaning, där den som kan visa upp en paranormal förmåga under kontrollerbara former kan få $ 1 000 000. För knappt ett år sedan var vi nära att förlora honom då han drabbades av en allvarlig hjärtattack, men tack vare modern medicinsk veten- skap överlevde han. Den 18 januari 2007 var han så närvarande när det femte ”The Amazing Meeting” (TMA) inleddes i Las Vegas. Dessa möten, av vilka det första hölls i Florida och de övriga har varit i Las Vegas, arrangeras av ”James Randi Educational Foundation” (JREF). Denna gång hölls konferensen på Riviera eftersom Stardust där man varit de två senaste åren håller på att för- vandlas till enbart ”dust” i den ständiga omvandlingen av staden. Konferensen har hela tiden ökat i popularitet och detta år tyckte drygt 800 personer att det var värt att resa till ett kallt Las Vegas. Enligt arrangörerna gör detta konferensen till världens största någonsin för skeptiker och det ska också vara den med procentuellt sett flest kvinnor och flest ungdomar. (För att vara sunt skeptisk vill jag påpeka att jag inte har kontrollerat de uppgifterna.) Temat för årets möte var ”Skepticism and the Media”, något som inte alla talarna höll sig till eftersom det är en stor konferens, men som kunde ses på antalet mediepersonligheter bland de inbjudna gästerna. Att man inte helt höll sig till konferensens tema märktes redan den första dagen som inled- des med två workshops.
    [Show full text]
  • Basiago Time Travel DARPA Tesla Teleportation Los Alamos Pegasus
    #basiago #timetravel #DARPA #Tesla #teleportation #losalamos #pegasus raymond #OBE #montauk #montaukchair #chronovisor #jackpruett #camphero #VonNeumann #colgate #JackPruitt basiago "time travel" DARPA Tesla teleportation "los alamos" pegasus raymond OBE "montauk chair" chronovisor jack pruett "camp hero" "Von Neumann" colgate Jack Pruitt “Why does the existence of the “Looking Glass” technology rest on the accounts of Dr. Dan Burisch and I and yet those involved in using the human mind to see things at a distance never reference the chronovisor technology even while making alleged disclosures about remote viewing to the public? Do you share my view that the remote viewing literature… especially its obsessive focus on conventional remote viewing but condign ignorance of technical remote viewing via chronovisor, amounts to a "High Psi Disinformation Ploy"? Cordially, Andy” http://www.countdowntosingularity.com/montauk.html An Excerpt from Pryamids of Montauk: Explorations in Conciouness by Preston Nichols & Peter Moon (C) 1995 (Sky Books, Box 769, Westbury, New York 11590 The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time was released in June of l992 and has created a stir of intrigue and queries for more information ever since. Montauk Revisited: Adventures in Synchronicity sought to answer many of those questions and ended up providing an even more elaborate scenario that left us on the threshold of the occult and its relationship with the major mystery schools of Earth. The third book in the Montauk series, Pyramids of Montauk: Explorations in Consciousness digs deeper into the psyche of the Montauk phenomena and gives startling insights into the construction and drama of the universe. This prelude is designed to familiarize the first time reader who is new to the subject and also to reorient those who have read the first two books.
    [Show full text]
  • The Beginner's Guide to 'Holistic' Wellness
    BOOK REVIEWS in the progression of the disease when The Beginner’s Guide to prayer was used” (p. 98). For such a bold statement, the evidence is pretty weak, ‘Holistic’ Wellness however. There are very few studies on DIMITRY ROTSTEIN personal prayer (none are double-blind, of course), and their results are mixed Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine. By The Mayo even for treating purely psychological Clinic. Time Inc. Home Entertainment Books, New York, symptoms. More disturbing is the fact 2007. ISBN: 1-933405-92-9. 192 pp. Hardcover, $24.95. that the book doesn’t make a distinc- tion between personal and intercessory prayer, even though the latter is known to have no effect according to well-de- he Mayo Clinic Book of mean that perhaps we skeptics have signed studies (including one by the Alterna tive Medicine is the been unfair to “alternative medicine” Mayo Clinic itself). None of these facts most significant publication of and that there is more to it than just T is ever mentioned. In summary, the evi- the Mayo Clinic Complementary and placebo, self-delusion, quackery, or, at dence of the effectiveness of these “ther- Integrative Medicine Program’s team, best, some outdated healing techniques? apies” against any real disease is either which has been studying various forms Perhaps not. dubious or non-existent. Of course, of complementary and alternative medi- True, of the twenty-five CAM ther- controlling such factors as stress and cine (CAM, for short) since 2001. Here apies, fourteen are recommended as depression is important for your health, you will find nothing but reliable and safe and effective for “treating” various but there is no indication that any of the easy-to-understand information from diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • Patience Worth
    THE CASE OF Patience Worth By Walter Franklin Prince [Background and poetical excerpts] 1927 CONTENTS Explanation of Abbreviations 10 Autobiographical Sketch 11-15 Mrs. Curran in the Witness Box 15-21 Other Witnesses 21-30 Prelude to and Announcement of Patience Worth31-36 Table Talk of Patience Worth 37-47 Later Table Talk 47-55 Opinions and Reviews 55-78 Patience Worth and the Poets 78-98 Imagination 98-109 Nature 110-116 Stimulus and Cheer 117-126 Sentiment 127-139 Love and Friendship 140-144 Infancy 144-145 Ethics 146-152 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 153-156 Religion 156-166 God 166-173 Death and the Hereafter 173-181 Wisdom 181-194 Whimsy 195-197 Sparks 198-205 One Evening's Work 206-212 Patience Worth's Estimate of Her Poems 213-218 Discourses 218-224 Telka [skipped] 224-240 CONTENTS Extracts from Novels [skipped] 241-246 Impromptu Proverbs 247-271 Prayers 271-280 [The following chapters are skipped except for the Summary] Stunts of Composition 281-294 Patience Worth on "Spirit Manifestations" 295-300 Telepathy 301-321 Visual Preludes and Accompaniments 321-331 A Competition in Composition 331-336 The "Dialect" of Patience Worth 336-344 Mechanism of Delivery 344-352 Records and Motives (By Mr. Yost) 352-356 The Evidence in Telka (By Mr. Yost) 356-369 The Problem of Knowledge (By Mr. Yost) 369-392 A Nut for Psychologists (By Mrs. Curran) 392-403 Mrs. Curran's Early Capacity for Writing Poetry 404-410 A Test of Mrs. Curran's Former Interest in Poetry 410-413 Stories Written by Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • Ted Spitzmilleron
    Vol. 18, No. 11 Copyright 2012 November, 2012 NMSR Reports, David E. Thomas, Editor, P.O. Box 1017, Peralta, NM 87042 to venture further, the question of if it is possible for NOVEMBER MEETING: humans to travel beyond the Solar System will be NEW MEXICANS FOR SCIENCE AND discussed. Noted author Ted Spitzmiller, presents this REASON WILL HEAR informative 50-minute talk followed by a Q&A session and book signing for those purchasing his two volume Ted Spitzmiller on series “Astronautics” at 50% off the Amazon list price. An aerospace historian, pilot, and flight Instructor—Ted Prospects for Space has logged over 4,500 hours in more than 60 different WEDS., November 14th, 2012, 7 PM types of aircraft. His articles have appeared in all major aviation magazines and he has published five books. He ==>MUSEUM OF NATURAL currently serves as editor of IFR Refresher Magazine. HISTORY AND SCIENCE<== Information: John Geohegan, 268-3772 December Meeting – Censored In ==>1801 Mountain Road NW<== Chicago Multi-Purpose ROOM (left of Atrium) Bring a friend November Meeting: Space– Nov. 14th. Our November meeting will be at 7PM on November 14th, 2012. Our Speaker is Ted Spitzmiller, Our December meeting will be at 7PM on author of “Astronautics Part December 12th, 2012. Our Speaker is Mark 1 and Part 2.” Ted will be Boslough, who will speak on “Censored in speaking about the space Chicago: The Talk that was Too Hot for program after the shuttle, Heartland.” and prospects for exploration January Meeting – James Gover, "UNM: A of Mars and the Solar Force for Changing the World?".
    [Show full text]
  • Let Me Just Add That While the Piece in Newsweek Is Extremely Annoying
    From: Michael Oppenheimer To: Eric Steig; Stephen H Schneider Cc: Gabi Hegerl; Mark B Boslough; [email protected]; Thomas Crowley; Dr. Krishna AchutaRao; Myles Allen; Natalia Andronova; Tim C Atkinson; Rick Anthes; Caspar Ammann; David C. Bader; Tim Barnett; Eric Barron; Graham" "Bench; Pat Berge; George Boer; Celine J. W. Bonfils; James A." "Bono; James Boyle; Ray Bradley; Robin Bravender; Keith Briffa; Wolfgang Brueggemann; Lisa Butler; Ken Caldeira; Peter Caldwell; Dan Cayan; Peter U. Clark; Amy Clement; Nancy Cole; William Collins; Tina Conrad; Curtis Covey; birte dar; Davies Trevor Prof; Jay Davis; Tomas Diaz De La Rubia; Andrew Dessler; Michael" "Dettinger; Phil Duffy; Paul J." "Ehlenbach; Kerry Emanuel; James Estes; Veronika" "Eyring; David Fahey; Chris Field; Peter Foukal; Melissa Free; Julio Friedmann; Bill Fulkerson; Inez Fung; Jeff Garberson; PETER GENT; Nathan Gillett; peter gleckler; Bill Goldstein; Hal Graboske; Tom Guilderson; Leopold Haimberger; Alex Hall; James Hansen; harvey; Klaus Hasselmann; Susan Joy Hassol; Isaac Held; Bob Hirschfeld; Jeremy Hobbs; Dr. Elisabeth A. Holland; Greg Holland; Brian Hoskins; mhughes; James Hurrell; Ken Jackson; c jakob; Gardar Johannesson; Philip D. Jones; Helen Kang; Thomas R Karl; David Karoly; Jeffrey Kiehl; Steve Klein; Knutti Reto; John Lanzante; [email protected]; Ron Lehman; John lewis; Steven A. "Lloyd (GSFC-610.2)[R S INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC]"; Jane Long; Janice Lough; mann; [email protected]; Linda Mearns; carl mears; Jerry Meehl; Jerry Melillo; George Miller; Norman Miller; Art Mirin; John FB" "Mitchell; Phil Mote; Neville Nicholls; Gerald R. North; Astrid E.J. Ogilvie; Stephanie Ohshita; Tim Osborn; Stu" "Ostro; j palutikof; Joyce Penner; Thomas C Peterson; Tom Phillips; David Pierce; [email protected]; V.
    [Show full text]
  • Coordination Failure and the Sinking of Titanic
    The Sinking of the Unsinkable Titanic: Mental Inertia and Coordination Failures Fu-Lai Tony Yu Department of Economics and Finance Hong Kong Shue Yan University Abstract This study investigates the sinking of the Titanic from the theory of human agency derived from Austrian economics, interpretation sociology and organizational theories. Unlike most arguments in organizational and management sciences, this study offers a subjectivist perspective of mental inertia to understand the Titanic disaster. Specifically, this study will argue that the fall of the Titanic was mainly due to a series of coordination and judgment failures that occurred simultaneously. Such systematic failures were manifested in the misinterpretations of the incoming events, as a result of mental inertia, by all parties concerned in the fatal accident, including lookouts, telegram officers, the Captain, lifeboat crewmen, architects, engineers, senior management people and owners of the ship. This study concludes that no matter how successful the past is, we should not take experience for granted entirely. Given the uncertain future, high alertness to potential dangers and crises will allow us to avoid iceberg mines in the sea and arrived onshore safely. Keywords: The R.M.S. Titanic; Maritime disaster; Coordination failure; Mental inertia; Judgmental error; Austrian and organizational economics 1. The Titanic Disaster So this is the ship they say is unsinkable. It is unsinkable. God himself could not sink this ship. From Butler (1998: 39) [The] Titanic… will stand as a monument and warning to human presumption. The Bishop of Winchester, Southampton, 1912 Although the sinking of the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic (thereafter as the Titanic) is not the largest loss of life in maritime history1, it is the most famous one2.
    [Show full text]
  • Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence
    B I C F O O T Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence The question of Bigfoot's existence comes down to the claim that "Where there's smoke there's fire. " The evidence suggests that there are enough sources of error that there does nc have to be a hidden creature lurking amid the unsubstantiated cases. BENJAMIN RADFORD hough sightings of the North American Bigfoot date back to the 1830s (Bord 1982), interest in Bigfoot Tgrew rapidly during the second half of the twentieth century. This was spurred on by many magazine articles of the time, most seminally a December 1959 True magazine article describing the discovery of large, mysterious foot- prints the year before in Bluff Creek, California. A half century later, the question of Bigfoot's existence remains open. Bigfoot is still sought, the pursuit kept alive by a steady stream of sightings, occasional photos or foot- print finds, and sporadic media coverage. But what evidence has been gathered over the course of fifty years? And what conclusions can we 4mw from that evidence? / SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Manh/Apr**^ 29 Most Bigfoot investigators favor one theory of Bigfoot's ori- gin or existence and stake their reputations on it, sniping at oth- ers who don't share their views. Many times, what one investi- gator sees as clear evidence of Bigfoot another will dismiss out of hand. In July 2000, curious tracks were found on the Lower Hoh Indian Reservation in Washington state. Bigfoot tracker Cliff Crook claimed that die footprints were "for sure a Bigfoot," though Jeffrey Meldrum, an associate professor of bio- logical sciences at Idaho State University (and member of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, BFRO) decided that there was not enough evidence to pursue the matter (Big Disagreement Afoot 2000).
    [Show full text]
  • Searching for Security in the Mystical the Function of Paranormal Beliefs
    Searching for Security in the Mystical The Function of Paranormal Beliefs MARTIN R. GRIMMER ver the past two decades, the paranor- mal has enjoyed something of a revival Owithin popular culture. There have been countless books, magazine and newspaper articles, movies, and television programs devoted to topics ranging from UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, lost continents, Yetis, and Belief in the the Loch Ness monster, to pyramid power, astrology, levitation, telepathy, precognition, paranormal and poltergeists. Sociologist Marcello Truzzi appears to satisfy (1972) suggested that this boom in paranormal interest began around the late sixties, noting some very basic, if that Ouija boards outsold such popular board inconsistent games as Monopoly. human needs. It Lately, the paranormal seems to have mani- fested in the form of the New Age movement— will probably a loose combination of ideas encompassing spir- remain with us itualism, mysticism, alternative healing, and a healthy dose of commercialism. Some may think forever. this is mainly an American phenomenon, but it is estimated that Australians alone now spend $100 million a year on personal-transformation courses that delve deeply into such fringe areas as rebirthing, shamanism, channeling, and crystal healing. To some observers, the New Age movement is seen as a sort of quasi-religious justification for "yuppiedom"—how to make money and feel "really great" about it at the same time. Winter 1992 Research studies worldwide have written on this topic, several themes revealed an extensive belief in and in the human motive to believe can acceptance of the paranormal. In a be identified. survey of the readers of Britain's New First, paranormal beliefs may oper- Scientist magazine, a high proportion ate to reassure the believer that there of whom are reported to hold post- is order and control in what may graduate degrees, Evans (1973) found otherwise appear to be a chaotic that 67 percent believed that ESP was universe (Frank 1977).
    [Show full text]