Ten Titanic Myths | Psychoanalysis | Gender & Personality | Pseudoscience in Universities | ‘Patience Worth’
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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?". -
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. -
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. -
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). -
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).